Humans Were Delicious

No mercy.

No feints.

Golden Peng thrust out a claw, like the enormous sword Xingtian, and pierced Wine Fox Immortal's abdomen in an instant, destroying her Immortal Platform and qi sea.

That was the scene he had imagined unfolding the next second.

It didn't happen.

A streak of green light flashed—

Silent.

Shadowless.

Soulless.

"Hm?"

Golden Peng froze for a moment.

In the next instant, he abruptly stiffened.

Right before his eyes—

A finger barely two inches long had stopped his claw, which stretched over ten feet.

Fingertip against claw tip.

The immense difference in size was like an ant raising its arm to hold back an elephant's descending leg.

The ant behind that fingertip was a mortal dressed in the green robes of the Bamboo Spring Sect.

His expression was far too calm.

There was no anger, no pride, no grit, and no defiance.

There was no spiritual pressure about him.

There wasn't even a tremor!

The scene was shocking and utterly bizarre, overturning everything Golden Peng knew.

He had believed that no Immortal Sect Master could dodge the speed of that strike. It was even powerful enough to destroy a small Floating Mountain like the Bamboo Spring Sect.

A strike with such overwhelming force, if stopped in an instant, should have caused a violent tremor.

But it didn't. Not at all!

The sky seemed to freeze.

His claw appeared to have suddenly stopped, halted precisely at the spot ordained by fate and governed by the Heavenly Dao.

It felt like being told to stop—and simply stopping.

It made no sense. It defied reason. The spiritual-pressure gale whipped up by his claw sent the man's green robes fluttering and scattered the layers of white clouds behind him.

Too shocked to notice that Wine Fox Immortal had vanished from his grasp, Golden Peng only saw her transformed into human form, cradled in the man's arms.

By rights, she had lost too much blood. All her internal organs were crushed, and her Immortal Platform and qi sea were surging in reverse. She should have been unconscious by now; even if they saved her, she would likely be crippled.

But for some reason, her battered body nestled in the man's arms and slept soundly.

The corner of her blood-smeared mouth curled up slightly, like a child who had drifted off while listening to a fairy tale.

What was this bizarre atmosphere?

Golden Peng's avian eyes stiffened as he suddenly remembered a recent rumor.

It said that Liu Xuanye had taken a mortal as her Dao companion, and that this mortal had risked his life to kill Yunzhongzi, earning a place among the immortals through that feat.

Everyone had thought it was a ploy by Liu Xuanye to prove her innocence.

Now, that ploy had taken shape before his eyes as something real—unbelievably real.

This man was strong!

He might even be stronger than Golden Peng!

Strong enough that Golden Peng was starting to think about retreating... But he wasn't a despicable coward like Yun Zhonghe. He represented the Immortal Tail, and the Immortal Tail would never bow to humanity.

Besides, he still had one trump card—

His younger brother, Void Kun.

Eighteen hundred years ago, the brothers had combined the power of their bloodlines and nearly killed a half-step Immortal Venerable who had ventured into Beast Nest Forest.

Back then, they had only been eight-star Immortal Sect Masters. Now, they were nine-star Immortal Sect Masters. If they ever encountered that half-step Immortal Venerable again, they would never let him escape.

Thinking this, Golden Peng withdrew his claw and looked down from on high, his gaze disdainful, like a god passing judgment on a mortal. His voice carried an inviolable divine might.

"You wish to make an enemy of the entire [Immortal Tail]?"

At the Martial Arts Arena.

The rain poured down.

Everyone stood still in the rain, paying it no heed. Even a group of dignified immortals had been drenched like drowned rats.

Some were shocked by Lu Ya's strength.

Some were afraid of making an enemy of the Immortal Tail.

Some remembered being brutalized in the past.

Whatever the case, this astonishing scene would be etched forever in the minds of the Beast Immortals.

Looking at the enormous peng body blotting out the sky and hearing those terrifying words, which sounded like the final judgment of the apocalypse, Lu Ya somehow felt that this fellow might already have lost his nerve.

"Make an enemy of me... You've sure got some nerve, acting like you're doing the Immortal Tail a favor!"

"This is a private feud between the Immortal Tail and Wine Fox Immortal. It has nothing to do with you. I have no interest in the Bamboo Spring Sect. Hand Wine Fox Immortal over to me, and we'll leave on our own."

Golden Peng's voice boomed like thunder, rumbling down from above.

He spoke in the toughest tone while saying the most cowardly thing. He really was worthy of being Yun Zhonghe's disciple.

Lu Ya asked curiously:

"I'm quite interested in your Beast Tide plan. Could you tell me about it?"

"Even if I, Golden Peng, didn't fight for the Immortal Tail, I would never cooperate with you humans."

