The evolution of [Bore] was completed by the Active Wormhole.
But its evolutionary path,
was personally directed by Shi Ming!
Its effect was simple, direct, and grew exponentially! The first bite might be insignificant to a Pillar Powerhouse, but the second, third, fourth, fifth... each bite would double in power. As long as Shi Ming had enough time, he could use it to bore through even the toughest bones until they collapsed!
This was a "numbered skill," one of only 39 in the entire Star Sea!
Right now, it lay dormant, a bug waiting to be triggered, a key to steer the course of destiny! At this battle’s critical moment, it would be his trump card!
...
...
...
Three hundred kilometers away in the void, the one known as Fisherman’s Concealment used his skill, [Fisherman’s Concealment], to hide outside the battlefield and observe the duel.
As a confidant of the Royal Family, his position, in principle, was on Ron’s side.
But right now, for some strange reason, he found himself secretly hoping for the young man to win—even though this same young man had stolen three whole opportunities from him in the Cave of the Stars, making them direct competitors.
Perhaps it was because he was getting older, but in this young life, he could always see a reflection of his own past self.
Back then, he too had been full of passion.
Fisherman’s Concealment would only watch. He would not interfere.
Nor was it his place to.
Interfering in Ron’s hunting ground wouldn’t earn his gratitude; on the contrary, it would infuriate the Pillar Powerhouse. Having watched Ron grow up, Fisherman’s Concealment understood this well. He was happy to remain idle. No matter which of the two suffered a setback in this battle, he would just enjoy the show.
But others couldn’t see things so clearly.
A suffocating pressure began to fill the space.
Within the starry sky, which was already under the oppressive might of Destiny, several brilliant stars appeared one after another. As the stars settled, a woman draped in magnificent, sheer gauze manifested in their midst.
The moment she arrived, the entire starry sky seemed to become a cage, completely sealed off.
A Nirvana-rank skill, Space Lock!
Unfortunately, the principles behind the [Space Lock] skill were very similar to those in the Cave of the Stars, only far cruder. It could trap others, but it couldn’t trap Shi Ming. If he truly wanted to leave, he wouldn’t even need to use his defensive skills, the Black Tortoise Shield and the Eternal Sanctuary. He could just endure the backlash with his physical body and force his way through the Dark Cosmos!
She had no idea that she had just used a skill that was a pure detriment to her side.
Just as the Star Queen arrived on the battlefield and used her skill to "assist," the lord of the Treasure Star, the Treasure King, finally joined the fray. The three Nirvana-rank powerhouses formed up, one in front and two behind, to brazenly confront Shi Ming.
"A great Sovereign like you is actually going back on his word and calling for so many helpers?"
"Junior, from this moment on, they will not act. My word—Ron’s word—is law. As long as you can break the Floating Umbrella, you are free to come and go as you please today."
Ron’s proclamation was as majestic as a star.
But Shi Ming knew he was just stalling for the arrival of [Destiny].
Whether it was killing him or imprisoning him, neither was the true goal of this Pillar Stone of the nation. Only the future hypothesized by [Destiny] was the outcome this Sovereign truly desired.
’What could that be?’
’It must be related to the [Divine Rune].’
’But unfortunately for you, I won’t let you get your wish today.’
Wearing the Crown of Slaughter, Shi Ming carved a path through the army of the dead. A ceaseless torrent of new souls poured from the Floating Umbrella, like an endless, infinite game. The Docking Star Realm of the Treasure Star had turned into a crimson battlefield, its former order and technology now utterly annihilated!
Unrivaled!
The Crown of Slaughter grew stronger with every battle. At some unknown point, Shi Ming’s Attack Power had quietly broken past 4,000!
’It’s time to teach him a lesson!’
’First, I’ll let you taste the power of the Desire Demon!’
The little something he had "sheared" off Bai Yimo last time in the Cave of the Stars was now ready to be used.
A Star Lamp appeared in Shi Ming’s hand. He then took out the piece of flesh and blood he had taken from Bai Yimo, using it as oil and fuel for the lamp. After being infinitely upgraded, the Star Lamp could replicate the skills of Nirvana-rank powerhouses, and the power of Bai Yimo’s [Desire] went without saying.
When the Star Lamp used a skill, it was as if the original owner were casting it themselves.
As the lamp lit up, a seductive melody drifted out from within. The golden light was as rich and deep as the purest night, promising a gluttonous feast and stirring all manner of desires.
Desire: Chaotic Hell!
A storm from Hell instantly swept over the entire army of the dead, nearly overturning the Floating Umbrella in its gale! The Star Queen and the Treasure King exchanged a look but did not attack directly. The latter merely used his own power, attempting to divert the flow of the Chaotic Hell to prevent it from affecting the Treasure Star. However, he underestimated the power of [Desire] and was caught in a vortex of temptation, struggling just to hold on.
Ron frowned.
He extended an arm to support him.
’A perfect chance.’
The giant pillar launched a fierce assault, sweeping away everything in its path. All the dead were annihilated wherever it passed, and the void itself shattered. Shi Ming activated the "Four-Dimensional Sanctuary" in his palm, and driven by the Time Rune, he appeared before the Sovereign in an instant.
Ten times the power!
Bore!
A twofold attack struck on both the material and spiritual planes!
During the one-second time stop, the ’bore-worm’ lurking inside the Sovereign’s body began to bite frantically at a high frequency. It delivered eight bites in the blink of an eye!
BANG—
The Sovereign’s six-armed body collided head-on with the Pillar of the Blasphemer and Usurper.
It was a truly ultimate strike.
Even the former Tower King would have been annihilated by such a blow. But the Defense Power of a Pillar Stone of the Nation was immense, and the number of aces up his sleeve was countless. When the stone pillar slammed into his imposing body, it merely knocked him back a full thirty kilometers. His formidable exterior hadn’t suffered a single scratch.
However, the [Bore] skill, which had been planted earlier, was having an unexpected effect.
The eighth bite of the Bore had caused the Pillar Stone’s brow to furrow tightly. The ninth nearly shattered his spirit. Seizing this moment, the Pillar of the Blasphemer and Usurper hammered the approaching Star Queen away, then abruptly changed direction, about to come crashing down on Ron’s face once more!
The Space Lock had failed.
For the first time in a thousand years, a trace of anger finally appeared on Ron’s expressionless face.
"Junior!"
"I still underestimated you!"
At his Imperial Decree, twelve figures descended abruptly, helping Ron’s face escape the blow. Shi Ming was delighted with this outcome. The branch of fate he had anchored earlier was the [Triumphal Remains], which had only a 0.0047% probability. Forcing out Ron’s Twelve Fixed Star Guards was the prerequisite for achieving this goal.
[Branch 109: Triumphal Remains]
[In this battle, which should have been like an old man toying with a child, Ron underestimated your strength and suffered a great loss! He summoned the help of the Twelve Fixed Star Guards, who are the backbone of the force sent to subjugate the Star Spirit Race. With lightning speed, you will slay three of the Nirvana-rank Fixed Star Guards, take their remains and their source, break through the seal, and return in triumph!]
[The destiny hypothesized by Ron has been postponed...]
[Probability: 0.0047%]
...
On the battlefield—
Fisherman’s Concealment was hidden in the void;
The Star Queen had been sent flying by a single blow;
The Treasure King was trapped deep in the vortex of desire;
Ron was using most of his power to fight the ’bore-worm,’ which was biting with increasing ferocity. He had even torn off parts of his own body to escape its gnawing. And now, the Twelve Fixed Star Guards had become the main players on the battlefield.
A faint smile appeared on Shi Ming’s face.