Trials of the Abyss

Luo Hongyan stood gracefully on the bamboo raft. Her lips curved in a subtle smile as she gestured for Pang Jian to take her hand and step onto the bamboo raft.

She did not care about societal standards or norms. Her disregard for gendered relations or roles caused her to seem eager and proactive in her approach toward Pang Jian.

The distant mountains, the tranquil lake, the bamboo raft, and the charmingly smiling woman came together to create a scene akin to a captivating ink-wash landscape painting.

Still reeling from their recent ordeal, the Su Clan and the He Clan members, alongside the young and inexperienced Su Meng, stared at her in disbelief.

Her aloofness and indifference in the presence of the Su Clan and the He Clan perfectly aligned with the Ning Yao they knew.

However, the stark contrast of her warm attentiveness toward Pang Jian left everyone bewildered by her unusual behavior.

Throughout their journey, she deliberately stayed close to Pang Jian as though seeking his favor. This behavior alone puzzled both Su Yuntian and He Rong.

Even if she had taken a liking to Pang Jian, she was the young mistress of the Ning Clan. Did she need to debase herself and act so humble in front of him?

For instance, at this moment, under everyone’s watchful eyes, she voluntarily reached out her jade-like hand to help Pang Jian step onto the bamboo raft.

Yet, the reticent young hunter ignored her outstretched hand and leaped onto the bamboo raft on his own.

Boom!

Pang Jian’s action caused the bamboo raft to abruptly sink into the lake, submerging Luo Hongyan halfway in the water.

After the bamboo raft finally floated back to the surface, not only was Luo Hongyan not angry with Pang Jian, but she even smiled at him and said, "You don’t know what’s good for you."

When they saw her preparing to row the bamboo raft herself, the expressions on the Su Clan’s and He Clan’s faces contorted even further.

"I’m surprised all of you managed to make it back here alive after encountering those high-level Spirit Devils," Pang Jian said, gripping his Dragonwood Spear as he cast a peculiar look at the Su Clan and the He Clan. "When we first encountered the Spirit Devils, we were caught off guard, and many lost their lives."

As Su Yuntian and He Rong listened to him, they also could not help but feel like something was amiss.

The Spirit Devils they encountered took aggressive stances but did not give chase when they retreated. Instead, they just grouped up in one spot and remained motionless.

They retreated because they realized that the Spirit Devils were not ordinary and that engaging them directly would come at a heavy cost.

The fact that such powerful Spirit Devils, capable of dealing serious harm to them, chose to gather without taking action was indeed strange.

"Let’s go," Pang Jian said, not dwelling on the matter. He prepared to paddle the bamboo raft with his Dragonwood Spear toward Central Lake Island.

"I’ll do it since my legs are already wet," Luo Hongyan offered. She had already crouched down, dipping her jade-like hand into the water behind the bamboo raft. As she let out spiritual power from her palm, ripples formed on the lake’s surface, and a gentle propulsion moved the raft forward.

The bamboo raft set off toward Central Lake Island.

Pang Jian stood in front of the bamboo raft with his spear in hand. His demeanor was akin to a sharp long lance as he gazed piercingly at the slowly approaching Central Lake Island.

Luo Hongyan crouched at the rear of the bamboo raft, head lowered as she steered the bamboo raft while keeping a watchful eye on the lake.

Pang Jian was surprised. He had not expected her to be willing to shoulder this kind of rough and tiring work.

I don’t know what her intentions are, but there are bound to be dangers surrounding the bone of the Celestial Phoenix. With these people accompanying me... Pang Jian thought darkly.

They did not encounter any danger at Insect Valley. However, that was because the essence of the Celestial Phoenix had been acquired by Ouyang Duanhai beforehand.

The first and second bones of the Celestial Phoenix were accompanied by bloodbaths.

At the first bone of the Celestial Phoenix, ancient vines devoured all the members of the Shangguan Clan except Shangguan Qin.

At the second bone of the Celestial Phoenix, members of the Shadow Specter Sect ambushed them, leading to the demise of all the members of the Zhou Clan and Ning Yuanshan.

Pang Jian had a hunch that the fourth bone of the Celestial Phoenix would be equally dangerous as his previous experiences. Therefore, even though he did not particularly like the woman behind him, he agreed to let her lead the exploration with the members of the Su and the He Clan.

