Chapter 164: SSS-Rank!

Thump!
Thump!!
Thump...

The dull, heavy impacts were powerful enough for Mu You to feel the tremors through the ground. Aside from the initial scream, not a single human voice was heard again.

When the lights illuminated the arena once more, the crowd saw only the timid, cowering figure of Liuli Er, her massive warhammer stained with blood. On the ground lay a circular paste of flesh and blood, while Yue Lingshang was nowhere to be found.

Match one: Liuli Er wins.

Match two: Big Sister Cang Tong wins, her entire body covered in bloody crystals, leaving the feminine Shangguan Yunque, whose ability was based on devouring, completely helpless.

Match three: Wang Miao versus Ming. Ming voluntarily forfeits.

Match fourth: Wang Yan versus Jiumei. Jiumei directly unleashed the Distortion Oracle, twisting Wang Yan’s head completely around until ghost-green blood sprayed everywhere.

Match five: You Ruo versus the Biomimetic Bird. You Ruo voluntarily forfeits.

The first wave of six finalists: Mu You, the Biomimetic Bird, Wang Miao, Liuli Er, Cang Tong, and Jiumei. The members of the Lotus-Slaying Syndicate occupied fully half of the slots.

Round two.

Match one: Mu You versus Cang Tong. Big Sister Cang Tong was deeply annoyed, but ultimately had no choice but to forfeit.

Match two: Jiumei versus the Biomimetic Bird. Using some unknown method, the Biomimetic Bird copied Jiumei’s powers. Their forces of distortion collided head-on in a prolonged stalemate. Suddenly, Jiumei’s expression changed drastically, and she practically screamed out her surrender.

When Jiumei reached Mu You’s side, she secretly warned him to be extremely careful, saying that the Biomimetic Bird was definitely no ordinary person. At the very last second, that guy’s power had suddenly surged, a violent force akin to facing "himself" at a higher rank.

Match three: Wang Miao versus Liuli Er. Wang Miao was once again beaten into a pulp of flesh by Liuli Er, but as Liuli Er stepped out of the arena, she suddenly collapsed into a pool of blood—and her blood had turned green as well.

Round three, the final match: Mu You versus the S-rank peak death row inmate, Biomimetic Bird Jiuyong.

"Baldy, your blood Qi is concentrated to the absolute limit, and you possess the ability of escalation. In just half a year, you’ve risen from a dangerous death row inmate to an SSS-rank pinnacle existence. Just what kind of person are you, to be this terrifying?"

The Biomimetic Bird spoke while carefully sizing up Mu You’s every move.

Mu You quietly stared at the Biomimetic Bird without saying a word.

"Big Brother, this person feels... so familiar to Muyo," Muyo suddenly said with a puzzled tone full of memories.

"Did you notice anything unusual?" Mu You asked.

"He carries my scent. It’s as if we developed from the same fertilized egg. I suppose I was the discarded one, while he must have been cultivated from a cell into a genuine assassin," Muyo’s voice sounded somewhat forlorn. "Kill him, Big Brother. Let him merge with me, and my spirit body will finally be complete."

"He's your brother..." Mu You was somewhat startled.

"Without affection, what is the meaning of a mere connection? In this Death Row Paradise, for humans cultivated starting from a single cell, is there any humanity left?" Muyo said with absolute certainty.

"Alright." Mu You spread his nine pairs of wings, his eyes shining with nine-colored light as he prepared to go all out.

The Biomimetic Bird raised his hand and aimed it at Mu You. A ferocious force of distortion instantly activated, causing Mu You to vanish from his spot as he pushed his speed to the absolute limit, closing the distance to the Biomimetic Bird in a flash.

"Heh heh, want to know why Jiumei suddenly gave up earlier? Let me show you with reality."

Suddenly, the power of distortion was no longer confined to the Biomimetic Bird’s hands, but expanded to a radius of three zhang!

Mu You crashed straight into the field of distortion. His wings curled backward one after another, slicing into his flesh as blood immediately splattered into the air.

"My innate talent is that after drinking the blood of an imitator, I gain their strength."

The Biomimetic Bird spoke as he too ascended into mid-air. The nine pairs of wings behind him unfolded simultaneously, mirroring Mu You’s exact appearance with eerie precision.

