Chapter 356: A Single Step to Heaven! Ascending to Number One! Where Did This One Come From Again

Chapter 356: A Single Leap to the Heavens! Ascending to the Top! Where did this prodigy emerge from?

As the Heavenly King’s breathtaking seven-million-win streak came to a somber end, a strange, suffocating silence descended upon the waiting platform.

The colossal stone stele, towering into the void of the cosmos, stood like a silent titan, its surface etched with dense, unreachable names that mocked the hubris of those who dared to follow.

Seven million consecutive victories—a feat that would be immortalized in epic verse in any cosmic nation or sector—was not even enough here to earn a fleeting mark at the very base of the monument.

This stark contrast chilled every King-level powerhouse present to the marrow, filling them with a profound sense of awe and dread.

"Even the Heavenly King, a supreme prodigy who walked the Divine Path and proved his way through sheer force, could not leave his name... The gold standard of this Martial Battle Mountain is terrifyingly high."

An alien King-level warrior muttered to himself, his voice trembling with disbelief.

"Terrifying? That is an understatement!"

A veteran King-level warrior beside him shook his head with a bitter smile. "You know of the Heavenly King’s strength, but you do not realize that this stele records every challenger since the dawn of Martial Battle Mountain. How many brilliant, peerless talents are etched there? How many Divine Path prodigies? Even... how many supreme figures who eventually ascended to become Emperors or the legendary Lords of the Universe once stood here to test themselves in their youth!"

These words were like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing the last embers of hope in the hearts of the crowd.

Indeed, compared to the vast, epoch-spanning history of the universe, the Heavenly King, however dazzling, was but a single crest on an endless wave.

Amidst this heavy atmosphere, another figure slowly approached the entrance of Martial Battle Mountain.

Draped in grey monk’s robes, radiating a solemn aura, was the Stone Buddha, who had arrived long ago but had remained isolated in the corner, as if severed from the world.

His aura was now entirely different from his time in the Blood-Colored Forbidden Zone. The sharp edge of his former half-step Divine Prohibition had been sheathed, replaced by a rounded, profound, and immeasurable pressure of a King.

He, too, had succeeded in his breakthrough over these years, ascending to the rank of King.

"It is the Stone Buddha! That prodigy of the Stone Clan’s Zen Sect!"

"He has reached the King-level too! I wonder what kind of record he will set?"

"A Divine Prohibition prodigy ascending to King-level possesses a foundation far beyond our own, though I doubt he will surpass the Heavenly King; after all, he did not walk the Divine Path."

Whispers erupted once more through the crowd.

The Stone Buddha’s reputation as a Divine Prohibition prodigy was so legendary that even as a newly minted King, expectations for him were instantly maxed out.

Ignoring the surrounding chatter, the Stone Buddha calmly stepped into the light gate, his figure vanishing from sight.

In an instant, every gaze converged upon the mirror-smooth surface of the mountain.

A point of light flickered into existence, marking the official start of the Stone Buddha’s challenge.

The light point climbed at an astonishing speed.

One million!

Two million!

Three million!

It ascended even faster than the prodigy ranked ninety-first on the King List, demonstrating the unparalleled, solid foundation of a Divine Prohibition prodigy who had successfully ascended.

However, as the light point surged past four million wins, its speed began to noticeably wane.

Four million five hundred thousand...

Four million eight hundred thousand...

Finally, just after breaking the five-million mark, the light point faltered and dimmed.

The next moment, the Stone Buddha was teleported out, his expression as tranquil as an ancient well, as if five million wins were neither a surprise nor a disappointment, but merely the expected result.

He did not linger on the platform, his gaze sweeping briefly over the figure in the corner composed of intricate metal, before he retreated into the crowd and hid his presence once more.

"Five million wins..."

"Tied with the prodigy ranked ninety-first on the King List."

"Impressive, but... compared to the Heavenly King, he is still two million matches short."

