"That serious? Did that Nero poke a hole in the sky or something?" Lin Junzhao's sudden serious attitude made everyone around tense up. Even the always-goofy Jiang Feiyang put down his snacks, wiped the grin off his face, and got ready to fight.

To Pei Yan's instinctive question, Lin Junzhao gave a bitter smile and said helplessly, "About the same as poking a hole in the sky. Bloodshatter really crossed the line this time." After she finished, she added, "Pei Yan, watch how things develop in a bit! I might need to use your body to fight again. Send a message to Pei Jin now, tell her to come here if necessary."

This sentence made Pei Yan feel just how serious the problem was. For Lin Junzhao to take over his body meant she was ready to make a personal move herself. And having Pei Jin, who was on a special mission, abandon her original plan and come here meant that in the coming battle she might not be able to win alone, and would need to fuse with Pei Jin, complete the combination, and push her power to the final level to face the possible all‑out decisive battle.

Both of these pieces of news meant Nero had done something enough to provoke Lin Ruxue into a mindless rage. Thinking of this, Pei Yan didn't dare delay. While briefly telling his sister about the situation in the arena, he finished mechanizing his body and scanned the surroundings. At the slightest sign of trouble, he'd be able to react immediately.

The fight on the stage was still going. After a period of recovery, Nero finally managed to even out his breathing. Struggling, he pushed himself up from the ground, casually picked up a steel spike he had pulled from his own body and used it as a cane. Like that, Nero leaned on the spike, panting every few steps, inching forward with difficulty—walk, stop, drag—until he finally scraped his way to Lin Daozi's side.

Judging from Nero's current state, Lin Daozi's attack really had dealt him the massive damage Lin Junzhao had mentioned. Even with his remodeled, monstrous physique and self‑healing, he'd been beaten into this miserable appearance. If Lin Daozi had completed the whole five‑elements cycle of mutual generation and restraint instead of stopping, just one more step and Nero's only outcome would have been death.

Unfortunately, Lin Daozi never took that final step. Now the one lying motionless on the ground was Lin Daozi, and the one still standing was the battered and wretched Nero. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Facing the opponent who had almost killed him, Nero—who never had much feeling even for his own comrades—actually hesitated in this moment. It wasn't some nonsense about heroes cherishing heroes; that concept didn't exist in his head at all. In his eyes, only a dead opponent was a good opponent.

The reason he hesitated was because he was thinking whether, if he really killed Lin Daozi, he could withstand Lin Ruxue's wrath.

Time ticked by in this deadlock, second after second. Inside and outside the arena, it grew so quiet that only the tense breathing of everyone present could be heard. The defensive Array around the ring was still active, proving the match wasn't over yet, and the arm of Lin Daozi, who was lying on the ground, started to tremble. He was struggling, gathering the scattered origin energy, trying to stand up again.

He can't wait any longer! If Lin Daozi got back on his feet—even if he was now a "cripple" with his origin energy exhausted—his physical attributes were still there. If he was allowed to recover his breath, then with Nero's injuries right now, he'd only be there to be beaten.

All or nothing! Since he'd gone this far, he might as well send him off for good. With that thought, Nero made up his mind and raised the steel spike in his hand high, aiming straight at Lin Daozi's head beneath him.

The exact same scene had just happened not long ago to Lin Xunrou, and now it was happening again to her brother. Only this time, the one stepping in to save him was far stronger than before.

Before Nero's spike could fall, the defenses around the ring vanished in an instant. At the same time, a crushing pressure that blanketed the entire arena descended from the sky. Inside the Investigation Hall's viewing stands, only Pei Yan—possessed by Lin Junzhao—was still able to remain standing. Everyone else, even Ye Ruozai and the other Children of Origin, were forced by this pressure into a cold sweat; their bodies moved against their will as they all collapsed to the floor, prostrating together.

The thuds of people falling echoed nonstop. Pei Yan looked around; most people outside the arena were in the same predicament, unable to resist this aura and choosing to submit.

Turning his head back to the ring, after the defensive Array vanished and the healing Array kicked in, Nero—who had just had most of his injuries healed—didn't even have time to grunt. Head first, he was slammed down flat onto the ring by the pressure. The sound of the ring shattering and bones breaking was especially piercing in the deathly silent arena.

"Get up there," Lin Junzhao reminded him inside Pei Yan's mind.

"Oh." Pei Yan responded woodenly, then slowly walked onto the ring. By then, however, two figures had already appeared on the stage before him.

"Spirit Lord Lin, there's no need to take a children's match this seriously, is there?" Candle Dragon floated down in front of his own Disciple. With a wave of his broad sleeve, he brushed away most of the oppressive pressure, then looked at Lin Ruxue, who had landed in front of Lin Daozi, and gave a faint smile as he tried to soothe her.

"A children's match? You know damn well what you did! I never thought you'd be this shameless! You actually dared pull that right under my nose in public! Do you really think I don't dare declare war right now?" As Lin Ruxue spoke, the aura pouring out of her body flared another level higher. In an instant, all the light screens broadcasting the match shattered together. Heaven and earth dimmed, dark clouds pressed down over the city, and an apocalyptic pressure hovered above the ring.

And Nero, who had just been relieved of the pressure and could finally catch his breath to try and stand, spat out a mouthful of blood with a puff and was slammed back into the floor by the renewed pressure.

"Idiot. If you don't want to die, stay the hell down." Candle Dragon didn't turn his head; he merely glanced sideways at his Disciple and scolded him in a low voice, then turned back to Lin Ruxue and said calmly, "I used some methods, sure. Your Disciple can carry six types of Origin. Why can't my Disciple use some methods of his own?"

"Candle Dragon!" Candle Dragon's brazen shamelessness completely enraged Lin Ruxue. She roared his name and bellowed, "You're telling me you don't know the difference between the two? 'Methods'? The so‑called methods you used are no different from personally stepping in to help in the match yourself! How is that the same thing?"

"So what if it is?" Candle Dragon raised his brows and said sharply, "Did my Bloodshatter break any of the tournament rules? If you want to blame someone, blame the fact that your tournament setup is full of holes!"

"Good. Good! I've never seen someone so utterly shameless!" Lin Ruxue, so furious she was quoting the classic line of a prime minister, pointed at Candle Dragon and laughed from sheer rage. "I never should've accepted this bet in the first place. You despicable, shameless scum! To toy with me like this—fine, let's go to war!"

"Then let's go to war!" Candle Dragon clapped his hands together, spreading his arms wide, utterly fearless. "Spirit Lord Lin, you think that since I stirred up this conflict, I'd be afraid of war? Maybe you should think about who's really the one hesitating! And stop always putting yourself in the victim's seat! I'm despicable? We agreed on a fair match, but how many times has the Investigation Hall provoked Bloodshatter during this whole thing? If you and Lin Junzhao weren't backing and indulging them from behind, do you really think that ill‑mannered brat would be qualified to step on Bloodshatter again and again in front of me, and I'd just act like I didn't see it?"