Trials of the Abyss

The vast, azure sea stretched endlessly on the Sacred Soul Continent.

Islands floated on the sea like emerald jewels.

Zhou Qingchen, wide-eyed and curious, leaned over the edge of the Sword Boat like the country bumpkin he was.

"So this is what the sea looks like!" he exclaimed. "The Fourth World only ever had fragmented lands while I lived there, and the Cosmic Skies and Dark Abyss Continents in the Third World contain mostly rivers and lakes. I've never seen such a vast, deep sea!"

Dong Tianze, also from the Fourth World, stared curiously at the rippling surface of the sea.

Unlike the stillness of lakes, the waves on a sea breathed life into it.

The two of them extended their divine sense to detect the sea creatures below and found many had astonishing blood essence.

Zhou Qingchen clicked his tongue in wonder. "The sea is brimming with life! It's completely different from what I'd imagined!"

The others were not particularly interested and were busy speculating about what could have happened on the Sacred Soul Continent.

Pang Jian remained silent as he quietly attempted to establish a connection with the black turtle.

He frowned.

The black turtle headed into the Sacred Soul Continent after advancing to Rank Eight, but his attempts to contact the black turtle still failed even after arriving on the continent.

Pang Jian had suggested exploring the Sacred Soul Continent because he was worried about the black turtle, and his inability to connect to it only fueled his concern.

Could something have happened to the black turtle? Pang Jian wondered, mood souring.

"What's on your mind?"

Liu Youyu's question snapped Pang Jian out of his thoughts.

She was shy around strangers and had huddled in a small corner of the Sword Boat to avoid joining the others' conversation.

Narrowing her eyes, she asked in a low voice, "Are you thinking about Li Yuqing?"

Pang Jian was taken aback.

"Zhou Qingchen said you two are old flames," Liu Youyu said seriously.

"Ahem! I said they're good friends! A kind-of-close female confidante, like the Sword Pavilion Master's female friends!" Zhou Qingchen interjected.

Liu Youyu looked rather perplexed. "Isn't that the same as an old flame?"

"Little Fish, I think you're misunderstanding something about my master!" Hu Yuanfei grumbled.

"I have no misunderstandings," Liu Youyu replied. "My aunt told me about Pang Jian and Li Yuqing's relationship too."

Fan Chen, Dong Wenjian, Lin Manhe, and Hu Yuanfei were taken aback.

They turned questioning eyes toward Pang Jian.

Dong Wenjian could not help but ask, "Pang Jian, is there something going on with you and Li Yuqing?"

"We're just friends!" Pang Jian said with an air of absolute certainty.

"Is she the reason you invited everyone here to the Sacred Soul Continent?" Fan Chen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No!"

***

The Sword Boat continued to fly above the sea before eventually stopping above an island.

Peering down, they saw sea creatures resembling sea lions lounging lazily on the white sandy beach.

The Spirit Beasts lay on their backs, basking in the sunlight and exhaling soft, misty breaths.

The conflicts awaiting beyond the Abyss, the wars between the human race and the foreign races in the Third World, and the rise of murky energy were completely irrelevant to them.

Slender human maidens dressed in light silks groomed the sea lions' fur or carried trays of crystal-clear fruits.

Male human youths started fires in the hearths of the wooden huts on the island, seemingly getting ready to cook.

"They certainly know how to enjoy life," Dong Wenjian of the Ancient Law Sect remarked with a surprised smile. "These Fey Race on the Holy Spirit Continent live a carefree life.

"The Sacred Soul Continent was given to the Fey Race. They're the rulers here, and we, the human race, are outsiders," Fan Chen said. "According to ancient records, even powerful races like the Celestial Race were forced to serve the Great Feys when the Fey Race ruled the Abyss.

"The strongest rule the Abyss and enjoy all its wonders."

Pang Jian nodded in agreement.

Extending his divine sense, he soon noticed that the nearby islands were home to powerful Great Fey with immense auras.

Only the Fey Race in Rank Eight with the ability to transform into their human forms could be called Great Fey.

Rank Nines were called Fey Kings, while Rank Tens were known as Fey Gods.

Despite their ability to transform into human form, these Great Fey were sprawled across different islands in their original beast forms.

They basked on the sandy beaches, eating fruits and enjoying the human maidens' services.

They were enjoying life to the fullest.

When they noticed the Sword Boat hovering above, these Great Fey merely glanced disinterestedly at it.

"If this were a flying vessel of any other faction besides the Sword Pavilion, they likely would've attacked us." Dong Wenjian cleared his throat and turned to Hu Yuanfei. "Big Sister Hu, why don't you ask the Great Feys what's going on on the Sacred Soul Continent?"

"Alright."

Hu Yuanfei promptly flew off the Sword Boat and landed near a sea lion Great Fey.

Bowing respectfully, she said, "I come from the Sword Pavilion and am a disciple of Li Zhaotian—"

"Li Zhaotian!" the Rank Eight sea lion exclaimed, eyes flashing with surprise.

He quickly dismissed the young maidens around him and transformed into a broad-shouldered middle-aged man in a show of respect.

