Chapter 166 The Hunger Beneath The Battlefield

Chapter 221 — The Hunger Beneath the Battlefield

Shen Yuan stared at the Devourer as the creature's enormous shadow covered him. His body was already injured, his Origin Energy circulation unstable, and his opponent stood two major realms above him. Yet the previous exchange had revealed something worth investigating.

The Devourer's absorption wasn't instantaneous.

That small detail might become his only opportunity.

'Let's see whether you can devour something that doesn't behave the way you expect.'

Shen Yuan raised his right hand. Rather than releasing an ordinary attack, he gathered a small amount of Origin Energy and began compressing it within his palm. He deliberately disrupted its normally stable circulation, forcing several conflicting currents to coexist within the compressed mass.

The energy trembled violently.

Even maintaining it was difficult. His injured meridians struggled to sustain the unstable structure, and the pressure threatened to spread through his arm. Nevertheless, Shen Yuan continued until he was satisfied with the result.

He released it.

The compressed mass shot toward the Devourer. As expected, the creature immediately attracted it with its absorption field. Invisible currents converged around the incoming energy, drawing it toward the enormous body.

For a brief moment, everything appeared normal.

Then the unstable Origin Energy entered the absorption field.

The surrounding currents fluctuated.

The energy resisted the process instead of smoothly following the Devourer's established circulation. Several conflicting streams collided, briefly disrupting the absorption field and causing the creature's enormous body to pause.

Shen Yuan's eyes sharpened.

'It worked!'

But his excitement lasted only an instant.

The Devourer began compressing the unstable energy. Its absorption field contracted, forcing the conflicting currents together until the unstable structure started breaking apart. The energy was violently rejected, and the resulting backlash spread through the surrounding space.

Shen Yuan immediately raised his arm to defend himself.

The shockwave struck him, forcing him backward. His injured body struggled to withstand the impact, and pain spread through his already damaged meridians. He landed heavily, blood escaping his lips.

The experiment had failed to produce a decisive result.

However, it hadn't been completely useless.

'It can be disrupted, but it can also forcefully reject what it cannot process.'

At the same time, the phenomenon had provided another kind of experience.

The principles Shen Yuan's clone had observed from Mahoraga had already been integrated into his own abilities. Unlike the Devourer's absorption analysis, this adaptation was not an attempt to copy another ability. It was an independent mechanism that adjusted to phenomena through exposure.

There was no wheel appearing above his head or any external manifestation. The changes happened internally.

His first exposure to the Devourer's absorption had begun the adaptation process. The second exposure had provided additional information, allowing the mechanism to gradually adjust his energy circulation to the attraction and pressure generated by the absorption field.

It wasn't enough to grant him immunity, but the adjustment was real.

Shen Yuan could feel that the same attraction was becoming slightly less disruptive to his energy circulation than before.

Meanwhile, his Myriad Origin Physique continued analyzing the underlying principle of the Devourer's ability, working toward copying and integrating it. The two processes were independent, even though both benefited from the exposure.

Shen Yuan slowly straightened.

'Its absorption has a limitation. I just haven't figured out how to exploit it properly.'

The Devourer advanced, and the surrounding space began to compress. Shen Yuan immediately moved, but instead of retreating in a straight line, he changed direction twice, forcing the creature to adjust its spatial distortion. A moment later, he noticed the familiar attraction around its body. Energy from the battlefield was flowing toward it again.

This time, he paid attention to the flow itself.

The energy didn't disappear immediately. It followed several invisible currents before converging around the creature's body. Whenever Shen Yuan released an attack, those currents became stronger, drawing the energy toward the Devourer. The creature wasn't simply absorbing whatever came near it; it was influencing the surrounding energy and directing it toward itself.

'So that's the actual mechanism.'

A faint smile appeared on Shen Yuan's face, although his condition was far from reassuring. He had an idea, but it required precise control and cooperation from the Shadow Army. More importantly, it would require him to use himself as bait.

He wasn't particularly fond of that part.

"ASHBORN!"

His voice carried across the battlefield through their connection. "Stop the advance. Pull the damaged soldiers back, and separate the enemy commanders from their main formation. I need their attention."

Ashborn immediately understood that Shen Yuan was preparing something. He didn't question the order.

"Understood."

The First Shadow Monarch raised his sword, and the army's formation changed. Vereth and the elite generals began drawing their opponents away from the main battlefield, forcing the enemy commanders to pursue them. Ashborn remained in the center, personally engaging two powerful opponents while directing the movement of his soldiers.

