Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 203: Absorbing Another Soul Flame

At the foot of the Fourth Peak, the young and beautiful Xie Xiwen stared at Pang Jian's departing figure.

"Pang—" she cut herself off. Although she wanted to stop him, she could not help but hesitate, and in the end, she simply bit her lips in silence.

She had many questions but felt that asking anything now would be inappropriate. The rest of the Star River Alliance did not dare to utter a word.

As a cultivator in the late stage of the Profound Abode Realm, Shen Lei was the strongest among them after Elder Liang and was thus regarded as a senior figure in the Star River Alliance.

His rash actions had instantly resulted in severe injuries. The fact that he had been injured using Liang Ying's Star Crushing Umbrella only added salt to the wound.

What can we do against someone like Pang Jian when our cultivation realms and combat prowess are lower than Shen Lei?

"Pang Jian is not someone all of you can afford to provoke. Don't even think about taking back the Star Crushing Umbrella from him," earnestly advised Fang Boxuan, having been deeply scarred by his past experiences. "Really, take my word for it. No matter where he goes or what he plans to do next, don't bother trying to retrieve Elder Liang's belongings from him."

Shen Lei sighed and asked with a grave expression, "Did you suffer at his hands too?"

"How could that be possible?!" Fang Boxuan exclaimed, his face turning red.

His reaction caused Shen Lei's face to darken. "If you knew he was so difficult to handle, why didn't you warn me?"

"Would you have believed me if I did?" Fang Boxuan replied with a bitter smile.

Shen Lei went silent, shaking his head with a sigh.

"He only just broke through to the Profound Abode Realm, and just yesterday, he was asking me about the details of its different stages. If I were in your place, I wouldn't have believed he was that strong either," Xie Xiwen said softly.

Her clear, bright eyes remained fixed on the mysterious Pang Jian.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Figures slid down from the summit of the First Peak toward the foot of the mountain one after another.

The members of the Star River Alliance finally shifted their attention from Pang Jian due to the sudden changes at the First Peak.

The figures scrambling down from the summit of the First Peak were disciples from noble families and rogue cultivators with low cultivation realms.

Peering up at the summit, they were shocked to discover that the Spirit Slaughtering Astral Array had vanished!

"Old Monster Cao's array is destroyed!"

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"This is bad. With the array destroyed, those at the summit are no longer safe!"

"The remaining foreign race warriors and Vicious Beasts must be fighting fiercely against Old Monster Cao and the others, forcing the bystanders to flee in a hurry!"

The members of the Star River Alliance shouted in panic.

Fang Boxuan's expression also drastically changed. Staring at Pang Jian's figure in the distance, he wondered, What is he planning to do? Does he intend to climb the First Peak?

Pang Jian appeared to be heading to the First Peak. He had also mentioned more than once that he wanted to kill Jiu Yuan.

Fang Boxuan had a strong premonition that Pang Jian was about to do something that would shock the entire Primordial Wilderness.

Are you really going to climb the First Peak?

***

Whoosh!

Tiny stars, a bright moon, and an ice pool appeared on the canopy of the Star Crushing Umbrella.

Pang Jian walked forward with the Star Crushing Umbrella in hand. A strange light flickered in his eyes when he noticed the characters engraved on the handle—The Divine Treasure Sect.

So, the Li Family of the Divine Treasure Sect forged this advanced-grade spirit artifact, Pang Jian thought in surprise.

Pang Jian did not put away the Star Crushing Umbrella and instead experimented with it as he walked, aiming to master it as soon as possible in preparation for the upcoming bloody battles.

When he killed Liang Ying, Pang Jian relied on Nine Heavenly Profound Thunder and Annihilation Needles. However, the summit of the First Peak was an open space, and he could not use underhanded tricks there.

If he wanted to kill Luo Yuanming, Jiu Yuan, and Cao Mang, he had to increase his strength and make preparations in advance. This included becoming well-acquainted with the Star Crushing Umbrella.

Pang Jian infused stellar energy, lunar energy, and cold energy into the umbrella, taking note of different phenomena appearing on its canopy. The tiny stars, miniature moon, and the ice pool in his dantian and spiritual sea could all be manifested on the Star Crushing Umbrella.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Sharp light beams shot out from the ribs supporting the fabric of the umbrella. These lethal light beams were infused with Pang Jian's spiritual power, stellar energy, lunar energy, and cold energy.

When Pang Jian twisted the handle, the Star Crushing Umbrella spun rapidly, unleashing more light beams from each rib. The surrounding boulders and trees exploded with a series of resounding booms.

The Star Crushing Umbrella can unleash a barrage of light beams that are useful for crowd control and wide-area attacks. When the umbrella is closed, the top and bottom of the handle can be used as spear tips. Although it's not as sharp as the Startling Slaughter Spear, it can still serve as a good weapon during critical moments if the umbrella is destroyed during battle.

Swish!

Pang Jian opened the umbrella and used his divine sense to examine it. The amber, translucent canopy of the umbrella seemed to be made from the hide of a powerful Spirit Beast.

Although he did not know the quality and rank of the Spirit Beast's hide, the material contained many natural patterns that the masters from the Divine Treasure Sect had further refined. They engraved arrays within these patterns, blending them seamlessly in an intricate show of craftsmanship that gave the umbrella its many wondrous properties.

Whoosh!

Pang Jian summoned his green protective shield and infused the Star Crushing Umbrella with different energies once more. The radiance of the tiny stars, moon, and ice pool on the umbrella's canopy cascaded down to surround him and his spiritual shield, effectively giving him two layers of defense.

