Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 418: Rank Nine Rock Bear

Chapter 418: Rank Nine Rock Bear

The group proceeded cautiously on their journey.

They observed the opulent lives of the Great Feys on the numerous islands, with Cloud Sails transporting rare treasures and beautiful young women to their territories.

Fan Chen went over to inquire and learned that the young women's elders had actually sold them.

Non-cultivators from the Third and Fourth Worlds had been relocated to the fragmented lands in the Second World due to the rise of the murky energy and were passing their days in fear and desperation.

Poverty, war, and scarce resources had bred evils.

Some had sold their children to the Sacred Soul Continent through the cultivator factions that dealt with the Fey Race.

Though they knew the Fey Race were the rulers of the Sacred Soul Continent, those sold could not help but look up at it with hope, naively believing that the Great Feys would treat them kindly.

As they traveled, Pang Jian and the others saw many flying vessels from unacknowledged factions passing through the Great Feys' territories.

The Great Feys attacked them all without exception, killing disciples from the Black Valley Sect, the Skyveil Cliff Sect, and the Forsaken Expanse Sect.

"Seems we were rather lucky." Dong Wenjian scratched his nose as he watched several Rank Eight Great Feys tear apart a flying vessel from the Forsaken Expanse Sect.

When the flying vessel sank into the sea, the Great Feys hunted down and killed everyone on board.

"It's because you have True Gods backing you up," Hu Yuanfei pointed out.

After two days of travel, the Sword Boat exited Fey King Yuan Min's territory.

"Pang Jian, Master wants a word with you," Hu Yuanfei said, gesturing at his sword token. "If you don't respond soon, he'll probably cough up blood out of anger."

"Understood."

Feeling unsettled, Pang Jian tentatively sent a thread of his divine sense into the sword token and noticed Li Zhaotian's image growing larger within the icon representing him.

The sword token suddenly emitted a sharp, urgent hum as their divine sense converged.

Whoosh!

The rotund figure of a man in blue robes appeared within the small world of the sword token, growing sharper and more distinct with every passing moment.

"Master," Pang Jian greeted respectfully.

"You still consider me your master?"

"Disciple does."

"Then why didn't you contact me even after you disappeared from the Fey Spirit Continent and returned to the Second World?"

"I didn't think of it."

"And when you returned to the Second World from the Dark Abyss Continent? Why didn't you contact me then?"

"Senior Sister was right there with me. It would be the same as her contacting you."

"What do you mean, the same? How is it the same?!" Li Zhaotian scolded furiously. "You're you, and she's her—how on earth is that the same?

"I don't care how you escaped the Fey Spirit Continent. All I need is to know you're alive and well!

"You went all over—to the far north of the Fourth World, up to the Second World, then back to the Third World! And you didn't even think to drop me a message?

"Couldn't you have at least checked in with me? Just to let me know you're alive?!"

Li Zhaotian's frustration was evident, and Pang Jian was at a loss for words.

"Answer me! Why didn't you send a message? Are you mute?" Li Zhaotian shouted in utter exasperation.

"You went all the way to the Fourth World and fought Li Bai from the Demon Scale Race because I was trapped on the Fey Spirit Continent.

"Because of me, you were seriously injured, and I..." Pang Jian trailed off.

Although it was not a lie to say that Pang Jian had avoided contact to keep the Resolute Expanse hidden, the truth was that he felt so guilty about his master's injuries that he did not know how to face him.

Li Zhaotian fell silent when he heard Pang Jian's response.

After a long pause, he said softly, "I'm your master. It's only natural I'd come looking for you if you went missing in the Fourth World. There's no need to feel guilty over this.

"Not to mention, Li Bai from the Demon Scale Race wasn't even there when I descended to the Fey Spirit Continent. I went out of my way to challenge him to a battle.

"The battle with him, and my injuries, were entirely my own doing.

"The foreign races' relentless assault on the Third World had left those trapped on the Cosmic Skies and Dark Abyss Continents feeling demoralized.

"I wanted to use that battle to show them that we—the humans—still rule the Abyss. If I could go toe-to-toe with Li Bai, someone with a Rank Ten bloodline, it means the foreign races aren't as terrifying as they think.

"So, stop overthinking and burdening yourself with guilt!" Li Zhaotian scolded. "The sword techniques I've taught you have evolved. I recently gained new insights, so watch carefully!"

Li Zhaotian's projection wielded a sword and demonstrated a new, more advanced sword stance within the sword token.

Pang Jian then asked, "Master, I heard that those with a Primordial Chaos Spiritual Sea cannot ascend to the True God Realm. Is that true?"

"Just because there's no precedent doesn't mean you can't!"

"Why don't the True Gods intervene when the Great Feys prey on humans on the Sacred Soul Continent?"

"The True Gods have no jurisdiction on the Sacred Soul Continent," Li Zhaotian explained patiently. "The Celestial Phoenix is already dead and the only one left with authority, the ancient Thunder Dragon, remains in deep slumber.

"The Fey Race harbor deep resentment toward the humans and this is their way of venting it. All we can do is warn our people to avoid that continent."

