Trials of the Abyss

The ancient figures around the City Lord’s Mansion pointed at Li Jie and Luo Hongyan.

"The City Lord is about to awaken. Let’s see how they die."

"The City Lord has waited for this day for three thousand years. He’ll soon see the light of day again."

"The curse that has plagued Eight Trigrams City for three thousand years is about to be lifted!"

The ancient figures spoke among themselves about what was happening in the present.

A chill ran down Luo Hongyan’s spine.

She eyed the dark tunnel. Pang Jian had yet to return. Feeling uneasy, she called out once more, "Pang Jian, we need to go!"

"Coming."

Pang Jian emerged from the darkness, his spiritual sea now replenished with murky energy. Carrying the Startling Slaughter Spear, he joined Luo Hongyan.

He instantly noticed the eerie atmosphere in the mansion and overheard the ancient figures’ conversations about him.

"People from the upper world have become such degenerates. Even someone filled with murky energy like him can come to our Eight Trigrams City."

"Hmph, I wonder who in the Fifth World is colluding with outsiders and letting someone like him enter Eight Trigrams City."

"They say our souls are corrupted, but isn’t he the same?"

The ancient figures were everywhere. Some stood near the walls, others by the pool, and some surrounded the raised platform.

They all resembled real people. However, they lacked the aura of souls or ghosts. It was almost as if they did not exist.

Pang Jian frowned.

It felt different when the ancient figures were speaking about him.

When he and Li Yuqing spectated from the dark tunnel, the inhabitants of Eight Trigrams City had talked only about spirit food.

It was as if someone had projected a scene from three thousand years ago onto the city.

This time was different.

The inhabitants appeared to have self-awareness, thoughts, and intelligence. They could even point and gossip about Pang Jian and the others.

Whoosh!

Li Jie, the self-declared Trial Master, flew to the raised platform where Yuan Lengshan had once sat. His previous casual demeanor had disappeared.

Sitting solemnly upright, he stared at the ancient copper chest at the bottom of the pool and snorted coldly. "Stop hiding and playing tricks. I don’t care who you are. Come out and face me if you have the guts!"

The chatter stopped.

The mansion fell silent. The eyes of all the ancient figures were focused on Li Jie.

They no longer gossiped or conversed among themselves and instead stared silently at him.

Li Jie was unfazed.

"Pang Jian, we really should leave," Luo Hongyan said in a panic. She sensed something terrible was about to happen. It was not a good idea to stay.

Pang Jian also realized that the situation was dire.

Despite that, he hesitated. He glanced at Li Jie and asked, "Li Jie, do you need help? You’ve gifted us all that green fruit juice. If you need help, I can..."

"I do, actually." Li Jie sighed with a bitter smile, eyes still fixed on the ancient copper chest at the bottom of the pool. "But neither of you can help me. Your cultivation realm is too low. Staying here would be a death sentence."

Pang Jian knitted his brows. "Isn’t entry into Eight Trigrams City restricted to those in the Marrow Cleansing Realm?"

"That’s for those of you entering to face the trial. As the Trial Master, I’m not bound by that restriction," Li Jie said, shaking his head.

Li Jie’s true cultivation realm was far higher than he had previously let on.

As he stared at the young, immature-looking Li Jie, Pang Jian realized Li Jie had long since broken through to the cultivation realm beyond the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

After pondering for a moment, Pang Jian said, "It seems I can’t help you after all."

He no longer resisted Luo Hongyan’s attempts at dragging him and voluntarily walked toward the Mirror Tunnel.

As Pang Jian prepared to leave, Li Jie asked, "Pang Jian, can you tell me who you met at the entrance to the dark tunnel?"

Pang Jian shook his head. "Sorry, I promised not to say anything."

"Alright then." Li Jie shifted his gaze back to the ancient copper chest with a helpless look on his face. "As the Trial Master, I was informed there were three treasures at the bottom of the pool. A long spear, a resplendent robe, and a white jade bottle containing the Crystal Snow Lotus. Once all the treasures were claimed, your trial came to an end. You should’ve left a long time ago."

Li Jie said nothing about the copper chest he stared intently at.

"Pang Jian, I’ll send you both to the Fourth World. There’s only one Mirror Tunnel connecting there."

Luo Hongyan dragged Pang Jian toward the Mirror Tunnel. "Let’s go!"

Pang Jian did not resist.

He did not fully understand what being a Trial Master meant, but Li Jie’s cultivation realm was far beyond theirs, and he realized Li Jie’s coming trial was not something he could help with.

Crack!

The golden and silver threads snapped, and a crisp crack came from inside the copper chest.

The yellow glow of the copper chest dimmed to nothing and the chest swung open.

Pang Jian had been about to leave, but could not help but glance back in curiosity.

A tall figure in ancient white robes emerged from within the chest. His long hair draped loosely over his face, obscuring his features.

