Cecilia was absolutely right.
Lu Mo kept winning.
She won so consistently that both the contestants and the audience began to question their own reality.
This continued until the finals.
Lu Mo finally faced Kemode.
He was the boy the high-ranking officials had predicted would take first place.
As he stood before her, his figure seemed slightly frail compared to others his age. His eyes were a rare silver, as calm as an ancient well, reflecting the arena, the spectators, and Lu Mo herself.
His expression was serene. A faint, holy power rippled out from him like a stone dropped into a pond, suppressing all other elemental forces in the vicinity as it rose and fell.
Kemode Herlovit.
He was the strongest talent produced by the two families in the last 10 years. In the future, he was destined to join the ranks of the Heroes.
Lu Mo had never fought Kemode before. Her impression of him was frozen in time, back to the day of the Divine Blessing Ceremony. During that ceremony, a heaven-shaking holy power had erupted from the boy, transforming into a pillar of light that pierced the sky.
It was also on that day that Lu Mo’s reputation as a genius had been trampled into dust. Kemode, meanwhile, became the central focus of The Holy Sanctuary and the entire Herlovit family.
For the past 3 years, Kemode had maintained a low profile, never appearing before the public.
“Judging by his aura, he must have entered the Gate of the Holy Spirit, right?” someone from The Holy Sanctuary remarked. “And it seems he obtained a significant legacy from within.”
The Gate of the Holy Spirit was a sacred site for The Holy Sanctuary. Legends said that it contained the power and legacies left behind by the greatest masters of The Holy Sanctuary since the Age of the Gods. Only those with staggering talent or those who had performed great military feats for the Sanctuary were qualified to enter.
As the top-ranked individual from the ceremony years ago, Kemode naturally earned the right to enter.
“Yes,” the Helovit Patriarch said with a smile. “Previously, Kemode was training under the guidance of the elders. A year ago, the family felt the time was right and sent him into the Gate of the Holy Spirit. He did not disappoint us. He gained much within the gate and was fortunate enough to obtain a complete legacy.”
“The top talent, having entered the Gate of the Holy Spirit and obtained a full legacy…” the member of the Sanctuary murmured. “In that case, this battle is already meaningless.”
There was no suspense left.
The final victor would undoubtedly be Kemode. Kemode’s talent for Holy Power alone was something Lu Mo could never catch up to, no matter how hard she tried. Furthermore, the legacies within the gate were created by the ultimate powerhouses of the Sanctuary. Even if he only utilized a sliver of that power, Lu Mo simply would not be able to withstand it.
“This is, in the truest sense, a battle between the mortal and the divine.”
“No matter how much of a genius a mortal is, they can never defeat the divine beings above.”
“She is destined to lose.”
“This is her… inevitable fate.”
On the high platform, someone spoke in a low voice.
“Actually, I never expected that someone who failed to awaken any Holy Power would stand here,” Kemode said expressionlessly. His silver eyes seemed capable of piercing through a person’s soul. “You have surprised me. Your existence is like a ripple disturbing the river of fate. But now, the surface of the lake must return to its calm. Your destiny is fated to be moved back to its original position. You will fall here.”
Lu Mo did not care for Kemode’s words. She simply wiped her sword slowly.
“Are you done talking?”
The edge of her blade flashed with a cold light. She looked up at the boy in front of her, her tone just as cold and detached.
In an instant, the atmosphere of the entire arena seemed to freeze. The audience and even the referee felt as though they couldn’t breathe.
Lu Mo gripped her sword. Kemode slowly raised his short blade.
The countdown on the light screen reached its end. The entire arena fell silent—so quiet that only the sound of the seconds ticking away could be heard.
When the countdown hit zero —
*Boom!*
A massive sound exploded across the arena!
Kemode had increased his speed to the limit, lunging at Lu Mo with his short blade. A mid-tier Holy Combat Skill was completed instantly, descending upon the girl!
“A mid-tier skill cast instantly!” someone cried out in shock.
Lu Mo’s expression remained unchanged. Her speed in condensing Battle Qi was even faster than Kemode’s. By the time Kemode reached her, her sword was already covered in a layer of complex patterns. A heavy burst of Battle Qi erupted!
She had completed a high-tier skill in just a few seconds!
The longsword and short blade collided. Energy exploded, and the surrounding space warped slightly.
