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

Chapter 197 The Collapse of the King's Worldview
"What's wrong with Li Zhan? It's been three minutes, why hasn't he arrived yet?"

Deep within the cave, Wen Feiyan gazed into the pitch-black cave, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.

Logically speaking, at their level, a fight can involve several exchanges within a second, and even evenly matched opponents can usually determine a winner within minutes.

Unless one side's combat system is designed for defense and attrition, such as classes like [Royal Shield Guard (A)] or [Iron Guard (A)], or battles involving [Heroic Spirits] or higher, where both sides have massive energy levels, the battle will not last too long.

Wen Feiyan was well aware of Li Zhan's strength. He possessed extremely strong combat instincts and had been diligently honing his combat skills. After marrying into the Zhang family, he received a large amount of resources, and his last weakness was also overcome. He could be described as an extremely versatile all-rounder.

Furthermore, Li Zhan possesses an exceptionally fine temperament and would never show mercy to his enemies. Let alone the renowned Dark Night King, he would go all out against even a mere mortal awakened being.

That's why it was him, rather than Wen Feiyan, who was sent to hunt down the Dark Night King.

Wen Feiyan's original estimate was that Li Zhan would be able to catch up with and defeat the Dark Night King in twenty to thirty seconds, even considering that this rare genius had a trump card up his sleeve.

To say that Qin Xiang spoke for even a minute is a huge overestimation.

But now, a full three minutes have passed!

"Strange, could something have happened and they're trapped?"

"That's not right either. Even if the Dark Night King has some rare mental items, Li Zhan has corresponding countermeasures. The Zhang family's style emphasizes balance, and its members have corresponding methods for dealing with any fighting style."

"Strange, very strange."

"He can't be crazy enough to take on that job, can he?"

Wen Feiyan looked at the dark cave entrance, then at Qin Xiang who was motionless not far away, and a look of hesitation flashed in her eyes.

She really wanted to catch up and see what was going on, but she couldn't just leave Qin Xiang alone.

The poison in Qin Xiangzhong's body was a [Supreme] item bestowed by an extraterrestrial demon, which had a great effect on a top-tier king like him.

For mages with low physical constitution, it's not surprising that they can be instantly killed.

However, Qin Xiang reacted extremely quickly and had very experienced combat instincts. He responded in a very short time. The poisoning was not severe, which is why he still had the ability to resist. This is also why Wen Feiyan was unwilling to fight him.

This top-tier king-level official, who is only one step away from becoming a "Heroic Spirit" and is also a government public servant, has too many trump cards, and no one wants to provoke him.

Using nuclear explosions to clear the area is the best option.

But right now, Wen Feiyan could feel that the toxins in Qin Xiang's body were being rapidly eliminated, even faster than she had expected. In at most another minute, they would be completely neutralized and he would be back to his normal state.

There is a real chance that it will escape.

If Qin Xiang survives, she will likely become a fugitive, constantly on the run, and even the Mountain Outer Tower will be unable to protect her.

"What exactly is Li Zhan up to? He can't even take down a single Fierce-level opponent? No, that's impossible. So what is he doing? Does he have his own plan? Is he playing a double agent game?"

For a moment, Wen Feiyan couldn't help but fall into a reverie.

"I told you before, that child's talent is far more terrifying than you imagine." Qin Xiang said with a sneer as he looked at Wen Feiyan, whose expression was uncertain.

Wen Feiyan was already in a very bad mood, and her face darkened even more after hearing Qin Xiang's sarcasm. Of course, she knew that Qin Xiang did not believe that the Dark Night King was capable of escaping from Li Zhan's hands. He was only speaking to her to disturb her peace of mind.

Just as she was about to retort, Wen Feiyan's expression suddenly changed. She looked towards the entrance of the cave, and a look of relief appeared on her face.

A familiar aura is rapidly approaching.

Qin Xiang's eyes darkened slightly, while Wen Feiyan snorted coldly and, before Li Zhan could even approach, loudly questioned, "How did it take so long to capture a single Fierce-Rank cultivator? Don't you know that even a minute's delay could lead to unforeseen changes? A few minutes later, and..."

However, before she could finish speaking, her voice stopped abruptly, and her eyes widened in disbelief!

