Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 159: The Black Turtle's Evolution

In cave dwelling number fifty-six on the eighteenth floor of the First Peak, Han Ting sat on a similar wooden chair and stared blankly at the ceiling.

The layout of this cave dwelling was almost identical to Pang Jian's above. In the cave dwelling above hers, Pang Jian was likely sitting on either the chair she had sat on or the meditation mat, holding the token she had left behind.

Han Ting's thoughts were in turmoil. She touched her slightly flushed cheeks, unable to stop thinking about the feeling of the youth's finger on her shoulder.

His finger did not move an inch even after she had exposed her back to him. The indifferent youth had not touched her wound nor any other part of her back, with his finger staying respectfully on her shoulder from beginning to end.

Not a single inappropriate action. He has no interest in me at all.

Han Ting sighed in a strange mix of relief and disappointment.

Over the years, she had teamed up with rogue cultivators several times to explore restricted areas and capture high-ranked Vicious Beasts and exotic creatures. Her striking figure had often caused unnecessary conflicts and entanglements.

As she reflected on the last incident, she realized the companion she treated like a sister likely tried to kill her because the person her "sister" had a crush on had coveted Han Ting's body.

She had grown accustomed to the invasive stares of male rogue cultivators and almost instinctively attacked when his finger touched her shoulder. The only reason she had managed to hold back was the genuine effectiveness of his healing.

Even though she pretended to be calm, she had actually been quite nervous. She feared he would take advantage of the situation, but to her surprise, he had stayed respectful throughout the entire thing.

Perhaps disciples from the upper world's noble families and major sects have higher standards, Han Ting thought with a wry smile.

Focusing her mind, she circulated her energy to examine the extent of her recovery.

"Wow!" Her eyes lit up.

Not only had the fire poison in the injury been cleared, but the toxins eroding her flesh and internal organs had also been significantly reduced. His mysterious power had even healed some old internal injuries from past wounds.

The miraculous energy had spread from her shoulder, where his finger had rested, and down to her injured back. All the hidden injuries in her internal organs and meridians along this path had been quietly healed.

"What an incredible technique!" Han Ting was amazed.

***

On the nineteenth floor, after closing the stone door, Pang Jian sat in the wooden chair Han Ting had occupied and examined the black iron token.

Engraved on the front of the token was a single character, Mang. [1]

He studied the token for a while longer. Finding nothing special, he put it away and closed his eyes to connect to the little tree in Misty Swamp.

I need to replenish my life energy, Pang Jian said.

The small tree responded almost instantly. Within seconds, the three leaves in Pang Jian's chest regained their vibrant green hue!

You never let me down. Pang Jian nodded in satisfaction.

Han Ting arrived on the second and third days as agreed, and Pang Jian followed the same routine of infusing her with life energy to help detoxify and heal her wounds.

"I still don't know your name," Han Ting said as she adjusted her clothes. Probing the condition of her body, she then added with a look of embarrassment. "I'm not fully healed yet. It might take another two or three days."

Pang Jian nodded and replied indifferently, "I'll help you eliminate the remaining poison."

Tomorrow was the day of Old Monster Cao's trade fair and Luo Hongyan was still missing. Pang Jin did not feel like talking to Han Ting.

"You can be considered my benefactor now. I want to know your name," Han Ting hinted again. Pang Jian's reluctance to engage in conversation irritated her, and after a moment of silence, she said, "What, you think you're special just because you came from the upper world? It's been three days, and you still won't tell me your name."

"Pang Jian," he eventually said, pointing at the stone door with an aloof expression. "Remember to close the door on your way out."

Han Ting gritted her teeth in silence.

Mustering her courage, she added, "Pang Jian, that token cost me 500 spirit stones. Although I showed Old Monster Cao's subordinates 10,000 spirit stones worth of spirit materials, I didn't actually give them anything."

Pang Jian stared at her, confused.

"In other words, that token is only worth 500 spirit stones!" Han Ting huffed. "I had prepared 8,000 to 9,000 spirit stones to buy healing and detoxifying medicines tomorrow, but you've been doing that for me every day with your abilities and techniques, so I feel like I'm getting a great deal, so—"

"Oh," Pang Jian finally understood what she was trying to say. His expression softened slightly but still maintained a tone of indifference as he replied, "Old Monster Cao's trade fair lasts more than one day. You can think it over and decide how much you want to pay me. Just make sure to compensate me."

"Alright, fine." Han Ting stood up and stormed out of the cave dwelling, slamming the stone door shut on her way out.

"What's her problem?" Pang Jian muttered with a frown.

He could not understand why she was angry.

I'm healing her injuries and she offered to compensate me, so why did she get upset and slam the door after I agreed?

Pang Jian could not figure it out so he decided not to dwell on it.

He once again established a connection with the little tree in Misty Swamp, replenishing the life energy in the three leaves.

