Chapter 2076: No Weaknesses

The Shadow Demon King wasn't entirely unprepared. When he first acquired the spell, he had indeed recognized its potential dangers. However, at that time, he was immensely powerful and didn't believe anyone could overpower him, so he felt no fear of a magical backlash.

Even though the Lord of Slaughter was a formidable and notorious ancient entity, the Shadow Demon King possessed his own pride and confidence, convinced that his power was equal to his adversary's.

He hadn't anticipated, however, that with his main body just destroyed, his current strength was a mere fraction of his usual power.

Desperate for revenge and to restore his power, he had momentarily overlooked this crucial detail. By the time he realized his mistake, it was already too late for regrets.

With his main body gone and his former might a distant memory, his sole remaining clone was now bitten in half, on the verge of vanishing into dust. Panicking, he hastily bowed with profound respect to the other party: "Esteemed Lord of Slaughter, I was impudent earlier. From this moment forth, I pledge my unwavering loyalty and servitude to you."

The Lord of Slaughter watched the half-bodied clone drift precariously in the air, resembling a flickering candle flame on the verge of extinction. He let out a cold sneer, "Unfortunately, I don't employ useless beings as subordinates."

Sensing the other's murderous intent, the Shadow Demon King's expression drastically changed. "Lord of Slaughter, I rescued you! You cannot repay kindness with such enmity!"

"Saved me?" The Lord of Slaughter's eyes gleamed with malevolence as he glared at him. "You merely intended to enslave me! Your spells even included additional clauses, explicitly treating me as a pet, ensuring I could never betray you and would forever be at your mercy. Had it not been for that, I might have actually spared your life."

The Shadow Demon King cursed inwardly, *Who made you so powerful? Without those clauses, I wouldn't have felt secure.*

However, explanations were now futile. Sensing the other's killing intent, he turned and fled without a backward glance.

He hadn't anticipated that even with severe injuries, his speed would be so remarkable. He thought, *I'll return, find a place to hide and recover. Once my strength is restored, I'll come back and settle the score with this Lord of Slaughter.*

Suddenly, darkness enveloped him, accompanied by a foul,腥臭 stench. He instinctively looked up, only to see a massive, blood-filled maw descending from above, biting off his head in a single gulp.

It crunched audibly in the devourer's mouth and was swallowed in a few bites.

The Shadow Demon King was powerful after all; even without a head, he didn't die instantly. His headless body swayed, hands outstretched, fumbling wildly as if instinctively searching for its missing head.

At that moment, the Lord of Slaughter swallowed the remainder of his body in another bite.

Immediately afterward, a satisfied burp escaped him, as if the meal had brought him immense pleasure.

"It's been such a long time since I've savored such delicious food," he mused. "Eating truly is the most enjoyable thing in this world."

From a distance, Zu An's expression was grim. He had clearly witnessed the scene: the Shadow Demon King had run incredibly fast, like a streak of rainbow hurtling into the distance.

Yet, with a single push from its legs, the Lord of Slaughter's colossal body leaped directly in front of its prey, devouring it in one swift gulp, allowing no time for reaction.

Initially, upon seeing the Lord of Slaughter's form—resembling a dinosaur crossed with an alien—Zu An had assumed it wasn't adept at magic, relying solely on its formidable physical strength for combat.

However, witnessing this display, he instantly realized the truth: the entity's physical body was so exceptionally powerful that it had transcended certain laws, rendering magical attacks entirely unnecessary.

At that moment, Snow Maiden whispered to Zu An, "Let me support you; we need to leave, quickly."

Zu An offered a wry smile. "There's no chance of escape now."

Just as he predicted, the entity's enormous, bell-like eyes turned directly towards them. "You two were fighting the Shadow Demon King earlier."

"Indeed," Zu An replied with a smile, "as the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Are you the Lord of Slaughter? I am Zu An, and this is Snow Maiden." Even as he spoke, his mind raced, frantically devising a counter-strategy.

Snow Maiden's expression was peculiar. This fellow certainly knew how to establish connections; he could even befriend someone like this.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend?" The Lord of Slaughter chuckled. "That's a very interesting phrase. In fact, I should thank you for helping me weaken the Shadow Demon King."

"There's no need for thanks," Zu An probed, "we'll simply go our separate ways. May I ask, what are your plans now? Do you intend to return to your original world and reclaim your lost throne?"

