Trials of the Abyss

Pang Jian's cave dwelling fell back into a tranquil silence.

Sitting cross-legged on the cultivation mat, he anxiously sipped Qi Qingsong's wine, expression clouded with worry. His deep gaze occasionally flitted to the blue robe and the silver token Qi Qingsong had placed on the wooden table.

Should I just stay out of it? Walk away?

Pang Jian shook his head grimly, exuding a violent, chilling aura.

Cao Mang, the master of the Primordial Wilderness; Jiu Yuan, the elder from the Blood Moon Sect; and the unnamed elder from the Sinister Soul Temple…

Their figures flashed through his mind, and he mulled over the situation for a long time.

"One million spirit stones," Pang Jian muttered, eyes filled with tangible killing intent.

A burning rage ignited within him when he thought about Luo Hongyan being captured and treated as merchandise to be sold for one million spirit stones to the Blood Moon Sect or the Sinister Soul Temple elders.

Taking deep breaths to calm himself down, he frowned in contemplation as he considered the situation. After some time, he eventually made up his mind.

Pang Jian took the glistening spirit jades from his spatial bracelet and piled them in front of the meditation mat.

The Rank Seven Ice Crystal Beast's horn brought him four thousand spirit jades. After deducting the eight hundred eighty spirit jades for the Grand Providence Sacred Body and the five hundred fifty spirit jades for the Soul Nourishing Pills, he had about two thousand five hundred spirit jades left.

He would need one million spirit stones—or ten thousand spirit jades—to participate in the lottery, meaning he needed another seven thousand five hundred spirit jades to qualify.

Seven thousand five hundred spirit jades, seven thousand five hundred spirit jades… Pang Jian pondered.

Then, after taking a Mind Soothing Pill, he established a connection with the Giant Abyssal Serpent in the Fifth World.

This time, he found himself in a forest teeming with menacing plants and towering trees. These carnivorous trees were several dozen zhang tall and blocked out the sky. Even the shrubs and flowers appeared terrifyingly bloodthirsty.

"Yu Xin!"

"Celestial Maiden!"

A group of people flew out from treehouses hanging on the towering ancient trees. Most of them prostrated themselves upon landing, seemingly in worship of him.

Only an elderly woman approached with trembling steps, leaning on a green wooden cane for support.

While the group called her "Celestial Maiden", only the elderly woman addressed the mysterious woman as "Yu Xin''. The two of them evidently had a close relationship.

As Pang Jian studied the group of people, he noticed that, while they had human limbs and forms, their skin resembled tree bark.

The skin of the younger ones had a greenish hue while the elderly had dry and withered skin like old tree bark. Their eye colors also varied, with younger ones having emerald green eyes and the older ones having deep brown eyes.

They lived harmoniously with the surrounding menacing plants, which seemed capable of communicating with them.

"Grandma Mu Yuan! I haven't visited you or the Wood Race for many years." The Celestial Maiden Yu Xin dismounted the Giant Abyssal Serpent and walked toward the elderly woman with an affectionate smile. Stepping forward to support the elderly woman, she teased, "You used to visit me often when I was little, but you haven't shown up in years."

"Yu Xin, my dear. I'm too old now. The life energy within me is nearly depleted." Mu Yuan shook her head with a bitter smile. Her face was cracked in many places, like a tree on the verge of withering. "Silly girl, you know our Wood Race has lost its faith.

"Our worshiped Sacred Tree has long withered, and our lifespans can no longer be prolonged. I'm glad you came to see me. If you had come any later, you would've only seen my dried bones."

Mu Yuan sighed despondently as she grasped Yu Xin's hand.

The members of the Wood Race were still prostrated among the towering ancient trees and looked up to gaze sorrowfully at the elderly Mu Yuan. The Sacred Tree was their spiritual pillar, and its death had dealt them a severe blow.

"Grandma Mu Yuan, the World Eater—your Sacred Tree, our Celestial Race is also trying to find its seeds. Unfortunately, we haven't found any despite searching all seven continents of the Fifth World," Yu Xin said regretfully.

"I know." Mu Yuan sighed helplessly. "The death of the Sacred Tree is why our Wood Race has become the weakest of all the races. We relied heavily on the Sacred Tree. Our entire race's survival and the enhancement of our powers depended on it. Without it, we've fallen into decline and can no longer regain our former glory."

She then reminisced about the Wood Race's past prosperity and glory under the protection of the Sacred Tree.

Pang Jian had been silently listening to Yu Xin and Mu Yuan through the Giant Abyssal Serpent, and their conversation shook him.

Yu Xin had undoubtedly said "World Eater" before quickly correcting herself to "Sacred Tree".

