Trials of the Abyss

Half a day later, the speeding Sword Boat came to a halt.

"The Demon Incursion Ship has been destroyed!"

Pang Jian, Qi Qingsong, and Zhou Qingchen were still drinking and chatting when they heard the commotion outside. Channeling their spiritual power to cleanse the alcohol from their bodies, the trio hurried to the observation deck on the third floor of the Sword Boat.

"Senior Brother Qi!" The inner disciples of the Sword Pavilion were gathered on the observation deck and pointing into the distance.

Pang Jian looked over.

The destroyed Demon Incursion Ship floated in a cluster of white clouds.

Disciples from different factions of the Demon Sect stood on the wreckage with gloomy expressions.

A tall woman in a purple dress and sparkling jewelry on her earlobes, neck, and hem of her robes stood gracefully among the crowd. Her demeanor was calm and revealed no trace of anxiety.

Her features were exceptionally striking, with a prominent beauty mark at the corner of her mouth that added to her alluring charm.

She alone remained composed in a sea of sighing and complaining Demon Sect disciples. When she spotted the approaching Sword Boat, she waved and called the Sword Pavilion disciples for help in a gentle voice.

Many of the Sword Pavilion disciples responded with cheerful smiles and started to engage in discussions about her.

"That's Chen Lushi." Qi Qingsong snorted. "She's the one who played tricks on your Scarlet Dawn Boat with the Demon Incursion Ship."

Zhou Qingchen coldly noted, "She doesn't look like a decent woman!"

"Which one is Wu Yuan?" Pang Jian asked.

Qi Qingsong pointed to a tall young man sitting calmly on the wreckage. "That's him."

Wu Yuan was meditating with his eyes closed, looking out of place among the others.

"Are white clouds buoyant?" Zhou Qingchen asked.

Pang Jian was also intrigued.

Qi Qingsong nodded. "The clouds in the Abyss do indeed possess buoyancy. Clouds cover the entire Third World in a dense, gray layer that fragmented lands and continents float above.

"This thick layer of clouds lines the bottom of the Third World, meaning those living in the Fourth World can never see the sun, moon, or stars.

"The clouds in the Second and First Worlds do not fill the entire world and there are much fewer of them in comparison. Also, their color isn't lead-gray, but white, as you see here. ℟𝘼₦ȪＢƐ𝓢

"White clouds are only abundant near continents and fragmented lands. Cultivators like us can use our power to float on them. However, once one leaves these white clouds, gravity's pull increases, causing those with weaker cultivation to fall.

"This is why the Demon Sect disciples could only stay on the white clouds after the Demon Incursion Ship was destroyed," Qi Qingsong explained.

After a moment, he frowned. "I wonder who dared to attack the Demon Incursion Ship."

"Senior Brother Qi."

"Junior Brother Qi."

The inner and outer disciples of the Sword Pavilion turned to Qi Qingsong for instruction. "Should we give them a lift?"

"Heh," Qi Qingsong sneered, shaking his head. "Get close enough to give them hope, then pull away!"

The Sword Pavilion disciples burst into laughter.

"Alright!"

"They played tricks on you, so let's play some tricks on them in return." Qi Qingsong patted Pang Jian on the shoulder, saying, "As brothers, I've got your back."

"Very good! If I'd known you were like this back then, we'd never have fought in Eight Trigrams City." Zhou Qingchen grinned.

Qi Qingsong rolled his eyes. "You two were just stupid! How could you two trust a little bitch from the Demon Heart Sect? Good thing Yuan Lengshan is dead or she'd just be another headache."

The Sword Boat approached the wreckage.

"Brother Qi…" Chen Lushi brushed her hair behind her ear, moist eyes brimming with emotion as she stared at Qi Qingsong.

In a winsome voice that made one's spine tingle, she said, "Spirit Beasts hidden in the white clouds attacked us, causing our Demon Incursion Ship to end up like this. We're all headed to Absolute Heaven. Perhaps we could hitch a ride with you?"

Pang Jian and Zhou Qingchen stood beside Qi Qingsong and could feel the woman's eyes roaming over them.

Though the woman was speaking to Qi Qingsong, her attention was on Pang Jian. She seemed particularly interested in the sword token hanging at his waist.

"Haha, our Sword Boat sped over here just to–"

Qi Qingsong deliberately paused.

Chen Lushi's eyes lit up with hope, lips curling slightly, making her beauty mark appear even more enchanting. "I knew Brother Qi was kind-hearted and wouldn't leave us to die."

"–just to see your sorry state," Qi Qingsong continued with a hearty laugh.

Zhou Qingchen grinned widely and laughed along.

On the deck below, Fang Boxuan slapped his thigh and chuckled gleefully.

The silver-haired Zhao Yuanqi recognized the Demon Incursion Ship as the one sabotaging them when they were desperately fighting against the astral wind.

A cold glint flashed in her eyes. "Serves them right!"

"Qi Qingsong!" Chen Lushi's expression turned cold.

Wu Yuan awakened from his meditative state, opened his eyes, and stood, towering over everyone.

"Long time no see." Wu Yuan's expression remained impassive. He had no intention of picking a fight when he glanced at Qi Qingsong and said, "Congratulations on being reinstated as an inner disciple. Like me, you've also advanced to the late stage of the Profound Abode Realm."

Qi Qingsong's smile faded. "Wu Yuan, if we clash in Absolute Heaven, I will defeat you."

