Trials of the Abyss

Golden roc after golden roc collided with the wave of black cannon fire and exploded into dazzling flames that lit up the sky.

The exploded rocs condensed into drops of golden blood and returned to the bones of the giant mystical bird.

Crackle! Sizzle!

Streaks of golden lightning danced on the crystalline white bones, merging with the drops of golden blood and infusing them with new spiritual consciousness.

Before long, new golden rocs emerged, flapping their wings as they intercepted the incoming cannon fire.

Many members of the Ghost Race stood on a pitch-black warship in the void below. The warship was unlike the flying vessels normally seen in the Abyss.

The members of the Ghost Race were dressed in luxurious clothing and exuded an extraordinary aura, with some even holding exquisite glasses as if drinking fine wine.

The disciples of the Celestial Lagoon Sect were stunned at the sight.

"How did the Ghost Race come here from the Fifth World?"

"Four fragmented lands? My god, did we come to the wrong place? Absolute Heaven is supposed to be just one fragmented land, so why are there four?"

"There's one surrounded by lightning, one sealed in ice, and one engulfed in flames. Where did those three fragmented lands come from?!"

Chaos erupted on the Mountain Stream Spirit Boat.

The utterly bewildering scene unfolding before them was vastly different from what they had imagined.

"Those Ghost Race members aren't from our world. The Ghost Race I've encountered don't have such a noble demeanor," Wu Yuan said. Then, seeing cannons aiming at the Mountain Stream Spirit Boat, he took a deep breath and ordered, "Prepare for battle! We'll have to fight these foreign race warriors to the death whether we like it or not."

"Another world?"

"Where exactly are we?!"

The disciples cried in panic.

Meanwhile, the Mountain Stream Spirit Boat took advantage of the giant roc skeleton's drawing of the cannon fire to descend onto the single normal-looking fragmented land.

"Shoot!" a cold command echoed from deep within a jungle on Absolute Heaven.

Whoosh!

A hundred-zhang-tall giant with eight arms and a bare chest appeared.

The giant wielded enormous bows and arrows in his eight muscular arms and shot a rapid stream of arrows at the descending Mountain Stream Spirit Boat.

The arrows flew forth like dazzling meteors, and soon, the descending Mountain Stream Spirit Boat was riddled with holes.

The surviving disciples of the Celestial Lagoon Sect and the Demon Sect were forced to flee the boat.

Boom!

The Mountain Stream Spirit Boat crash landed.

Foreign race warriors had been roaming the wilderness to hunt down rogue cultivators and scions of noble families. The arrival of the Mountain Stream Spirit Boat simply meant fresh prey for them. ṘἁŊộ฿Εș

"Kill!" cried the foreign race warriors.

Some rode chariots, some flew on pitch-black feathers, and others rode white flying horses as they charged toward the cultivators from the Celestial Lagoon Sect and the Demon Sect.

"A Mountain Stream Spirit Boat from the Celestial Lagoon Sect!"

"That's the Demon Sect's banner!"

"There are also people from the Forsaken Expanse Sect of the Northern Ruin!"

"We're saved! We managed to hold out until reinforcements arrived!"

Cultivators from the Abyss scattered throughout Absolute Heaven erupted into cheers of joy.

Some were so overwhelmed with emotion that they cried tears of relief.

Bang!

Chen Lushi landed and she looked up at the sky with her beautiful eyes.

"Fu Wangchen of the Forsaken Expanse Sect!" she exclaimed.

She had already learned of Fu Wangchen from Jiang Chao and was under the assumption that the peerless genius of the Forsaken Expanse Sect had guided their Mountain Stream Spirit Boat here.

"How extraordinary," Chen Lushi praised. "He arrived ahead of us to take on the barrage of cannon fire from the foreign races. His character and demeanor are truly impeccable."

Her admiration for Fu Wangchen grew significantly. Displeasure rose in her heart as she recalled that he and Lu Lingchan from the Black Valley Sect were intended for each other.

So what if you're a personal disciple of the Valley Master? You may not even survive to reach Absolute Heaven. Chen Lushi snorted coldly in her heart.

"Fu Wangchen!"

"He's Fu Wangchen of the Forsaken Expanse Sect in the Northern Ruin!"

"With him here, we'll definitely survive!"

Rogue cultivators, scions of noble families, and disciples from smaller sects of the Second World cheered with renewed vigor.

Fu Wangchen had since summoned an ancient god Dharma Idol and used it to tear away an invisible membrane around the giant mystical bird's skeleton like ripping away a veil.

"Die!" he yelled, leaping from the mystical bird's forehead to confront the gaunt Ghost Race warrior.

The Ghost Race warrior wielding a silver trident muttered a chant in its race's language, green eyes flashing with a peculiar light.

An eerie, mist-shrouded ghostly figure appeared in the void behind the Ghost Race warrior. It towered a hundred zhang high, arms hanging by its sides and its back hunched.

The shrouding mist slowly merged to form a massive black cloak wrapping around the ghostly figure.

This was the soul projection of an Outer God!

The Outer God lowered its head to peer at the gaunt Ghost Race warrior as if gazing upon a devout follower.

"The Abyss..." it mumbled in a garbled voice, fixing its gaze on the towering ancient god Dharma Idol that Fu Wangchen had summoned. "A Dharma Idol left by a perished True God."

Glancing at the giant mystical bird, it noted, "The skeleton of a Rank Nine Golden-Winged Giant Roc."

