Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 258: The Giant Abyssal Serpent's Plea for Help

Liu Lingyun and a towering yet stout man sat at a table at the peak of a crimson bald mountain, within the secluded cultivation chamber of the Sect Master in the Red Mountain Sect on the Cosmic Skies Continent.

The man was bare-chested, with only a blue robe covering his lower half.

The Sect Master of the Red Mountain Sect, Liu Lingyun attended to him with her robes half undone, eyes shimmering with deep satisfaction from their recent intimacy.

A plate of carefully chosen delicacies and a pot of fragrant tea were laid out on the white jade table.

She leaned in affectionately, offering the fragrant tea as she said in a warm, gentle voice, "Dear, did you come down to the Third World specifically to see me, or are you here to check on your newly accepted disciple?"

"Of course, I came just to see you, Yun'er." The Pavilion Master, Li Zhaotian, chuckled and downed the tea in one gulp. Before Liu Lingyun could refill his cup, he grabbed the teapot and drank directly from it.

"Still as uncouth as ever!" Liu Lingyun playfully scolded, looking at him with infatuated eyes.

Li Zhaotian pulled her into his lap with a bear hug. The Sect Master of the Red Mountain Sect was tall by normal standards but looked as small as a little girl when sitting on Li Zhaotian's hairy leg.

"That kid hasn't even come to the Sword Pavilion to pay his respects yet! How could he be more important than you?" Li Zhaotian shook his head in dissatisfaction and grumbled, "My disciple's temperament isn't much like mine. It needs some fixing!"

"Like you? I think it's better if he wasn't." Liu Lingyun repeatedly shook her head.

"By the way, your Red Mountain Sect has a girl named Zhao Yuanqi with decent cultivation talent. How many strands of divine sense has she refined in the Profound Abode Realm?" Li Zhaotian asked, grinning mischievously as his hands wandered.

"One hundred and seven," Liu Lingyun responded between heavy breaths.

"Barely passable, just so-so." Li Zhaotian grinned triumphantly. "My disciple is also at the Profound Abode Realm, and his divine sense totals one hundred and thirty-six strands. No one in the past one thousand two hundred years has surpassed that number in the Second World."

Sect Master Liu Lingyun let out a gasp, though it was unclear whether it was from shock or something else.

"In the future, you could hand over the position of Sect Master to that girl. She and my disciple could be like us. What do you think about that?" Li Zhaotian asked with a sly smile.

"I, I—" Liu Lingyun stammered, unable to respond coherently.

***

Two days later, Zhao Yuanqi received a message from the Red Mountain Sect, informing her that a brand-new Scarlet Dawn Boat would be delivered to Snow Peak City in half a month.

Sect Master Liu Lingyun's message also instructed her to stay with Pang Jian and the others during this time.

"Why should we keep him company?" The silver-haired girl huffed in displeasure. "We should all just go our separate ways once the Scarlet Dawn Boat arrives."

***

In Snow Peak City, Pang Jian devoted himself to intense cultivation and finally reached the point where he could control over a hundred strands of his divine sense.

When he was not cultivating, he would drink in the courtyard with Zhou Qingchen and the others, enjoying a rare period of tranquil relaxation.

One day, while cultivating, Pang Jian received his first-ever plea for help from the Giant Abyssal Serpent.

He quickly established a connection between them.

An expanse of inky black sea filled Pang Jian's vision, with numerous islands rising from the dark waters.

The Giant Abyssal Serpent and Yu Xin from the Celestial Race were on the shore of one such island.

Yu Xin lay unconscious in a pool of her own blood. Her pure white robes were stained crimson and her six pairs of glorious white wings were stripped bare, leaving only bloodied wing bones.

Gashes riddled the Giant Abyssal Serpent's scaly body. Blood oozed from its wounds as it stared out at the distant black sea, seemingly dreading the approach of some enemy.

The Giant Abyssal Serpent had urgently reached out to Pang Jian for help as it lacked the ability to heal its severely injured master.

Pang Jian was astonished at the sight.

Yu Xin of the Celestial Race was highly respected among the foreign races, with nearly all of them obeying her without question.

Pang Jian could not imagine what entity would want her dead so badly.

The Giant Abyssal Serpent quickly informed him that their enemies were from another continent in the Fifth World.

So it's finally able to convey its thoughts more clearly.

The Giant Abyssal Serpent seemed to have undergone a significant transformation under Yu Xin's care, leading to a rapid increase in its intelligence.

The Giant Abyssal Serpent continued to beg Pang Jian to save its master.

Swallow her and place her on your tongue, Pang Jian instructed.

The injured serpent obediently slithered across the sand and gently swallowed Yu Xin.

At that moment, Pang Jian noticed the Giant Abyssal Serpent had grown much larger than the one in Blackwater Pond.

