As soon as the Human Emperor Banner came out, I became the Lord of the Old Ones

Chapter 257 The Predators
Xu Yan frowned slightly.

He couldn't possibly stop so many ancient monsters and end-stage patients of the Spirit Corruption on his own.

but……

"Shhhhhh!"

All the information at hand, combined with the 3D topographical map of the slum's surroundings that the "Phantom Bee" had just scanned, helped him quickly formulate the only possible solution to avoid even greater casualties.

Xu Yan's gaze returned to that, or rather "that," terminal patient with Spirit Corrosion who had wings sprouting from his ribs.

This monster was like a vampire mutated by radiation. Although its flight ability was not strong due to its excessive weight, it was able to use its thick, bullfrog-like legs to step on the facades of the surrounding buildings on the fourth or fifth floor, and use the strong counter-force to quickly dive and glide.

Using this method, he reaped seven or eight heads in just one minute, his body stained with blood, and he showed an expression of great joy.

This senseless killing wasn't even for the purpose of eating.

It was only because of the extreme pain caused by the intense conflict between its deformed and twisted body and its equally degenerate and degenerated soul that it went berserk and used this method to vent its frustration.

Xu Yan's mind raced, and he calculated the monster's next descent route. He seemed panicked and disoriented, running to the middle of the street, where he fell right into the monster's razor-sharp wings.

The terminal patient of the Spirit Erosion let out a shriek, his mouth torn all the way to his ears, his sharp and thin head seemed to be split in two, revealing a blood-red maw full of sharp teeth.

It stomped hard on the building's facade, shattering all the glass on the floor, and gained an initial velocity like an arrow released from a bow. From its high vantage point, it launched a dive.

The wings were about to sweep past the back of Xu Yan's neck.

Xu Yan, however, seemed to trip over a gas pipe that had suddenly bulged out of the shattered street, narrowly avoiding the monster's attack.

In his haste, he "accidentally" grabbed the monster's ankle.

The monster's wings are mainly used as hunting organs, and it is very difficult for it to move its nearly 200-pound body.

With Xu Yan's weight added, the car immediately lost its balance and crashed headfirst into a roadside shop, burying Xu Yan under the collapsing shelves.

Dust and smoke immediately filled the store.

Blinded everyone's view.

Of course, with the streets in such chaos and everyone scrambling for cover, even without the smoke and dust obscuring their vision, no one could clearly see what had happened inside the wrecked shops.

A few seconds later, the half-scream came to an abrupt end.

Xu Yan emerged from the depths of the smoke and dust, clutching a nearly black heart.

In the terminal stages of necrosis, there is always a particularly severe abnormality in a certain part of the limbs or organs.

This part of the body and organs could perhaps be called a "second brain," used to hold the remnants of the past soul that have seeped into this body, serving a storage function similar to a sealing card.

The reason why the remnants of the past cannot directly penetrate the real brain.

It's because the original owner's soul power was too strong in the real brain.

Without Xu Yan's fortuitous encounter, it would have been difficult to achieve a perfect fusion.

Once rejected by the true owner of the brain, even the most powerful remnant soul may be annihilated and never be reborn.

In a sense, the "second brain" is the core of patients with spiritual erosion, containing incredibly powerful spiritual energy.

It is also the most "delicious" and most attractive part in the eyes of some predators.

Ignoring the shrieking of the Emperor's Banner deep within his mind, and suppressing the urge to swallow the still faintly beating black heart whole, Xu Yan licked his lips, exerted a little force, and crushed the black heart.

Accompanied by a hiss that only he and the monsters nearby could hear, wisps of black smoke spewed out from his rotten heart, transforming into countless ancient, vengeful spirits with bared fangs and claws.

Xu Yan raised his hand high, clutching the black heart.

It was like raising a blazing torch high in the darkness. The ancient monsters nearby were immediately drawn to it.

Just like the Emperor's Banner.

Even ancient monsters need to eat.

No amount of fresh flesh and blood can fill their stomachs in a physical sense.

Only the ancient, wronged souls, also from the past, are the delicious feast to mend their broken souls and restore more of their power, memories, and self-awareness.

Driven by the predatory instinct.

The closest ancient monster, a creature covered in wrinkles like an enormous worm, capable of spewing acid and flames, rolled towards Xu Yan with a nimble movement that was completely opposite to its massive size, relying on the high-frequency vibrations of its wrinkles.

At such close range, Xu Yan could see more details in its folds.

The first ring of folds surrounding its massive body is filled with sharp, rock-crushing teeth that leave clear, deep marks on the reinforced concrete it sweeps across.

Within the second ring of folds, there are hundreds of scarlet eyes densely packed together, capable of scanning all surrounding information from a 360-degree angle.

The third ring of folds was covered with hollow tentacles, each one slightly thicker than an earthworm, with suckers resembling small trumpets opening up in front.

—Using acid to completely melt the prey, turning it into a pool of easily digestible juice.

Then, use its tentacles to suck up the nutrient-rich juices.

This fly-like feeding method made Xu Yan highly suspect that the original form of this ancient demon was an unlucky remnant soul that had accidentally crawled into the body of a maggot.

But it is not important.

Importantly, as the fire in the underground arena grew larger, the thick smoke blown in by the northwest wind completely enveloped the area.

The air was filled with choking smoke and dust, and soon it became pitch black.

Of course, this was also the result of Xu Yan's careful calculations and positioning.

The ancient monsters, resembling maggots, were unaware of this.

Even if I knew, I wouldn't care.

Imprisoned deep within the underground arena, it was constantly subjected to profound humiliation and hunger.

The rampant killings after regaining freedom had slightly eased the humiliation that had been clinging to and gnawing at it. The next step was naturally to feast and comfort its battered and broken soul.

Xu Yan was nowhere to be found in its more than three hundred scarlet eyes.

All attention was focused on that plump, mushy, fragrant, and gleaming black heart.

"puff!"

The ancient monster spewed out deadly acid.

They attempted to melt Xu Yan's arm, starting from the elbow, and then suck the heart and severed arm clean.

Unexpectedly, Xu Yan suddenly disappeared.

Like a drop of water merging into the ocean, a flame merging into a raging fire, and black smoke merging into the night sky.

Immediately afterwards, the ancient demon felt a void on the left side of its body.

It was as if someone had pressed a sluice gate on it and then opened it to release a flood.

(End of this chapter)