First Hearing of the Abyss

"Old Zhang, can she still be saved?"

Yu Xian looked at the unconscious girl and immediately asked Zhang Shou.

This time, Zhang Shou did not dare make any guarantees. Gritting his teeth, he said, "I don't know. I'll do my best."

After saying that, he summoned Healing Touch and wrapped the girl in it. The moment Healing Touch touched her, it began to sizzle, and large amounts of white smoke rose from it.

"Hiss, what terrifying poison. Salty Fish, you'd better stay farther away. That smoke is all poisonous gas," Zhang Shou said hurriedly, drawing in a sharp breath.

Yu Xian nodded and stepped back, then used Bubble to protect himself.

In the past, whenever Zhang Shou used Healing Touch, even terminal illnesses could be cured with ease. This was the first time Yu Xian had seen Zhang Shou's skill produce such an exaggerated effect, which showed just how horrifying the poison in the girl's body was.

In the end, Healing Touch melted away in mere moments, like ice placed on a red-hot iron plate.

Seeing this, Zhang Shou immediately gritted his teeth and continued using Healing Touch. Another tentacle formed, and he tirelessly kept summoning Healing Touch. In the blink of an eye, the girl's entire body was wrapped in tentacles, making the scene look somewhat evil instead.

Sizzle.

Smoke rose from all over the girl's body as the poison fought against Healing Touch.

Whenever a Healing Touch tentacle melted away, Zhang Shou immediately activated his skill to replace it with another. He himself rapidly aged, becoming a middle-aged man in the blink of an eye.

"This poison is far too terrifying."

Looking at the green poison on the girl's body gradually fading, he spoke to Yu Xian.

Yu Xian nodded in agreement. If this poison had landed on him, he would probably have been dissolved into liquid in an instant.

But this also showed that the poisoned girl was very strong. Such terrifying poison had failed to kill her; it was hard to imagine how formidable her body was.

Half a minute later, the girl slowly opened her eyes. The moment she saw the tentacles around her body, she immediately frowned.

"Don't panic. We're members of the Demon-Slaying Squad, and we're detoxifying you," Yu Xian said as soon as he saw her awaken.

Suppressing her discomfort, Gong Qian asked, "How long was I unconscious?"

"About five minutes," Yu Xian answered.

Gong Qian immediately tried to sit up, but Zhang Shou said, "The poison in your body hasn't been completely removed yet. Bear with it a little longer."

"No. That monster is too strong. The others can't hold it back. I have to get back immediately," Gong Qian said firmly through gritted teeth.

A creature she could not blow apart with a single punch was certainly more than the remaining three captains could handle. She knew that all too well.

"Um... where is General Zhao Yi?" Zhang Shou could not help asking.

Gong Qian sat up and answered, "General Zhao Yi was sent directly here through a teleportation array. He has to guard an Abyss Rift himself, so after launching his attack, he was teleported back."

"An Abyss Rift? Then can't he be teleported here again now?" Zhang Shou activated his skill once more, looking even older.

Gong Qian shook her head helplessly. "The space near an Abyss Rift is extremely chaotic. Preparing for a single teleportation takes more than a day. Otherwise, why do you think we delayed the operation until noon? Do you think we didn't want to solve the problem earlier?"

"Then are there any other Dragon Level experts who can provide support?" Yu Xian asked thoughtfully.

Gong Qian rolled her eyes at Yu Xian and complained, "Dragon Level experts aren't cabbages. The minister has to guard Yanjing, other generals have to guard the Abyss Rifts, and some have to deter foreign forces at the borders. Even if there is support... the earliest it could arrive would probably be noon tomorrow."

"Are there any Dragon Level experts among civilians?" Yu Xian pressed.

Gong Qian fell silent. Yu Xian quickly said, "Now isn't the time to hesitate. If there are Dragon Level experts among civilians, then we need to call for help immediately. This place is still too close to Silver City. If anything goes wrong, the consequences will be disastrous."

"All right. I'll try to submit a request."

She and Yu Xian both fell silent. Seeing this, Zhang Shou could not help asking, "With poison that terrifying, how come your clothes are fine?"

"Pervert. Do you really want to see my clothes dissolve?" Gong Qian's face reddened as she glared at Zhang Shou.

Zhang Shou looked old, but he was still an innocent high school student at heart. His expression turned awkward, and he hurriedly explained, "I-I-I... I was just curious."

"My clothes are made from Dragon Level materials. How could they possibly dissolve that easily?" Gong Qian explained irritably.

Her brute strength was so immense that ordinary clothes could not withstand her movements. With even the slightest motion, normal clothing would be reduced to rags, so Qilin Headquarters had spent vast resources specially making her current outfit.

This outfit could not only perfectly withstand her immense strength without being damaged while she moved, but also possessed various resistances. How could mere poison dissolve such a treasure?

"So... what do we do now?" Yu Xian looked at Gong Qian, still more concerned about getting reinforcements.

Gong Qian pressed her palm against a tentacle and said, "Don't worry. Since I break things easily, I have hundreds of phones. Once the poison in my hand is gone, I can immediately contact reinforcements."

She pressed her palm tightly against the tentacle, and the sizzling continued without pause.

"Doesn't it hurt?" Zhang Shou asked curiously.

Gong Qian calmly replied, "This poison really is strange. Even I find it difficult to be immune to it. But it doesn't hurt; it only makes moving somewhat difficult."

"Maybe you're the only one who doesn't feel pain," Yu Xian remarked.

Deimos's poison could dissolve even phones instantly. How could an infected person not feel pain? An ordinary person would probably melt into liquid all over in agony the moment they touched it.

Finally, with Gong Qian actively cooperating, the poison in her palm was completely removed. After confirming that no poison remained on her hand, she hurriedly took out a phone and turned it on.

After making several contacts, her face flushed red, and she cursed, "Damn it! He could've gone to the Abyss anytime, but he had to go now. Damn it!"

"What do you mean?" Yu Xian asked.

Gong Qian said angrily, "Dragon Level experts are already the strongest of the strong. Even the authorities can't easily offend them. Among all the non-official Dragon Level experts, only the Great Sage Equal to Heaven is easy to talk to. As long as we offer enough benefits, we can ask him for help, but... he went to the Abyss."

"What kind of place is the Abyss?" Zhang Shou had been curious about it earlier and quickly asked.

Gong Qian said distractedly, "The Abyss is the Abyss. No one knows how it appeared, but one thing is certain: all Forbidden Fruits come from the Abyss. Because the space near the Abyss Rifts is extremely chaotic, once a Forbidden Fruit appears near one, it will be randomly teleported to every corner of the world."

"Then why did the Great Sage Equal to Heaven go to the Abyss?" Yu Xian asked.

Gong Qian replied, "Of course, to search for treasures. The vast majority of materials above Dragon Level come from the Abyss. Once you reach Eagle Rank, you'll be qualified to apply to headquarters to enter the Abyss."

"Then what do we do now?" Zhang Shou asked.

Gong Qian and Yu Xian both fell silent. At the very least, the three of them could only make do...