Chapter 689: The Incident in the Depths of the Dark Cave

Deep within the Dark Cave. Pang Pang Qianyuan stood atop a golden lotus, billions of streams of flowing light radiating from his body. That resplendent brilliance seemed to drive even the surrounding chaos itself apart. He stood in the void, emanating an indescribable might that caused the energies of heaven and earth to submit and tremble.

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The great battle among the many Marquises within the Holy Zhu Xuan Star Academy was certainly earth-shattering, yet every ripple of energy that spread from here was enough to completely obliterate the combined attacks unleashed by those Marquises working together.

Pang Pang Qianyuan's deep gaze stared into the depths of that massive world rift. There, the waters of a black river flowed with a rushing sound, emanating endless chill. "Fish Chi King, I truly did not expect that during all these years of entanglement with me, you would still be able to evade my perception and plant nails within the Holy Zhu Xuan Star Academy." Pang Pang Qianyuan's voice pierced straight through two worlds, drilling into that

world rift, and also drilling into that incomparably massive black river.

"Heh." The river water, black to the extreme, churned. A massive shadow surfaced within it, and then the waters parted as an enormous black fish rose to the surface. When the black fish appeared, one could see that at a blood-red fish scale on the top of its head,

rings of blood light surged forth, and within that blood light, a human figure actually emerged.

That figure was draped in a blood-red robe with abnormally wide sleeves. Upon the robe, a black fish swam slowly as if alive. The figure raised its head. Its face, like that of a youth, carried a kind of soft, bewitching beauty—except its pupils were somewhat eerie, for they were a pair of grey-white fish pupils. At first glance they seemed to give one a dull,

absent-minded feeling, but if one looked longer, one would discover that those fish pupils seemed to carry a terrifying magical power, gradually causing your mind to sink within, making you completely forget yourself.

At its brow, a blood-red fish scale flickered with strange light.

The human form assumed by this Fish Chi King had already departed from the twisted horror of ordinary aberrations, appearing almost identical to a human. The Fish Chi King's grey-white fish pupils also pierced through the world rift, locking onto the golden-lotus-treading Pang Pang Qianyuan. A smile appeared on its face, and its voice was unhurried, as if set to a predetermined tune, without the

slightest fluctuation of emotion: "Pang Pang Qianyuan, beguiling hearts is our kind's specialty. The people from your academy have entered the Dark Cave so many times—eventually I would find some opportunities."

"Of course, the ambition of that Purple Radiance Mentor from your academy truly far surpasses that of ordinary people. Between him and me, rather than saying I beguiled him, it would be more accurate to say he sought me out himself. He has great potential." Pang Pang Qianyuan's expression was blank. Shen Shen Jinxiao's betrayal of the academy was indeed quite unexpected to him, for even a King-level powerhouse could not see through people's hearts. Shen Shen Jinxiao had hidden himself deeply; even he had not previously

discovered the evil intentions and ambition hidden within his heart.

"Gong Yuan is also involved with you? This coronation ceremony, the coordination before and after—truly seamless." Pang Pang Qianyuan seemed to be asking a question, but then he muttered to himself: "No, Gong Yuan doesn't yet have the ability to accomplish this step. There should be someone behind him, yes? Such an enormous scheme, even my ears and eyes were blinded... And looking at it now,

all of this is aimed at the Holy Zhu Xuan Star Academy."

"Wanting to destroy the Phase Force Tree, to release the Dark Cave... truly a familiar method. It's those lunatics from the 'Return-to-One Society,' isn't it? I didn't expect their tentacles to have already begun reaching into the Outer Shenzhou of the Eastern Region—places they originally regarded as barbaric wastelands... Is it because they can no longer survive in the Inner Shenzhou?"

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Facing Pang Pang Qianyuan's words, the Fish Chi King merely wore a faint smile and did not answer.

Seeing this, Pang Pang Qianyuan let out a soft sigh. Though no emotion showed on his face, his heart nonetheless grew heavier. The Return-to-One Society... those endlessly troublesome lunatics. As a King-level powerhouse, although Pang Pang Qianyuan resided in the Outer Shenzhou, he was still very clear about the unfathomable depth and strangeness of the "Return-to-One Society." The "Return-to-One Society" had already existed for an unknown number of years, and throughout these long

years, even behemoths like the Academy Alliance had not gained much advantage in their clashes with the "Return-to-One Society." He knew well in his heart just how terrifying this force was.

And now, the tentacles of the Return-to-One Society had spread to Daxia... this was truly the worst possible news.

