Chapter 289: All Is Illusion!

"Hard dish?"

Shuten Douji's rough, crimson demon face twisted into a snarling grin that reached his ears.

He slowly raised the massive Wine Gourd in his hand.

The gourd's mouth faced downward.

Whoosh—!

The liquid poured out.

There was no rich aroma of wine.

Because…

It simply wasn't wine.

It was the blood of countless living beings that he had devoured and refined over millennia!

It is also the finest nourishment!

"Since you have such an appetite, I, the Great Lord, will stuff you to death!"

Shuten Douji let out a bellow and poured all the liquid onto the ground.

The hard ground softened instantly.

Immediately after, four ferocious, overwhelming auras erupted thunderously from deep beneath the earth!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

A gigantic hand, hung with rotting water plants and rusted armor, roughly tore open the blood‑soaked mud.

Four terrifying giant demons, each no smaller than Shuten Douji himself, rose majestically.

The first, forged entirely of yellow bronze, made the foundation moan with each step.

The second, covered in black fur, bore claws as sharp as knives and eyes like red lanterns.

The third sprouted white‑bone wings on its back, exuding a bone‑chilling cold.

The fourth, standing at the front, was slender, its red hunting garb fluttering in the wind.

In its hand it cradled a Purple Light eerie wine disc, with a strange curve at the corner of its mouth.

Great River Mountain's Four Heavenly Kings!

Golden Bear, Tiger Bear, Bear Boy, and the strategist—Xing Xiong Bamboo Tiles!

These four are placed in the Sakura Country's ghost story legends.

Each of them is a pinnacle being capable of triggering a Hundred Demons Night Parade and razing cities and nations.

At this moment, however, they merely serve as Shuten Douji's personal guard, appearing together!

The sense of oppression spread like a blanket over everything.

"Roar—!!!"

Three colossal, power‑type boys roared skyward, their sound waves turning into shockwaves that shattered the remaining broken walls and ruins around them.

In the eye of the gale, Su Ming's clothes fluttered noisily.

But the Ghost Cutter in his hand still pointed steadily toward the ground.

He even, with idle leisure, dug his ear.

"Your voice is huge; it'd be a waste not to sing high notes."

He glanced at the four meat mountains with a scornful expression.

"Is that all?"

"After all that effort, you only produced a few meat shields?"

"Things with thick skin, heavy flesh, and rotten meat in their brains are the most useless to cut with a blade."

"Besides making noise, they have no technical value."

Bare contempt!

In midair, Shuten Douji's eye corner twitched wildly.

Even at death's brink, still mouth‑stiff!

"Meat shield? Ha!"

He waved his hand, pointing at the Xing Xiong Bamboo Tiles below.

"Xing Xiong! Teach him what Rule means!!"

The red‑clad Xing Xiong Bamboo Tiles bowed slightly, his smile growing ever stranger.

He slowly raised the purple wine disc in his hand, offering a distant salute to Su Ming.

"All beings suffer; why not… get wildly drunk?"

Buzz—!

The wine disc tilted.

A drop of purple wine liquid fell.

It did not hit the ground.

It vaporized directly in midair!

The purple eerie mist exploded instantly, rushing toward Su Ming.

"Hm?"

Su Ming, alert, stepped back half a pace, golden light flashing in his pupils.

Analysis!

This is not poison…

It is a Rule!

【Great River Mountain Wine Formation·All Beings Suffer】!

Once you inhale this wine mist, the subject's five senses will be completely stripped away and reassembled.

Upside down, unable to tell friend from foe!

Enough to make even the most steadfast warrior swing his blade at a close friend!

To make the coolest mage hurl a fireball straight at himself!

"Steady!"

【Shuten Douji】 saw Su Ming completely engulfed by the purple mist and temporarily breathed a sigh of relief.

In this state, even a great demon would lose some of its mind!

Even if it can't directly incapacitate this human.

It should at least show some flaw, right?

As long as there's a flaw, even if only for a few seconds, the remaining three great youths can smash him into mush!

"Gold Bear! Tiger Bear! Attack! Tear it apart!!"

Roar!!!

The two massive beasts, long unable to hold back, roared and surged forward.

Iron fists and sharp claws capable of shattering mountains, accompanied by a devastating sonic blast, slammed down fiercely on the figure frozen in the purple mist!

In the global live stream.

The Dragon Nation Audience's heartbeats suddenly stopped.

"Move! 【Jing】 God is stuck?!"

"It's hard control! That purple mist is poisonous!"

"It's over... being slapped in the face by a monster of this level, even Iron Man would be disabled!"

"Four-one-two, really damn shameless!"

"Where's the magatama? Open another barrier to save!"

However.

Swish—!

A jet‑black blade flash, without warning, tore the purple mist!

Quick!

Ready!

Fierce!

This angle and timing are nothing a person with scrambled senses could swing out!

Clang—!!!

The massive clash of gold and iron produced a deafening roar.

【Gold Bear Youth】's massive fist was abruptly blocked midair by this seemingly casual slash!

Sparks erupted everywhere!

"Nani?!"

【Shuten Douji】's eyes almost popped out.

The purple mist remains.

Su Ming still stands at the center of the mist.

But the mask on his face had vanished at some point.

Revealing a pair of vertical pupils!

Dragon Scale covered his entire body.

Merged with a Dragon Maiden!

Mere hallucinogenic Rule?

In front of Xiao Heizi's bloodline, it's not even a fart!

Illusion, chaos, confusion?

All are false!

"Hmm... this wine flavor is quite proper, a bit aged."

Su Ming inhaled deeply, seeming to enjoy it, his face intoxicated.

"You..."

【Star Bear Youth】's smile froze, as if seeing a ghost.

His Rule wine formation...

Completely failed?!

"Don't stare at me like that."

Su Ming flicked his wrist, 【Ghost Cutter】 instantly increased its force, smoothly slashing across 【Gold Bear Youth】's arm, bringing up a string of sparks.

Still damn hard!

His gaze, however, directly passed over these two meat mountains blocking the way.

Locked onto the wine disc in the hands of the rear 【Star Bear Youth】.

His tongue licked his mouth corner.

His eyes burned.

"That broken disc in your hand... looks kinda valuable?"

Name: Ghost King Wine Disc

【Quality】: Quasi-Legendary

"Although it's missing a horn, this glaze, this coating... tsk tsk tsk."

"Open Gate!"

He's about to turn around!

"Arrogant!!!"

In the sky, Da Tian Gou's black wings quivered, a fierce wind surged, shredding the blood-red clouds across the heavens into fragments.

"Jiu Tun, it seems your subordinates are no better than this."

"It still requires The Speaker to go out!"

Before the words even fell.

Da Tian Gou's massive black wings behind him spread open.

Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh—!

Seven black afterimages, like arrows released from a bow, shot out from beneath the wings!

Seven strange figures clad in raven-black armor, wielding slender longswords, appeared.

Upon closer inspection.

They have no physical form; their bodies are entirely composed of raging wind and black feathers.

Black Feather Seven!

Da Tian Gou's most elite aerial death god!

"Huh?"

Su Ming was intrigued.

What a novel performance?!

The moment these seven bird-people touched the ground, they used incomprehensible speed to whirl around him wildly, slicing the surrounding air into countless fragments.

The ground's heavy hammer hasn't been dealt with yet.

So the sky's meat grinder has also descended?!

"Hehe..."

Not over yet!

From the other side of the ruins, a fragrant wind swept in.

Yu Zao Qian covered her mouth with a light laugh, her eyes flashing with murderous intent.

"Since it's so lively, this palace can't crush everyone's interest either."

"This hearty dish, sister also wants a bite!"