Yinghuo’s expression grew intensely strange. She stared at Ye Yu for a long moment, her eyes reflecting a thousand untold stories.
“You’re staring at me like that—what’s the matter?” she finally asked.
Ye Yu pinched the bridge of his nose, awkwardly averting his gaze. It was really rude to just stare at someone like that.
Yinghuo spoke softly, “You’re not newly arrived in the Divine Realm—how could you ask such a brainless question? You even stayed by that drunkard Su Tian’s side; you should know some basics!”
“Many gods know of Wuwang Mountain,” she continued, “but that doesn’t mean they ever actually see it. Wuwang Mountain appears and vanishes every half-hour, changing location. No one can predict exactly where it will be. Only those with great fate can glimpse it—otherwise, you won’t find Wuwang Mountain, let alone Wuzhong Mountain.”
“As for why I cast my body into the Mortal Realm, it was simple,” she sighed. “I couldn’t bear to watch Shen Kangren devour my divine form piece by piece! Ugh—it was the most nauseating sight imaginable. Even thinking about it now makes me sick!” She rubbed her shoulders in disgust, her face twisted at the memory.
Ye Yu forced a polite smile and remained silent, reminding himself to stay composed. After all, he had agreed to pose as a reborn god—he mustn’t let his cultivation leaps raise suspicion.
Just as he prepared to ask more, he felt Little White’s claws tighten sharply on his shoulder. Instantly alert, he looked forward—and saw a familiar figure not far off.
It was Tai Shi Xiaoxin, leader of the Wuzhong Mountain Alliance—eyes vacant, huge pools of blood seeping around him.
Ye Yu rose to his feet and, in a firm voice, called out, “Evil God!”
He was testing the waters. The Wuzhong Mountain gods had agreed that, when a comrade’s identity couldn’t be confirmed, one must shout their slogan: “Evil God must die!” Even Tai Shi Xiaoxin, as alliance leader, would be bound by it.
Several breaths passed without response. Ye Yu sensed something was terribly wrong and prepared to flee with Yinghuo—but she merely shook her head.
Too late.
Only then did Ye Yu realize the heavy stench of blood all around them.
“Goddess Yinghuo, I can’t believe you’re allied with this madman!” a soft, effeminate voice whispered.
Behind Tai Shi Xiaoxin, ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) a thin figure emerged. With a casual gesture, he drew the leader straight into his body, completing a gruesome fusion.
Ye Yu’s face froze. An Ancient God–realm powerhouse? Was it even fair? He’d never faced such an opponent. Fighting was impossible—three realms’ difference—and escape was blocked by the man’s aura.
Yinghuo stepped forward, and as she passed Ye Yu, she transmitted, “He only cares about me. I’ll try to delay him—get out of here when you can. One life for another!”
A flicker of determination crossed Ye Yu’s eyes. True to her word, Yinghuo confronted Shen Kangren.
“Had I known you’d betray your lord, I should have watched you torn apart by your enemies!” she hissed.
“No, Goddess,” Shen Kangren cried with fanatic zeal, “you have been so kind to me—I am forever grateful. That’s why I long to merge with you. Together, we’ll forge a new future in the Divine Realm. Isn’t that wonderful?”
His eyes glowed madly as a dozen arms sprouted from his gaunt frame, which ballooned grotesquely. His divine robe threatened to tear, but he seemed entirely at ease in this monstrous form.
Yinghuo’s expression darkened. After devouring the bodies of Wuzhong Mountain’s alliance, Shen Kangren’s strength had soared. That Flesh-Devouring Path had grown to an unbelievable degree!
She wondered what new power he might gain if he consumed her star-essence body.
With a sigh, she prepared to strike—but suddenly felt a hand grip her shoulder.
“Why don’t I have another try? Maybe we both can escape?” Shen Kangren taunted.
Yinghuo turned to see Ye Yu stride forward, hefting a gigantic Greed-Spirit Ram and hurling it at Shen Kangren.
At Shen Kangren’s thought, a fleshy mass erupted at his feet, engulfing the ram. “You naïve child—thinking to use a divine beast to swallow my soul? That’s the biggest joke in the Divine Realm this year! Don’t you know I’m the Flesh-Devouring Evil God? I can consume anything with flesh. That ram stands no chance—it will be I who devour it!”
He melded the ram into his being—but suddenly, pain wracked his body. His face flushed purple, veins bulging even on his exposed skin.
Ye Yu’s heart leapt with triumph. “Goddess Yinghuo, he’s poisoned—do we fight or flee?”
Indeed, the Greed-Spirit Ram was a diversion. The true weapon was the Super Poison Pill hidden within it. In Wuzhong Mountain, Ye Yu had used his Contribution Points to exchange for many poisons—including this pill. A single dose might be mild, but he had fused 1,300 pills into one devastating concoction. Its effect was sure to be lethal.