"So, does that mean that the race that rules over the Abyss—be it the Fey Race, the human race, or the foreign races—will have to suppress the other two?"

"That's the harsh reality we live in. The Abyss is only so big and has just a few complete continents. There's barely enough space for even one race to thrive. How can we advance if we don't push back against the other races?"

"Is there no way to resolve this?"

"There is—if we can break out of the Abyss into the vast starry skies and seize new worlds from the Outer Gods, we could solve many of these problems."

The master and disciple continued their back-and-forth within the small world of the sword token.

No matter what questions Pang Jian raised, Li Zhaotian would answer them to the best of his ability. He was always straightforward about his own lack of understanding when it came to questions he did not have the answers to.

Their conversation went on for quite some time in this manner.

Finally, Pang Jian released his grip on the sword token with a weight lifted from his heart.

Turning to Hu Yuanfei, he calmly shared their next destination, "The Greencliff Mountain Range."

Hu Yuanfei nodded.

Three days later, the Sword Boat arrived at a rugged landscape with towering rocky peaks piercing the sky.

Strangely enough, despite the rich spiritual qi of the area, there was no powerful Fey Race in sight.

"Fey King Yuan Min's opponent is the Fey King Rock Bear within these mountains. I recently learned that he was once an old friend of our master," Hu Yuanfei explained to everyone. "Fey King Yuan Min seized your belongings and tried to intimidate me and Pang Jian for a reason.

"He thought we were carrying treasures to help the Fey King Rock Bear enhance his bloodline.

"It was all just a misunderstanding.

The Sword Boat sailed deeper into the mountain range.

After a quarter of an hour, they spotted a gray bear as large as a mountain lying in a sunken pit.

The pit was filled with thick, murky blood, forming a pool that partially submerged the Rock Bear's body.

The colossal bear lay quietly in the murky blood as if taking a bath and watched as the Sword Boat approached.

"Did Li Zhaotian send you?" the Rock Bear rumbled, voice deep and weighty.

Murky blood bubbled up where he lay. Clear, pulsing arcane bloodline lightning twisted within the pool of blood and connected seamlessly to the flesh beneath his fur.

A giant Gray Ape stood behind his head, pouring a barrel of blood into the pit.

The Gray Ape had ice-blue eyes that gleamed with intelligence.

A flicker of recognition appeared in his eyes when he saw Pang Jian on the Sword Boat.

Pang Jian took a deep breath and called softly, "Yuan Qi!"

The Gray Ape's massive frame shook and his eyes filled with astonishment.

"You two know each other?" The Fey King Rock Bear looked on with interest. Glancing at the Gray Ape, he asked, "How do you know Li Zhaotian's disciple?"

"From the Solitary Mountain Range in Northern Qi," the Gray Ape answered with a lowered head.

Aboard the Sword Boat, Hu Yuanfei, Fan Chen, and the others looked on in astonishment.

Zhou Qingchen clutched his hair and tugged at his scruffy beard in confusion. "Pang Jian, this—

"I remember him! But...is he really the same one?"

He glanced at Pang Jian for confirmation.

"Yes." Pang Jian nodded. "He's my friend.'

"Friend..." Zhou Qingchen murmured, as if in a dream.

His mind drifted back to the Solitary Mountain Range. Back then, the mere mention of "friend" had moved him to pay a steep price to rescue this Gray Ape with icy-blue eyes from Shangguan Qin.

Years later, the same Gray Ape stood by the side of the Rank Nine Rock Bear, seemingly using some technique of the ancient Fey Race to help awaken the hidden bloodline mysteries within the Rock Bear.

"Come down and talk," the Rock Bear invited calmly. As the Sword Boat descended, the massive Rock Bear slowly sat up from his relaxed position in the pool of blood. "I hear you were robbed while passing through Yuan Min's territory?'

"Yes." Pang Jian nodded.

"Did Li Zhaotian send you to see me, or...?"

"We came off our own accord," Pang Jian answered honestly. "After we suffered losses in Yuan Min's territory, my master suggested we come to find you."

As he spoke, Pang Jian could not help but steal glances at Yuan Qi.

Yuan Qi stood beside the enormous head of the Rock Bear in his Gray Ape form, keeping silent in front of Hu Yuanfei, Fan Chen, and the others nearby.

The Rock Bear noticed this and ordered, "You can stay. The rest, step back."

"Pang Jian!" Zhou Qingchen and Dong Tianze called out in concern.

The Rock Bear pointed at Yuan Qi. "Both he and Li Zhaotian are connected to him, I won't kill him."

Hu Yuanfei waved the others away as well. "Let's give them some privacy."

Soon, only Pang Jian and the two formidable Fey Race remained near the blood pool.

"My name—who did you hear it from?" Yuan Qi asked.

"I met a Rank Eight Scarlet-Eyed Demon Wolf outside the bizarre mist shrouding the Northern Qi," Pang Jian replied

Yuan Qi nodded. "Several latent abilities in Elder Rock Bear's Rank Nine bloodline haven't fully manifested.

"I came to the Sacred Soul Continent early to assist in perfecting his bloodline and help him contend for the position of Fey God."