Chapter 63: Phoenix Part 2

The moment they dashed into the cave, swarms of Demon Fish—each seven or eight feet long—burst from the water. Mu Qingshan decisively slid forward, left hand extended flat, right hand mimicking drawing a bowstring.

In an instant, a radiant Deer Antler Bow appeared in his hands!

Mu Qingshan closed his eyes, then opened them with a dazed expression, his gaze half-asleep, hazy, and scattered. A beam of white light formed into an arrow at his fingertips. As he released the string with a graceful flick of his right hand—

The Deer Antler Bow unleashed millions of light arrows that streaked out, striking the first wave of Demon Fish and exploding!

“Great!” Xiang Xian cheered loudly.

Mu Qingshan immediately sidestepped into the cave.

Xiang Xian never expected Mu Qingshan’s skills to be so formidable, but recalling how he had chased the Black-Winged Great Peng for thousands of miles without giving up, such strength was only natural.

After entering the cave, Xiang Xian steadied his breathing and said, “Qingshan, watch our backs.”

Mu Qingshan acknowledged it. In this critical moment, his weary expression vanished, his eyes brimmed with vigor, and he seemed far more reliable.

A wind began blowing through the cave. Chaosheng kept glancing back, but Mu Qingshan extended his slender fingers to turn Chaosheng’s face forward.

“Big Brother, your bow is amazing,” Chaosheng said.

“Of course,” Mu Qingshan said casually. “Big Brother is the World’s First Zhebie.”

Chaosheng burst into laughter. Xiang Xian turned back and made a “shh” gesture.

The second passage was short, but at its end, light shone through, revealing a vast open world in the air—a Floating Island!

The sky glowed with an eerie milky white, boundless and endless, with distant views shrouded in clouds and mist. Amid the vast fog stood only this island.

At the island’s center was an altar with a burning black fire. Around the black fire lay countless rotten Demon Fish, while the Earth Veins flickered. Behind the altar was a cauldron, one corner of which bore a gash from the Wisdom Sword, as if something brewed inside.

Before the cauldron stood a man dressed as a scholar—Zhou Wang!

Beside Zhou Wang was another man bound by strange spells—Zhen Yue, who had agreed to meet Xiang Xian and Xiao Kun at Yueyang Tower! Zhen Yue lay sideways on the ground, seemingly unconscious.

The moment the black fire ignited in the cauldron, Xiang Xian’s heart clenched in his chest, leaving him nearly breathless.

“!!!” Chaosheng exclaimed.

Xiang Xian struggled to steady his breathing, one hand on the cave wall, waving to signal he was fine.

He turned and signaled Chaosheng and Mu Qingshan not to speak, then shifted his body slightly to let them look down. The cave opening was uniquely positioned high in the air, like a bizarre tear in the sky, offering a clear overhead view.

Mu Qingshan scanned the surroundings with confusion.

“Qingyu Golden Chalice,” Xiang Xian whispered extremely softly.

This had to be a world created by the Qingyu Golden Chalice. Chaosheng had been captured by Mr. Qin in Kaifeng and thrown into it before, so he wasn’t surprised—the sky had the same soft glow back then.

“Why did the Qingyu Golden Chalice leave an opening?” Xiang Xian asked incredulously, inspecting the passage.

“Because last time Old Wu crashed into the chalice’s world to save me, breaking off a small piece,” Chaosheng whispered. “That’s Mo Sect’s leader, Zhou Wang!”

“You’ve met him?” Xiang Xian was initially surprised, then remembered they had crossed paths at the Burning Tail Banquet. He said, “You two wait here. I’ll scout. Qingshan, watch my signal later—can your arrow hit him?”

“Like sticking a flag on a headless corpse.” Mu Qingshan replied casually.

“You’ve learned idioms well,” Xiang Xian commented.

Chaosheng added, “I taught him.”

A Huang was in the cauldron, and Xiang Xian still didn’t know what the Demon Race planned to do with it, but locating the target made things easier.

He was at least ninety percent confident he could rescue A Huang. In fact, their earlier ambush had caught him off guard; in a serious fight, Zhou Wang was no match for either Xiang Xian or Xiao Kun.

With Mu Qingshan’s archery support providing a perfect counter, Xiang Xian stopped worrying. He pressed one hand to the rock wall, bent his legs, and slid down gracefully with Lightness Skill.

Mu Qingshan and Chaosheng leaned against the cave walls on either side, awaiting Xiang Xian’s command.

Xiang Xian landed silently, blending into the darkness and shadows to observe Zhou Wang’s movements. Zhou Wang’s wide sleeves fluttered as if he struggled to control immense power.

The Echoing Voice Insect glowed. Fearing it would alert the enemy, Xiang Xian gently pressed it down. After returning home once, the insects had been tied to their Red Rope Bracelets.

“Xiang Xian?” Xiao Kun’s voice transmitted. “How’s your side?”

“I found Zhen Yue,” Xiang Xian said. Turning his head, he spotted dozens more people in his previous blind spot! The cave held dozens clad in pitch-black night operative garb—pure assassins, all Mo Sect killers. Their eyes were vacant, faint black qi rising from their bodies.

“Is he still alive?” Xiao Kun’s voice asked. “What about A Huang?”

“A Huang’s here too,” Xiang Xian said. “Don’t worry. I’ll get it out.”

“Wait for me,” Xiao Kun said decisively. “I’m coming to you.”

“No,” Xiang Xian replied. “There’s only Zhou Wang here. Handle your side, Xiao Kun. Mr. Zhao might be with you.”

Meanwhile, Xiao Kun and Hulü Guang emerged from the water, dripping wet as they entered a dim passage in an ancient structure at the lake bottom. The air reeked of dampness and decay, with demonic qi spreading across the ground like veins toward all directions of the Dongting Lake region.

“We found an ancient altar,” Xiao Kun said. “Nothing else—maybe some primordial ruin.”

“Mm.” Xiang Xian watched Zhou Wang, sensing A Huang’s Flame of Life burning stubbornly, instinctively resisting the demonic qi. It all felt mysteriously linked to him. He asked, “What do you know about Weng Immortal?”

“That bastard massacred villages in Yan State,” Xiao Kun said, “slaughtering Liao Kingdom civilians for essence blood to feed his pet. Master chased him for a while. If possible, use the Demon-Suppressing Banner to capture him and retrieve the Tianluo Fan.”