His purplish-blue skin was tearing, his muscles rupturing on impact. His bones were constantly fracturing, the damage growing more and more severe.

However, the physical injuries were a minor matter. What truly worried him was the wavering of his spirit.

’Impossible!!’

’I am God Sanxiang of Bosha Country! The Supreme God who governs destruction and war! The reincarnation of a True God walking the earth!!’

’I cannot possibly lose!!’

ROAR!!

Shiva’s handsome face contorted into a savage mask, and the purplish-blue electrical arcs all over his body trembled violently.

At that moment, the raw, red slit on his brow began to writhe intensely, as if a fleshy, tumor-like mass was stirring within.

He abandoned his Destruction Chain attack, gathering all his Magnetic Field Power.

Blood instantly trickled down from the slit on his brow. The writhing ball of flesh within acted like a human magnetic field condenser, instantly gathering a massive amount of Magnetic Field Power.

The purplish-blue glow of the Magnetic Field Power intensified, coalescing into an eerie, purplish-black.

Then, this accumulated Magnetic Field Power erupted, forming a beam that looked just like a tongue of flame.

This was the legendary Fire of Destruction, said to have once annihilated a city of Demons and slain a god!!

The purplish-black flame instantly seemed to set Zhou Yuanjue’s body ablaze. The searing temperature scorched his flesh, pushing his injuries beyond his body’s recovery limit.

His body began to suffer widespread damage. This Fire of Destruction was a highly concentrated compression of a special magnetic field. It not only burned away Magnetic Field Power, but also penetrated deep into his cells to scorch his flesh. Its concentration was so high it was nearly impossible to block.

Most importantly, this Fire of Destruction could assail the "soul," forcing one to endure a searing torment on the spiritual level, to suffer immense pain. It could even be used to obliterate the immortal True Spirit of a Divine Spirit. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

But in Shiva’s eyes, Zhou Yuanjue’s assault, even while being consumed by the Fire of Destruction, did not weaken in the slightest. That legendary flame, said to be capable of obliterating an immortal True Spirit, failed to even make his expression flicker.

Calm, composed, resolute, fearless.

He finally understood.

If there was one thing in the world that could not be destroyed, it had to be this man’s soul.

As long as he couldn’t be destroyed in an instant, nothing could stop his relentless determination to press the attack.

CRACK!!

Finally, something inside Shiva’s mind shattered.

At that moment, he finally understood. He was not a God. He was not omnipotent like a God. And he was not the reincarnation of some God.

He was just a man.

The ultimate Mystical Technique of the Divine Strike Skill lay in belief.

Self-hypnosis, self-persuasion, believing oneself to be a God incarnate—even going so far as to nurture a second personality, cultivating this personified "God" within one’s body and allowing it to take control when necessary.

But Ludi’s ability went even further. He believed himself to be a God’s reincarnation, possessing divine memories, and his conviction was unshakeable. He used this to build immense self-confidence, advance by leaps and bounds, and break through all obstacles. He cultivated an extremely powerful magnetic field and aura, completed the ultimate physical transformation, and even his combat skills seemed divinely inspired, as if he had mastered some incredible techniques belonging only to Divine Beings.

For example, there was that terrifying technique of finding critical points through pure intuition—the Destruction Chain. And then there was the Fire of Destruction, fired from the unnatural "third eye" on his brow.

But this was a double-edged sword. While this self-perception brought him immense benefits, it also came with enormous risks.

When his state of mind collapsed, when he no longer believed, when self-doubt began to creep in.

The resulting collapse on a spiritual and mental level was as terrifying as a true cataclysm.

And now, an irreparable crack had appeared in his psyche.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Countless stars rained down, completely submerging Shiva’s body. The ground vibrated at a high frequency, sending clouds of dust into the air, and the very canyon seemed on the verge of collapse.

Gradually, the violent tremors subsided, and then all was quiet.

The scene was deathly silent. Though dust and smoke obscured the view, everyone had already anticipated the final outcome.

Especially for the contingent from Bosha Country. The proud expression of the official who had been so confident earlier was now frozen on his face, looking almost comical.

’Impossible!! That’s the reincarnation of the legendary Shiva, a God walking among mortals! How could he possibly lose!!’

