Honghuang: My understanding is beyond belief. I am the first immortal of Jiejiao.

Just as the Treasure Goddess completely vanished, Lin Zhu keenly sensed a faint but extraordinary glimmer of light that seemed to want to escape, but ultimately failed to escape the devouring domain of the God-Slaying Spear and was annihilated along with it.

"Hmm? There's actually a trace of true spirit within?"

Lin Zhu was slightly surprised. Most of the Ksitigarbha clones he had previously killed were like puppets, lacking independent true spirits. However, this surprise was fleeting, and he did not delve into it. For an enemy destined to die, the annihilation of both body and soul was the final judgment; whether or not a true spirit existed did not affect the outcome.

Just then, the familiar and authoritative system notification sounded in his mind like heavenly music.

"Ding! Escaped prisoner Tantuo Dizang has been executed, and his accomplice, the Magical Goddess, has been beheaded!"

"Congratulations, host, on completing the system task."

"To comprehensively rectify and enhance the strength and authority of the law enforcement force in the Three Realms, to thoroughly investigate and suppress the illegal prison break by the forces of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and to personally arrest the escaped prisoner, Danda Ksitigarbha, and his accomplice, the Dancer Goddess!"

"Task rewards will be distributed."

Two hundred thousand points of merit! The second page of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation Diagram!

"Additional rewards."

Given the host's outstanding performance in exceeding the mission requirements, an additional 10,000 points of merit are awarded! Furthermore, one opportunity for a 'painless, non-invasive, and side-effect-free' rapid advancement to a half-step Quasi-Saint is provided! Advance immediately?

Lin Zhu was overjoyed! Two hundred thousand merits in hand! Even better, he had been worried about being one or two thousand merits short of advancing to the half-step quasi-saint level, and the system had precisely made up for it with ten thousand merits, and even given him a free "three-no" safe advancement channel!

This is like a perfect pillow for someone who's sleepy!
"Promote him immediately!"

Lin Zhu gave the order in his mind without hesitation.

From the outside, Lin Zhu, who had just delivered a stunning blow and was riding high on his momentum, suddenly froze, his arrogant expression froze, and his eyes became somewhat empty. He seemed stunned by his own "feat" and stood there blankly, even the light of the God-Slaying Spear in his hand seemed to dim a little.

This sudden "flaw" was instantly spotted by one person!

"You villain! Prepare to die!!!"

A roar filled with endless grief, indignation, and murderous intent, like the howl of a wounded beast, suddenly rang out! It was the Angel of Deception, one of the six envoys under Ksitigarbha, whose eyes were now bloodshot and who looked like a madman!
He had a close relationship with the Treasure Goddess. Seeing his best friend being brutally murdered in public by Lin Zhu in such a cruel way, he was already consumed by rage and lost all reason!
He held a dazzling "Heavenly Sword" in his hand, which seemed to be able to draw upon the laws of the nine heavens. He poured all his power as a half-step quasi-saint into it, and even burned his own source to unleash the strongest attack he had ever made in his life!
This sword strike, though its brilliance was restrained, contained a resolute sword intent that could "break through all laws and overcome all obstacles." Its speed was extreme, like teleportation, and it thrust straight at Lin Zhu's face, who seemed to be in a state of "shock and daze" and was completely unprepared! It was determined to kill him with one sword and avenge the Treasure Goddess!
"How dare you!!!"

The Styx Patriarch noticed immediately, his eyes wide with rage, and he let out a furious shout!

He never expected that the other party would be so shameless as to launch such a sneak attack in full view of everyone! And the target was Lin Zhu, who had just made a great contribution and seemed to be in poor condition!

He tried to stop it, but the Angelic Slayer's sword was unleashed in anger, too fast, and too close, and he was too late!

"Boss! Watch out!!"

"Protect Lord Prison God!!"

"Despicable! How dare you launch a sneak attack!"

In the distance, the Three Realms Enforcers, who had been closely monitoring the battle, witnessed this thrilling scene. Their eyes widened in horror, and their hearts nearly leaped out of their chests!
They roared in unison, and without any hesitation, like moths drawn to a flame, they frantically channeled their magic power, transforming into streaks of light, and rushed towards Lin Zhu, trying to shield him from the fatal sword with their own bodies!
For them, Lin Zhu was not only their superior, but also their leader who led them to strength and gave them dignity and glory!