"Naturally, I will return," came the reply.

Zu An had just breathed a sigh of relief at its words, but the very next sentence made his hair stand on end: "However, before I return, I need to feed extensively in this world. It has been far too long since I last ate—thousands of years, or perhaps even tens of thousands…"

Zu An spoke in a deep voice. "What kind of food would you prefer? I have some influence in this world and can arrange a variety of rich provisions for you."

"Fresh, living beings, of course! Ah, merely contemplating the sensation of fresh blood gushing makes my entire body tremble with excitement," the Lord of Slaughter declared, clearly agitated. "However, I doubt you can afford what I truly desire."

"How many do you need?" Zu An asked. Upon hearing its desire for living beings, he knew any compromise was impossible. His sole aim was to buy time for his body to recover, while simultaneously formulating a plan of action.

"How many do I need?" A cruel smile flickered across the Lord of Slaughter's face. "Naturally, I desire all living beings in this entire world."

Zu An was speechless.

Snow Maiden was equally speechless.

While they had anticipated some degree of brutality, they hadn't expected such an extreme level of savagery.

As if sensing their reactions, a hint of mockery entered the Lord of Slaughter's eyes. "Though I fail to comprehend how such weak beings as yourselves could inflict such damage upon the Shadow Demon King, I cannot tolerate any lingering threats to my existence."

No sooner had it spoken than it pushed off with its legs, appearing almost instantaneously before the two. A gaping maw filled with sharp teeth, capable of crushing even immortal-grade weapons, descended upon them, accompanied by an overpowering, foul odor.

Both had been prepared for combat. Snow Maiden immediately transformed into a flurry of wind and snow, engulfing Zu An and whisking them to the side. Simultaneously, with a flick of her hand, countless ice shards erupted from the ground, aiming to pierce the intruder through.

However, as the sharp ice shards struck the Lord of Slaughter, they failed to leave even a single mark on its skin, shattering into fragments upon impact.

The Lord of Slaughter's massive tail swept directly towards them. Zu An and Snow Maiden simultaneously extended their hands to block, but both were instantly sent hurtling hundreds of feet away.

Zu An coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, while ice and snow cascaded from Snow Maiden's body. Cracks even appeared on her surface, though thankfully, as snowflakes drifted over her, her form swiftly regenerated to its original state.

The Lord of Slaughter grinned at the two. "Is that all you're capable of?"

"Be careful, its physical strength seems to have surpassed all limits," Zu An urgently warned. Objectively speaking, aside from its peculiar appearance, this creature was an absolute physical combatant, with every attribute—defense, speed, and power—maxed out.

Snow Maiden hummed in affirmation, and the wind and snow in her hand swirled, slowly condensing into a sword.

Zu An paused, seeing the sword's shape. It looked somewhat familiar.

However, there was no time for further thought. The Lord of Slaughter attacked once more, its speed so immense that Snow Maiden couldn't possibly carry Zu An away in time.

Fortunately, Zu An had recovered slightly and pushed Snow Maiden aside. "Split up and dodge!"

Immediately after, he used teleportation to move dozens of yards horizontally, while Snow Maiden transformed herself into a swirling mass of wind and snow.

"I detest you spellcasters the most," the Lord of Slaughter sneered. After a brief hesitation, it went directly after Zu An. After all, Snow Maiden appeared to be composed of ice and snow, and having been trapped under a snowy mountain for an eternity, it had absolutely no desire to taste anything remotely related to snow.

Conversely, a vibrant, living being like Zu An was far more appealing; it would undoubtedly offer a more satisfying meal.

Zu An's flickering, teleporting figure soon appeared in the air. Yet, no matter how he evaded, the Lord of Slaughter relentlessly kept pace, pursuing him like a shadow.

Zu An watched in horror, astounded that this entity, relying solely on its physical capabilities, could match the speed of teleportation. It was truly defying all natural laws.

Throughout this chase, Snow Maiden anxiously attempted to intervene, but unfortunately, both parties were moving too swiftly, making it nearly impossible for her spells to land a hit.

Zu An did manage a few counterattacks mid-chase, but it seemed the opponent was immune to magic; various spells had little to no effect on it.

He couldn't help but feel utterly bewildered. How was one supposed to contend with a powerful physical warrior who was also immune to magic?