"It seems that even for a Divine Prohibition prodigy, challenging Martial Battle Mountain is no simple task. There are gaps even among those on the Divine Path."

The crowd sighed with deep emotion.

The Stone Buddha’s performance served as further proof of the terrifying difficulty of Martial Battle Mountain.

It acted as the most precise and ruthless ruler, measuring the true combat power of every prodigy with naked, unvarnished accuracy.

Having witnessed three world-renowned, even universe-shaking, prodigies face the challenge, the atmosphere on the platform grew increasingly oppressive.

Many King-level warriors who had been eager to try now calmed down, beginning to re-evaluate their own strength.

Just then, the ancient, mechanical prompt sounded once more.

"Next challenger: Vanguard."

As the words fell, a figure emerged slowly from the corner of the platform.

It was a mechanical lifeform crafted entirely from an unknown silver-grey metal.

His frame was fluid and powerful, every joint shimmering with precise energy, his eyes two pure red crystals devoid of any emotion.

It was Qin Feng’s mechanical avatar—Vanguard.

His appearance did not trigger the massive sensation that the Heavenly King or the Stone Buddha had.

The powerhouses present merely glanced at him casually.

"A Mechanical Clan member? I’ve never heard of a prodigy named 'Vanguard' in that race."

"His aura is very ordinary; he feels like a standard King-level, perhaps one who just ascended."

"Looks like another one here to see the world. Probably only at the million-win level."

To the crowd, this was just another common challenger. After witnessing the peerless performances of the Heavenly King and others, such a mundane entrance failed to pique their interest.

Qin Feng, controlling the body of "Vanguard," remained deaf to the surrounding discussions.

He walked step by step toward the light gate of Martial Battle Mountain, savoring the strange sensations of this new vessel.

Then, with no one watching, he stepped into the portal leading to endless battle.

Light and shadow rotated; the universe shifted.

When Qin Feng’s consciousness stabilized within the "Vanguard" avatar, he found himself in an infinite starry arena.

There was no heaven, no earth, no boundaries—only pure void and eternal solitude.

"This feeling..."

Qin Feng’s heart stirred. "It is very similar to the internal space of the Blood God Tower, and shares a similar essence with the Holy Tower of the Sacred Academy."

The Martial Battle Mountain before him, based on external information and his own current experience, seemed even purer—it tested the most fundamental, most comprehensive "combat ability."

As he pondered, countless points of light gathered in the void ahead, rapidly coalescing into a phantom identical to himself.

Every detail, from the physique and energy fluctuations to the metallic texture of the body, was mimicked with uncanny precision.

"First battle, begin."

The cold will echoed throughout the space.

The phantom moved.

Its motion was devoid of any flair—a standard Mechanical Clan punch, fast, accurate, and ruthless, aimed directly at the core of Vanguard’s chest.

Qin Feng did not dodge.

He raised his own right arm, mirroring the exact same stance, and met the blow head-on.

Clang!

A crisp, resonant peal, like the striking of divine metal, echoed through the void.

At the center of their colliding metallic fists, a visible ripple of energy surged outward.

In the next instant, the phantom began to shatter from its fist, crumbling into a myriad of light particles that dissolved into nothingness.

So, the first battle was merely a test.

Qin Feng retracted his fist, carefully savoring the feedback from that strike.

The transmission of power through his mechanical frame, the operational efficiency of his energy circuits, the vibration frequency of his alloy armor—all these data streams flowed through his consciousness like a waterfall, deepening his mastery over this avatar.

This body was a masterpiece he had spent a century forging, utilizing vast quantities of divine materials and countless top-tier mechanical secrets exchanged from the Holy Academy.

Every component, every circuit, was infused with his understanding of the path of the ultimate.

Before he could dwell on it, a second phantom had already coalesced.

This time, the phantom’s strength was a notch higher, and it wielded a high-frequency oscillating blade.

The battle erupted once more.

