"Bring it!"
Cloud's eyes held no fear—only an unprecedented, blazing battle-hunger.
He abandoned all pretense of playfulness, unleashing the full, refined purity of his 96% Domain without reservation. He met the attack with his own fist.
BOOM—!!!
Golden fist-light and black dragon-head collided at Mount Fuji's peak in the most primal, most pure, most savage clash imaginable.
In that instant, the energy shockwave formed a visible, ever-expanding hemisphere of force.
The mountain itself groaned in protest. Countless massive cracks spread from the summit downward, as if the entire peak might collapse at any moment.
Even in the distant VIP viewing area, tens of kilometers away, Kyo and the others felt an invisible wall slam into their barrier, churning their blood and qi.
"Is this... their full-power exchange?!" Terry clutched his cap to keep it from flying away. "If we didn't have shields, we'd be taking off for orbit right about now!"
At the collision's epicenter, two figures separated instantly.
This time, the result defied everyone's expectations.
Cloud—that man who seemed unbeatable, who existed like a bug in the system—let out a muffled grunt and was sent flying back over a dozen meters.
His feet carved two deep trenches in the ground before he finally stabilized.
A thread of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
He was... injured.
This scene, broadcast clearly to the entire world, left everyone stunned.
"Did I... did I see that right? Cloud actually... coughed up blood?"
"It's over! My lunch money's gone! Boss, hang in there!"
"The Emperor's really this strong?! Are we about to witness a patch update—old king falls, new king rises?"
"I'm crying. My man got hurt. I literally can't breathe..."
Chizuru Kagura's heart clenched so tight her nails dug into her palms, drawing blood she didn't even notice.
But Cloud himself, after wiping the blood from his lips, showed not the slightest trace of frustration. Instead, his smile was one of pure, exhilarating satisfaction—even excitement.
"Pain... it's been so long since I felt this."
He flexed his numbed arm, feeling the churning blood and qi within him, yet his mind remained ice-cold and crystal clear.
"System, I think my bottleneck... just loosened."
[System Analysis: Due to Host's rapid power advancement, prolonged state of "Lonely at the Top" without opponents of equal caliber for proper stress-testing has slowed realm advancement. Current target "Emperor (Modded Version)" represents Host's optimal whetstone. Recommendation: Fully enjoy this battle. Do not throw.]
"My thoughts exactly!"
Cloud's fighting spirit ignited completely in this moment.
This was exactly what he'd been craving—a battle between equals, one where he could feel death breathing down his neck.
Only by dancing on the razor's edge between life and death could he shatter those invisible chains and glimpse higher vistas.
"Emperor, you're not bad," Cloud addressed his opponent with a genuine smile. "You're someone who can make me get serious. As a reward, I'll show you... my true power."
"Arrogant!" Though the Emperor had won that exchange, inwardly he was even more alarmed.
He hadn't expected Cloud to take his full-force punch and suffer only minor injuries. Was this guy made of adamantium?
He hesitated no longer, pushing the evil power within him to its absolute limit.
"ROARRR—!!!"
A howl—something far from human—rang out. From the Emperor's body emerged wisps of twisted, struggling souls, colored a sickly blue-black.
Each one was different: some wore ancient samurai armor, others modern judo uniforms. These were the remnant spirits of the hidden masters whose power had been forcibly absorbed.
"Emperor! You despicable coward! Return my cultivation!"
"I curse you! May you never find peace in any lifetime!"
"Kill him! Kill him! Avenge us!"
Countless curses and grudges echoed across Mount Fuji's peak. The scene was more terrifying than a parade of a hundred demons.
"Oh? A live one-star review session." Cloud watched with great interest. "Looks like your Pinduoduo Divine Art has terrible customer service."
But the Emperor's next action made everyone's scalps tingle.
Facing these spirits' curses, he showed not a shred of guilt. Instead, he opened his mouth wide and inhaled.
"So noisy. The wailing of losers."
Those dozens of powerful souls shrieked in agony as they were pulled uncontrollably into his mouth—like he was enjoying a "grudge spirit buffet."
With each soul devoured, the dark aura around him grew denser.
The instant the Emperor finished consuming every last spirit, heaven and earth shifted once more.
This time, it wasn't the Emperor's doing—it was as if some fundamental law of the world had been violated.
The sky, which had just cleared, clouded over again at even greater speed, forming clouds blacker than ink.
Within those clouds, purple lightning serpents writhed madly, accompanied by deafening thunder.
A vast, majestic, inviolable heavenly pressure descended upon all of Mount Fuji.
CRACK—!
A bolt of purple lightning thicker than a barrel tore through the sky like divine wrath, striking the Emperor dead-on.
"Pfft—!"
The Emperor immediately coughed up blood, his entire body seizing and convulsing, smoke rising from his form.
"Hahahaha! Retribution! This is retribution!" At the mountain's base, a young fighter who'd just learned his great-grandmaster had been drained by the Emperor burst into wild laughter. "Heaven has opened its eyes! This demon is receiving divine punishment!"
His words voiced what everyone felt.
...
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