Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 264: Golden Divine Sense!

Thud!

The enchanting face desperately trying to escape the gravitational pull of the Resolute Expanse suddenly fell lifelessly to the ground.

The Outer God lost its divine consciousness when the golden bees finished devouring the silver web in Pang Jian's sea of consciousness.

Whoosh!

Grayish-white beams of light shot out from the severed spider limbs of the Outer God.

The black turtle opened its mouth and inhaled, drawing in the beams of divine power.

It lifted its gaze to the sky with a satisfied burp.

The clouds above were thick and heavy as the black turtle eagerly awaited the arrival of another approaching Outer God.

Its green eyes gleamed with excitement.

Truthfully, the black turtle had not expected much from Pang Jian. However, Pang Jian had revealed one powerful spiritual artifact after another, injured the Outer God, and even drew away its divine consciousness before ultimately erasing it altogether.

With the loss of its divine consciousness, the Outer God became nothing more than an empty shell, making it much easier for the black turtle to finish it off.

The strength Pang Jian displayed gave the black turtle confidence, and it told Pang Jian to prepare for the imminent arrival of another Outer God.

This Outer God's divine consciousness is denser and stronger than the arachnid one, informed the black turtle. The power the Outer Gods project through the altars, statues, and carvings is known as divine power.

Divine power is akin to human cultivators' spiritual power and also encompasses energies like cold, solar, lunar, or stellar energy.

Divine consciousness, on the other hand, stems from their soul and is comparable to divine sense.

As its strength grew, the black turtle gradually awakened some of its bloodline imprints, unlocking parts of its inherited memories and allowing it to gain a deeper understanding of the Outer Gods!

These memories were passed down from one generation of black turtles to the next and included the experiences of previous generations that had once fought against these beings.

The memories of these battles were sealed within bloodline imprints, only to be unlocked as a new generation of black turtles advanced in power.

This was a unique method of inheritance for Spirit Beasts.

The black turtle refines divine power, while the beehive absorbs divine consciousness.

As Pang Jian carefully examined the bronze pendant, he noticed the slightly ajar door on the Gate of the Abyss was slowly closing. He also saw four new golden pupae forming beside the Bee Sovereign.

The Giant Abyssal Serpent, the World Eater Vine, the black turtle, and the beehive—the four peculiar objects he had acquired from the Solitary Mountain Range all flashed through his mind, and his eyes glimmered with realization.

It was like some mysterious force had arranged for these rare, peculiar beings to be there for him to discover in the Solitary Mountain Range. They seemed to have been deliberately placed there for him to collect with the bronze pendant.

The golden bees that had terrified the Outer God with their presence in his sea of consciousness were clear evidence these creatures had fearsome reputations even among the Outer Gods.

The formation of the first pupa relied on the divine consciousness absorbed from the altars and statues in Spirit Offering.

Many Outer Gods, having sensed their corresponding altars and statues in the restricted area, had projected part of their divine consciousness to the Abyss, only for his bronze pendant to absorb it.

Without him, the bronze pendant, and the golden Bee Sovereign pupa, more Outer Gods would have likely manifested.

As Pang Jian's thoughts wandered, something stirred within his sea of consciousness.

Four new strands of divine sense emerged from the well-like acupoints at the bottom of his sea of consciousness and drifted freely within his mind.

The four strands of divine sense the Outer God consumed had reformed.

But they were different now!

These four newly-formed strands of divine sense were not the usual grayish-brown color and instead gleamed with a brilliant gold like they were gilded, exuding an aura of mystic power.

They appeared to be infused with sacred energy unique to God.

Upon closer observation, Pang Jian realized the four golden strands had formed through the combination of the golden honey of the bees and his own power.

When he tried to control them, he discovered the golden strands of divine sense were almost unbelievably compatible with him. The golden strands brimmed with divine might and appeared to possess endless transformative possibilities.

Whoosh!

The four strands of golden divine sense streaked through his sea of consciousness like bolts of golden lightning.

Their speed was astonishing, far surpassing that of his regular divine sense. The golden strands could instantly reach any part of his sea of consciousness with just a thought.

Pang Jian was filled with wonder and decided to experiment further.

Whoosh!

The four strands of golden divine sense merged and transformed into a small golden shield, seemingly capable of blocking powerful mental attacks.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The four strands of golden divine sense transformed into a golden spear, a small golden sword, then even leaves and grains of sand.

The golden divine sense could change form at will, perfectly materializing according to Pang Jian's imagination.

Perhaps I could instantly master soul techniques if I had more strands of golden divine sense,

Pang Jian's eyes shone with excitement.

