Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 195: Joining Forces

Liang Ying did not reply. Her gaze stopped at the emblem on Pang Jian's chest, then dropped to the sword-shaped token hanging on his waist.

The Sword Pavilion...

A deep sense of regret filled her.

When Pang Jian had left Emerald Lake, she hesitated to summon her Star Crushing Umbrella because she was concerned about what Xie Xiwen and the other disciples would think. As a result, Pang Jian had escaped unscathed.

"I just wanted to ask you some questions about Huang Qi," Liang Ying casually replied. "What's with that outfit of yours?"

"I once went through a trial with Qi Qingsong. Back then, he promised to find a way to secure me a spot as an outer disciple of the Sword Pavilion but I didn't take his words seriously. Surprisingly, when I encountered him again here in the Primordial Wilderness, he had become an inner disciple and had kept his promise," Pang Jian said calmly.

"Securing you a spot as an outer disciple of the Sword Pavilion wouldn't be too difficult for Qi Qingsong given his status now." Liang Ying nodded, smiling kindly even as she secretly used her divine sense to probe Pang Jian. "However, even after you take the token to the Sword Pavilion, you'll still have to undergo tests. The Sword Pavilion is very cautious even when accepting an outer disciple. They wouldn't—"

Liang Ying cut herself off mid-sentence.

"Profound Abode Realm!" she exclaimed in shock.

Pang Jian had broken through to a new realm in the few days since they met at Emerald Lake!

"Profound Abode Realm?" The disciples of the Star River Alliance were stunned by her words.

Pang Jian was visibly under twenty years old. A Profound Abode Realm cultivator his age would cause a sensation anywhere in the Third World!

Only exceptional talents like Xie Xiwen and Fang Boxuan could advance to the Profound Abode Realm before the age of twenty, and they were both cherished by their sects like precious treasures.

Meanwhile, Pang Jian, with his rumored background from the Solitary Mountain Range of the Fourth World, had not officially joined the Sword Pavilion but had already reached the Profound Abode Realm!

"Sword Pavilion will likely accept you as an inner disciple once they meet you in person," Liang Ying said with mixed emotions.

Amazing! A round-faced female disciple from the Star River Alliance thought, glancing between Pang Jian and Fang Boxuan. Fang Boxuan is more handsome but Pang Jian appears colder. They're both close in age and in the Profound Abode Realm.

Fang Boxuan is the cultivation genius of the Blood Moon Sect while Pang Jian has a good chance of becoming an inner disciple of the Sword Pavilion like Qi Qingsong.

Such a tough choice... The girl bit her lip in contemplation.

"I heard Cao Mang and the others at the summit of the First Peak are planning to launch a counterattack after the foreign race warriors strike again," Pang Jian said. "You must've received the news as well. That's why you rushed here from Emerald Lake, right?"

"That's correct," Liang Ying replied with a smile. Inwardly, she wondered if Pang Jian knew she had harbored ill intentions when she pursued him before.

"If you don't mind, can I stay with you all?" Pang Jian asked.

"Of course," Xie Xiwen eagerly agreed before Liang Ying could respond. The innocent Xie Xiwen had been pampered since childhood and was unaware of the malice in people's hearts. "Back then at Emerald Lake, I asked you to stay, but you insisted on leaving."

Pang Jian's fearless rebuke of Old Monster Cao to rescue Luo Hongyan had earned her deep respect for him, which was why she was willing to extend an olive branch.

"Many thanks." Pang Jian cupped his hands.

Afterward, they stopped at the foot of the Fourth Peak and waited for the foreign race warriors to launch their offensive. As night fell, the members of the Star River Alliance did not light any campfires and instead scattered in different areas.

Liang Ying brought out her Star Crushing Umbrella to shelter some of the weaker disciples, reminding them to be cautious and warning them about the dangers posed by the warriors of the Ghost Race and the Demon Scale Race.

Fang Boxuan stood in a more secluded area, sneering into the blood talisman in his hand, "Jiu Yuan, not only is Pang Jian alive, but he's also broken through to the Profound Abode Realm and possesses a Sword Pavilion identity token. Once he reaches the Sword Pavilion, he has a chance to become an inner disciple. Hehe, good luck with that,"

"Jiu Yuan, I'll kill you," Pang Jian's voice suddenly rang out from behind Fang Boxuan.

His abrupt appearance startled Fang Boxuan. "How did you get here without making any sound?"

Fang Boxuan was in the Profound Abode Realm and should have been able to sense those around him within a certain range. This was an innate ability of someone in the Profound Abode Realm. For him to not have detected Pang Jian's approach was clearly abnormal.

Already traumatized from his previous encounter with Pang Jian, Fang Boxuan glanced toward the Star Crushing Umbrella and hastily said, "Pang Jian, don't do anything reckless! Liang Ying is nearby, and I don't want to fight you to the death!"

The only reason he did not flee was because the Star River Alliance was nearby.

"I deliberately concealed my presence," Pang Jian calmly said.

Fang Boxuan felt relieved when Pang Jian did not move to attack but remained on guard. "You've just entered the Profound Abode Realm and are still a notch below me. You shouldn't be able to evade my senses!"

"Pang Jian?" Jiu Yuan's harsh, mocking laugh came from the blood talisman. "You want to kill me? Brat, you've just advanced to the Profound Abode Realm. What gives you the courage to say such things? Fang Boxuan, how did you end up entangled with him?

