"My Lord, that kid is here!" Lü Shan'an suddenly called out.
"Where?" King Shangping's heart jolted with surprise, but in the very next instant, he sensed something was wrong. Just as he was about to turn around, a black light erupted from behind him. An eerie black talisman exploded against his back, transforming into a plume of black qi that burrowed directly into his body.
Meanwhile, Lü Shan'an's body slipped away like a loach, gliding several dozen meters in the blink of an eye.
King Shangping erupted in fury. "Lü Shan'an, you dare ambush me?"
Lü Shan'an let out a sinister cackle. "King Shangping, no matter how cunning as a ghost you may be, you still end up drinking my foot-wash water!"
King Shangping's expression darkened. "You're courting death!"
He was about to invoke his Divine Ability when he suddenly found his entire body empty, utterly unable to muster any strength. Looking more closely, he saw that his body was shrouded in that black qi, as if wrapped tight, completely immobilized.
"Lü Shan'an, what have you done to me?" King Shangping's soul nearly scattered from terror. Even though he had always been composed, he was now trembling from head to toe with fear.
In that moment, he was gripped by a premonition of total catastrophe.
"Heh heh, what do you think?" Lü Shan'an didn't approach. He merely watched King Shangping from a distance, his face twisted in an eerie expression.
King Shangping's pupils contracted. "You've forgotten—you swore a Heaven and Earth Oath."
Lü Shan'an let out a strange laugh. "My Heaven and Earth Oath stated that I am not in cahoots with that kid. And in fact, I truly am not in cahoots with him."
Only now did King Shangping finally see the truth. There had been a loophole in Lü Shan'an's Heaven and Earth Oath all along, but he had never noticed it. He had kept his attention fixed on Jiang Chen, never suspecting that Lü Shan'an harbored his own treacherous agenda.
King Shangping could blame only his own arrogance. Throughout their partnership, he had always believed himself to be the one in control—his strength a cut above Lü Shan'an's. Even if Lü Shan'an harbored some scheme, it could never pose a real threat to him.
So before they had finished off Jiang Chen, it had never even occurred to King Shangping that Lü Shan'an would turn on him.
Even if he were going to make a move—try to seize the spoils—that would only happen after Jiang Chen was dealt with.
But it had never crossed his mind that Lü Shan'an had never intended to cooperate with him from the very beginning!
Regret flooded King Shangping's heart. His whole life he had plotted against countless people. Failing to scheme against Jiang Chen this time was already bad enough.
Now to be schemed against by Lü Shan'an in turn—truly, the retribution was no small thing.
"Lü Shan'an, do you really think that with me trapped, you can handle that kid on your own?" King Shangping was still trying to salvage the situation.
But Lü Shan'an just kept laughing. "King Shangping, are you still dreaming? Who ever said I was going to deal with that kid alone?"
"You have an accomplice?" King Shangping's expression shifted dramatically. "Who? Even if you do, could they be stronger than me? More capable than me?"
Lü Shan'an's face was full of mockery. "Stop flattering yourself. My accomplice is already inside you."
"What?"
King Shangping was baffled by this cryptic remark.
The mockery on Lü Shan'an's face grew even more pronounced. "Death is upon you, and you still don't even know how you're going to die. King Shangping, you were clever your whole life—only to be a fool when it mattered most."
A sudden realization struck King Shangping. A chill spread through his entire body, and despair blazed in his eyes. "Lü Shan'an, you've actually defected to the Demon Race? Become their lapdog?"
Lü Shan'an threw his head back and laughed. "Those who read the times are heroes. The Demon Race is a superior race descended from the Myriad Heavens Planes—they are destined to rule the Divine Abyss Continent. I am merely going along with the grand tide of things. King Shangping, it's a pity you won't have this chance. The Demon Lord wishes to borrow your physical body. Granted, your vessel is far from perfect. But unfortunately, the Demon Lord can wait no longer."
"The Demon Lord?"
A bitter smile twisted King Shangping's face as he felt a power of terrifying magnitude concealed within the black qi, already beginning to devour his consciousness.
Wrapped in that black qi, King Shangping couldn't so much as move a finger, let alone resist this force. The feeling was like watching a butcher's blade descend upon his own head with no way to dodge.
He wanted to self-detonate, but every part of his body refused to obey his commands.
"Lü Shan'an, you've colluded with the Demon Race—I won't let you go even as a ghost!" King Shangping screamed until his voice cracked.
But Lü Shan'an's face was expressionless. "Give it up. You think you'll even get a chance to become a ghost? And stop wasting your breath. I've set up a sound barrier around the area. You could scream your lungs out and no one would hear. Didn't you want that kid dead? Don't worry—I'll settle that grudge on your behalf. You two can fight it out in the netherworld, hahahaha."
By the end, Lü Shan'an's face was wreathed in a sinister smile.
King Shangping's consciousness was gradually devoured, the light in his eyes fading more and more, until at last they turned a lifeless grey.
Everything fell still. King Shangping appeared to have been dead for some time.