Trials of the Abyss

In the Sinister Soul Temple on the Dark Abyss Continent, the emaciated Han Zhiyuan sighed helplessly.

"You stay in this cave for now, don't leave the Sinister Soul Temple in the coming days. Wait until this storm blows over," he said, shaking his head. "The temple has no choice but to blame you and make you bear this infamy."

Dong Tianze leaned against the cold, hard rock wall and said indifferently, "It doesn't matter."

His reputation in the Fourth World was already bad, with the other six major clans regarding him as the executioner of the Dong Clan.

It was true that in the few years he spent in the Dong Clan, he had been involved in many unsavory deeds. Deep down, he knew he had never truly been a member of the Dong Clan. If he had not done those dark deeds to eliminate dissidents for them, he would not have been able to survive there.

Being cursed behind his back was better than dying inexplicably.

He knew what he would face after leaving the Three Immortal Islands and had calmly accepted the reality.

"The rogue cultivators who escaped that day spread the news that you are the Sect Leader of the Shadow Specter Sect. This matter has already stirred up a storm in the Third World." As the true Sect Leader of the Shadow Specter Sect, Han Zhiyuan felt guilty. "To clear the temple's name, we had to confirm their claims."

Dong Tianze smirked. "As expected."

"Don't resent the temple. There was no other choice. Publically, we've said that we'll imprison you and subject you to severe torture," Han Zhiyuan consoled. "But everyone on the inside knows you're innocent. Just stay here for now. Your status as a Celestial Phoenix Divine Guard will keep you safe."

Han Zhiyuan paused for a long while, seemingly pondering carefully about something.

Appearing to have come to a decision, he revealed to Dong Tianze, "The Cult Leader told me that the contamination of the Fourth World is due to a problem with the Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillars.

"The Celestial Phoenix played a large part in the construction and erection of the Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillars in the Fifth World. Although it's been dead for many years, the pillars have remained stable.

"The higher-ups believed the pillars would stand eternally in the Fifth World and suppress the demonic forces there. No one expected that the disintegration of the Celestial Phoenix's remains and the scattering of its bones would cause anomalies in the pillars.

"The Celestial Phoenix's role in their construction means that any changes to the Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillars also require its divine power. Thus, your Master has now become a crucial figure.

"The Pure Land Sect and the higher-ups are committed to nurturing her with the utmost care, in the hope that she'll reach the level of the Celestial Phoenix as soon as possible and repair the Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillars in the Fifth World.

"As someone destined to stand behind her as a loyal guard, no sect in the Third World would dare touch you," Han Zhiyuan comforted.

After giving Dong Tianze a reassuring pat on the back, Han Zhiyuan left the cave.

"The Master I'm sworn to protect is actually..." Dong Tianze felt a surge of longing. "There are many Celestial Phoenix Divine Guards and we must compete against each other to rise to the top! Ultimately, the one who stands behind Master will be me!"

Dong Tianze's eyes were resolute.

After the storm passed, he planned to leave the Sinister Soul Temple to hunt the other Celestial Phoenix Divine Guards as this seemed the quickest way for him to advance his cultivation realm and enhance his power.

Ding!

The Ghost Altar beside him suddenly let out a strange sound.

Dong Tianze had presided over the Ghost Altar many times and knew the sound meant a hall master from the Shadow Specter Sect had sent him a message. With a casual wave of his hand, a note flew from the Ghost Altar and landed in his palm.

He glanced at the note.

Sect Leader, I am Pang Jian.

The first line of words made Dong Tianze erupt in fury!

Suppressing the urge to tear the note apart, he continued reading.

I need the saplings and seeds of different plants and flowers. The more, the better. Name your price and we'll trade in seven days.

When he finished reading the note, Dong Tianze's face rippled like water, veins bulging on his forehead as his eyes flashed murderously.

Huff! Huff!

Dong Tianze panted heavily. He glared at the words on the note as he struggled to calm his turbulent emotions.

Still trembling, he took a brush and wrote a short question with gritted teeth.

Why aren't you dead yet?

He then threw the note at the Ghost Altar, glaring menacingly at it as he waited for Pang Jian's response.

While a formal trade required a more extensive setup of the Ghost Altar, the setup for exchanging notes was fairly simple.

Dong Tianze had sent his note relatively quickly and Pang Jian had likely yet to dismantle the Ghost Altar on his side.

Moments later, another ding sounded from the Ghost Altar.

Dong Tianze once again waved his hand, pulled the new note into his palm, and looked down to read it.

Please, Sect Leader, help me out. I have other matters to attend to. See you in seven days.

A ferocious expression contorted Dong Tianze's face. Despite forcing deep breaths in an attempt to stay calm, he could not help but explode into curses, "Damn you, Pang Jian! What do you take me for? I'm the Sect Leader of the Shadow Specter Sect, not your lackey!"

The cave echoed with the sounds of him punching walls and stomping the ground.

After a long time, Dong Tianze eventually calmed down. Glancing at the notes from Pang Jian, an intense inner conflict washed over him, and he finally shouted, "I want to see what tricks you're up to!"

Ignoring Han Zhiyuan's advice, he left the cave and said to a man sitting quietly outside, "Senior Brother Liu, I need to purchase saplings and seeds of various plants and flowers."

The man named Liu Yan was charged with watching over Dong Tianze. Thinking Dong Tianze had lost his mind, he asked, "What do you need those for?"

