Trials of the Abyss

Su Yuntian remained vigilant, keeping a close watch on the lake’s surface to prevent any unexpected incidents.

The serious expression on his face only eased when Su Meng finally emerged from the lake and joined him at his side. She had to cover her chest with a piece of clothing, wet black hair sticking to her cheek.

Anger surged through Su Yuntian as he looked at his daughter. "Did you see who it was?"

"I couldn’t see that person clearly," Su Meng said with her round, apple-like face and gleaming bright eyes. She hastily grabbed her lower garment and retreated into the bushes, her voice rising in argument, "They didn’t do anything to me. I was just startled by their sudden appearance."

"I don’t think that person had any ill intention," He Rong placated his old friend.

Su Yuntian continued to stare coldly at the lake’s surface.

Under the dimming sky, the Gilded Chariot’s radiance shimmered on the surface of the lake, imbuing the scene with a serene tranquility.

Near the Gilded Chariot, those loyal to the Su and He Clan also stopped what they were doing to cast curious glances at the lake.

A moment later, a young man surfaced, looking somewhat blankly at his surroundings.

The young man appeared at the center of the lake and was a considerable distance from the crowd. His disheveled appearance was accentuated by the tangle of aquatic plants adorning his head.

The young man raised his long spear, the shaft of which was skewered fish, resembling candied haws on a stick[1].

"It’s just a misunderstanding," He Rong said with a faint smile, pressing down the short blade in Su Yuntian’s hand. "He was too far from Su Meng to be plotting to harm her or spying."

Su Yuntian let out a sigh of relief and called out loudly, "Little Brother!"

Pang Jian turned toward the noise and spotted Su Yuntian and He Rong, along with the broken golden chariot.

He instantly realized where he was.

"Crescent Moon Lake."

The freshwater lake in the Solitary Mountain Range resembled a crescent moon when viewed from above. As such, his father named it Crescent Moon Lake.

Next to Crescent Moon Lake stood a towering mountain. On the opposite side of the mountain lay Blackwater Pond.

Unlike Blackwater Pond, which his father had designated as a forbidden area, Pang Jian was very familiar with Crescent Moon Lake and its surroundings.

As a freshwater lake, Crescent Moon Lake boasted an abundance of fish and shrimp. Nearby wild beasts also frequented its shores for water, making it both a suitable hunting ground and a place of repose for him.

He never imagined that at the bottom of the lake, there lay a hidden fissure connected to a secret stone passage that led to Blackwater Pond.

Gazing at the familiar surroundings, Pang Jian felt an immediate sense of relief. His earlier fear and tension melted away.

Hearing the repeated calls from the lakeside, he turned, studying Su Yuntian and He Rong from the center of the vast lake.

He deduced they were members of the seven major clans. They had likely formed a search party to explore the Solitary Mountain Range like Zhou Qingchen and Ning Yao.

After a moment of hesitation, he swam toward Su Yuntian.

However, he did not swim to where Su Yuntian stood and instead climbed ashore a little distance away from them.

Then, from a dense bush, Pang Jian retrieved flint stones and firewood and began to roast the fish he caught.

Pang Jian was exceptionally familiar with Crescent Moon Lake. The lake itself was massive, so he had previously placed supplies at strategic points along its shore.

In fact, he had done this across different regions of the Solitary Mountain Range. He even ensured there were provisions of dried meat and grains in certain areas.

Pang Jian removed the fish from his spear and placed them on a wooden pole to roast over his newly-started fire. Su Yuntian and He Rong stared at him in astonishment.

"He seems to be quite familiar with this area. He even prepared the firewood and cooking ingredients in advance," He Rong muttered, rubbing his chin. "He must be a local."

"Just go and ask him," Su Meng said, adjusting her clothes as she emerged from the bushes. Rolling her eyes, she walked directly toward Pang Jian. Her wide eyes filled with curiosity as she asked. "Were you catching fish at the bottom of the lake earlier?"

"Yes," Pang Jian replied, raising his head to glance at her. He noticed that this young girl appeared to be around the same age as his little sister, Pang Lin. She looked to be around thirteen or fourteen years old.

