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Which point was overlooked?

The two Buddhas were shocked and uncertain, but looking back now, there was no retreat.

Surrounded by armies on all sides, and with the formation trapping them at the city gate through the Flaming Sun Array, it was akin to catching turtles in a jar.

It shouldn’t have come to this point.

"What did you do exactly?" The two still couldn’t comprehend the cause of their predicament.

Shen San looked at them and couldn’t help but laugh. So-called supreme ancients, beings who once ruled the world for innumerable aeons — is this all?

Perhaps their current strength was indeed intimidating, but compared to previous opponents, their intellect was shockingly inferior...

If all enemies were of this caliber, his confidence in Chen Qing would skyrocket.

"What’s so funny?" One of the Buddhas was enraged and was about to attack him, only to find that Shen San had mysteriously merged with the city itself, swiftly withdrawing from the formation.

The two Buddhas were furious, yet utterly helpless. If they forcibly broke out, the Flaming Sun Array would unleash a massive burst, leaving them gravely injured. Then, surrounded by military formations, death would be inevitable.

Their best option now was to try and sway the Gate Deity again. As long as he reverted to their side, even if only to disable the formation, the two could successfully escape.

Top-level powerhouses couldn’t directly confront high-quality armies, but escaping would generally be manageable. However, in the current situation — trapped by the formation — they were like birds with clipped wings.

"Qian Liu, what are you thinking? You were once the revered Demon King to whom ten thousand demons bowed in submission. How can you now stoop so low as to serve as a Gate Deity here?"

"King-level... Once one reaches this domain, one is indestructible, a true divine presence in this world. Do you really believe Chen Qing’s conferring of a deity title makes you a genuine deity?"

"Qian Liu, I don’t know what benefits he’s promised you, but they must be illusory. Chen Qing’s life and death are uncertain, Jiangnan is already meat on the table, with no chance at all. To defect here at the last moment — how foolish can you be!"

"If you repent now, the Buddha Kingdom will still accept you!"

"Indestructible?" Qian Liu’s voice buzzed with mocking laughter. "If indestructible, then why did I die before? If indestructible, then why are you two esteemed Buddhas so nervous?"

"Wicked beast!" One of the Buddhas, who practiced the Heavenly Dragon Vajra Manifestation, erupted in fury. As his manifestation appeared behind him, a hundred-zhang Vajra formed within a glow of Buddha Light, roaring violently, unleashing winds like tsunamis and tornadoes.

"Wicked beast?" Qian Liu burst into laughter. "As expected, in your eyes, I’m no more than a beast. Even at the King level, I’m merely a King-level beast, a dish to be served on your table whenever you desire to feast."

"To side with you — what indestructibility is there? Only perpetual unease!"

"Qian Liu, what lies have you been fed? The Buddha Kingdom claims all beings are equal. Once within the Buddha Kingdom, all are eternal in bliss. How can you..."

The other Buddha tried to argue, yet confusion clouded his heart.

This Qian Liu was not like this before. Moments ago, he sensed that Qian Liu had no trace of faith left, though just half an hour earlier, his inspection revealed absolute faith in the Buddha Kingdom. How could faith dissipate so rapidly?

Even a demon’s volatility wouldn’t account for such drastic change.

What exactly was going on?

"Thousand-Faced Fox?"

The Buddha beside him, slower yet more contemplative, finally realized something.

Shen San grinned. "Ali coming in here? How could that happen?"

The Buddha froze at Shen San’s words. Yes, how could the Thousand-Faced Fox enter?

In Jiangnan, Ali was one of the most feared beings. Precisely because of this, they had cooperated with someone else to ensure Ali’s capture!

Shen San entered alone, clearly just himself — had it been Ali, the Hell Ruler wouldn’t have allowed passage into Nanyang City.

Qian Liu, as the Gate Deity, would have sensed it too. When Shen San entered, it was only him, with no companions.

So... Ali couldn’t have gotten in.

But if Ali didn’t come, what could explain Qian Liu’s sudden change of heart?

Shen San silently laughed, savoring the superiority of knowledge. Apparently, the Buddhas didn’t know of Ali’s ability: transmitting her Divine Skills through blood.

Shen San had gambled on this, and Ali herself believed it to remain unknown, as it required her to ascend to the Extraordinary Level to possess such a power.

Qian Liu’s change of heart was simple: even below the King level, Ali’s derived capability could alter most of his memories.

Once memories were altered, decisions naturally shifted accordingly.

Of course, the cost was steep. Shen San had consumed Ali’s blood, meaning eternal subjugation to her, regardless of his future ascendancy. He would always be the subordinate of that Thousand-Faced Fox, unfit to continue as the Nanyang Hell Ruler.

Once his lord returned and the crisis passed, he’d resign from the position. As for whether he’d remain in the Divine Path Sect, that decision awaited his lord’s arrangement.

"Form the array!" Tian Heng roared excitedly outside.

He hadn’t expected Shen San to have this kind of trump card!

Evidently, Shen San didn’t trust him before, withholding information as he ventured into Nanyang’s interior alone, leaving Tian Heng concerned — only now realizing the calculative cruelty characteristic of the Shen Family.

Using himself as bait to lure the two Buddhas out of the Buddhist Temple, trapping them with the Flaming Sun Array, and converging armies for an assault: two King-level Buddhas stood a stark chance of dying here!

Killing King-level figures yields not only invaluable body materials but also other resources crucial for one’s ascension to King level. Claiming the spoils personally guarantees at least a share of these treasures.

"Amitabha Buddha!" The remaining Buddha’s face turned pale as he unveiled his Buddhist Golden Body.

But no matter how imposing — a hundred-zhang Manifestation Realm, backed by tens of thousands of Extraordinary Level soldiers forming an army — persistence was futile.

Supported by the Flaming Sun Array’s potent force, the world’s two newly awakened King-level Buddhas met their demise, becoming the first of their rank to die under siege, exhausted by mere mortals.

Their deaths were gruesome, with their Manifestation Bodies reduced to pulped flesh, silencing even the Divine Generals of Heaven’s Court observing the battle.

They had heard rumors of a new figure rising within the Human Race, posing some threat to them. Yet deep within, they dismissed such concerns — humans had been their livestock for three whole Eras.

But now... they finally witnessed it firsthand: even King-level Buddhas, beings supposedly indestructible, were hacked to pieces by an army of humans.

King-level... A threshold many ancients fail to cross. Even in Heaven’s Court, King-level individuals are middle-tier generals. Achieving Dao Fruit and ascending to Heaven Venerable is extremely rare for most lifeforms; for many, even nobility, King-level represents the pinnacle.

According to old rules, reaching the King level entitled one to a Death Exemption Token.

Yet today, before the Era had even begun, two King-level figures perished. Worse still, they died through rebellion, slain by mere mortals.

Now, everyone was acutely aware.

The heavens... had changed!