Ascend to Heaven in One Step

A hulking figure like a giant giant came crashing down from the sky, flattening the top of a sand dune!

Sand surged outward like waves!

Yet under such overwhelming pressure, a nimble figure easily dodged the epicenter of the blast, flickering out and riding the sand flow like a surfer, smoothly moving to a distance.

This straightforward but ferociously powerful strike, in terms of sheer destructive force, even surpassed the professional skill Aitiya had used earlier!

Even though the agile figure avoided the core, most of their clothes were torn to shreds, leaving them looking battered. Beneath the tattered strips of cloth, bloody gashes could be seen across their sturdy body.

After flipping midair and spinning a few times, the dodging figure landed again and retreated dozens of steps to dissipate the force.

It was none other than Ye Man, who appeared harmless but was actually deeply calculating!

And at the center of the explosion, slumped weakly, was Luo Luoji!

Though Luo Luoji was now listless, his body looked strangely swollen. Already over two meters tall and burly, he now seemed nearly three meters, with muscles split open in several places from the inside out!

His hair and beard had turned blood-red and stood on end, his eyes bloodshot as he struggled to get up again. But after several attempts, he only made it halfway before collapsing back down.

Clearly, this terrifying strike was his doing!

With the strength of a One-Star Professional Rank Expert, he had unleashed destructive power surpassing even Three-Star or Four-Star professionals!

"Oh dear, oh dear, that was dangerous. If I'd been even a step slower, you'd have dragged me down with you. Is this really your first time burning your core? Ah, look at me, how silly of me to say something so naive."

Ye Man licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, wearing that uniquely harmless expression as he looked at Luo Luoji in the sand pit, speaking as if with great emotion.

Even though Luo Luoji looked like he was about to collapse, Ye Man still made no move to finish him off.

Dusting off the sand from his clothes, even a few strips of rag fell off, Ye Man's face returned to calm as he said, "Your choice was quite correct. As a Guardian who isn't good at speed, lacks burst, and hasn't condensed a core in the Endurance Inner Mansion, even burning your core only gives you the burst speed of a full-power strike to possibly hurt me. And you did just that."

Under the constant verbal assault, Luo Luoji's breathing grew weak. Sensing his own condition, though he still kept up a facade, a trace of helplessness and bitter laughter flashed in his heart.

An opponent like this was truly despairing—not giving him even a sliver of a chance. Still, those two should have managed to escape by now. Ah, well, he couldn't escape anyway, so this wasn't a loss...

On the other side, having fully confirmed Luo Luoji's state, a genuine smile finally appeared at the corner of Ye Man's mouth. His planning and control throughout this journey had met the mark. Now, it was time to send this troublesome pest on his way.

With that, Ye Man took a longbow from his Spatial Bag. As a Warrior, archery wasn't his forte, but to compensate for a lack of ranged attacks, most Warriors still practiced basic shooting skills—just like Xuan Ye's original body had basic archery. In certain special situations, it was irreplaceable.

Like now!

To prevent this big guy from having any leftover burning power or special magical items, Ye Man's actions eliminated all possible risks and contingencies! He wouldn't give the other party even the slightest chance!

He steadied himself, drew the bow to full, aimed...

Hm?

Killing intent!

Sensing a trace of killing intent from the side, Ye Man spun around without hesitation and swung the bow. Mid-swing, a sharp whistling arrow embedded itself into the bow!

The Ironwood Bow Body, comparable to refined steel, was pierced clean through, the arrow tip less than two centimeters from his nose!

And almost as he blocked that shot, another silent arrow flew past him and buried itself in the sand!

Ignoring the bleeding hand gripping the arrow that had stopped it, Ye Man glanced at the arrow hole in the sand beside him, his expression turning grave.

If it weren't for the unforgettable impression of a certain someone's wolf-hunting kill shot, and he hadn't chosen to take a small wound and block it head-on but instead instinctively dodged, given the coordination of his movements and joints, the arrow that hit the ground would have struck him without a doubt—specifically, his head!

Heh, that nostalgic technique...

Squinting at the figure standing on the opposite sand dune, bow in hand under the night wind, Ye Man's shock even surpassed what he'd felt from the earlier fierce attack!

The person he expected, but a result completely beyond expectation! At this distance, with the power of that strike, even though he'd blocked it hastily, the fact that it could pierce the Ironwood Bow Body and wound him was undeniably a Professional Rank attack!

And not just a casual strike from a Professional Rank—even a Professional Rank Expert would need to gather strength for those two consecutive shots!

Running away as an Eighth Grade Knight Attendant, and coming back as a Professional Rank Expert? Don't joke like that!

Sure, theoretically, after Sixth Grade Knight Attendant, a class-change ritual could directly lead to the Professional Rank. But even a peak Ninth Grade Knight Attendant couldn't guarantee success in the class-change, so the odds for someone below Ninth Grade were truly pathetic!

Even more!

To ensure no unexpected flaws in his plan, Ye Man had played the fool along the way, deliberately revealing Dean's identity as an apprentice pharmacist to gauge their reactions. They definitely didn't have any Baptismal Potion on them!

"Magic Core..."

As if talking to himself, Ye Man for the first time showed a genuinely flustered expression, completely shedding his fake smile!

On the other side, Xuan Ye, whose consecutive attack had just failed, briefly relaxed his shoulder, his inner gravity no less than Ye Man's.

That's right!

He was no longer the Eighth Grade Knight Attendant seen as an ant, but a Professional Rank Expert who had Ascended to Heaven in One Step by condensing a Professional Core in the 'Perception' Inner Mansion!

The Database's powerful analysis and fine-tuning abilities had pushed the Magic Core's power to its limit!

Though there was some trickery involved, and his realm was unstable—no time to consolidate before striking—a Professional Rank was still a Professional Rank!

The power of those two shots far exceeded his desperate wolf-killing attacks from before!

They could now genuinely threaten a Professional Rank Expert!

The arrow piercing the Ironwood Bow was the best proof!

He'd racked his brains, endured countless hardships, and nearly lost his life in this hasty class-change, all for this sneak attack—and yet the other party had 'dodged' it!

Even under normal data analysis, I had already been covertly observing him for a while—everything that needed to be in place was in place. Based on predictive calculations, the best way for him to deal with my first sneak attack arrow was indeed to dodge, and he had the ability to do so!

But this fool completely refused to play by the rules, choosing to take damage and forcibly block my strike! And from his expression, it was clear he hadn't even noticed my second arrow!

Was he really that much of a fool, dammit! Bastard! Are you a masochist!

But while cursing inwardly, Xuan Ye also felt a chill—could it be that this was his subconscious reaction after seeing me shoot Azure Wolf that one time?

They say a Saint Seiya never loses to the same move twice, but this guy had only seen it once! I'd never even shot at him before! Was he tougher than a Saint Seiya or what!