Chapter 188: The Sea God

"Underground parking lot cleared."

"But honestly, do we really need to be here for these few mutated creatures?"

"Wouldn't it be better to just let Li Shuyang and me go out into the wild to hunt them?"

Zhou Ming said, sounding somewhat bored.

His current strength was firmly at Stage Three, and in terms of immortality, he was comparable to a Stage Five.

With the second wave of spiritual Qi, beast tides were inevitable. He couldn't understand why they weren't being sent out to deal with the tide, especially when he and the guy who inherited the legacy of Ji Guo Yuan Yi were being kept inside the city to hunt mere mutated creatures.

It was truly baffling.

"Sorry, this is the Director's decision."

"Besides, there are specialized units responsible for the wild zones, primarily using thermal weapons. Unless the mutated creatures break through the defensive lines and enter the city, the Director will never agree to you and Li Shuyang facing the beast tide alone."

The commander's voice came through the earpiece. Zhou Ming curled his lip, then his ears twitched. He spun around abruptly, his right arm instantly expanding into a massive flesh shield.

"Bang!"

A mutated pangolin, appearing from nowhere, slammed into the shield, its scales sparking against the flesh.

"You burrowed all the way here?"

"You certainly know how to pick your spots."

"Remember this: don't go just anywhere in your next life."

Zhou Ming chuckled, and the shield made of flesh and blood suddenly exploded into countless blood spikes, turning the pangolin into a sieve. Just as he wiped the blood from his hands, the commander's urgent voice came through the earpiece.

"Li Shuyang has encountered two Stage Three mutated entities at the Times Building intersection, he needs..."

"Got it, I'm on my way."

Zhou Ming interrupted. Just two Stage Threes, what was there to worry about?

If Li Shuyang activated his marks, he could kill them; at worst, he'd just be exhausted afterward.

"No, no need!"

The commander's voice sounded surprised, yet excited.

"An unknown Stage Three ability user has appeared and is assisting in the battle..."

"Hm? What did he say his name was? Fang Yuan?"

"Fang Yuan?!!!"

Zhou Ming's movements froze instantly, his blood-colored pupils contracting sharply. The name traveled down his spine like an electric current, and the corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably.

Was it the Fang Yuan he was thinking of? It had to be the Fang Yuan he was thinking of!

Although at this time, theoretically, the existence from that world couldn't descend into reality—what descended would either be an underdeveloped Fang Yuan or just a template holder.

But even so, it was enough to make things interesting.

After all, that was Fang Yuan!

In an instant, Zhou Ming had transformed into a blood shadow, rushing toward the Times Building. Anyone watching would think Fang Yuan was his teammate and Li Shuyang was the stranger.

"Wait for me, Fang Yuan, I'll be there in a second!"

Don't you dare run away!

Five minutes ago, near the Times Building.

Blazing flames radiated from Li Shuyang's blade. With one slash, he instantly decapitated the Stage Two mutated house pig that had appeared from nowhere.

He sheathed his blade and reached for his earpiece to report, but suddenly frowned, his gaze shooting toward the end of the street like lightning.

There, two behemoths were slowly closing in.

One was a mutated giant crocodile, nearly ten meters long, its thick scales shimmering with a metallic luster. Its thick tail swept across the ground, cracking the concrete road inch by inch.

The other was a mutated fox, its three-meter-tall body covered in flame-like crimson fur, with six fluffy tails dancing behind it.

Two Stage Three mutated entities!

Li Shuyang frowned slightly, the marks on his forehead spreading quietly as he slowly drew his long blade.

There was a crocodile breeding base in Chaoyang City, so he wasn't surprised by a mutated crocodile, though he didn't know how it had reached Stage Three or how it had gotten here. But that mutated fox? Had it bypassed the defensive lines to break into the city?

Li Shuyang's breathing rhythm changed abruptly, and white, incandescent mist erupted from his mouth and nose. He gripped his long blade tightly, his knuckles straining, and the blade gradually turned from crimson to a scorching, blinding dark red. The high temperature distorted the surrounding air.

"Sun Breathing, First Form: Waltz, Modified!"

The blade light traced a perfect ring of fire. The moment the flames touched the mutated crocodile's thick scales, a sizzling sound of melting metal erupted. The mutated beast retreated in pain, its thick tail sweeping a roadside stone pillar and smashing it toward Li Shuyang like a cannonball.

Li Shuyang spun to dodge, his blade tapping lightly on the stone pillar.

"Bang!"

The high temperature detonated the stone pillar. Suddenly, six crimson fox tails pierced through the sky filled with debris. Li Shuyang felt as if his spirit had been touched by something, and his expression grew dazed.

"A mental ability?"

"The prejudice against foxes throughout history is certainly not without reason."

Li Shuyang snorted, bit his tongue to stay clear-headed, and slashed horizontally.

"Sun Breathing, Fourth Form: Fake Rainbow!"

Seven afterimages pierced through the smoke screen simultaneously. Three of them slashed at the base of the fox tails. Before the smell of burnt fur could dissipate, a sound of air being torn came from behind—the crocodile's bone-spiked tail smashed down like a war hammer!

"Clang!"

The long blade collided with the bone spike, sparking blindingly. Li Shuyang used the force to flip backward, his blade plunging into the ground as he landed:

"Sun Breathing, Fifth Form: Fire Chariot!"

Using the tip of the blade as the center, he slashed forward, and a wave of fire rolled out. The moment the mutated crocodile was forced to retreat, Li Shuyang leaped into the air.

"Sun Breathing, Ninth Form: Setting Sun Transformation!"