Wu Yuan did not respond and simply shook his head indifferently.

"Just wait and see!" Qi Qingsong snorted, then urged the Sword Pavilion disciple inside the cabin to sail on.

The Sword Boat drifted away.

After the Sword Boat disappeared, Chen Lushi turned to Wu Yuan and said, "The five people from the lower worlds on that Scarlet Dawn Boat are all on that Sword Boat. Two of them were standing beside Qi Qingsong. The other three were on the deck.

"They must have a close relationship with Qi Qingsong to stand by his side. The one in black was wearing a sword token. He's likely Li Zhaotian's new disciple."

Many Demon Sect disciples gasped. "Pang Jian!"

"Pang Jian." Wu Yuan nodded.

Recently, news had spread that the Sword Pavilion's Pavilion Master, the strongest cultivator in the Second World, had taken on a new personal disciple.

All the major sects, including the Demon Sect, the Black Valley Sect, and the Celestial Lagoon Sect, had taken notice.

They soon learned that the young man named Pang Jian had made a name for himself in the Primordial Wilderness of the Third World.

He had killed Spirit Condensation Realm cultivators and single-handedly dismantled the heretical cultivator Cao Mang's conspiracy while only in the Profound Abode Realm.

"It's said his association with Qi Qingsong began during a trial in Eight Trigrams City," Chen Lushi said with a cold smile. "My junior sister, Yuan Lengshan, was highly valued by the sect and should've risen like a comet. Unfortunately, she died in Eight Trigrams City despite Lan Xi secretly protecting her."

Wu Yuan's eyes flashed with interest. "There's more to this story?"

"The one who killed my junior sister wasn't Qi Qingsong. It was Pang Jian," Chen Lushi said softly.

Wu Yuan looked at Chen Lushi with a peculiar expression. "As far as I know, you've never been one for sect loyalty. I've never heard you mention this Yuan Lengshan before."

"She was someone I found and brought into the Demon Heart Sect."

Wu Yuan paused, then nodded. "I see."

***

Two hours later, the Sword Boat came across the wreckage of a Black Cloud Sail of the Black Valley Sect.

Its splintered debris drifted atop white clouds, not unlike the Demon Incursion Ship.

As the Sword Boat approached, the disciples of the Black Valley Sect waved their arms and called for help.

After inquiring about what had happened, it was found that they had experienced the same fate as the Demon Incursion Ship. Spirit Beasts hiding within the white clouds had also attacked them, smashing their Black Cloud Sail into pieces.

"Senior Brother Qi, should we help them?" a Sword Pavilion disciple asked Qi Qingsong.

Pang Jian stood on the third floor's observation deck, gaze casually sweeping over the crowd before it settled on a familiar face.

What a coincidence.

It was Ye Fei.

Ye Fei had fought against Pang Jian in Cloud Lightning, using his Dragonfish Mirror after Pang Jian destroyed his Violet Crystal Pagoda with a single sword strike.

Qi Qingsong nodded. "The Black Valley Sect's relationship with our Sword Pavilion is neither good nor bad. Let's lend them a hand."

The Sword Boat slowly approached.

When the Sword Boat entered the cluster of white clouds, the perceptive disciples of the Black Valley Sect hastily expressed their gratitude and leaped onto the Sword Boat's deck.

A young woman holding a bamboo flute was the last to board. After landing gracefully on the deck, she nodded slightly toward Qi Qingsong in greeting.

She appeared to be in her early twenties with jade skin and bright eyes. Her striking figure was dressed in neat, light green robes.

"Lu Lingchan of the Black Valley Sect," she introduced.

Then, not one for talking, she silently leaned against the railing.

Meanwhile, the Sword Pavilion disciples were abuzz, casting astonished looks at her like she was some mythical beast.

"Lu Lingchan!"

"The personal disciple of the Black Valley Sect's Valley Master!"

"So she's the leader of this Black Valley Sect expedition party!"

Fang Boxuan of the Blood Moon Sect glanced at her with a peculiar expression, face darkening slightly as he murmured, "No wonder she didn't mention her status or her master was. Even just her name was enough for everyone to know who she is."

"You know her?" Zhao Yuanqi asked curiously.

Fang Boxuan frowned and shook his head. "I don't."

"Brother Qi." A man jumped up to the third floor's observation deck before cupping his hands with a smile. "Thank you."

"Brother Shen, you—" Qi Qingsong stared at him in shock and disbelief. "You're still in the Profound Abode Realm? How did you end up like this?"

The man from the Black Valley Sect was named Shen Dong and appeared to be in his fifties. He had long scars running down both cheeks and two intersecting scars that crossed his nose to form an "X".

"I was attempting to refine my soul on the Sacred Soul Continent when a Spirit Beast attacked me. As a result, not only did I fail to advance, but I also suffered serious injuries. My realm has stagnated ever since," Shen Dong explained. He wiped his face as he spoke. "That Lin Beiye, who went on that trial with you years ago, didn't he also become a fallen cultivator like me?"

"Lin Beiye…" Qi Qingsong glanced at Pang Jian.

Luo Hongyan had killed Lin Beiye of the Black Valley Sect back in Eight Trigrams City.

"Brother Qi, I want to inquire about someone. His name is Luo Yuan. I heard he's an outer disciple from your Sword Pavilion," Shen Dong said, lowering his head to exchange looks with Ye Fei in the crowd. "Is he joining you on this trip?"

"Luo Yuan?"

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