Qin Feng was in no rush to finish; instead, he treated this challenge as the perfect proving ground to familiarize himself with his new body.

At times, he met the phantom with pure physical strength to test the load-bearing limits of his alloy armor; at others, he channeled his internal energy core to unleash various forms of energy cannons, verifying the stability and intensity of his firepower; and occasionally, he shifted his form, simulating different weapon configurations to practice close-quarters combat techniques.

On the external platform, the light point representing Vanguard climbed upward at an incredibly steady pace, unhurried and relentless.

One hundred thousand... five hundred thousand... one million...

At first, no one noticed him. But when his winning streak easily surpassed three million, eclipsing the local prodigy, and he maintained that unnervingly steady rate of ascent, someone finally sensed that something was amiss.

Wait? That mechanical being called Vanguard has broken three million!

His speed hasn't changed at all! Look, from the beginning until now, his light point has moved in almost a straight line! This means the difficulty of three million consecutive wins is still effortless for him!

How is this possible? How can an unknown mechanical being possess such strength?

The murmurs on the platform rose again, this time laced with astonishment and curiosity.

Inside the Martial Battle Mountain, however, Qin Feng’s consciousness was entirely submerged in the dissection of his own power.

The power of the Twin Masks is truly profound.

As he effortlessly tore a dual-wielding phantom into shreds, he analyzed the situation with a calm mind.

Because this mechanical avatar was constructed by splitting half of my soul origin and using the Twin Masks as its core, it and my human original body can be seen as two different manifestations of the same entity. Yet, there remains a fundamental difference.

Qin Feng clearly perceived that this mechanical body, in terms of pure physical strength, was slightly inferior to his human ultimate body—a form tempered by nine-colored divine lightning, fused with void black flames, and forged into a silver-white physique.

This inferiority did not stem from poor materials; on the contrary, every piece of divine metal used in this body was a rare treasure in the universe.

But the potential of the human body lies in evolution and infinite possibility; every time it breaks and reforms, every extreme tempering, brings a qualitative leap.

The strength of a mechanical body, from the moment it is crafted, has its upper limit essentially fixed.

Of course, this is not absolute.

Qin Feng’s thoughts raced.

If I were to spare no cost and integrate that piece of Weeping Divine Metal into this avatar, instead of saving it as the anchor for a future grand formation, the strength of this body would instantly soar to an inconceivable level.

I fear that unless a Saint-level powerhouse arrived in person, they could not shake it in the slightest.

But that would mean sacrificing future infinite possibilities for immediate combat power, weakening the ultimate ceiling of my path of the extreme. It would be a loss outweighing the gain.

The Weeping Divine Metal was one of the thirty-six supreme divine metals in the universe; it was the key anchor for his promotion to King-level and one of the core foundations he envisioned for housing his own path of the extreme.

This plan could not be shaken.

However, the true strength of the mechanical race does not lie in the physical power of a single unit.

Qin Feng’s thoughts shifted in another direction.

He recalled the top-tier mechanical secrets he had perused in the Holy Academy.

If given enough time and resources, I could manufacture an army of billions, from basic combat units to Star God-level war beasts rivaling Marquises and Kings. Then, using myself as the master brain and amplifying through techniques like the Myriad Machines Unity Canon, I could link the power of all units into a single whole...

A grand scene of war emerged in his mind.

By then, I alone would be a peak civilization. I could fight steadily, occupy a star sector, and transform it into my absolute domain.

Within my domain, energy networks would be endless, war machines would emerge one after another, and defensive arrays would fill the void.

After developing for a few hundred thousand years, let alone the Golden Emperor, even if dozens of top-tier Emperors like him were to break in together, they would be trapped and killed within my mechanical disaster.

This was the advantage of the mechanical race.

They were better suited for positional warfare and excelled at total war.

The longer they developed and the deeper their foundation, the more terrifying their strength became.

And my human original body represents the other extreme.

Qin Feng’s comparison became increasingly clear.

