Chapter 356: At the Critical Moment, Ah Yin Strikes
The aftershocks from the clash between golden and black divine power had yet to fade when Tang San's hand, gripping the Golden Trident, began to tremble slightly.
Half an hour of intense combat had pushed the God King of Life's temporary stabilizing force to its limit, and Tang San's origin power was now violently fluctuating.
It felt as though countless needles pricked his body; with every surge of divine power, the pain stabbing at his divine soul grew sharper and deeper.
What shocked him even more was that the Blood Demon's crimson energy clung like maggots to bones—each collision left behind lingering traces on the Golden Trident that even the Sea God's divine power took several seconds to purge.
This strange corrosive force was something he had never encountered before.
"I can't afford to drag this out any longer."
Tang San's eyes hardened as he swept his gaze over his three opponents.
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King's black power carried the chill of the abyss, every blow cold enough to freeze his meridians.
The Demon Empress's strikes were precise and cunning, always targeting the openings that appeared while he faced the others.
And as for the Blood Demon—he hovered along the edge of the battlefield, attacking least but watching Tang San with feral crimson eyes, waiting for his moment to strike.
Clearly, they were all biding their time for the instant he faltered.
Just as Tang San attempted to gather strength for a decisive assault, the origin power within his body suddenly pulsed with a violent hum.
"Not good!"
A wave of weakness swept through him, unstoppable. His face turned pale.
His arm holding the trident sagged slightly, and the golden light around him dimmed.
That subtle falter did not escape the Blood Demon's eyes.
"Ha ha ha! Tang San, you can't hold on any longer!"
The Blood Demon's raspy laughter tore through the roaring battlefield. He suddenly leapt back, shouting to the other two,
"Hold him off! Stall him for me!"
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King and the Demon Empress exchanged sharp glances—the same vicious resolve flashing within both.
Though not true allies of the Blood Demon, they shared a common goal: to kill Tang San.
Their movements synchronized instantly, wordless in their understanding.
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King's black energy surged, transforming into dozens of miniature whales that encircled Tang San.
Meanwhile, the Demon Empress raised a black orb that burst into thick dark mist, enveloping the battlefield.
From within the mist, countless razor-thin blades formed, shooting toward Tang San like a storm of shadows.
Their coordination—perfected over one hundred thousand years—was seamless. Together, they sealed Tang San's escape routes and compressed the space around him.
Frowning, Tang San spun the Golden Trident before him, creating a spinning barrier of golden light that shattered each oncoming attack.
But he could feel it—their divine powers were gradually synchronizing, their combined strikes growing stronger.
Attacks that he could once repel easily now required triple the effort.
"No wonder they dared to confront me. Together, they've reached nearly second-class god strength."
Tang San's expression grew grim. The fluctuation within his body worsened, and the God King of Life's sustaining power had become like a flickering candle flame, ready to extinguish at any moment.
He had to end this quickly!
Yet at that instant, a terrifying aura suddenly flared behind him.
Tang San spun around sharply—only to see the Blood Demon with his eyes tightly shut, surrounded by an eruption of scarlet divine light.
Behind him, a massive phantom took form—an exact replica of his own figure, towering a hundred meters high, wrapped in dense, swirling blood mist.
Even standing still, it distorted the very space around it, as if it could collapse at any time.
What was most horrifying was that the phantom's aura perfectly mirrored the Blood Demon's—but carried a pressure far beyond mortal limits, like a blood god rising from the depths of hell.
"What… is that?"
Tang San's pupils contracted. The power within that phantom clearly surpassed the Blood Demon's own.
Once it fully condensed, it could unleash a strike strong enough to kill him.
He tried to break through the encirclement of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King and the Demon Empress, but their attacks suddenly intensified in response.
Black blades of light poured down like torrential rain, leaving no opening to escape.
"Tang San, die!"
The twin assaults of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King and the Demon Empress forced Tang San into a corner.
Clenching his teeth, he drove the Golden Trident deep into the ground and rapidly formed hand seals.
"Sea God's Light—Return of the Endless Tides!"
Instantly, the surrounding moisture gathered madly, forming a sea of radiant golden water.
Dozens of golden columns rose from the sea, merging into a colossal barrier before Tang San.
"Boom—!"
Both the Deep Sea Demon Whale King and the Demon Empress struck the barrier at once. The explosion was deafening.
The golden shield shuddered violently, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface.
Tang San spat blood and staggered backward, his control slipping entirely.
The origin energy within him spiraled out of control.
A searing pain spread from his core, consuming his entire body.
Just as the barrier was about to shatter, the Blood Demon's eyes snapped open, infinite killing intent blazing within his scarlet pupils.
"Blood God Sacrifice!"
At his shout, the towering phantom behind him exploded into countless fragments of blood mist.
The blood mist condensed rapidly in midair, forming a blood-red spear tens of meters long, its surface reeking of death and iron.
The spearhead shimmered with a chilling light sharp enough to tear through space itself.
This strike combined the Blood Demon's full divine power and the might of his phantom.
Its speed was unmatched: the instant it formed, it appeared before Tang San.
Tang San's pupils contracted violently.
He had just blocked the last assault of his two other foes—his energy hadn't yet recovered.
With his origin energy raging out of control, even raising his trident felt impossible.
He could only watch helplessly as the scarlet spear closed in on his chest, a sense of powerlessness gripping his heart.
The combined pressure of his three enemies left no room to evade—the Blood Demon's strike was simply too fast, faster than even his divine sense could react.
His body felt as though his meridians were splitting apart piece by piece; his consciousness began to blur.
He could feel the spear's deathly aura closing in but could do nothing but watch it draw closer—
...
At that very instant of life and death.
Within the Golden Tree at Shrek Academy, Ah Yin sat cross-legged, surrounded by pure golden life energy.
Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, her face drained of all color.
Her heart clenched, as though seized by invisible hands.
Through the bloodline bond between mother and son, she could feel Tang San's desperate peril as clearly as if it were her own.
"Xiao San!"
Ah Yin cried out, the golden energy around her erupting in a blinding flash as her body transformed into a stream of radiant light.
She burst free of the golden tree's confinement, streaking toward Tang San's location at full speed.
The Golden Tree, deprived of her presence, instantly lost its vibrant life aura.
Its leaves withered rapidly, and its once dazzling golden glow dimmed into dull silence.
(END CHAPTER)
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