Chapter 640 - 636: No Way Out

The green net was immense.

It spanned several thousand meters, sealing off all of Hong Yu's escape routes and making it impossible to flee through the air.

"Ma Le Gobi!"

Hong Yu cursed, changed direction, and slid back along the ground.

At that same moment... SWOOSH!

The net completely enveloped the spot where Hong Yu had just been standing, even covering a small hill a hundred meters away. Then, with a flash of cyan light, the net detonated with a BOOM, causing the hill it constricted to utterly disintegrate.

A thick layer of the earth's surface vanished.

It was as if an ancient giant beast had slapped the ground, scraping it clean.

"Fuck, that was too close!"

Cold sweat broke out on Hong Yu's forehead.

If he hadn't reacted quickly enough to retreat, he would have been either severely injured or captured and killed.

"Which bastard ambushed me?" he snarled, looking up.

In the void above, a massive chariot slowly materialized. It was exceptionally lavish, inlaid all over with precious gems that shimmered with a dazzling, multicolored light.

And that wasn't all... ℴ

This chariot wasn't pulled by Desolate Beasts. Instead, it was carried by four women positioned at the front, back, left, and right.

Each woman was dressed in extremely revealing attire, covering only the most crucial parts and leaving the rest bare.

But every one of them was an absolute stunner.

If they were anywhere else, they would be regarded as ladies from prominent families, with suitors trampling down their doorsteps.

Yet here they were, reduced to being mere porters for a chariot?

But when Hong Yu saw the scene on the chariot, he understood. A handsome, half-dressed youth with a pale complexion was lying limply upon the lavish vehicle, dabbing the corner of his mouth with a white handkerchief.

Beside him were four more women, each graceful and even more beautiful than the last.

These four women draped themselves over him as languidly as pythons, striking all sorts of provocative poses. They were just short of moaning and groaning, doing things unsuitable for children in broad daylight.

"AHEM, AHEM... Snake King, how did you get so disheveled?" The effeminate voice carried a flirtatious tone. Seeing the handsome youth with his chest bare and clothes half-open was enough to make one's skin crawl.

The Snake King's expression darkened. "Chrysanthemum King," he barked, "since you're fucking here, get your ass down and help me! Stop that disgusting whining!"

"Oh, my, my... Brother Snake King, please call me Young Master Chrysanthemum, won't you?"

Young Master Chrysanthemum slowly rose into the air, spreading his arms. Four stunningly beautiful women—the kind that would make any man want to pin them down and have his way with them—carefully helped him into his robes.

Once he was dressed, Hong Yu finally understood why this man was called the Chrysanthemum King.

His outer robe was a fiery red, so vibrant it was almost a demonic, blood-like color. Embroidered on the robe with golden thread were resplendently blooming chrysanthemums. Paired with the chrysanthemum-bright smile on his pale face, the sight was nauseating.

But Hong Yu couldn't bring himself to smile.

He sensed an aura from this Chrysanthemum King that was even more dangerous than the Snake King's.

"Oh, my... so this is Hong Yu? The City Lord is so cruel. To make me find you and take your Venerable Golden Bone, he actually kicked me all the way out of West Gate Divine City. Boo-hoo, little brother, why don't you just give your big brother the Venerable Golden Bone, hmm?" The Chrysanthemum King said, holding his fingers in a delicate pose and winking at Hong Yu.

He cast a flirtatious glance, his tone even more suggestive.

If some beautiful woman were acting like this toward him, Hong Yu might have flirted back a little.

The problem was...

This guy was a man!

"..."

His eyelid twitched. Hong Yu took a deep breath and said, "Sorry, but there's no way I'm handing over the Venerable Golden Bone. Also, you said you're from West Gate Divine City?"

Hong Yu's gaze gradually sharpened.

"Oh, my, your eyes are so scary! You're frightening me!"