He clenched his fists, his gaze locked on the battlefield.

The smoke gradually dissipated, revealing the two figures on the battlefield.

Zhou Yuanjue’s body radiated a silvery-white starlight. The purplish-black demonic flames clung to him like maggots to a corpse, incessantly burning his body and inflicting horrific wounds, yet he stood tall, his expression unchanged.

On the other side, Shiva lay with his arms spread wide, covered in blood, in an irregular crater blasted out by the Fist Technique.

Although his injuries were extremely severe, he had surprisingly not lost consciousness. His eyes were still open.

But the divine light that once filled his eyes was gone, replaced by a profound emptiness as he stared blankly at the sky.

CRACK!!

With an audible crack of bone, Shiva’s body rapidly shrank. His pale, purplish skin darkened, returning to its original swarthy hue. His handsome face and near-perfect physique receded, reverting to Ludi’s original form: that of a wizened, dark-skinned old man.

Zhou Yuanjue looked down at Ludi in the crater and frowned slightly.

Ludi’s body continued to shrivel rapidly, as if he had lost his very essence. Because his injuries were so severe, even his life force was now fading.

The price for his shattered psyche was now devouring him.

Zhou Yuanjue was silent for a moment. He could feel that his Southern Dipper Immortal Seat had advanced by one star, a star that was already flickering on the verge of instability. He walked slowly over to Ludi, squatted down, and placed a palm on his chest.

HUMMM!!!

Under his control, all his remaining Southern Dipper Star Power was released, flowing into Ludi’s body.

This infusion of Energy sustained Ludi’s fading Vitality.

When all the Star Power had been transferred, Zhou Yuanjue slowly straightened up and said to Ludi, "Isn’t it better to be yourself than to be one of the Divine Beings?"

"Have you forgotten how you got here, step by step, long before you opened the Eighth Chakra and saw those so-called memories of a past life?"

"Step by step, you went from weak to strong. You pressed forward relentlessly, shattered the shackles of life and death, and entered an incredible realm rarely seen throughout history."

"Back then, you had no help from so-called past-life memories. Your accomplishments weren’t some coincidental gift. Have you forgotten? All the power you possess today comes from you, and you alone!"

BOOM!!

Zhou Yuanjue’s words boomed like a great bell in Ludi’s ears.

Scene after scene began to flash before his eyes.

He saw himself, cultivating tirelessly from childhood to adulthood.

The pain of his first time practicing Chakra Meditation. The sting of the rattan cane as his mentor corrected his posture. The sight of himself, staying up all night in meditation to grasp the Mystical Techniques of the Chakras as quickly as possible.

He saw himself casting off his fine clothes, hiding his noble surname, and living for long periods in a simple, bare stone house. He gave up pleasure and glory, contemplating through the night, never forgetting his Cultivation for a single moment, turning monotony into joy and pain into pleasure.

He saw himself living in the Himalayas, training in the biting winds, stimulating his body with frost and ice, undergoing inhuman ascetic practices...

Scene after scene, it was all so real.

None of it was a gift of coincidence.

’A God cannot fail. But I am a man.’

’A man gazes at perfection from a place of imperfection. He reaches success through failure.’

The light returned to Ludi’s eyes. His Spirit seemed revitalized, and the flame of his life stabilized once more.

The instant the light returned to his eyes, the figure he saw made him start.

It was a broken body, riddled with cracks and wounds. The surface of his skin and muscle was completely charred and shriveled, cooked through by the high temperature. He was utterly unrecognizable. Wisps of the purplish-black Fire of Destruction still flickered on his body, not yet fully extinguished.

But behind this utterly ruined facade were a pair of eyes that had never changed—resolute, bright, and pure.

An indescribable shock washed over him.

Though he had been in a daze, the moment he came to his senses, he understood everything—including what Zhou Yuanjue had done.

With Zhou Yuanjue’s Recovery Ability, he shouldn’t have ended up in such a miserable state. But to preserve Ludi’s life, he had seemingly poured his last reserves of Power into him, leaving nothing to heal himself.

"Why did you save me?"

Ludi asked, his voice hoarse.

"It would be a shame to lose a rival just like that."

Zhou Yuanjue’s answer was simple and to the point.