The body of an Ultimate God-King is impervious to all laws, breaking all laws with a single force. Its advantage lies in extreme mobility and individual greatness. The world is vast, and I can go anywhere. With one man and one spear, I can carve through the heartland of an entire race. The two have vastly different strengths and weaknesses, perfectly complementing each other.

One focuses inward, the other outward.

One is suited for holding the rear, planning development, and serving as the most stable trump card.

The other is suited for venturing out, seeking opportunities, and serving as the sharp blade for charging into battle.

Two bodies acting in parallel—this move was the right one.

Qin Feng’s mind was clear.

This trial in the Martial Battle Mountain had given him a deeper and more concrete understanding of his future path.

In the short time he had been deep in thought, the light point outside had silently broken through the five-million mark!

Five... five million!

A gasp, like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, instantly stirred a thousand waves on the waiting platform.

Every eye was fixed on that light point representing Vanguard, which was still climbing at a steady speed, their gazes filled with shock and disbelief.

He broke five million! He has matched the records of the Stone Buddha and that King-list prodigy!

My god, who is he? From start to finish, his speed hasn't changed! This means the opponents at five million consecutive wins still pose no threat to him!

A monster! Another monster! It’s one thing for a divine-path prodigy like the Heaven King, but where did this mechanical being pop out from? Could he... also be a hidden walker of the divine path?

At this moment, no one dared to underestimate the mysterious mechanical being named Vanguard. He had proven his strength to everyone in the most direct and brutal way.

Those who had previously dismissed him as someone just here to see the world now felt their faces burning with shame.

Inside the Martial Battle Mountain, Qin Feng had completely finished familiarizing himself with and evaluating his mechanical avatar.

The battles ahead had lost their meaning as a trial and had become a pure test of endurance.

Then, let me see exactly where the limits of this Martial Battle Mountain lie.

Qin Feng’s mind stirred, and the energy core within Vanguard was instantly pushed to its absolute limit.

The previously steady combat style vanished, replaced by a posture of overwhelming, tyrannical destruction.

Facing the materialized phantom, whose strength had reached the pinnacle of a common King, he dispensed with all unnecessary probing and maneuvering.

Across Vanguard’s silver-gray frame, countless intricate energy circuits flared to life, and its arms instantly reconfigured, merging into two massive star-annihilating cannons that shimmered with the scent of ruin.

Boom!

Two torrents of white-hot energy, thick enough to pierce the stars, surged at superluminal speeds, instantly engulfing the phantom ahead.

There was no scream, no struggle; that formidable phantom, along with the vast expanse of void surrounding it, was utterly vaporized and annihilated by this single strike.

One-hit kill!

Starting from the six-million-win mark, the rhythm of battle was completely rewritten by Qin Feng.

On the external platform, the onlookers saw only that the point of light, which had been advancing at a steady pace, seemed to shed some invisible shackle after crossing five million, suddenly accelerating!

Its rate of ascent was now many times faster than before!

Six million!

Six million five hundred thousand!

Seven million!

When the point of light broke through the seven-million mark with unstoppable momentum, matching the record previously set by the Heavenly King, the entire platform fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone held their breath, their hearts pounding wildly.

They were witnessing a historic moment!

It’s tied! He has caught up to the Heavenly King’s record!

It’s still rising! His speed hasn’t slowed at all! Heavens, he is going to surpass the Heavenly King!

Under the gaze of countless tense, excited, and shocked eyes, the point of light did not pause for a second, defiantly crossing the seven-million threshold and charging toward an unprecedented height!

Seven million one hundred thousand!

Seven million three hundred thousand!

Seven million five hundred thousand!

Inside the Martial Arts Mountain.

The enemies Qin Feng faced had reached a terrifying level of power.

These phantoms were no longer mere individuals; they began to display all manner of incredible abilities.

Some phantoms seemed composed of pure laws, capable of invoking the primal forces of the universe with a mere gesture; others could split into thousands of clones, forming battle arrays to surround their foe; still others mastered eerie mental arts, capable of striking directly at the challenger’s soul.

