Instantly, an extreme heat burst forth, and a terrifying gale along with visible light waves roared in all directions. Gamma rays akin to those produced during supernova explosions swept across all directions.
The radiation diffusion of the cosmos at its end was condensed, and as the blazing white light pillar gradually dissipated, the Dark Gold Dragon hovered in midair, observing the outcome of its attack.
It thought so. For those who are not skilled in spiritual combat, it is indeed difficult to grasp such essence. As long as one begins to fear the enemy’s tools, it will cause real and irrefutable damage. In other words, the more unknown and terrifying the attack, the more it can deplete an enemy’s soul.
If a thought like ’I might die’ emerges even for a moment, the soul will annihilate. Although one without a soul won’t die, their combat strength will greatly diminish, making it easy to resolve them at that time.
And just as the Dark Gold Dragon was pondering.
The sound of a gentle breeze arose.
From within the clouds of dust, a figure slowly emerged.
Covered entirely by a layer of material emitting a faint white glow, Ian stepped out leisurely from the assault of the gravitational beam.
He looked curiously at his palm, then nodded with satisfaction: "Indeed, using aether to warp the gravitational field and construct degenerate matter skin can even withstand gravitational beams. I wonder if there’s a limit to the power of aether twisting space-time. If there isn’t, as long as the energy level is high enough, even the ’event horizon’ of a black hole could be manufactured."
"Previously, when I didn’t understand the Fifth Energy Level, I would think, ’How could a life form possibly achieve this!’ But now knowing how absurd Terra and the Fifth Level truly are, it has broadened the boundaries of my imagination, especially when Gaer can use wind-attributed Origin Quality to create pseudo-singularities, it really startled me. These Fifth Energy Level entities are more monstrous than I imagined, no wonder they fight in cosmic space."
Raising his head, Ian showed a smile to the stunned Echo: "Surprised? Rest assured, your gravitational wave attack to me is not an unknown thing at all... Echo, all the attacks you can employ, for me, are perhaps already known, even predicted beforehand."
Raising his fist, the Unyielding Fortress·Pioneer of Iron·Fifth Energy Level 100% Imagination Version·Ian said to the shocked Dark Gold Dragon, "Can you imagine my attack?"
— Damn, underestimated the opponent.
In that instant, Echo realized it might have made another mistake.
It thought that someone not even twenty years old, no matter how knowledgeable, their ’speculation’ and ’imagination’ for the future would just be that. But now it seems, the opponent is simply a monster. Degenerate matter skin? Although it also knows that some Fifth Energy Level Earth Series True Dragon cores consist of such degenerate electron crystals, using that to constitute a defense system...
Ian, this guy, could he really have thought of shaping the ’Unyielding Fortress’ this way?!
In that moment, a light like a supernova shone in the pitch-black Soul Space, accompanied by a shout, an immensely strong light erupted from the youth’s chest, as if a sun had been ignited—alongside the terrifying airflow turbulence from the stellar outbreak within his body bursting forth!
In an instant, Ian stepped forward, his body at this moment emitting a faint white light, releasing a dazzling brilliance like that of a white dwarf star—but over the incredibly solid skin, black patterned cracks and pores opened up, then, a highly concentrated ultra-high temperature plasma ejected outward, propelling his body forward!
The ground shattered, the sky trembled, even the Soul Space lit up like daylight in an instant, while the Dark Gold Dragon opened its eyes, seeming to want to say something.
A large void appeared in the dragon’s chest, where the core crystal of the Dark Gold Dragon was, but it now lay thoroughly pierced through.
[You monster...] Using the last of its strength to utter these words, the Dark Gold Dragon gritted its teeth and said: [Just wait, it won’t be this simple!]
Once said, it disintegrated into dust, vanishing.
"...Is it resolved then?"
At this moment, Ian also took a breath, somewhat fatigued, surveying his surroundings.
Even imagining consumes power... Of course, this consumed power is not for creation of ’destruction,’ but for reality.
The stronger the computational power, the more real the imagination, causing greater harm to other souls... Since the Dark Gold Dragon chose such rules, Ian would use his strengths, utilizing the terrifying computational power brought by Meditation Technique to imagine his envisioned ’strongest Pioneer of Iron’ to crush the opponent.
But truth be told, Ian didn’t think this would finish off the opponent.
He only merely had ’Meditation Technique,’ a soul formed by mimicking the Silver Chip’s computational structure... But Echo also has the Rites of the Star Gods, with the existence of the ’Soul of Origin’!
The opponent’s computational power shouldn’t be weaker than his, instead, it should be stronger! Even if it suffered a loss at first, it wouldn’t be defeated by just that move.
[Truly impressive, Ian]
And at this time, a golden soul appeared in the Soul Space, Echo’s voice rang again, with a hint of anger and admiration: [In an instant you annihilated one of me... This is truly unbelievable, knowing each of my individual powers is comparable to the soul of a Fourth Energy Level Sublimation Entity]
[Yet you wiped it out instantly—this proves your belief, will, and soul are exceedingly strong...]
Ian’s expressionless figure suddenly appeared behind the dark golden soul, a blue plasma trail extended straight behind it, and this golden soul also disappeared along with it.
But at this moment, a third dark golden soul appeared in the Soul Space, it had no anger or unwillingness, continuing steadily: [But this doesn’t mean you can win against me—while using imagination to fight is certainly your advantage, I also have an absolute advantage in another aspect]
A sound like a tidal wave arose, the golden sea rolled, in an instant, the brilliance of souls illuminated the entire pitch-black Soul Space.
At the instant the light surged, even Ian’s eyes slightly widened, shocked by the scene.
Because, behind that third dark golden soul, stood crowds upon crowds, like mountains and seas, like tides and waves.
All the souls said in unison, a golden ocean already encircled the blue soul, akin to a blue boat buoying in a golden sea: [The number is five million]
[You are bound to lose, young one]
"... Not necessarily."
Closing his eyes. Clenching both fists, then releasing, the white-haired youth instead began to laugh.
He mischievously lifted his gaze, looking around at the ’Echos’ completely surrounding him: "The advantage of numbers... Indeed, I should have realized it earlier, Echo was never just one person, and the issue of those continuously disappearing, sustaining the existence of the ’Exotic Species Research Institute’ soul... yes, there could never be just one of you."
"However, you may have misunderstood one thing."
The light blue, star-like glow circled around the youth’s brow, lighting up, flashing, finally fixing into a cross-shaped star... Ian showed a calm smile: "That is, I also know this trick!"
"Dao Path of the Swarm, Spirit Disaster Path, come forth for me!"
The Heart Light Body: Guiding Star spun, two stars on each side of the central gem suddenly lit up, and two indistinct but formidable shadows appeared behind Ian.
One made of countless corpses and twisted flesh, brutal as death; one surrounded by countless praises and prayers, majestic as a deity.
Under the shocked gaze of the golden souls, a clear adolescent voice resonated, bringing a chilling air.
"So you can summon people too, huh?"