Silence.
Heavy.
Unbroken.
The battlefield, once filled with explosive clashes and overwhelming pressure, had fallen into an eerie stillness.
At its center—
Jiang Chen lay unconscious.
His body battered.
His aura completely extinguished.
But the traces of what had just occurred—
Still lingered in the air.
A power that didn't belong.
A power that shouldn't exist.
"…He really did it…" Chen Yu whispered, his voice shaking.
Han Wei let out a breathless laugh, collapsing to one knee.
"…He actually broke that thing…"
Zhou Yan remained standing, though barely.
His sharp eyes never left the battlefield.
"…No," he said quietly.
"…He didn't finish it."
A faint sound echoed.
Crack… crack…
At the far end of the arena—
The Enforcer moved.
Its fractured body twitched unnaturally, dark energy attempting to piece itself back together.
Fragments of its form floated, reconnecting slowly.
"…Mission…"
"…Incomplete…"
A ripple of dread passed through everyone still standing.
"…You've got to be kidding me…" Chen Yu muttered.
Lin Xue—
Still unmoving.
Han Wei clenched his fists.
"…We can't fight again…"
Zhou Yan exhaled slowly.
"…We don't have to."
A single step echoed across the arena.
Calm.
Measured.
Certain.
Luo Tian.
He walked forward without hesitation, his gaze fixed entirely on the Enforcer.
For the first time—
He wasn't observing.
He wasn't calculating.
He was acting.
"…You've served your purpose," Luo Tian said calmly.
The Enforcer turned its fractured head toward him.
"…New target identified."
"…Threat level—"
"…Irrelevant."
Luo Tian vanished.
Not fast.
Not flashy.
Just—
Gone.
BOOM!!!
The next moment—
He was already in front of the Enforcer.
His hand struck forward—
Not with overwhelming force—
But with perfect precision.
Crack.
The Enforcer's partially restored core—
Shattered.
No resistance.
No struggle.
Just—
End.
The entire battlefield froze.
Chen Yu blinked.
"…That's it…?"
Han Wei stared.
"…He… just ended it?"
Zhou Yan's eyes narrowed.
"…No wasted motion…"
"…No excess power…"
"…Perfect execution."
The Enforcer's body collapsed completely.
Fragments of dark energy scattered—
Then dissolved into nothingness.
Silence returned.
But this time—
It wasn't fear.
It was realization.
Luo Tian stood alone at the center.
Unharmed.
Unshaken.
Untouched.
He glanced briefly toward Jiang Chen's fallen body.
His expression—
Unreadable.
"…You've stepped onto an interesting path," he said quietly.
"…Let's see how far you can go."
Then—
He turned.
And walked away.
The tension broke.
Chen Yu rushed forward immediately.
"Jiang Chen!"
Han Wei followed, scanning the surroundings cautiously.
"…Is it really over?"
Zhou Yan approached more slowly.
"…For now."
They reached Jiang Chen.
His breathing—
Faint.
But steady.
"…He's alive," Chen Yu said, relief flooding his voice.
Han Wei smirked slightly.
"…Of course he is. That monster doesn't die easily."
Zhou Yan knelt beside him.
"…His body is wrecked," he said bluntly.
"…If not for whatever that power was…"
"…he'd be dead."
A soft sound—
"…Jiang… Chen…"
All three froze.
Lin Xue.
She stirred slightly, her fingers twitching against the cracked ground.
Chen Yu rushed to her side.
"Lin Xue!"
Her eyes opened weakly.
"…He's… alive… right…?"
Chen Yu nodded quickly.
"Yeah. He is."
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"…Good…"
Then—
She lost consciousness again.
Zhou Yan exhaled slowly.
"…She pushed beyond her limit."
Han Wei crossed his arms.
"…Both of them did."
Above them—
Elder Zhao finally descended.
His expression—
Grave.
"…This ranking battle…"
He paused.
"…is suspended."
Murmurs spread instantly across the remaining disciples.
"…Suspended?"
"…After all this?"
Elder Zhao's gaze swept across the ruined arena.
"…This was no longer a test."
"…It became something far beyond your level."
His eyes lingered briefly on Jiang Chen.
And then—
On Luo Tian's distant figure.
"…The Inner Clan…"
"…will not be the same after today."
The system flickered back to life.
Weak.
Damaged.
But active.
[System Reboot Complete]
[Data Recorded: Unknown Energy Source]
[New Path Detected: Origin Evolution]
Even unconscious—
Jiang Chen's journey—
Had already changed.
Far beyond rankings.
Far beyond competition.
Toward something greater.
Something dangerous.
Something that would shake the heavens themselves.