Starting from Ainz Ooal Gown, simultaneously traveling through time

The bright moon hung high in the sky, and the air in the open space in front of the abandoned factory was as still as a solid.

Chu Tianjiao held "Village Rain" in one hand, the tip of the blade drooping slightly, his whole being seemingly blending into the night.

Only those burning golden eyes remained, like the only source of fire in the darkness, firmly locked onto Leylin ten meters away.

Without warning, without any build-up—

He moved.

That's not "fast" in the usual sense.

In Lei Lin's suddenly dilated pupils, Chu Tianjiao's figure didn't rush towards him in a straight line, but rather appeared like a skipped frame in an old movie, or a precisely edited video clip—

Just a moment ago, he was still standing in the same spot.

The next instant, the figure in the black trench coat blurred and stretched, appearing "directly" behind him in a way that defied common sense!

Space seemed to be folded and traversed by an invisible force.

There was no sound of wind breaking through the air because his movement speed had temporarily exceeded the speed of sound propagation.

Only the "Muramasame" sword, under the moonlight, trailed a cold, condensed, and tangible gleam. It was silent yet so fast that it froze one's mind, piercing straight into Leylin's vitals!

This speed is far beyond what human capabilities can achieve.

It's [Time Zero]!

Chu Tianjiao's exclusive incantation distorts the perception of time within the domain, increasing his speed to an unbelievable level.

However, just as the blade was about to touch the fabric—

"clang--!!!"

A clear, resounding clang of metal suddenly rang out, sparks flying in the darkness!

Leylin had already half-turned around at some point, and with a hair's breadth, the crimson longsword in his hand precisely blocked Murasame's path!

The blade and the saber rubbed together violently, producing a sharp, teeth-grinding sound.

He did not "see" the attack.

At the very moment Chu Tianjiao activated it, the combat instinct honed by over seventy years of life-and-death experience in the wilderness, emanating from the Lord of the Rings, acted like the most sophisticated early warning system, detecting the deadly killing intent and the faintest disturbance in the air in advance.

The Dunedan's superhuman reflexes and muscle power enabled his body to execute this almost impossible instantaneous defense.

"What?!" A sharp glint flashed in Chu Tianjiao's golden eyes, and his heart was filled with shock.

There are very few people who could react and block his first attack when he activated [Time Zero]! Let alone a teenager!

Despite his shock, his men didn't stop.

The blade's momentum shifted instantly, from thrusting to slashing, transforming into a continuous curtain of cold light, like a flower of death blooming in an instant, enveloping Leylin from all directions!

Within the realm of [Time Zero], each of his strikes was as fast as a flash of light, with almost no gap between them. An ordinary opponent would probably be beheaded before even seeing a single strike.

But Leylin was faster—no, perhaps "faster" isn't the right word.

His movement and parrying do not rely on the distortion of time, but on pure, extreme reaction and speed.

His figure flashed, dodged, and turned swiftly within the web of flashing blades.

The crimson longsword in his hand transformed into a scorching red rainbow, striking, parrying, flicking, and slashing with incredible frequency and precision!

"Ding ding ding ding ding—!!!"

The sounds were so dense, like a torrential downpour pounding on a tin roof, that it was almost impossible to tell which was in which order!

On the open field, it seemed as if dozens of people were engaged in fierce combat at the same time.

That was an illusion created by the superposition of afterimages and sonic booms caused by the speed of the two people exceeding the limits of what the naked eye could perceive.

The blade flashed like a cold moon, and the sword shadows crisscrossed like red lightning. The chilling killing intent and the scorching heat intertwined and collided, turning the space around the two into a forbidden zone of death.

Any living thing that strays into this place will probably be torn to shreds in an instant.

Leylin originally thought that this high-intensity offense and defense would continue for a while, and he could take this opportunity to familiarize himself with his rapidly improving physical fitness and integrated combat skills.

However, just five or six seconds later—

"Whoosh!"

Chu Tianjiao's figure suddenly appeared twenty meters away, breaking away from the battle.