They were the leader they willingly followed! Now that their leader was in danger, they would rather die than watch him perish!
Even Princess Liu Man and Su Lengyu of Asura, who had been approaching Lin Zhu with some kind of purpose, completely abandoned all their emotional pretense and calculations at this moment, and their beautiful eyes instantly filled with uncontrollable anxiety and panic!

"No! Lin Zhu!!"

Liu Man screamed in terror.

"Get away quickly!"

Tears welled up in Su Lengyu's eyes.

They had waited countless years to meet such an extraordinary man whom they truly admired and even felt they could entrust their lives to. How could they accept that he had just begun to shine so brightly and then faded away like this?
However, in everyone's eyes, Lin Zhu had just unleashed that earth-shattering attack, and was at his weakest moment, with his old strength gone and new strength yet to be generated. He was also in that strange "stunned" state. Facing a half-step quasi-saint's desperate sneak attack that burned his source, he was almost... doomed to die!
Liu Man and Su Lengyu closed their eyes in anguish, unable to bear watching any longer. The remaining Ksitigarbha members held their breath, their hearts filled with a mixture of vengeful pleasure and anticipation.

On the Asura side, there was a chorus of exclamations and curses, and the Styx Patriarch's face was ashen...

Everyone believed that the next moment would be filled with bloodshed, and that the God of Law Enforcement of the Three Realms, who had just created a miracle, would perish here.

however--

Just a moment before that celestial sword, containing all the power and hatred of the Angel of Deception and seemingly capable of piercing everything, was about to touch Lin Zhu's brow!

A long, slender, fair hand, seemingly imbued with boundless power, appeared silently before the sword tip, moving like a ghost.

Then, under the gaze of countless stunned, shocked, and incredulous eyes, that hand... only extended its index and middle fingers.

"Ding."

A soft sound, crisp like the striking of a jade chime, sounded particularly jarring in the suddenly deathly silent battlefield.

That imposing celestial sword, seemingly capable of cleaving through the stars, that desperate strike embodying the lifelong cultivation and boundless hatred of the Angel-Slaying Assassin…

And so, it was gently and steadily held between those two seemingly casual fingers.

The tip of the sword was less than an inch from Lin Zhu's brow.

But this one inch was like an insurmountable chasm, and he could not advance even an inch further!

All the sword light, all the killing intent, all the power, vanished without a trace the moment they touched those two fingers, as if they had disappeared into the sea.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

A strange, suffocating silence fell over the scene. The enforcers of the Three Realms, who had been charging and roaring furiously just moments before, were frozen in place as if under a spell. The anxiety and determination on their faces had not yet faded before being replaced by unparalleled shock and blankness.

Liu Man and Su Lengyu, who had just closed their eyes in despair, seemed to sense something was wrong. They cautiously opened their eyes and were greeted by a scene that defied their understanding. Their beautiful eyes widened instantly, their red lips parted slightly, and their faces were full of disbelief.

The Styx Patriarch gaped, his hand frozen in place as he prepared the incantation for rescue.

The vengeful joy on the faces of Di Ting and the other Ksitigarbha messengers froze instantly, turning into horror and bewilderment.

The cheers of the billions of Asura demons abruptly ceased, like ducks being choked.

Everyone stared intently at the white-clad figure in the center of the battlefield, still holding the sword between two fingers, as if they had seen a ghost.

Wasn't he... wasn't he exhausted?

Isn't he currently in a period of weakness where old strength has faded and new strength has yet to emerge?

Wasn't he just... spacing out?!
How is this possible?! With just two fingers, he so effortlessly... caught a half-step Quasi-Saint's life-or-death attack that burned his very essence?!

This extremely bizarre scene brought the atmosphere on the entire battlefield to an extreme level of awkwardness, shock, and deathly silence!
The Angelic Slayer himself stood frozen in place like a statue. He felt the stagnation emanating from the sword, as if he were sinking into an endless quagmire of chaos, and the terrifying power emanating from those two fingers, which seemed capable of easily crushing his sword light and Dao heart. His face first turned red, then as pale as paper, his eyes filled with extreme fear and incomprehension!
The deathly silence at the scene lasted for a full three breaths.

Lin Zhu seemed to have just come out of a daze. He blinked, a perfectly appropriate look of bewilderment on his face, and looked around at the petrified crowd, especially the Three Realms Enforcers who were still in a charging posture with distorted expressions. He asked in confusion.

"Huh? Were you guys... calling me just now? Why do you all have that expression?"

Upon hearing this, the members of the Three Realms Enforcers were collectively bewildered.

