Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 335: The Fire God, Yan Lie

The nine shrunken glaciers slowly rose again in Frozen Thunder under the nourishment of the extreme cold.

The six Ice Race elders were having a meeting atop one of these glaciers.

"Second Elder, I've done a tally. We now have nine members in Rank Seven, thirty-six in Rank Six, and two hundred and seven in Rank Five," the stocky Sixth Elder Bing He reported. "We've also repaired six warships, enough to carry all our people out of the bizarre mist."

The six Ice Race elders occasionally glanced at the nearby peak where Pang Jian sat motionless.

"What if he doesn't wake up? Are we just going to wait here indefinitely?" asked Fourth Elder Bing Jing.

The tall, slender Ice Race elder was the most radical among them and had been a staunch supporter of Grand Elder Bing Lan.

“Lord Pang Jian is not one of us,” he reminded.

The other five elders stared at him with cold expressions.

"I've been eavesdropping on the conversation of the humans from the Abyss," Bing Jing continued, gazing at the ruined city and the pits scattered across the fragmented land. "The Abyss appears to be a forbidden land for Outer Gods. According to our historical records, the human race ruled the Abyss.

"The human race suppressed all the other races and forced them into a world of eternal darkness. These other races are considered outcasts in the Abyss and the human race will likely also treat us the same way."

Bing Jing paused and lowered his head.

"Even if we migrate out of Frozen Thunder, it would be best not to head to the Abyss, as it surely will not welcome us," he said quietly. "Not to mention, we all heard the conversation between that Outer God and Lord Pang Jian.

"The True Gods of the human race live in exile and are relentlessly hunted. It's in our best interest to not get too involved with the human race or we could end up as enemies of the Outer Gods as well."

The other five Ice Race elders fell into silence.

None of them could even scold him as they were also equally uncertain about the future.

Sixth Elder Bing He sighed. "I wish he was one of us."

"We'll probably have to part ways in the end," Fifth Elder Bing Ying said with a hint of resignation. "He'll return to the Abyss, but the Abyss is not our home."

"However, the Heart of Winter is still with him," Bing Jing whispered.

"Have you forgotten how Bing Lan died?" Bing Yuan snapped. "If Lord Pang Jian hadn't taken the Heart of Winter, the Thunderveil Godbeast would've come for the Frozen Land after seizing the Forbidden Land of the Thunder God. It was going to sell us off to the Frost Crystal God!

"The entire Ice Race would've been wiped out!" Bing Yuan took a deep breath and turned to stare pointedly at the fiery fragmented land in the distance. "Besides, have you forgotten about that other fragmented land right next to ours?"

"I haven't forgotten. That's why I want to leave as soon as possible!" Bing Jing shouted.

"We wait!" Bing Yuan said irritably. "We continue waiting for Lord Pang Jian!"

***

"This can't go on," Jiang Chao said gravely. "We can't stay on this fragmented land forever. Lu Jie, should we consider offering a fortune to the Ice Race in exchange for one of their warships?"

"You don't want to leave on the Sword Pavilion's Sword Boat?" Fang Boxuan asked, face pale. "Even if we had a warship, how would you find the way back?

"What if we get lost again? Or worse, what if we accidentally enter a fragmented land controlled by foreign races? That would be certain death." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Although Pang Jian and the others had abandoned him, Fang Boxuan still staunchly believed that only Pang Jian could find a safe path back to the Abyss through the bizarre mist.

He did not think anyone else had the ability.

"I don't care what your plans are. I'm staying here. I'll only leave with Pang Jian," Chen Lushi declared coldly.

Jiang Chao cursed, "You wretched woman—"

Whoosh!

A towering, blazing figure rose from the fiery fragmented land, stunning everyone in Frozen Thunder.

The body was so massive and radiant that even the cold mist could not obscure its imposing majesty.

"It's the dead Fire God!”

"Does he look dead to you?!"

Everyone was shaken to their core.

"I told you! We should've left this cursed place earlier, but all of you hesitated, insisting on waiting for Pang Jian to wake up!" Fourth Elder Bing Jing roared.

The Fire God stood at over ten thousand zhang tall, with eyes like molten pools of lava and his body covered in deep red scales.

He stood silently in the fiery fragmented land and gazed into the distance.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The fiery fragmented land below the Fire God churned violently with volcanic lava and flames before being absorbed into the Fire God's body.