The battle began to grow arduous. For the first time, damage appeared on Vanguard’s body.

Deep, bone-reaching slashes and holes scorched through by energy silently testified to the ferocity of the combat.

Yet, Qin Feng’s gaze—or rather, his two crimson crystalline eyes—remained entirely devoid of fluctuation.

His brain was now a supercomputer of the highest precision.

Every attack pattern, energy frequency, law fluctuation, and movement trajectory of each phantom was instantly captured, analyzed, and calculated for the optimal countermeasure.

His body became the perfect killing machine, trading the smallest cost for the greatest result.

When the win streak reached seven million eight hundred thousand, he encountered a phantom with strength comparable to a peak King.

The opponent wielded a giant axe, executing a tyrannical, predatory law remarkably similar to that of the Plunder Emperor.

One of Vanguard’s arms was severed clean off in a direct clash.

But the moment the arm was severed, Qin Feng triggered the self-destruct mechanism within it.

The violent energy shockwave instantly sent the phantom reeling.

Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Vanguard’s remaining left arm transformed into a spiral spear of ultimate piercing power, traversing the spatial distance to precisely impale the phantom’s core.

Victory still belonged to him!

Seven million nine hundred thousand!

Seven million nine hundred and fifty thousand!

Seven million nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand!

He was only one step away from that legendary eight-million-win streak.

By now, his body was in tatters. The energy core issued warnings of overload, and the metal frame was covered in cracks, as if it might disintegrate at any moment.

Finally, the phantom of the seven million nine hundred and ninety-nine thousandth, nine hundred and ninety-ninth match materialized.

It was a phantom composed entirely of chaotic light, possessing no fixed form, yet radiating a terrifying aura that would make even a top-tier Emperor tremble.

It seemed to represent the very concept of pure destruction.

The battle erupted.

Qin Feng squeezed every ounce of performance from this mechanical avatar.

Laws, energy, physical form, computational power—everything was distilled into pure combat instinct.

This battle lasted for three full days and nights.

In the end, when Vanguard converted its remaining half-body into a final energy source and charged at the chaotic phantom in a mutual destruction maneuver, a violent explosion echoed through the entire space, and that phantom was finally wiped out completely.

Victory!

Seven million nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-ninth match, cleared!

However, before Qin Feng could catch his breath, the phantom of the eight-millionth match had already begun to coalesce.

It was an aura that transcended the limits of a King, faintly touching upon the realm of the Emperor!

And at this moment, Vanguard was truly at the end of its rope, struggling to maintain even its most basic form.

Facing this final, invincible enemy, there was no regret in Qin Feng’s consciousness, only peace.

He voluntarily abandoned all resistance.

With a flash of light, his figure was teleported out of the Martial Arts Mountain.

...

On the platform, Vanguard’s figure appeared quietly.

The moment the teleportation was complete, its broken body was restored by the rules of the Martial Arts Mountain, returning to that cold and precise state, as if everything that had just transpired were merely a dream.

Qin Feng’s consciousness swept over this restored avatar, and he sighed softly in his heart.

What a pity.

He murmured to himself, a sound only he could hear.

If it were my human true body here, relying on the 'Limitless Body's' trait of breaking and rebuilding to grow stronger with every battle, and the tyrannical nature of the 'Primal Furnace' to devour everything, this eight-millionth phantom could have been easily crushed. This mechanical shell, in terms of 1v1 combat, is ultimately a step behind.

He glanced at his challenge token, which indicated that there were still over ninety-nine thousand years left in the hundred-thousand-year time limit.

There is still plenty of time; no need to rush.

Qin Feng had weighed his options.

This trial had laid bare the limitations of his mechanical avatar.

He resolved to depart for now, seeking resources that might deepen his comprehension of the laws.

Only when his mastery of the law had sharpened would he return to challenge this final hurdle.

