Trials of the Abyss

Pang Jian and Luo Hongyan traveled together under the night sky.

Glancing at the floating Luo Hongyan, Pang Jian curiously asked, "What realm are you in?"

He had assumed Luo Hongyan’s ability to fly was due to her ethereal form. Surprisingly, she still maintained this ability even after gaining a physical body.

"My situation is unique and can’t be defined with realms," Luo Hongyan replied with a smile. "I can only tell you that, with this body, I can establish myself in the Third World. Among the Blood Moon Sect, the Radiant Sun Sect, the Sinister Soul Temple, and the Red Mountain Sect, I only fear the old guys in the Spirit Condensation Realm."

Pang Jian felt a deep respect for Luo Hongyan. "Does having a physical body really enhance your strength that much?"

"Of course," Luo Hongyan replied, gazing upward with her beautiful eyes. "With a physical body, I can finally use the secret techniques I cultivated in the past."

Pang Jian nodded and did not question her further.

As they traveled, he soon realized the murky energy only affected his spiritual sea. The sun, moon, and stars in his dantian were unaffected.

"You’re quite the monster," Luo Hongyan observed. "Other cultivators in the Marrow Cleansing Realm wouldn’t survive in Misty Swamp right now."

"That’s why I said you’re a monster. I couldn’t even endure the terrifying murky energy in Eight Trigrams City with my ethereal form," Luo Hongyan said, her bright eyes filled with wonder. "Yet you managed to break through to the Marrow Cleansing Realm inside it."

Pang Jian did not reply.

Settling back into a comfortable silence, Pang Jian’s mind wandered when a thought occurred to him.

He then took out his Startling Slaughter Spear and gathered his earthflame energy. As he did so, he tried to harness the solar energy condensed in his dantian.

Whoosh!

The spearhead shone with a dazzling light.

Exhilarated at the idea of his experiment working, Pang Jian performed the Explosive Dance and unleashed a shower of large fiery meteors.

The earthflame energy from the Earth Blaze Technique and solar energy exploded within the fiery meteors.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

It was like multiple blazing suns had exploded in Misty Swamp. Violent spiritual power mixed with two types of scorching energy, clearing the surrounding murky energy.

"Your spear technique has become even more terrifying. Even those in the Innate Realm might not withstand it!" Luo Hongyan exclaimed. "Why did I sense the Radiant Sun Sect’s sun power in your spear technique?"

Pang Jian did not respond.

He rotated his wrist, drawing a circular arc in the air with the spearhead, and performed Silver Crescent, the second technique of the Startling Slaughter Spear.

This time, he tried to harness the power of the moon condensed in his dantian.

A cool lunar energy merged with his spiritual power to form a silver halo through the Startling Slaughter Spear.

The silver halo hovered above him like a bright silver moon. It emitted a cold, ethereal glow.

Luo Hongyan felt increasingly astonished and intrigued. "How did you do that?"

Pang Jian still said nothing. Instead, he charged at the silver moon hanging in the air and struck it.

Thud!

The silver moon was still intact!

"Ha!" A rare smile appeared on Pang Jian’s face.

Much to his delight, the fusion of his spiritual power and the lunar energy had created a silver moon with the sturdiness of a shield.

"I’ve never seen you smile before. You’re quite handsome when you do." Luo Hongyan’s eyes sparkled as she watched him. "You should smile more often instead of always having a cold, unapproachable look."

Boom!

Pang Jian channeled his strength into the Startling Slaughter Spear and explosively shattered the silver moon.

As the silver light scattered Pang Jian finally explained, "I unintentionally absorbed the power of the sun, moon, and stars from the sky within the copper chest while cultivating inside. This was the result of me integrating the power of the sun and moon into my spear techniques."

"The sun, moon, and stars?" Luo Hongyan was astonished. After a moment of contemplation, she then took off a spatial bracelet and tossed it to Pang Jian. "Don’t use a spatial pouch anymore. With your power, you can protect this spatial bracelet."

"Okay." Pang Jian took the jade-green bracelet and transferred the contents of his spatial pouch into it.

The space inside the spatial bracelet was several times larger than his spatial pouch. It also already contained some spirit jades and spirit stones.

"The two trades have nearly exhausted our spirit artifacts and spiritual stones," Luo Hongyan sighed. "I’ve used up most of the rare spirit materials you obtained. I’ll make it up to you in the future."

"Alright," Pang Jian replied simply.

A quarter of an hour later, they reached the Divine Spirit Pagoda.

Pang Jian saw many Spirit Devils floating near the muddy marsh.

"It seems your recent gains are significant," Pang Jian remarked.

"It’s average." Luo Hongyan smiled proudly and said, "I had thousands of Spirit Devils like these in the past. At my peak, even the weakest Spirit Devil under my command was stronger than the ones here."

Whoosh!

She suddenly jumped into the mud, bloody mist still surrounding her, and dove straight to the bottom of the marsh.

"Stay here. I’ll activate the Divine Spirit Pagoda," said her muffled voice.

Meanwhile, Pang Jian was stunned at the idea of so many Spirit Devils floating in the sky.

