The annihilating energy unleashed by the Sun and Moon Twin Spears had vaporized most of Chen Jin's body.
Although Chen Jin could regenerate his body with the power of Flesh of Vision, without his weapons, there was little reason to maintain a human form.
"Since that's the case..."
A thought rose in Chen Jin's mind.
He gave up the last shred of attachment to his "human form" and embraced the most primitive, most frenzied potential of the Flesh of Vision inheritance.
Limitless proliferation. Limitless mimicry.
The immense power within him, on the level of the Six Ministries, burst forth like a flood breaking through a dam. It cast off all restraints and began shaping a brand-new form according to his most instinctive vision of combat.
"ROAR—!"
A deep tiger's roar erupted from the left side of his torso. A ferocious tiger's head tore through the fungal flesh and took shape, its fangs bared as its roar sent tremors through the air.
Almost at the same time, a lion's head burst out from his right shoulder. Its mane was made of countless hard tendrils of flesh, and it let out a fearsome roar.
This was only the beginning.
Bone proliferated wildly across his back, piercing his skin to form a shield-like structure covered in a thick, tortoiseshell-like carapace. Yet from the gaps in the shell, several segmented tails tipped with scorpion-king stingers suddenly lashed out, their deep blue venomous glow flickering.
Two rows of sharp limbs, like a centipede's legs, thrust out from his sides and sank deep into the ground, providing tremendous traction and stability.
A chitinous shell covered his chest, and a pair of terrifying scythe-like arms, each as large as a giant mantis, suddenly thrust out, their blades glinting with a faint light.
He was a living biological weapons testing ground, forcibly combining the advantageous organs of countless predators in the natural world in the most savage and efficient way possible.
Hundreds of hearts grew inside him, each one enormous, beating incessantly as they pumped his vast power to every organ.
His back was covered in black bumps. On closer inspection, each was a newly grown head. The heads excitedly argued and held meetings, brainstorming solutions to one predicament after another, then testing them one by one on his already enormous, bizarre body.
If their brain capacity grew a hundredfold, could they calculate a way out of this predicament...
If the number of brain cells lost in battle remained within a controllable ratio, could they compromise on skull protection to improve efficiency...
What was the relative humidity at which the infectious, bronze-corroding "Bronze Sickness" broke out...
Biological signals coursed through his body, ordering his skin to wrap tightly around the Bronze Mecha as it conducted controlled experiments in separate sections.
He swelled and twisted. His skin became covered in gray cerebral cortex, and to increase its surface area, layer upon layer of folds sprouted across it. In the end, he became a terrifying mound of flesh several zhang tall, pulsing constantly and shedding chunks of flesh and blood.
He deliberately broke down some of his outer tissues, turning them into a viscous, foul-smelling bog of flesh that spread toward the Bronze Mecha driven by Eleven and clung to it.
Every time the mecha tried to break free or strike back, it only sank deeper.
Its dark bronze and hideous wooden outer shell were quickly enveloped in a layer of constantly pulsing fungal mucous membrane.
The membrane breathed and writhed like a living thing. Bubbles continually swelled and burst across its surface, releasing highly corrosive acid mist that ate away at the bronze, producing a mournful sizzling sound.
Countless fungal threads, finer than strands of hair and as greedy as billions of tentacles, slipped through the gaps in the mecha's joints and the grooves of its runes, burrowing inside through every possible opening.
They spread between its intricate gears and connecting rods, secreting enzymes that decomposed the wooden spirit materials and scattering spores too small for the naked eye to see. Tiny fungal colonies formed, clogging the mecha's inner workings.
New mutated organs took shape: spiral-shaped mouths, resembling the jaws of burrowing beetles, formed in the flesh and spun at high speed, trying to drill through the bronze armor plates; openings that could spray powerful adhesive threads locked onto the mecha's joints, further restricting its movement.
Eleven's Bronze Mecha continued its frenzied counterattack.
Each punch wrapped in baleful energy still tore a terrifying hole in the mound of flesh, blasting away huge chunks of tissue.
The baleful energy coating its body also continued to burn and purify the clinging flesh, giving off a scorched, foul odor.
But every wound it tore open was filled and repaired the next second by a frenzied flood of flesh buds. The new tissue often bore tougher traits. It learned and evolved by enduring attacks, striving to mimic more suitable traits the next time.
Destruction and regeneration. Corrosion and resistance.
Bronze and flesh. Baleful energy and vitality.
The two were locked together in the Heaven and Earth Furnace in a cruel, twisted struggle, merging until they were almost indistinguishable.
The Bronze Mecha was like an iron warrior trapped in the digestive chamber of a prehistoric behemoth. Every swing of its sword could grievously wound the beast, yet it could not stop the walls of flesh from closing in or the digestive juices from pouring down.
Meanwhile, deep within Jixia Academy.
In a secluded courtyard, the water of a seemingly tranquil pond shimmered.
Beside the pond, Jiang Yan's true body sat cross-legged, his hands forming a spell.
The enormous phantom in the sky was being projected through this very pond.
The scene at Langya Terrace was also reflected in the pond in every detail.
Suddenly, a small figure appeared behind Jiang Yan like a ghost, using Impermanence Step!
It was Nuonuo.
The world-shaking commotion outside had let her sense the immense pain her benefactor was enduring.
Her large, gray eyes blazed with nothing but fury. She opened her mouth, baring her sharp little fangs, and pounced at the back of Jiang Yan's neck, trying to bite him.
"Hmph. An ant."
Jiang Yan did not even turn his head. He merely flicked his sleeve behind him.
"Bang!"
An irresistible force struck Nuonuo. Her tiny body burst apart in an instant, sending broken bones and severed limbs flying in every direction.
Yet in the next moment, the scattered chunks of her body writhed violently on the ground. With the power of Resurrection of the Remains, they struggled to come together again.
Wang Wu, who had hurried over after hearing the news, witnessed the scene.
He watched as his daughter was so easily shattered by the lofty Libationer...
In an instant, images flashed through his mind: Chen Jin risking his life to save him from the guards, Chen Jin feeding Nuonuo with his own flesh without a hint of disgust, and the oath he had once made: "Even if it means facing a mountain of blades or a sea of flames, I won't hesitate!"
A surge of blood rushed to his head.
"Ah—! You old bastard, Jiang Yan!"
Wang Wu's eyes turned bloodshot. He drew the saber at his waist and charged at Jiang Yan's back like a moth flying into a flame, staking everything on a thrust.
He knew it was like an ant trying to stop a chariot, but if he did nothing, he would never know peace for the rest of his life!
Feeling the killing intent behind him, Jiang Yan turned his head slightly.
He did not even get up. He merely raised his hand and clenched it in the air.
An invisible force seized Wang Wu, rendering him unable to move.
Jiang Yan's gaze settled on Wang Wu's face, his voice cold:
"I'll ask you one last time. What exactly is your relationship with the Great General Wang Jian? Tell me, and I may spare your life."
The invisible force choked Wang Wu by the throat. His face reddened, but he clenched his jaw and forced a few words through his teeth: "...I... have... nothing to tell you!"