“A high-tier skill! To be able to complete it in such a short time… was she hiding her strength before?!”
The family executives on the high platform were unsettled again. They had assumed Lu Mo could only dodge or defend with mid-tier skills. They hadn’t expected her to complete a high-tier skill in such a tiny window of time and clash directly with Kemode!
*Bang!*
In their first exchange, neither side gained the upper hand.
Kemode’s figure retreated. His expression remained unchanged as he gathered Holy Power once more. Lu Mo also took a few steps back.
At that moment, she summoned her second sword from her spatial ring!
Gales and Battle Qi erupted simultaneously, slamming into the Holy Power surrounding Kemode!
‘His Holy Power…’
Lu Mo felt it. Kemode’s Holy Power was stronger than anyone’s she had ever encountered. It even contained a hint of ancient aura. Previously, she could use the dual attributes of Battle Qi and Wind to tear a hole in Holy Power. However, her dual-attribute strength was unable to suppress Kemode’s Holy Power at all.
‘But… so what?’
Lu Mo spoke coldly. Her left hand carried the gale, and her right hand burst with Battle Qi. Holding both swords, she took the initiative to attack Kemode. The Battle Qi and Wind attributes immediately traced patterns in the air, and two mid-tier skills erupted!
Their two figures constantly intertwined and crossed.
The expected scene of Lu Mo’s immediate defeat did not happen. There was no so-called “mortal who can never catch up to the divine.” After several exchanges, the two were actually evenly matched!
The crowd was stunned.
“Is this kind of intensity really still a match for the junior division?” someone asked with a trembling voice.
Even a battle between the top seeds of the youth division would likely not be as intense as this.
“Kemode is indeed the genius of my family. To be able to use Holy Power to such a sophisticated degree…”
“Isn’t Lu Mo even more exaggerated right now? Her talent should probably be described as monstrous or freakish.”
They had never seen a mortal who hadn’t awakened Holy Power fight a Holy Power genius for so long.
“But Lu Mo is probably at her limit, right? Once her strength fails to keep up, she will lose immediately. A mortal like her is just a flash in the pan after all — “
Just as those words were spoken, someone showed a weakness. However, it wasn’t Lu Mo—it was Kemode!
Lu Mo’s swords were faster and more ferocious than his!
“What?!”
For the first time, Kemode’s calm, well-like eyes wavered. His short blade was knocked aside, and his figure was forced back. His rhythm was completely disrupted. He landed quickly, staggering back a few steps as he tried to stabilize himself and relaunch his attack.
He was the genius of the holy domain. He possessed a talent for Holy Power that no one else in his generation could reach. He could —
In the next moment, Kemode’s eyes narrowed again. He once again sensed a terrifying aura of a high-tier skill. This time, it wasn’t just one… it was two!
“How… How is that possible!”
“Miss Lu Mo, she actually — “
Incredible exclamations broke out on the high platform. Several family executives and Sanctuary guests stood up in shock. They saw Lu Mo’s figure leap high into the air. They saw two extremely complex patterns extending in all directions, centered around the girl’s dual swords.
Wind and Battle Qi gathered on either side, transforming into two massive flood dragons!
One had to remember, she was only a 10-year-old child!
They had once thought that completing one high-tier skill in an instant was her limit. But now, Lu Mo had completed two high-tier skills simultaneously right in front of them! Even Kemode couldn’t do that!
Lu Mo finally brought her dual swords down.
The flood dragons made of Wind and Battle Qi erupted with an unprecedented, terrifying wave of energy, roaring down toward Kemode below!
Even with his powerful Holy Power talent, under the impact of two high-tier skills, the Holy Power Kemode used for defense was finally shattered. Violent energy poured over him. At that moment, even the damage conversion array of the combat zone shook violently, and several cracks appeared!
“Young Master Kemode… lost?” In the audience, the crowd looked at the scene in a daze.
Their legs felt weak just standing before those two high-tier skills. If they had taken those attacks head-on without the damage conversion array, they would have been blown into smithereens instantly. No one believed Kemode could survive such an attack.
The crowd was stunned, and the referee prepared to announce the result. However, Lu Mo landed on the ground and did not sheath her swords. She could feel that Kemode’s aura had not vanished. The ancient holy intent on him was actually growing stronger.
As the energy and dust settled…
“That… that figure…”
“Young Master Kemode hasn’t fallen!”
