Chapter 156 — The Finger That Silenced a Calamity
For a single, trembling heartbeat, the sky, the arena, the formation arrays, the disciples, the elders—
everything—
seemed to stop.
Two ultimate arts howled toward the center of the arena:
Sky-Anvil Cataclysm Strike, wrapped in lightning thick enough to scar a continent.
Black Hole Collapse, a gravitational singularity bound to Lin's hammerhead.
And between them—
A tear in reality vomited out abyssal flame.
Claws tore free.
A horned skull forced itself into the world.
Four wings unfurled in a spray of warped space.
The Abyssal Ancestor had arrived.
But it was weakened—
violently suppressed by the Titan Realm's laws, losing 40% of its strength in the instant it breached the rift.
It had expected resistance.
It had not expected this.
---
1. Slow-Motion Impact — Multiple Perspectives
From Tian's Perspective
Lightning enveloped his vision.
His hammer felt like the wrath of a storm condensed into metal.
He saw his target—
not Lin anymore,
but a monstrous head wearing a crown of abyssal flame.
Tian shouted.
> "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
His hammer met abyssal flesh—
And lightning detonated.
CRRRRRAAAAAK—BOOOOOM!!!
---
From Lin's Perspective
Gravity folded inward.
Space bent to his will.
His hammer—
black and heavy as a collapsing star—
descended with annihilating force.
He saw the Ancestor only for a flash:
burning eyes
fanged maw
a cosmic hunger twisting around its form
Lin's pupils shrank.
But he didn't hesitate.
Black Hole Collapse hit.
Darkness swallowed the Ancestor's left flank—
And the shockwave ripped out reality.
---
From the Arena's Perspective
Half the outer barrier shattered instantly.
Disciples were thrown backward like leaves in a hurricane.
Core disciples staggered.
A few spat blood.
Elders flinched, raising defensive techniques midair.
Even Rowan's eyelids twitched.
The Sect Master…
did not move.
---
From the Ancestor's Mind
For the first time in an epoch—
it felt pain.
RAAAAGH—WHAT IS THIS—THIS FORCE—!?
MORTAL BRATS—MERE CULTIVATION FLEDGLINGS—WOUNDING ME?!
Lin's gravity ripped at its torso.
Tian's lightning burned into its shoulder.
The Ancestor howled in disbelief.
"IMPOSSIBLE!
THIS IS NOT—THIS IS NOT A LOWER REALM—WHY DOES IT HURT—?!"
It tried to spread its wings.
It tried to summon abyssal fire.
It tried to open its jaw.
But the Titan Realm's suppression field crushed it further.
Still—
It raged.
Still—
It resisted.
Still—
It prepared to kill.
---
2. The Rampage Begins
The Ancestor's limbs swelled.
Abyssal flames spiraled around its arms.
It tore itself free of the crater the attacks had driven it into.
And with a roar that made the world tremble—
SHAAAAAAAAAA!!!
It raised all six of its arms.
Its killing intent locked onto two targets:
Lin Xuan.
Tian Lei.
> "I WILL DEVOUR YOU—
I WILL DEVOUR YOUR SOULS—
I WILL DEVOUR YOUR—"
His words never finished.
---
3. The Sect Master Raises a Single Finger
From his elevated seat—
the Sect Master finally moved.
He lifted his hand…
Slowly…
Gracefully…
Deliberately…
And extended one finger into the air.
He tapped.
Just once.
TAP.
The sound was almost polite.
But the effect—
The air rippled like water disturbed by a stone.
The ripple expanded outward—
down the arena stands,
across the cracked ground,
over the heads of the disciples,
through the Ancestor's massive torso—
and space itself obeyed.
The Ancestor froze.
Its wings halted mid-flap.
Its flames stopped mid-flicker.
Its six arms halted in perfect stillness.
It was like a painting of a monster,
not a living one.
---
4. Inside the Ancestor's Mind — Pure Panic
"I—
I CANNOT MOVE!?
WHAT POWER IS THIS—WHAT LAW—WHAT REALM—
NO—NO THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE—
THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE—
THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE—!!!"
It strained everything—
Abyssal Flame
Corrupted Domain
Soul Pressure
Law Devouring Physique
Nothing moved.
Not a wing.
Not a claw.
Not an eyelid.
"A SINGLE FINGER—
I WAS STOPPED BY A SINGLE FINGER—
THAT HUMAN—
THAT HUMAN—
WHAT IS HE—?!!"
The Titan Sect Master sighed softly.
> "Pseudo-Demigod or not…
you are not qualified to make a mess in my sect."
The arena fell into stunned silence.
Even Tian stopped breathing.
Lin narrowed his eyes, awe sharpening into alertness.
---
5. The Sect Master Speaks
He looked at Lin and Tian, voice calm, even warm.
> "The duel was beautifully fought.
Both contestants displayed overwhelming strength.
To determine a winner now…
would disrespect both of your performances."
Murmurs rippled across the stands.
> "Then who won…?"
"Are they calling it a draw?"
"Is the duel canceled?"
The Sect Master raised a hand.
Silence.
> "Therefore—
a new challenge."
Lin blinked.
Tian raised an eyebrow.
The Sect Master gestured toward the immobilized Abyssal Ancestor.
> "This creature has intruded into our sect's grounds.
It wishes to harm our disciples.
It deserves punishment."
He smiled faintly.
> "You two will take turns striking it with your full power."
"The one who inflicts the most damage…
will be the victor."
The arena erupted.
"WHAT?!"
"STRIKE A PSEUDO-DEMIGOD?!"
"Is this even safe?!"
Tian's blood surged.
His lips curled into a feral grin.
> "Finally… a real test."
Lin exhaled slowly.
His grip tightened on his hammer.
> "I won't lose."
---
6. The Ancestor's Silent Screaming
Inside its mind—
The Ancestor shrieked wordlessly.
"NO—
NO STOP—
STOP THIS—
THEY CANNOT—
THESE MORTALS CANNOT BE ALLOWED—
NO—NO—NO—NO—NO—!!!"
It was trapped.
It was helpless.
And two monsters in human form were approaching with hammers raised.
The Sect Master folded his hands behind his back.
> "You may begin."