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--- Chapter 379 ---
"Domain Expansion..." Han Yuan's calm and untroubled voice echoed through the vast sky. "Verdant True Calamity: Thundercloud Sea of Lightning Forest."
As Han Yuan's voice quickly fell, the sounds of crashing water filled the air, and countless pillars surged out of the ocean.
These pillars were 'naturally' formed from billions of blue silver grass plants, which intertwined and hardened to create a colossal system of towering blue silver trees.
Yet, if that were all, it wouldn't even be worthy of being called a Domain Expansion.
After all, altering the landscape is easy for divine-level experts, and even some Title Douluo could achieve the same effect.
In fact, the three domains that had cornered Han Yuan already changed the surrounding environment around them, unleashing violent winds, freezing air, and countless mirages as if space itself was collapsing. It was the absolute pinnacle of the mastery of Phoenix Lords' respective laws.
Thus, what Han Yuan desired to achieve with his Domain couldn't be that simple.
Zzzt! Zzzt! Zzzt!
The sky began to change. The blue silver pillars transformed from blue to shining purple, seemingly reacting to the static energy in the atmosphere, summoning forth something terrifying.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Thunderclaps reverberated through the atmosphere.
"T-This is..." the White-Eyed Phoenix Lord exclaimed, her voice trembling as if she had just witnessed a bizarre sight. "Is this still considered a domain?"
The blue silver pillars' networks are constantly fluctuating, affecting the surrounding space and time. It's like a giant spider web, trapping and seizing something.
"My God..." the Fire Phoenix Lord realized what Han Yuan was attempting before them.
"He's seizing the authority of a god!"
"But how?" The White-Eyed Phoenix Lord's voice rose slightly. "He hasn't met the standard of becoming a god yet."
"Although he's an inheritor and possesses the basic attributes to become a god-level expert—albeit temporarily—it's meaningless without a container for that divinity."
Yes, Han Yuan ultimately lacked a God's Position. He was the Thunder God's inheritor, but the Thunder God's position was still in the God of Destruction's hand.
"His life force is fluctuating," someone suddenly commented.
"Ah Qing, Ah Lei." The Fire Phoenix Lord looked at his brother and sister returning to their side. It was none other than the Jade Phoenix Lord and the Purple Phoenix Lord.
Jade Phoenix Lord gazed at Han Yuan seriously and slowly turned to the surrounding blue silver pillars. "That kid's life force is fluctuating, and it's actually rising under the enhancement of these grasses."
"He plans to use his own body as the container."
"But wouldn't that..." The White-Eyed Phoenix Lord's eyes widened.
"Courting death," the Purple Phoenix Lord finally spoke. "That brat is courting death by doing this."
"I know just how tyrannical the law of lightning is. Even at my peak, I still need the assistance of my God's Position to control heavenly lightning, also known as God's Punishment Lightning."
"Even if he somehow succeeds, the pain of having your entire being struck by heavenly lightning is no different from self-torture."
As the Purple Phoenix Lord finished his words, the surrounding electricity suddenly converged on Han Yuan, crashing onto his body and causing it to burn rapidly.
On one side, Han Yuan's body experienced physical destruction, while on the other, it constantly regenerated due to the excess life force he had.
Then, a miracle occurred.
As Han Yuan remained in a constant state of destruction and creation, the Howling Dragon Arms responded dynamically.
This chain reaction generated true draconic powers from the gauntlets and greaves that stabilized his condition, changing him into a dragon, albeit rapidly weakening his life force.
"..." Purple Phoenix Lord.
"Holy crap! You can operate it like that?"
"To think he would use the Divine Artifact he wore as a stabilizer for this temporary godhood."
"This brat is insane!"
"He's insane, but you have to admit he achieved something we never dared to attempt," the Jade Phoenix Lord remarked, her voice filled with admiration for this young man.
"Unfortunately, this 'godhood' state won't last long."
"I estimate that with his current life force, he can only sustain it for a few minutes."
"And yet, within that few minutes window..."
"He's practically invincible!"
"..." Purple Phoenix Lord's mouth twitched.
