An invasion from the Abyss? I, a demonic cultivator, laughed.

Chapter 189 The Disappearance of Li Zhan

At the same moment that Chu Xiu was pursuing them, Zhang Qingshan and his two companions were also engaged in a fierce battle with the vast swarm of corrupted creatures all around them.

Although the calamity's primary target was Chu Xiu, it could not precisely manipulate the corrupted inhabitants, whose power content in the abyss was low and who were born naturally in the later stages. It could only issue simple commands.

Therefore, a large number of corrupted residents still surrounded the three.

"Go away!"

Zhang Qingshan's dragon soul surged forth, shattering the corrupted creatures charging in front of him. Su Jinyu also summoned a large number of rune pillars to assist him, while Guan Ke increased the energy output of the six floating cannons behind him to the maximum, bombarding the rocks blocking the passage without stopping.

The hardness of the rocks deep within the mountain is unimaginable to ordinary people. Under the immense pressure of the mountain's gravity, they are compressed into an extremely solid and stable form. A rock the size of a water tank would be difficult to destroy even with hundreds or thousands of incendiary armor-piercing rounds if riddled with heavy machine gun fire.

What the three of them had to do was to forcefully open a passage that was completely blocked by hard rocks and was hundreds of meters long, in a short period of time, despite the interference of countless corrupting creatures!

This is a considerable challenge even for general-level awakened beings.

Fortunately, all three were highly skilled and talented. With their excellent teamwork, they made their way upwards and finally broke through the closed road after nearly ten minutes, forcing their way out.

The moment air seeped into the cave, all three of them showed expressions of relief, as if they had just escaped death.

"We finally made it out!"

Guan Ke's face showed undisguised excitement, but also a deep sense of lingering fear.

The sight of countless corrupted creatures raining down from the sky left her with immense psychological trauma. Unlike Zhang Qingshan, who was a melee fighter capable of physically withstanding the attacks of corrupted creatures, she would have truly died if so many of them had charged at her face!
"However, the Dark King is still inside."

Zhang Qingshan turned his head to look at the dark passage behind him. No more corrupted creatures were chasing after him, but deep inside the passage, he could still hear the roars of corrupted creatures, though they were much quieter than before.

"Is the battle over, and the Dark Night King's ghost army is about to be slaughtered?" Zhang Qingshan's expression was rather grim.

"Damn it, why should we care? This guy is asking for it, and he almost got us killed!" Guan Ke spat and said viciously, "Let's get out of here quickly."

“That’s not how it works,” Zhang Qingshan shook his head. “The Dark Night King, as an envoy of civilization, has great value to our China.”

Guan Ke was somewhat incredulous: "You're still thinking about this? We've already done enough, do you really want to go in and save him?"

"We ordinary people are only concerned with taking care of ourselves. How can we be qualified to worry about the country or humanity?"

Guan Ke spoke with great confidence, for she had given up all the mechanical legions she had painstakingly built to help Chu Xiu.

Despite her many gains, she can still say that she has a clear conscience.

However, Zhang Qingshan continued to stroke his chin, gazing at the passage behind him. After a long while, he suddenly said, "Do you think it's possible that the Dark Night King deliberately sent us out so that we could take the opportunity to ask for help?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Guan Ke was stunned.

Zhang Qingshan continued, "Didn't you notice that although those corrupted creatures also attacked us, their overall desire to attack wasn't strong? Only the nearby corrupted creatures came over; most of them were attracted by the Dark Night Monarch."

"I guess he must have discovered that the calamity is targeting him, so he sent us to ask for help. The reason he didn't show it is that he didn't want the calamity to notice anything, thus increasing our chances of breaking through!"

These words made Guan Ke's already stunned expression even more confused.

After a long pause, he said, "You mean we should thank him for drawing our fire? Wait, speaking of which, he did give me the communication device earlier. Could it be that he anticipated this situation and prepared a backup plan in advance?"

Guan Ke looked somewhat incredulous.

Zhang Qingshan nodded seriously: "That's possible. I don't believe that the Dark Night King, who possesses such strength, would be just a brute as he appears."

"hiss--"

Upon hearing this, Guan Ke gasped and fell into deep thought.

She thought Zhang Qingshan's conjecture was outrageous, but it didn't seem impossible.

Subconsciously, she didn't believe that the Dark King would be a reckless gambler.

Su Jinyu, standing to the side:
Watching the two of them deep in thought, she felt numb.

Silly child, they're just using you as bait.

Although the Dark Night King was indeed not a mindless gambler, she was not the all-knowing sage the two had speculated about. She knew that Chu Xiu was just habitually setting traps for others.

"In short, what we need to do now is to contact several senior kings as soon as possible and ask them to come and provide support."

Zhang Qingshan stopped worrying about it.

