Trials of the Abyss

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Li Bai was the first to emerge from the bizarre mist shrouding Northern Qi in the Fourth World, with Yu Qing, Xuan Ying, Yu Xin, and many warriors of the Demon Scale Race, Radiant Race, and Flame Race following close behind.

It had been presumed that the Fey Race had slaughtered many of the young and elite members of the foreign races, but they had surprisingly returned safe and sound.

"Lord Li Bai!" greeted a Rank Nine Ghost Race warrior. They represented the Outer God, Zi Mo, and stepped forward to inquire about the situation.

Li Bai replied impassively, "I'll personally report to her."

The Patriarch of the Demon Scale Race closed his eyes and used his secret bloodline art and specialized artifact to establish contact with a few entities in the Fifth World.

An hour later, Li Bai opened his eyes. "Let's go."

They boarded the flying vessels awaiting their return around Northern Qi, and the fleet rose to the sky soon after.

Unexpectedly, their course was set for the Third World.

The Mountain Ghost Race warriors in the Primordial Wilderness in the Third World had received new orders, instructing them to treat the less intelligent Vicious Beasts with care.

Feeding the Vicious Beasts Bloodthirst Elixirs also became strictly prohibited.

The Mountain Ghost Race warriors could not help but feel a sense of regret when they looked at the Vicious Beasts, with their savage eyes radiating bloodlust and an insatiable hunger for slaughter.

Bloodthirst Elixirs rapidly elevated the bloodline ranks of the Vicious Beasts, enabling them to unleash terrifying power—a formidable asset for breaching strongholds and conquering territories.

As the war progressed, their proficiency in utilizing the Bloodthirst Elixirs had grown, and alongside it, their dependence on them.

The abrupt order to cease using the Bloodthirst Elixirs and instead treat the Vicious Beasts with care left the Mountain Ghost Race warriors struggling to adjust.

Fortunately, a Rank Eight Ice Sculpture Beast from Northern Qi descended soon after the command was given.

The Great Fey hovered above the Rank Five and Rank Six Vicious Beasts.

A viscous, blood-like liquid rained down from its spread wings.

The Vicious Beasts eagerly drank the blood-like liquid as though lapping up the Bloodthirst Elixirs they had grown accustomed to.

Their intelligence started to evolve at a startling rate.

The Vicious Beasts that the Mountain Ghost Race warriors once viewed as mere tools of destruction now exuded profound auras and their combat prowess noticeably increased.

"Bloodline awakenings!"

"The Vicious Beasts have awakened their intelligence!"

"They're transforming and advancing!"

The Mountain Ghost Race warriors were shocked.

"You may now begin your assault on the two continents," the Ice Sculpture Beast from Northern Qi commanded the Mountain Ghost Race warriors and the newly empowered Vicious Beasts. "The Cosmic Skies Continent is the closer of the two."

***

Flying vessels of various designs silently ascended from fragmented lands near the Cosmic Skies Continent under the cover of a cloudy night.

They approached the Cosmic Skies Continent undetected.

Qi Qingsong had been immersing himself in a pleasant dream to temper his divine soul when shouts of battle and cries of slaughter awoke him.

The earth beneath him quaked with a deafening rumble.

Spectral lights could be seen in the pitch-dark distance, shimmering with an uncanny, otherworldly glow.

"The foreign races have invaded the Cosmic Skies Continent!"

"The assault has begun!"

"Prepare for battle!"

A tidal wave of battle cries could be heard from all across the Cosmic Skies Continent.

"Senior Sister Zhuang, the battle has begun!" Qi Qingsong yelled, unsheathing his sword as he joined the ranks of the Sword Pavilion disciples.

This battle would determine the survival of the human race.

***

The Sword Boat landed in Eternal Crossing in the Second World.

Dong Wenjian and Lin Manhe wasted no time using one of the teleportation arrays to return to the Ancient Law Sect.

Pang Jian firmly asserted that he would neither return to the Sword Pavilion nor join the battle in the Third World for the time being, so Hu Yuanfei reluctantly set off for the Sword Pavilion alone to report their situation to the elders.

Before leaving, Liu Youyu handed Fan Chen's spatial ring to Pang Jian under the instructions of the True God of the Supreme Monad Divine Kingdom.

It seemed her Celestial Profound Mirror could be used to communicate with her elder, the True God Liu Fu.

While she initially intended to take Fan Chen's belongings back to the Eastern Land, Fan Ao had actually conferred with Liu Fu, instructing her to entrust them to Pang Jian for safekeeping instead.

Although the reason for this was unclear, Pang Jian still begrudgingly accepted the orders.

Fan Chen's death weighed heavily on his conscience, and Pang Jian could not shake the feeling that Fan Ao would one day send someone to hold him accountable.

Even so, he could do nothing but steel himself for a potential judgment from the Supreme Monad Divine Kingdom.

"Pang Jian, where are we going?" Zhou Qingchen and Dong Tianze looked at him expectantly.

"I'm taking you to a good place. Don't ask too many questions and just follow me." Pang Jian summoned his Abyssal Demon Sword and flew off.

Zhou Qingchen and Dong Tianze exchanged a glance before quickly giving chase.

Elder Mu Aichuan waited until the group dispersed to reveal himself, reporting their safety through his sword token.

***

"Why are you following us?" Pang Jian asked, turning to the White Lynx. "Why don't you head to the northernmost region of the Fourth World? That's where you'll find the ancient Fey Race capable of awakening your bloodline."

