Trials of the Abyss

"Lead the Sword Pavilion back to the First World?" Pang Jian peered up at her in confusion.

The tipsy Zhou Qingchen also looked up in puzzlement and saw that Li Yuqing's gaze not only remained steady but grew increasingly sharp despite her alcohol intake.

The young lady from the Li Family seemed to have an impressive tolerance for alcohol.

Nodding gently, Li Yuqing explained, "Yes, both the Sword Pavilion and the Demon Sect were once the top factions in the First World. However, due to the successive deaths of their True Gods, they were forced to leave the First World, and newer factions from the lower worlds replaced them.

"Weaker sects sink lower, while stronger sects rise higher—this is an unchanging rule in the Abyss.

"Any sect with enough top-tier experts can gradually migrate upward, world by world."

Her meaningful gaze swept across the three leaders of the Blood Moon Sect, the Star River Alliance, and the Sinister Soul Temple.

Tang Hongxiong grinned and said, "My ambition is to bring the Blood Moon Sect to the Second World!"

"If you can break through to the Immortal Realm, the Blood Moon Sect could indeed have a chance to stand in the Second World," Li Yuqing responded calmly, eyes growing even more focused. "The spot that once belonged to the Blood Spirit Sect would be yours."

"The Immortal Realm..." Tang Hongxiong licked his lips and glanced up at the clear sky. "It's not completely out of reach."

"That spot will belong to our Sinister Soul Temple sooner or later," Yin Yiqing interjected. The Cult Leader of the Sinister Soul Temple was equally determined to claim the empty spot of the Blood Spirit Sect. "I'll reach the Immortal Realm before you do."

The two had long been at odds due to their shared origins with the Blood Spirit Sect.

As the pair drank, their deep-seated obsessions and desires unwittingly surfaced for all to see.

Li Yuqing rolled her eyes inwardly.

These two guys have barely stepped into the Soul Wandering Realm and are already dreaming about the Immortal Realm[1], she thought to herself.

"By the way, what's the cultivation realm of the one who wants to take me as a disciple?" Pang Jian inquired.

"Peak Immortal Realm, on the brink of becoming a True God. The most important thing is he's still very young and possesses limitless potential," Li Yuqing answered seriously.

Pang Jian could not help but feel a sense of awe. He found himself rather eager to meet this master of his.

The group then shared their stories of what they had experienced since parting ways. Gao Yuan and Han Ting also joined in, recounting their adventures after reaching the Dark Abyss Continent.

Occasionally, Li Yuqing would chime in with a few words.

From their discussions, Pang Jian learned that the Outer Gods were actually Gods from beyond the Abyss.

In the past, races like the Celestial Race and the one-eyed giants lived in the upper worlds and worshiped these Outer Gods.

According to Li Yuqing, when the Fifth World—a place of eternal darkness—was sealed, the foreign races within could no longer communicate with the Outer Gods.

Their world, the Abyss, was closed to the outside and only opened every few hundred or a thousand years. When closed, it was difficult for those in the upper worlds to connect with these Outer Gods.

The only exceptions were special places like Spirit Offering, where contact could be re-established with the help of altars and statues.

Once contact was established, Outer Gods could channel a fraction of their power into the Abyss through their affiliated altars and statues.

Whoosh!

As they conversed, yet another Outer God drifted over.

Withered leaves gathered into a swirling sea of eerie darkness that blocked out the clear sky. A massive figure resembling a bat emerged, shrouded in sinister shadows.

"Miss Li, this one doesn't seem too powerful. Allow me to handle it," volunteered the drunk Cult Leader of the Sinister Soul Temple.

"Go ahead." Li Yuqing said with a nod.

"Thank you!" Yin Yiqing clasped his hands in gratitude, body swelling with spiritual power, instantly flushing out the alcohol in his system.

Whoosh!

A massive stele flew out.

Thousands of Spirit Devils carried the stele as they charged toward the Outer God hidden within the sea of withered leaves.

Thick, liquid-like Profound Yin energy surged from the stele and pale inscriptions appeared on its deep green surface.

"I, Yuan Feng, born on the Cosmic Skies Continent, died in Wildreed Brook."

"I, Guo Wen, born on the Three Immortals Island, died on the Dark Abyss Continent."

The Spirit Devils recited the inscriptions on the stele, ghostly voices echoing far and wide.

The Spirit Devils seemed to regain a trace of their memories, recalling their glory days as they read their own epitaphs.

An ocean of Profound Yin energy surrounded the stele as the battle began.

"Spirit Offering is limiting its power. The arrays within the Stele of Wandering Souls cannot be fully activated," Yin Yiqing sighed.

"Go!" A dark green soul with Yin Yiqing's appearance drifted out from the center of his forehead and took control of the Stele of Wandering Souls, guiding it alongside tens of thousands of Spirit Devils to confront the bat-like Outer God.