He raised his head to gaze at the colossal stone stele.

At that very moment, a blinding divine radiance erupted from the summit of the monument!

On the first line, which had been empty until now, a brand-new name was etched with the imperious air of a sovereign. Its brilliance was so intense that it eclipsed every other name inscribed below!

First Place: Vanguard!

Record: Seven million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine consecutive victories!

Having done this, Qin Feng ignored the atmosphere of stunned silence behind him. Controlling the body of "Vanguard," he turned, took a single step, and vanished into the vastness of the cosmos, swift and decisive.

Qin Feng’s avatar, "Vanguard," had departed like a shooting star cutting through an eternal night—arriving without a sound, leaving without a trace.

Yet, the radiant trajectory he left behind was seared into the void outside the Martial Combat Mountain, and even deeper, into the soul of every King-level powerhouse present.

The Heroic Stele, which had looked down upon the masses like a god since time immemorial, was now glowing with an unprecedented light.

The inscription at the very top, "First Place: Vanguard," appeared as if written by the hand of the universe’s own origin, every stroke imbued with a heart-stopping, supreme pressure.

Seven million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine consecutive victories.

This number, like a mountain of unimaginable scale, weighed heavily upon the hearts of all who witnessed it.

After a dozen heartbeats of a silence so profound it seemed to freeze the soul, the waiting platform erupted into a roar a hundred times more violent than any that had come before!

"A... a new history! We... we have actually witnessed the birth of a record that has never been seen before!"

A King-level powerhouse from the Giant Troll race, his mountain-like frame trembling, roared in a hoarse voice.

"Only one victory away! Do you see? He is only one final, most insignificant victory away from that legendary ultimate reward!"

Another King-level from the Feathered race spread his magnificent wings, shouting with such agitation that his voice was sharp enough to pierce the eardrums.

"Insignificant? You call the eight-millionth stage—a trial that legend says no one has ever crossed—‘insignificant’?"

A powerhouse nearby retorted with a sneer, though his eyes were filled with undisguised shock. "However, you are right... this is indeed the closest any challenger has come to success in all of history! So close... it feels almost within reach!"

Frenzy, excitement, shock, confusion, and awe—a complex web of emotions intertwined and fermented in the hearts of thousands of King-level powerhouses, finally coalescing into a single, unavoidable question.

"Tell me, within the next hundred-thousand-year limit, is it possible for him... for this 'Vanguard' to clear that final eight-millionth match?"

This question, like an exploding star, instantly pushed the atmosphere on the platform to its peak.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

An ancient King-level powerhouse, whose aura suggested he had walked out of a previous epoch, shook his head decisively. He spoke with an air of absolute finality: "I have lingered in the Tianheng Star Sector for over three hundred million years, and I have seen eight thousand peerless geniuses if I’ve seen one.

Among them were those who walked the Path of God, even those bearing cosmic artifacts.

The strongest among them stopped at the seven-million-nine-hundred-thousand-victory mark; they didn't even have the qualifications to touch the height 'Vanguard' reached today!"

He paused, a flicker of reverence for history in his clouded eyes. "How many epochs has the Martial Combat Mountain spanned since its founding? How many brilliant names that once illuminated an era have been recorded on this Heroic Stele? Has even one person successfully passed the eight-million-victory mark?

No! Not a single one! This proves that the final stage was never meant for King-level existences! It is a chasm, a gulf, an absolute barrier set by the Lord of Martial Combat that symbolizes the 'limit' and the 'impossible'!"

His words landed with a thud, drawing nods of agreement from many.

"Indeed, I once heard a secret from the elders of my clan," a King-level from a top-tier race added. "It is said that a breathtakingly talented King-level powerhouse, one who had walked the Path of God, tried to seize a great opportunity at the end of his life.

He fought his way through, only to fall before the phantom of the eight-millionth match, dying in regret.

If even a King-Emperor could not cross that threshold, I do not believe a newly ascended King can do it."

