Chapter 440: Duel
"Would you like to be an Angel?"
The Grand Zeno looked at Uchiha Dali with a childlike expression as he asked.
When he heard the word "Angel," Uchiha Dali didn't answer right away. His thoughts immediately went to the six destroyed universes.
Though the Gods of Destruction were powerful, the Angels' strength far surpassed them—they served as the Gods of Destruction's supervisors.
However, every Angel had another duty as well: to act as their God of Destruction's attendant—taking care of their food, daily needs, and everything else.
For most beings, becoming an Angel would be an immeasurable honor.
But for Uchiha Dali, that clearly wasn't the case.
He wasn't the kind of person who liked serving others.
And more importantly, even Angels had no true freedom.
Grand Zeno's moods were unpredictable.
Even the slightest displeasure could lead to the immediate erasure of an entire universe.
In that case, it didn't matter whether one was a God of Destruction or an Angel—all those supposedly mighty beings would be reduced to nothing.
So naturally, Uchiha Dali could never agree to something where he couldn't control his own fate.
He kept his true feelings hidden behind a calm expression.
Still, he couldn't exactly oppose Grand Zeno outright. Refusing him on the spot would surely be unwise.
He had to make a choice.
After a brief moment of thought, Uchiha Dali decided it was best to appease Grand Zeno for now—he would bide his time and grow stronger first.
A small ambition flickered in his heart.
Even in this higher dimension, he would seize control of his destiny completely.
"Then I thank you, Grand Zeno-sama," Uchiha Dali said with a polite nod.
Seeing him agree, Grand Zeno turned to the Grand Priest. "Is there any God of Destruction who still needs supervision, Grand Priest?"
"For the time being, no, Grand Zeno-sama," the Grand Priest replied.
"Since you have already erased the surplus universes, every remaining God of Destruction currently has an Angel serving them."
"I see…"
"Then you can stay here in the palace for now, Uchiha Dali," Grand Zeno said, turning back to him.
Uchiha Dali's eyes gleamed with anticipation. Unable to contain himself, he made a request.
"Grand Zeno-sama, your two guards seem very powerful. I'd like to learn a few moves from them—if that's alright?"
He looked toward the two guards standing outside the door.
When the guards heard his words, they turned their heads sharply toward him.
"You want to challenge my guards?" Grand Zeno asked, suddenly intrigued.
"Would you two be willing to spar with Uchiha Dali?"
The guards had felt deeply insulted at first and didn't even want to acknowledge Uchiha Dali.
But once Grand Zeno spoke, their demeanor immediately changed to one of utmost respect.
"Grand Zeno-sama," said the guard on the left, "since a Supreme God from the lower realm has issued a challenge, of course we would not refuse.
However, with his level of power, I'm afraid he isn't qualified to face us both at once."
He turned his sharp gaze toward Uchiha Dali again.
The reverence from before was gone—now replaced with piercing intensity.
"Hmm? Is that so?" Grand Zeno's tone dropped slightly.
That subtle shift in his voice instantly made both guards go pale with sweat, returning to a posture of absolute obedience.
After putting them back in their place, Grand Zeno looked at Uchiha Dali.
"Then, will you fight one of them or both?"
"I'll start with one for now," Uchiha Dali said with a grin.
Grand Zeno glanced at his guards again and ordered, "Then one of you shall spar with Uchiha Dali."
"In that case, allow me, Grand Zeno-sama," said the guard on the left, stepping forward.
Just by standing there, an overwhelming aura erupted from him.
The sheer pressure stunned Uchiha Dali to his core—his cells instantly became hyperactive, energy surging within him like a raging ocean, flowing faster and faster.
As his body responded, his aura skyrocketed.
Grand Zeno clapped his hands excitedly, watching with interest.
The Grand Priest, however, remained calm, his gaze fixed on Uchiha Dali. Deep in his eyes flickered a thoughtful light.
"Make your move," said Grand Zeno's guard, settling into a ready stance.
"My attack has already begun. Can't you sense it?" Uchiha Dali replied playfully.
The guard blinked in surprise and glanced around—but felt nothing.
Frowning, he looked back at Uchiha Dali.
Uchiha Dali's half-smile only made the guard, who moments ago was so confident and composed, feel a sudden flicker of unease.
He couldn't figure out what trick Uchiha Dali was pulling.
He couldn't sense anything at all—yet his opponent claimed to have already attacked.
Was it an illusion? Or had he lost the ability to read his opponent's intent?
Doubt gnawed at him, and he immediately activated Ultra Instinct.
Outwardly, there was no visible change—but internally, his body functions had ascended to a level beyond imagination.
Uchiha Dali's expression turned grave.
He could clearly sense that his opponent had just become immeasurably more dangerous.
Not even a God of Destruction—or perhaps even the Angel Whis—might be able to defeat this guard.
That was precisely why Uchiha Dali had chosen to start with misdirection.
Grand Zeno's guard was terrifyingly strong—but apparently not all that clever. It was almost laughable that such a simple bluff worked on him.
Facing this crushing pressure, Uchiha Dali's long-dormant Transcendent Insight finally reawakened.
In his mind, a familiar system chime echoed.
[Detected: You are currently in a higher dimension beyond your previous power limit. Your "Transcendent Insight" has been reawakened and evolved! Its effectiveness has been greatly enhanced, accelerating your growth exponentially!]
"So it was dormant before…"
"Was it because I had already reached my limit in the previous dimension?" he wondered.
Just then, another chime rang in his head—
But before he could make out what it said, Grand Zeno's guard lunged forward to attack.
"Since you won't make the first move, don't blame me for being impolite. I simply don't wish to waste everyone's time."
"Take this!"
The words barely left his mouth before he appeared in front of Uchiha Dali in an instant—throwing a single, seemingly simple punch.
Yet that ordinary-looking strike twisted space itself, radiating an overwhelming sense of inevitability—one that made evasion feel utterly impossible.