"Over these years, the Return-to-One Society's movements in the Eastern Region's Shenzhou have grown increasingly frequent. What exactly are they trying to do?" Pang Pang Qianyuan's brow furrowed slightly as this question flashed through his mind.

But the question could not be answered for now, and the immediate priority was not to dwell on these matters.

The academy was already facing an existential crisis; he could not remain here any longer. A hint of regret flickered in Pang Pang Qianyuan's eyes. He glanced at the world rift, which under the propulsion of the Dragon Elephant Grand Formation, was already showing signs of closing. If given a little more time, he truly could have repaired this world rift,

and at that point, the Dark Cave suppressed by the Holy Zhu Xuan Star Academy would have been completely resolved.

What a pity...

He did not have that time.

If he continued to stalemate with the Fish Chi King here, the Phase Force Tree would be destroyed, and without the Phase Force Tree's suppression, the Dark Cave would likewise be released.

Although retreating now meant that all his efforts over these years in the depths of the Dark Cave would amount to nothing, there was no choice—after all, trade-offs had to be made.

Suxin would not be able to intercept the Return-to-One Society.

At this thought, Pang Pang Qianyuan swept his sleeve, and the Dragon Elephant Strange Formation that was pushing the world rift closed began to gradually dissipate. The ancient roars of dragons and elephants faded into the distance.

"Pang Pang Qianyuan, are you leaving?" Seeing this, the Fish Chi King's grey-white fish pupils rippled as it laughed.

Pang Pang Qianyuan's expression remained blank. He paid no heed, and as the golden lotus beneath his feet blossomed with countless mysterious lights, his figure shot toward the rear.

"But I don't want you to leave."

The Fish Chi King smiled and opened its mouth. A black torrent gushed forth—that torrent was actually transformed from countless jet-black fish scales. The torrent pierced through both realms, transforming into a giant hand of black fish scales that clawed toward Pang Pang Qianyuan's figure.

Pang Pang Qianyuan raised his palm, and the Dragon Bone Sacred Cup flashed into view. Light swirled at its rim, erupting with a force that could devour heaven and earth, and it actually swallowed that black-scale giant hand whole in one gulp.

"Fish Chi King, although I cannot slay you, for you to want to stop me is nothing but a fool's dream." Pang Pang Qianyuan said coldly.

The Fish Chi King smiled and raised both hands. The black river beneath its feet churned like a great dragon, then spread out from the world rift, surging toward the Dark Cave.

Seeing this, Pang Pang Qianyuan directly hurled the Dragon Bone Sacred Cup outward. The sacred cup swelled against the wind, descending like a towering mountain range to block the front of the world rift, preventing the black river from spreading.

"Don't rush. Wait for me a moment. Once I've dealt with matters outside, I'll come back to keep you company." Pang Pang Qianyuan said lightly.

With the Dragon Bone Sacred Cup in hand, even in his absence, relying solely on the Fish Chi King's strength, breaking through would not be so easy.

"Heh."

Hearing this, the Fish Chi King let out a laugh laden with mockery, and said in a drawn-out voice: "Pang Pang Qianyuan, do you really think that after planning for so long, we would let you waltz out to interfere so easily?"

Pang Pang Qianyuan's eyes narrowed slightly, and a vague unease rose in his heart, but his speed did not decrease in the slightest as he retreated at full speed. And just as Pang Pang Qianyuan was retreating, suddenly above the black river, a kind of grey-white aura seemed to appear. That grey-white aura emitted a special stench of corpses, and from within it countless skeletal hands

actually grew. These skeletal hands appeared beneath the Dragon Bone Sacred Cup and began to slowly lift it, bit by bit.

Seeing this scene, Pang Pang Qianyuan's pupils contracted sharply.

Then he stopped, because at this moment, behind him, a wall of skeletal remains with no visible end appeared out of thin air. That wall seemed to connect heaven and earth, blocking off every path of retreat.

Pang Pang Qianyuan stared at those skeletal remains, drew a deep breath, and his voice grew somewhat hoarse.

"This is... the Corpse Wraith King?!"

The grey-white aura circulated through heaven and earth, finally converging at one point. A figure roughly several zhang tall, draped in a ghastly white robe, appeared above the black river.

That figure had a withered-bone form, and held a tattered Soul-Summoning Banner in its hand. Behind it, grey-white aura filled the void, within which countless skeletal remains seemed to be struggling and writhing.

And when Pang Pang Qianyuan saw this withered-bone figure, his expression truly turned ugly, and the unease in his heart reached its peak at this moment.

"This tiny Daxia has actually drawn two of the Four Evil Kings under the Eight-Headed Black Demon King's throne... What exactly are you scheming?!"