In fact, the moment everyone was surrounded by the corrupted creatures, Guan Ke sent out a distress signal despite Chu Xiu's objections.

Although the positioning devices they had could show each other's locations, the underground base was so complex that it wouldn't be easy for several King-level beings to get there in time.

He glanced at the location; Qin Xiang was already close to the two of them, but the other three King-level beings probably didn't care much about Chu Xiu's life or death, so they weren't arriving quickly.

“Let’s go here and guide Senior Qin.” Zhang Qingshan marked a place, which was the shortest path for the two to meet.

After sending the signal to Qin Xiang, the three of them quickly took action. Just one minute later, they arrived at the designated location. Another minute later, the ground beneath their feet suddenly began to shake, and a rumbling sound came from above. At the same time, debris kept falling from the ceiling.

Suddenly, a loud "boom" was heard, and a large hole exploded above the three of them. Amid the rustling sound of falling rubble, Qin Xiang's dust-covered figure fell out of the hole.

Zhang Qingshan looked up at the large hole and was shocked to find that it led directly to the next level.

In order to save time scouting, Qin Xiang didn't even bother to find an entrance or exit, but instead simply broke through!
You should know that this place used to be a military base. In addition to solid rocks, there are also a lot of reinforced concrete and alloy plates between different levels. Even Guan Ke's floating cannons can't blast it open in a short time.

The fact that Qin Xiang was able to break through several levels in such a short time demonstrates the terrifying power of a King-level Awakener.

However, at this moment, the King's expression was extremely ugly. After scanning the area, he could not hide his anger and said:
"Didn't I tell you to return and report immediately after discovering the entrance?!"

"Where is that bastard Chen Ce?!"

The three of them wasted no time, leading the way to the farmland while explaining what had happened.

After listening to the three reports, Qin Xiang's already unpleasant face became even more gloomy, as if water was about to drip from it!

He never expected Chu Xiu to be so bold, not only disobeying orders but also venturing so deep into the area!
They've almost reached the heart of the Calamity's lair; it would be a miracle if they didn't get ambushed!

For some reason, Mu Wu's words flashed through his mind.

"Hey, Qin Xiang, is that kid's talent really that freakish?"

"If that's the case, then we should strip him of his talent as soon as possible."

"So it should have been done long ago, and this boy's talent along with the [Proof of the Past] should have been stripped away."

But he had no time to think about it. All he could do was get to the location where Chu Xiu was being besieged as soon as possible, while hoping that the kid was strong enough to hold out until he arrived.

"This guy usually seems quite cautious. Since he dared to take such a big step, he must have a backup plan, right?"

He prayed silently in his heart.

However, when Qin Xiang actually arrived at the designated location, his anger instantly turned into confusion.

The three people following behind him also stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

"This is."

Before the four people, the vast plantation had turned into a white expanse, the air thick with tiny white particles, like heavy smog, and the ground covered with a thick layer of snow-white ash.

Zhang Qingshan and the other two stood there, completely dumbfounded, their minds utterly overloaded.

They had never imagined they would see such a sight before they arrived.

They had imagined countless scenarios, such as seeing the Night King's dismembered corpse upon entering, or the Night King being corroded by the acid of the corrupting creatures, leaving only a skeleton. They even fantasized that the Night King had a hidden trump card that could turn the tide and kill them on the spot.

Although the probability is extremely small, it's not impossible. But... what is this in front of me?
Qin Xiang, on the other hand, felt a strange sensation rising in his heart.

The scene before me... it's so damn familiar!
Wasn't it the same when we were defending the stronghold?

"What exactly is this?" Qin Xiang held his head, feeling completely bewildered.

However, as a seasoned operator who had handled many difficult cases, he was the first to recover from the shock.

"Never mind that. The important thing now is, where is that kid Chen Ce?"

On the snow-white ashes, there is a long, clear trail of footprints leading forward into the depths.

Clearly, this is Chu Xiu's ghost army.

Could it be that this guy not only successfully repelled the ambush of the calamity, but also went directly to a deeper part of it?

The four people, realizing this, looked at each other in disbelief, unable to believe their conclusion.

It's already outrageous enough that they survived the ambush of the calamity, but they still kept fighting?
That's way too reckless!

Are you willing to risk your life for money?

Does he really intend to face the calamity alone?
"No, impossible. I already explained it very clearly to him before. Even with the most optimistic estimate, the power of that calamity requires a senior King-level Awakened to contend with! If luck is against you, even three King-level Awakened working together might not be able to defeat it!"

"Not to mention, the other side also has several King-level subordinates!"

"Even I would have a hard time getting out of this situation unscathed. No matter how reckless this kid is, he wouldn't be this outrageous. There must be something else going on!"

"He couldn't possibly be stronger than me, could he?"

Qin Xiang quickly drew a conclusion.

But actually, there's no point in him thinking about these things now.