'Why are you praising our enemy, Ah Qing? It's making me feel awkward, damn it!'
"Oh no! Ah Bing, Ah Feng, and Ah Jun are in trouble!" The Fire Phoenix Lord, shocked by Jade Phoenix Lord's comment, suddenly realized something.
Han Yuan's body floated horizontally as he clenched his hands slightly, feeling the power of draconic energy coursing through his veins. At this very moment, he was no different from a dragon in human form.
Simultaneously, Han Yuan wielded the forgotten authority of the Thunder God: Heavenly Punishment!
'Is this what it feels like to become a god in the Douluo Universe? This sensation isn't bad at all...'
'The boundless power, the authority, the feeling that everything could move at my whim...'
Unknowingly, Han Yuan's mind reached a breakthrough, or rather, broke through its limits.
Many believed that Han Yuan had mastered his powerful techniques to their pinnacles. His allies thought so, and his enemies did too. However, only Han Yuan was aware that he had reached his limit—at least, his current limit.
He understood that he couldn't recklessly raise his cultivation, which had stopped at level 69. It was a conscious decision on his part because the development of the Purple Silver Grass was nearing perfection.
Despite this, Han Yuan remained dissatisfied.
After acquiring Dou Techniques from another realm, he directly created the Divine Arts that allowed him to cultivate to the Quasi-God level.
Unfortunately, no matter how high his spiritual power was, how pure and dense his spirit energy became, or how vibrant and strong his life energy felt, he could not touch the realm of the gods.
Then, Han Yuan realized he was still far too young. Not even thirteen yet, he had achieved so much and was burdened with the weight of his own ambitions.
No matter how many special physiques Han Yuan refined, he couldn't reach such a peak.
Yet, this limitation actually also served as a form of protection. Han Yuan unconsciously suppressed his potential to prevent it from going berserk and chaotic due to the numerous dangerous things he had done to grow stronger.
Perhaps the most dangerous thing Han Yuan did was cut his own soul to create the avatar of Beta, leaving his soul incomplete. Fortunately, the situation had improved since Alpha had already fused back with Beta, making Han Yuan whole again.
Nevertheless, the feeling of being stuck lingered and gradually began to annoy him.
How could Han Yuan be content with being stalled at his current level?
His ambitions lay ahead!
How could he possibly defeat the Asura God if he himself couldn't grow stronger?
Han Yuan didn't want to relive his past experiences or let others control his fate.
Deep within Han Yuan's soul, a newfound force emerged. A purple-silver marking appeared, spreading through his blood, bones, flesh, skin, and finally, his eyes.
At last, the barriers within him began to crumble. His thoughts reached the impossible state of Instantaneous Flash, allowing him to organize all things with a mere thought.
Simultaneously, dragon scales began to grow on his skin, even where he wasn't wearing the Howling Dragon Arms.
Slowly, Han Yuan opened his eyes, which had become dragon-like and gained purplish slits, "I see..."
He whispered. "So, that's how it is..."
"Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one!"
It wasn't merely a statement. It was the declaration of Han Yuan's own existence. Countless Douluo Dalu universes existed based on the Task Master System's words, but there was only one Han Yuan!
Han Yuan gazed at the three Phoenix Lords, who were sweating profusely as they tried to suppress him.
"Come, Lightning," he said calmly.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Thunderclouds, no, the skies were torn apart by divine lightning, as if opening a door for judgment.
And to the astonishment of the Nine Phoenix Lords and other watchers, the divine lightning rapidly condensed and transformed into various weapons: swords, daggers, razors, knives, dirks, machetes, spears, pikes, lances, halberds, axes, hammers, clubs, maces, chains, bows, arrows, shields, boomerangs, etc.
Amidst all this chaos, Han Yuan gently hovered in the sky, adorned in dragon scale armor, with a pair of wings—one appearing as a dragon wing made from his own blood, and the other crafted from purple silver grass.
He raised a finger to the sky and then pointed downward. "Judge the Heretics, Heavenly Judgment Armaments."
"Heaven's Strike!"
At that moment, a purple silver divine light illuminated the world.