Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 362: Dong Tianze, the Calamity Star

The Merit Leaderboards had everyone eager to join the hunt for foreign races and Vicious Beasts.

Rogue cultivators emerged from their hiding and flocked to the Cosmic Skies and Dark Abyss Continents to participate in the hunt.

The Sword Pavilion disciples who had not followed Hu Yuanfei to the lower worlds felt slightly regretful.

"Everyone calm down, you're all being reckless!" Zhuang Yuyan scoffed, glaring at Qi Qingsong. "You've been to Absolute Heaven. You know how powerful those foreign races are, don't you?

"We wouldn't have survived if that Outer God from the fiery fragmented land hadn't gone easy on us!"

Qi Qingsong deflated.

Cowed, he turned to answer Pang Jian's earlier question, "Pang Jian, the murky energy hasn't reached the fragmented lands of the Third World yet, but some fearless individuals have ventured into the cloud layer beneath the fragmented lands to hunt the foreign races.

"Several foreign race warships are docked right below the cloud layer, making them prime targets.

"The more daring ones like Li Yuqing and our Senior Sister Hu even dive straight into the Fourth World. Their contribution points come from slaying foreign races and Vicious Beasts there."

"Dive into the Fourth World?" Pang Jian knitted his brows and established a connection with the Giant Abyssal Serpent.

The Giant Abyssal Serpent and Yu Xin of the Celestial Race were on a sleek, spindle-shaped flying vessel of an unmistakably foreign design. The pair navigated the contaminated Fourth World, passing over fragmented lands below. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Northern Qi..." Yu Xin murmured.

Pang Jian's mind trembled as he communicated with the Giant Abyssal Serpent. From it, he learned that its bloodline memories contained information about the mysteries of Northern Qi and the Solitary Mountain Range.

This had piqued Yu Xin's curiosity and she wanted to explore the mysteries concealed within the Solitary Mountain Range.

Thus, the pair were now on their way to Northern Qi, which was shrouded in bizarre mist in the far north corner of the Fourth World.

The Celestial Maiden stood at the bow of their flying vessel. Her eight pairs of white wings shimmered with an ethereal glow.

She's advanced. Her bloodline has broken through from Rank Seven to Rank Eight. Rank Eight is equivalent to the human race's Nirvana Realm, Pang Jian thought in amazement.

Yu Xin suddenly turned to the Giant Abyssal Serpent with eyes filled with deep warmth and nostalgia.

"Xiao Hei, it's been a long time since we've spoken to the esteemed one. Is he doing well?" she wondered aloud. "He's helped us so, so much. I don't even know how to properly thank him."

She gently bit her lower lip.

"We're about to head to the Third World so our people can survive. We're now stronger than ever before, and we've even gained the support of the Outer Gods.

"I hope he's safe."

The Giant Abyssal Serpent remained silent.

Pang Jian did not take the initiative to communicate with Yu Xin, so the Giant Abyssal Serpent tactfully feigned ignorance.

***

"Pang Jian!" Qi Qingsong yelled.

"Hm? What?"

"What're you spacing out for?" Qi Qingsong rolled his eyes. "I asked if you're interested in going to the Third World with us to earn some contribution points."

"I need to focus on my cultivation for now. I'll think about it later," Pang Jian replied.

***

In the following two days, Pang Jian stayed in his cave residence, tempering his divine soul according to the Qi Nurturing Divine Cauldron Art.

He also occasionally checked the Merit Leaderboard through his sword token.

One day, Pang Jian retrieved the long-dusty Ghost Altar and set it up.

Pang Jian, I need some body-refining pills. The Sinister Soul Temple doesn't have any.

I recently participated in a Vicious Beasts hunting mission that the Armor-Breaking Army organized and I feel like I'm on the verge of another breakthrough. By the way, the general of the Armor-Breaking Army is none other than Li Yuanchen's father.

Pang Jian, I feel like I'm nearing the late stage of the Spirit Condensation Realm!

Messages flew out one after another, most of which were about trivial matters.

Pang Jian wore a bemused expression.

It seemed Dong Tianze had no friends to talk to and had instead opted to send Pang Jian his idle chatter.

Pang Jian tossed a simple response into the Ghost Altar.

I’ve ascended to the Soul Wandering Realm.

That night, Dong Tianze's figure appeared in the Ghost Altar.

"When did you advance to the Soul Wandering Realm?" he asked with a sour expression.

"My divine soul left my body in that glacier. Isn't that Soul Wandering?” Pang Jian replied with a calm expression.

"Back then? Back then you had already..." Dong Tianze's mood darkened further. "We thought your divine soul was just unique. We didn't realize you had already reached the Soul Wandering Realm."

"I skipped the Spirit Condensation Realm completely."

Dong Tianze took a deep breath. He remained silent as a cloud of gloom settled over his heart.

Pang Jian stared at Dong Tianze's background and noticed the arrangement of the stone table and chairs looked strangely nostalgic.

