In that moment, the smile on Ye Yuâs face froze. He had originally thought that Ying Huoâs arrival this time would herald the return of the king. No more, no lessâthis scene, in any script, should have been the grand finale. The ending theme might even have started playing!
But just as Ye Yu believed everything was about to be settled and the villain would at last be finished off, he wondered why Ying Huo had been flung clear of the formation. That was entirely against all expectations! His little disappointment was substantial.
Seeing Ying Huo hurtle in this direction, Ye Yu couldnât simply stand by. He surged forward and caught her.
âWhat happened? Are you all right?â he asked.
Ying Huoâs expression turned serious as she replied, âIt was just a small mishapâhe took me by surprise with an ambush. But itâs fine. Iâll take him down right now!â
At her words, Ye Yu gave her an encouraging look. âThatâs the spirit. Take down Shen Kangren and Iâll send you a can of rations!â
Ying Huo tapped her toe and plunged back into the formation. Soon, rumbles of thunder echoed from within. The once-modest array swelled several times its original size. Even the Goddess of Balance, Yu Buxia, grew graveâthis was more than she could withstand.
Before she could utter a whisper, Ying Huo was hurled out of the array again. She flew in exactly the same direction, and Ye Yu reached out once moreâbut this time the force behind her was far greater. Even he staggered back several steps.
Ying Huo steadied herself, breathing heavily as she stared at the shattered barrier. Gone was her earlier composure.
âI canât hold out any longer,â she panted. âShen Kangrenâs power has increased too much. Even though Iâve returned to my peak, Iâm no match for him. Yu Buxia, you take Ye Yu and leave. Iâll stall him as long as I can.â
Yu Buxiaâs face darkened. As an old friend, she knew how proud Ying Huo wasâadmitting someoneâs strength surpassed her own was unheard of. By asking them to flee, Ying Huo had clearly resigned herself to death.
Yu Buxiaâs voice was low but resolute. âIf the two of us fight together, might there still be a chance?â
Ying Huo shook her head, her eyes filled with despair.
The next instant, the barrier burst apart. A colossal flesh-and-blood monstrosity appeared, its foot smashing half of Balance City in a single stomp. Any deity caught by surprise was fused into its fleshâIcy horror gripped every onlooker.
âNo one leaves!â Shen Kangrenâs voice boomed like celestial thunder, rattling souls. Weaker gods fainted on the spot.
The giantâs body convulsed violently, and within moments an invisible force spread across ten thousand li.
âFlesh Sacrifice!â
With his roar, the world around them turned blood-red. Every god felt themselves sinking into sinewy fleshâmoving even a finger required immense effort, and the stronger one was, the heavier the restraint. Countless crimson tendrils writhed toward Yu Buxia and Ying Huo, who fought desperately just to stay afloat, let alone aid Ye Yu.
By contrast, Ye Yuâonly at the Great God stageâfelt the fleshâs grip far less. He could slash through the threads easily, but escaping this blood-stained realm seemed nearly impossible.
âThis disgusting thing wonât let us escape, so Iâll fight it,â he vowed. Through spirit-sound transmission he told Yu Buxia and Ying Huo, âIâll try to immobilize Shen Kangren for a whileâthough itâll be short. Use that chance to kill him, or none of us will get out.â
Yu Buxia and Ying Huo paused in shock. Did Ye Yu really plan to â NĐŸvĐ”lÎčght â (Read the full story) bind a Late Ancient God Realm cultivator with only Great God power? Yet despite the hopeless odds, they chose to trust himâif they failed, every deity present would become part of Shen Kangrenâs god-body.
Ye Yuâs form flickered as he closed the distance to Shen Kangren. Next to the towering flesh giant, he seemed insignificant. There was no way he wanted this battleâand yet there was no turning back.
He formed a hand seal, and a dazzling light flared. In the next moment, an identical flesh giantâsame height, same buildâmaterialized beside the original, as though cast from the same mold.
A cold sneer crossed Shen Kangrenâs face. He assumed it was a mere illusionâhow could a fake match the real thing? He reached out to swat it away, but in that instant Ye Yu raised one hand skyward in a bizarre gesture.
Shen Kangrenâs body froze mid-gesture, the flowing flesh stilled. This was no illusionâit was Ye Yuâs latest divine art,
Zuo Zhen Ju Zhong
(Sit-at-the-Center), which sacrificed his own mobility to lock his foe in place. The higher the opponentâs cultivation, the shorter the paralyzing effect; in theory, even a God Sovereign could be heldâthough perhaps not for a single breath.
This was Ye Yuâs first use of the art, so its duration remained unknown. Meanwhile, Yu Buxia and Ying Huoâheeding Ye Yuâs warningâhad already severed their surrounding tendrils and unleashed their strongest divine arts.
When the silver scales of the balance phantom appeared once more, Ying Huo wasted no time and stepped onto the left pan. Shen Kangrenâs likeness occupied the right pan. The scales tiltedâleft high, right low.