A figure rushed out from the depths of the passage. It was indeed Li Zhan, but he was no longer the composed and nonchalant king-level awakened one he once was. Instead, he was disheveled, covered in wounds, with most of his protective gear torn to shreds, and his entire left side had turned a deep black, as if he had been poisoned by some kind of deadly poison.

They fled towards the location of the Buddha statue in a panic, just like rats crossing the street.

This scene was incomprehensible not only to Wen Feiyan, but also to Qin Xiang, who showed a look of astonishment!
What's happening here?
Are there any other powerful figures here who could force Li Zhan to such a state?

Could it be Mu Wu?
That doesn't make sense either. He knows Mu Wu's strength very well. Even if he has hidden trump cards, he is still an awakened being who is more defensive. Even if Li Zhan is no match for him, he should be able to retreat calmly!

Just as the two were completely bewildered, a chilling roar suddenly came from the depths of the passage, and the next moment, ten extremely powerful creatures rushed out!

Each of these creatures possesses the rank of General, and the two King-rank beings can tell at a glance that their strength, enhanced by some unknown secret technique, is comparable to that of a King-rank being! And they are not even the lowest-ranking King-rank beings!
Even though they were some distance apart, the two of them could feel the intense energy fluctuations emanating from them!
Although these creatures had completely unfamiliar auras, the two recognized their appearances.

They are all Chu Xiu's summoned creatures!

"These creatures... are they all summoned by Chen Ce?"

Qin Xiang and Wen Feiyan could not believe it at all.

Previously, when Chu Xiu took out three ghost generals and three hundred fierce ghosts, it had already opened their eyes and even shattered their understanding. They believed that he was definitely a powerful SSS-level awakener. In such a short time since his awakening, he had already reached the edge of a civilization envoy qualified to challenge the ancient trials, that is, the combat power of a low-level king to a high-level king-level creature.

After another six months to a year of development, and by improving their equipment and skill proficiency, they should be able to reach the level of advanced King-rank creatures, or even be comparable to ordinary King-rank Awakeners, greatly increasing their chances of passing the Ancient Trials.

But now you're telling me there are ten of these summoned creatures, and their attributes have doubled compared to before??
Although there has never been an SSS-level summoner class before, nor a summoner class Civilizer, isn't this a bit too exaggerated?!
"A Fierce-rank Awakener possesses ten King-rank summons, and most likely even more low-rank summons."

The two were completely plunged into a state of existential doubt, and even began to consider the possibility that this was some kind of illusion.

After all, this was too exaggerated and exceeded their understanding.

Just then, a winged creature swept past from behind, catching up with Li Zhan. Chu Xiu stood on its back, holding a two-meter-long black demonic blade, his eyes cold.

As he raised his hand, a blade slash that tore through the air shot out, and at the same time, the ten pursuing ghost generals also used their magic to assist him from the side.

Li Zhan hurriedly condensed a shield, but its energy was almost entirely consumed by the combined spell of the ten ghost generals in an instant, while Chu Xiu's slash came at just the right time!

With a crisp sound, the shield that Li Zhan had barely managed to condense shattered, and then the blade struck his back. Amidst the tooth-grinding metallic scraping sound, a huge tear appeared in his armor, and sharp metal flipped outwards.

The main body stumbled and almost fell to the ground due to the impact, and its aura weakened even further.

Upon seeing this, the two had no more doubts; these summoned creatures truly possessed the combat power of a King-level being! It wasn't an illusion!
Even though they were enemies at this moment, Qin Xiang and Wen Feiyan couldn't help but exchange a glance, both seeing disbelief and horror in each other's eyes. This is just too damn insane!
What they didn't know was that Chu Xiu also possessed five more refined corpses, each stronger than a ghost general, and their original forms were ridiculously powerful.
Because he was worried that Li Zhan might have some hidden tricks up his sleeve and launch a sudden attack, Chu Xiu only harassed him from a distance with the slashes of the Judgment Demon Blade.

Li Zhan was, after all, a seasoned King-level expert. The Iron-Clad Corpse's defenses took time to form, though only a short time, but enough for a King-level expert to launch an attack. Chu Xiu was still shaken by the horrific scene of his arm being severed by Li Zhan's blade, so he would not let his guard down at this moment.

