Boom! Boom! Boom!!
The Fangtian Halberd multiplied into thousands, striking the blood-colored vortex from every angle, every technique carrying with it a terrifying halberd intent, as though it could rend the heavens and massacre for ten thousand miles. To behold it was like seeing a single halberd sweep through endless battlefields, dominating all foes. Corpses littered the ground wherever it passed. On the void arena, golden Fangtian Halberds danced wildly, clashing against the vortex.
The collision produced deafening roars. Blade intent and halberd intent ran rampant.
Rumble!!
Amid the dense cacophony of impacts, the blood vortex and countless golden halberds erupted together. The vortex shrank rapidly, attempting to grind the halberds into dust. But the halberds, unyielding, battered the vortex with full force, seeking to annihilate it completely.
Then, in the very next instant—the vortex exploded.
A golden Fangtian Halberd tore through the void like a shooting star, thrusting directly toward the Butcher.
"Heh heh, I was waiting for this."
The Butcher, bloodhand let out a sinister laugh. He faced the oncoming halberd without flinching. In a flash, his iron hook shot out at a bizarre angle, coiling tightly around Lü Bu's waist, twisting to cleave him in half.
"Peerless!!"
"Ghost God Seven Styles – Force That Moves Mountains!!"
Lü Bu's face showed no fear or surprise. It was as if the iron chain and hook binding him meant nothing. Suddenly, golden light burst forth from his body—his immense blood essence surged, and golden brilliance flared. The iron chains and hooks didn't even land on his body before being torn apart by his blazing aura. They shattered with a crisp clang of metal, unable to affect him in the slightest.
In the next moment, Lü Bu's body swelled with raw might. His brows burned with fierce arrogance and savagery. His blood energy and qi surged dramatically, far surpassing the level of the Fifth Transformation of Body Refining. The sheer force distorted the space around him.
The golden Fangtian Halberd appeared once more—this time right in front of the Butcher—and came crashing down upon his skull.
"Break the Barrier!!"
The Butcher's eyelids twitched violently. He sensed death descending upon him, a dire and chilling premonition that echoed through every fiber of his being.
He would die.If he failed to block this strike, he would die.
Without hesitation, with a single thought, the iron chains wrapped around him lit up with divine radiance. Mysterious runes appeared across their length, weaving together into an impenetrable barrier. The chains threaded through his flesh, bones, even blood—no longer mere chains, but living parts of him.
These were no ordinary chains—they were the Bloodhook Chains, forged from Hell Flesh, a living material capable of fusing with the blood, bone, and essence of other creatures, devouring their vitality to evolve further. This made them not only unbreakable but lethally sharp. Anyone caught by them would be drained of their life force and made part of the chains themselves—becoming part of the Butcher's own being.
This hook... was alive.It was his true life-bound demonic weapon.
Clang!!
A sharp, ringing impact rang out as the Fangtian Halberd struck the blood-red wall. The chains rang like fine steel, yet moved with fluid grace. They rippled and trembled like dough, absorbing impact naturally. The runes flowed with energy, redirecting and dissolving the force.
This defense—was monstrous.
It even began to reflect the force outward, aiming to send the blow recoiling back at Lü Bu.
But—
Before this halberd, all was futile.
A surge of razor-sharp halberd intent exploded from the weapon. The chains cracked apart, snapping into fragments and dissolving into vanishing runes. The next moment, the halberd smashed into the Butcher's body.
The flesh that had seemed like a mountain burst into gore, torn to shreds and hurled across the arena in all directions. Blood mist filled the void platform in a grisly spectacle.
And it still wasn't over.
From within the mist, countless blood-colored tentacles suddenly emerged. These chains writhed like living hooks, weaving through the air, turning the arena into a ghastly crimson purgatory.
But then—
A golden tidal wave of light swept out from the center of the mist. Wherever it passed, the blood fog was obliterated—like snow under the midday sun, completely erased.