"He killed Bai Guanjie and the others. Even if he is a disciple of the Sword Pavilion, you shouldn't let him go!"

As soon as Jiu Yuan started scolding him, Fang Boxuan hurriedly put away the blood talisman.

Harmonizing with the land is truly wonderful. Pang Jian was elated.

He had approached Fang Boxuan to test his abilities and found that he could completely conceal his presence from Fang Boxuan's divine sense.

Being able to avoid detection would be useful if he ever needed to assassinate someone.

"I came here to tell Jiu Yuan I'll make sure he dies here in the Primordial Wilderness." With that, Pang Jian promptly turned and left.

Fang Boxuan is in the Profound Abode Realm while Liang Ying is in the Spirit Condensation Realm. I wonder...

Pang Jian concealed his presence once more and stealthily approached the Star Crushing Umbrella.

It felt like he had merged with the world around him, becoming one with the ancient mountains, the streams flowing through the valleys, the lush trees, and even the small pebbles on the ground.

His physical presence, spiritual power fluctuations, and thoughts had disappeared to become part of the Primordial Wilderness.

He slowly approached the Star Crushing Umbrella, curious how long it would take for Liang Ying to sense him.

While cultivators in the Profound Abode Realm could use their divine senses to observe their surroundings when needed, they did not do so constantly.

Spirit Condensation Realm cultivators like Liang Ying also were not constantly using their divine senses to monitor their surroundings. However, they had their heightened awareness that they could rely on.

When a powerful individual approached, their blood essence, spiritual power, and soul fluctuations would invariably attract their attention.

Thirty steps, twenty steps, seven steps.

Pang Jian, having harmonized with the land after the black turtle's arrival, could see the ripples in Liang Ying's spiritual sea.

The arrays hidden in the handle, ribs, and stars of the large Star Crushing Umbrella activated unexpectedly.

Whoosh!

The stars on the canopy of the Star Crushing Umbrella lit up.

Liang Ying stood up in surprise. She then turned to see Pang Jian standing only seven steps away. Puzzled, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

She noticed me when I was seven steps away. I can see her spiritual sea, physical state, and the arrays of the Star Crushing Umbrella, but I can't see into her sea of consciousness, Pang Jian mused as he quietly tested his abilities.

Having prepared an excuse in advance, Pang Jian said, "I just advanced to the Profound Abode Realm and there are many profound aspects of it I'm not clear about, so I wanted to ask Miss Xie for some guidance."

He turned his attention to the innocent, kind-hearted Xie Xiwen and bowed.

Standing up, Xie Xiwen cheerfully said, "Sure, I'll explain it to you."

Pang Jian thanked her and walked away from the group, with Xie Xiwen following closely behind.

An older Profound Abode Realm disciple knitted his brows and glared at Pang Jian's broad back. "That boy isn't planning to make a move on Xie Xiwen, is he? Xie Xiwen comes from a prestigious family. She was pampered and sheltered from a young age and is unaware of the complexities of human nature. I fear this boy from the lower world will mislead her."

"If he really did become an inner disciple of the Sword Pavilion, he would indeed have the qualifications to pursue Xie Xiwen," another disciple said dejectedly.

"I think that's exactly what he plans to do! He didn't ask Elder Liang or any of us, but specifically sought out our junior sister and took her elsewhere!"

"That bastard has impure intentions!"

The male disciples of the Star River Alliance cursed Pang Jian in low voices, glaring daggers at him the whole time.

Bang!

The dazzling starlight within the Star Crushing Umbrella was inexplicably extinguished. The complex arrays engraved on the umbrella appeared to malfunction, and the flow of spiritual power stagnated.

Liang Ying's expression dropped as she tightly gripped the umbrella handle and carefully examined it with her divine sense.

There’s no damage at all? All the arrays were intact. How could the flow of spiritual energy suddenly stop?

In a foul mood, Liang Ying could not be bothered about the accusations thrown at Pang Jian and waved everyone away from the Star Crushing Umbrella. She methodically inspected it, determined to ensure there was nothing wrong with the Star Crushing Umbrella.

The Star Crushing Umbrella was the most powerful spirit artifact in her possession and was crucial to her survival!

She could not afford to have any issues with it!

If the Star Crushing Umbrella were to malfunction while she was fighting against a Rank Six foreign race warrior or Vicious Beast, she could pay with her life.

Impossible. An advanced-grade spirit artifact forged by the Li Family of the Divine Treasure Sect could never have any issues! Liang Ying reassured herself as she repeatedly checked the Star Crushing Umbrella over.

She infused it with spiritual power and divine sense over a dozen times and did not find any abnormalities with the flow of spiritual power.

It was probably just a minor incident. Liang Ying breathed a sigh of relief, but could not let go of the lingering worry in her heart.

She no longer cared about Pang Jian's appearance, his status as an outer disciple of the Sword Pavilion, and his request to see Xie Xiwen.

Why did he call Xie Xiwen aside? Fang Boxuan wondered as he watched Pang Jian from behind a boulder.

Pang Jian's series of actions left him utterly baffled. First, he had approached Fang Boxuan only to then stealthily move closer to the Star Crushing Umbrella.

What's he planning?