Sitting up from his reclining position, he said, "My name is Hai Feng, a subordinate of Lord Yuan Min. If you're a disciple of Li Zhaotian, then you must be the one surnamed Hu?"

"My name is Hu Yuanfei."

Great Fey Hai Feng rose from his seated position. "Lord Yuan Min is the ruler of this region and the current leader of the Primordial Serpent Race.

"Lord Yuan Min will soon accept a challenge from another Fey King. He's hoping to use this opportunity to advance to a Fey God.

"This place will soon become a battlefield, so I advise you to leave as soon as possible.

"I'm only sharing this information since you are a disciple of Li Zhaotian."

The other Great Fey from nearby islands also transformed and gathered around when they overheard that Hu Yuanfei was Li Zhaotian's disciple.

Soon, four other Great Fey joined them on Hai Feng's island.

They eagerly informed Hu Yuanfei about the recent happenings on the Sacred Soul Continent and repeatedly advised her to leave to avoid getting caught in the battle between the Fey Kings.

Pang Jian and the others listened carefully from the Sword Boat.

It was extremely challenging for the Fey Race to advance to Rank Ten as it required exceptional fortune and impeccable timing.

A Rank Nine Fey King could not simply advance to a Rank Ten Fey God at will.

The new position of Fey God only became available at specific times, whether from dramatic shifts in the Abyss or the death of an elderly Fey God.

Now was one such moment—an opportunity for the birth of a new Fey God.

This news had ignited a fervor among the Rank Nine Fey Kings across the Sacred Soul Continent.

Many of these Fey Kings had waited hundreds or even thousands of years for this day.

Six of the most powerful Fey Kings would pair off in battles to try to claim the position of Fey God.

Yuan Min, the Primordial Serpent Race's newly advanced Fey King, was one of the six contenders.

"The path to becoming a Fey God is brutal, even more so than advancing to the True God Realm for the human race," Fan Chen said to the group. "This time, six Fey Kings will fight in pairs, with the victors devouring the hearts of the defeated to attempt a breakthrough to Rank Ten.

"If successful, they'll become a new Fey God, a leader among the Fey Race.

"If not, the victorious Fey Kings from the first round will have to fight again and consume the heart of the next defeated Fey King.

"It's only when they fuse with the heart of an equal that their bloodline can transcend and evolve.

"The birth of a Fey God among the Fey Race is one of the most brutal events in the Abyss. Sometimes, a dozen Fey Kings compete with no new Fey God emerging in the end.

"A new Fey God is far less likely to appear than a True God of the human race or a Rank Ten foreign race warrior!

"That's why Fey Gods are so powerful," Fan Chen explained.

Down below, Hu Yuanfei was revealing information of her own to the Great Feys.

"What? An ancient Fey Race warrior appeared in Northern Qi in the Fourth World?" the Rank Eight Great Fey, Hai Feng, exclaimed in shock. "Is this information reliable?"

"It is," Hu Yuanfei assured.

Splash! Splash!

The Rank Eight Great Fey all reverted to their true forms and dove into the sea one after another.

Based on their enthusiasm, it seemed they were each intent on claiming credit for reporting this news to their leader, the Fey King Yuan Min.

Hu Yuanfei had taken out the grayish-brown wooden staff she found in the stone forest outside Spirit Offering, intending to seek guidance from the Great Feys. However, their abrupt departure left her standing awkwardly alone on the beach.

A quarter of an hour later, the White Python that had previously warned them emerged from the sea as an old woman in a white robe.

"Fey King Yuan Min has requested your presence!" the old woman declared.

Her cold gaze fell on Hu Yuanfei and her expression morphed into astonishment at the sight of the grayish-brown wooden staff.

"That's an ancient artifact of our Fey Race!" she exclaimed. "Miss Hu, where did you obtain it?"

Hu Yuanfei's eyes lit up. "From the stone forest outside the Spirit Offering. Do you recognize it?"

"You can show it to our Fey King later." The old woman nodded, then raised her head to look at Pang Jian on the Sword Boat, with his sword token hanging from his waist. "Only the two of you are invited.

"As for the others…"

Her eyes swept across the rest of the group, gaze turning increasingly icy as she examined them.

"The artifacts you carry are all in the saint and divine grades, which means I've probably heard of your names before!

"Remember, this is the Sacred Soul Continent. It's not a domain that you humans rule! No matter how esteemed your status may be, if you stir up trouble on the Sacred Soul Continent, you will die!"

She then glanced at Pang Jian, attitude noticeably softening.

"You, come down."

Pang Jian tactfully flew down from the Sword Boat.

"Fan Chen, you and the others stay on the Sword Boat and wait for us," Hu Yuanfei instructed. Turning to the old woman in white, she said, "Please make sure the nearby Great Fey don't attack them."

The old woman snorted coldly.

"They'll be fine as long as they stay put and don't wander off.

"There's not a single decent person from the three Divine Kingdoms of the Eastern Land! And those from the Ancient Law Sect are the worst of them all!"

With that, she dove back into the sea.

Hu Yuanfei and Pang Jian exchanged a glance, activated their protective shields, and followed her into the sea's depths.