Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 77: The Demon Sect

The Demon Sect was the top-ranking sect of the Second World, even surpassing the Sword Pavilion.

The Demon Sect had numerous branches, but regardless of the specific branch, it commanded the respect of all the cultivators present.

There were many sects scattered throughout the different continents of the Second World, such as the Sword Pavilion, the Black Valley Sect, the Celestial Lagoon Sect, and the Dragon Lair Sect. However, the Demon Sect's influence and combat prowess always reigned supreme.

This was why, despite being quietly immersed in her own world prior to this, the woman from the Demon Sect, Lan Xi, could effortlessly diffuse the tension with just a few words.

The noisy crowd quieted instantly.

Qi Qingsong had been about to strike with his spirit sword again when she spoke up. He reluctantly sat down and said in a respectful tone, "As long as those two stop seeking death, I have no desire to draw my sword again."

With that said, he retrieved an ointment from his spatial bracelet and applied it to his bleeding fingers.

Dong Tianze had been preparing to make a move but hesitated after seeing Qi Qingsong defer to Lan Xi. In the end, he decided to hold off on his plan for the time being as well.

Dong Tianze had to go through many bloody and brutal battles to prove his strength and secure a place within the City Lord's Mansion. However, the other three individuals on the raised platforms did not need to prove themselves. A mere hint of their identities was enough for everyone to step aside willingly.

These three individuals were Lan Xi, Qi Qingsong, and Lin Beiye, hailing from the Demon Sect, the Sword Pavilion, and the Black Valley Sect respectively. These sects were some of the most powerful forces in the Second World.

The cultivators from the Second and Third World clashing outside the City Lord's Mansion recognized the insignias of these three individuals. They would rather engage in life-and-death battles than approach or provoke the trio in any way.

"Those who wish to leave should do so now." Lan Xi hummed in satisfaction when the crowd fell silent at her words.

Her tall, imposing figure was perched upright on the raised platform as she calmly glanced at a corner of the pool. The water there had solidified into ice and gave off an enchanting glow.

The ice crystal floated in the corner of the pool and appeared to be connected to different realms.

Many people widened their eyes as they stared at the ice crystal, subconsciously approaching it.

"The Mirror Tunnel!"

With the three individuals from the Demon Sect, the Sword Pavilion, and the Black Valley Sect present, most cultivators did not dare to covet the treasures in the pool. They only wished to leave the treacherous city as soon as possible.

However, a small minority remained steadfastly rooted in place, gazes flickering with uncertainty.

"Hm!" Pang Jian exclaimed softly. The wound on his body was gradually healing.

As his wound healed, he experienced a familiar, refreshing sensation, reminiscent of when he drank the green fruit juice.

A flicker of astonishment flashed in his eyes.

Zhou Qingchen's expression also changed as he said in a low voice, "The bottle of green fruit juice!"

Having also sustained an injury, he too felt the green fruit juice within his body actively aiding in his healing and rapidly improving his condition.

Their eyes sifted through the crowd, searching out Li Jie, but they could not spot him.

Having failed to locate his target, Zhou Qingchen raised his hand behind the crowd and waved it, beckoning Pang Jian to hurry over.

Pang Jian spotted the hand emerging behind the crowd. Maintaining his vigilance, he silently made his way over.

He could feel a spine-chillingly cold gaze coming from the raised platforms. He knew the intense stare did not come from Qi Qingsong of the Sword Pavilion. Instead, it came from Dong Tianze, whose body he had once pierced several times over.

Pang Jian pretended not to notice it.

"Heh." Dong Tianze glared at Pang Jian like a tiger watching its prey. He sneered but apprehensively did not take action.

This was not Black Orchid Lake of the Fourth World.

Those still standing beside the pool were mostly in the Marrow Cleansing Realm, with a few in the Meridian Opening Realm, each more formidable than the last.

He had briefly crossed paths with a few of them outside the City Lord's Mansion and was well aware that their combat prowess only fell short of his own by a narrow margin.