"Where are you? The cave you're in looks familiar,"

"The Primordial Wilderness, in cave dwelling number fifty-six!" Dong Tianze responded coldly. Then, frowning, he added, "There are two rogue cultivators named Gao Yuan and Han Ting here. Do you know them?"

"I do." Pang Jian was surprised. "Are they also in the Primordial Wilderness?"

"Yes."

"Keep an eye on them for me if you can."

"Alright."

With that, Dong Tianze vanished from the Ghost Altar.

***

Dong Tianze flew out of the cave dwelling number fifty-six in the Primordial Wilderness with his Ghost's Cry and soared straight toward the summit of the Third Peak.

"Dong Tianze!"

"Why is this calamity star acting crazy now?"

The rogue cultivators on the Third Peak cried in shock.

Dong Tianze ranked near the top on the Merit Leaderboard for the Spirit Condensation Realm. His ferocity was common knowledge and no one dared to provoke him.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A torrent of Spirit Devils rushed out as soon as Dong Tianze landed on the summit of the Third Peak.

They circled a white-haired rogue cultivator named Xing Dongping.

Dong Tianze carved two deep, bone-revealing wounds across the rogue cultivator's chest with his Ghost's Cry and questioned frostily, "Where are Gao Yuan and Han Ting?"

Xing Dongping screamed in horror, "They're just rogue cultivators. What do they have to do with you?”

"I'll only ask you one more time. Where are they?"

His Ghost's Cry hovered menacingly at Xing Dongping's throat, ready to strike if he gave the wrong answer.

Though Xing Dongping was also in the Spirit Condensation Realm, he was no match for Dong Tianze.

"They-they're in the hands of Han Feng, the Armor-Breaking Army's officer!" he stammered.

Whoosh!

Dong Tianze shot toward the First Peak and landed before the trading halls Old Monster Cao had once overseen.

"Who's Han Feng?!" he bellowed.

A middle-aged commander in silver armor stepped out with knitted brows. "What’s the matter?"

"Han Feng had rogue cultivator Xing Dongping capture my people," Dong Tianze accused fearlessly. "Your subordinate took action without regard for right or wrong. He seized them solely to satisfy his selfish desires. Don't you think he deserves to be punished?"

Many eyes watched intently from the other mountain peaks, waiting to see how it would unfold.

Liu Tianchao was the Soul Wandering Realm commander of the Armor-Breaking Army stationed at the Primordial Wilderness.

"I'll get to the bottom of this in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn!" he said seriously.

"Alright!"

As promised, one incense stick later, Liu Tianchao dragged a blood-covered Han Feng from the trading hall and tossed him at Dong Tianze's feet.

"His rib cage is broken in three places. I also knocked him down a cultivation realm and revoked his rank as an officer!"

Liu Tianchao then gave a low shout, and a few soldiers brought Gao Yuan and Han Ting out from a cave dwelling on the First Peak.

Gao Yuan had bloodstains on his face, mouth, and chest. Han Ting, on the other hand, was unharmed.

The blood-covered Han Feng wore a dazed expression as if his soul had left his body.

"They're fine. Han Feng didn't have time to cause any real harm," Liu Tianchao assured. "He planned to finish burying the Ground Fissure Mines before..."

He left the rest unsaid.

Glancing toward the cultivators on each mountain peak, he added, "Regardless of the circumstances, this was my failure. I will deduct a portion of my contribution points."

Dong Tianze nodded, then turned to Gao Yuan and Han Ting. "Pang Jian asked me to look after you two."

Han Ting's eyes brightened with hope and the weight on her heart lifted.

Gao Yuan also perked up. "I knew it!"

"Pang Jian?"

"The disciple of Li Zhaotian from the Sword Pavilion, Pang Jian?"

"They're Pang Jian's acquaintances?!"

The expressions on all the onlookers' faces changed.

***

Buzz! Buzz!

On the Heaven Departure Peak, the sword token in Pang Jian's hand rang urgently.

The cold voice of Chen Weihuang rang out.

"Today's the third day. I've figured it out. It wasn't Su Li or Zhou Wenhao behind the attack.

"I recently suppressed them and they didn't have the time or energy to plan something like this.

"It was the Abyssal Demon Sword," Chen Weihuang said bluntly.

Pang Jian paused his cultivation, expression shifting as he gripped the sword token. "The sword is under my strict control. The Abyssal Demon has been completely cut off from the outside world since the last incident. I can guarantee that!"

The Abyssal Demon Sword was locked in the copper chest. How could it orchestrate anything?

Pang Jian was sure Chen Weihuang was mistaken.

"Then it must have given the orders before it was sealed. I'm confident in my findings," Chen Weihuang replied. "The remnants of the Demon Sword Sect may have been expelled from the Demon Sect, but some still lurk on the Heaven Awakening Continent, seeking a chance to free the Abyssal Demon Sword.

"The Abyssal Demon contacted those people when it left the Sword Pavilion, leading the Demon Sword Sect remnants to investigate you.

"In short, the culprit was the Demon Sword Sect, and the mastermind was none other than the Abyssal Demon. If you don't believe me, you can interrogate the sword."

With that, Chen Weihuang cut off the transmission.