He bent one knee slightly, using his knife as a support, his chest heaving violently, and fine beads of sweat glistening on his forehead in the moonlight.

He was breathing heavily, each breath heavy, and the light in his golden eyes dimmed slightly.

"Uncle Chu, is it not working already?"

Lei Lin twirled his sword, the crimson longsword pointing diagonally at the ground. Although his breathing was also slightly rapid, it was far more steady than Chu Tianjiao's.

His tone carried the characteristic sarcasm of youth, perhaps not malicious: "You're already exhausted after just warming up. Your stamina... needs improvement."

"Pah! Cough cough..." Chu Tianjiao gasped for breath, glaring at Lei Lin as if he had seen a ghost.

"You little brat... what kind of monster are you?! [Time Zero]! I used [Time Zero]! And you... you actually managed to keep up?!"

"Not only can you react in time, but you can also keep up with the movements?! You fucking... do you also have [Time Zero]?!"

He simply couldn't understand what else, besides words of power that also control time, could counter the absolute speed advantage of [Time Zero].

"Word magic? There really isn't any." Leylin shook his head, his expression serious.

"I only know one skill, [Junyan], and I learned it when I was three years old. The reason I can keep up with you is purely... well, my physical condition is better and my reaction is faster."

He certainly knew how terrifying [Time Zero] was.

The essence of this power of words is not the manipulation of the ethereal "time".

Instead, it uses extreme mental power to interfere with everything within the domain, creating the illusion of "time slowing down" in the releaser's own perception, and greatly enhancing the efficiency of nerve signal transmission and muscle movement.

However, it places a huge burden on the body and mind of the person being released, like pushing a sports car engine to 10,000 RPM in an instant, which cannot be sustained.

Leylin, on the other hand, took a completely different path.

He did not distort his senses or accelerate himself; his "speed" stemmed from the superhuman physique of the Dúnedan people, blessed by the Valar and shared with Leylin of the Lord of the Rings.

It possesses nerve conduction speeds far exceeding those of humans, muscle fiber strength, dynamic vision, and the instinct to anticipate crises.

If Chu Tianjiao's instantaneous burst of power relied on "magic," then Leylin's physical attributes were "beyond standard."

In his own words:

"To give you an analogy, Uncle Chu, you're like the Flash who has mastered the 'Speed ​​Force,' relying on special abilities to achieve extreme speed."

"And me? I'm probably like Superman who can keep up with the Flash just by using his physical strength."

"I don't have the Speed ​​Force, but I'm tough and fast enough."

"Pfft—!" Chu Tianjiao was almost internally injured by these words, and he mentally ranted.

(Superman?! You know, many pure-blooded dragons can't keep up with my reactions, is your physical ability even more outrageous than that of pure-blooded dragons?! Are you Sun Wukong who sprang from a stone?!)

Once his breathing had calmed down, Chu Tianjiao straightened up again, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and his eyes became incredibly sharp and serious.

He knew that conventional methods, even his prized [Time Zero], would probably be insufficient to subdue this monstrous talent before him today.

However, a task is a task; doubts must be clarified and risks must be assessed.

"Good...very good." Chu Tianjiao's voice lowered, carrying a resolute determination.

"Kid, I've seen your strength, but... watch out."

The muscles in his face twitched slightly, as if he was trying his best to suppress something.

The golden pupils in his eyes began to flicker erratically, surge, and change color towards a more intense, molten gold hue!

A more primal, more violent, and more chilling aura, like a ferocious beast awakening, slowly emanated from his body.

The surrounding air seemed to thicken, filled with an invisible pressure.

Lei Lin frowned slightly, sensing the dangerous change in the other party's aura: "Uncle Chu, is it really necessary? It's just a friendly spar, there's no need to risk your life."

"Enough nonsense..." Chu Tianjiao's voice became hoarse, each word seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of his throat, carrying suppressed pain and rage.

"How can a man...be...called... 'weak' by others...? I...can last... a long time!"