"You've done well," it said to the Ghost Race warrior below.

Reaching downward, it took hold of the silver trident it had once bestowed upon the Ghost Race warrior.

Whoosh!

The silver trident expanded a millionfold, transforming into a dazzling silver bolt of lightning that the ghostly figure hurled at the ancient god Dharma Idol.

The lotus platform on which the Dharma Idol sat ignited with raging karmic flames and surged toward the incoming silver trident.

The Dharma Idol of the long-perished True God of the Northern Ruin stepped off the lotus platform and started to battle the soul projection of the Outer God.

Boom!

The pavilions and palaces on the Golden-Winged Giant Roc's wing bones collapsed and members of the Forsaken Expanse Sect awoke from their deep, prolonged stupor.

When they saw the dire situation, they wasted no time mounting the golden rocs formed from the Golden-Winged Giant Roc.

The cultivators from the Forsaken Expanse Sect charged toward the pitch-black warship still unleashing a deluge of cannon fire and engaged the Ghost Race warriors in fierce combat.

Pang Jian observed this battle through the golden bees from within the bizarre mist and narrated the situation to the others.

"Fu Wangchen is very powerful," he remarked. "The Dharma Idol he summoned is locked in fierce combat with the soul projection of an Outer God that the Ghost Race worships.

"The Mountain Stream Spirit Boat has crashed. The Celestial Lagoon Sect and the Demon Sect are fighting the foreign races in the wilderness.

"Members of the Forsaken Expanse Sect have woken up and are riding golden rocs to attack the Ghost Race warship.

"The cannons constructed from black crystals are no longer firing," Pang Jian added.

Every word he spoke stoked the flames of his battle spirit.

He licked his lips and his eyes sparkled with excitement. The Startling Slaughter Spear had already been preemptively summoned in his hand.

"Junior Brother." Zhuang Yuyan smiled. "Using Fu Wangchen, Wu Yuan, Jiang Chao, and the others as a vanguard is quite clever of you."

"True. Otherwise, the first, most intense wave of cannon fire would have hit the Sword Boat," Qi Qingsong agreed, standing up. He held his Blue Dream Sword, also seeming eager for battle. "The Sword Boat can't be destroyed. We'll need it for our return."

"Are you guys really planning to charge in?" Fang Boxuan asked nervously.

The soul projection of an Outer God, powerful Ghost Race warriors, and many warriors from different foreign races awaited them in Absolute Heaven.

Fang Boxuan felt compelled to stay on the Sword Boat instead of rushing out of the bizarre mist.

He thought it would be better to wait for the members of the Forsaken Expanse Sect, the Celestial Lagoon Sect, and the Demon Sect to conclude their fight against the foreign races warriors before stepping in.

"I want to hunt Outer Gods and refine a strand of true divine sense!" Qi Qingsong proclaimed.

"I want to see what the Ghost Race warriors from other worlds are capable of!" Zhuang Yuyan clenched her fists eagerly, ready for a fight.

Disciples from the Sword Pavilion were unafraid of battle. In fact, they craved it, as their sword intent and techniques were tempered through combat.

The knowledge of the dangers ahead did not deter them but made them more keen to leap into the fray.

"Those from the Abyss, human or beast, have no advantage in Absolute Heaven," Pang Jian warned. "The foreign races and the Outer Gods they serve have control of the overall situation.

"If we remain on the sidelines, the members of the Forsaken Expanse Sect, the Celestial Lagoon Sect, and the Demon Sect could be wiped out. If that happens, we'll have to face those foreign races from other worlds alone."

"Dong Tianze!" Pang Jian called. "Let's leave the Sword Boat hidden in the bizarre mist and all enter Absolute Heaven on your Black Iron Mountain."

"Good idea!" Qi Qingsong seconded.

Leaving the Sword Boat in the bizarre mist meant they could still retreat if things took a turn for the worse.

"Alright," Dong Tianze agreed, maneuvering the Black Iron Mountain out of the Sword Boat.

Pang Jian, Qi Qingsong, Zhuang Yuyan, and Fang Boxuan landed on the Black Iron Mountain.

"If we all gather on the Black Iron Mountain, we'll be too obvious a target. It would be better for us to split up," Zhao Yuanqi called out as Zhou Qingchen made to join them. "Junior Brother Zhou, you're with me."

She unfastened her gourd, flew up, and beckoned Zhou Qingchen.

"Sounds good." Zhou Qingchen shot Pang Jian an apologetic smile before following her onto the gourd.

"Let's go," Pang Jian commanded.

The Black Iron Mountain and the gourd flew forward.

Before long, they broke through the gray bizarre mist and saw the strange space Pang Jian had described.

Boom!

Intertwined lights and shadows, divine radiance, and raging flames streaked through the void.

A fierce battlefield of clashing lightning and spiritual light unfolded before their eyes.

"The Sword Pavilion!" Fu Wangchen shouted, noticing the sword tokens on Pang Jian and the others' waists from where he hovered barehanded above the remains of the Golden-Winged Giant Roc. "Everyone, these foreign races are not from the Abyss. They—"

"No need to say more!" Zhuang Yuyan shook her head with a smile.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

A pair of short and long spirit swords created a blazing sea of fire that spread out behind her in the void.

Sizzle! Sizzle!

Slender arcs of ghostly flame and lightning wove through the sea of fire to form a Vermilion Bird and a Fiery Qilin.

"I'll help you fight the soul projection of that Outer God!"

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