The Chrysanthemum King patted his chest in a mock-frightened gesture, then narrowed his eyes into a smile. "Why do you ask if I'm from West Gate Divine City? Don't tell me you want to pursue me? Hmm, how about this: you give me the Venerable Golden Bone, and I'll show you my chrysanthemum!"

A strange light seemed to glow in the Chrysanthemum King's eyes, coalescing into two golden chrysanthemums that floated gently.

They radiated a golden light that induced a sense of fascination in anyone who looked at them.

Hong Yu's Heart Spirit wavered for a moment, but he quickly regained his clarity.

At that moment, he noticed that some of the Divine Generals from the North and South Divine City had accidentally met the Chrysanthemum King's gaze. They shuddered, their eyes turning strangely blank, and a bizarre smile spread across their faces—a look of both fascination and utter adoration.

Like walking corpses, they began to shamble toward the Chrysanthemum King with dopey grins, chuckling, "Heh, heh..."

'What a powerful Charm Technique. Even I almost fell for it,' Hong Yu thought, sucking in a sharp breath.

A man using a charm technique was nauseating enough, but more importantly, the power of this bastard's charm was just too immense!

The Snake King, of course, was largely unaffected. Seeing many of his own men walking away in a daze, he flew into a rage and snorted coldly. "Bastard! Chrysanthemum King, you dare make a move on my men? Are you trying to pick a fight with me?"

"Oh, my, what are you saying!"

The Chrysanthemum King waved his hand dismissively with a coquettish pose.

The experts from the North and South Divine City immediately regained their senses. They looked at each other, utterly bewildered, with no idea what had just happened.

"Chrysanthemum King, weren't you hunting that woman named Zhu Ling'Er?" the Snake King asked, casting a provocative glance at Hong Yu.

Hong Yu's heart sank.

The Chrysanthemum King looked vexed. "That Zhu Ling'Er is truly a prize. I really wanted to add her to my collection. But she's just too good at escaping. In the end, she and that little girl fled into the Ice and Snow Jungle. You know how I hate the cold. Besides, entering the Ice and Snow Jungle is a near-death experience even for Divine King experts like us, so I simply gave up the chase."

"That's not right. That doesn't sound like you at all! You've always had methods for collecting the living and preserving the dead. How could you give up so easily?" the Snake King said, deliberately raising his voice.

The Chrysanthemum King flicked his dainty fingers. "I accidentally ruined that Zhu Ling'Er's face, and I think I broke several of her bones. If not for that little brat—what was her name, Chenxi?—constantly blocking me with ice, I would have captured them long ago. But thinking about it afterward, with her face ruined, she was useless to me, so I didn't bother chasing."

"Hahaha, ruined? That's wonderful, just wonderful!"

The Snake King roared with laughter.

He could see black energy surging madly around Hong Yu. Flames of fury danced in his eyes, and the veins on his skin bulged like rioting Coiled Dragons breaking free.

He was clearly furious to the extreme.

"You forced Chenxi to her death? You forced Chenxi to her death?"

Hong Yu repeated the words over and over.

His eyes blazed as if scorched by Celestial Fire. His whole body trembled, his bones grinding against each other like steel bars with a CLANGING sound.

His fists were clenched so tightly that his fingernails dug into his flesh. Drops of blood trickled down his fingertips, but he didn't even notice.

"Good! Good! Good! Since you killed Chenxi, then you will die to accompany her in death. West Gate Divine City, is it? Fine, just fine. One day, I, Hong Yu, will set foot in West Gate Divine City and trample your dogshit Divine City into ruins! I will make sure that in your West Gate Divine City..."

Hong Yu snapped his head up, beams of fiery red light shooting from his eyes. He spoke four words, each deliberate and filled with an endless chill, as if snow had begun to fall between heaven and earth.

"NONE... WILL... BE... SPARED!"

"Geh, geh, geh... you... what big talk!" The smile on the face of the ever-posing, ever-flirtatious Chrysanthemum King slowly vanished.

A sharp light glinted in his eyes.