They felt like their brains were about to short-circuit, their thoughts a complete mess. Logically speaking, given their leader's condition just now, facing a sneak attack from a half-step Quasi-Saint, something terrible was bound to happen!
They genuinely didn't want anything to happen to their leader and desperately wanted to save him, but the unbelievable scene before them left them completely baffled as to how their leader could be unharmed, and even... so relaxed.
This huge cognitive contrast left them momentarily at a loss for how to react.

Lin Zhu's gaze then turned to Liu Man and Su Lengyu, who were not far away, their tear stains still wet and their pretty faces still showing signs of shock. He raised his eyebrows slightly and spoke with a hint of puzzled teasing.

"Miss Liu Man, Miss Su? Why are you crying? Who bullied you? Tell me, and I will stand up for you."

His gaze finally settled on the Angel of Destruction in front of him, whose face was contorted and looked particularly ferocious due to the extreme force he had exerted. He curled his lip and commented.

"Oh, it's you. You're already ugly, but this expression makes you even uglier."

"You...you let go!!"

The Angel of Deception, his face turning purple with frustration, exerted all his strength, even using the aftereffects of burning his own essence, in an attempt to pull back the Heavenly Sword that Lin Zhu was holding between his two fingers. However, the sword seemed to be forged between his fingers, remaining completely still!

An overwhelming, inescapable force, driving him to despair, was clearly transmitted through the sword.

When Lin Zhu called her out, Su Lengyu was immediately ashamed and blushed deeply, especially when she felt the various gazes from those around her.

She stomped her foot angrily, glared at Lin Zhu reproachfully, and without saying anything, turned into a streak of light and flew away without looking back.

Upon seeing this, Liu Man's pretty face flushed slightly, and her expression stiffened. She quickly made up an excuse.

"I...I'll go see Sister Leng Yu..."

After saying that, he hurriedly slipped away as well.

From afar came the playful laughter of the Heavenly Princess Umana.

"Oh dear, it seems my two girls are really in love~ But they're so shy~"

These words drifted over, causing Liu Man and Su Lengyu, who had already flown far away, to stumble and accelerate even faster, clearly making their situation even more awkward.

Meanwhile, the Styx Patriarch had somehow crouched in an inconspicuous corner, clutching the Asura Annihilation Mirror he had promised as a bounty, his expression a truly fascinating sight.

He felt a pang of regret at the loss of the precious mirror that was about to be given away, and then he lamented that his two most outstanding princesses might have "lost both their wives and their troops," and all his efforts would have been in vain.

But more than anything, people were extremely shocked and puzzled by Lin Zhu's strength.

How did he do that?! Even if he was hiding his strength, it's impossible for him to do it so casually with just two fingers... Wait a minute!
The Styx Patriarch suddenly raised his head, his blood-red eyes flashing with a terrifying light as he stared intently at Lin Zhu, as if trying to see right through him!
In his anger and the tense situation, he overlooked a crucial detail!
"No...no! Your aura...your aura!!!"

Like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, the Styx Patriarch suddenly jumped up from the corner, pointed at Lin Zhu, and his voice became sharp due to extreme shock, even cracking.

"You...when did you...become a half-step Quasi-Saint?! You've become a half-step Quasi-Saint?!"

This earth-shattering scream, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly drew everyone's attention away from the awkward and bizarre scene just now and back to the subtle, qualitative change in Lin Zhu's aura!

Previously, everyone's attention was drawn to the incredible scene of "two fingers holding a sword," and no one noticed the completely different pressure emanating from Lin Zhu at the first moment!

At this moment, after the Styx Patriarch pointed it out, countless divine thoughts instantly focused on Lin Zhu!
really!

That aura was harmonious, obscure, and profound! Although it still carried the unique murderous and sharp aura of Lin Zhu, its essence had undergone a leap!

A kind of "sacred" radiance, as if imbued with a trace of eternity and transcendence, like the bright moon suddenly rising in the night, is so clear that it cannot be ignored, and it inspires awe and...fear from the depths of one's soul!
"Half...half-step Quasi-Saint?!"

"He...he broke through?!"

"Just now?! In the split second before the Angelic Slayer attacked him?!"

"How is this possible?! The gap between the Great Luo Perfection stage and the Half-Step Quasi-Saint stage is insurmountable! Countless people have been stuck at this step for countless years!"
How could he possibly have broken through so silently during battle, right under everyone's noses?!

The entire audience was once again plunged into utter shock! Horror and disbelief were etched on every face! (End of Chapter)