Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 204: Climbing the First Peak

The foreign race warriors and Vicious Beasts that had originally occupied the Second Peak had long since gone.

Huang Qi, having reverted to his old appearance, sat on a protruding boulder halfway up the mountainside of the Second Peak and puffed on his pipe.

As he watched the situation on the First Peak, a strange sight caught his attention. The bloody battles on the summit caused the weak cultivators to scramble down the mountain. Despite this, a long figure holding an umbrella was climbing up the First Peak.

Liang Ying of the Star River Alliance?

Huang Qi squinted and took a closer look.

"Pang Jian!" he cried out in surprise.

Pang Jian was climbing the First Peak with Liang Ying's Star Crushing Umbrella!

Huang Qi rubbed his eyes and took another look to make sure he was not mistaken.

The one holding the umbrella was really Pang Jian!

"Has this brat gone crazy?" A thick gray smoke billowed from Huang Qi's nostrils, ears, and the corners of his mouth as his expression morphed into one of disbelief.

After leaving the rogue cultivators and noble family elders behind, Huang Qi had been closely monitoring the changes at the summit of the First Peak and had seen the Spirit Slaughtering Astral Array disappear.

The remaining forces from the Fifth World had launched a desperate attack after its sudden disappearance, and only Spirit Condensation Realm cultivators or Rank Six foreign race warriors and Vicious Beasts dared to remain on the summit after that.

The only exception was Yang Rui, the genius from the Radiant Sun Sect, with his Nine Suns Cauldron.

Besides that, the other Innate Realm and Profound Abode Realm cultivators on the summit had retreated down the mountain. Surprisingly, Pang Jian had chosen to climb the First Peak during this chaotic time.

Although he harbored a deep hatred toward Cao Mang and Lady Hua, Huang Qi was still waiting for the perfect opportunity to make his move. However, Pang Jian had already taken the lead and started climbing the First Peak before him!

"You—I don't even know what to say to you!"

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Huang Qi took a deep drag from his pipe, only to choke and cough repeatedly.

He had been biding his time on the mountainside of the Second Peak, but now stomped his foot and rushed toward the Second Peak's summit.

There was nobody on the summit of the Second Peak now that the foreign race warriors were gone.

Huang Qi looked toward the First Peak.

"I hope you're not really planning to go to the summit and just left something behind in your cave dwelling," Huang Qi said with a gloomy expression.

***

"Who's that young man with the umbrella?"

"Is he-is he climbing the First Peak?!"

"Has he gone crazy?"

The fleeing rogue cultivators and disciples from noble families with low cultivation realms were shocked when they saw someone climbing the First Peak.

"Kid, the summit has become a bloody battlefield! Don't go up there and get yourself killed!" warned a disciple from a noble family in the Third World.

Pang Jian acted as though he did not hear him.

Whoosh!

The Star Crushing Umbrella in Pang Jian's hand expanded as he infused it with various energies. He continued to experiment with it as he climbed the First Peak and discovered the hide used to make the umbrella's canopy was incredibly elastic.

The umbrella continued to expand and eventually grew to several times its original size. The spiritual power, stellar energy, lunar energy, and cold energy on its canopy also became increasingly turbulent.

The stars and the bright full moon shining in the night sky were contributing their stellar energy and lunar energy to the Star Crushing Umbrella!

These celestial bodies in the deep, radiant night sky enhanced the power of the Star Crushing Umbrella.

The Star River Alliance and the Radiant Sun Sect can enhance their combat power under the stars, moon, and sun. Even their spirit artifacts can gain strength depending on the weather, Pang Jian realized.

He then harmonized with the land to closely observe the fierce battles unfolding on the summit of the First Peak. As he communicated with the black turtle, he also learned more about the profound abilities available to those harmonizing with the land.

He was well-prepared for the battle ahead and was brimming with confidence.

Due to the distance, Xie Xiwen couldn't see Pang Jian's figure under the umbrella but she noticed the expanding Star Crushing Umbrella.

The radiant Star Crushing Umbrella could be seen as it steadily made its way to the summit of the First Peak.

Jiu Yuan's anxious voice roared from the blood talisman in Fang Boxuan's hand. "Fang Boxuan, tell Liang Ying to come to the summit to provide support and inform all the other Spirit Condensation Realm cultivators to climb the mountain as well!

"The foreign race warriors and Vicious Beasts are on their last legs. If we have more Spirit Condensation Realm cultivators to assist us, they'll soon be wiped out!"

The battle at the summit of the First Peak was likely extremely fierce based on Jiu Yuan's impatient tone.

"Liang Ying..." Fang Boxuan stared at the slowly ascending Star Crushing Umbrella with a complicated expression.