Thousands of Spirit Devils!

He could hardly imagine the grandeur of releasing thousands of Spirit Devils at once.

Luo Hongyan was undoubtedly a well-known figure in the Second World before her misfortune.

Cultivation was divided into ten realms: the Qi Practicing Realm, the Meridian Opening Realm, the Marrow Cleansing Realm, the Innate Realm, the Profound Abode Realm, the Spirit Condensation Realm, the Soul Wandering Realm, the Nirvana Realm, the Immortal Realm, and the True God Realm.

Luo Hongyan had mentioned that the Demon Sect, the Sword Pavilion, the Black Valley Sect, the Dragon Lair, and the Celestial Lagoon Sect in the Second World all had powerful cultivators in the Nirvana Realm.

Pang Jian believed that, at her peak, Luo Hongyan had likely reached the Soul Wandering Realm or even the higher Nirvana Realm.

If that were true, by regaining her physical body, Luo Hongyan was essentially starting anew on her path of cultivation.

Her starting point was vastly higher than an ordinary person’s, which explained her confidence in establishing herself in the Third World.

Her enemies must be just as powerful. Pang Jian frowned.

Rumble!

The Divine Spirit Pagoda broke through the mud and flew into the air. It spun gently in mid-air, shaking off the dirty water until it was clean again.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Luo Hongyan’s Spirit Devils entered the windows on the fifth floor of the pagoda one after the other.

Standing at the entrance on the first floor, Luo Hongyan gestured for the white pagoda to stop spinning.

"You can come up now," she shouted, waving at Pang Jian.

Pang Jian leaped up and landed in the familiar white pagoda. As he entered, he noticed the array on the first floor was already filled with spirit jades.

"I’ve intentionally saved some spirit jades specifically so the Divine Spirit Pagoda can take us away from the Fourth World," Luo Hongyan said brightly. "Pang Jian, I can now take you to the Third World."

Pang Jian’s body trembled in excitement. He had always longed to ascend to the upper world and had not expected his wish to come true so quickly.

Zhou Qingchen, Han Duping, Su Meng, and the rest were likely in the Third World. Dong Tianze was also in the upper world’s Shadow Specter Sect. Pang Lin was probably in the Second World or even the First World.

Pang Jian could finally fulfill the dreams of those in the lower world and ascend to the upper world!

"Let’s go!" Pang Jian was still slightly emotional as the white pagoda flew toward the low hill.

Boom!

Luo Hongyan exploded the rocks at the cave entrance with a casual point of her finger, exposing the members of the Shadow Specter Sect.

"The Sinister Soul Temple’s Divine Spirit Pagoda!" Meng Qiulan exclaimed.

The Divine Spirit Pagoda, like the Radiant Sun Sect’s Fire Cloud Ship and the Star River Alliance’s Gilded Chariot, was a flying vessel capable of traveling between worlds. It was far superior to the Cloud Sail.

With a Divine Spirit Pagoda, they could effortlessly escape Divine Fortune!

Luo Hongyan moved the entrance of the Divine Spirit Pagoda close to the cave entrance and motioned for them to enter. "Come on in."

Pang Jian entered the cave and picked up the copper chest. "Follow me."

The radiance of the copper chest dispelled the murky energy.

The group hastily went after him.

"We plan to go to the Third World," Luo Hongyan said indifferently. "We can drop you off at a fragment uncontaminated by the murky energy or take you directly to the Third World. But we don’t have time to look for your relatives. You can decide whether to come with us or not."

Bai Wei and Bai Zhi were orphaned and had no reason to stay in the Fourth World.

"The Third World!" They cried, clenching their fists, eyes brimming with yearning.

Meng Qiulan’s body trembled with excitement. "I want to go to the Third World with you!"

"I want to go to the Third World too!" Wu Yi hurriedly added.

They had all desired this for a long time and instantly agreed when they heard Luo Hongyan was willing to take them along.

Only Zhao Ling was still hesitating.

"Your brother will be fine. Once you establish yourself in the Third World and your cultivation realm improves, you can find a way to bring him over," Wu Yi urged. "If you miss this chance to go to the Third World, you might never get another!"

"I understand." Zhao Ling nodded gently. "I’ll go with you."

Their subordinates also became excited. The future of the Fourth World was uncertain as the murky energy could spread further. Unlike Meng Qiulan and Zhao Ling, their subordinates had nothing tying them to the Fourth World and did not hesitate when such a great opportunity presented itself.

"Once we reach the Third World, I’ll randomly stop at a fragmented land, and we’ll part ways," Luo Hongyan said coldly. "We won’t carry burdens like you for long."

Whoosh!

The Divine Spirit Pagoda soared into the sky.

Once they ascended, Luo Hongyan had Pang Jian put the copper chest back into his spatial bracelet as there was no more murky energy in the sky.

"Alright." Pang Jian complied and put the copper chest away. He touched the spatial pouch hanging from his waist before taking it off and tossing it to Bai Wei. "I don’t need this anymore. It’s yours."

Bai Wei was overjoyed. She rushed to catch it, sniffing it happily before blushing and lowering her head.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!