Trials of the Abyss

One morning, Huang Ying of the Star River Alliance stood with Ning Wei and He Hui before a prismatic Stellar Eye made of Stellar Stone.

The trio could see the horrific events unfolding in Divine Fortune City below them through these enormous Stellar Eyes.

Fragmented bones littered the streets and alleys in the western district where the non-cultivators lived. Murky energy corroded their bodies, leaving behind only skeletons.

The rogue cultivators in the southern district fell into a frenzy as the tainted energy seeped in. Even the lucky survivors soon turned into piles of bones.

The cultivators lasted a little longer than the non-cultivators, but they still met the same fate in the end.

"The air below contains toxins that corrode flesh and tainted energy that induces violence. Even Yang Yuansen only lasted half a day despite being at the late stage of the Marrow Cleansing Realm," Huang Ying said coldly as she put down her notebook. "There’s likely no survivors left in Divine Fortune."

She believed the remaining hall masters of the Shadow Specter Sect had met the same fate as Yang Yuansen and had been reduced to bones.

Ning Wei sighed softly. "The murky energy is still spreading. If the higher-ups can’t stop it, we’ll have to migrate to the Third World."

She and He Hui had witnessed the hellish conditions in Divine Fortune City through the enormous Stellar Eye on the Gilded Chariot.

Divine Fortune City had turned into a nightmarish place. Once the murky energy reached their own territories, the people there would inevitably meet the same fate.

"The upper worlds will surely find a solution once I submit this report," Huang Ying comforted. "You’ve served the Star River Alliance for many years. We’ll take care of your clansmen if it comes to that."

"What about the others? What’ll happen to the rogue cultivators and retainers loyal to the Ning Clan and their families?" Ning Wei asked with a bitter smile.

"How many people we can take in will be decided after the alliance has deliberated," Huang Ying said.

As she spoke, the Gilded Chariot hovering above Divine Fortune City ascended.

Huang Ying looked down at Misty Swamp from above and was surprised to see a thriving patch of land.

"Plants are so tenacious. The fire and the murky energy have killed all the Vicious Beasts. But the seeds buried underground have sprouted with renewed vigor," Huang Ying remarked offhandedly.

Ning Wei and He Hui peered down to see the small area Huang Ying was referring to.

***

Two months later, the white jade porcelain bottle floating in the blood pool cracked.

Crack!

Luo Hongyan gracefully flew out wearing a bright red dress. Her skin was fairer than snow and her eyes were as bright as jewels.

Knitting her brows, she examined her arms and touched her slender waist.

She chuckled in satisfaction. "Not bad."

The members of the Shadow Specter Sect scattered throughout the cave stared at her in a daze, momentarily entranced by her presence.

Luo Hongyan had always been stunningly beautiful, but now there was a realness to her that was not there before.

"It’s time for you to wake up," Luo Hongyan said, flying to the glowing copper chest and lifting the lid.

The gorgeous Luo Hongyan was the first thing Pang Jian saw upon opening his eyes.

A hazy bloody mist no longer surrounded Luo Hongyan. She also no longer seemed illusory. Her breathtaking beauty and joy were tangible.

Pang Jian stared up at her in a daze. "You..."

"Yes," Luo Hongyan replied with a serene smile, eyes gleaming. "I finished reforging my body."

"Congratulations," Pang Jian said, stepping out of the chest.

He then noticed Zhao Ling, Meng Qiulan, Wu Yi, and the rest staring at Luo Hongyan in awe.

The commanders loyal to Zhao Ling and Meng Qiulan appeared to be in a blissful daydream and showed no signs of waking up anytime soon.

Luo Hongyan had intended to showcase her new body to Pang Jian, but as she glanced at the members of the Shadow Specter Sect, she suppressed her desire to show off.

Pang Jian turned toward the cave entrance. "We should leave Divine Fortune. Do you have any plans?"

These words snapped Zhao Ling and the others out of their daze. They quickly averted their eyes. It was the only way for them to calm their minds and focus on the issues at hand.

"My Spirit Devils will help you raise the white pagoda from the bottom of the marsh. You’ll need to arrange the spirit jades in the array. Using one of my Spirit Devils, I’ll guide you through the controls for the white pagoda," Luo Hongyan explained.

Pang Jian lightly nodded.

Their conversation left the members of the Shadow Specter Sect puzzled. They had many questions, but out of respect for Luo Hongyan, they did not ask.

"Hong Jian, should we go with you?" Bai Wei asked timidly.