The World Eater Vine!

Pang Jian was certain the Sacred Tree was the little tree rooted in Misty Swamp.

The Wood Race had long yearned for it and the Celestial Race had searched far and wide for it to no avail. Unbeknownst to them, a sapling of the World Eater Vine was thriving in Misty Swamp!

The Wood Race it as their Sacred Tree, claiming their clan's strength and continuity of life were closely tied to it.

The extinction of the Sacred Tree in the Fifth World resulted in Mu Yuan's lifespan nearing its end.

For the sake of the little tree, I need to confirm it.

Pang Jian hesitated briefly before instructing the Giant Abyssal Serpent to approach Mu Yuan.

The Giant Abyssal Serpent was sprawled lazily on the grass, uninterested in Yu Xin and Mu Yuan's conversation. At Pang Jian's instructions, it reluctantly slithered toward them, pitch-black eyes fixed on the elderly Mu Yuan as it pondered its next move.

Assuming it was restless, Yu Xin gently patted its forehead and reassured it with a smile, "Be patient. I haven't seen Grandma Mu Yuan in a long time, and we have much to catch up on. Once your intelligence has made a qualitative leap, I'll have a proper talk with you too."

"What's there to talk about with this Giant Abyssal Serpent?" Mu Yuan asked curiously.

Giant Abyssal Serpents were not rare in the Fifth World. Yu Xin could easily capture a higher-ranked Giant Abyssal Serpent as a mount with her abilities, and Mu Yuan could not understand why she held this one in such high regard.

Yu Xin replied proudly, "It's my closest companion. It's different from other Giant Abyssal Serpents, you know."

Mu Yuan was stunned. It's just an ordinary Giant Abyssal Serpent. How remarkable can it be?

Despite Mu Yuan's thoughts, she did not dampen Yu Xin's enthusiasm and closely examined the Giant Abyssal Serpent.

"Ah!" she suddenly screamed.

Her wooden cane glowed a green luminescence that spread over a hundred-mile radius, causing thousands of plants and trees to become intensely hostile toward the Giant Abyssal Serpent.

The Giant Abyssal Serpent trembled in fear.

"Grandma Mu Yuan! Xiao Hei!" Yu Xin shouted. She saw her Xiao Hei opening its mouth wide, seemingly about to swallow Mu Yuan's hand.

The startled Mu Yuan instinctively went on the defensive, signaling all the plants and trees in the area to target Xiao Hei. However, she saw no malice in Xiao Hei's eyes.

Yu Xin recalled how Xiao Hei had produced Gold Obsidian, Thunderstruck Wood, and Solar Essence Stones through its large mouth and turned to Mu Yuan.

"Grandma Mu Yuan, Xiao Hei means no harm. Place your hand on its tongue. Trust me, Xiao Hei listens to me. It won't hurt you. Xiao Hei might even surprise you. Please trust me, Grandma Mu Yuan," Yu Xin pleaded.

Surprise flickered in Mu Yuan's dark brown eyes. Taking a moment to think over the situation, she then smiled and said pridefully, "It merely startled me. It's not strong enough to harm me with its strength."

Mu Yuan then boldly rested her withered-branch hand on the Giant Abyssal Serpent's tongue.

"Yu Xin, is it seriously injured and needs my help?" Mu Yuan wondered aloud. "I don't see any wounds, and I'm too old to perform healing anyway. I usually leave that to others—"

Mu Yuan's withered frame abruptly started to tremble!

"Life-life energy! The life energy that extends our lifespan, enhances our bloodline, and even revives us! Only the Sacred Tree can condense life energy!" Mu Yuan exclaimed, moved to tears.

She knelt awkwardly, body trembling, as one of her hands remained inside the mouth of the Giant Abyssal Serpent. Letting go of the wooden cane, she pressed her other hand against her chest in reverence and cried in a trembling voice, "I believe our worshiped Sacred Tree has been reborn in another world! The dawn of our Wood Race's resurgence has come!"

All the Wood Race members instantly prostrated themselves. Their foreheads touched the ground and their bodies trembled with excitement as they chanted strange, reverent hymns in praise of the Sacred Tree.

"Thank you, Celestial Maiden, for bringing us this blessing!"

"Thank you, Celestial Maiden!"

Soon, all the Wood Race members were bowing their heads and cheering.

Yu Xin stared at the Giant Abyssal Serpent in stunned disbelief.

A distinct life energy flowed from Xiao Hei's mouth into Mu Yuan. Mu Yuan's body emitted a faint green radiance, and her aged face grew younger at a pace noticeable to the naked eye.

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