The reason for this was simple: the Magical Power coursing through Cheng Lv was simply too profound.

The ordinary Cultivators who despaired at the sight of Cheng Lv’s massive True Body had gotten one thing right—his aura wasn’t just at the Foundation Establishment level. He was one of the elites among Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

In terms of pure Magical Power, his cultivation was more than thirty times that of an ordinary Cultivator who had just reached Foundation Establishment.

His majestic aura and profound Magical Power meant that even if he put up no resistance, it would take Zhong Ming, who was still at the Qi Cultivation stage, at least the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to fully incinerate him with the Purifying Flame.

’Sure enough, in this world, Magical Power is the foundation of everything... All the myriad Magic Techniques, with their many wondrous effects, require Magical Power to unleash their extraordinary might.’

As Zhong Ming was having this realization, Cheng Lv quickly proved through his actions that being a Divine Heir candidate for the Ten Thousand Heads King Buddhism Sect meant he had more strengths than just profound Magical Power.

"Black Snake: Netherworld Mist!"

As Cheng Lv gritted his teeth against the intense pain and clapped his hands together, a snake-like head, which grew on his body like a tumor, immediately came to life.

The next moment, as Cheng Lv poured his Magical Power into it, the Black Snake’s massive mouth opened and suddenly spewed out a sky-full of sinister, eerie black mist.

The black mist instantly enveloped his entire body, extinguishing most of the Purifying Flame. The excruciating pain in his Divine Soul also eased slightly.

This sight made Zhong Ming’s pupils constrict as he came to a realization.

"You can wield the Magic Techniques of the owners of the heads you’ve plundered?"

"No, it’s more than that. Your aura is so profound... Have you plundered their cultivation levels as well?"

"Hahaha..." Cheng Lv roared with laughter at Zhong Ming’s words. "You’re quite perceptive. That’s right. The heads I plunder become a part of me. Their Magical Power, their Magic Techniques—they are all mine to command."

"When you fight me, you aren’t just fighting one person, but me, who possesses the power of a hundred men."

Perhaps because he believed victory was in his grasp, or perhaps because he wanted to see fear on Zhong Ming’s face, Cheng Lv revealed, "I don’t mind telling you, the heads I’ve plundered aren’t from a hundred ordinary people. They’re from fourteen Foundation Establishment Cultivators and ninety-nine late-stage Qi Cultivation Cultivators."

"As for your head..." His gaze fixed on Zhong Ming, the astonishment, rage, greed, and killing intent in Cheng Lv’s eyes completely undisguised. "It will become my one hundred and thirteenth trophy, and this Breaking Evil Flame of yours will be mine to wield!"

"This time, I won’t give you a single chance!"

The moment his voice fell, Cheng Lv clapped his hands together again and activated another Magic Technique.

[Hundred Heads·Mountain Elephant]

With a low shout, an elephant’s head on his chest suddenly came to life.

RUMBLE...

The activation of the Power of Mountain Elephant caused Cheng Lv’s already massive True Body to swell even larger. At the same time, he gained a peculiar Talent.

[Celestial Nose]

As he used this ability, the trunk of the now-living elephant head on his chest dissolved into a phantom image and merged with his body. An instant later, it flickered in and out of existence on his arm.

SWOOSH...

Now that his arm possessed the ability of a trunk, he aimed his palm at Zhong Ming and thrust it forward.

BOOM! His arm, like an elephant’s trunk, shot out and extended an incredible length.

As it reached the space above Zhong Ming’s head, Cheng Lv poured his Magical Power into it, and the colossal arm expanded to ten times its size.

Cheng Lv’s True Body was already immense; with his palm magnified tenfold, the strike looked like a mountain blotting out the sky.

BOOM!

As Cheng Lv brought the massive palm crashing down, the very air rippled like water, shaken into concentric waves.

The giant palm hadn’t even arrived, yet the immense shockwave had already forced many of the Cultivators near Zhong Ming to their knees, unable to stand.

At the same time, countless Cultivators fell into despair.

The monstrous hand smashing down, with its bulging muscles and throbbing veins, was clearly overflowing with power.

None of the Cultivators doubted that this palm could flatten a small mountain.

When it fell, anyone caught beneath it would be utterly annihilated, leaving not even bones behind.

"Is this a Divine Heir candidate? He’s too strong."

Overcome with despair, many Cultivators gave up on fleeing and simply stared blankly at the sky.

Outside the Star Mansion, upon seeing the massive True Body Cheng Lv had revealed and his mountain-like might, the sliver of hope held by the elders of the six Major Sects and Prince Qinghe died.

"It’s over!"

"They really did send more than one Divine Heir candidate into the Star Secret Vault!"