All he needed to do was follow the trail downwards until he found the Night King!

Even though it was extremely dangerous, Qin Xiang had no choice but to do it. He couldn't just let a civilization envoy die right under his nose!
"You go back first."

Without further hesitation, Qin Xiang turned and gave an order, then rushed deeper into the area without wasting any time.

While running, he took out his communication device to contact the other three King-level beings, requesting their immediate support.

However, at this moment, he received an unexpected message.

"What did you say? Li Zhan isn't with you? Didn't I say that this communication device must be carried by the person in question?!"

"Yes, yes, but..." The person on the other end hesitated for a moment, but still said, "But this is what Senior Li requested. He said he discovered some things, but it's too dangerous there for us to follow. He has to go alone, so he gave us this item to make it easier to communicate."

"Senior Qin, as you know, Senior Li is our captain, it's impossible for us to..."

Before he could finish speaking, Qin Xiang impatiently hung up the communication device.

"Li Zhan, isn't that one of the Longevity King's men?"

A fierce glint flashed in Qin Xiang's eyes.

"I didn't expect that even after I made my stance clear, there would still be people harboring such inappropriate thoughts."

"It seems the government has been lenient with them for too long, making them forget who calls the shots in this society!"

Qin Xiang snorted coldly, his speed increased, and he disappeared into the depths of the passage in an instant.

As Qin Xiang rapidly advanced deeper into the passage, Chu Xiu also flapped his Vampire Wings, moving swiftly through the downward passage.

At that moment, a whisper suddenly sounded in his ear, which made Chu Xiu's expression change.

"Oh? Qin Xiang has already arrived? That's faster than I expected."

"And Li Zhan has lost his bearings?"

Chu Xiu recalled Qin Xiang's previous description of this person.

Despite his mediocre talent, he fought his way up through sheer determination and ruthless methods, eventually marrying into the Zhang family, one of the four most prominent families in the capital, thanks to his handsome face.

This guy directly got a top-tier gigolo, and combined with his already outstanding talent, he has now become a well-known "rising star" in recent years.

"I understand. Your mission is over. I will keep my promise regarding the Resurrection Wine," Chu Xiu said.

A "thank you" came from beside my ear, and then the mysterious whisper disappeared.

This is a special rune technique that Su Jinyu has mastered, which enables short-range communication. Chu Xiu had her accompany Qingshan and the other person not only for protection, but also to ensure that she could report the situation in a timely manner.

It has to be said that this woman's talent is so overpowered that her abilities are incredibly diverse. What's even more outrageous is that half of her talent is currently sealed, which not only weakens her abilities but also prevents her from using powerful skills.

"After all, it's a top-tier talent that's only slightly inferior to [Perfect Refinement]."

Chu Xiu sighed, then stopped thinking about it and focused his attention on what was in front of him.

After passing that plantation, all that remained was a rugged path leading downwards.

Chu Xiu moved very fast and surprisingly encountered no obstacles along the way, only killing some corrupted creatures that couldn't escape in time.

It seems that the calamity from the earth is drawing all its power to its side for a final battle.

However, this guy hadn't given up yet. Along the way, phantom images of middle-aged men kept appearing, trying to negotiate with Chu Xiu.

Even though they had been severely damaged by Chu Xiu's attack, with three of their four followers dead, they were still uttering threats.

"Do you think you can kill me? I admit you're strong, but do you really think you can fight me in my territory?"

"You probably don't know this, but the Blood Demon Core I possess is of the [Heroic Spirit] rank!"

Chu Xiu ignored all this nonsense, but seeing that he was unmoved, Calamity hesitated for a while before seemingly making a decision and said, "I might as well tell you that I have another deadly trump card, but I'm afraid that if I kill you, I won't be able to get the [Contaminant] and Blood Demon from you, so I haven't wanted to use it."

"But if you go too far, I will have no choice but to fight you to the death!"

"I swear in the name of the Boundless Blood Pool that everything I have said is true, and cooperating with me is the best choice!"

Swearing an oath in the name of the boundless pool of blood?

These words made Chu Xiu raise his eyes.

Seeing that he was interested, Calamity was overjoyed and quickly said, "If you agree to cooperate with me, then I will tell you my whole plan!"

"All the resources in this world will be divided between you and me!"

Chu Xiu did not reply, but secretly pondered the truth of the calamity's words.

Just as he was pondering this, a huge cave suddenly appeared before him, and an extremely dense aura of pollution rushed towards him.

Chu Xiu felt slightly dizzy, and at the same time, the Undying Corpse King Amulet on his chest emitted a faint light.

He knew that the lair of calamity had arrived.

I recommend a book by a friend called "Even Cultivating Immortality, Why Insist on Palace Intrigue? I'll Just Revolt!" It's a mind-blowing, unconventional novel; interested readers can check it out.

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(End of this chapter)