If he rushed to kill Pang Jian and unexpected mishaps occurred, those individuals would be more than willing to take advantage of the situation and turn against him.

Furthermore, the three individuals hailing from the Demon Sect, the Sword Pavilion, and the Black Valley Sect sat on the raised platforms. Their mere presence instilled fear in the cultivators below. All of this served to pacify the usually irritable Dong Tianze.

When Pang Jian reached the group, Zhou Qingchen did not even get the chance to open his mouth before Luo Hongyan had already started reproachfully reprimanding Pang Jian, "Are you crazy? Zhou Qingchen is being reckless. Why would you accompany him in this suicidal endeavor? Pang Jian, do you even realize what the Sword Pavilion represents?"

Pang Jian looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"Sects like the Blood Moon Sect, the Sinister Soul Temple, and the Red Mountain Sect can't even compare to the Sword Pavilion. His cultivation realm, spirit artifacts, and cultivation method, all far surpass yours. Where do you get the confidence to attack him?"

Zhou Qingchen opened his mouth to speak, but Luo Hongyan shot him a furious glare. With a cold voice, she said, "If you want to die, then go die alone. Don't drag others down with you!"

Zhou Qingchen hesitated. He wanted to argue but was unable to find the right words.

The situation had indeed been dangerous!

Both he and Pang Jian had underestimated Qi Qingsong's combat prowess. They had never thought Qi Qingsong would be so much more formidable than Dong Tianze despite both of them being in the same Marrow Cleansing Realm.

If Lan Xi from the Demon Sect had not intervened, or if Qi Qingsong had continued to attack, he and Pang Jian would likely not have escaped from the calamity.

Weighed down by his guilty conscience, Zhou Qingchen pounded his fist heavily on Pang Jian's chest with reddened eyes. "You're a good brother! From now on, if I have meat soup, you can have the meat. I'll just drink the soup!"

Even he hesitated under the terrifying pressure from the Sword Pavilion. However, Pang Jian dared to confront Qi Qingsong head-on!

That was the Sword Pavilion from the Second World!

The Red Mountain Sect of the Third World was not even close to the same level as the Sword Pavilion. The Sword Pavilion was a towering presence that demanded his respect.

Luo Hongyan continued to sneer mockingly, "Stop it with the brotherly affection. If it weren't for that woman from the Demon Sect, both of you would've died."

Jiang Li was moved to the verge of tears. She tightly gripped Zhou Qingchen's hand and refused to let go. She was determined to prevent him from making any more reckless moves.

Noticing Zhou Qingchen's hostile gaze toward Qi Qingsong, Luo Hongyan feared he would continue to act recklessly. So, with heartfelt sincerity, she comforted, "Zhou Qingchen, a severed arm can be regrown. The Blood Moon Sect of the Third World possesses such a secret technique. Are you aware of it? A severed arm can be regrown but a lost life cannot be restored."

Zhou Qingchen's heart skipped a beat and a glimmer of hope flickered in his eyes. "The Blood Moon Sect has such a technique? Why wasn't I aware of it?"

"You've yet to officially join the Red Mountain Sect. You don't have a master's guidance, so it's normal for you not to know," Luo Hongyan patiently explained.

She did not want the situation to become even more complicated because of their impulsiveness. However, seeing the fiery emotions hidden beneath his icy exterior, she knew Pang Jian would not heed her advice.

Pang Jian acknowledged Zhou Qingchen, and if Zhou Qingchen impulsively decided to confront Qi Qingsong, Pang Jian would fearlessly accompany him. Thus she could only hope to dissuade Zhou Qingchen from further reckless actions.

"A severed arm can be regrown..." Zhou Qingchen muttered, heart aching as he looked at Jiang Li's severed arm. With this knowledge, he eventually calmed down.

They were finally able to properly assess the situation.

Lan Xi, Qi Qingsong, Lin Beiye, and Dong Tianze each occupied a raised platform and stared at the treasures in the pool.

The cultivators around the pool started to leave through the Mirror Tunnel.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Cultivators disappeared one after another through the ice crystal.

