Trials of the Abyss

Pang Jian had come to the Black Orchid Lake to search for the fourth bone of the Celestial Phoenix.

The bones of the Celestial Phoenix were present in the other two forbidden zones, Blackwater Pond and Insect Valley. Therefore, as another one of the forbidden zones, it stood to reason that a bone would also be on Central Lake Island.

If there was the possibility of finding a fourth bone on the island, then there was also the potential for the essence of the Celestial Phoenix to form. Given the benefits he had reaped so far from the other essences of the Celestial Phoenix, he naturally came to try his luck here as well.

Su Yuntian scanned the surroundings but did not see anyone, Fear crept into his heart. "Who is controlling the Divine Spirit Pagoda?"

Su Yuntian and He Rong were uncertain about the mysteries hidden within the bone of the Celestial Phoenix and did not give it much thought. Rather, they feared that the person in charge of the Divine Spirit Pagoda might attack them once they set foot on the island.

"We’re very close to the northern boundary wall of the Solitary Mountain Range." Pang Jian stared at the towering peak behind Black Orchid Lake. His eyes attempted to look through the mountains to see unfamiliar territory on the other side.

Behind the mountains lay the northernmost region of the Northern Qi. It bordered the boundary wall of the Fourth World and served as the origin of the bizarre mist.

The Black Orchid Lake shimmered with a subtle azure tint under the dim sky, breathtakingly beautiful against the backdrop of the rugged peaks.

The white pagoda floating above the island in the lake’s center gave off a solemn aura.

According to rumors, every Divine Spirit Pagoda from the Sinister Soul Temple was constructed from countless stacks of white bones.

The Sinister Soul Temple of the Third World hardly interacted with other sects or factions. They also refrained from recruiting talents from the seven major clans, maintaining an air of mystery.

Su Yuntian and He Rong had limited knowledge about this sect, causing them to harbor a sense of reverence.

After staring at the white pagoda on the island for a while, the pair hesitated once again, pondering whether they should set foot on the island.

Noticing their hesitation, Luo Hongyan felt it was best to make the most of the situation. Therefore, she took the initiative and requested, "Could you please arrange for your men to build a bamboo raft for Pang Jian and me?"

Su Yuntian recalled their journey together and how she had refrained from claiming any scavenged items. Feeling guilty, he agreed, "Certainly."

He arranged for servants of the Su Clan to go to the nearby forest and cut some bamboo, using them to build a bamboo raft.

"We should leave," He Rong suddenly suggested.

Gazing at the white pagoda, he could not shake the feeling that something was strange about the island.

As he stood by the lakeshore, a creeping coldness seeped into him, making him incredibly uncomfortable.

"The fourth bone of the Celestial Phoenix is on the island. Aren’t you curious about what might be inside?" As Luo Hongyan looked at them, inspiration suddenly struck her, "If you two don’t want to go, you should arrange for your servants to go and explore in your stead."

A spark of interest appeared in He Rong’s eyes.

He ordered the servants of He Clan to cut more bamboo to build additional bamboo rafts.

"What’s the Divine Spirit Pagoda doing, hovering like that?" Su Meng wondered aloud.

Su Yuntian and He Rong shook their heads. Although they knew the Divine Spirit Pagoda belonged to the Sinister Soul Temple, they did not know its specific purpose or abilities.

"It’s searching for souls," Luo Hongyan answered. She looked at the white pagoda and said, "It can detect any living being with a soul within a certain range. Those with only spiritual bodies and no physical, like spirits, demons, and ghosts, will be absorbed and held captive by it."

Luo Hongyan’s words carried a chilly edge.

Pang Jian was puzzled. He sensed that Luo Hongyan had become somewhat different since they arrived at Black Orchid Lake.

Her gaze toward the Divine Spirit Pagoda was filled with a subtle resentment and deep apprehension as if she had suffered previously because of the Divine Spirit Pagoda.

Is it because of what happened in the stone pile? The corpses of the Sinister Soul Temple cultivators there caused the Ning Clan to suffer many casualties, Pang Jian recalled.

The corpses inside the stone pile wore the Blood Moon Sect’s attire. This led to Han Duping misjudging the situation and resulted in the Spirit Devils’ attack on the members of the Zhou and the Ning Clan.

However, the more he thought about it, the more suspicious he found the situation.

The Divine Spirit Pagoda of the Sinister Soul Temple hovered above Black Orchid Lake in the northernmost part of the Solitary Mountain Range. However, the Sinister Soul Temple cultivators wearing the attire of the Blood Moon Sect met their demise in the southernmost part of the Solitary Mountain Range.

Hundreds of miles separated these two locations.

Doubt filled Pang Jian’s heart. He decided to remain secretly vigilant as he observed the drifting and elusive white pagoda.

Shortly after, the Su Clan’s and the He Clan’s servants finished constructing several bamboo rafts. Under the orders of Su Yuntian and He Rong, four servants were divided into two groups and rowed toward Central Lake Island.

He Rong shouted, "New discoveries must be reported to us immediately!"

Filled with apprehension, the four servants could only nod as they cast fearful glances toward Central Lake Island. They could not shake the feeling that the island, adorned with blooming flowers, was fraught with danger.

The bamboo raft inched slowly toward the center of the lake.

Pang Jian squinted, shifting his attention from the island to the lake water before him.

The light blue water was crystal clear, yet he could see no fish. The lakeshore was also devoid of the usual sounds of insects.

