"Ant, you have angered the great King! I shall banish you to the Deep Red Realm and supplant all that you are."
The Crimson Old God suppressed its fury as the Flesh-Sun under its control began to fracture continuously.
It realized that this troublesome opponent possessed the ability to halt time and space; even it could not easily escape.
When the ball of flesh reached its limit, grotesquely swollen, it nearly filled half the world.
The next moment, accompanied by a thunderous roar, the Flesh-Sun exploded. Terrifying crimson power swept through, transforming into a blood-red storm connecting heaven and earth, formed from severed limbs, shattered flesh, and bone.
A brilliant crimson light flared, reflecting the illusory image of a Divine Kingdom.
Or rather, it was merely the reflection of a border town within that Divine Kingdom.
It was a chaotic, barbaric town. Structures were built of white bones and wrapped in unknown skins, still stained with blood. It was a relic of an old era, a land of ignorance and folly. Countless grotesque beings simultaneously cast their greedy, covetous, and hateful gazes.
It crossed the barrier between reality and illusion to descend here!
"A Divine Kingdom?!" Chu Yi exclaimed in astonishment. His figure felt light as a feather as he was enveloped by an irresistible suction force, pulling him into this border town.
In the blink of an eye, he found himself standing at the entrance of a blood-shrouded tavern adorned with horned sheep heads. Beneath his feet lay a path paved with scattered bones and severed limbs.
Savagery, bloodshed, chaos, and ignorance were the true nature of this town. And, the power from the Deep Red Realm radiated out, suppressing him, temporarily sealing his Clock Eye.
So, you can’t beat me head-on, and your solution is to banish me to your Divine Kingdom to deal with me? Are you such a sore loser, you old scoundrel!
"A human... it’s a human!" a five-meter-tall, ram-headed Demon shrieked in delirious joy and charged forward.
Half of its body was a mass of putrid flesh, riddled with breeding tumors from which countless tentacles writhed, seeking to capture prey.
"I’ll strangle him with my intestines! Get lost, all of you!"
"Great King of Deep Red, thank you for bestowing upon us this delectable meal!"
The townsfolk all wore expressions of Frenzy. This human ’ingredient’ was rich in Spiritual essence; both its flesh and Soul were rare delicacies.
"You who blaspheme the King shall suffer the punishment of a thousand cuts!"
A crimson figure loomed from above, gazing down at the youth besieged by a swarm of its subjects, and sneered coldly.
Though it was merely a sliver of its consciousness, capable of wielding only a fraction of the Divine Kingdom’s power—even if only a reflection—it was still a Divine Kingdom. Any enemy daring to step inside would be restrained. Their heads would be severed by the supreme King, becoming gruesome trophies to commemorate his battle victories. Their strength would also be absorbed into the Divine Kingdom, for the King to use.
The next moment, the anticipated scene of him being devoured by the Deep Red denizens did not occur.
"It seems this is your last resort."
Amidst this dire situation, Chu Yi laughed aloud. His entire body began to mutate: tumors grew wildly upon him, thousands of tentacles squirmed, and countless malicious faces—both young and old—emerged from his flesh, each connected by thin strands of blood.
His flesh seemed to undergo a nuclear reaction, swelling incessantly, resembling a writhing sun.
Under the dazed gazes of the Deep Red Demons, this Flesh-Sun Chu Yi had become occupied half the sky. Countless eyeballs bulged from its surface, veiled by an encompassing grey mist, while innumerable tentacles dangled, flickering within that fog.
Mimicry: Flesh-Sun + Flower of Desire + Divine Eye + Master of Grey Mist + Madness Mountain Range!
The evolution of his Divine Hand also allowed [Mimicry] to fuse multiple characteristics. However, this fusion had its limits, so Chu Yi had to use the Flesh-Sun as the primary form, with the other aspects serving as support.
In any case... I reject my humanity!!
The crimson figure was momentarily stunned. What is this ability? Isn’t he a taboo existence of the time element?!
At this moment, for the first time, the Crimson Old God felt that knowledge was actually useful. It broadened its perspective, at least allowing it to comprehend what manner of monstrous creature this fellow was. The most terrifying part was that this strange being had seemingly imitated it so perfectly that the Divine Kingdom no longer suppressed him, but instead accepted him! This was because the other party was now a Flesh-Sun, a product of the Deep Red Realm, possessing the status equivalent to a King’s Son! Blessings were practically due; how could it possibly suppress him now?
Consequently, the grotesque form Chu Yi had assumed received the blessings of the Deep Red Realm. He thrived within it, his power soaring, a picture of perverse joy.
Facing the Deep Red Demons, whose scalps tingled as they stood stunned as if petrified, Chu Yi’s monstrous form ground its teeth, an inexplicable hunger rising within him.
It wasn’t flesh he craved, but a conceptual form of chaos, ignorance, and savagery.
Immediately, the Flesh-Sun split open like a grotesque flower with dozens of petals, all bristling with fangs. Waving its tentacles, it began to feast.
"I’ll devour you all in one gulp!"
The demons that had congregated to feast, far from tasting human delicacy, were themselves swallowed whole in one massive gulp.
A sweep of its massive tentacles impaled a swath of Demons on their thorns, holding them fast. In despair and terror, they were crammed into one of the Flesh-Sun’s maws. A sickening crunching sound followed, and a torrent of fresh blood gushed out.
Hmm, chicken flavor. And so satisfyingly crunchy.
Chu Yi understood he wasn’t consuming mere flesh, but the conceptual power embodied by these Deep Red Demons.
The entire border town became Chu Yi’s personal buffet; even the bone-constructed houses were devoured.
Devour, devour, devour...
He feasted voraciously, right in front of the Crimson Old God. Chu Yi even shaped his flesh to play with his feeding methods, contorting them into grotesque ’flowers.’ This caused the Crimson Old God’s expression to become exceedingly grim. If it possessed a physical heart, it would have undoubtedly burst from sheer rage.
The Soul-Calling Banner flickered, absorbing countless Souls into itself. The Chaotic Burial Mound thus gained a new batch of foreign Souls.
At this moment, Chu Yi felt that being human had its limits. By ceasing to be human, he had shed these shackles, experiencing an unparalleled joy and freedom.
The Crimson Old God was driven to the brink of madness. It had self-detonated, summoning the phantom of its Divine Kingdom to restrain Chu Yi, only to not only fail in devouring him but to inadvertently provide him with a feast! Damn it all...
However, without its Blood Spear, many of its abilities were unusable. Just as Chu Yi had surmised, summoning the Divine Kingdom was its final resort.
If I had a second King’s Spear, if this were my true body, how could I allow this abomination to act so wantonly!
"Your blasphemy is unforgivable! One day, I shall personally sentence you to death!"
After spitting out these harsh words, the Crimson Old God prepared to depart.
But then, the progress bar leaped, reaching 100%.
Its shadowy form faltered. As it stared in disbelief, its consciousness shattered and was extracted, leaving behind a concentrated crimson essence, like a small vial of fresh blood, which then merged into Chu Yi’s Kitchen.
[Fragment of an Ancient One’s Skin*1]