"Is Liang Ying coming? One isn't enough! Ask all the noble family elders and surviving Spirit Condensation Realm cultivators to climb the First Peak and slaughter the foreign race warriors!" shouted Jiu Yuan.

Irritated, Fang Boxuan put away the blood talisman. He then glanced at the dazed members of the Star River Alliance and said with false casualness, "The Star Crushing Umbrella seems even more remarkable in Pang Jian's hands. He could play a bigger role in the battle on the summit than even Elder Liang could."

No one responded to Fang Boxuan. The members of the Star River Alliance stared fixedly at the Star Crushing Umbrella, watching in awe as the advanced-grade spirit artifact expanded and filled with the radiance of the stars and moon.

"He-he's reached the summit," whispered a female disciple in the Innate Realm.

Xie Xiwen's slender frame trembled, biting her lower lip as she watched with her mind in turmoil. Although she did not know what Pang Jian intended to do, the sight of his steady ascent amid the other fleeing cultivators caused her heart to race!

What immense courage it must take!

"Someone's climbing the First Peak!"

"That person's reached the summit!"

"The Star Crushing Umbrella. It must be Liang Ying of the Star River Alliance!"

"Elder Liang truly lives up to her name. She actually dares to climb the most perilous place in the Primordial Wilderness!"

Cultivators gathered at cave dwellings and mountainsides of the First, Second, and Third Peaks had been closely monitoring the situation on the summit of the First Peak when they noticed the Star Crushing Umbrella steadily moving upward.

They saw the umbrella climb from the foot of the First Peak to the summit. As the Star Crushing Umbrella had originally been Liang Ying's, many assumed she was climbing the First Peak to offer support to Cao Mang and Jiu Yuan.

At the summit of the First Peak, Cao Mang, Lady Hua, Jiu Yuan, Luo Yunming, Yang Rui, Lian Feng, and other human cultivators all shouted in excitement when they saw the familiar umbrella slowly approaching from below.

"The Star Crushing Umbrella!"

"Liang Ying!"

Having been engaged in fierce combat against the foreign race warriors and Vicious Beasts, they had no time to peer down the mountainside at the person holding the umbrella and were unaware that it now had a new owner.

Thus, when they saw the Star Crushing Umbrella, they naturally assumed Liang Ying had arrived.

Liang Ying wouldn't climb alone. Other Spirit Condensation Realm cultivators like Lin Yuanfeng must be with her!

The group was thrilled and their fighting spirit soared. With the arrival of reinforcements, the fierce battle would soon end. The invading foreign race warriors and Vicious Beasts would be annihilated and their fame would spread throughout the Third World.

Then, they saw Pang Jian step onto the summit with the Star Crushing Umbrella in hand.

"Pang Jian!" Several people cried out angrily.

It was like their hope had been extinguished. The cultivators on the summit glared fiercely at Pang Jian.

"Brat, where's Liang Ying? Her umbrella is here, but where is she?" Lady Hua asked breathlessly as she frantically waved her sleeves to destroy the withered branches entwining her. Her pristine skin was streaked with blood and her appearance disheveled.

Sinister giant trees floated ominously in the air. Their withered branches resembled sharp blades as they relentlessly pursued her. Stepping onto a colorful carpet, she waved one hand and brandished a gleaming short sword with the other. Despite the chaos, she still managed to find the time to shoot a questioning glare at Pang Jian.

"She's dead," Pang Jian said coldly.

“Dead?” Wei Wenhan from the Radiant Sun Sect was shocked.

He was dressed like an old Confucian scholar and had only one arm remaining. Swinging the Fire Dragon Ruler with his right hand, he unleashed a dragon with flaming scales that charged toward a Demon Scale Race warrior.

"How did she die?" Wei Wenhan asked. Then, in his moment of distraction, he was splashed with the demon blood of the Demon Scale Race warrior, causing him to howl in pain.

Meanwhile, tree branches had pierced several bloody holes in Lian Feng's body.

"Pang Jian, you—" Lian Feng shook his head, recalling how Pang Jian had not raised the price too much when selling him the spirit materials of the Double-Faced Ghost Spider. "Quick, leave this mountain. You can't stay here! You won't survive! Staying any longer means certain death!"

Jiu Yuan bared his teeth. His crimson cloak had turned into a sea of blood and he wielded a blood-soaked long saber as he fought a Rank Six Demon Armor Beast.

When Jiu Yuan saw Pang Jian appear, he could not help but grin wickedly.

As he laughed, the Demon Armor Beast, which resembled a rhinoceros and wore demonic armor, charged toward him.

Jiu Yuan grunted, unable to spare a moment for arrogant words.