The Black Orchid Lake had never been this quiet in the past.

Even when he was simply passing by Black Orchid Lake before, he would see fish swimming and wild beasts prowling. He even occasionally encountered hunters from Linshan Town.

However, at this moment, everything in and around the lake seemed to have vanished, leaving the entire lake eerily quiet.

Pang Jian fell silent. Su Yuntian, He Rong, and Luo Hongyan followed suit.

The group silently watched as the two bamboo rafts reached Central Lake Island. The four Qi Practicing Realm cultivators got off the bamboo rafts and explored the island.

The Divine Spirit Pagoda hovered above Central Lake Island, showing no reaction when the four servants passed below it.

There was no response from them after that.

Time went by in silence. One hour passed, then two. The bamboo rafts remained on the shore of Central Lake Island.

The four servants seemed to vanish into thin air.

Neither their figures nor even a distant shout could be heard from them.

Silence continued to reign as if no one had ever been on the island in the first place.

Su Yuntian drew in a deep breath.

"Pang Jian, please tell me the best route out of the Solitary Mountain Range," he requested. With determination in his eyes, he declared, "I have decided to depart!"

"Father, I want to go and explore the island!" Su Meng pleaded softly.

"Shut up!" Su Yuntian’s face turned cold. He refused to yield to her pleas this time. In a stern, authoritative tone, he said, "The Divine Spirit Pagoda is active, and unknown people are on the island. The people from the Sinister Soul Temple are all eccentric and never interact with the other major sects. Let’s not provoke them!"

He presumed experts from the Sinister Soul Temple secretly controlled the Divine Spirit Pagoda. If so, killing him and He Rong would be child’s play for them.

Having grown increasingly anxious waiting for his subordinates’ return, He Rong ultimately followed Su Yuntian’s lead. "We will also retreat!"

Both men turned to Pang Jian, hoping he could tell them the quickest way out.

Pang Jian looked over at Luo Hongyan.

Luo Hongyan stretched lazily. She pulled the nearest bamboo raft toward her, and said, "Let them do as they please."

Pang Jian thought for a bit before he pointed and said, "Follow the base of that mountain. Don’t try to climb over it. At your pace, if nothing unexpected happens, you should be able to leave the Solitary Mountain Range in seven to eight days."

"Many thanks!" Su Yuntian bowed gratefully. Then, ignoring Su Meng’s pleading expression, he turned to Luo Hongyan and said, "It’s clear that you two are determined to go to the island. I can only wish you both the best of luck."

Luo Hongyan turned a deaf ear.

"Farewell!" Then, together with He Rong, Su Yuntian led their loyal servants in the direction Pang Jian had pointed.

"The direction you pointed them in isn’t dangerous, is it?" After the Su Clan and the He Clan left, Luo Hongyan’s expression softened and her tone relaxed.

"That path is safe, but as you know, the Solitary Mountain Range is fraught with danger. Nothing untoward ever happened when I used to traverse that path, but I can’t say for sure anymore." Pang Jian’s expression remained calm.

Seeing that Luo Hongyan showed no intention of setting off, he asked curiously, "Aren’t you going to the island?"

Luo Hongyan was using a bamboo stick to skim the lake’s surface. Without looking up, she said, "Let’s just observe for now. Perhaps the four servants on the island will suddenly appear and provide us with some important information."

Pang Jian fell silent and left her to watch by the lakeside. Having collected a number of spirit stones along the way, he found a secluded spot nearby to cultivate the Qi Nurturing Divine Cauldron Art.

Like those from the Blood Moon Sect, the spirit stones he scavenged from the corpses of the Star River Alliance cultivators were pure and unblemished.

The spiritual power within these spirit stones required no cleansing or refinement, flowing smoothly into his spiritual sea once it entered the whirlpool in his dantian.

Pang Jian’s spiritual sea had already expanded to an unknown extent. Still, he continued to fill it with spiritual power, sensing as it stretched further.

His many spirit stones and strengthened body, tempered twice by the essence of the Celestial Phoenix, allowed him to progress rapidly through the Qi Practicing Realm.

At this point, he had already experienced the sensation of spiritual qi overflowing from his dantian seven or eight times.

Based on Luo Hongyan’s explanation, each time spiritual qi overflowed from his dantian, he had a breakthrough to a new level in the Qi Practicing Realm. Thus, it was likely that he had reached a very high level in his early-stage accumulation.

After a period of intense cultivation, Pang Jian suddenly heard footsteps approaching from where he had pointed the Su Clan and the He Clan before.

Pang Jian was startled.

A moment later, Su Yuntian and He Rong returned with their servants.

"What happened? That path should’ve been safe. If something happened...it’s not my fault!" Pang Jian hurriedly said, not wanting to take the blame.

"Spirit Devils! Furthermore, they were high-level Spirit Devils! We were attacked by so many of them! They weren’t easy to deal with, and we had no choice but to retreat," Su Yuntian explained awkwardly.

Pang Jian was taken aback. He recalled the Spirit Devils controlled by the evil woman in the stone pile. He wondered if that evil woman was nearby.

"Since danger looms on both sides, we might as well accompany you to the island!" He Rong said through gritted teeth.

"Welcome back." Luo Hongyan chuckled softly. Landing gracefully on a bamboo raft, she extended a slender, graceful hand toward Pang Jian and confidently invited, "Come on, let’s take the lead and pave the way for them across the lake."

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