Many rogue cultivators exclaimed in astonishment.

"It's the Soul Wandering Realm, where one's soul leaves the body!"

"He's actually in the Soul Wandering Realm! No wonder he dares to dream of the Immortal Realm so soon!"

"The Cult Leader of the Sinister Soul Temple is truly remarkable!"

The crowd praised Yin Yiqing.

The Soul Wandering Realm… Pang Jian watched curiously as Yin Yiqing's soul took control of the Stele of Wandering Souls and directed the Spirit Devils to attack the retreating Outer God.

Perhaps these Outer Gods aren't as powerful as they seem.

"This Outer God's strength is less than a ten-thousandth of its true body," Li Yuqing remarked coolly, seeing through his thoughts.

"I see," Pang Jian immediately curbed his underestimation of the Outer Gods.

"Well done, Master Yin!"

"The Outer God is retreating!"

Cheers erupted from the rogue cultivators.

Yin Yiqing's soul had taken control of the Stele of Wandering Souls and successfully pushed the Outer God back, forcing it to flee.

"Don't pursue it," Li Yuqing called out.

"I'm well aware."

Yin Yiqing's soul guided the stele back from the distant sky. His soul reentered his body and the stele returned to his spatial ring.

His expression was unflustered as though the battle had taken little effort, which only drew more praise from the crowd.

"Not bad." Tang Hongxiong smirked. It was unclear whether his praise was sincere or mocking.

"That one was here to scout," Li Yuqing said, gaze fixed on the retreating Outer God. "I have a bad feeling."

Everyone turned to look at her in confusion.

"It seems like the Outer Gods now have a leader. They're established territories within Spirit Offering." Li Yuqing's normally serene expression turned slightly pinched. "The battles ahead will be much tougher if the Outer Gods are no longer fighting among themselves."

She had hoped the Outer Gods would continue fighting each other, leaving her to deal with the strongest survivor. Her task had become significantly more challenging with them working together.

"Miss Li, is there no help from above?" asked Ling Meiyu of the Star River Alliance.

Li Yuqing shot her a cold glance. "Aren't I here? The disturbances of the Outer Gods aren't limited to the Third World. More powerful and intact Outer Gods have also appeared in the First and Second Worlds."

Ling Meiyu sighed. "Has this happened before?"

"Frequently. Every few hundred or thousand years, when the Abyss opens up," Li Yuqing replied solemnly. "But it's more troublesome this time."

"Why?"

"Because the foreign races and murky energy from the Fifth World are migrating into the Fourth World.

"The situation will become much more dire if the Outer Gods and those foreign races join forces."

Li Yuqing then explained the relationship between Outer Gods and the foreign races from the Fifth World.

Pang Jian listened attentively.

Before the human race took control of the Abyss, the foreign races dominated the upper worlds.

These foreign races had long mastered communication with Outer Gods, with many of them gaining powerful techniques by worshiping these Outer Gods.

The foreign races refined their bodies using the Outer Gods' secret techniques, allowing the Outer Gods to descend into the Abyss through the foreign races when the Abyss opened up.

Only the foreign races could properly host these Outer Gods and fully manifest their power.

When the human race took control over the Abyss, they drove these foreign races into the Fifth World and sealed it.

This prevented the foreign races from communicating with the Outer Gods, even when the Abyss opened.

Even if the Outer Gods could sense the altars, statues, and carvings, and managed to imbue a portion of their divine consciousness into them, their combat effectiveness remained severely limited without the foreign races' aid and presence.

This included the bat-like Outer God repelled by Yin Yiqing or the winged Outer God slain by Li Yuqing with a single sword strike.

The Outer Gods needed a suitable medium and the appropriate foreign race to host their divine power so they could unleash their true strength.

"If these altars, statues, and carvings could still be sensed when the Abyss opened, why weren't they destroyed completely back then?" Ling Meiyu asked curiously.

Li Yuqing was silent for a moment.

"Some people want to learn more about the world beyond the Abyss through them," she finally said. "The altars are destroyed and the foreign races have been driven to the Fifth World, so the Outer Gods are weak when they descend.

"Dealing with them isn't difficult, and as long as nothing unexpected happens, I can handle all the Outer Gods in this restricted area on my own.

"Those above don't consider these Outer Gods a real threat. After all, their strength is a mere fraction of their true power."

1. In case anyone forgot, the cultivation realms go from Qi Practicing Realm -> Meridian Opening Realm -> Marrow Cleansing Realm -> Innate Realm -> Profound Abode Realm -> Spirit Condensation Realm -> Soul Wandering Realm -> Nirvana Realm -> Immortal Realm -> True God Realm ☜

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