As the Eleventh on the Evil List, Shen Kangrenâs reputation throughout the Divine Realm was fearsome.
Upon hearing his name, many deities in Balance City grew panic-stricken, flocking toward the City Lordâs mansion to seek Yu Buxiaâs protection.
What they did not know was that the Goddess of Balance was not in the mansion at all, but standing at the entrance to Ye Yuâs Blessed Grotto!
âYour Highness, has Yinghuo emerged from seclusion?â Ye Yu asked hastily.
He had clearly heard Shen Kangren demand to take two deities awayâone of them must be Yinghuo, and the other very likely himself. Clearly Shen Kangren still bore a grudge over that poisoned sheep.
Normally Ye Yu preferred his enemies dead, so he could not wait for Yinghuo to strike and finish off that old villain. Otherwise his sleep would never be peaceful again!
But Yu Buxia gave a disappointing answer. She shook her head.
âYinghuo has not yet emerged. Perhaps her soul has been separated too longâher grasp of Star Energy is far below her previous level. She will need more time to return to her peak.â
Ye Yuâs expression turned grave as he contemplated the next move.
At that moment, Yu Buxia opened her right palm and a scale appeared, suspended in midair!
âLittle one, need help? Iâll deal with Shen Kangren if youâll fuse something for me in return. How does that sound?â
Ye Yuâs lip twitched. He âȘ NĐŸvĐ”lŃgÒ»t âȘ (Official version) suspected her earlier excuse was merely to set up this bargain: assistance in exchange for a fusion opportunity.
He felt no real objectionâYu Buxia had already helped cleanse Little White, and now offered to act on his behalf. One fusion was a fair trade.
Seeing Ye Yu hesitate, Yu Buxia continued: âAs an added gift, Iâll give you ten Divine-Inducing Pills. Itâs the best I can offer. Deal?â
No sooner had she spoken than the scale in her palm tilted toward her side, indicating her stake far outweighed his.
Though unsure if it was genuine, Ye Yu agreed.
âDeal.â
A faint smile curved Yu Buxiaâs lips.
The next moment, the formation above Balance City shattered. Shen Kangren appeared above the Divine City, and before him hovered a massive mass of flesh and blood, studded with countless eyes, all staring downward.
Swiftly he located his target and looked down at Ye Yu with a mocking smile.
âYouâve been found!â
In an instant Ye Yu felt as though plunged into an ice tomb, his body locked by innumerable horrifying energies, unable to move!
Only when Yu Buxia lifted her hand before him did the sensation vanish.
âć° Shen, am I being too generous? You dare enter my Divine City. Do you truly think you cannot die?â Yu Buxia chided.
No sooner had she spoken than the flesh-and-blood mass before Shen Kangren shattered. A drop of blood splashed onto his face, giving him a crazed appearance.
Unfazed, Shen Kangren wiped the blood away.
âGoddess, so you intend to protect this brat? Fine. Iâll swallow you and your Divine City together!â
He raised both hands. A titanic globule of flesh and blood coalesced from the air, enveloping the entire city from below and beginning to contract relentlessly.
Terrified deities inside Balance City unleashed their divine techniques, attempting to shatter the mass and escape. But ordinary powers had no effectâthey could only watch the flesh tighten around them.
Yu Buxiaâs fury surged. She summoned the scale and formed a Daoist seal in midair.
The scaleâs radiant light intensified until it bathed the entire city in brilliance.
âBreak!â she cried.
With her command, the mass cleaved cleanly in two, the two halves mirroring each other. The scaleâs pans exploded with vacuum force, drawing the flesh and blood into themâand Balance City was once again bathed in light.
Yet Shen Kangren showed no panic, as though all remained under his control. He grinned viciously.
âGoddess, Iâve coveted that artifact for some time!â
At his words, Yu Buxia looked downâand saw the flesh once trapped in the pans regrowing, swallowing the scale, then delivering it into Shen Kangrenâs hand.
A grotesque smile spread across his features.
âThank you for the giftââ
Before he could finish, the clear sky suddenly turned to night. Countless stars rained down, crashing Shen Kangren into the city below.
After days of absence, Yinghuo appeared at last, surrounded by starry radianceâethereal, dreamlike, and breathtaking in her beauty. Her divine power was heavier than ever. This was her at peak strength.
Ye Yu exhaled in relief. At the last moment, Yinghuo had arrivedâwithout her, even the Goddess of Balance might not have prevailed!
âAre you mocking me?â Yu Buxia asked, displeased as she drew near Ye Yu.
He quickly shook his head. âNot at all! Why would you think so?â
âYou look at me with a hint of disdain,â Yu Buxia pouted. âRemember our agreement, or I will suffer greatly!â
âHeaven preserve usâI already lost the cityâs treasure. This has been quite the bargain!â Ye Yu thought wryly.
To soothe her, he repeatedly promised he would not renege.
Yinghuo, meanwhile, had not intended to defeat Shen Kangren with one strike. To avoid harming Ye Yu, she thoughtfully condensed a formation to trap herself and Shen Kangren within itâsignaling a fight to the death.
âWell played!â Ye Yu murmured.
He had thought this battle a foregone conclusion. But before long, a figure was blasted from the formationâit was Yinghuo!