"I can either buy them myself or you get them for me," Dong Tianze said coldly.

"I'll do it. For the time being, you should stay inside."

The bewildered Liu Yan then left to purchase saplings and seeds from the Sinister Soul Temple and its surrounding markets.

***

A Fire Cloud Ship from the Radiant Sun Sect passed through the thick gray clouds bordering the Third and Fourth Worlds.

"Is Zhou Qingchen from the Red Mountain Sect here?" asked a graceful woman named Zhou Yuan'e. She sat quietly on a jade-like light boat, gazing at the Fire Cloud Ship belonging to the Radiant Sun Sect. and said, "Have him come out to see me."

The huge Fire Cloud Ship was almost empty, with hardly anyone on board.

Xiao Pei from the Radiant Sun Sect glanced at Zhou Qingchen, Han Duping, and a few others in hesitation before asking, "And you are?"

"I'm an elder of his family," Zhou Yuan'e replied, smiling faintly.

Zhou Qingchen was momentarily dazed. Snapping back to reality, joy overcame him, and he leaped from the Fire Cloud Ship to the light boat.

He and Han Duping were originally traveling to the Three Immortal Islands on a Cloud Sail, but had encountered the Fire Cloud Ship of the Radiant Sun Sect heading to the lower world and met Su Meng onboard.

Through Su Meng, he learned a terrible catastrophe had befallen the Fourth World. This Fire Cloud Ship had transported members of the Dong Clan up to the Third World a few days ago and was now going back down to the Fourth World to pick up more people and supplies.

Thus, Su Meng had taken the opportunity to visit her family.

After hearing this, Zhou Qingchen postponed his plan to seek revenge on Dong Tianze and instead hitched a ride with Han Duping on the Fire Cloud Ship to the lower world.

As soon as he landed on the light boat, Zhou Qingchen kowtowed, head banging loudly on the deck. "Matriarch! I have long admired your great name! The Zhou Clan could only stand firm in the Fourth Realm and remain at the forefront because of your presence!"

"You managed to escape from Eight Trigrams City alive. Truly, fortune smiles upon you," Zhou Yuan'e said with a faint smile. "You, Dong Tianze, and Qi Qingsong have proven your extraordinary potential by surviving the trials in Eight Trigrams City.

"Especially the late-blooming Qi Qingsong from the Sword Pavilion—he's truly remarkable. He's broken through two cultivation realms since returning from Eight Trigrams City and is now in the Profound Abode Realm. He's since been promoted from an outer sect disciple to an inner sect disciple."

Zhou Qingchen was astonished. "I just saw him not too long ago. He's already reached the Profound Abode Realm?"

"Not only that, I believe he'll soon advance to the Spirit Condensation Realm," Zhou Yuan'e said, eyes shining with admiration. "Qi Qingsong's talent shone brightly in his youth. However, he was lazy, and his cultivation slowed as he grew older.

"He'd been stuck at the Marrow Cleansing Realm for several years, longing to advance to the Innate Realm by becoming one with the world but never succeeding. But after returning from Eight Trigrams City, he successfully advanced through his desired method and reached the Innate Realm.

"Since then, his progress has been unstoppable. He broke through to the Profound Abode Realm in just a few months, dazzling the entire Second World."

Zhou Qingchen scratched his head in embarrassment. "Matriarch, I only recently reached the late stage of Marrow Cleansing Realm."

"You've done well enough." Zhou Yu'e nodded. "A great catastrophe is approaching, and I won't have much time to come down often. I hope the new rising star of the Zhou Clan can help us through this catastrophe."

Whoosh!

She produced a crimson crystal ball, which she flicked into Zhou Qingchen's chest.

"The Divine Origin Pearl has been with me for many years. Today, I bestow it upon you. May you lead the Zhou Clan out of its difficulties."

With that, Zhou Yuan'e waved her hand and sent Zhou Qingchen back to the Fire Cloud Ship before taking off on her light boat.

She had seen everything she needed to see regarding the situation in the Fourth World. It was time for her to return and report her findings to the higher-ups.

***

Whoosh!

A sparkling ice meteor shot from Pang Jian's palm and plummeted downward. The ice meteor was hauntingly beautiful, yet hidden within it was lethal intent.

Pang Jian focused his mind. The ice meteor abruptly altered its trajectory mid-flight and gracefully glided through the sky below.

So this is the Starflow Technique when executed with spiritual power, stellar energy, and the cold energy from the ice pool, Pang Jian thought, standing at the edge of the Cloud Sail as he watched the ice meteor changing its trajectory in mid-air.

He had been experimenting with the cold energy from the ice pool formed in his spiritual sea and had discovered it combined well with his Lunar Edge, Silver Crescent, and Starflow Technique.

The cool light of the moon and stars complemented the cold energy and merged well together.

Pang Jian thought that since the moon and stars appeared in the night sky and shared similar auras, they could likely be fused to unleash even more astonishing power. However, he had yet to figure out a method of effectively combining the powers of these celestial bodies.

As the ice meteor exhausted its power and vanished, Pang Jian returned to his senses. He sat on the Cloud Sail's deck and took out another Mind Soothing Pill.

Let's see what's happening with that traitor.

He established a connection with the Giant Abyssal Serpent.

Suddenly, he felt a gentle hand softly touch his forehead and caress the small, sharp horn. A tender voice whispered, "Xiao Hei, what should I do?"

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