Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 45: Soul Departure

The resonant clang of metal echoed from the fifth floor of the white pagoda, audible to everyone outside.

They were unsure of Pang Jian's success and were puzzled by his sudden leap from the white pagoda, racing back to Luo Hongyan's side.

Noticing Pang Jian's somewhat dissatisfied expression, Luo Hongyan blinked in surprise and questioned, "You didn't succeed? You could not destroy the array on the fifth floor? Even with your innate divine strength?"

"The jade stones used to construct the array were harder than gold or iron. Even with the Dragonwood Spear, I couldn't pierce through it," Pang Jian explained.

Despite his dissatisfaction, Pang Jian was not discouraged and calmly asked, "Perhaps my approach was flawed. Is there a specific technique for moving jade stones?"

He went on to describe the shape of the skull, the multitude of ghostly apparitions surrounding it, and the spirit turtle nestled within.

He also recounted what he had seen on the first floor, how the array was laid out with crystal stones in the shape of the Chinese character for "return", and how it generated exceptionally dense spiritual qi.

After listening attentively to his account, Luo Hongyan knitted her brows in thought for a moment before saying, "The array on the bottom floor of the white pagoda serves as the power source for the Divine Spirit Pagoda. The pattern you saw in the shape of the Chinese character for 'return' is called the Ancient Cloud Thunder Array, and those crystals filled with spiritual qi are...spirit jades."

Pang Jian was surprised. "Spirit jades?"

Su Yuntian and He Rong's eyes shone with greed.

"Spirit jades are spirit stones of higher quality and purity. There's an even higher grade of rare stone known as spirit crystal," Luo Hong Yan explained. "As for the hollow skull, that should be the array for seeking out and absorbing souls. The reason you couldn't break it wasn't just because your method was incorrect, but also because your cultivation realm is too low.

"Break a soul array involves spiritual awareness and divine soul, which are entirely unfamiliar territories for you. Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand," she concluded.

This caused Pang Jian to realize that he had only just embarked on his journey of cultivation. He had yet to break through to the Qi Practicing Realm and experience the qualitative changes described by Zhou Qingchen.

Pang Jian would not be able to circulate his spiritual power through his meridians or release it outwardly until he broke through to the Meridian Opening Realm. As a result, he was not much different from an ordinary person.

It was only after he reached the Meridian Opening Realm and was able to use his accumulated spiritual power that Pang Jian would experience a qualitative leap.

As Pang Jian pondered on how to deal with the situation, Luo Hongyan's gaze fell on his dantian. "How much longer until you can break through to the Meridian Opening Realm?"

Pang Jian narrowed his eyes, focusing intently on his inner state. After a moment of concentration, he replied with a hint of uncertainty, "I don't think it's too far away. Practicing within the array of spirit jades will speed up my progress greatly."

"The person in the deep hole next to Shangguan Qin has yet to come out. You have time." Luo Hongyan looked toward the direction of Shangguan Qin before glancing at the sky, "Go and cultivate on the first floor of the Divine Spirit Pagoda. Use the spirit jades to fill your spiritual sea with spiritual power and try to break through to the Meridian Opening Realm.

"Once you reach the first stage of the Meridian Opening Realm and can channel your spiritual power into the Dragonwood Spear, there's a chance you might be able to break the array."

Su Yuntian and He Rong thought that her plan to have Pang Jian break through to solve their dilemma was a joke.

Based on their limited experience, they could not fathom how someone who had just broken through to the Meridian Opening Realm could open up the meridians in their arms and release spiritual power from their palms in such a short time.

"Alright!" Pang Jian turned and left.

"Is he really in the Qi Practicing Realm?" Su Yuntian asked with a strange expression.

"Sister Ning, is he really a hunter from outside?" Su Meng asked curiously.

Luo Hongyan cast a sideways glance at her, maintaining her cold demeanor. However, she still nodded.

Earlier, when she pretended to be unable to hold on and anxiously sought Pang Jian's help, only Su Meng showed any indication of wanting to save her. However, Su Yuntian held her back and Su Meng could do nothing.

"Is he really in the Qi Practicing Realm?" Su Meng repeated Su Yuntian's question.

This time, Luo Hongyan ignored her. She watched as Pang Jian once again disappeared into the Divine Spirit Pagoda.

Su Yuntian and He Rong studied Luo Hongyan from a distance. Feeling suspicious, they did not interrupt her and instead conversed in a low voice.

"Ning Yao knows a lot about the Divine Spirit Pagoda. She even knew about the Ancient Cloud Thunder Array, something even I have no clue about," He Rong whispered.

Su Yuntian also muttered under his breath, "That kid is only in the Qi Practicing Realm! With such cultivation, he can resist the sinister energy released by the Divine Spirit Pagoda. How unbelievable."

"The spirit jade..." He Rong muttered.

At that moment, Luo Hongyan's meaningful gaze shifted away from the white pagoda and landed on He Rong's face. Her lips curled with a hint of coldness.

Harboring greed toward the spirit jades, he felt uncomfortable under her gaze and let out a light cough.

He knew that Ning Yao was only at the first stage of the Meridian Opening Realm, so he was not afraid of her. However, she had been previously engaged to his nephew, and He Rong found himself increasingly disgusted with her. That was why, when Luo Hongyan was in danger earlier, he had been the first to retreat.

Deep down, he even hoped that her soul would be extracted by the Divine Spirit Pagoda. He wanted to witness her demise as if that would wash away the humiliation she inflicted upon him and the He Clan.

***

On the first floor of the Divine Spirit Pagoda, Pang Jian sat cross-legged above the Ancient Cloud Thunder Array. He cleared his mind and started cultivating the Qi Nurturing Divine Cauldron Art.

Now that his familiarity with the Qi Nurturing Divine Cauldron Art had increased, he was able to instantly enter this state when he focused his mind.