On her little round face was a pair of big bright eyes. Her two pigtails swayed from side to side, making her look lively and energetic.

"I’m Su Meng. Did you happen to see anything while I was bathing in the lake?" Su Meng asked sternly, both hands on her hips.

Pang Jian shook his head and casually explained, "The Crescent Moon Lake is vast. I was busy catching fish at the bottom and didn’t see anyone on the surface."

"Crescent Moon Lake?" Su Meng looked toward the lake and found the name very fitting. Now that Pang Jian had explained himself, her feigned fierceness from earlier vanished, and she asked in astonishment, "Are you familiar with the Solitary Mountain Range?"

"I’m a hunter from Linshan Town. I’ve been hunting in these mountains for a long time, so I know the area well," Pang Jian replied calmly.

Meanwhile, Su Yuntian and He Rong had also approached Pang Jian.

The two of them sized him up. The ever-cautious He Rong glanced at the Dragonwood Spear that Pang Jian had placed on the ground and asked, "Are you also a cultivator?"

Maintaining his composure, Pang Jian quickly improvised a lie, "A few years back, an elderly man ventured into the Solitary Mountain Range in search of pill-making spirit materials. He enlisted my help in navigating the mountains, and in return, he taught me a cultivation technique and gifted me this spear."

Although He Rong was still suspicious, he did not prod any further.

"I am Su Yuntian. This young girl is Su Meng, and this is He Rong," Su Yuntian introduced. Lowering his guard, he casually remarked, "Things have been chaotic around here lately. Some complicated situations have arisen. We came from the other side of the Solitary Mountain Range.

"Little Brother, since you live in nearby Linshan Town and are familiar with the Solitary Mountain Range, could you tell us if anything unusual has happened in the area lately?"

Pang Jian continued to roast his fish.

"Not long ago, massive withered bones fell from the sky. After that..." He glanced at the wrecked Gilded Chariot before continuing, "After that, I saw this chariot, as well as a huge sailboat and a white pagoda descending from the sky. For a while, there were earthquakes, and the wild beasts howled every day. I waited until the situation calmed down before venturing into the mountains to hunt."

After hearing Pang Jian’s account, Su Yuntian and He Rong exchanged meaningful glances.

They suddenly heard the crisp cry of an eagle echoing above their heads. They looked up to see a dark gray eagle soaring overhead.

The dark gray eagle stared at the crowd below with an odd expression and repeatedly glanced at Pang Jian. As it circled above them, it was seemingly observing Pang Jian from various angles as if wanting to confirm something.

Pang Jian grew irritated by the eagle’s presence. He considered using his bow to shoot it down, only to realize he had left his bow back at Blackwater Pond.

After circling overhead for a while, the eagle flew toward the opposite side of the mountain.

"Little Brother, if you don’t mind, why don’t you become our guide?" Su Yuntian extended an invitation after the eagle departed. He smiled warmly and continued, "We’re not familiar with the Solitary Mountain Range, and we’ve only recently arrived. I’m willing to offer a suitable reward."

With several fish roasted to perfection, Pang Jian was already indulging in a hearty meal. He mumbled through a mouthful of food, "I’ll think about it."

***

On the other side of the mountain, at Blackwater Pond.

Luo Hongyan, still inhabiting Ning Yao’s body, currently had her eyes closed. She used her divine sight to connect with the gray eagle hovering in the air, looking through its eyes to observe the ground below.

After a while, she let out a light snort. "Found you."

Behind her floated a gray shadow more corporeal than Luo Meng. It was Hong Tai from the Shadow Specter Sect.

Despite being in the Marrow Cleansing Realm, the captain of the Shadow Specter Sect still fell into Luo Hongyan’s clutches. She extracted his soul and refined it into a Spirit Devil, transforming him into a servant at her command.

That brat never left Blackwater Pond, yet he emerged from the lake on the other side. There must be a secret passage hidden at the bottom of this pond. However, I’m unsure if the Giant Abyssal Serpent is still with him, Luo Hongyan thought, staring at Blackwater Pond.

