Chapter Thirty-Three: Rearguard

Yuan's power was unleashed in full, every aspect—whether raw strength or terrifying mental assaults—was a lethal, horrifying killing move. If not for the little fox Yiyi’s inner elixir, which had muddledly granted Shen Chang’an the power of the celestial fox and the ability to ward off evil, he would likely have been the one kneeling on the ground now.

There was no way he could win this fight, so Shen Chang’an decisively chose to retreat. In truth, this had been his intention from the start: to withdraw immediately. However, he’d been swept along by Li Qingqing’s urgency and had no choice but to grit his teeth and face Yuan head-on.

Yet Yuan’s strength exceeded all their expectations. Even when Shen Chang’an exerted himself to the utmost, he could do nothing. Their opponent overwhelmed them in every conceivable way—strength, speed, perception, attack range, defense, regeneration—no matter the ability, Yuan stood above them all.

This was a disparity in sheer power, and Shen Chang’an’s lone supernatural trick could not possibly match Yuan’s might. Besides strength, Shen Chang’an was suppressed in every area; even his strength only just managed to stand equal.

He rushed up to the cave where he’d first entered, his staff crashing down with the force of his divine power, shattering the stones that barred his way. Peering inside, he found that although Yuan had shaken the cave once, it hadn’t suffered much damage—apart from the spot where they’d entered, blocked by rocks, the rest of the passage was mostly unobstructed.

This was a precaution left by Fang Siyi, whose mind was complex enough to collaborate with monsters in founding a city—how could he ever fully trust Yuan? The passage had been reinforced several times, just in case Yuan decided to kill him inside. Yuan knew this, but didn’t care. He could summon the city’s monsters to kill Fang Siyi at any moment; no matter how sturdy Fang Siyi built the tunnel, it was meaningless.

Yet Fang Siyi’s actions had left Shen Chang’an and his companions a way out. Since the cave hadn’t completely collapsed, Shen Chang’an didn’t need to clear much debris and could quickly charge forward.

At this moment, Zheng Xin had also evaded Yuan’s attacks and hurried to Shen Chang’an’s side.

“Go!” Shen Chang’an barked, cradling Wang Yue, preparing to dash ahead.

“We can’t!” came Yuan’s dreadful voice. Then, a silent wave of black energy swept out, a fierce psychic shock crashing over them. The ground quaked wildly, and countless tentacles erupted, lunging at Shen Chang’an and the others.

Yuan had spent years preparing this place, absorbing the city’s evil thoughts and receiving constant human offerings. In just two years, the underground was already riddled with its tentacles.

Several tentacles stabbed forward; Shen Chang’an had to wield his staff, smashing them apart again and again.

“There were no tentacles on the way in—are there none here?” Shen Chang’an hesitated. He didn’t know what Fang Siyi had done, but the absence of tentacles ahead meant there was hope for escape.

“Quick!” Shen Chang’an moved nimbly; carrying another person was no burden for him.

But after only two steps, Zheng Xin suddenly stopped.

Shen Chang’an turned to look and saw Zheng Xin’s face pale, her breath ragged—she was at her limit.

Zheng Xin relied on a thin bloodline, enough to withstand the assault briefly, but unlike Shen Chang’an, she lacked the deep magical power to resist Yuan’s attacks and keep leaping forward.

“Taoist… am I going to die?” Zheng Xin asked with difficulty.

Shen Chang’an shook his head. “You won’t die.”

He drew a Focus Talisman and pressed it to Zheng Xin’s forehead. With a surge of power, the talisman dissolved into light, and Zheng Xin felt her mind clear a bit.

“You take these two and get out,” Shen Chang’an handed Wang Yue over, his tone grave.

“And you?” Zheng Xin asked.

While smashing attacking tentacles, Shen Chang’an replied, “I’ll stay here, hold off this monster, and buy you time to escape.”

“No, if we run, we run together!” Zheng Xin said quickly.

But Shen Chang’an’s face was stern. “If we all try to escape together, with your current state, you’re sure to die. Only if I delay Yuan and you get them out will there be any hope of fighting back.”

Zheng Xin immediately said, “You can carry both of them—take them and run, forget about me!”

Shen Chang’an shook his head, sighing. “What are you thinking? How could I let you die before my eyes? You know me—I’m sentimental, I act out, and love to play the hero… So hurry and escape…”

Zheng Xin’s eyes were already wet. She said nothing more, scooped up Wang Yue, and used the last of her strength to head toward the exit.

Shen Chang’an’s voice followed, “Oh, right—if you run out of strength, just toss Li Qingqing aside. She won’t help us even if she gets out.”

Zheng Xin hesitated briefly, then threw Li Qingqing away, grabbed Wang Yue, and ran.

Shen Chang’an’s situation was increasingly dire. Yuan had heard their conversation and knew that if Shen Chang’an and the others escaped, it would pose a grave threat.

Earlier, when Shen Chang’an and his group were trapped, Yuan had waited for Li Qingqing to appear before attacking, hoping to wipe them out completely by gathering strength. Once Li Qingqing’s intention was clear, Yuan withdrew all the monsters, letting Shen Chang’an’s group reach the cave unimpeded. Shen Chang’an hadn’t known Yuan could sense the outside world through ants, thinking it was just luck; now he realized Yuan had orchestrated everything.

Now, seeing Zheng Xin and the others trying to leave, how could Yuan tolerate it?

Yet the passage built by Fang Siyi was exceptionally sturdy—he’d even mixed in special materials, greatly increasing the mountain’s strength and leaving Yuan at a loss.

It wasn’t that Yuan couldn’t tear the passage apart, but its body was buried in the mountain, severely limiting its power. If it used all its strength, it would expose itself.

But Yuan needed roots.

Without roots, the Abyss would cease to exist.