Flames like the sun wrapped around the blade. This strike should have severed the mutated crocodile's head, but the mutated fox's mental interference intensified sharply, causing his position to shift slightly.

"Boom—!"

The blade fell heavily, and blazing flames erupted from the ground like a volcanic eruption. Gravel and fire shot into the sky, and rolling dust instantly obscured the entire street. The mutated crocodile was flipped over by the shockwave, its heavy body rolling several times on the ground, charred black blood seeping from the gaps in its scales.

However, the strike had missed its mark.

Li Shuyang's eyes sharpened, and he retreated quickly, but the mutated fox's mental interference continued. Sharp hissing echoed in his ears, as if countless needles were piercing his brain.

He stomped the ground, shattering it, and shot out like an arrow, his red blade igniting with scorching flames once more.

"Sun Breathing, Third Form: Burning Sun Red Mirror!"

The blade slashed horizontally, and a ring of fire expanded like a scorching sun, heading straight for the mutated fox. However, just as the flames were about to swallow it:

"Roar—!"

The mutated crocodile suddenly lunged, its massive body smashing through the ring of fire, its giant tail sweeping across. Li Shuyang's pupils shrank, and he hurriedly blocked with his blade.

"Bang!"

The terrifying impact sent him flying backward, crashing heavily into an abandoned shop by the street. The walls collapsed with a roar, and dust filled the air.

"Cough..."

Li Shuyang stood up from the ruins, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. He looked up, his gaze piercing through the dust, locking onto the two mutated entities.

The mutated crocodile crouched low, a low growl rolling in its throat; the mutated fox stood beside it, its tails swaying slowly, its crimson eyes flickering with a cunning expression.

Two beasts, and they actually knew how to coordinate?

Li Shuyang slowly exhaled a breath of scorching air. The marks on his face suddenly erupted with dazzling firelight. His black hair stood on end without wind, as if pulled by an invisible force, dancing wildly in the scorching heat waves.

"Since that's the case..."

He gripped his long blade tightly, the red blade igniting again. The surrounding air distorted violently due to the high temperature, and his expression turned cold.

"Then I'll cut you both down together!"

"Sun Breathing, Eleventh Form: Sun Halo Dragon..."

Just as Li Shuyang was gathering his strength:

"Whoosh!"

A golden streak of light pierced through the air. A trident, carrying a sharp edge, instantly pierced the mutated fox's chest, pinning it firmly to the ground.

Li Shuyang's pupils shrank, the flames on his blade stalling. He turned his head abruptly to scan the surroundings, looking for the person who had struck.

He heard someone singing loudly:

"Dark hair turns white before the years have fled, the trident breaks the waves to strike the demons dead!"

"Bones pave the road through a hundred battles won, when the tide returns, I claim the crown alone!"

"A single body fights across three thousand miles, divine might like a prison, suppressing the nine abysses!"

"The treasures of the cosmos turn to ash and dust, only my Dao heart remains, never to adjust!"

The voice was like a surging wave, moving from far to near. A white figure stepped through the air, his moon-white robes fluttering in the wind.

He landed gracefully in front of Li Shuyang and smiled slightly at him:

"I saw a fellow Daoist fighting two beasts alone, so I came to assist."

"Fellow Daoist?"

Li Shuyang was stunned for a moment, subconsciously sizing the other person up.

Was this person a Daoist priest? He didn't look like one.

But it was truly the first time he had seen someone recite poetry upon entering a battle.

Although he was suspicious, having help was always a good thing, so he immediately replied in the same tone:

"Thank you, fellow Daoist. May I ask your name?"

"I am Fang Yuan."

"Fang Yuan?!"

Li Shuyang immediately thought of that Great Love Immortal. His body instinctively turned toward Fang Yuan, and the flames on his blade rose up uncontrollably.

"It's the 'Yuan' from 'vitality', not the 'Yuan' from 'Fang Yuan'."

Fang Yuan smiled helplessly and then reminded him.

"Also, fellow Daoist, your sword..."

He had long anticipated this reaction. After all, when Zhou Ming obtained Muzan's ability, he hadn't done anything, yet Li Shuyang had tracked him down that very night based on instinct, ready to kill him without a word.

It was perfectly normal for him to react to his name.

In fact, it was within his expectations; otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to expose himself.

But he hadn't expected that Li Shuyang's body would instinctively prepare to attack him before his brain had even cleared.

"Oh, oh, sorry, body instinct."

Li Shuyang realized his blade was already pointed at Fang Yuan and hurriedly put it away.

He couldn't be blamed; that Great Love Immortal was just too famous, and this Fang Yuan had even recited poetry when he appeared.

Although that Great Love Immortal didn't seem to recite poetry when appearing, Fang Yuan's white-robed, floating-in-the-air, poetry-reciting style was indeed easy to associate with him.

"Understandable."

"But our main opponents right now are still these two mutated creatures."

Fang Yuan smiled gently, his gaze turning to the battlefield.

His eyes landed on the mutated fox pinned to the ground by the Sea God's Trident.

Logically speaking, his current strength wasn't enough to wield this divine artifact; his compatibility with the Tang San template was still far from meeting the requirements.

But the status of the Sea God and the Asura God remained branded within his body under the template, allowing him to use a portion of the Sea God's Trident's power and ignore its weight.

As for why he chose to expose his identity at this time...

Fang Yuan had already calculated it; he couldn't hide himself forever.

In the original work, Tang San knew Xiao Wu was a soul beast and still dared to take her to the Soul Master Competition; did he have to live his whole life in fear just because he inherited the Tang San template?

Tang San had his reasons, and so did he.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 189 =====