The instant his calf muscles tightened, the tricolored patterns on the surface of the True Martial Dharma Form slowly flowed along its muscles and bones.
Qingxiao closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. The vacuum poured through his nostrils into his lungs, cold enough to pierce bone.
With a thought, he activated Neural Overload.
Buzzz-
Scalding blood exploded through his vessels and surged hard into his brain.
When he opened his eyes again, the entire world had sunk into a congealed gray gel, sluggish beyond measure.
Dust hung in midair, every grain distinct. He could even see the gray light around their edges.
Sukuna's hands, about to clap for Boogie Woogie, hung in midair. The movement of his bending knuckles was as slow as if they were dragging through glue.
The hanging beads of blood froze in the air. Round and full, they fell for what felt like ages yet still hovered at the tip of his chin, even the curve of their elongation perfectly clear.
Qingxiao stood where he was, his pitch-black Dharma Form looming in the dull gray world like a god who had emerged from chaos, looking down upon a world slowed to a crawl.
That sense of control, almost like stopping time, sent a tingling sensation crawling up his spine.
Bliss. Absolute bliss.
But... first, I'll take Sukuna down.
The instant that thought settled, he took a quick step into a slide, silently pulverizing the gravel beneath his feet.
Without air resistance or spatial obstruction, the True Martial Dharma Form carried him forward in a flash, and he was already in front of Sukuna.
A lead-hand jab feinted toward his face, fine streaks of black lightning trailing from the fist.
Under the stimulation of Black Flash, the fine growth-ring patterns on the Brass Knuckles