Chapter 1727

The light dimmed.

In the long silence, Lin An slowly raised his head, looking at the gray interface that could no longer be exchanged, and only then bitterly accepted this reality.

Only a one-point difference, and that's all it is!

But this utterly trivial one-point attribute stubbornly blocked his chance to reach the Fifth Stage.

In intense unwillingness, Lin An couldn't help clenching his fists; amid his rare emotional fluctuation, his powerful mental force, like a storm, whipped up a howl in the quiet exchange hall.

The blade‑sharp mental force instantly sliced the ground into deep cracks that revealed bone.

"Soul... missing...?"

Beneath the mask, Lin An's gaze gradually filled with a chilling gloom, a fleeting hint of crimson light flashing and vanishing.

It wasn't that his mind was weak, but that he craved reaching the Fifth Stage too desperately.

From the moment he entered the Stellar Battlefield, from his first contact with the Fifth Stage, a tremendous pressure he could not put into words had been building in his heart.

Though his strength seemed to skyrocket—in just a few hours he went from being easily crushed like a bug by any random Fifth Stage cultivator to being able to single‑handedly slaughter War Star Level opponents.

But only Lin An himself knows he has absolutely no confidence!

He is like walking on a blade's edge; every choice brings the pressure of death!

He craves becoming stronger too much!

The physical strength of the Fifth Stage is the key to his snowballing growth, and also his greatest reliance for continual attacks ahead.

His true combat ability is still too weak! Though he appears able to kill War Star Level foes, and even crush them with the help of the Omniscient Domain.

But only Lin An himself knows the actual situation best.

He relies entirely on "random" rules, a trump card assembled from various abilities thrown together!

Without the Fifth Stage as a foundation, he can only keep relying on luck.

What if the rule drawn in the next round isn't usable?

What if a Star‑Destroying Level opponent can't resist ambushing him?

What if a spatial‑type Fifth Stage teams up to attack him?

Not every time is he that lucky!

After a long while, once Lin An slowly opened his eyes and had struggled to adjust his emotions, he finally gave a bitter smile, his eyes complex as he looked at the light sphere above.

He was already mentally exhausted; the strengthening process only made him feel slightly better.

But at this moment, he only feels the suppressed fatigue spreading again.

Tired, so tired.

Every time he must achieve perfection.

It appears he already possesses combat power that fears no War Star Level.

But Lin An knows he won't have it so easy from now on.

Even when facing a few War Star Level opponents, trouble becomes his biggest problem.

It's a very simple logic.

The later Fifth Stage cultivators won't be so easy to kill; neither their strength nor anything else will be as fragile as this batch of cannon fodder.

In the Omniscient Domain, these Fifth Stage cultivators who fundamentally won't cooperate actually act like his "helpers"—the more people, the more he can leverage the chaotic situation to turn force against force.

But if there are only four or five Star‑Destroying Level opponents, with a few spatial‑type or specially ruled ones fighting him to the death, Lin An has no confidence of surviving.

Moreover, he must always be wary of betrayal by Hei Di and others, and of various accidents.

It's merely disappointment, nothing more.

Lin An, long accustomed to carving a bloody path out of any dire strait, quickly readjusted his mindset.

"Without the Fifth Stage, there's... at least my combat power has still been strengthened!"

He unclenched his fists, instantly shielding himself from all the negative emotions he shouldn't have. Since the plan ran into trouble, he just needs to find a way to fix it!

"Attribute enhancement isn't possible because the soul is missing; this can only be dealt with after this mission ends. Dwelling on it now is pointless."

"So to make up for this lacking strength, I now have only three options!"

"One, rule enhancement!"

"In the fixed rules provided by the system, find another one like the electromagnetic wave rule that can fuse into a super‑strong effect!"

"Two, equipment and props exchange!"

"Based on the points I currently hold, I can at least exchange two or three War Star Level pieces of equipment, or even swap for a Star‑Destroying Level one! With Fifth Stage equipment strength, the boosted combat power won't be too shabby!"

Recalling the white bone ring and hamster shield that had performed miraculously in the recent battle, Lin An felt a faint resolve.

The rule resistance granted by the white bone ring was key to his survival!

Many times when he had to forcibly endure a Fifth Stage rule, that sliver of rule resistance was exactly what decided whether he lived or was gravely injured!

For Lin An, he doesn't care how severe his injuries are; as long as he has point‑based recovery on hand, if he isn't instantly killed he can return to full health!

This is also what makes those Fifth Stage cultivators despair!

As for the shield, without its seemingly absurd "sprint" effect, he couldn't dodge attacks to pull off a close‑range kill!

"The only hassle now is that if I exchange equipment, I must replace the set I'm wearing."

"But if I take off the Death God set, will I die?"

His brows furrowed slightly.

Lin An gently removed the Death God mask, looking at the ornate mask in his hand filled with evil intent.

Theoretically, the only reason he can still be alive is that the final effect of the Death God set is trapping his soul.

Once the set fails, he is very likely to be devoured by "that one" of the Nether Realm.

Quite troublesome.

Although the Death God set is truly powerful—it can be said to be one of Lin An's greatest trump cards since his rebirth, having saved him countless times.

But upon reaching this level, Lin An also realized that the Death God set could not quite keep up with his current strength.

"Either exchange for props, or find a way to carry more equipment."

Shaking his head, Lin An let out a light sigh, planning to wait until Hei Di and the others finished cleaning the battlefield before making a decision. By then, he would have more points in hand.

If he couldn't find it, then he could only give up.

As for the third option...

In the silence, Lin An unconsciously looked toward the direction outside the fortress.

It was as if his eyes could pierce the wall of the exchange point, seeing Hei Di and the others several thousand li away.

The third option is very simple, but it is also the riskiest and the craziest...

That is it.

"Kill Hei Di or the Chimera Emperor!"