"Zhong Ming, run! Don’t you claim to be invincible?! Even if you can’t beat him, you should at least try to buy time for the others!"

Seeing Zhong Ming standing motionless beneath the giant palm, the elders of the six Major Sects, who had once considered him a rival, were now stomping their feet in anxiety.

—After Cheng Lv revealed his Foundation Establishment strength, none of them believed Zhong Ming could win. After all, Cheng Lv was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and a powerful one at that. Setting all else aside, his Magical Power alone was over a hundred times greater than Zhong Ming’s.

And Magical Power was the foundation of everything.

This enormous gap in raw power left them unable to imagine how Zhong Ming could possibly win.

They knew he couldn’t win, but they hoped he could at least hold out a little longer. To see him simply staring up at the giant palm was enough to make some of them lose their minds.

Just as many people assumed that Zhong Ming, knowing he couldn’t win, had simply given up...

Suddenly, someone spoke up. "Is it possible that Zhong Ming isn’t dodging, not because he’s scared, but because he believes he can take this hit?"

"Impossible! In terms of raw power, that attack is already on par with a Foundation Establishment Cultivator who has refined Sha Qi. Zhong Ming isn’t even at Foundation Establishment yet. He’s two whole realms weaker! How could he possibly fight back?"

"Dammit!"

Seeing the giant palm about to fall, Prince Qinghe clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms.

He knew full well that if Zhong Ming was defeated, Cheng Lv would be free to deal with Qin Zhou and the others. Once they were dead, his own heir, even with a powerful treasure, would be unable to escape their deadly fate.

This led him to pray inwardly.

’Zhong Ming, you have to hold on a little longer!’

...

Zhong Ming didn’t hear the shouts from the outside world, but the mocking voice of Yuan Rong, her arms crossed and her tone dripping with schadenfreude, reached his ears.

"Finally realize your situation? Too bad, it’s too late..."

Before she could finish, Zhong Ming’s voice cut in, "You think you’re so strong."

"Huh?!"

While Yuan Rong was still stunned, Zhong Ming’s voice continued, "I do indeed see the situation for what it is... You pieces of trash are nothing more than challengers in my eyes!"

As Zhong Ming spoke, his tone was indifferent, yet it carried a domineering arrogance that looked down upon the entire world.

VWOOM!!

Before his words even faded, a magnificent aura erupted from Zhong Ming’s body.

The acupoints all over his body lit up like stars. The vast Star Power he had long accumulated surged forth like molten lava, igniting into a dazzling, brilliant flame of starlight across his skin.

Countless motes of starlight energy, following an incredibly profound pattern, rapidly coalesced into a silver-white skeleton.

SWISH!

The skeleton grew, segment by segment, and in the blink of an eye, it had formed a skeletal war-body rivaling Cheng Lv’s True Body in size.

Furthermore, countless profound star patterns flowed across the bones of Zhong Ming’s skeletal giant, like a star chart etched by the Celestial Dao itself.

But that wasn’t the end. BOOM! As the Power of the Stars continued to burn, sinew and flesh formed from the Power of Starlight soon covered the skeletal giant’s bones. Then, a suit of dazzling battle armor covered in star patterns materialized out of thin air, encasing the Divine Monarch’s entire body.

When the transformation was complete, a colossal figure clad in starlight battle armor, resembling a Nine Heavens Divine General, stood tall within the Star Secret Vault!

[Star Heaven·Divine Monarch], unleashed at full power!

As the Divine Monarch took form, Zhong Ming’s true body was safely housed at its very core. His Divine Soul had completely merged with this new form—every tremor of its bones, every wisp of flowing Star Power, was under his effortless command, as natural as moving his own limbs. It was as if this war-body, condensed from immense starlight, had been a part of him from birth.

As Zhong Ming lifted his gaze, the Divine Monarch raised its head in sync. Its golden eyes were impassive, devoid of any human emotion—containing only the purest Divine Power and a chilling killing intent.

Facing Cheng Lv’s sky-blotting palm as it crashed down with the force of a landslide, Zhong Ming’s Heart Spirit stirred, and the Divine Monarch was already in motion!

VWOOM!

Its fist clenched. Countless streams of Spiritual Qi converged upon it like a hundred rivers flowing to the sea, condensing at its knuckles into an impossibly brilliant, star-like fist imprint.

The wind howling from the fist tore through the surrounding air, which was thick with Plague Qi.

The next moment, the Divine Monarch’s fist, carrying the immense power to shatter mountains and split the earth, punched fearlessly upward to meet the monstrous descending palm!

In this moment, it was Star Heaven·Divine Monarch versus Hundred Heads King Buddha!