"I also believe the hope is slim."

Another King-level from the Mechanical race, known for his cold, analytical nature, watched the data streams flash rapidly in his eyes. "According to my race’s database, which has analyzed the Martial Combat Mountain for tens of millions of years, the higher the victory count, the steeper the curve of the phantom’s strength.

The gap from seven million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine to eight million—that difference of only 'one'—likely represents a leap in strength greater than the sum of all matches from the first to the seven-million-nine-hundred-thousandth!"

The pessimistic tone hung like a dark cloud over the platform.

The weight of history, the failures of countless predecessors, and the philosophical significance behind that stage all loomed like mountains, leaving no room for hope.

Yet, where there are clouds, there is light attempting to pierce them.

"I object!"

A young, sharp-edged Human King-level powerhouse retorted loudly, his eyes burning with fire. "You use historical experience to judge a man who has created history—that is the greatest paradox of all!

Before 'Vanguard' appeared, who among you could have imagined that someone could push the winning streak to such a terrifying height? Who among you could have imagined someone would drop directly to the top of the Heroic Stele?"

He looked around, his voice growing more impassioned. "History is meant to be broken! Conventions are meant to be overturned! Since he has reached this point, it proves he possesses the potential to shatter every impossibility!

You say the final stage is a chasm, but he is standing right before it! You say it is an insurmountable wall, but he has already climbed to its peak!"

"More importantly," the Human King-level held up a finger, his eyes flashing with wisdom, "you have all overlooked the most critical factor—time! He still has nearly a hundred thousand years left in his challenge limit!

What does a hundred thousand years mean to us Kings? It means infinite possibility!

The fact that he chose to leave temporarily shows he has a clear understanding of his current strength and a definite plan for improvement.

When he returns on the final day of the hundred-thousand-year limit, who knows to what terrifying degree his strength will have advanced? By then, he may well create this final and greatest miracle!"

These words were like a thunderclap, splitting the gloom that had shrouded their hearts.

Yes, time!

For a supreme genius already standing at the pinnacle of the King-level domain, a hundred thousand years is enough for any miracle to occur!

"That makes sense! If he could create history once, why not a second time?"

"True! I suddenly feel that we might actually have the chance to witness the birth of the ultimate myth of the Martial Combat Mountain!"

"I choose to believe in 'Vanguard'! He has already proven with his strength that he is synonymous with miracles!"

In an instant, the platform split into two distinct factions.

One side firmly believed in the iron laws of history, convinced that "Vanguard" would eventually fall at the final hurdle; the other chose to believe in miracles, convinced that this mysterious genius was destined to bring the myth to its perfect conclusion.

The two sides argued endlessly, citing precedents and growing heated, turning the platform—a place meant for the quiet contemplation of the strong—noisier than the most chaotic marketplace in the cosmos.

...

Yet, amidst this ocean of noise and frenzy, there stood a lonely rock that remained absolutely still, no matter how the winds and waves battered it.

The Stone Buddha.

He remained in the corner of the crowd, as if separated from the boiling world around him by an invisible barrier.

He did not participate in any discussion, nor did he offer any opinion on the shocking record.

His gaze pierced through the clamorous crowd, crossed the boundary of the platform, and stared blankly into the deep void where "Vanguard" had just vanished, as if searching for an answer long lost within that endless darkness.

In those eyes, polished from divine stone over eons, a flicker of something called "bewilderment" appeared for the very first time.

"Is it him?"

A voice, so faint it barely existed, spilled from his throat—less a question than a self-interrogation, a soul-searching trial.

This thought, like a demonic vine breaking through the soil of his deepest psyche, began to sprout and spread with wild abandon, entangling every fiber of his consciousness.

"No... how could it be?"

He shook his head slowly, forcefully, as if trying to cast this utterly absurd notion from his mind.

"Qin Feng... is dead."

The Stone Buddha murmured to himself, repeating the fact accepted by the entire universe over and over again.