Both of his hands were hidden inside the long sleeves of his robes.

The figure seemed to exist in another dimension. Although he stood in the chest at the bottom of the pool, his clothes remained completely dry.

A cold, ethereal voice suddenly echoed through the silent mansion, sending shivers down everyone’s spine.

"Pang Jian..."

The voice continued to reverberate.

The ancient figures all turned to look at Pang Jian, repeating in unison, "Pang Jian, Pang Jian."

"Yuan Lengshan!" Pang Jian exclaimed in horror.

The cold, ethereal voice that initially rang throughout the mansion was that of the deceased Yuan Lengshan!

At the sound of her voice, the ancient figures all stared at Pang Jian as they repeated his name. The eeriness of it all was extremely discomforting.

Pang Jian was frozen in shock

Luo Hongyan did not hesitate to pull him toward the Mirror Tunnel. "Let’s go!"

Meanwhile, the person standing in the chest used a hand to push aside the hair covering their face.

The pale, ghastly face underneath was Yuan Lengshan’s.

Pang Jian no longer allowed himself to be dragged as he dug his heels in. "Yuan Lengshan!"

Li Jie stood upright and stared coldly at the figure in the chest. "So, you’re finally showing yourself!"

Yuan Lengshan’s pale lips twitched as she let out a sinister chuckle.

Pang Jian noticed that the hand Yuan Lengshan used to push her hair aside had neither skin nor flesh. It was purely made up of her white, bony skeleton.

The bone of her neck was similarly exposed. It dripped with blood as hideous veins and tendons knitted together to form clumps of flesh.

The flesh of her neck regrew, and the rest of her body followed suit.

"Pang Jian, why aren’t you moving?" Luo Hongyan turned to ask. As she did, she also caught sight of the face of the person standing in the chest.

"Congratulations, City Lord!"

"Master Yuan, you’ve finally returned!"

"Eight Trigrams City will reappear in the world!"

The ancient figures congratulated Yuan Yishan with beaming faces.

The copper chest Yuan Lengshan was standing in slowly started to rise.

Her previously skeletal neck, hands, and chest rapidly regenerated and filled out.

As the chest emerged from the pool, the figure in the chest changed, seeming to have descended into Eight Trigrams City from another dimension.

He had returned to his familiar City Lord’s Mansion!

Yuan Lengshand had transformed into the City Lord of Eight Trigrams City, Yuan Shishan. She had been replaced with a heroic and extraordinary man.

His eyes shifted from the pool to the three unoccupied raised platforms, the jade-like stone floor, and the green walls.

Nostalgia flashed in his eyes.

"It’s been too long, far too long. I can finally see the city I built with my own hands again." His gentle gaze fell on Li Jie. Smiling broadly, he said, "You must be the Trial Master this time?"

Li Jie nodded silently.

Yuan Shishan enthusiastically raised his arms, as though reliving his past glory. "Everyone, welcome to my Eight Trigrams City!"

The ancient figures bowed their heads to pay respect. They chanted his name in celebration of the return of the City Lord.

Yuan Shishan was tall and handsome, exuding an awe-inspiring aura as he stood on the chest in the pool, gesturing for the cheering ancient figures to quiet down.

The noise abruptly ceased.

In the blink of an eye, the inhabitants of Eight Trigrams City had lost their spirits.

They no longer showed any signs of intelligence and simply stood rigidly in place like wooden statues.

"Did you use the remains of your descendant Yuan Lengshan to reappear?" Li Jie asked curiously.

Yuan Shishan smiled faintly. He neither confirmed nor denied Li Jie’s speculation and simply said, "Three thousand years have passed quietly. Many descendants of the Yuan Family have come to Eight Trigrams City to undergo trial over the years, but she was the only exceptional one.

"The soul seeds I planted long ago took root and sprouted in the bodies of my descendants, but only hers bore fruit. If not for that, I would’ve reappeared long ago."

He sighed deeply, seemingly overwhelmed with emotion.

"Let’s go!" Luo Hongyan dragged Pang Jian to the Mirror Tunnel and they moved to step through the ice crystal.

Bang! Bang!

They stepped onto the ice crystal, only to find they could no longer leave.

"I told you to leave earlier, but you hesitated. Now you can’t leave anymore." Li Jie said helplessly, peering down at them. "The City Lord has emerged and is now temporarily restricting the Mirror Tunnel. You’re stuck here with me."

Li Jie’s voice shocked Pang Jian.

Pang Jian heard two overlapping voices echoing simultaneously, one from his ears and one in his mind.

"Pang Jian, I am Li Jie. Listen to me, since you can adapt to the darkness of the Fifth World, you should return to it soon. Right now, Yuan Shishan may be weak, but he still isn’t someone you can handle. Don’t worry about me. I’m the Trial Master. I’ve long known what I would face."

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