As he focused his mind, the Spirit Cauldron manifested, drawing in strands of spiritual qi from the spirit jades beneath him.

The spiritual qi flowing from the Ancient Cloud Thunder Array was like countless streams rushing toward the vast ocean. Pang Jian's spiritual sea was that vast ocean, absorbing the countless streams of spiritual qi through the Qi Nurturing Divine Cauldron Art.

He had never experienced such efficiency in cultivation before, and its speed truly moved him.

The spiritual qi turned into streams of light and entered his dantian, swirling around the funnel-shaped whirlpool at the center and pouring into his spiritual sea.

He sensed the spiritual power in his spiritual sea steadily filling and expanding with each passing moment.

In the beginning, the accumulated spiritual power had been nothing more than a small puddle. As time went on, it grew into a pond, then into a huge lake, and finally into a vast sea!

It was only after the spiritual power had completely filled the spiritual sea and transformed it into a vast sea that one truly reached the pinnacle of the Qi Practicing Realm.

It was a magnificent sight befitting the nine stages of qi practicing!

Pang Jian savored the marvelous transformation of his spiritual sea. He knew he was not far from breaking through to the Meridian Opening Realm.

Time passed quickly, and Pang Jian, immersed in his cultivation, was unaware that night had descended once again.

Under the cover of night, neither the Su Clan nor the He Clan started a fire. Instead, they gathered together and anxiously waited for whatever lay ahead.

They were uncertain when the person Shangguan Qin feared would emerge from the deep hole. They also doubted that Pang Jian would be able to break through to the Meridian Opening Realm in such a short time and destroy the array on the top floor of the Divine Spirit Pagoda.

Having concocted a plan, He Rong conferred with Su Yuntian and said, "At dawn, we'll harvest the exotic plants and flowers on this island. Regardless of whether Ning Yao and that young man can break the array within the white pagoda, we must first achieve our own goals."

The exotic flowers and plants on the island were worth cities. If they harvested them properly, the spirit plants could yield a wealth of spiritual materials when traded.

Su Yuntian knitted his brows and said in an anxious tone, "Shangguan Qin's gestures indicate that we should leave this island as soon as possible and inform the elders of our clans of its existence. If she believes we can't save her, it means that the danger lurking nearby is capable of killing us all with ease.

"Brother He, you're right. We can't rely on Ning Yao and Pang Jian. Relying on their hasty plan to turn the tide is simply unrealistic!"

"Yes. Even with Ning Yao, we probably won't stand a chance against the person in the deep hole," He Rong nervously admitted.

The two quickly came to an agreement. They decided to harvest the exotic flowers and plants at first light, then depart on the bamboo raft.

They also planned to take a different route from the one Pang Jian had suggested, hoping to avoid the Spirit Devils. They were willing to take extra time if it meant they could safely escape the Solitary Mountain Range.

***

In the pitch-black night, the Spirit Devils lurked in the thickets surrounding the island, moving stealthily under the cover of darkness.

The Spirit Devils thoroughly searched the rest of the island, except for the area around the Divine Spirit Pagoda.

The Spirit Devils discovered a pile of bones in an area behind Shangguan Qin. Gathered there were the remains of the four servants from the Su Clan and the He Clan, as well as some cultivators from the Star River Alliance and the Blood Moon Sect.

One of the Spirit Devils floated in the air, concealed by the darkness. It stared at Shangguan Qin and the deep hole created by the bone of the Celestial Phoenix.

This Spirit Devil was the one formed from Luo Meng's soul.

The Spirit Devil did not attempt to explore the deep hole, fearing it would alert the individual within.

After watching silently for a while, it noticed a thin white rope coiled around Shangguan Qin's ankle. The other end of the white rope dropped down into the well, seemingly connected to the individual she feared inside.

If Shangguan Qin strayed too far from the well, she would pull on the white rope and alert the person below. She also seemed unable to untie the white rope and thus remained trapped near the deep hole.

At the top of the small hill, Luo Hongyan hid in the shadows as she watched Shangguan Qin at the base of the small hill.

In the pitch-black night of the Fourth World, and with such a great distance between them, she could not see Shangguan Qin at all.

However, through the Spirit Devil, she could see every move Shangguan Qin made, including details like the slender white rope.

Suddenly, an idea struck her.

Under her command, the Spirit Devil Luo Meng slowly descended from the sky and came to rest in front of the distraught Shangguan Qin.

Shangguan Qin rubbed her eyes in disbelief when Luo Meng appeared. Even after confirming that it was indeed Luo Meng, she still could not believe what she was seeing.

She smiled nervously, waving at Luo Meng. Her shoulders trembled as she choked back a sob.

Even while crying, she stayed quiet.

Tears streamed down her face as she looked at the Spirit Devil Luo Meng, thinking he was an illusion.

She recalled her many experiences with Luo Meng. He knew of her treacherous nature. He knew that she had caused the deaths of her previous two husbands. He also knew that her heart belonged to Ouyang Duanhai. Yet, he continued to silently accompany her.

In the end, this man had sacrificed himself without hesitation to save her.

She shook her head in sorrow. She did not know how to face Luo Meng even after her death. Her heart overflowed with guilt.

She did not dare to lift her head, afraid to even face what she thought to be an illusion of Luo Meng.

Luo Meng was under Luo Hongyan's control and had long lost his sense of self. He stared at her with an empty, lifeless gaze.

The Spirit Devil Luo Meng, did not know who she was or why she was crying.

"Unfaithful woman. Only now do you regret it, but alas, it's too late." On the small hill in the distance, Luo Hongyan lightly snorted. Seeing that Shangguan Qin had not revealed any useful information, she gestured for Luo Meng to leave.

Luo Meng disappeared.