Underground Lake.
Everyone had evacuated.
Only Shen Ye and Xu Xingke remained, still talking.
"Teacher, how are things aboveground?"
"The security system was infected with a virus and went down, but fortunately, their attacks targeted the Three Great High Schools and the top experts, so ordinary people were more or less fine."
"The security system went down? Something happened to Kunlun?" Shen Ye asked in surprise.
"Not Kunlun."
Xu Xingke casually beckoned.
The divine beast Yazi lay on the ground, foaming at the mouth, barely able to move.
"What happened to him?" Shen Ye asked.
"He was poisoned. He'll need a long time to recover," Xu Xingke said, folding his arms.
It took Shen Ye a few seconds to understand.
"So he's our world's security system?"
"Exactly. As long as he's in good shape, any outside attack gets reflected. So when the enemy invaded, they disabled him first," Xu Xingke said.
Shen Ye didn't know what to say, so he went straight to the point:
"...Chaotic Spiritual Light doesn't seem to be on our side, Teacher."
Xu Xingke's expression remained unchanged as he picked up where Shen Ye left off. "He never was on our side."
"-Spiritual Light thinks differently from us. He's lived for countless ages and is absurdly powerful, so most people wouldn't dare ask about the Nangong Family's affairs."
"Otherwise, Song Qingyun's plan would have been exposed long ago."
"He said I was dead?" Shen Ye asked.
"Yes-you never need to trust him again."
"Yes, Teacher."
Shen Ye thought for a moment, then recounted everything that had happened deep in the Great Tomb.
Xu Xingke tossed his cigarette butt onto the ground and gently ground it out underfoot, then gazed up at the towering black rock walls overhead, as though he could see through them to what