Trials of the Abyss

The long night of slaughter finally came to an end.

The invading forces from the Fifth World had launched one final desperate assault, and with the Spirit Slaughtering Astral Array suddenly malfunctioning, had been able to set foot on the summit of the First Peak.

Rays of sunlight shone down from the sky. All other participants in the final assault aside from the Wood Race leader had perished in battles.

Pang Jian had climbed the First Peak with his spear twice that night.

Liang Ying, Lou Yunming, and Jiu Yuan, three Spirit Condensation Realm cultivators, lost their lives to him. His fierce reputation shook the Primordial Wilderness overnight and his name was destined to spread throughout the Third World.

After the threat of the foreign races was eliminated, those scavenging for spoils silently kept an eye on Cao Mang and Pang Jian.

Pang Jian's gaze, as sharp as his spear under the sunlight, was fixed on the former master of the Primordial Wilderness.

"Cao Mang." His calm voice carried a violent killing intent. "You will die here in the Primordial Wilderness!"

Cao Mang replied in a tone filled with deep hatred, "I don't care whether you're a disciple of the Sword Pavilion. Regardless of your background, you'll die by my hand in my Primordial Wilderness."

Pang Jian had been monitoring the entire Primordial Wilderness from his god-like perspective and saw the black turtle slowly dragging the spirit vein toward the small nameless fragmented land.

The dense spiritual qi from the other peaks converged toward the spirit vein deep beneath the Spirit Slaughtering Astral Array. This spiritual qi, accumulated in the Primordial Wilderness over the centuries, nourished the spirit vein.

The black turtle was not just trying to steal the spirit vein, it was also using it to gather the spiritual qi of the Primordial Wilderness.

The once-solid foundations of the other peaks in the Primordial Wilderness became unstable due to the disturbances in the spiritual qi.

Pang Jian had a feeling that this famous fragmented land in the Third World would become desolate and lifeless once this spirit vein was removed.

Regardless of whether Cao Mang lived or died, the Primordial Wilderness would be destroyed.

"You, Pang Jian, alone will destroy my Primordial Wilderness?" Cao Mang's anger gave way to laughter.

Thick demonic flames surged from the Black Iron Mountain beneath him. Bright spirit jades tumbled from his sleeve and disappeared into the eerie mountain.

Cao Mang took the opportunity to swallow two more pills, and his chest swelled as he slowly recovered his strength.

"From today onward, the Primordial Wilderness will become a desolate land, and you, Cao Mang, will die with it," Pang Jian declared.

Drawing in the surrounding spiritual qi, he then channeled it into the Star Crushing Umbrella, causing the advanced-grade spirit artifact to expand.

The umbrella grew several times its original size, large enough to cover the sky and block out the sun.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Dense spiritual qi poured into the Star Crushing Umbrella, making it seem like the giant umbrella had gained the favor of the heavens.

"Those who advanced to the Innate Realm by becoming one with the world can make spiritual qi respond to them in battle. I've seen such prodigies before, but none had Pang Jian's level of control!" Huang Qi scratched his head in a mix of confusion and astonishment.

Wei Wenhan said solemnly, "I've never seen or heard of anyone reaching such proficiency in becoming one with the world before!"

"Those who became one with the world can't freely manipulate the spiritual qi of a fragmented land like this!" Yang Rui said in a low voice.

Although Yang Rui had also advanced to the Innate Realm by becoming one with the world, he could not command the spiritual qi in the Primordial Wilderness to instantly pour into his Nine Suns Cauldron like that.

"Is he planning to kill all those that had wronged him?" Huang Qi muttered.

He had prepared himself for a bloody battle with Cao Mang after he killed Lady Hua. Huang Qi believed Cao Mang was no match for him after being exhausted from the fight against the foreign races.

However, Pang Jian bluntly stated his intention to kill Cao Mang himself. Huang Qi stood beside Lady Hua's corpse and decided to observe the pair fight from the sidelines. If Pang Jian was outmatched, he could always intervene.

He was also curious about Pang Jian's miraculous methods of killing Spirit Condensation Realm cultivators such as Jiu Yuan, Lou Yunming, and Liang Ying.

Whoosh!

The Star Crushing Umbrella floated into the air.

The radiance of the stars and moon on the umbrella's canopy was dazzling even under the sunlight.

Sparks flew from the tip of Pang Jian's spear as he dragged it on the rocky ground behind him.

He stared into Cao Mang's eyes as he approached. "Let me ask you again. What gives you the right?"

Cao Mang was teetering on the brink of collapse and was stunned by Pang Jian's bizarre question. "What gives me the right?"

He then realized it was the same question Pang Jian had asked him in the trading hall, back when he was questioning why Cao Mang had captured his sister to sell for a million spirit stones.

"I—" Cao Mang could say nothing in response. His expression darkened and Rank Six Vicious Beasts appeared in the black demonic flames beneath his feet.