The enemy commanders initially followed the retreating Shadows, but their movements soon became coordinated. Rather than chasing blindly, they began attacking the retreating formations from different angles, attempting to surround them.

Ashborn's expression remained unchanged. His shadow spread across the battlefield, and several enormous weapons emerged from it, intercepting the incoming attacks. He advanced through the enemy's pressure, his sword cutting through their defenses as he forced them farther away from Shen Yuan's position.

Where did this chapter come from? It was copied from the author's official page without permission, while reading there supports them.

The plan was working, but it wasn't without a price. Several Shadows were destroyed during the maneuver, and their residual Origin Energy immediately began flowing toward the Devourer.

Inside the Group Chat livestream, the members watched Shen Yuan's condition deteriorate.

Mai Sakurajima: "He's barely standing properly. Why is he still putting himself in the creature's path?"

Hinata Hyūga: "His injuries are getting worse. He's deliberately drawing its attention, isn't he?"

Boa Hancock: "How dare that creature injure him so badly? If I were there, I would make it regret every moment of this."

Cha Hae-In: "He's using himself as bait. His movements are deliberate, but his condition is becoming a serious problem."

Rukia Kuchiki: "It looks that way. He's trying to control where the creature directs its absorption, but one mistake could be fatal."

Shinobu Kocho: "He knows that. That's why he's trying to finish preparing the plan before his body reaches its limit."

Nobara Kugisaki: "Knowing the risk doesn't make it any less frustrating to watch!"

The livestream showed Shen Yuan moving again. Several members fell silent as another distortion swept across the battlefield.

The Devourer noticed the changing movements of the Shadow Army. Its attention briefly shifted toward the retreating soldiers, and the absorption currents around its body grew stronger. The residual Origin Energy released by the destroyed Shadows flowed toward it, replenishing the energy it had spent.

Shen Yuan watched carefully.

'There.'

He could finally see the pattern clearly. The Devourer's absorption field was expanding and contracting as it drew in energy from different directions. When it absorbed a large quantity, the surrounding currents became temporarily concentrated. That moment created a small opening in its otherwise overwhelming defenses.

It wasn't a weakness he could exploit with an ordinary attack. He needed to force the creature to absorb more energy than it could process comfortably.

Shen Yuan raised his hand, releasing a controlled stream of Origin Energy. The Devourer immediately responded, drawing the energy toward itself. Shen Yuan altered its circulation at the last moment, introducing the same instability he had used in his first experiment.

The energy entered the absorption field.

The Devourer began consuming it, but this time Shen Yuan didn't release everything at once. He maintained control over the remaining stream, feeding it gradually while watching the surrounding currents.

His internal adaptation continued adjusting to the attraction generated by the absorption field. The earlier exposure had already produced a small adjustment, and the repeated contact allowed that adaptation to develop further. It didn't make him immune, but it helped him maintain control over his energy for slightly longer under the same influence.

The creature's attention focused entirely on him.

"Interesting," it said. "You have begun to understand."

Shen Yuan didn't answer. He was concentrating too hard to waste his attention on a conversation. His injured meridians struggled to maintain the unstable circulation, and the pressure was already spreading through his body.

Then the Devourer changed its approach.

Instead of attempting to absorb the unstable energy normally, it compressed the surrounding space and forcibly separated the energy into several streams. The unstable portions were pushed away while the more compatible energy was consumed.

Shen Yuan's expression changed.

'You're sorting it?'

The creature had adapted again.

His own adaptation began responding to the altered absorption process, but it couldn't instantly adjust to every variation. The previous progress remained, yet this new method presented another challenge. He would need further exposure before his adaptation could respond effectively.

A sudden pull seized the energy around him. His control slipped, and a portion of his own Origin Energy was dragged toward the Devourer. Shen Yuan immediately severed the connection, but the backlash struck his meridians.

He staggered, and blood escaped his lips.

"Shen Yuan!"

The shout came through the Group Chat livestream.

Yukino Yukinoshita: "He's losing control of the energy!"

Orihime Inoue: "His condition is getting worse. He needs to stop!"

Tsunade Senju: "If he keeps forcing his energy circulation in that condition, he'll damage his foundation. He needs to be careful!"

Yoruichi Shihōin: "He knows. But look at the creature's position. He's still trying to make it move."

Cha Hae-In: "He's injured, but he's still watching its movements. He's waiting for something."

Boa Hancock: "He should stop letting that monster hurt him. This is becoming unbearable to watch."

Indeed, Shen Yuan hadn't retreated.