"NO!!"
A last unwilling roar echoed from within.
No matter the struggle, it could not change the outcome.
The blood mist dispersed.
At the heart of the arena, stood Lü Bu—radiant in golden battle armor, gripping the Fangtian Halberd in one hand, his stance proud and unwavering. The golden aura around him blazed with such ferocity and brilliance that it shocked all who beheld him.
"What a terrifying Lü Bu! That Butcher was a true Spirit Realm cultivator, and he was crushed like nothing. They were evenly matched just a moment ago—how did the tide turn so drastically?"
Lian Xing's eyes glittered with emotion, muttering in confusion.
"Lü Bu definitely holds a top-tier body-tempering divine ability," Gongsun Daniu said gravely. "That must have been one of the Ghost God Seven Styles, and the true game-changer was the divine ability he activated. It amplified his strength explosively, taking him beyond anything ordinary."
For many elite cultivators, mastering one or two battle-enhancing divine abilities was common. But what Lü Bu had unleashed was not a mere doubling of strength—it was overwhelming power, a blow that left no room to resist.
"That divine ability—'Peerless'—it truly is peerless. When activated, his defense nears invincibility. His blood, his flesh, all elevated to a godlike realm. Once unleashed, he becomes the ultimate war god. Lü Bu… is still Lü Bu."
Yi Tianxing's eyes narrowed, face solemn.
Though he didn't know the exact inner workings of this Peerless technique, its effects were plain: invincibility. Its potential was immeasurable.
Especially when Lü Bu's golden qi swept through and even obliterated the Blood Prison—the Butcher's greatest trump card. That prison, if left intact, would've allowed the Butcher to resurrect again and again.
But it was annihilated in one blow.
Lü Bu was, without doubt, a peerless prodigy.
Even a True Spirit Realm opponent was reduced to dust—this was true power.
However, it was also clear that the divine ability was not limitless. After the battle, Lü Bu's aura rapidly declined, returning to his base level. Clearly, Peerless had a time limit. Whether it carried any additional cost was unknown.
Yi Tianxing guessed it probably had few drawbacks—if any.
"What a formidable warrior. A true human genius. To defeat a True Spirit Realm cultivator with just Fifth Transformation body refining… the human race is clearly still thriving among the myriad races."
"What kind of divine ability was that? It must've boosted his strength tenfold—no, dozens of times. He was invincible in that moment."
The crowd stood in silent awe. Their gazes toward Lü Bu had changed entirely. His name, his strength, had been carved into memory. A single warrior had crushed a Spirit Realm opponent—that meant there could be more such hidden talents in the Human Race. More elite geniuses. More deadly powerhouses.
Was the human race truly as weak as they'd believed?
That thought left many uneasy.
As for Lü Bu—could he still continue fighting? That was the question.
But just this one battle had already propelled his battle avatar up the Sky Ladder—he now stood firmly on the second tier, radiating unmatched presence.
"Excellent. That was a spectacular fight. Short, but absolutely refreshing," said Xiaosa Ge. "The winner of this match: from the Eternal World, the Human Race's genius, the Peerless War God—Lü Bu!"
He waved his hand, and a beam of light enveloped Lü Bu, making him shine like the sun.
"Peerless War God Lü Bu—do you wish to remain on the arena and accept another challenge from the Eternal Night's chosen, or do you wish to step down and recover?"
asked Hei Dashuai.
After all, Lü Bu had just endured an intense battle, and it was entirely within his rights to withdraw and recuperate. The void arena was no joke—life and death were decided here. A technique like Peerless was unlikely to be usable in back-to-back fights.
"Continue!!"
Lü Bu's voice was defiant, eyes burning with fighting spirit. He declared coldly:
"Lü Bu stands here! Who dares challenge me?"
His words carried murderous intent.
"Very well. Then allow me to take your life."
A cold, chilling voice sounded—and a small, shadowy figure appeared on the stage.