Chapter 1654: Slaying the Fifth Stage!

A faint sense of danger suddenly flooded his heart.

The blinding sword light and the disorienting sense of time overlapped on him.

Yan Gui was startled, then quickly condensed a protective shield around himself.

In his perception, this sword's power was not like that of a Fourth Stage!

What powerful strength!

He clearly didn't detect what rule Lin An had mobilized, yet the sword's destructive power remained astonishing!

Although it still posed no threat to him.

But having never seen a Fourth Stage unleash such an attack, he instinctively went on the defensive!

Only seeing, under the mobilization of defensive rules, he now resembled a transparent fireball, his whole body enveloped in water-like undulations.

The attack arrived instantly, accompanied by a piercing screech.

This strike, backed by Lin An's full strength, actually stalled in front of Yan Gui as if in slow motion.

"Kid, you've got guts..."

With a low chuckle, Yan Gui shook his slightly dazed head from the time disorder, then gave a sinister laugh and grabbed Lin An's Cain's Blade.

"Crack!"

After grabbing the sword blade, the Cain's Blade imbued with destructive power instantly let out a wail as if suffering a heavy blow.

Weak, still too weak!

If this sword struck him unhindered, he might actually be injured.

But under the Fifth Stage's defensive rules, Lin An couldn't even break through his defense!

The gap between Fifth Stage and Fourth Stage is truly enormous!

At the same time, seeing his all-out strike easily blocked, Lin An's heart sank.

It seemed he hadn't made much preparation, yet Yan Gui handled it with ease.

But only he knew he had already used up three restorative reversals on his opponent!

Even the weakest Fifth Stage is still a Fifth Stage!

Under rank suppression, Lin An bitterly discovered that, even with all his strength, he could only reverse the opponent's time by a few seconds!

To a Fifth Stage, a few seconds before or after makes no difference at all!

As Yan Gui's anger flared, intending to grab him, Lin An took a deep breath and decisively discarded his sword and retreated.

Attack ineffective, reversal ineffective..

An aberration?!

Noticing the opponent's defensive rules, Lin An couldn't even guarantee that, in an aberration state, he could break through their defense!

Moreover, he didn't have much time left!

If he couldn't win quickly, even if he ultimately killed Yan Gui.

The remaining Fifth Stages would also realize his true strength!

Star-Shattering Level, it's impossible to instantly kill a War Star!

"How long has it been?!"

"They seem to be fighting?!"

"Where did they go?!"

"Yan Gui isn't dead?!"

Outside the fortress, the remaining Fifth Stages all strained to sense the surrounding fluctuations.

After Yan Gui disappeared, their first reaction was panic.

Seeing Yan Gui and those earlier Fourth Stages vanish strangely, they feared they would disappear together and then be instantly killed by that supreme expert!

But..

Several people exchanged glances, each seeing a hint of something unusual in the other's eyes!

Although the time was short, not even a second had passed!

But for a Fifth Stage, a single second is enough for them to fight a hundred times!

For a Star-Shattering Level to kill them, it's merely a thought!

"Yan Gui still isn't dead? Could there really be a problem?!"

"I don't know! We're fine too!"

What a swift reaction.

After considering various possibilities in an extremely short time, several people's hearts suddenly stirred with change.

Like them, the Star-Destroying Levels behind them also stared fixedly at the scene, awaiting the final outcome!

But everyone understood.

If even a second later Yan Gui were to die...

That would mean...

That person...

Perhaps there really is a problem!

"You still dare to resist?!"

"Hand over the secret on you, or else I...!"

Yan Gui reached one hand toward Lin An and with the other intended to shatter this annoying space. Under the violent rules' shroud, Lin An now resembled a rat in a furnace, his flesh and blood burning all over.

However, before Yan Gui's irritable plan to increase force could take effect, Lin An suddenly stopped.

"If I were you, I would never break this place!"

Flame Ghost heard the voice and stalled; before he could react, he saw Lin An raise the Causal Sequence with one hand and quickly speak.

「Break this place, and everyone outside will know I'm only Fourth Stage! 」

「You think you can take them from them!? 」

「By then you'll die too! 」

Just as his words fell, Flame Ghost suddenly reacted.

Exactly, once the people outside discover that this worm is truly disguised as a Star‑Fragment level and holds a huge secret.

Then, at the moment of exposure, all Fifth Stages will frenziedly compete.

By then, he'll die even faster than Lin An!

Damn it!

He was so agitated that he actually forgot how many people outside were watching this place!

Hastily withdrawing the rules of his attack space, Flame Ghost's expression turned extremely grim as he looked at Lin An.

For a moment, he actually didn't know what to do!

At the same time, taking advantage of Flame Ghost having no time to think, Lin An endured the pain of his flesh and blood burning and actually rushed straight to his front.

「You don't want to know the secret on my body!? 」

「Hold up all defensive rules and break out! 」

「Protect me getting out, and I'll naturally speak! 」

「Protect this guy getting out!? 」

In a subconscious moment, Flame Ghost only felt absurd. Yet, based on instinctive judgment of right and wrong, it wasn't entirely illogical!

The problem now isn't whether this worm has an issue, but how he can get out alive! And also bring the secret out!

Damn it, none of them ever imagined Lin An's true strength would be this weak!

「Take you to break out!? You hand over... 」

「Wait...! 」

As Flame Ghost subconsciously considered Lin An's offer, which sounded like a plea for mercy, he suddenly recalled something.

In an instant, Flame Ghost's expression flared with rage, as if he were being glared at after being humiliated.

「Protect this worm and break out!? 」

Kill a fart!

This worm is still calculated by the system as a Star‑Fragment level! It simply can't leave the fortress!

「You dare to play me! 」

In his rage, Flame Ghost planned to first burn Lin An's flesh and blood, then talk!

Never mind how to get out! He'll first torture the secret out of Lin An! Lin An's value alive for extracting the secret is greater, but even dead he's still worth points!

As a Fifth Stage, he's not indecisive!

However, just as he was about to strike again, his killing intent surged.

Flame Ghost suddenly realized that Lin An had somehow closed in to his front at some point.

The distance between them was almost face‑to‑face!

This distance!

Damn it!!

「Boom!! 」

Accompanied by a massive outburst of destructive power and temporal rules, he at that moment was actually as still as a statue, frozen alive in place.

Destruction!

Judgment!

Voidwalk!

Collapse!

Face death head‑on!

Reversal!

Threefold conversion!

Eternal superposition!

Dream Meme!

In an instant, having expended all his trump cards and means aside from mutation, in the dark space hundreds of Lin Ans appeared simultaneously.

Endless lightning and destructive power seemed to weave into a sword net, ultimately mercilessly slashing the Flame Ghost whose time had been reversed.

「Crack crack」

A sound like shattering glass suddenly rang out in this dark space.

「Drip! 」

「Slay a Fifth Stage initial, gain 1 point reward! 」

「Drip! Cross‑rank kill, extra points +10! 」

「Drip! Overlimit kill, points doubled! 」

「Drip! 」

「Detected Apocalypse points reaching exchange standard, Fifth Stage exchange list opened! 」

「Current points: 20! 」