After the Grand Elder finished speaking, he let out a long sigh, his entire aura becoming somewhat withered.
It seemed as if he had suffered some kind of blow, as if he really didn't want to face this current situation.
After a long while, he spoke to himself as if engaging in self-comfort.
"No one... would voluntarily give up this kind of power..."
"But from the moment this game went global, this day was bound to come eventually, wasn't it? Better to prepare early."
"It's just a pity, such promising talent..."
The Grand Elder looked at the video feed and suddenly began muttering like an old man.
"Enough, stop the nonsense. Do you really think you can manage everything?" a somewhat rough voice rang out, sounding like criticism but also like comfort.
No one knew what the first "Ascendant" among humanity would look like, or what impact it would have.
If Sin truly wasn't her match, then people worldwide would probably go crazy, desperately begging to become dogs for CHOSEN'S PARADISE!
"Actually, we don't know what state Sin is in beneath that mask, do we?"
"If we assume it's someone relatively mentally stable, then wouldn't his condition be somewhat similar to Blank's current state in some way?"
Everyone listening felt somewhat perplexed by this seemingly random statement.
"What are you trying to say?" another perceptive elder sensed something peculiar in these words.
"I'm saying, if we make this assumption, then isn't Blank's current state a kind of... imitation?"
"Or a form of reference, borrowing the other party's method of controlling power?"
The council chamber's basement suddenly became exceptionally quiet!
......
Meanwhile, amid the ongoing discussions in the outside world, the conversation between Lu Ce and Xie Antong had grown increasingly tense with hostility.
"Heh... you seem to be talking quite a lot of nonsense today..."
Jealousy's already twisted face looked so unstable it seemed about to disintegrate.
"Is it this sudden and temporary power that's given you this inexplicable confidence?"
"I wonder if you can sustain this temporary power?" Xie Antong replied with a smile. No one knew whether she was more herself at this moment or more Pleasure.
The next second, the two staring at each other suddenly took action! Without any preliminary discussion.
They moved like mirror images of each other, simultaneously striking out with palm strikes as if pushing something heavy.
There were no external light changes, no dazzling energy fluctuations, but it felt like two objects with gravitational force were twisting the surrounding magnetic field.
Boom!
Amid the violent explosion, their hands slammed together, creating a massive curtain of light!
The light screen connected heaven and earth, as if splitting the entire world in two, separated by this colorful phenomenon.
The light continuously surged and trembled, maintaining a fragile balance through the vibrations.
The colors were beautiful, like auroras.
Card change!
Lu Ce was currently imitating the opponent's power, replicating it exactly one-to-one.
Identical power constructed this balance, but Sun watching from the side could see clearly.
This light screen contained terrifying power and such exquisite balance to maintain this phenomenon.
It felt like blowing a soap bubble as large as the Egyptian pyramids using soapy water - an completely impossible energy equilibrium.
In this fragile balance, the two stood palm to palm, staring at each other across this terrifying energy membrane.
Suddenly, Xie Antong smiled brightly and shook her head at the Jealousy opposite her.
The next moment, the balance shattered.
Mana activation!
Xie Antong used her own amplification skill, instantly giving her side the advantage as overwhelming power pressed toward her opponent.
Before Jealousy's face could even register astonishment, the terrifying force swept him away, launching him backward as if teleporting!
Boom!
The sound traveled through space even slower than Lu Ce's flying backward speed.
The terrifying energy impact instantly created a vacuum in this area of space. Sun immediately armored up, stabilizing himself on the ground.
Without his level of strength, one probably wouldn't even qualify as a spectator for that move.
As the sound faded, he gripped the ground with one hand, sliding for a long time before barely stopping.
This was the first time Sin had been at a disadvantage against a player in the game.
"EXCELLENT!!!"
Outside, Chiyo Eine screamed hoarsely, startling her clan members nearby.
The sound was almost comparable to seeing the Chinese team win the World Cup, exceptionally excited.
Chiyo Ji felt his heart might not handle this well.
He felt his older sister might have gone mad too, constantly muttering something about "Divine Punishment's victory" and "finally" and other incomprehensible phrases.
Actually, her excitement represented not just one person but a significant portion of people - everyone was exceptionally excited about this battle.
Beyond some previous emotional gossip, more importantly, they believed they were witnessing the power of an Ascendant.
[: Is this the power of an Ascendant?!]
[: Too strong! It's really reaching heaven in a single step. This is the first person to make Sin suffer losses, right?]
[: Doesn't this count as a battle between a human player and an Ascendant?]
[: Go Ascendant!!!]
A significant portion of people began screaming wildly.
Beyond previous dislike for Sin, many people began indulging in fantasy.
—What if I could also be chosen by divine power?
What if through some lucky circumstance, I could also become an Ascendant? Would that mean I could also suppress Sin overnight?
Although this was completely impossible, even fantastical thinking—they had no knowledge of the details and dangers between Xie Antong and Pleasure—this fantasy still emerged.
And it began growing wildly!
After all, fantasy is the simplest way to achieve mental satisfaction.
Xie Antong looked at her palm, somewhat surprised... "Really... didn't expect this."
"Didn't expect that weak you would suddenly gain this kind of power?"
Suddenly, a savage voice and aura sounded above her head.
—Broken Divine Weapon, Extreme Path Battle-Axe!