Life and death were determined by fate. If disaster truly were to strike, at least he would not be the sole target of attack.

***

In the void of Ning Yao’s sea of consciousness.

"Do you have to degrade me like this?" Ning Yao crouched in a dim corner, quietly glaring at Luo Hongyan. She asked angrily, "Do you find this amusing?"

"Of course I do. It’s not my body after all." As Luo Hongyan flew back and forth in this unfamiliar sea of consciousness, her long sleeves fluttered. She resembled a celestial maiden about to ascend to the heavens.

Luo Hongyan broke into a graceful dance, beaming at Ning Yao’s faint soul, and said, "I will match your loftiness with him in the past with an equal measure of humility."

"Why are you doing this?" Ning Yao asked dazedly.

"I’m trying to please him. Can’t you see that?" Luo Hongyan was surprised.

"You’re targeting his bronze pendant. You hesitate because you don’t fully understand its secrets. Once you do, you’ll waste no time in killing him," Ning Yao said coldly.

Luo Hongyan came to a halt, crossing her arms over her chest. With a contemplative look in her eyes, she pondered before she said disinterestedly, "Whether I kill him or not depends on how he treats me from now on."

Their conversation happened in Ning Yao’s sea of consciousness, hidden from the prying ears of others.

***

"I can’t help but feel that when Ning Yao faces him, she behaves more like...a maidservant attending to him." Su Yuntian did not want to provoke He Rong, but the sight before them compelled him to voice his thoughts. "From what Ning Yao told us, he’s just an ordinary hunter. How did he manage to turn the proud Ning Yao into such a humble and submissive person?"

"I would also like to know!" He Rong snorted coldly.

Luo Hongyan’s actions brought immense humiliation to the He Clan. It was as if she were desecrating the corpse of his deceased nephew!

"He must have some remarkable qualities!" Su Meng’s large eyes sparkled brightly. She waved her clenched fist as she spoke with unwavering confidence.

"Sister Ning, with her dignified demeanor, has long been my idol. Besides, she’s already been acknowledged by the Star River Alliance. Anyone she approves of must be extraordinary. It’s just that we don’t yet know the extent of his capabilities!"

Hearing her words, Su Yuntian and He Rong recalled Pang Jian’s speed when they first encountered the body belonging to the cultivators of the Star River Alliance.

Could he truly possess exceptional abilities? The two of them could not help but wonder.

After that, they also chose a bamboo raft and paddled toward Central Lake Island.

***

Half an hour later, Pang Jian finally arrived at Central Lake Island.

A beautiful display greeted him as he approached. Hundreds of flowers competed for attention and trees were adorned with captivatingly green leaves. The astonishing growth of all the plants spoke volumes about the island’s vitality.

He had never stumbled across such a miraculous place in other regions of the Solitary Mountain Range.

However, it had been designated as a forbidden zone by his father, and among the three forbidden zones, it was by far the most treacherous.

"Blood-Cleansing Grass, Nine-Leaf Shattered Stars Flower, Thunderstruck Wood!" Luo Hongyan rose from the bamboo raft behind him, eyes scanning the diverse flora on the island. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with disbelief as she exclaimed, "This island is anything but ordinary!"

Pang Jian had never heard of any of the plants she mentioned, but based on her reaction, he knew they were anything but ordinary.

"Are the plants you mentioned very rare?" Pang Jian asked cautiously.

"It should not be possible to find them in the Fourth World," Luo Hongyan said, taking a deep breath. She wanted to describe the plants and their uses in detail, but she knew Pang Jian would not fully grasp her explanation. Instead, she said simply, "Each of those three plants I mentioned earlier could fetch a hundred spirit stones in the Third World."

"A hundred spirit stones?!" Pang Jian exclaimed.

All the spirit stones he had acquired so far did not even amount to a hundred.

"The spirit stones I mentioned aren’t the impure ones you took from the Shadow Specter Sect. They’re the pure ones you got from me," Luo Hongyan added with a slight smirk, fearing Pang Jian did not fully understand the value of the spirit plants on the island.

However, Pang Jian looked like he had not heard her subsequent words.