Cao Mang resembled a king of a hundred beasts with the illusory Vicious Beasts surrounding him.

He panted heavily, dark flames bursting forth from his eyes. The effects of the pills he swallowed spread through his body, slowly replenishing his spiritual power and healing his injuries.

Despite his earlier rage and indignation, Cao Mang had surprisingly calmed down as he realized a terrifying fact.

His priority was not the loss of the jade-white spatial bracelet or the hatred he felt toward Huang Qi for killing his wife. It was the possibility that he, Cao Mang, could die here today in the fragmented land he had ruled for over a hundred years!

Pang Jian had killed Lou Yunming and Jiu Yuan, and now, he was directing that intense killing intent toward Cao Mang. Not to mention, the Spirit Condensation Realm rogue cultivator, Huang Qi was also here.

Cao Mang—heavily injured and exhausted from successive battles against the invading forces—was at a severe disadvantage.

One wrong move could lead to his death.

Once he came to this realization, he no longer cared about the jade-white spatial bracelet or the hatred he felt due to his wife's murder.

Survival became his most pressing concern.

Back in the trading hall, he had told Pang Jian that his actions were justified simply because he was Cao Mang. Now, faced with the same question, he had no choice but to feign righteousness in his explanation. "She's a remnant of the Blood Spirit Sect, a threat to be eradicated by all. There's nothing wrong with me capturing her."

"A scum who colludes with foreign races dares to call others a threat?" Pang Jian mocked.

"I never colluded with foreign races!" Cao Mang roared in fury.

Although the others on the summit of the First Peak were busy dissecting the bodies of the Vicious Beasts, they still listened closely to Cao Mang and Pang Jian's exchange.

Wei Wenhan of the Radiant Sun Sect frowned. "Pang Jian, you and Jiu Yuan both claim Cao Mang was colluding with foreign races. Do you have any evidence?

"He killed the leader of the Celestial Race and many Vicious Beasts. If you have no solid proof of his collusion with foreign races, you shouldn't make baseless accusations just because of a personal grudge."

Many ambiguous gazes fell on Wei Wenhan.

The sun rose higher into the sky and bathed the summit of the First Peak in sunlight.

Yang Rui's Nine Suns Cauldron and Wei Wenhan's Fire Dragon Ruler gleamed brightly under the sun's radiance.

The sun significantly enhanced the Radiant Sun Sect's cultivation techniques and spirit artifacts.

No elders from the Blood Moon Sect, the Sinister Soul Temple, the Star River Alliance, or the Red Mountain Sect remained in the Primordial Wilderness, leaving Wei Wenhan as the only one left to represent the five major sects.

Cao Mang had turned himself into a sharp weapon, killing countless foreign race warriors and Vicious Beasts in an attempt to prove he had no ties with foreign races. As a result, he was now severely injured and had exhausted most of his spiritual power in battle.

With the threat of the foreign races eliminated, Wei Wenhan could start considering future matters.

Pang Jian's rise to prominence and Huang Qi's emergence made him feel the situation was becoming difficult to handle.

Cao Mang had always been close to the five major sects, so Wei Wenhan believed he would be easier to control.

Therefore, he spoke out on Cao Mang's behalf.

"Cao Mang put in the most effort to kill the foreign races."

"Indeed. The foreign races kept claiming he invited them. It seems a little too deliberate."

"True. The Wood Race leader even severed Lady Hua's arm and took her jade-white spatial bracelet. What's more, the foreign races seem intent on killing the two of them."

"If they were truly colluding with the foreign races, they wouldn't have ended up in such a sorry state, with one heavily injured and the other dead."

Noble family elders and rogue cultivators on the summit erupted into lively discussion.

"Cao Mang probably has nothing to do with the foreign races!" Lin Yuanfeng chimed in. "Pang Jian, you can't accuse Cao Mang of colluding with the foreign races without evidence!"

The Lin Family had always been close to the Radiant Sun Sect. As an elder of the Lin Family, Lin Yuanfeng knew whose side he had to take.

Cao Mang gasped for breath as desperately tried to recover his strength. As he stood on the Black Iron Mountain with a grim expression, he noticed many cultivators speaking on his behalf after Wei Wenhan spoke up and did not rush to take action.

Pang Jian and Huang Qi were both formidable opponents. Cao Mang needed as much time as possible to heal his injuries and recover his strength. Thus, he was more than willing to see Wei Wenhan delay things on his behalf.

Huang Qi stepped forward, determined to see Cao Mang dead. "The foreign races came from Emerald Lake. Cao Mang is the master of the Primordial Wilderness. Of course he's the prime suspect!"

"We know you have a personal grudge against Cao Mang," Wei Wenhan said evenly. "Once Cao Mang recovers, you can have a fair fight. You shouldn't take advantage of the situation or make baseless accusations."

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