Painful wails resonated, accompanied by despairing curses. The five challengers tried desperately to escape the area engulfed in flames. However, the relentless and overwhelming force had already sealed the fiery zone. Their movements were incredibly difficult; no matter how much they struggled or screamed, they couldn’t escape. Their voices soon faded away, disappearing without a trace. The five level 3 challengers perished in such a tragic manner.

"No!" Alfred’s eyes widened in disbelief, and a boundless rage erupted from within.

"Waldo, you are going to die!" he declared, convinced that Waldo was amidst the flames. He was sure that this individual was indeed the real Waldo, as he sensed a formidable presence that made even him feel wary.

"Waldo, you are indeed extraordinary, bold enough to kill five level 3 challengers! But today, you are surely doomed! I will use your life to quench the rage in my heart!" he proclaimed.

"Die!" Alfred bellowed. His murderous intent exploded, covering the sky and overwhelming in its might.

Despite sensing a threat from Waldo, Alfred didn’t pay too much heed to it. No matter how extraordinary or powerful Waldo might be, one fact remained unchanged – Waldo was still just a level 3 challenger. And Alfred was a level 4 challenger! The gap between level 3 and level 4 was a chasm too vast to cross. No matter how strong Waldo was, he couldn’t possibly be a match for him.

With this thought, Alfred summoned a massive blade in his hand. Swinging it, he unleashed terrifying slashes, like a storm, creating billions of waves, all heading straight for Waldo. In his view, Waldo’s demise was certain, as these slashes swiftly engulfed him.

Within the area engulfed by the blade’s light, space seemed almost sealed off. Escaping was virtually impossible. Moreover, under the concentrated burst of countless blades, Waldo would be torn apart in an instant.

"Ridiculous, you think this will kill me?" Waldo sneered. "Overestimating yourself!"

As he spoke, endless flames emerged from the void. One after another, furious Buddha lotuses bloomed, releasing a terrifying aura. Amidst the raging flames, spears appeared, one after another, to counter the incoming blade light.

Boom, boom, boom!

With explosive sounds, waves of energy cascaded out. The scorching air swept over the cold ground, almost searing it. The blade light unleashed by Alfred was extinguished one by one.

"What? Impossible!" Alfred was shocked and dismayed.

How could Waldo, a level 3 challenger, so easily counter his killing move? Releasing so many blades at once wasn’t easy. Each blade’s energy was interconnected, resonating to achieve maximum power. It required extreme skill to accomplish this. The energy consumed by dozens of blades was also extremely formidable. By all logic, this move should have been unstoppable!

Even for himself, facing dozens of blade energies linked together in an attack with no openings on any side would be quite troublesome. However...

Waldo had resolved it so easily? Alfred’s first thought was disbelief. How could it be possible? A level 3 challenger couldn’t possibly break his killer move so effortlessly! It was impossible!

Yet, the reality was right in front of him. Whether he believed it or not, it was the truth. It couldn’t be changed; it had to be acknowledged.

...

At this moment, a tidal wave of shock surged in Alfred’s heart. In an instant, he thought of many things. Meanwhile, Waldo’s counterattack had already arrived.

"You want to kill me? First, see if you’re even capable!" Waldo declared. "I told you, you’re not fit to kill me; you don’t have the right!"

"I already gave you a chance for redemption, but you didn’t cherish it. Don’t blame me for being merciless! Today, you are doomed to die!" Waldo coldly stated. His voice thundered like a roaring thunderstorm, resounding in Alfred’s ears. The voice, laden with murderous intent, jolted Alfred back to reality. But it was already too late. Waldo had already reached him!

A blood-red spear, radiating a terrifying aura, pierced through the netherworld, bursting forth with a fearsome ghostly light, transcending the limits of time and space, and had already struck!

"No good!" Alfred’s face drained of color. At this moment, he felt the breath of death. If he didn’t resist with all his might, he would die!

Alfred’s mind was in turmoil, filled with fear and shock. Without time to think, he let out a furious roar! Subsequently, his body rapidly inflated like a balloon. It wasn’t just simple expansion; his body was filled with an endless surge of blood and energy. His muscles grew at an inconceivable rate, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed into a colossal giant covered with an armor of astonishing defensive power.

The next moment, Boom! It was as if a ten thousand-ton high explosive had suddenly detonated. The spear, carrying the force of a hundred meters radius, created a massive explosion upon contact with Alfred. It bloomed like fireworks, dazzling and bright, casting a brilliant light.

A faint scream could be heard from the midst of the explosion. "Ah!" A figure, entirely charred and emitting a burnt stench, was flung out from the center of the explosion at a speed faster than a bullet. It then crashed into the ground, creating a large crater. Cracks spread out from the crater across the surrounding ground.

...

"Cough, cough, cough!" Painful coughing sounds emerged from the crater. Alfred struggled to rise from the rubble.

A pair of eyes, filled with fear and disbelief, stared fixedly at the endless raging flames in front of him.

"How is this possible?" Alfred muttered in shock. "You are just a level 3 challenger! How can you be so formidable? There is a huge chasm between level 3 and level 4 challengers, which is impossible to cross! But why, why are you so powerful?!"

"No! I can’t accept this! Why is this happening?" Alfred suddenly widened his eyes in terror. "Could it be that you are a perfectly transformed level 3 challenger?"

As soon as he spoke, he shook his head in disbelief. No, that’s impossible! Perfect transformation? That’s even more difficult than advancing to a level 4 challenger! It requires not only an immense number of super Source stones but also inherent talent!

Alfred had never considered pursuing this path. It was a dead end! He couldn’t possibly achieve a perfect transformation and an undying body. How could Waldo?

"Heh, there can only be one explanation. Otherwise, how could you possibly defeat me?" he laughed madly, coughing violently. His face contorted in pain as he coughed.

"No wonder... You were previously known as the top challenger, most likely to be the first to break through. Yet, you never did..."

"It all makes sense now, haha!" Alfred’s laughter was laced with a blend of madness, realization, and despair.