"The Heavenly Secret Gate confirmed it personally: his origin path and soul imprint were reduced to absolute nothingness in that cataclysmic self-detonation at the Kurgan Star Abyss. Body and spirit annihilated, not even a wisp of his true essence escaped.

It was the most absolute death in the cosmos, beyond the reach of any reversal; even the supreme beings who command time and space could not conjure a 'something' from such total 'nothingness'."

His logic was cold and crystalline, every link in the chain impeccable.

Qin Feng’s fall was no ordinary battlefield death, but a final curtain call written into legend under the gaze of the entire universe.

Facing over fifty Emperor-ranked foes alone, he slew one, crippled thirty-six, and finally declared the end of his legend with a self-detonation of blinding brilliance.

Such a death was too perfect, too resolute.

So resolute that it left no room for the possibility of rebirth.

Yet...

The Stone Buddha’s gaze drifted, against his will, back to the Stele of Heroes.

The name "Vanguard" pulsed in his pupils, expanding and contracting.

Images overlapped slowly with the memory etched into his deepest mind: a figure in the Blood-Red Forbidden Zone, holding a long spear, daring to defy an army of ten thousand and challenge the divine prohibitions single-handedly.

The outward form, the race, the power system—all were entirely different.

One was flesh and blood.

The other was a mechanical construct.

But the tyrannical will hidden within, leaking out ever so slightly, bore a startling, heart-palpitating resemblance!

"A coincidence?"

For the first time, the Stone Buddha’s brows locked tightly together.

"The universe is vast, and wonders are many. It is not impossible for two supreme geniuses to emerge, both walking the path to the limits of their respective domains..."

He tried to convince himself with reason.

Yet, another deeper thought refused to be silenced.

He recalled the purpose of his journey.

The cosmic marvel—[Dou]!

He had come to this perilous Martial Combat Mountain, where the Zen Sect of the Stone Clan had woven a hidden net of traps, and risked being discovered and erased by his own sect to seize this opportunity, for one fundamental reason: the pact he had made with Qin Feng outside the Blood-Red Forbidden Zone.

He would provide the clues to [Dou], and in return, Qin Feng would one day help him break free from the shackles of his sect.

It was a partnership built on the parity of their strength and potential.

But Qin Feng was dead.

He had been forced to come alone.

"If... if Qin Feng were still alive, given his nature, he would never be absent from this feast of [Dou].

He might even have arrived before me, using his name as the 'Fierce God' to strike down all who coveted the prize, then claiming the marvel for himself."

A complex light flickered in the Stone Buddha’s eyes—reminiscence, regret, and perhaps even a trace of loneliness he had not yet perceived himself.

"It is precisely because he is dead that our pact has vanished into smoke.

That is why I must choose this most arduous and dangerous path, entering the fray myself, using my newly ascended, meager King-ranked strength to gamble for a sliver of survival under the very noses of the sect’s ancient monsters."

His murmurs were heavy with profound helplessness.

Qin Feng’s death was not merely the loss of a potential, powerful ally; it had severed the only clear path he had to break his chains.

Now, he was forced to walk this dangerous road alone, treading on thin ice.

At this thought, the absurd suspicion in the Stone Buddha’s heart was finally crushed by the weight of reality.

"It cannot be him."

He exhaled a long, turbid breath, as if to purge all the confusion and uncertainty from his body.

"This must be... just another astonishing newcomer. Mechanical race... Vanguard... I have noted it."

The Stone Buddha forcibly reined in his chaotic thoughts, and his stone eyes returned to their deep, tranquil stillness.

He would no longer dwell on that impossible answer.

For him, the urgent priority was to find a flaw in the Zen Sect’s net and snatch the prize from the jaws of this new, unfathomably powerful top-ranked hero on the stele.

Whether "Vanguard" was Qin Feng or not, he had already become his greatest and most terrifying rival in the quest for the [Dou] marvel.