It can be used for both offense and defense! As Pang Jian walked, he experimented with the Star Crushing Umbrella, unveiling more new abilities.

As he was about to reach the area where Huang Qi and the others had previously settled, Pang Jian focused his mind and saw a familiar Rank Six one-eyed giant lying in a pool of blood. This one-eyed giant had allowed him to escape back when Liang Ying had chased him from Emerald Lake.

Many elders of noble families and rogue cultivators with high cultivation realms stood on the still-breathing one-eyed giant, pointing and discussing among themselves.

The lifeless bodies of several Rank Five one-eyed giants and some Rank Four and Rank Five Vicious Beasts lay around the Rank Six one-eyed giant.

The rogue cultivators and noble family elders used sharp blades to cut valuable spirit materials from the Vicious Beasts' bodies. Some rogue cultivators were even arguing over it.

Whoosh!

A Spirit Condensation Realm noble family elder pursued a Rank Six Ghost Race warrior on his spirit sword. The Ghost Race warrior's arms had been severed and his body was engulfed in flames as he fled in Pang Jian's direction. Just as the elder was about to catch up with the warrior, Pang Jian secretly intervened with the help of the black turtle.

Boom!

The pull of gravity on the noble family elder increased tenfold and his spirit sword crashed to the ground.

The fleeing Rank Six Ghost Race warrior quickly gained some distance, only for the mysterious gravitational force to similarly restrict him. His feet were rooted in the ground and his injured body was much heavier than before, requiring him to exert tens of times more effort with each movement.

The Ghost Race warrior then saw a stern-looking young man in blue approach him with a radiant umbrella adorned with tiny stars and a bright moon.

Not long after, Lin Yuanfeng, an elder of the Lin Family from the Third World and pursuer of the Ghost Race warrior, once again flew forward on his spirit sword and saw Pang Jian crushing the head of the wounded Ghost Race warrior.

"Pang Jian?"

Pang Jian is wearing the blue robe of the Sword Pavilion and holding Liang Ying's Star Crushing Umbrella!

"A Ghost Race squad attacked us, and Elder Liang Ying was unfortunately killed, leaving the Star Crushing Umbrella behind. Now that it's in my possession, I intend to kill more Ghost Race warriors in her stead."

Pang Jian felt the large Soul Flame enter the acupoints within his sea of consciousness.

This Rank Six Ghost Race warrior is stronger than the one who fought Liang Ying. His Soul Flame is also larger! Pang Jian thought excitedly.

Pang Jian had a strong feeling this dark green Soul Flame would be the one to push his divine sense to the limit!

"Liang Ying is dead?" Lin Yuanfeng's expression changed. He was unaware of the existence of the Ghost Race's Soul Flame, so he did not pay much attention to Pang Jian's actions and instead focused on Liang Ying's death.

At that moment, Lin Yuanfeng heard the commotion from the First Peak and turned to see many members of his Lin Family scrambling down from the summit. He had stationed the younger members on the First Peak due to their low cultivation realms, but they were now fleeing for their lives.

Lin Yuanfeng took a closer look and noticed the Spirit Slaughtering Astral Array had vanished. Blinding lights, flashes of lightning, and blazing flames filled the summit of the First Peak. The clashing of spirit artifacts rang out in dull thuds and resounding booms.

"The Spirit Slaughtering Astral Array is gone! Everyone, be careful of the foreign race warriors' counterattack!" Lin Yuanfeng shouted. Like him, many others had also noticed the disturbances on the First Peak and were already crying out in panic.

Something was not right!

Based on their communications with those on the summit of the First Peak, the Spirit Slaughtering Astral Array was not supposed to have disappeared so early. Cao Mang and the other Spirit Condensation Realm experts had not yet exhausted the remaining foreign race warriors. The invaders still had the strength to launch several more desperate attacks.

One hundred fifteen, one hundred twenty, one hundred...twenty-eight!

Pang Jian stood motionless as he counted the strands of his divine sense. A total of one hundred twenty-eight strands existed within his sea of consciousness, resembling a school of swimming fish as they floated around. His perception grew sharper and expanded outward, allowing him to observe a larger area even when he was not harmonizing with the land.

I've reached my limit. No new strands of divine sense are manifesting even though there's some unrefined Soul Flame left. One hundred twenty-eight strands is my limit. Only after reaching this limit can I attempt to control my divine sense. Once I can manipulate it at will, I'll have reached the middle stage of the Profound Abode Realm!

Even so, Pang Jian silently waited for his sea of consciousness to refine the remaining Soul Flame just in case he was mistaken. However, no new strands of divine sense manifested.

Searching the Ghost Race warrior over and finding no valuable or unique items on him, Pang Jian quickened his pace and headed to the foot of the Third Peak.

The one-eyed giant lay in a pool of blood at the foot of the Third Peak, its single eye turned into a huge bloody hole. Looking around, Pang Jian noticed that all the one-eyed giants had their eyes gouged out.

The rogue cultivators and noble family elders took apart the fallen Vicious Beasts, using special containers to store the body parts before putting them into their spatial pouches and bracelets.

The Innate Realm and Profound Abode Realm rogue cultivators and noble family members descended from the First Peak recounted the situation at the summit.

Pang Jian paid them no attention and continued forward.

After a while, he finally reached the foot of the First Peak.

While others fled from the summit, Pang Jian headed toward it with the Star Crushing Umbrella.

Pang Jian climbed the First Peak step by step.