Chapter 498: Betraying the Master!

In the distant sky, a figure dragging a long trail of black smoke flew back rapidly.

It was precisely Chong Wenguma, who had been sent flying by a single blow from Shuten-dōji's Spiked Club.

He looked somewhat disheveled at this moment.

His spotless white Shinto priest robes were stained with dust and blood.

His hair was disheveled, and a trace of crimson blood hung at the corner of his mouth.

His expression was even uglier to the extreme.

Even an SS-Rank Expert like him, who stood at the peak of Sakura Country, suffered minor injuries after being hit with the full force of his strongest Shikigami when caught off guard.

However, the pain in his body was far from matching the shock, anger, and humiliation in his heart at this moment.

When he stabilized his figure and saw the scene of the battlefield below, his cold eyes instantly shrank to pinpoints.

He saw that Ōtengu, another powerful Shikigami he had summoned, was being pinned tightly to the ground by Shuten-dōji at this moment.

That massive Spiked Club was pounding heavily against Ōtengu's body again and again, like a pile driver.

"Boom!"

"Boom! Boom!"

Every strike that fell caused the earth to tremble violently.

Ōtengu let out a shrill wail, its massive body formed of energy flickering under Shuten-dōji's violent attacks, on the verge of complete collapse at any moment.

His own Shikigami was attacking his other Shikigami.

This scene was absurd to the extreme.

Chong Wenguma only felt a rush of blood surging straight to his head, shaking all over with anger.

"Shuten-dōji!"

"What are you doing?!"

High up in the sky, Polina watched Chong Wenguma's exasperated look with a light smile on her face.

She couldn't even be bothered to talk nonsense, merely extending a slender finger to point from afar at that white figure.

A voice full of temptation and magic rang out once again.

"Go."

"Kill him."

Receiving the order, Shuten-dōji instantly abandoned the dying Ōtengu beneath his feet.

He suddenly raised his head, his golden vertical pupils filled with fanaticism and obsession, locking tightly onto that former "master" in the sky.

"Roar——!!!"

A roar filled with violence and murderous intent.

Shuten-dōji's massive body transformed into a dark red cannonball, soaring into the sky. The Spiked Club in his hand whipped up a sky full of blood-red light, charging straight toward Chong Wenguma.

"You dare!"

Chong Wenguma's expression was ashen, both shocked and angry.

He never expected that his Shikigami would actually completely betray him at this most crucial moment!

Ever since he became a Professionals, this had never happened before!

"Beast! How dare you bite your master!"

Chong Wenguma roared angrily, ignoring his injuries as his hands quickly formed a complex seal in front of his chest.

"In my name, decree! Stop this instant!"

A golden spell rune appeared out of thin air, exuding a sacred and majestic aura, rapidly branding itself toward the center of Shuten-dōji's brows.

This was the most fundamental Soul contract between an Onmyoji and a Shikigami, an absolute command that could not be disobeyed!

However, just at the instant when the golden spell was about to touch Shuten-dōji,

Polina merely gave a light hum.

In her purple eyes, a brilliant light flared.

A power of desire, even stronger and purer, instantly enveloped Shuten-dōji's Soul like an invisible tide.

"Hum——"

Shuten-dōji's charging figure suddenly stagnated, a hint of struggle and pain leaking from those golden vertical pupils.

Two completely different wills were colliding wildly deep within his Soul.

On one side was the master-servant contract deeply rooted in the Soul, which could not be disobeyed.

On the other side was the primitive desire magnified infinitely, enough to swallow all reason.

"Roar…"

Shuten-dōji cradled his head and let out a painful low roar.

Seeing this, a sneer appeared on Chong Wenguma's face.

"A mere Desire Dominator dares to show off in front of me!"

As a long-established SS-Rank great Onmyoji, his Mental Energy and Soul strength were far beyond what Polina, a newly advanced SS-Rank, could compare to.

Furthermore, there was still the most fundamental contractual connection between him and Shuten-dōji.

He had absolute confidence that he could retake control of his Shikigami within a few breaths!

Seeing that the fanaticism and obsession in Shuten-dōji's eyes were rapidly receding and about to regain clarity,

Just at this moment,

No one noticed that hundreds of tiny black beetles had silently flown behind Chong Wenguma.

By the time Chong Wenguma's sharp perception finally sensed a trace of danger, everything was already too late.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A series of dense explosions resounded boomingly behind his back.

Although the power of the explosion was not enough to cause him fatal damage, that huge impact caused his already heavily injured body to stagger.

More importantly, his Mental Energy used to maintain the spell experienced a momentary fault under this sudden attack.

"Damn it!"

Chong Wenguma let out a curse.

This zero-point-one-second mistake completely determined the direction of the battle.

The mental suppression applied to Shuten-dōji instantly collapsed.

Polina's power of desire drove straight in, completely drowning Shuten-dōji's last shred of reason.

"Roar——!!!"

The last trace of clarity in Shuten-dōji's eyes was replaced by fanaticism.

He let out another earth-shaking roar, and the Spiked Club in his hand, without a shred of hesitation, smashed down fiercely towards the close-at-hand Chong Wenguma!

"Bang——!!!"

An earth-shattering loud noise.

Chong Wenguma's disheveled figure was smashed fiercely from high in the air into the ground below by a single club from Shuten-dōji, like a downed bird.

The earth trembled violently, and a bottomless giant pit appeared amidst the ruins of the city.

"Polina!"

Zhou Huai in the distance manipulated Insect Emperor Caesar and roared:

"Take this chance, have Shuten-dōji attack that golden cocoon in the sky!"

Hearing this, Polina nodded immediately.

She raised her hand, pointing from afar at the giant cocoon emitting endless golden light in the center of the city.

"Go!"

"Shatter it!"

Receiving the order, Shuten-dōji didn't even glance at the deep pit he had smashed out below.

He suddenly turned around, his massive body transforming into a stream of light, charging towards the golden giant cocoon at top speed.

He raised the Spiked Club in his hand high, infusing all his demonic power into it.

Dark red blood light circulated wildly on the Spiked Club, exuding a terrifying aura sufficient to tear space apart.

The next second.

"Awoo!"

Accompanied by an earth-shaking roar,

That Spiked Club, condensing all of Shuten-dōji's power, smashed fiercely onto the golden giant cocoon!

"Clang——!!!!!"

A metallic clashing sound loud enough to shatter eardrums resounded across the heavens and earth.

The terrifying energy shockwave swept out in all directions like a tsunami.

Swept by this shockwave, the city ruins below were plowed through once again, and countless remaining buildings completely turned to powder.

However,

What left everyone dumbfounded was that

The golden giant cocoon, having withstood such a terrifying strike, didn't even shake the slightest bit.

Even a tiny crack failed to appear,

As if that heaven-destroying strike was merely a breeze brushing the face.

Just at this time,

A burst of cold sneering laughter slowly emanated from within that golden giant cocoon,

Filled with endless mockery.

"A group of pathetic ants."

"Just with your meager tricks, you actually vainly attempt to stop this lord's resurrection?"

"Really… ridiculously naive!"