He took advantage of others' underestimation of him, and suddenly killed countless powerful enemies and gained a great deal of benefits. So even though Li Zhan seems to have no power to resist now, Chu Xiu will not let his guard down.

This prevented Qin and Xiang from discerning his true combat strength, leading them to speculate based on the fact that summoners are typically weak in their physical forms. Even so, it was enough to shatter the worldviews of the two kings.

However, the two were seasoned veterans, and no matter how surprised they were, they reacted instantly. In fact, they didn't even have half a second to think before they recovered from their shock and quickly completed their analysis of the new situation!

"Run! There's a nuclear missile!"

Qin Xiang shouted, using a special method of sound transmission, which allowed him to send out the sentence in just 0.1 seconds and travel over a thousand meters in the next 0.3 seconds to reach Chu Xiu's ears!

At the same time, Qin Xiang did not hesitate at all. Ignoring the fact that the poison had not been completely expelled from his body, he forcibly activated his skill and pounced towards Wen Feiyan!
Wen Feiyan reacted extremely quickly, her body suddenly transforming into nine different shadows, rushing towards the interior of the Buddha statue!

The two did not understand how Chu Xiu defeated Li Zhan, nor did they understand why he could possess such a terrifying army of summoned creatures, but they both realized that now was not the time to investigate this!
Because one thing is certain: after seeing Chu Xiu safe and sound while Li Zhan fled in a sorry state, the first thing the Calamity will do is immediately activate its nuclear weapons to eliminate all variables!
For Wen Feiyan, she needed to hide inside the golden body of the Buddha statue and rely on the protection of a large number of corrupted Buddhist followers in order to survive at the center of the nuclear explosion. For Qin Xiang, however, he needed to stop Wen Feiyan immediately, so that perhaps the calamity would stop for the sake of its companions. Even if it continued to activate the nuclear bomb, at least one of them could be taken down with it!

With a furious roar, Qin Xiang caused a dense array of chains to appear around Wen Feiyan. Under the control of these chains, Wen Feiyan's body was frozen in mid-air, and all her skills were sealed!
This is Qin Xiang's profession [Iron Guardian of Forbidden Law (S)]. His core profession skill is a chain that can block the enemy's movement and skills!

Combined with his talent [Spatial Delay (S)], he can slow down the enemy's movements while enhancing his own mobility, giving him extremely powerful control abilities!
In fact, as a top-tier King-ranked individual with the potential to advance to [Heroic Spirit], Qin Xiang held an extremely high position even within the Investigation Bureau. Otherwise, the important task of looking after the Civilization Envoy would not have been entrusted to him.

If he hadn't been poisoned, even Wen Feiyan and Li Zhan combined wouldn't have been a match for him!

However, battles between awakened individuals are full of restraint and information gaps, and there are many cases of the weak defeating the strong. Although Qin Xiang is strong, his perception is not top-notch. Wen Feiyan took advantage of this weakness to launch a sneak attack.

Even though she was poisoned, and her skills were less than 70% as powerful as they were at their peak, they still formed layers of chain cages. Wen Feiyan's shadow tried to bypass them, but was restrained by the chains.

As for Wen Feiyan's true form, she was now only five meters away from the Buddha statue! This distance was practically within reach for a King-level Awakened Being, but Qin Xiang's chains held her firmly in place, preventing her from advancing any further.

But before Qin Xiang could show any joy, his expression suddenly changed as if he had sensed something!

As the corrupted Buddhist followers around them began to shrink rapidly, they accelerated the filling of the wounds on the golden Buddha statue, while the Buddha statue itself also curled up, seemingly to withstand some kind of impact!

Even a fool could tell that this calamity was planning to abandon its companions and detonate a nuclear bomb.

Wen Feiyan screamed in alarm and began to struggle desperately, but she was bound by Qin Xiang's chains and could not move. Qin Xiang himself was also unable to make any further moves in order to maintain the state of confinement.

This shocked and enraged Wen Feiyan, who screamed, "Qin Xiang! Are you fucking crazy? Why aren't you running away?!"

She also used a telepathic technique, and the sentence reached Qin Xiang's ears in 0.1 seconds.