Most cultivators chose to retreat, unwilling to waste time in Eight Trigrams City in fear of becoming yet another corpse.

The crowd around the pool shrank rapidly.

Turning his head to look behind him, Pang Jian noticed the endless darkness of the Fifth World lingering at the entrance. It did not spill into the courtyard.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief and reminded everyone to stay away from the darkness behind them.

As more and more cultivators left through the Mirror Tunnel, the once-crowded courtyard became more spacious.

Pang Jian's group was no longer huddled near the main entrance as they slowly made their way to the pool.

Only then did they notice the dazzling pillar of light shooting up from the center of the pool, projecting the treasures within onto the sky, so that it was visible to everyone in Eight Trigrams City.

The pillar of light was still in the process of retracting.

"Young Zhou, do you want to stay or leave?" Han Duping asked with a deep breath. His eyes flickered with signs of wanting to retreat, but he licked his lips and said, "I don't mind waiting a few more years for my bone forging, marrow cleansing spirit materials."

Han Duping was only in the Meridian Opening Realm. On the way here, the corpses he witnessed were all cultivators in the same cultivation realm as him.

He lacked Pang Jian's courage and did not possess the youthful fervor and impulsiveness of the younger generation. All he wanted now was to use the Mirror Tunnel to leave this place of turmoil as soon as possible.

Jiang Li came to her senses and gently advised Zhou Qingchen, "Let's go. You already know that the three from the Demon Sect, the Sword Pavilion, and the Black Valley Sect won't be easy to deal with."

Zhou Qingchen solemnly glanced at Qi Qingsong before turning to stare at the treasures in the pool. A feeling of hesitancy and uncertainty lingered in his heart.

A faint female voice suddenly rang out from beside them, "Should we work together?"

They looked over.

It was the girl they had encountered outside the City Lord's Mansion, dressed in white and wearing a thin veil.

When they entered the courtyard, it was so crowded they did not notice her presence. They had not anticipated that, as other cultivators began to leave, she would reappear and offer to work together.

Before anyone else could respond, Luo Hongyan sneered and bluntly asked, "Work together? What are we working together for? Are you planning to snatch the treasures in the pool? Heh, what gives you the confidence to think you can lay your fingers on those treasures?"

The girl did not spare a glance at Luo Hongyan as she coldly remarked, "I'm not asking you."

Luo Hongyan's expression frosted over as she knitted her brows. She waved her hand dismissively and said, "You should leave through the Mirror Tunnel. If you wait any longer, it'll be too late."

"Should we work together?" The girl in white asked once more. She glanced at Pang Jian before turning to Zhou Qingchen.

Zhou Qingchen curiously asked, "What are you proposing we work together for?"

"I don't want the treasures in the pool. All I want is to kill the one from the Sword Pavilion. We can work together to kill him." Killing intent flashed in her cold eyes as she lowered her voice and said, "Don't ask me for a specific reason. I want him dead simply because he's from the Sword Pavilion!"

Zhou Qingchen frowned. "What's your cultivation realm?"

"Late stage Marrow Cleansing Realm," The girl answered.

Raising his head to glance at Dong Tianze, Pang Jian also lowered his voice and said, "If we choose to stay, we'll also have one other opponent besides the one from the Sword Pavilion."

The girl in white nodded gently. "I noticed. We can kill him as well."

"Ahem, could you count me in as well?" Li Jie suddenly chimed in from a corner.

"No!" The girl coldly rejected him.

Li Jie sipped his green fruit juice and chuckled. "I'm just kidding, I don't have time to play with you guys. Well, for those who received my fruit juice, let me give you some friendly advice.

"Don't work with that girl! You should leave Eight Trigrams City as soon as possible, before you get too deeply involved and end up losing your life."

With that said, Li Jie took out a recliner and lay down on it, looking more at ease than anyone present.

He seemed completely uninterested in the treasures within the pool or the Mirror Tunnel.

It appeared he stayed behind just to watch the show.