The small horn on its forehead had become longer and sharper, gleaming with a dark, glossy sheen.

I'm starting now.

A surge of life energy was transferred from Pang Jian in the Third World to the Giant Abyssal Serpent's mouth.

Waves of green life energy enveloped Yu Xin's delicate body.

Her ruptured organs and shattered wing bones hungrily absorbed the life energy.

The blood seeping from the serpent's wounds also stopped as its injuries healed. The once-red blood gradually turned green and brimmed with powerful vitality.

After a long while, Pang Jian started to feel exhausted. Swallowing a Soul Nourishing Pill, he mentally thanked the little tree in Misty Swamp.

Channeling such a vast amount of life energy from the Third World to a person and beast in the Fifth World took a tremendous toll on Pang Jian's mental strength.

"Xiao Hei, Xiao Hei..." Yu Xin anxiously called out for the Giant Abyssal Serpent as she slowly regained consciousness.

Her brows furrowed as if trapped in a nightmare, and her hands instinctively reached out to pull the serpent's head closer to her wings.

Your chosen master isn't so bad, Pang Jian quietly remarked.

He then told the Giant Abyssal Serpent to spit out the Celestial Maiden of the Celestial Race.

The Giant Abyssal Serpent complied.

The blood stains on Yu Xin's six pairs of wing bones had already disappeared. She kneeled with her head lowered and regulated her breathing.

After a moment, she placed her delicate hand on her exposed chest where her injury had been. Her dark eyes filled with gratitude as she looked at the Giant Abyssal Serpent.

"It was you...you saved me."

Wincing through the pain, she bowed slightly in gratitude.

She then placed a hand on the Giant Abyssal Serpent's forehead, establishing a connection between her and Pang Jian that allowed him to continue channeling life energy to both her and the Giant Abyssal Serpent.

Pang Jian's consciousness materialized within the Giant Abyssal Serpent's mind.

What happened? he asked.

I was invited to visit the Fourth Continent. Between our Fifth Continent and the Fourth Continent lies a vast black sea, home to a race known as the Bat-Winged Race. Our Celestial Race exiled them to the islands within this sea.

The Bat-Winged Race has always been weak and fearful of us, never daring to resist.

Recently, an Outer God they worship descended with a broken body. With the help of this Outer God, the once timid and fearful Bat-Winged Race found the courage to launch an attack against me.

Yu Xin's communication with Pang Jian became smoother as the life energy healed her.

The Bat-Winged Race and an Outer God? Pang Jian wondered to himself, recalling the black bat-like Outer God that had escaped from Spirit Offering.

He projected the image of the black bat into the Giant Abyssal Serpent's mind for Yu Xin to see.

That's the one! Yu Xin exclaimed in shock, You saw it in the upper worlds?

It came from Spirit Offering in the Third World, he replied.

Spirit Offering is one of the sacred grounds for some of the foreign races.

Yu Xin used the hand pressed against her chest to retrieve several bottles of medicinal liquid.

Pang Jian glimpsed her exposed, faintly raised chest through the serpent's eyes.

Yu Xin's pale cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she downed all seven bottles of medicine. A divine radiance enveloped her six pairs of wing bones and new white feathers sprouted.

"I lost my weapon during the battle," Yu Xin muttered aloud.

Pang Jian still had many questions about Spirit Offering, the foreign races, and the Outer Gods, but he suppressed the urge to ask immediately. Instead, he decided to offer her some help first.

Moments later, the Giant Abyssal Serpent whimpered and spat out a massive black iron rod, several withered leaves infused with sinister energy, and two beast hides.

One of the hides was the snakeskin Pang Jian had originally obtained from the Ghost Race in the Primordial Wilderness, which could emit dense, murky energy.

Yu Xin removed her hand from the Giant Abyssal Serpent's forehead and approached the massive black iron rod.

Crouching down, she used her six pairs of wings—still growing new feathers—to cover part of the rod.

Her willow-leaf brows knitted slightly as she carefully probed its nature.

Whoosh!

The massive black iron rod shrank to a size and thickness perfect for her to wield with one hand.

A bloodthirsty aura emanated from the now much smaller rod and her eyes lit up with excitement.

"Very good, truly impressive!" she exclaimed gratefully, staring into the Giant Abyssal Serpent's eyes.

Using her other hand, she pointed at the two beast hides and the withered leaves, causing the items to float toward her.

"I can make good use of all of this."

Yu Xin leaned in and gently stroked the Giant Abyssal Serpent's forehead.

What can I do for you? she asked Pang Jian through the serpent.

Spirit jades.

Spirit jades?

Yes.

I'll bring you spirit jades once I defeat that Outer God and punish the Bat-Winged Race.

Good.