Someone suddenly cried out.
It was true. Kemode had not fallen. However, his condition was wretched. His upper-body clothing was almost completely destroyed, and his body was covered in wounds. One of his hands had been severely injured in the blast and was dripping with blood.
Pale gold threads surrounded him, having blocked the vast majority of the damage for him.
“Destiny?”
Lu Mo actually sensed the aura of the power of fate from those pale gold threads.
“It is, and it isn’t,” Kemode said with some difficulty. He looked at Lu Mo with cold eyes. “You can understand this power as Holy Power that has absorbed my Destiny attribute talent.”
“Holy Power is a gift from the gods of old. It is a power of a higher order than any other attribute in this world. But it isn’t just a single, fixed power; it can grow further by sacrificing other talents. You probably can’t understand this, can you? Not just you, but even those with Holy Power who haven’t reached the transcendent rank wouldn’t understand. Touching this level is something that usually happens much later…”
“Then what about you?” Lu Mo asked coldly, watching Kemode struggle to stand.
“That’s why I’m different from you,” Kemode answered. “During my seclusion, the family invested a massive amount of resources into me to let me touch talent sacrifice early. After I entered the Gate of the Holy Spirit, I was fortunate enough to obtain the complete legacy of a senior from the Sanctuary. He left behind a remnant thought and an energy seed, burning his last bit of soul to help me successfully reach that domain. I sacrificed my talent. Because of that, my Holy Power was further strengthened, gaining a trace of… the Destiny attribute.”
He looked at Lu Mo, his eyes filled with a bit of pride and a bit of irritation. “Or perhaps you should call it… Holy Destiny.”
In a holy destiny, he should not fail. Thus, the threads had appeared, sharing the lethal damage he took so that he could continue to stand there. In a holy destiny, a mortal should not provoke those from the heavens.
At that moment, the threads on Kemode’s body spread out, fading into the space around him. Then, they locked onto Lu Mo.
“Originally, I shouldn’t have done this, because it will affect the Holy Power’s complete absorption of the Destiny talent. But now, I must. I will move your destiny… back to its original position.”
Kemode spoke again. In the next second, the ancient aura of Holy Power and Destiny ripple out, completely shrouding the entire combat zone! Pale gold energy rapidly condensed in front of him. A circuit was drawn as if writing a decree, pronouncing a certain ending.
Holy Destiny transformed into an illusory spear.
“The aura of the Destiny attribute?”
“Could it be that Young Master Kemode has already touched talent sacrifice?!”
“Such talent, such fortune — “
As Kemode fully revealed his edge, the family executives and Sanctuary guests were so excited they were becoming incoherent. Being able to touch talent sacrifice at this age made him a top-tier genius! They would undoubtedly grow faster and receive more favor from the Sanctuary.
Once a power of the Holy Destiny level appeared, even the members of the youth division would face instant death before Kemode. After this battle, Kemode’s name would absolutely be known throughout the Sanctuary.
And Lu Mo, no matter how much of a freak she had been, would ultimately only serve as a stepping stone. She could not surpass Holy Power. Nor could she surpass that… holy destiny that had been reset for her.
This was fate.
The crowd was still immersed in the shock Kemode had brought. By the time they saw the spear formed by Holy Destiny reach completion and lunge toward Lu Mo, it was too late.
“Not good!”
“The power of Holy Destiny… this spear is close to the Forbidden Spell level. It’s completely beyond the scope of this match!”
“Even the array won’t be able to convert such terrifying Holy Power. Miss Lu Mo might be killed on the spot!”
Many eyes were filled with horror. A death during the competition was not what they wanted to see!
The spear flew true. Following the invisible tracks of fate, it pierced toward Lu Mo’s chest. It could not be blocked. It could not be dodged. This was the destiny decreed by the divine. Mortals were powerless to resist and could only accept the end in despair.
It had always been this way.
‘But is it right… just because it has always been this way?’
Just like her whisper to herself under the tree years ago, she spoke once more as she watched the incoming spear. She was questioning. Questioning the divine. Questioning… the existence at the end of that divinity.
In the flood of Holy Destiny power, she did not retreat, nor was she afraid. She simply stepped forward calmly.
Her superior Battle Qi and Wind attribute talents surged around her again. Then, they intertwined. It was not a simple layering. It was… a fusion.
It was a concept that had once existed only in books.
