Chapter 1412: Mysterious Identity

In the cosmic chaos, matter was tearing apart and returning; everything was in a hazy, primordial state.

A rumbling sound.

"Ani is my name. My intellect surpasses the upper limit of your biological intelligence; perhaps you cannot even conceive of my power."

The tall, powerful giant strode forward, his eyes slowly drooping. His skull was gradually swelling, becoming a massive, hydrocephalus-like head that grew increasingly disproportionate to his body below.

He resembled a gaunt praying mantis with a large watermelon balanced on its head.

A gurgling sound.

Wriggling white cerebral circuit tubes extended from all directions of his brain, piercing into his body below the neck, into his arms, and his thighs—he looked like a cyborg connected by countless energy conduits.

The sight was utterly repulsive.

"This martial art is a suicidal one, designed specifically for this moment of glory. Each time I use it, my head requires a new body," he explained, his tone simple and cold. "It's a branch of the Cicada Slough technique, where I burn all of my physical mass for explosive combat."

His body was a surging mass of power.

The light and heat bursting from the body of a giant, countless light-years in scale, as it burned everything, were comparable to a true supernova explosion.

Infinite brilliance permeated the surroundings.

This endless light and heat made him appear like ten thousand suns shining simultaneously just a centimeter from your eyes.

"This world was inherently logical: wind was wind, water was water, light was still light. Yet beyond this logic, illogical existences resided—living beings. They are the universe's most irrational and incomprehensible entities."

"For example, you!"

He spread his strong, powerful arms, striding forward as he slowly began to speak: "Even the smartest beings always enjoy doing things they are clearly incapable of."

"Are you like this too?"

He said softly, "Even beings with the greatest wisdom are so vulgar, resisting what they cannot resist, hoping for what is already hopeless. What can they gain from this, except greater suffering before their dying struggle?"

"Humans, it seems, truly do always prefer the impractical," Di Zun said, calmly watching Ani.

"Tu Xin is a suitable leader, but not a suitable warrior."

Ani approached step by step, his oppressive presence intensifying, filled with a sharp edge, like an awe-inspiring divine sword drawn from its sheath, cleaving through the void. "His cultivation technique was never meant for combat; it was for reproduction, for accelerating the growth of the species... I, however, am a pure warrior."

"But you are not as strong as Tu Xin," Di Zun stated calmly.

Ani smiled. "Yes, I am, after all, a temporary, explosive body, not yet fully matured. My current energy level and realm are far below Tu Xin's, but I specialize in lethal martial arts."

"Die!"

The next second, the light-year-sized giant swung a mighty fist, lunging at the small fungus before him. He let out a powerful roar, his fighting spirit blazing.

"Unleash your miraculous martial art! Compared to the previous two, how will you bridge our size difference? I hope you can surprise me!"

The punch was earth-shattering.

Even the light and shadow of the swirling maelstrom of the ongoing Big Bang were subtly distorted.

"Very strong," the surrounding universes observed with grave expressions.

At this moment, Ani's combat power was truly comparable to the external Evil Gods, only slightly inferior to Tu Xin's.

Yet, it was clear that Di Zun exhibited no "high-energy level" fluctuations at all; his entire being lacked any aura of energy reserves. How could he possibly withstand such an attack?

"Die."

With one punch, heaven and earth shattered.

Di Zun, however, simply turned, choosing not to meet the blow head-on.

He drifted gently away, like a speck of dust beneath a colossal fist, slowly carried off by its force.

"Your processing power... how is that possible!?" Ani's expression subtly shifted. He had never seen anyone manipulate the microscopic world with such exquisite precision.

Even their own super-sized brains, comparable to stars, couldn't achieve this. How could an opponent with the humble brain capacity of a bacterium possibly do so?

It was well known that their intellect generally surpassed that of older life forms precisely because of their colossal brain size—it was a fundamental requirement.

"Don't rush," Di Zun's lips curved into a strange smile. "Please wait a moment. My martial art isn't truly complete yet, so I don't currently possess the strength to contend with you. I'm still at a very low energy level, Your Excellency has overestimated me..."

Di Zun politely suggested, "Would you be willing to wait until I have perfected my martial art before engaging me in battle? And while I complete my technique, you might want to see if you can survive here first."

Ani quickly processed the situation.

If they weren't in this treacherous zone, this seemingly ordinary little fungus—whose energy level was akin to a few strands of his own hair—even with such a defying technique, would have long ago been crushed by his sheer force, punched to death.

Yet, even he was struggling to move here. How could his opponent navigate it with such ease?

Perhaps this truly was his home ground?

The opponent displayed a myriad of astonishing, mystifying abilities.

"Genesis... how are you so familiar with Genesis?"

Ani looked around, unable to suppress his curiosity. "Your manipulation and processing power are completely disproportionate to your absurd size. You've already surpassed the Three Pillar Gods without even practicing that cultivation technique... Who are you, truly? Or rather... what kind of being?"

Di Zun's gaze bypassed the colossal giant, a cruel, icy smile appearing on his face as he looked into the distance. "You won't be lonely here for long. While you wait a bit, and I practice my martial art, a few more of your old friends will be arriving."

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Amidst violent tremors, several more universes from the myriad heavens, dragging a light-year-sized giant, were pulled into the swirling vortex.

Both sides roared in fury as they fought.

"You have some nerve, knowing how to exploit this vortex..." a furious voice bellowed.

"Hahaha! We sacrificed these universes just to drag you down with us!" another roared. "Do you really think we have no guts?"

But the next second, everyone turned their heads to observe the inexplicable atmosphere.

They halted.

Concurrently, a third wave of newcomers quickly surged in from outside.

These were nine intricate special universes from the Underworld.

"Have the materials I need for cultivating my technique finally arrived?" Di Zun asked, looking at the nine universes.

With his parallel universe body and the forces of the Underworld Heavens at his command, contacting the outside was straightforward. Having Zhiji send over the several semi-finished special universes he had long prepared was no major issue.

In fact, even a clone of Zhiji had accompanied them inside.

"It seems my martial art is nearing completion..." Xu Zhi's deduction speed accelerated, and he felt his processing power and vast store of intellectual knowledge had already reached an unimaginable, inhuman level.

"You..."

The two light-year-sized giants stared at Di Zun.

"Perhaps you should consider how you'll survive the twenty-eighth return to the singularity," Di Zun said coldly, and his words made them fully grasp the situation.

The new Big Bang had now ended, and matter had begun its next reversal. Everything was collapsing, and the increasing gravitational pull was sweeping them toward the central singularity.

Unlike the peculiar being before them, they risked being crushed alive.