Soul techniques, cultivated in the Profound Abode Realm, involved arranging strands of divine sense in intricate patterns similar to arrays.

Pang Jian had focused on refining his control over his divine sense precisely so he could begin studying these advanced techniques.

Earlier, when faced with the Outer God's soul invasion and its silver web, all he could do was helplessly pull his divine sense away in a futile attempt to escape.

With the offensive and defensive capabilities of soul techniques, he would no longer be so powerless in such situations.

The four strands of golden divine sense had perfect resonance with his mind, and Pang Jian was certain that using them to practice soul techniques would yield greater results and power.

It's too bad I only have four strands...

Pang Jian felt a pang of regret but quickly shifted his focus, looking eagerly toward the sky.

He anxiously awaited the arrival of the new Outer God.

Woooo! Woooooo!

Before long, a mournful wail could be heard from the vast clouds above.

Pang Jian's spirits soared as he stood atop the Black Iron Mountain, wielding the Star Crushing Umbrella and the Nine Suns Cauldron, fully prepared for the battle ahead.

The black turtle's green eyes were also locked onto the sky.

Although Pang Jian was still maintaining his god-like perspective on the Resolute Expanse, he could not see the approaching entity. It was as if some mysterious power was obscuring his perception.

Whoosh!

A tattered dark yellow banner appeared!

The gaping holes riddling the banner were filled with eerie eyes, as if beings from another dimension were peering through to observe the Resolute Expanse below.

The banner abruptly halted its descent and hung motionless in the air.

The chaotic whispers of the Outer God fell silent.

Whoosh!

Without warning, the banner shot upward and vanished.

Pang Jian and the black turtle had been eager for a fight and were left dumbfounded at the banner's actions.

The new Outer God had fled without even engaging them!

The black turtle's gaze shifted to Pang Jian as if accusing him of scaring the Outer God away.

"It's not my fault," Pang Jian protested.

The black turtle continued to stare at him with skeptical green eyes.

"That can't be, I'm not that intimidating. Think of a way to lure it back down!" Pang Jian retorted. "You and I could easily kill it on this fragmented land. Its divine consciousness will help my divine sense evolve. We can't let it escape and fall into someone else's hands."

The black turtle's green eyes glimmered like tiny stars as it pondered, gazing up toward the sky.

After a while, it informed Pang Jian the Outer God had already retreated far from the Resolute Expanse, causing it to lose track of it.

The black turtle also revealed it had inherited memories related to this particular Outer God. The Outer God was aptly known as the "Observer," with its many sinister eyes that gazed into the Abyss through the tattered banner from an unknown dimension.

The Observer was a mid-tier Outer God that could bewitch minds and souls. It could also perceive hidden mysteries within its targets.

Thus, the black turtle believed the Observer likely detected something terrifying within Pang Jian, causing it to retreat posthaste.

"Me?" Pang Jian asked in disbelief.

The black turtle gave a slow, solemn nod.

Rumble!

It then retreated back into the earth.

Pang Jian, on the other hand, gazed at the sky with a frown.

Although the banner had fled, it had likely stayed somewhere within the sea of massive boulders above the Resolute Expanse.

Unfortunately, the black turtle could not risk exposing itself by leaving the fragmented land. Pang Jian also doubted his chances if he encountered the Observer out in the open, without the advantages the Resolute Expanse gave him.

I'll have to let it go, Pang Jian thought, sighing in disappointment.

Shifting his focus, he confirmed the black turtle scute was still buried deep within Spirit Offering.

He could always teleport back there using the Gate of the Abyss, but Pang Jian was not ready to give up.

Let's wait a bit longer. Maybe another Outer God will appear.

The Observer did not reappear even after several days of waiting.

Unexpectedly though, Pang Jian received a distress signal from the little tree in Misty Swamp, so he established a connection with it.

The World Eater Vine swayed, scattering green lights over the Wood Race warriors around it.

The dozens of Wood Race warriors surrounding the World Eater Vine were all engaged in fierce battles!

Pang Jian was shocked.

A massive wooden figure was cutting through the lush Misty Swamp and heading straight for the little tree.

The wooden figure emanated corrupting energy, and its grayish-brown eyes were filled with the aura of decay and death.

The flowers, grass, and trees on its path withered as it walked.

Its arrival threatened to turn the vibrant and flourishing Misty Swamp into a lifeless wasteland.

Its sinister power had already corrupted some Wood Race warriors, causing their bodies to become shrouded in the aura of death, just like the wooden figure.