Although Pang Jian was not connected with the little tree for long, because it was in the Fourth World, he could not help but feel tired.

It's the distance. It's still because of the distance.

He no longer had any Mind Soothing Pills on hand, so he had avoided connecting to the traitor in the Fifth World to keep his mind sharp.

The black turtle is closest. Let's see if it's awake.

With that, he established a connection with the black turtle.

The scene before him was shocking.

Since breaking through to the Innate Realm on Ice Rock Island, he had not checked on the black turtle. The nameless fragmented land where the black turtle resided was now underneath another fragmented land!

The sky was overcast, with no full moon or twinkling stars in sight.

A small fragmented land shrouded in thick clouds floated beneath a larger fragmented land. The spiritual qi of the smaller fragmented was disturbed, with deep rumbling sounds reverberating through the ground.

A golden lightning bolt was forcibly extracted from the bottom of the larger fragmented land above to strike the smaller one below. As this happened, mountains collapsed and deep fissures appeared on the surface of the larger fragmented land.

Whoosh!

The golden lightning bolt vanished into the depths of the small fragmented land, followed by a faint golden glow appearing on one of its barren stone peaks.

Is it absorbing a mineral vein?

A chill ran down Pang Jian's spine, breaking him out of his meditative state, and severing his connection with the black turtle.

Pang Jian abruptly stood up from the meditation mat to pace back and forth in his cave dwelling as his mind raced.

There are spirit veins and mineral veins. Spirit veins can produce spirit stones, spirit jades, and spirit crystals.

Depending on their attributes, mineral veins can yield rare minerals like Gold Obsidian, Earth Blaze Stone, and Water Essence Stone. All of these are valuable cultivation resources.

The black turtle, known as the Earth Spirit, can absorb mineral veins from other fragmented lands!

It may appear dormant within its fragmented land but it can maneuver it to locate and absorb mineral veins. This process seems important to its creation of blessed lands and its own advancement.

Pang Jian's gloomy mood brightened a little at this discovery.

Gathering his composure and calming his excitement, he reestablished a connection with the black turtle. This time, he saw the small fragmented land stealthily fly away.

A slender golden mineral vein had undoubtedly disappeared from the larger fragmented land above. From now on, the mines in that fragmented land would no longer yield gold-attribute minerals.

The black turtle, drowsy from absorbing a mineral vein, severed the connection with Pang Jian without further interaction.

Is this one of its ways of evolving? Pang Jian wondered in amazement.

That night, Pang Jian did not enter a deep meditative state as usual and instead pondered the mysteries of the World Eater Vine and the black turtle.

***

Early the next morning, Han Ting knocked on Pang Jian's stone door with a proud smile. Raising a new token, she said, "I got my hands on another token and came to take you to the trade fair!"

As the sun rose and illuminated the sky, its rays bathed the towering peaks in the Primordial Wilderness in golden light.

Stepping out of his cave dwelling, Pang Jian glanced at Han Ting. Her face was glowing with the golden hue of the sun's rays.

He took a deep breath of the fresh morning air and nodded lightly. The trade fair was about to start but Luo Hongyan had yet to return, leaving him tense.

It's either the Blood Moon Sect or the Sinister Soul Temple.

Luo Hongyan's disappearance was likely due to one of these two sects.

He would observe the attitudes of the Blood Moon Sect and the Sinister Soul Temple members toward him during the trade fair. Hopefully, their reactions would help him identify the culprit.

"Little Brother." Gao Yuan opened his cave door with a worried expression. He had not slept all night and did not feel like joking around even after seeing the fiery Han Ting at Pang Jian's door early in the morning.

Like Pang Jian, Luo Hongyan's disappearance weighed heavily on him. Gao Yuan feared Jiu Yuan would disregard the siblings' status and find an excuse to have him killed.

After all, Luo Hongyan had killed Maverick Ling Yun while Pang Jian had beheaded Zhu Yuanxi, and Jiu Yuan had been close to both of them. As their guide, Gao Yuan felt the pressure weighing on him.

"Your sister?" Gao Yuan asked.

Pang Jian shook his head.

Gao Yuan sighed and went back into his cave dwelling. He had no interest in the trade fair.

Pang Jian did not mind him. Instead, he stood on the stone path outside his cave dwelling, watching the stream of rogue cultivators emerging from their caves. Some rogue cultivators conversed with expectant expressions, while others left their caves with cold expressions and climbed the stone steps toward the upper floors of the First Peak.

Those living on the lower floor also left their caves, ascending the peak with participation tokens in hand.

Those staying in Cloud Sails or mountain valleys in the distance converged on the First Peak.

Above Pang Jian, in the caves on the higher floors, well-dressed youth left their caves while engaging in lively discussions.

1. This character, 莽, is the same as the one in Old Monster Cao's name, Cao Mang, 曹莽. ☜