Countless fragments splattered and scattered, each piece still wriggling madly, but no longer able to re-coalesce.
"Ahhh—"
A mournful wail echoed across this world.
Shuhu was defeated, utterly and completely.
"I didn't expect the Demon Bow to help you!"
The scattered remnants of its body shrieked in the high sky, but did not flee.
Instead, with a desperate madness, they swarmed towards Qi Zhimu like a pack of hyenas sensing blood.
"But the Demon Bow is too stingy! It only gave you one-time power!"
"What if you destroy my body?"
"My body cannot be re-formed, but yours can! Since you destroyed me, then repay it with your body! Hahaha!"
All the fragments of its body tore through space and distance, pouring into Qi Zhimu's body.
Qi Zhimu did not dodge.
Or rather, he never intended to dodge, allowing those things to drill into his body, corroding and assimilating every cell.
Soon, he no longer looked human.
His body began to twist and swell, rough bark grew on its surface, and many mutated organs, plundered from unknown Abominations, sprouted.
His aura quickly dissipated, replaced by Shuhu's distinctive, nauseating blessing of abundance aura.
Qi Zhimu thus became a thorough, unrecognizable four-limbed monster.
"Hahaha! Do you feel it?"
Shuhu's arrogant voice came from the monster's throat, filled with the pride of a victor.
"Now you are me! I am you, and we can never be separated!"
"Without the Emanator's status, what will you use to resist my will?! Become my vessel now!"
Just as Shuhu thought the situation was settled, the monster's mouth curved upward in an incredibly sarcastic grin.
"Resist?"
Qi Zhimu's voice faintly echoed from the depths of his sea of consciousness.
"I never intended to resist your will anyway..."
Shuhu's laughter abruptly stopped, and a strange unease welled up in its heart.
"What do you mean?"
Qi Zhimu's voice grew weaker, yet it carried a strangeness that sent shivers down Shuhu's spine.
"You are me, I am you. As long as I die, you will also die."
Upon hearing this, Shuhu immediately understood Qi Zhimu's plan.
"Even I cannot quickly kill you. Now that you are in my hands, I will make your body regenerate infinitely. You'll find it hard to die!"
"Then, I will imprison and seal all your remaining consciousness... Hmm?"
Shuhu suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
It felt a familiar power emerging from the depths of the sea of consciousness, forcibly isolating the will that did not belong to this body, desperately guarding the last shred of clarity, and resisting its erosion.
"Without the Emanator's status, all your struggles are futile! My power surpasses your imagination!"
The life-and-death struggle of cannibalization began.
Not long after, a golden light streaked across the sky.
Teng Xiao finally arrived, surveying the scarred Desolate Planet.
When he saw the four-limbed monster emanating a terrifying aura in the ruins, he first froze, then tightened his grip on the greatsword.
Its appearance had changed drastically, but that nauseating aura, he would recognize it even in death.
Although he didn't know why the Reignbow Arbiter was also looking in this direction, for now... Teng Xiao took a deep breath, his eyes filled with surging killing intent.
"Shuhu, prepare to die!"
"Hehehe... Teng Xiao, if you were at your peak right now, I truly couldn't do anything to you, but alas..."
Shuhu glanced behind him, the light of the Divine General had dimmed to near extinction, and couldn't help but let out a strange laugh.
However, its response to Teng Xiao's attacks was not calm.
This was due to not having completely taken control of Qi Zhimu's body. At this point, putting aside their adversarial stance, Shuhu actually admired him.
A mere mortal, yet he forced an Emanator to such a state; it was enough to be proud of across the entire Galaxy.
But even with Shuhu in a poor state, Teng Xiao's attacks landing on it had little effect.
Compared to a thousand years ago at Azure City, Shuhu was much more troublesome.
Each time it returned from death, this cursed giant tree would become stronger.
In the past, Teng Xiao could kill Shuhu multiple times, but now, the moment Shuhu appeared on the Luofu, his attacks had been futile.
He had no retreat.
Even at the cost of his life, he had to keep it here, waiting for the arrival of reinforcements from the other Xianzhou.
Half a system hour passed.
Teng Xiao blocked a heavy blow from Shuhu, the terrifying force shaking him until blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and he could no longer maintain the Divine General's presence.
Shuhu sneered, just about to seize the opportunity to kill him, when more than ten peculiar warships appeared out of thin air.
A mighty ancient dragon circled above the fleet, opening its mouth to unleash a dragon's breath.
Shuhu was caught off guard and took a direct hit. Its injuries rapidly healed, and it looked up at the sky.
"Yaoqing's Vidyadhara High Elder, Lord Tianfeng?"
Lord Tianfeng stared intently at Shuhu, his expression suddenly changing.
"How can there be the aura of the Ambrosial Arbor's blessing within you?!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Teng Xiao's expression also turned grim.
The Ambrosial Arbor had actually been defiled by Shuhu?
When... "This is all thanks to Qi Zhimu. He brought the power of the Ambrosial Arbor to me." Shuhu cackled.
It was almost successful.
The current Qi Zhimu could no longer converse with it. In a few more minutes, this body would completely belong to it.
Although it couldn't compare to its shattered main body, with enough time, it would eventually be able to rebuild everything.
It had plenty of time.
Shuhu's left arm transformed into a branch, and Qi Zhimu's face condensed upon it.
"Although revenge was overestimating his abilities, I admit, he was a respectable opponent."
Seeing that face, both Teng Xiao and Lord Tianfeng clenched their fists tightly, their teeth grinding loudly.
A hero who dedicated most of his life to the Xianzhou was actually devoured by Shuhu... "Where's my old general friend from Yaoqing? Why didn't he come? Oh right, Wind of Evil is already dead. The current general seems to be called... Never mind, it's not important."
Shuhu now seemed completely unhurried, composed and at ease.
Only after occupying Qi Zhimu's body did it realize how much power of the Ambrosial Arbor this guy had seized.
Frankly speaking, the blessing of abundance that Rahu devoured from all the Azure City people combined would barely reach one-tenth of the Ambrosial Arbor's power.
If it had known this earlier, there would have been no need to waste so much time with Qi Zhimu.
As long as it completely controlled this body, even if the Xianzhou Marshal personally arrived, they wouldn't be able to stop it.
"Come on, continue your futile attacks on me!"
"You deserve to die!!!"
Teng Xiao roared, attacking Shuhu alongside Lord Tianfeng.
Shuhu sneered inwardly, attacking this body would only accelerate the dissolution of Qi Zhimu's consciousness, allowing it to succeed faster.
That's why it didn't kill Teng Xiao immediately... Gradually, the fastest relief fleets from various Xianzhou arrived, joining the tragic encirclement.
However, the more they fought, the uglier everyone's expressions became.
Not only did that bastard Shuhu not show any signs of weakening, but it grew stronger with each battle. Any attack landing on its surface could hardly cause substantial damage.
The battle continued for a long time, and news of reinforcements came from the rear.
The main forces that the Luofu could still deploy, led by four of the High-Cloud Quintet, were about to arrive.
However, at this very moment, the monster surrounded by everyone suddenly erupted with an extremely terrifying aura, shaking everyone around it away.
"Hahahaha, it's done! I am Shuhu, I am Eternity!"