Chapter 1359: Chapter 1360: A Fist the Size of a Punching Bag
The black eyeball grew increasingly solid, its pupil shimmering with an eerie gray light, fixed directly on Li Xiaobai.
“Indeed, I am the Peak Master here. And who might you be, some insignificant creature?”
Li Xiaobai clasped his hands behind his back and asked casually.
“Heh, I go by ‘Chen,’ from the Immortal Gods Realm. You’re quite impressive, reaching this point at such a young age purely by your own efforts—such potential! I’m rather optimistic about you.”
The black eyeball swirled slowly as it spoke, emitting an aura both terrifying and ancient.
A shiver ran through Li Xiaobai’s heart. He could sense the unmistakable breath of centuries emanating from this entity.
The glow in the eyeball precisely matched that of the eyeball in the rift in the heavens—the same gaze, the identical gray light. He could confirm this Chen’s true form was situated beyond that tear in the heavens.
But what startled him even more was the way this creature had manifested—a strand of Divine Soul power attached to Xueshenzi’s body, talking to him as an equal.
“So, what comes next?”
Li Xiaobai squinted his eyes and continued asking.
“Next, I am here on behalf of my organization to extend to you an olive branch. If you nod in agreement, the entire Central Origin Realm shall be yours to oversee. I know you’re deeply curious about the secrets within the Central Origin Realm and have gone to great lengths in seeking the ultimate answer. As long as you agree to take charge of the Central Origin Realm, I shall answer all your questions.”
“As for Xueshenzi, you may dispose of him however you see fit.”
The black eyeball spoke slowly, utterly indifferent as it discarded Xueshenzi like worthless garbage, devoid of any sentimental attachment despite having just relied on him moments before.
“You wretched thing! How dare you betray me!”
“I agreed to a pact with your Immortal Gods Realm. We have a solemn contract! How could you blatantly breach it? If the higher-ups find out, they won’t let you off!”
Xueshenzi was utterly furious. With the barrier of the Hundred Percent Barehanded Blade Catch removed, he was itching to exact revenge. Yet the next moment, what met him was Godzilla’s colossal foot, descending like a mountain. Unsparing, the beast stomped Xueshenzi into the ground.
“Hmph, so what? This is the Central Origin Realm—who would know what transpired here?”
“You were slain by this Saint Realm Demonic Beast. In my desperation, I sought a replacement to stabilize the situation—who would question that?”
“Young man, how about it? With a single nod, you’ll become King of the Central Origin Realm!”
The black eyeball fixed its gaze on Li Xiaobai and spoke calmly.
Just as Chen had said, this was the Central Origin Realm. Amidst the life-and-death clash between Li Xiaobai and Xueshenzi, the latter’s death here seemed perfectly reasonable. Taking advantage of this, Chen could easily install a new sovereign and even strike a secret agreement with Li Xiaobai—perhaps, for instance, an additional share of yearly tributes.
“Old man, take a look at this!”
Li Xiaobai sheathed his sword and raised his fist before the black eyeball, asking.
“Old… old man?”
The black eyeball was momentarily stunned, blinking in confusion. “What is this?”
“See this fist? About the size of a sandbag, right? Don’t push me, or I’ll start swinging—and I’m so fierce I scare myself!”
“If you’ve got any sense, pull your ugly face through that rift and let me thrash you properly!”
Li Xiaobai grabbed at the black eyeball, but his hand passed through it effortlessly; the eyeball was embedded within voidspace, not simply a physical entity condensed from smoke as it appeared.
Involuntarily he let out a grunt of surprise and muttered to himself, “You sly old rabbit… hiding this deep…”
“You mother…!”
“Courting death!”
The black eyeball erupted in fury. Its pupil surged with malevolent black light, radiating wildly. Invisible waves of terrifying energy billowed outward and stabbed straight toward Li Xiaobai’s eyes. The enigmatic glow appeared to carry strange effects embedded within it. Yet Li Xiaobai’s System automatically deflected everything—he felt nothing, as though it had never existed.
“Why are you staring at me? What, entranced by my good looks?”
“Take another look, I dare you! Believe me, I’ll blow your eyeballs apart!”
Li Xiaobai scratched his head, growing increasingly unnerved at the relentless gaze of the eyeball. He was certain some ill-intentioned attack had transpired moments ago, intercepted by the System. Judging by its hostility, it must have been a spiritual assault of some kind.
“You… why haven’t you succumbed to my power of control?”
Seeing Li Xiaobai unscathed, Chen was dumbstruck. His abilities stemmed from a higher dimension—how could someone from the Central Origin Realm resist him?
The mere glimmer of his eye’s terrifying power was enough to send others spiraling into confusion, succumbing to inner demons, or even slaughtering each other.
“What good is glaring at people all day?”
“Old man, you’re so outdated—using mental attacks in this era? Let me teach you how it’s done. Crush it!”
Li Xiaobai waved his hand, issuing an order to Godzilla.
“Roar!”
From the voidspace, a condensed lightning bolt descended, striking the black eyeball’s body with pinpoint precision. In mere moments, it burned the eyeball to ash.
With Chen’s presence banished, Xueshenzi’s aura diminished greatly. His body grew feeble in an instant.
From the heavenly rift, the enormous black eyeball reappeared, this time glaring fixedly at a solitary figure atop the Second Peak of the Eastern Continent. Li Xiaobai stood without fear, snapping off a tree branch and channeling it into a sword-blade, slashing at the entity in defiance—his declaration that he would personally obliterate it.
It was also a demonstration of strength for the Central Origin Realm. A show of force was essential to bring peace to its inhabitants and win their unshaken faith, thus accumulating more Power of Faith.
The sword radiance pierced the skies, dazzling the world, carving into the massive eyeball. Yet, as expected, it caused no harm. After all, the foe was a major figure from the Immortal Gods Realm, whose cultivation far surpassed the Saint Realm. For Li Xiaobai to stand a chance, breaking through the Saint Realm’s shackles and reaching the next realm would be necessary—a feat impossible to achieve overnight.
All of this was a matter for the future. Right now, there were more urgent matters to address.
Li Xiaobai turned his attention back to Xueshenzi, whose face was mangled beyond recognition, and said leisurely, “Any last words you’d like to share?”
“You cannot kill me!”
“No one can kill me!”
“I am the one true god of this world! The Central Origin Realm has enjoyed a millennium of peace solely thanks to my unmatched wisdom!”
“Yitilou, Yan Zuzi! Get out here! I sense your presence! And you, Beichen Feng—how long do you plan to hide in the Eastern Continent? You all know, should I perish here, the consequences for the Central Origin Realm will be catastrophic!”
Xueshenzi roared, unleashing a surge of blood and black energy as his now towering figure ascended tens of thousands of feet into the air, transforming into a colossal, godlike demon that screamed defiantly toward the heavens.
He named the strongest warriors within the Central Origin Realm, attempting to bargain his way out of certain death.