The White Lynx had since been healed, with her body showing no visible scars.

After the encounter with Long Zhan, she no longer resisted Pang Jian's offer to treat her injuries and received treatment on the way to Eternal Crossing.

Given her inherently weaker physique, the healing process was relatively straightforward, and her injuries had been largely resolved.

Pang Jian had even meticulously reconnected her severed meridians using the miraculous life energy from the World Eater Vine.

However, he could not fathom why the White Lynx still followed him after they left the Sacred Soul Continent.

"I don't want to go to the Fourth World and have nowhere else to go," she replied wistfully. "I'll stay with you until I figure it out."

Pang Jian had initially planned to take Zhou Qingchen and Dong Tianze to the Resolute Expanse, trusting them enough to reveal its existence to them.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the White Lynx, and her persistent presence left him frustrated.

"We'll keep in touch through the Ghost Altar. I'll show you both a good place soon," Pang Jian said, tapping his spatial bracelet with a pointed look at Dong Tianze.

"Alright," the pair agreed.

Pang Jian then split up from the duo and headed toward Absolute Heaven.

Eternal Crossing was not far from Absolute Heaven, and Pang Jian's Soul Wandering Realm cultivation meant he no longer needed to rely on the Sword Boat to traverse the bizarre mist shrouding the fragmented land.

The White Lynx followed closely behind him as he traveled, gliding swiftly through the air.

Dong Tianze and Zhou Qingchen exchanged a knowing glance, then deliberately veered off in a direction that happened to lead toward the Resolute Expanse.

***

Even after a day of travel, Pang Jian found he could not rid himself of the persistent White Lynx.

He did not want to resort to using the Gate of the Abyss for teleportation, and inadvertently found himself drawing closer to the bizarre mist shrouding Absolute Heaven.

At that moment, he decided to alter his plan.

The Nether Abyss Spirit Bees resided in Absolute Heaven.

It was not a bad idea to check on the Bee Sovereign and see if there had been any changes within Absolute Heaven.

After all, the black turtle scute in the wooden hut on the Cloud Wilderness meant he could always teleport to the Resolute Expanse as he pleased.

When the black turtle was ready, Pang Jian would simply ditch the White Lynx, return to the Resolute Expanse, and have the black turtle teleport to his location through the Gate of the Abyss.

Several hours later, Pang Jian reached the bizarre mist.

"I know this place," the White Lynx remarked, her cold gaze sharpening. "There's a restricted area inside called Absolute Heaven.

"Only those below the Spirit Condensation Realm or under Rank Six can enter."

"The rules of the bizarre mist aren't fixed. What was true before may no longer apply now," Pang Jian explained, activating a protective shield before plunging into the misty expanse.

The familiar gray bizarre mist enveloped him, but he felt no divine punishment inflicted upon him.

There was no feeling of his divine soul shattering or his body succumbing to erosion.

"The rules really have changed," he muttered under his breath before trying to establish a connection with the golden bees within the bizarre mist.

The Bee Sovereign had likely left a bee near the edge of the bizarre mist.

As expected, he soon established a connection with a Nether Abyss Spirit Bee.

Pang Jian could easily check on the beehive through the connection using his divine soul.

The beehive was settled deep within a forest in Absolute Heaven and resembled a massive golden mountain with countless golden bees buzzing in and out.

Many bees had since developed independent consciousness and could communicate among themselves.

Unfortunately, although a considerable amount of time had passed since Pang Jian had left Absolute Heaven, the Bee Sovereign had yet to awaken from its dormant, cocooned state.

That explains why the Nether Abyss Spirit Bees haven't left the bizarre mist. I haven't sensed a single one outside, Pang Jian mused.

His Abyssal Demon Sword abruptly let out a piercing wail,

The divine sword lacked a sword soul since he completely eradicated all of the Abyssal Demon's consciousness, and its wailing had actually startled him.

Probing it with his divine sense, he soon discovered a small wisp of demonic flame emerging within.

It only took a small spark to ignite a blaze, and soon more demonic flames, demonic clouds, and demonic light materialized within the sword's inner world.

Among them were also the six mysterious realms linked to the Demon God Lamp.

A fragment of the Abyssal Demon's consciousness started to awaken.

P-Pang Jian… it said, voice trembling. You...you killed me. You erased all traces of my consciousness.

That's right, it was my own doing. I've once again disgraced myself.

As it spoke, more and more of its consciousnesses awoke, muttering over each other.

I could only regenerate a fragment of my consciousness here because I sensed another part of me!

The other broken half of me lies somewhere within this bizarre mist!

My consciousness reformed because that broken half resonated with this half!

When one consciousness arises, a hundred more will follow!

That's why I've returned once more!

The Abyssal Demons' multiple consciousnesses continued their incessant chatter.

Whoosh!

The White Lynx suddenly appeared in her lynx form, snowy fur practically glowing in the bizarre mist.

"Pang Jian, run!" she screeched, voice sharp and panicked. "Run as far as you can! Long Zhan's coming! He's here to kill us!

"He dared not kill you in the Sacred Soul Continent because he feared Li Zhaotian would successfully ascend to the True God Realm and retaliate against the Dragon Lair Sect!

"But he doesn't have that fear in the bizarre mist!

"Run!"

Her desperate cries shook Pang Jian to his core.

He acted swiftly, scooping up the trembling White Lynx and teleporting to the nearest golden bee without hesitation.

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