Since Pang Jian had left, she speculated that the Giant Abyssal Serpent from the Fifth World had also gone with him.

Luo Hongyan entertained the idea of exploring Blackwater Pond. However, after deliberating for a moment, she sighed.

The essence of the Celestial Phoenix was absorbed by that brat’s bronze pendant. The only thing left in the water is the skeleton of the Giant Abyssal Serpent, and I can’t bring that with me.

She quickly dismissed the thought.

After a while, her eyes lit up as she conceived a wonderful new plan.

Cloaked in a red dress, she materialized her ethereal form in Ning Yao’s sea of consciousness. She gazed at the dark area where Ning Yao’s shadowy figure was confined.

"Ning Yao, tell me about your situation in detail. Don’t make me resort to soul-searching. I still intend to use your body for a while longer, so please cooperate with me," she began. Smiling at Ning Yao, she then threatened, "If I resort to soul-searching, your soul might be harmed. You wouldn’t want that, would you?"

Ning Yao’s ethereal, blurry figure trembled like a candle flame in the wind. Her voice quivered as she asked, "What do you want to know?"

"I want to know everything that happened after you met Pang Jian."

One hour later, the gray eagle returned.

Luo Hongyan gazed at the pouch that Pang Jian had thrown back to Ning Yao, marking the end of their employment agreement. She smiled as she crouched down to pick it up.

With Ning Yao’s body, she landed on the gray eagle and smiled charmingly. "I’ll make use of this pouch of silver."

The gray eagle soared into the sky.

Several Spirit Devils such as Hong Tai and Luo Meng transformed into wisps of gray clouds as they followed the soaring eagle and headed to the other side of the mountain.

***

At Crescent Moon Lake, Pang Jian had finished his meal. He crushed the fish bones and returned the cooking ingredients and firewood to their original spot, concealing them in the bushes.

Retrieving his Dragonwood Spear, he then uttered in a cold tone, "I’ll be leaving now."

Pang Jian had rejected Su Yuntian’s invitation.

He knew that He Rong and Su Yuntian hailed from bottom-ranked clans among the seven major ones. Moreover, their intended path would lead them to Blackwater Pond, a destination he had no desire to revisit.

He had plenty of spirit stones in the bamboo basket on his back to cultivate with, and he would not starve in the Solitary Mountain Range. Thus, he had no pressing need to earn money.

At this point, he only wanted to leave the crowd and find a quiet place to examine his body, which had undergone a second tempering by the essence of the Celestial Phoenix.

With the Su Clan and He Clan by his side, he found it difficult to do anything.

"Alright, we won’t force you. One more thing, why didn’t you loot the broken chariot before catching fish in the lake?" Su Yuntian inquired with a tinge of regret.

Pang Jian replied, "I didn’t think anybody would come. I planned to search after catching some fish and having my fill. But now that you guys have arrived, I’ve abandoned the idea since I can’t compete with you."

Su Yuntian chuckled in amusement. "You’re quite modest. You know when to advance and when to retreat."

He cleared his throat lightly and called forth an elderly servant. He asked the elderly servant to hand Pang Jian a small pouch.

"Here’s some silver," Su Yuntian said. "Consider it a token of appreciation for the information you provided us. It may come in handy once you leave the Solitary Mountain Range."

Though surprised, Pang Jian did not hesitate to accept it. Taking the pouch, he replied, "Until we meet again."

After Pang Jian departed, the members of the He Clan and Su Clan remained at Crescent Moon Lake.

They followed in Pang Jian’s footsteps and fished in Crescent Moon Lake, using the leftover firewood Pang Jian had left behind to cook.

As the group gathered around the bonfire, enjoying their meal, a woman approached and called out from a distance, "Where’s Pang Jian?"

"Ning Yao!"

1. Tanghulu() or candied haws on a stick is a traditional Chinese snack made by skewering hawthorn berries on bamboo sticks and coating them with a layer of sugar syrup. ☜

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