Golden Peng immediately bristled, his enormous eyes burning with an unyielding fury that pierced the soul.

"You abandoned the Beast Tail, which means you abandoned your faith. Your greed knows no bounds, and you'll stop at nothing to get what you want. You even abandon and slaughter those closest to you. A race so devoid of benevolence and righteousness will one day be wiped out by the Immortal Tail!"

His vast, desolate cry seemed to carry the defiant will of countless ages, refusing to bow to fate.

Yet as he spoke, Golden Peng began probing for an opening, already plotting how to launch a sneak attack—and the best escape route if it failed.

"What you said is moving, but you've got one thing wrong—humanity has never defeated the Beast Race through righteousness."

Lu Ya spoke calmly, glanced up at the colossal beast above him, and shook his head.

"You're... too weak."

Golden Peng bared his beak in a grin.

"Am I?"

At the same time—

The sky suddenly darkened. A vast, gaping maw flashed across the sky like a streak of light.

Lu Ya hadn't even had three seconds to look cool before he and Wine Fox Immortal were swallowed by the Giant Kun.

With a rolling flip, the Giant Kun shot into the sky and disappeared into the thick clouds in the blink of an eye.

The sky suddenly fell silent.

Well, this was awkward...

Even Golden Peng hadn't expected to win so easily. He shook his head and burst into wild laughter.

"You blocked one of my attacks and thought you were invincible? I've met plenty of young people like you over the past three thousand years. You're talented. Given time, you might even grow stronger than me—but you've run out of time."

When brothers worked with one heart, their combined strength could cut through gold.

Seconds earlier, when Void Kun had seen Lu Ya stop Golden Peng with one finger, its eyes had stiffened. In an instant, it went berserk, forcibly breaking free of Liu Xuanye's sword net and charging forward in a furious burst—

Swallowing Lu Ya whole.

A Kun and a peng, two colossal beasts, swept across the sky.

It had happened so suddenly, and the sight was so shocking,

that everyone at the Martial Arts Arena was still caught up in what they had just witnessed and hadn't yet reacted.

It had all happened in the blink of an eye...

Everyone stared wide-eyed. Lu Ya and Wine Fox Immortal had vanished into the distance, leaving not a trace of spiritual pressure behind.

Ning Zhongzi's bright eyes stiffened.

Senior Brother Lu had actually been swallowed by the Giant Kun... Wasn't he invincible?

Muyu Feifei's tiger eyes widened. She trembled from head to toe, muttering in terror.

"I shouldn't have asked Junior Martial Uncle to get a big fish..."

"I told you, we couldn't eat a big fish. It would eat us instead!"

"Master... Junior Martial Uncle won't die, will he?"

"Master, say something!"

In the corner, Little Weasel Immortal furrowed his brow, realizing that something was not quite right.

At the summit of Little Bamboo Spring Mountain, on the Sword Terrace, Liu Xuanye's expression was calm, her heart still as water.

Lu Ya's being swallowed had not affected her. She raised her hand and continued controlling her sword.

The three thousand swords shifted into a new formation and flew toward the laughing Golden Peng.

"Now it's your turn?"

Golden Peng curled his beak in a sneer. In an instant, he transformed back into a black-robed human and summoned the Black Scale Sword beneath his robe. With sword in hand, he flashed forward, rushing proudly into the Three Thousand Sword Formation.

The Giant Kun rolled among the clouds, emitting a series of cries—pleased, jubilant howls.

Amid the sword rain, sparks of clashing metal flashed.

After a fierce struggle, Golden Peng hadn't gained the slightest advantage, which surprised him.

But only that.

His black robe flared as he burst out of the formation. High in the sky, he laughed coldly.

"You've got some skill, I'll give you that, but your constitution has no effect on me. With only the one-star cultivation you've just gained as an Immortal Sect Master, you can't beat me."

However, Golden Peng had just fought Wine Fox Immortal in a life-or-death struggle and felt a little tired. He didn't want to battle another woman again so soon.

To avoid letting things drag on and complications arise, Golden Peng decided to end it quickly. He tilted his head and whistled, calling for Void Kun in the clouds.

"I'll keep her occupied here. Go kill Liu Xuanye herself."

The colossal black shadow stirred in response, gliding slowly through the clouds.

The enormous Kun head, blotting out the sky, slowly emerged from the clouds.

Its terrifying maw opened slightly, and it let out a burp.

Golden Peng laughed leisurely.

"Humans really are delicious."

Wait, that smell...

Golden Peng looked up—

The Kun's eyes had turned white. A scorching breath, rich with the aroma of bone, billowed out of its enormous mouth.