The Devourer had shifted its attention toward the energy he had released, and its absorption currents had drawn it slightly away from its previous position. It was a small movement, but it had brought the creature closer to the area where the Shadow Army's battle was unfolding.

Shen Yuan had been waiting for precisely that.

He abruptly stopped releasing energy.

The Devourer's absorption field continued pulling for an instant, and its body shifted forward as it followed the energy flow. At the same time, Shen Yuan moved in the opposite direction, using the creature's own attraction to close the distance between them.

He clenched his fist.

Instead of gathering a massive amount of Origin Energy around it, he concentrated on reinforcing his physical body. The Myriad Tribulation Origin Body Scripture circulated through his body, refining his physical foundation even as his injuries continued to weigh on him.

He knew his physical strength wasn't enough to defeat the Devourer outright. But he didn't need to defeat it with one strike.

He needed to interrupt its absorption at the right moment.

Shen Yuan struck.

His fist connected with the creature's body just as the remaining unstable energy was being drawn into its absorption field. The simultaneous impact and disrupted energy flow caused the field to fluctuate violently.

For the first time, the Devourer was forced to interrupt its absorption completely.

The resulting shockwave spread across the battlefield.

Shen Yuan was thrown backward, but he had already anticipated the impact. He crossed his arms and reinforced his body, reducing some of the force before landing heavily on the ground.

The Devourer, however, had been pushed several steps away.

A faint crack appeared across the dense layer of energy covering its body.

Shen Yuan stared at it.

'Finally.'

It wasn't a decisive injury, but it was proof that his strategy could work. The creature's absorption and physical defenses were not completely independent. Forcing it to concentrate on one could create an opportunity against the other.

Unfortunately, the Devourer had also understood what he was attempting.

Its enormous body became still. The energy currents around it suddenly reversed, and the residual Origin Energy released by the destroyed Shadows stopped flowing toward it in the usual manner.

Instead, the creature directed its attention toward the Shadow Army.

Shen Yuan's expression changed immediately.

"No."

The Devourer had abandoned its previous focus and was now targeting the army directly. The surrounding space compressed around several Shadow Soldiers, trapping them before they could withdraw.

Ashborn reacted instantly. His shadow spread across the battlefield, and he intercepted the spatial distortion with a massive defensive structure. Vereth and the elite generals pulled their soldiers away, but the pressure was already spreading.

Shen Yuan felt the strain through his connection with the army.

The Devourer wasn't simply adapting to his attacks. It was changing its target to exploit the fact that Shen Yuan couldn't ignore the destruction of his own forces.

'That bastard...'

He forced himself upright, ignoring the pain running through his body. The experiment had given him an opening, but the creature had immediately found another way to pressure him.

His Myriad Origin Physique continued its analysis.

[External Energy Absorption: Analysis progressing.]

[Core principle partially understood.]

[Integration incomplete.]

Shen Yuan barely glanced at the notification. He had no time to celebrate the progress. The creature had shifted the battlefield against him, and Ashborn was now being forced to defend the army while fighting several powerful opponents.

Through their connection, Shen Yuan sent a single command.

"Ashborn, don't defend the entire formation. Protect the generals and withdraw the remaining soldiers. I'll deal with it."

Ashborn understood the order, but his response carried a rare hint of hesitation.

"Your condition is deteriorating, Master."

"I know."

Shen Yuan looked toward the Devourer. His body was injured, his energy reserves were falling, and the enemy was still two major realms above him. He wasn't confident he could withstand another direct exchange.

But he had learned something valuable.

The Devourer could be interrupted. It could be forced to abandon its absorption. And, more importantly, its attention could be manipulated.

His Mahoraga-derived adaptation had also begun adjusting to the creature's absorption phenomenon. The progress was incomplete, but the experience accumulated would remain. His Myriad Origin Physique, meanwhile, was still working toward integrating the actual absorption ability.

He slowly raised his hand.

"Let's see how you handle this."

The Devourer's body began to distort. The crack on its surface disappeared beneath a layer of dense energy, and the surrounding space grew darker.

Then it spoke.

"You have learned to interfere with consumption. But you still misunderstand something."

Shen Yuan narrowed his eyes.

"What?"

The creature's enormous presence spread across the battlefield.

"I do not need to consume only what you offer."

The energy around the Shadow Army suddenly began moving toward it.

Shen Yuan's expression changed.

The Devourer wasn't merely absorbing the energy released by destroyed Shadows anymore.

It was attempting to draw energy directly from the living army.

And this time, Shen Yuan couldn't afford to let it succeed.