But Qin Xiang merely smiled coldly, remaining completely unmoved.

Indeed, as the distance from the nuclear explosion's epicenter increases, the power of the explosion rapidly diminishes. As long as one can run a kilometer away, even a 100,000-ton nuclear bomb can be withstood by a King-level Awakened.

However, Qin Xiang was not foolish enough to think that the other party would give him a chance to escape.

The detonation of a nuclear bomb involves compressing fissile material through impact, thereby triggering a fission chain reaction that releases enormous energy.

The most common detonation method is to install a ring of rapid explosives around the main body of the nuclear bomb, using the impact of the explosives to cause compression of fissile material.

Although the specific detonation device is unknown, the time it takes for each step—from the transmission of electrical signals to the rapid detonation of explosives, to triggering a chain reaction, and finally to the nuclear bomb releasing enormous energy—is extremely short. The time from the start of the nuclear bomb's detonation to its impact on everyone involved would not exceed one second! No, it's highly likely to be less than half a second!
Even for a King-level Awakened, this amount of time is only enough for them to unleash defensive skills; there is simply no time to escape.

Without defensive skills to protect them, even if they manage to escape hundreds of meters, they will be instantly swallowed up by the high temperature of tens of thousands of degrees.

In fact, Qin Xiang had already resolved to die by this point. The moment he was poisoned and realized there was a nuclear bomb in the area, he did not believe he could survive. His focus on detoxification was merely an attempt to take one more person down with him before he died.

"What I hate most in my life is you selfish egoists. It's one thing that you can't understand heroes with great personalities, but you also lie on the fruits of victory that our predecessors fought for with their lives and then mock them."

"You think you can outsmart me?"

"Even if I die, I'll drag you, you traitorous beast, down to hell with me!"

Qin Xiang's eyes were bloodshot, and he mobilized all his energy to the limit, completely binding Wen Feiyan!
The latter, upon sensing the vast and boundless energy, was utterly despairing, cursing incoherently in a fit of anger and fear: "Madman, fucking madman!"

At the same time, he frantically mobilized the energy within his body, not to break free from Qin Xiang's restraints, but to use all his trump cards to set up layer upon layer of defense around him.

Although she knew that these defenses were as fragile as paper in the face of the impact at the center of the nuclear explosion, she had no other choice but to continue building defensive shields in despair, as if to comfort herself.

The golden Buddha statue, however, continued to shrink rapidly without pause, about to fill every gap in the golden body. Everyone knew that the moment they concealed their wounds would be the moment the nuclear bomb detonated, marking the end of everyone's lives.

Wen Feiyan poured her magic power outwards even more frantically, instantly setting up more than a dozen layers of shields and a large number of defensive talismans around her.

But Qin Xiang knew that these were nothing more than the unwilling struggles of a dying man.

Seeing her lose her mind in the face of death, a stark contrast to her previous demeanor, Qin Xiang couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter.

He glanced in the direction of the cave entrance, thinking to himself, "I warned him so promptly, with Chen Ce's quick wit, he should have turned around and run away."

"As long as we keep our distance, we should have no problem protecting ourselves from a nuclear bomb."

"I misunderstood him before. It turns out he wasn't reckless, but rather he had absolute strength to dare to ignore orders and come underground alone."

"Not only is he exceptionally talented, but he is also bold and meticulous in his actions. No wonder his strength has increased so quickly. It is truly a blessing for China to have such a genius."

"I was initially a little resentful that I only dragged a piece of trash down with me, but if my life can save such a genius, then it won't be a waste."

Thinking of this, at this moment when death was approaching, a faint smile appeared on his face, and he calmly welcomed the arrival of death.

However, at that moment, he seemed to realize something, and the smile on his face suddenly froze.

He turned around abruptly, his composed smile instantly transforming into shock and anger!
Qin Xiang's gaze caught sight of a familiar figure.

Instead of retreating after receiving his warning, Chu Xiu, who should have fled immediately, was inexplicably accelerating towards him. He had already rushed to the vicinity of the cave and was less than a hundred meters away from him!

Just then, with a heavy "click," the Buddha statue behind Qin Xiang completely closed!
(End of this chapter)