As he stared at the plants on Central Lake Island, his gaze lit up with an intense fervor that made Luo Hongyan feel uneasy.

"I need spirit stones!" With that, Pang Jian leaped toward Central Lake Island. He had seemingly forgotten about the white pagoda hovering above.

Su Yuntian, He Rong, and the others watched him with intrigue.

They saw Pang Jian eagerly leaping toward Central Lake Island as though he was drawn in by an irresistible force.

Pang Jian experienced a bizarre sensation midair. It was like an invisible barrier was hindering his descent.

The bronze pendant on his chest briefly flashed hot.

After that, Pang Jian no longer sensed the invisible barrier and successfully landed on the island.

Rumble!

The moment he landed, the mysterious small island at the center of Black Orchid Lake suddenly started to sink.

It was as if the figure that had landed on the island was not a young man wielding a spear, but rather a colossal giant tens of thousands of zhang[1] tall.

The island in the center of the lake seemingly could not bear the enormous weight descending from the sky and was thus forced to sink into the water.

This sight caused Luo Hongyan’s heart to tremble. Meanwhile, Su Yuntian, He Rong, and the others stood in stunned silence.

The tremors were real and not a trick of their imagination. They were not seeing things. However, they could not ascertain whether it was caused by Pang Jian.

This was an unbelievable sight. With their limited understanding and imagination, they could not comprehend how it could be linked to Pang Jian.

Boom!

The white pagoda hovering about the island plummeted onto the island.

It was like the white pagoda had previously rested on a barrier in the sky, and now some mysterious force removed it.

After Pang Jian landed on the island, the island sank and the white pagoda plummeted to the ground.

These strange occurrences caused the Su Clan and the He Clan to see Pang Jian in a new light. They had the impression that he was a person shrouded in mystery.

"I knew anyone Sister Ning took an interest in would be extraordinary!" Su Meng exclaimed excitedly.

Her eyes gleamed with fascination.

This only affirmed that the young man they had encountered at Crescent Moon Lake was truly exceptional. That was why her Sister Ning acted so modestly in his presence and tried to court his favor.

"This..." Bewildered by the unexpected commotion of the island, Pang Jian looked around aimlessly, feeling a sense of incredulity at the sheer coincidence of it all.

"Please be careful. Earthquakes often occur around the bones of the Celestial Phoenix. These earthquakes are often accompanied by unforeseen dangers emerging from the ground," he warned the Su Clan and the He Clan.

"What he said is true," Luo Hongyan confirmed. She knew this information and this knowledge alleviated some of her inner doubts. Still, she could not tear her gaze away from Pang Jian’s chest.

"Is this the plant you mentioned earlier?" Pang Jian asked as he stood among the vibrant flowers. He cautiously wielded his long spear, wary of accidentally damaging the valuable plants. A greedy desire had taken root at the promise of a large number of spirit stones.

Luo Hongyan rolled her eyes and opted not to leave the bamboo raft. Instead, she lingered a while longer, observing the surroundings.

However, the white pagoda did not appear again, nor did the one controlling the white pagoda reveal themselves.

She stepped foot on Central Lake Island.

Nothing happened.

She drew in a deep breath. Before she could go to inspect the exotic plants she had a sudden realization. "There’s a spiritual land in this fragmented world?! No wonder there are so many rare plants here. But how did a piece of land with such pure spiritual qi appear here?"

Su Yuntian and He Rong had drawn closer to the island, allowing them to overhear Luo Hongyan. "Spiritual land?"

"Pure spiritual qi?" Pang Jian paused to sense the spiritual qi of the island. Indeed, the spiritual qi here contained no impurities!

There was no need to purify the spiritual qi after absorbing it into his dantian. He could directly refine it into spiritual power.

"This type of spiritual land is rare even in the Third World. Though, this one is a little bit small." While Luo Hongyan marveled, Su Yuntian, He Rong, and the others stepped onto the island.

Feeling the pure spiritual energy of the island and recognizing several familiar flowers and plants, they realized they had entered a treasure trove, causing an ecstatic joy to bubble up within them.

1. 丈 is a traditional Chinese measurement unit equivalent to about 3.3 meters or 10.8 feet. ☜

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