During these years, Lu Mo had constantly browsed the library. While reading standard texts, she would also specifically look for fragmented scrolls and try to understand them. One day, she found a book that probably hadn’t been read for over 100 years.
The author was a senior of the Sanctuary. His situation had been similar to Lu Mo’s; he was a genius who failed to awaken any Holy Power. He could only watch as his peers grew stronger and eventually left him far behind.
He spent his life researching how a mortal could defeat Holy Power. He never gave up. He spent his entire life studying the composition of Holy Power, researching stronger combat skills and secret techniques.
Because of his cutting-edge theories, he had received much praise and fame in the Sanctuary. But in his later years, he became obsessed and went mad, eventually being sent to a nursing home. This book was written while he was in a state of being half-sane and half-delirious. By the end, he had fallen completely into madness.
He never finished the book. He ended his life in his room with a necktie. People eventually found him long after he had died, along with the unfinished manuscript blown open by the wind.
Out of respect for this senior, the Sanctuary published the book on a small scale. But the text was far too obscure and difficult to understand, seemingly filled with mad ravings between the lines. Almost no one could finish it. People only knew it was the final testament of a mortal genius who wanted to build a bridge to challenge the divine beings in the sky.
But Lu Mo had read it. Gradually, she understood that what the senior truly wanted to do was not to approach the divine with a mortal body. He wanted to surpass the divine! He wanted to slay the divine!
And that path was fusion.
Using immense will and talent to interweave and fuse multiple distinct attribute powers. Would those powers collapse in the end? Or would they find a balance in the extreme chaos and… ascend?
He had succeeded. With two superior attribute talents, he completed the fusion of two attributes. The power ascended. Although it lasted only a short time, the explosive power indeed had a massive impact on Holy Power.
But this path was too difficult. In over 100 years, only a handful of people had succeeded. Some even suffered backlash due to the difficulty of suppressing the chaos of fusion, resulting in severe injury or even instant death.
Gradually, no one paid attention to this unfinished book anymore. Sacrificing one’s talent to Holy Power was the safest and most effective means of improvement.
In the latter half of the book, the old man’s theories became increasingly abstract, and the writing became more chaotic. In the final chapters, the old man left only a few paragraphs, filled with indignation and madness, bordering on blasphemy. This was his final testament and his most insane hypothesis:
“Holy Power stands above all attributes and can absorb attribute talents to be further strengthened. But what if all the attributes in this world were fused together? Could they complete an ascension? What would that ascended power be called? The Origin? The Ultimate? Could it suppress all Holy Power? Could it even surpass the source of the holy?”
The source… that would be the gods, wouldn’t it?
But this was likely just a hallucination produced by the old man before his death. Because one needed at least two high-level attribute talents to even have a chance at fusion. To reach the state the old man spoke of, a person would need high-level talent in every attribute. Such a person probably didn’t exist.
Back in the present.
Lu Mo stopped recalling the book’s contents and looked calmly at the spear coming toward her. Her talent flowed, and Wind and Battle Qi intertwined intensely. As her will descended, they began to fuse. These were two very different powers; upon fusion, they immediately became extremely violent and chaotic.
“What is Miss Lu Mo doing now?”
“Is she… could she be — “
The executives and Sanctuary guests noticed the extremely chaotic aura erupting around Lu Mo. When they saw the energy interweaving in front of her, looking like it could collapse at any moment, they were suddenly struck with horror.
They also thought of that book.
Madness! Absolute madness! Does she know what she’s doing?
It all happened too fast.
The spear whistled through the air, appearing before Lu Mo, carrying that holy and fateful aura as it tried to pierce her chest. At that moment, a brand-new power, one that Kemode had never seen before, slowly emerged from the violent wind and Battle Qi. It transformed into a grey-green sword light.
The Holy Destiny spear brushed against the sword light. In that instant, the pale gold holy power was actually sliced open. Along with it, the invisible threads of fate were severed.
Kemode’s pupils shrank. He felt the threads snap, and he felt some kind of power diffusing from Lu Mo’s hands. It gave him, the wielder of Holy Destiny, an unprecedented sense of horror.
The spear made of Holy Destiny finally reached a point less than 0.5 meters from Lu Mo.
And Lu Mo met the spear. Bringing up the ascended grey-green power with her fingertip, she lightly tapped against the spear.