In Zhang Buyao's memory, Zhang Pangpang had indeed always loved to eat, possessing a terrible weakness for good food.
Yet the root cause was that he had often starved as a child; when he first met Zhang Buyao, he had been on the verge of starving to death.
Because of that, Zhang Pangpang had developed a deep obsession with food. His dream was to become a chef who could bring happiness to people, ensuring no one would ever go hungry again.
Yet now, Zhang Pangpang had lost his mind, completely reduced to a slave of his own desire.
"Teacher, you look like you'd taste delicious too."
Zhang Pangpang stared unblinkingly at Zhang Buyao, drool spilling continuously from his lips.
The next moment, he lunged violently at Zhang Buyao, jaws agape as if intending to swallow her whole.
Before he could even touch her, however, a massive greatsword tens of meters long materialized out of thin air, thrusting him bodily through the air until he slammed hard into the cliff face.
What followed was a brutally one-sided beatdown.
Zhang Buyao manipulated three giant swords, swatting Zhang Pangpang around like a ball. She pummeled him so relentlessly that he couldn't even twitch, let alone struggle or fight back.
Half an hour later, Zhang Buyao returned to Yu Xian's side. There was no smile on her face, only bewilderment.
"What's wrong?" Yu Xian asked quietly, looking at her.
Zhang Buyao knitted her brows. "Something isn't right. Pangpang was never like this. It's more like he's gone mad. Could he have fallen under the influence of some external power?"
"When I captured them, I checked their memories," Yu Xian said. "They hadn't been subjected to any external influence. It looked more like they chose to degenerate on their own."
Zhang Buyao sighed and said earnestly, "Still, I can't shake the feeling that something's off. Salty Fish, why don't you look into it? See if anyone else besides my students has ended up like this."
"All right, I'll go check," Yu Xian agreed.
This was hardly difficult for him. After all, once he left Zhen Realm, he would regain his Mighty One status. Conducting an investigation was essentially just a matter of a single thought.
That night, Yu Xian departed Zhen Realm and appeared in the Tree Universe.
He unleashed his aura to the absolute maximum. In an instant, countless powerhouses sensed his presence, and simultaneously, he detected them as well.
"Friend, that sort of behavior is terribly dangerous. If you run into someone with ill intentions, you could easily be schemed against," a man in a business suit suddenly appeared not far from Yu Xian, speaking as he looked him over.
Yu Xian turned to the man and chuckled. "Has it never crossed your mind that there's another possibility? For instance, what if I'm the one with ill intentions?"
"Hahaha! Interesting. I'm Bai Qian. Pleased to meet you," the man laughed heartily.
"Yu Xian," Yu Xian replied placidly.
Then, looking at Bai Qian, he asked, "May I ask you a question?"
"Ask away, though I might not have an answer," Bai Qian replied with a smile.
Yu Xian asked, "Have many powerhouses across the Tree Universe fallen into the demonic path lately?"
"Are you referring to the demonic fall phenomenon? That's indeed a thing. Many people have inexplicably fallen into the demonic path, wreaking enormous havoc across the myriad worlds. Quite a few people are currently investigating the cause, but the whole business has neither head nor tail, and there are hardly any clues even now." Bai Qian paused in surprise, then nodded.
Yu Xian frowned. "When exactly did this demonic fall phenomenon begin?"
"Quite a while ago, though things seem to have quieted down a lot recently," Bai Qian replied.
He then told Yu Xian that in the past, someone would fall into the demonic path every few days, but over the last decade or so, the incidents had become far fewer. Many Mighty Ones speculated that perhaps a supreme demonic treasure had been exerting influence over the powerhouses of the myriad worlds, and that treasure's power was now finally beginning to wane.
"Thanks. This information is very important to me," Yu Xian smiled after hearing the explanation, and in the next instant, he vanished back into Zhen Realm.
Bai Qian stared at the spot where Yu Xian had abruptly vanished. Only after a good while did a smile surface on his face, and he muttered to himself, "Interesting. Even I couldn't perceive how he vanished or where he went."
It was pure curiosity that had prompted him to come meet Yu Xian, and now it seemed Yu Xian was even more enigmatic than he had imagined.
***
Zhen Realm, Silver City.
Upon returning, Yu Xian shared the intelligence he had gathered with Zhang Buyao.
"The demonic fall phenomenon? Pangpang and the others..." Hearing this, Zhang Buyao clenched her fists slightly.
Yu Xian looked at her and said seriously, "Even so, they must still bear responsibility for the wrongs they committed. Just because an external force influenced them doesn't mean their sins can be wiped clean."
"I know. But if I ever find out who did this to everyone, I swear I'll make them pay dearly," Zhang Buyao nodded, speaking with simmering anger.
Yu Xian nodded and consoled her, "Don't worry, I'll keep following up on this investigation."
He was also deeply concerned about what had caused the demonic fall phenomenon in the first place. After all, he was a Mighty One himself; if he were to fall under its sway, the danger would be catastrophic.
***
Afterward, time flew by.
Year after year passed in a blur of various events and monster grinding.
Feng Mingge and Chi Feihong worked exceptionally hard, rolling out at least two events every year—racing competitions, culinary tournaments, farming contests, and the like. At first, the players joined every single event, but gradually, they began participating only in the contests that genuinely interested them.
Yu Xian and Zhang Buyao steadily leveled up. From time to time, they would visit Zhang Buyao's students to give them a one-sided thrashing. Sometimes Yu Xian fought, sometimes Zhang Buyao stepped up, and sometimes they joined forces for a tag-team beatdown.
Gradually, whenever Zhang Buyao's students saw the two appear, they would instantly huddle into a ball. Yet right after, the automated auto-battle would kick in, heralding another day of merciless beatings.
In theory, players in Zhen Realm could grind all the way to Level 250 and then shatter the void to become true Mighty Ones.
However, reality proved cruel. Along the way, many players suffered failed enhancements that shattered their bodies completely, utterly extinguishing any possibility of ever becoming a Mighty One.
The player population of Zhen Realm waxed and waned; many players came and went, while others departed only to return.
Amid the endless meetings and partings of these players, Yu Xian and Zhang Buyao gradually cultivated their levels up to Level 245. Over a thousand years had quietly slipped by.
One day, just as Yu Xian and Zhang Buyao were preparing to head out to grind levels, both of them received a message from Zhang Shou simultaneously: "Salty Fish, I'm ready to shatter the void. Want to come watch?"
"Aren't you going to consolidate a bit more?" Yu Xian asked immediately upon seeing Zhang Shou's message.
Zhang Shou replied promptly: "I've consolidated long enough. I feel like today is the day. Coming to watch?"
"Of course," Yu Xian replied.
Turning to Zhang Buyao, he heard her laugh. "Who would have thought Zhang Shou is already about to become a Mighty One? Shall we go have a look?"
"Of course, let's go check it out," Yu Xian smiled.
The location Zhang Shou had chosen to shatter the void was Qilin Mountain.
This, too, was a mountain Yu Xian had sculpted himself. In shape, it resembled a qilin coiled upon the earth, covered in countless verdant trees, lush and brimming with vitality.
Yu Xian and Zhang Buyao descended from the sky onto the summit of Qilin Mountain, only to find that everyone had already arrived.
Chapter 615