[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-divine-path-system":3,"chapter-divine-path-system-divine-path-system-chapter-496":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Divine Path System",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1563668,2028,"Chapter 496 The Duel [2]","divine-path-system-chapter-496",496,"\u003Cp>Boom! Boom! Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arrows that were previously attacking the abyssal pierced through the air and crashed into the ground one by one. It seemed as if they collapsed due to stability issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The abyssal sighed in relief and then turned to Varian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"DIE!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a light kick on the floor, he shot at Varian like a bolt of lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he reached Varian, there was a huge shit-eating grin on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'What a stupid son of a bitch.' Varian cursed inwardly and snapped his fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arrows that were earlier 'stuck' into the ground suddenly flashed and the ground under the abyssal was covered in ice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wha—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The abyssal was equally confused when the ice turned into water and wrapped him in a bubble before solidifying into ice again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mffm!\" The abyssal's sound was muffled by the ice cocoon—he was frozen in mid-air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was still mid-air and he was still lunging towards Varian, but he was frozen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The major reason for it was his own carelessness. The abyssal looked at the ice surrounding him and his eyes reddened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kacha!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cracks appeared on the ice and the next moment, it broke into pieces as. If it never existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"HAA!\" The abyssal shouted in glee. 'You can't trap me.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To his confusion, Varian seemed to have expected it as he simply shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An ice spear thicker than any arrow he received was already waiting for him the moment he broke the ice cocoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It pierced his neck and destroyed his head, ending his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Winner: Ryke!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Ryke? Oh, that's my pseudonym here, I totally forgot.' Varian clicked his tongue at the hologram announcement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lifting his body path restrictions, he glanced at the audience and found that they were all focusing on something else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Don't tell me…' Varian's eyes widened as he hurriedly turned to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash! Splash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he saw that scene, Varian's blood boiled as his eyes went red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop it already!\" He yelled but no one stopped it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene didn't change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An abyssal was sitting atop a bloodied body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a painter checking his masterpiece, he slowly broke the bones of the human underneath him one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the breaking of finger bones elicited painful but weak shrieks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the hand bones, then the arms, the ribs, the legs…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Varian gritted his teeth at the gruesome butcher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The participant was still moving a finger, so, he wasn't considered as 'fainted'.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Greeeh!\" An abyssal violently punched through the neck of a woman who faint from blood loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a tomato being squashed, the woman's neck burst into pieces as she died a horrible death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Why isn't anyone stopping?\" Varian glanced around and saw that at least twenty of the hundred level 4s were dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are humans really that cold-blooded?\" A chill ran down his spine and he looked at the audience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Woo!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Somebody save them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My big brother…he's just like my big brother. He'll die! Save him please.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sister, sister, don't shout. The risk of life is clearly mentioned in the terms and conditions. They won't stop it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The audience mostly had a face overcome by grief, guilt, and nostalgia. Some even tried to run to the floor and stop the matches forcefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately for them, the staff of the stadium swiftly stopped them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn't matter if you were a level 3 or a level 7, under the guidance of Sovereign Julius, everything went smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[1:00]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[0:45]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the time trickled down to the last bits, Varian suddenly had a question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out of the hundred participants, ten died, and seventy-five had won. Fifteen were still fighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cling!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cling!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sharp sword blows were the most common sound. With each passing second, the injuries on the humans and abyssals that continued to fight worsened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[0:30]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[0:15]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As things neared an end, three died while seven emerged victorious, albeit with heavy injuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, the statistics so far were:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Won: 82\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dead: 13\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fighting: 5\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Total: 100\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[0:00]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stopwatch stopped and Varian held his breath without knowing why. The five human-abyssals who were fighting until then stiffened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'They're being frozen by a telepath.' Varian noted the dimness in their eyes and wiped the sweat off his palms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'But what is this nervous feeling…?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Varian's and the audience's incredulous gaze, the dueling ring of the five participants was blasted into pieces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the horrifying sight, all that was left was charred bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The audience opened their mouth but words seemed to be stuck in their throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the era they were living in wasn't peaceful, they were used to seeing such content on a daily basis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even that didn't mean they were comfortable or even indifferent to such gruesome sights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aw!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A woman in the audience retched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aw!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Vom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More followed, but they were only a minority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The majority stared high into the sky, to the floating chairs—the seating of the most important guests including Sovereign Julius. They stared at it as if they wanted an answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if on cue, Sovereign Julius' voice resounded throughout the stadium.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Being the gamma potion's expo participant wasn't just an opportunity, but also a risk. They know full well what they were signing up to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And let this serve as a harsh lesson to you. War doesn't care about morality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you're weak, then you die. Just like these 'geniuses'. So, get stronger. It's the only way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The audience was visibly shaken by his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like a wake-up call for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they had to fight the abyssals in the future, would they be able to win?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one thought of lasting long enough for help to arrive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sovereign Julius made it clear by blasting the participants who couldn't make it in time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In real life too, some battles had to be fought under a severe time constraints. If you can't win them, then you die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'But how do I improve my strength?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This question rose in everyone's minds as they frantically searched for the answers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'And how do I improve son's, daughter's, spouse's, parents' strength?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It only got more complicated from there and soon, the audience was wiping the sweat off their foreheads until one of them clapped and said \"Aha! Potion!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's the best option we have.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one, the audience calmed down from the agitation. The mysterious gamma potion was their one-stop solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just them, even the people watching it online, they too had the same thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will pre-book them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will sell my house but I'll buy them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is my gift to my son. Don't worry son, your dad is rich.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whole world was affected by Julius' words and that included everyone in the audience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except for Varian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'What a cheap guy. He is using their fear to get them to buy his product.' A sense of\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>disgust rose in Varian's mind as he despised Julius' actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I need some evidence about the evils Xander committed…does this fear-mongering tactic count—?' His train of thought was broken by an announcement that shook the stadium.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>{Dear Participants, here you go. The gamma potion. Down it immediately.}\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following those words, in front of every standing participant, a crystal white vial filled with blue liquid floated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>{Take it now.}\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Varian took a deep breath and unscrewed the potion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then without hesitation, he downed the potion.\u003C\u002Fp>",1232,"2026-06-06T07:58:11.288Z",1,"novelbin.me","23a1db5f6cf657f6aa470a1c896c031963a0a3c00b1846c0fab21ae3b5c0178d","divine-path-system-chapter-497","divine-path-system-chapter-495",1773,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdivine-path-system-cover.jpg"]