Chapter 2160: Death Abyss

Anger, however, had to take a backseat to the harsh reality.

The monsters quickly surged forward. They could only gather their remaining forces, forming defensive formations. Even the demons from hell instinctively obeyed their commands. After all, the Flaying Ghost King had abandoned them, and fighting individually would only lead to their demise.

Zuan glanced towards the battlefield. The Bloodthirsty Crocodile Ancestor and the Frightful Shadow Demon were indeed formidable. Although currently at an absolute disadvantage, the monsters wouldn't be able to defeat them easily. The battle would likely continue for some time.

He quickly withdrew his gaze, wrapping an arm around Shang Liuyu’s waist and holding her tightly as he slowly moved towards the cave entrance. Although both their presence and forms were completely hidden, any accidental sound would betray their position. The ground was littered with severed limbs and discarded weapons, making it easy to make a sound if they misstepped. Compounding the challenge, the monsters had become agitated by his sudden disappearance, moving restlessly and constantly slashing with their sharp claws and weapons. Their movements were so dense that Zuan had to meticulously dodge them.

Consequently, he moved extremely slowly throughout the process, so slowly that Shang Liuyu grew anxious. She was, after all, an innocent young woman. Held so closely by a man, their bodies inevitably brushed against each other as they moved slowly. Feeling the masculine aura surrounding her, Shang Liuyu couldn't help but bite her lip. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind: had he been holding her sister like this in the next room just a few days ago...? The moment this thought appeared, her face flushed, and her heart pounded faster.

"Calm yourself," Zuan quickly whispered, for his skill could only barely conceal Shang Liuyu. If her physical reactions were too strong, they would easily be discovered. Shang Liuyu, being naturally uninhibited, quickly composed herself, dispelling her distracting thoughts, and her breathing soon calmed.

Zuan continued to move stealthily, finally reaching the vicinity of the cave entrance. Shang Liuyu glanced ahead with concern; the powerful human-dragon hybrid monster was blocking the way, its massive body leaving virtually no gaps for them to pass. It would be difficult for them to get through. While Zuan’s cultivation would allow him to defeat the monster, doing so would attract even more human-dragon hybrids. This would relieve pressure on the Bloodthirsty Crocodile Ancestor and the Frightful Shadow Demon, who would then certainly try to keep him there at any cost.

As she was worrying, her vision suddenly blurred, and she found herself and Zuan already at the cave entrance, while the human-dragon hybrid monster was now precisely where they had just been.

Form and Shadow Swap!

The human-dragon hybrid monster looked around in confusion, quickly comprehending what had happened, and roared as it lunged towards the two. But Zuan was faster. Once they were out of the great hall, he shed all caution, moving as if teleporting, covering dozens of miles in an instant with Shang Liuyu. However, the human-dragon hybrids and the three-headed, six-armed monsters were equally swift, pursuing them relentlessly. Even at Zuan's speed, it was difficult to completely shake them off.

It wasn't until they crossed a long bridge spanning a chasm that the monsters finally stopped, seemingly wary of something. They paced anxiously by the bridge, roaring incessantly at the retreating figures of Zuan and Shang Liuyu.

"They don't seem to dare cross this bridge," Shang Liuyu said, her cheeks slightly flushed, as she finally stepped out of his embrace.

Zuan replied gravely, "There must be something ahead that they fear."

Shang Liuyu's expression flickered. "Something that frightens even them? Wouldn't that be even more dangerous?" After all, these monsters were already incredibly powerful, capable of tearing even Earth Immortals to shreds.

"We still have to go and see; the Flaying Ghost King is ahead," Zuan said, then paused, a strange look on his face. "And I've noticed a coincidence: the calling voice seems to be coming from the same direction as well."

Shang Liuyu's eyes widened in disbelief.

Without further delay, Zuan continued to lead Shang Liuyu forward by the hand. They soon reached a cliff. Zuan instinctively slowed down, discovering the Flaying Ghost King standing at the edge. Below the cliff, a dense, grayish-white mist churned incessantly, like a turbulent sea of clouds.

It was the aura of death!

Both Zuan and Shang Liuyu were horrified; they had never before witnessed such a dense, palpable death aura. Occasionally, an undersea current would surge through, briefly parting the thick white mist and offering a fleeting glimpse of the scene below. It was a massive black vortex. They were already in the deepest reaches of the ocean, and yet, at such a depth, there was an even vaster abyss. A mere glance felt as though it could suck one whole into its depths – truly the ultimate nightmare for anyone with thalassophobia!

Zuan suddenly recalled something Shang Hongyu had once mentioned: an ancient merfolk legend that claimed the Dragon King, though seemingly the ruler of the merfolk, was actually just one of a group of guardians protecting a mysterious abyss. Could that legend be true? Was this the very abyss they were said to guard? What lay beneath this abyss?

At that moment, the Flaying Ghost King sensed their arrival, turned, and stared at Zuan mockingly. "You're finally here," he said.

Zuan smiled, pushing aside his questions about the abyss. "You don't seem surprised by my arrival?" he asked.

"Of course. You're different from those fools," the Flaying Ghost King replied, his expression odd. "After all, you aren't the true Lord of Myriad Transformations. Your performance these past few days has been truly astonishing, even to me."

Shang Liuyu's face dramatically paled as she looked worriedly at Zuan.

Zuan, however, remained calm. "Oh? So you already knew," he said. Now that it's come to this, there's no need for pretense. Both he and Shang Liuyu reverted to their original appearances.

"You don't seem surprised at all?" the Flaying Ghost King asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"If you hadn't secretly placed those corpse worms – the kind that control puppets – into the Carefree Dew and our daily meals, perhaps I might truly have been fooled," Zuan sighed.

Shang Liuyu nearly gagged upon hearing this. Corpse worms in their food all this time? Her worry deepened, realizing her sister had drunk the Carefree Dew multiple times to earn their trust.

The Flaying Ghost King's expression darkened. "It seems I still underestimated you. Since you're saying this, I presume you've already dealt with those corpse worms."

Zuan smiled. "Of course. I certainly don't want worms in my own head, and even less in my woman's."

Shang Liuyu felt an immediate surge of relief, but then quickly considered: by 'my woman,' did he mean her sister, or did that include her? No, it must be her sister, she concluded, after all, he had been her genuine brother-in-law these past few days.

"When exactly did you figure out I was a fake?" Zuan asked, genuinely curious. He had prided himself on his acting, believing it to be flawless, or at least impeccable.

The Flaying Ghost King didn't mind answering. "When I initially sought to capture the Lord of Myriad Transformations, I placed a specific curse on him. Unfortunately, when he emerged from that cave, the curse was gone, and I naturally realized he had been replaced."

Zuan was somewhat impressed. "So you knew that early on? Why didn't you expose me then?"

"What benefit would there have been in exposing you? Before you arrived, we couldn't locate the Merfolk Queen, nor could we devise a way to make the current Merfolk Queen cooperate. Yet, you conveniently accomplished what we couldn't. So, it was only natural to let things proceed as they were," the Flaying Ghost King said, a smile playing on his lips. "I must admit, your acting was truly remarkable. Had I not, by chance, used a secret technique on the *false* Dragon King beforehand, you would have completely deceived me."

Zuan sighed. "Your acting wasn't bad either. You knew I was a fake, yet you played along flawlessly, cooperating with our charade all the while. You almost had us completely wrapped around your finger."

"Pity you only fooled them, not me. You're quite formidable yourself, keeping the truth from even them. Were you hoping to take advantage of the situation and enjoy both sisters?" the Flaying Ghost King said with a wink and a chuckle. "The Merfolk Queen was quite a treat, wasn't she?"