A terrifying aura of destruction rippled outward in waves of heat.

The Outer God Puppets and the warships of the foreign races looked like flies buzzing around the towering Fire God.

Crack!

The ice beneath Pang Jian shattered as he startled awake from his cultivation.

The sight of the resurrected Fire God shocked him deeply, as he had seen the Fire God's body lying in molten magma with his own eyes.

Even across millions of li of void, the aura emanating from the Fire God was powerful enough to make Pang Jian's scalp tingle. He felt like his skin and hair were about to be set ablaze.

The fiery pool within his spiritual sea, which had yet to be fully replenished with earthflame energy, started to boil.

A small section of the fiery pool bubbled and hissed.

Thick fiery energy churned like boiling liquid fire in Pang Jian's fiery pool.

Whoosh!

Pang Jian summoned the Heart of Winter, stood atop it, and broke through the misty layer of Frozen Thunder to hover in the void.

Man and God locked eyes across millions of li.

Pang Jian knew with full certainty that he was no match for the Fire God when he felt the overwhelming wave of divine power wash over him.

Even the Heart of Winter and the cold energy from Frozen Thunder were not enough to make up the difference between them.

Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he was painfully aware that they were not on the same level.

So this is the power of an Outer God in its true body!

Blood pounded Pang Jian's ears. For the first time, he felt true despair.

It did not matter what he tried or what methods he used, facing the Fire God could only ever result in death.

The bizarre mist! I can teleport using the golden bees!

It was the only path to survival that Pang Jian could think of.

I'm sorry...

Pang Jian knew he could not protect Qi Qingsong, Zhou Qingchen, and the rest when faced with an Outer God in its true body.

The fragmented land below would soon be engulfed in flames from the Fire God's fiery gaze.

Everyone on Frozen Thunder was doomed.

Even Pang Jian did not know if his plan would allow him to survive.

He had no idea whether the Fire God would detect where he had teleported and rush to the bizarre mist to obliterate him.

"Lord Pang Jian!"

"Pang Jian!"

Qi Qingsong, the cultivators from the Abyss, and the Ice Race cried out in fear and anguish.

"This is a resurrected Outer God in its true body. I—I cannot protect you all."

Pang Jian's somber, helpless voice echoed from the towering glaciers and the six ice pillars of the Ice Race's altar.

His words were like the proclamation of a death sentence.

The Ice Race wailed in despair, deeply regretting not leaving earlier. Jiang Chao, Fang Boxuan, and others collapsed weakly to the ground, and even Qi Qingsong, Zhuang Yuyan, and the rest were consumed by fear.

"How could this happen? Isn't the bizarre mist supposed to prevent Outer Gods from manifesting here with their true bodies?”

"All of us—foreign races, Spirit Beasts, and everyone else—have had our power limited!”

"How could an Outer God exist in this space?"

Hopeless cries reverberated throughout Frozen Thunder.

Meanwhile, the Outer Gods on the fiery fragmented land rejoiced.

"Yan Lie, congratulations on your resurrection!"

"Yan Lie, you'll be the first Outer God to enter the Abyss with your true body!”

"This is a momentous event!"

"Go, Yan Lie. Hunt down all the humans from the Abyss and overturn the Abyss for the Lord! Free our races from the endless darkness!"

"Yan Lie, you'll be carrying a heavy responsibility!"

The Outer Gods surrounding the massive body excitedly stoked the flames. They could already see Frozen Thunder engulfed in flames and the Abyss reduced to scorched earth.

Suddenly, a section of deep red scales covering Yan Lie's heart split down the center of his chest as if forcibly pried apart!

From afar, the scales resembled a platform in the Fire God's chest.

Fire God Yan Lie's fiery eyes flashed with nostalgia and sorrow. Bowing his head, he whispered, "Greetings, my Lord."

"Lord Sovereign."

"My Lord!"

"Sir..."

The lower and mid-ranking Outer Gods bowed in respect.

Several smaller puppet bodies hurriedly descended to float beneath the platform-like scales.

The mid-ranking Outer Gods dared to ascend to Yan Lie's shoulders and gaze out over Frozen Thunder because they were on equal footing with the resurrected Yan Lie.

However, the Lord they sensed was on a far higher level than they were, and to place themselves above that being would be a sacrilegious offense.

They were all aware of the Lord's temperament and descended to show their humility and respect.