Watching the drop of golden blood slide down Kujo Naruya's cheek, Zhou Huai's suspended heart finally settled for a moment.

He could be hurt.

This meant that as long as the damage accumulated to a certain point, even a god would die.

First, Yasuo had risked his life to interrupt the Pendulum of Life's sacrificial ritual, leaving this old monster in a weakened, "premature" state—this was the first layer of weakening.

Next, using the overbearing rule-based power of the Divine Artifact, the Heaven-Suppressing Seal, to forcefully suppress his Level—this was the second layer of weakening.

These two weakenings were undoubtedly fatal for Kujo Naruya.

Zhou Huai quickly calculated the data in his mind.

At this moment, Kujo Naruya's various attributes were probably not even half of what they were at his Peak.

If not for this, Yasuo's previous Myriad Swords Return to Origin wouldn't have even pierced the opponent's protective divine light, let alone make him bleed.

"There's a chance!"

Zhou Huai's gaze turned fierce.

Although Yasuo's full-strength, sure-kill strike had only grazed the opponent's skin.

Although that tiny injury was practically negligible to an SSS-Rank Expert with vast vitality.

But it tore a hole in the darkness.

As long as light could shine through, there was hope.

However...

In the next second.

Reality ruthlessly extinguished this tiny spark of hope.

Kujo Naruya did not wipe the blood from his cheek.

He merely tilted his head slightly, and the sun halo behind him spun once.

Buzz—

A soft golden light brushed across his face.

The tiny wound, along with that splash of dazzling golden blood, instantly vanished without a trace.

His skin was as smooth as before, with no sign of injury.

That recovery speed was several times faster than even Gabriel's Great Healing Art.

This was the passive skill of Amaterasu—the Indestructible Sun Body.

As long as the sun remained and the light persisted, his physical body could reconstruct itself infinitely.

Kujo Naruya looked back down at the crowd.

The anger on his face had dissipated, replaced by a divine indifference and a condescending appreciation.

"Not bad."

"Really not bad."

He clapped his hands lightly, his voice echoing over the empty snow-capped mountain Peak.

"Since the curtain fell on that era, it has been a long time since anyone has been able to make me bleed."

"You ants of Great Xia have indeed given me a surprise."

"To be able to hurt me will be the greatest honor of your lives, enough to be carved onto your tombstones."

As his voice fell.

The aura on Kujo Naruya's body suddenly shifted.

It was no longer like a gentle spring breeze, but an oppressive, solemn majesty.

Rumble—

Heaven and earth changed color.

The space that was originally suppressed by the Heaven-Suppressing Seal actually let out an overburdened wail.

Behind Kujo Naruya, countless golden specks of light gathered frantically.

A massive, ten-meter-tall projection of light emerged.

The projection was clad in ancient Japanese armor, its face blurred and indistinct, yet it radiated a Divine Might that made it impossible to look at directly.

In its left hand, it held a simple, ancient octagonal bronze mirror—【yata no kagami】.

In its right hand, it loosely gripped a longsword flowing with golden flames—【kusanagi-no-tsurugi】.

SSS-Level Dharma Idol—【Amaterasu】!

With the appearance of this dharma idol, an unprecedented spiritual pressure swept across the area like a tsunami.

"Ugh..."

Far away in his courtyard in Donghai City, Zhou Huai's original body let out another muffled groan.

A sharp pain, as if his brains were being stirred, washed over him.

Zhou Huai gritted his teeth, and his consciousness detached from the Avatar's body once more, retaining only the most basic vision and command transmission.

Only then did the splitting headache ease slightly.

At the Peak of the snowy mountain.

Kujo Naruya floated at the chest of the massive dharma idol, looking like the core of a deity.

He raised his right hand.

The dharma idol behind him made the exact same movement.

The golden kusanagi-no-tsurugi, formed of pure energy, was raised high.

There were no fancy sword moves.

Just a simple downward slash.

"Time for reckoning."

Kujo Naruya whispered.

Boom!

The kusanagi-no-tsurugi fell.

There was no earth-shattering explosion.

Only a visible heatwave, carrying a terrifying heat that was enough to warp space, poured down like a golden waterfall.

Wherever it passed, whether it was rock, ice, snow, or air, all was reduced to nothingness.

What was even more terrifying was...

The kusanagi-no-tsurugi could slash the physical body, and also sever the Divine Soul!

"You must hold on!!!"

Zhou Huai roared in his mind.

There was no need for his reminder.

Gandalf, who had long been prepared, waved his staff to its absolute limit.

"Thousand Mile Ice Seal!"

Gandalf's entire mana poured out without reservation.

As a God of Magic, his perception of the elements was the most acute.

He could clearly feel the terrifying power contained in that slash—it was a force capable of instantly vaporizing everything.

Crack, crack, crack—

Several ice walls, ten meters thick, rose from the ground, blocking the way in front of everyone.

But this was not enough!

The robe on Gandalf's body suddenly glowed with a rainbow of colors.

The set skill of the 【Star-Moon Robe】 was activated.

【Arcane Double Derivation】!

"Again!"

Gandalf roared.

He slammed his staff heavily onto the ground.

Boom!

Another even grander ice wall, shimmering with a rainbow luster, stacked behind the previous ice walls.

Double Thousand Mile Ice Seal!

In the face of absolute power, skill seemed so pale.

The golden kusanagi-no-tsurugi, seemingly slow but actually as fast as lightning, gently touched the first ice wall.

Sizzle—

It was like a red-hot knife cutting through butter.

The hard ice, which was enough to withstand the impact of a nuclear explosion, could not even last for a second upon contact with the blade.

It vaporized instantly!

A massive amount of water vapor rose, and before it could disperse, it was completely evaporated by the subsequent high temperature.

Immediately after was the second rainbow ice wall.

It was still penetrated without any resistance!

"Scatter! Scatter quickly!"

Zhou Huai's command exploded in the minds of all the Avatars.

The crowd, which had been gathered together, immediately scattered like startled beasts, fleeing frantically in all directions.

But Kujo Naruya merely sneered.

He tapped his finger lightly.

The massive kusanagi-no-tsurugi twisted slightly in mid-air, its blade disintegrating into several golden streams of light, each locking onto a fleeing Avatar.

There was no way to dodge!

This slash locked onto not just the body, but also the aura!

The golden streams of light slammed fiercely into the Avatars.

Except for Caesar, who was unharmed as he was firmly protected beneath Xiang Yu.

The others were instantly severely injured.

The 【Arcane Shield】 on Gandalf's body shattered instantly, and he was sent flying, half of his body charred to a crisp.

Yasuo's newly recovered health bar bottomed out once more, and the longsword in his hand was half-melted by the high temperature as he collapsed to the ground, his life or death unknown.

Da Yi and Gabriel were in an equally miserable state, black smoke rising from their bodies as their auras weakened to the absolute extreme.

Had it been before, without any weakening.

This move, 【Kusanagi: Divine Punishment】, would have been enough to wipe out this SS-Level team on the spot, leaving not even ashes.

But now.

Relying on the suppression of the Heaven-Suppressing Seal and the buffer of Gandalf's two ice walls.

They survived.

Although every one of them was heavily injured and on the verge of death, at least they were not killed instantly.

As the smoke cleared.

Kujo Naruya looked down at the few figures still struggling and writhing, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Hmm?"

"They actually didn't die?"