It was a light that felt like dancing blades, terrifyingly sharp, as if a single glance could tear a person apart.

The Snake King's left hand was already completely withered and useless, and his heart was already brimming with killing intent for Hong Yu.

Seeing that the Chrysanthemum King beside him was also enraged by Hong Yu, he was secretly delighted. After all, though the Four Great Divine Cities competed with each other, they were more inclined to ally when mutual interests were at stake.

Otherwise, the Four Great Divine Cities would never have become as renowned as the Eight Great Battle Clans!

"Chrysanthemum King, let's kill him together!"

"Fine!"

The two of them attacked at once.

The Snake King and his Mystical Dharma Aspect Black Divine King Snake moved simultaneously, attacking Hong Yu from the left and right. This time, the Snake King's assault was even more venomous and fierce.

Mountains crumbled and the earth split. Rivers flowed backward, the sun and moon lost their light, and heaven and earth were turned upside down.

This was the most accurate description of the battle before them.

BOOM!

Hong Yu raised his Godslaying Spear to block the Snake King's attack. Just as he was about to counter, the Chrysanthemum King, still in the void, gave a cold smile.

A golden, chrysanthemum-shaped light shot from his eyes, striking Hong Yu in an instant. BUZZ! Hong Yu's head spun. Immediately, a clear stream flowed from the brain fused with his Star River Spirit Bone, and he snapped back to his senses in less than a second.

But in a battle between experts, victory and defeat are often decided in an instant.

"Die!"

The Snake King grinned savagely and kicked Hong Yu hard in the stomach.

Hong Yu's body shot backward like a falling star, crashing heavily into the ground and making the earth tremble.

PTHOO!

Hong Yu spat a mouthful of blood, his furious gaze sweeping toward the Chrysanthemum King. The man had been hiding in the back, using Mental Shock to interfere with him, causing him to be hit multiple times and adding injury upon injury.

'This won't work. I have to kill this bastard first!' With that thought, Hong Yu shot out from the rubble.

He rushed toward the Chrysanthemum King, tearing through the air with the sound of a shattering vacuum.

However...

This Chrysanthemum King was too cunning.

As if he had long anticipated Hong Yu's sneak attack, a green radiance flared around his body, and the very same green net suddenly appeared before him.

A wicked, triumphant smile spread across the Chrysanthemum King's face. "Geh, geh, geh... I've been waiting for you to walk right into my net!"

"Hmph!"

Seeing the net about to contract, Hong Yu didn't dare to delay.

The fate of the small hill was still fresh in his mind. Hong Yu immediately activated his Divine Demon Wings and retreated.

But just then, the smile on the Chrysanthemum King's face grew even more bizarre and triumphant. "Geh, geh, geh... Don't you know why they call me the Chrysanthemum King in the Four Great Divine Cities? It's because ninety percent of the prey I target get ambushed from behind!"

"Not good!"

Hong Yu's expression changed.

But it was too late...

BOOM!

A golden chrysanthemum materialized behind Hong Yu. It bloomed in an instant, unleashing a terrifying wave of energy that seemed to drain the color from the world.

BANG!

Hong Yu's body felt as if it had been struck by lightning as an excruciating pain shot through his back.

He plummeted toward the ground.

The power of that golden chrysanthemum was too horrifying. It had actually shattered Hong Yu's tempered, crystal-like spine, leaving him unable to move.

SWISH! SWISH!

The Chrysanthemum King and the Snake King arrived one after the other.

They flanked Hong Yu, one on each side. A bone-chilling light flashed in the Snake King's eyes as he sneered, "Brat, you destroyed one of my hands. I'm going to break your bones, inch by inch!"

"Boo-hoo... Does that mean I won't get to play with your chrysanthemum?"

The Chrysanthemum King said, eyeing Hong Yu with a wicked smile.

'I'm paralyzed, and I'm facing two Kings.' A trace of despair flashed in Hong Yu's eyes. 'Is this really...?'

'Am I out of options?'