"So this is your power! Truly fascinating. Nine origin marks fused together, with the capability of adding even more. No wonder you’ve been so arrogant all the way here." The Biomimetic Bird looked at Mu You with intense envy. "I'll be taking this talent of yours!"

With that, the Biomimetic Bird expanded the nine pairs of wings on his back once more. This was his ultimate technique: absolute accumulation.

"Oracle: Prosperous Lotus Blossom, Great Samsara!"

The lotus flower in the Biomimetic Bird’s hand flickered with endless light and shadow, various exotic beasts and rare creatures materializing and dissipating in an endless, revolving cycle.

"You’ve never even used this move yourself, have you?" The Biomimetic Bird looked at Mu You with a mocking smile.

"Indeed, you're right, I haven't. When I have something better, why would I bother with these?" Mu You replied with utmost disdain, and the nine pairs of wings behind his back multiplied once more.

Ten pairs, eleven pairs... Twelve pairs!

This was the new power Mu You had gained over the past few days after absorbing the origin powers of Dongguan, Ming, Jiumei, Cang Tong, and You Ruo. Yet no matter how much he absorbed, this thirteenth pair of wings simply refused to grow.

Nine represents supremacy, twelve represents perfection, and thirteen represents the extreme limit!

Yet the key to reaching this thirteenth extreme remained completely unknown to him.

"The Nine-Color Divine Lotus is impressive, of course—after all, it's my technique. But have you ever tried a twelve-colored one?" Mu You looked down upon the Biomimetic Bird with utter contempt and said with extreme aversion, "I despise it most when people use my own assets... to turn them against me!"

"Oracle: Opening of Heaven and Earth, Return of All Things to One, Primordial Eternal Lotus!"

A twelve-colored divine lotus of creation directly swallowed the Biomimetic Bird. He desperately tried to counter it with his Nine-Color Divine Lotus, only to be blasted into severe injuries in return.

"Your absolute replication ability is precisely the catalyst I needed to break through to the SSS-rank!"

As Mu You spoke, the twelve-colored Primordial Eternal Lotus burst into full bloom. The Biomimetic Bird’s entire life flashed before his eyes, and finally, his true form dissolved along with those lights and shadows, returning to chaos.

An SSS-rank peak soul was drawn into Mu You’s body, and the thirteenth pair of wings on his back fully unfolded!

Hum~~~~~~~~~

A powerful gravitational pull expanded from Mu You as the center, sweeping into every corner of the Death Row Paradise and even the entire Half-Moon Island, only to vanish into nothingness a split second later.

"Ah..."

Mu You opened his eyes. He looked no different from an ordinary person, yet he exuded the vicissitudes and tranquility of returning to the origin.

He had reached the SSS-rank.

"My, my, congratulations, Mu You. I never expected you to become the strongest death row inmate of this session. Uncle Mohan truly didn't foresee this."

This time, the host’s voice had changed to Mohan. Mu You looked up into the air, and behind half-meter-thick tempered glass, Mohan held a microphone, gazing at Mu You with keen interest.

"You are still just as perfect. I'm satisfied. Uncle Mo is very satisfied. Finally, I can present my son with a decent gift."

Clap, clap!

Mohan was the first to start applauding.

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap...

In the spectator stands, everyone else immediately joined in, clapping and cheering as if expressing amazement at a flawless theatrical performance. The way they watched and toyed with him had never changed.

"I've already reached the SSS-rank. Looking out at this sea of people, why do I still feel such heart-pounding dread?"

Mu You touched his chest. Clearly, his strength had reached the peak; clearly, he had attained the realm he desired. Yet these people, sitting there, felt as chillingly aloof and ruthless as Mohan himself—indifferent to the suffering of all living beings, forever looking down upon them with casual detachment.

Was this the innate privilege this society bestowed upon these people?

How laughable! Clearly, he could crush them to death with a single hand, yet he had to play the fool here, putting on a clownish show for their amusement!

"How tragic. As a human, being farmed by other humans—even falling into the darkness changes nothing. Farming is always farming."

Jingle, jingle, jingle...

The sound of ankle chains clinking drew closer. Zhi lay half-reclinied in a crystal chariot, pulled by two kneeling SSS-rank death row inmates. One was the black-eyed figure Mu You had seen before, and the other was none other than the Princess.

Double SSS-rank clash, begin!