A flicker ignited within Tuosen’s gaze. His right hand, wreathed in crackling lightning, reached towards the heavens. Instantly, a thunderous roar echoed through the world as a colossal rift tore open the very fabric of reality: the God-Slaying Spear, made manifest!

Grasping the spear, Tuosen unleashed a primal bellow. He swept it before him, and a wave of power capable of making the heavens themselves tremble surged forth, colliding with the azure dagger.

A deafening crash echoed outwards, shattering the azure blade into countless fragments. Instead of dissipating, however, these shards hurtled towards Tuosen like a swarm of vengeful spirits.

Simultaneously, the prison’s arcane matrix pulsed anew. This time, the light flickered rapidly in a tri-colored display. Golden radiance enveloped the array, coalescing into a gargantuan blade of pure aurum. The sword, easily a hundred fathoms in length, soared forth to engage Tuosen.

Following the gold, a second light, violet as amethyst, seemed drawn from the ether itself. It formed a whip of immense length, etched with countless arcane runes. Cracking like thunder, the violet lash snaked through the air, a living serpent of magic, aiming to constrict Tuosen.

The third emanation pulsed with a crimson, blood-like energy. It suffused the entire array, and cries of anguish and tormented roars reverberated.

As the red light solidified, a nine-headed meteor hammer materialized. From each of the nine heads, droplets of crimson dripped, a testament to its savage nature. Bathed in the blood of countless victims, the hammer swept across the battlefield, becoming an avatar of destruction. The boundary was protected by nine spirits, and five are now fighting Tuosen together!

Tuosen’s countenance grew grim. His God-Slaying Spear roared, and a wave of moonlight washed over his left arm. The light was not natural, but rather another weapon, a crescent moon blade, encircled him, parrying the attacks of the spectral guardians.

The ensuing clashes shook the heavens, but the prison matrix remained unyielding. Tuosen’s earth-shattering roar mingled with the furious struggle against the five apparitions.

Then, without warning, a wave of intense heat surged forth from the matrix. It was followed by the slow manifestation of a being so large it dwarfed everything around it.

Ancient and battle scarred, the being evoked feelings of a forgotten age. Though the thing was old, it inspired a sense of terror in all who gazed upon it!

It was a colossal trebuchet. Atop it, a ball of pure energy crackled. It radiated heat that could not be seen with the naked eye, but seared the soul.

With a grinding roar, the trebuchet launched the energy orb at Tuosen. It was a terrifying attack, but even more terrifying, as the first orb was launched, the trebuchet began to spawn more of the energy orbs, one after the other!

Over countless millennia, uncounted souls had perished at the hands of this creation, victims of past attempts to breach the prison.

With six guardian spirits unleashed, Tuosen faltered for the first time, faltering due to the assault of the ancient engines and the ancient weapons of war. He was forced to retreat, his face etched with disbelief and deepening rage.

“Such a potent matrix!” he growled. “Unless I consume Wang Lin and ascend to the true eight-star royal godhood, I have little chance of shattering this prison. This matrix not only holds us at bay but also imprisons me! I can sense Wang Lin’s presence beyond the prison, in the ancient starfield! I shall shatter it no matter the cost!”

Crimson light flared in Tuosen’s eyes. He struck his brow, and a primordial radiance exploded from his third eye, emanating the essence of a Third Step cultivator.

“I must escape, even if it means losing the power to return. It matters not; Wang Lin lies beyond the prison’s edge. Should I consume him, any sacrifice will be worth it!”

The primordial essence within his third eye intensified. He unleashed a torrent of power that enveloped the void and the matrix itself. The silent screams of his essence tore from the singularity within his forehead, a raging comet hurtled towards the matrix!

Tuosen, shrinking until he matched its size, followed in its wake!

A Third Step cultivator’s essence led the way, with the God-Slaying Spear and crescent blade as its companions. An overwhelming force washed over Tuosen, accelerating his speed. A thunderous roar echoed as he hurtled towards the matrix.

The six guardian spirits surged forth to intercept him, the trebuchet unleashing a barrage of fire orbs. Tuosen’s speed remained undiminished, and as he neared the matrix, a new light erupted. Obsidian darkness, swallowing all light, shrouded the prison. From this darkness, a colossal bludgeon emerged, emanating an aura that drained the very soul. With a single, earth-shattering swing, the bludgeon descended upon Tuosen.

The crash reverberated and all but fused the seven guardians into a single entity, it halted Tuosen’s attack and forced the god into retreat.

“What manner of matrix is this?! What madman devised it? Is there some other being hidden here?” Tuosen wondered to himself, “Otherwise, such a potent defense would be impossible!”

Frustration became rage, and rage slowly turned to resolve, he calmed himself and regained his composure, even the great Tushen had never elicited such emotions from him. He would not back down.

“Better to shatter this prison and seek a Third Step cultivator in the ancient starfield, rather than retreat to gather power! You shall pay for daring to impede the might of a god!” With another touch, he targeted a second star within his soul.

The second star detonated, unleashing an even greater surge of primordial power. The star itself became a second comet, hurtling towards the matrix. “I WILL BREAK YOU!” Tushen shouted into the void. The comets flew in tandem, they unleashed a torrent of power unseen in the matrix for years, and perhaps centuries.

Never before had the prison felt such aggression, the world shook as the comets careened towards their target.

The Seven Guardian Spirits surged to meet the comets, but as he closed the distance to his goal, another light erupted from the matrix.

Even Tuosen staggered, he recognized the potential implications, and pushed all the harder.

The light coalesced into a colossal axe.

The very air became ancient and alive with the essence of the gods, Tuosen stilled for a moment. He had never faced such terror, such wonder, such shock.

This… it cannot be! How could this have become a spirit of this place?!

The ancient axe swung down with immeasurable power, as though every being in existence were helpless before it!

“You cannot stop me!” Tuosen roared, and his third spirit detonated, a third comet fused with the second.

Tuosen himself plunged into the comet, three Third Step souls burning, and the God-Slaying Spear and the Moonslice at the tip, he plunged into the matrix!

In that instant, the seven attacks rained down on Tuosen, then the axe fell, cutting apart the comet.

Tuosen coughed blood and grimaced, yet he sped on, dodging the next axe swing and careening into the matrix!

The force shook the planet, it caused waves in the four great immortal conclaves of the system, and the guards who had been sent from beyond the system, all stared in shock!

The unbreachable prison trembled, yet it did not fail. Tuosen continued to throw himself at the barrier.

“Ink-flow God-Split Technique!” as he watched the axe careen towards him again and again, a trickle of blood streaking down his lips, he cast the technique his master had devised years before!

In that instant, the axe stuttered, frozen by the surge of ink. The ink seeped into the matrix!

“Detonate! Detonate! Detonate!” Tushen screamed as the comet collapsed, and the pure energy of the three stars impacted the matrix. For the first time, a crack formed in the structure! In that instant, Tuosen leapt through the breach.

He laughed as his stars dimmed in his soul, one collapsing entirely.

“Wang Lin, I have come! Where can you run now?!”