When she heard about a white pagoda submerged at the bottom of a marsh in Misty Swamp and how Pang Jian would need to activate it, she assumed Pang Jian would bring the chest along to ward off the murky energy.

"No, you guys can stay here," Pang Jian replied,

"What?" Bai Wei was shocked. "How will you survive?"

"Hold on," Luo Hongyan said, floating over to the cave entrance.

She extended a jade-like finger through the gaps in the rocks and exposed it to the murky energy outside.

A faint sizzle sounded as smoke rose from her finger.

Luo Hongyan knitted her brows thoughtfully, then smiled and said to Pang Jian, "I overestimated the murky energy here. It’s much weaker here than in Eight Trigrams City."

Whoosh!

A hazy blood-colored mist enveloped Luo Hongyan’s body. She then removed the rocks blocking the cave entrance and, to everyone’s astonishment, flew out of the cave.

The group watched as she stood in the tainted energy, blood-colored mist sizzling around her.

She turned around to smile at Pang Jian. "I can hold out for a while. I’ll go with you."

"Alright." Pang Jian nodded, stepping out of the cave and sealing the entrance with rocks once more. He then muttered, "So weak."

The murky energy in Misty Swamp was far less intense than that of the Fifth World. It was not even comparable to Eight Trigrams City!

When he first entered the dark tunnel, the pain had been excruciating, and he endured unimaginable suffering. Even Luo Hongyan could not withstand it and had been forced to retreat.

The tainted energy in the darkness of Eight Trigrams City was far more intense and ferocious than Misty Swamp.

As Pang Jian stood outside the cave, he realized he did not need to exhaust his spiritual power and fill his spiritual sea with murky energy.

He could easily reach the submerged white pagoda before his spiritual power was depleted.

"Let’s go," Pang Jian did not bother taking out his Startling Slaughter Spear. He simply allowed his spiritual power to slowly erode as he walked away with Luo Hongyan.

Wu Yi watched the siblings through the gaps of the stones with a bewildered expression on his face. "Are those two siblings even human?"

"Has Misty Swamp truly been contaminated by murky energy?" Zhao Ling wondered aloud.

Feeling doubtful, she mimicked Luo Hongyan and extended a finger through a gap in the stones.

Her finger instantly sizzled and smoked!

The flesh on her finger corroded, causing her to grimace in pain.

She hastily circulated her energy, wrapping her finger with spiritual power to slow the corrosion of her finger.

As she watched the silhouettes of the two figures fade into the distance, she could not help but exclaim in horror, "They’re monsters!"

Suddenly, a surge of murderous intent rose uncontrollably within Zhao Ling, filling her with the urge to kill Wu Yi, Bai Zhi, Bai Wei, and the loyal commanders.

Fearfully withdrawing her finger, she stamped down the homicidal impulse and then showed her bloodied finger to everyone.

Any remaining doubters within the group fell silent at the sight of her finger.

"It’s not just the corrosion of flesh. There’s also an evil power at work that made me want to kill all of you," Zhao Ling explained, her voice trembling. "I’ve reached the late stage of the Marrow Cleansing Realm! I don’t think I’d last even half a day out there before my body completely dissolved. If we all left, we would fall into a murderous frenzy and start killing each other, which would only lead to a quicker death!"

Wu Yi exclaimed, "What kind of monsters are those siblings?!"

Meng Qiulan took a deep breath, glancing at the blood pool and the copper chest. "The Sect Leader abandoned us while Hong Jian saved us. Without him, we wouldn’t have survived the fire, let alone the murky energy. If I leave Divine Fortune alive, I won’t serve the Shadow Specter Sect anymore, nor will I contact the Sect Leader again."

She then looked at her loyal commanders.

"Old Meng, we’ll follow you!" they declared one after another.

Zhao Ling was surprised. "You’ve followed the Sect Leader for years, but even you’ve given up on him. You must be disappointed."

Wu Yi sighed dejectedly. "The Fourth World is about to descend into chaos. Even if we manage to leave Divine Fortune alive, we’ll need to find a way to go to the Third World."

"Go to the Third World? That’s easier said than done," Meng Qiulan said with a shake of her head. "I just hope the murky energy spreads slowly. I still have some unfulfilled wishes I hope to accomplish."

There was a long silence as everyone contemplated her words.

"If those siblings are willing to take us in, I’d like to follow them," Zhao Ling abruptly said.

The others’ eyes lit up at her words.

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