Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 340: Bloodthirsty Divine Guard!

Zhou Qingchen wore a blank expression.

Qi Qingsong was similarly caught off guard. "Have you gone crazy? Why would you kill them for no reason?"

"We owe Pang Jian too much for everything he's done for us. It's time we did something for him. He's too softhearted, too merciful. This will only cause problems in the long run.

"Do you truly think Lu Jie from the Forsaken Expanse Sect, Jiang Chao from the Celestial Lagoon Sect, Chen Lushi from the Demon Sect, and those from the Xiao and Qiao Clans will keep quiet when we return to the Abyss?

"Foreign races are reclaiming the lower worlds with the support of the Outer Gods.

“The Ice Race is entering the Abyss with Pang Jian. Have you thought of the consequences if this gets out?

"And what about the fact that those golden bees are Spirit Bees from the Nether Abyss? Fu Wangchen already revealed this to everyone. Do you think they'll keep this a secret for Pang Jian?

"Do you think the major sects and True Gods in the First World will let this slide? Can Li Zhaotian of the Sword Pavilion block their questioning?

"Even if an Outer God corrupted Fu Wangchen, Pang Jian should've tried to remove the corruption before killing him.

"Do you think Fu Wangchen's master, Li Chu, and the others invested in Fu Wangchen's future will let this go without retaliation?

"Have you two thought about this?" Dong Tianze asked coldly, every word reeking of bloodlust.

Qi Qingsong and Zhou Qingchen fell silent.

After a while, Qi Qingsong asked seriously. "What are you suggesting?"

"Kill them all. Leave none alive to prevent the information from leaking," Dong Tianze replied without hesitation. "I can't do it alone, but it shouldn't be a problem if we work together.

"Zhuang Yuyan is from your Sword Pavilion. I don't know if she'll participate, but she won't stop us.

"Zhao Yuanqi is too naive, and we can ignore her for now.

"As for Wu Yuan from the Demon Sect..." Dong Tianze took a deep breath. "If he intervenes to save Chen Lushi, we'll kill him too!

"If he turns a blind eye, we'll spare Chen Lushi and make him kill her with his own hands. Killing her will make him an accomplice and he'll be forced to keep the secret with us. If he refuses, we kill him."

Zhou Qingchen massaged his temples, feeling a splitting headache coming on.

"Pang Jian will face trouble if we don't act! I'm doing this for him!" Dong Tianze insisted.

Zhou Qingchen gritted his teeth. "Fine! Count me in!"

"You're insane." Qi Qingsong took several deep breaths to steady himself. Gazing at Dong Tianze like he was a beast or demon, he added, "Your concerns make sense. But there's no turning back once we start."

"The Abyss is already bound for chaos. If we don't take bold action, we'll be the ones who pay the price." Dong Tianze replied. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Qiao Zhen has ties to the Sword Pavilion through her clan..." Qi Qingsong hesitated.

"Her status is low and her strength is lacking. She's a weak link. If she lives, someone could easily pry the truth from her. No matter what you think, she has to die!

"We have to eliminate every potential threat before Pang Jian returns. It'll be too late once we reach the Abyss.

"So, I'm asking one last time—are you in or out?" Dong Tianze pressed.

"I'm in! Damn it! I'll go along with your madness!"

A quarter of an hour later, the trio descended to the pit where Lu Jie, Jiang Chao, Chen Lushi, and others were gathered.

"Well, well, Qi Qingsong, to think you would come down here to visit us," Chen Lushi sneered. She glanced toward the summit of the glaciers. "Where's Pang Jian? I've been asking to see him, but he keeps ignoring me. He really thinks highly of himself, doesn't he?

"He's like an emperor on this fragmented land. The Ice Race follows his orders, and no one can do anything to him.

"But what will happen once we return to the Abyss? How long do you think these Rank Seven foreign races will last?

"So what if he can command a few foreign races warriors? It's not that impressive." Chen Lushi scoffed.

Lu Jie chimed in, "He'll have to explain those Nether Abyss Spirit Bees when we return."

"The Heart of Winter and the Thunder Pool are artifacts forged by Outer Gods. The fact that Pang Jian can use them is evidence that there's something wrong with him," Jiang Chao added.

Xiao Yu and Qiao Zhen remained silent, unwilling to offend either side.

"Return?" Dong Tianze mocked. "You guys won't be returning to the Abyss!"

The sharp cry of a Celestial Phoenix rang out.

Whoosh!

A radiant Celestial Phoenix shot out from Dong Tianze's forehead, wings spread wide as it locked onto Chen Lushi.

"Soul Severance!"

Chen Lushi, Lu Jie, and Jiang Chao felt their souls getting torn apart.

"Kill them!" Dong Tianze roared.

Qi Qingsong and Zhou Qingchen drew their blades.

A sea of sword light filled the pit.

Splurt! Splurt!

Zhou Qingchen's sword cleaved through Lu Jie and Jiang Chao.

The sea of sword light swallowed the rest.

"Qi Qingsong! Zhou Qingchen! Dong Tianze!" Zhao Yuanqi cried from the summit of the glaciers.

Her scalp tingled with shock as she watched the bloodbath below, unable to believe her eyes.

Zhuang Yuyan from Sword Pavilion looked on calmly.

Her eyes focused on Dong Tianze, whose killing intent was the strongest, gently nodding as if approving of his ruthlessness.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

While her gaze stayed fixed on the scene below, her mother-child spirit swords silently flew out to point at Wu Yuan of the Demon Sect.

Wu Yuan would face a barrage of attacks if he dared to take action.

"I just wanted to watch," Wu Yuan muttered softly as he silently moved to the edge of the glaciers.

Keeping his distance from Zhuang Yuyan and Zhao Yuanqi, he glanced down to see Qi Qingsong slaying Qiao Zhen.

"Qiao Zhen's clan is aligned with the Sword Pavilion..." Wu Yuan frowned.

"Little Junior Brother is tasked with revitalizing the Sword Pavilion. Qiao Zhen is a mere Spirit Condensation Realm cultivator of an affiliated clan. She's weak-willed and could talk. Her death is necessary to avoid future risks," Zhuang Yuyan calmly responded.

"And me? Do you all trust me?" Wu Yuan's voice was tinged with bitterness.

"I'm curious about what those three schemed up about you after their little meeting," Zhuang Yuyan said with a slight smirk, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

As the silver-haired Zhao Yuanqi watched the carnage below and eyed the two beside her, it suddenly dawned on her how different their worlds were.

She had never truly known or understood any of them.

Unlike them, she was merely a fool who only knew how to cultivate.

Soon, only Chen Lushi was left alive in the pit.

"Wu Yuan!" Chen Lushi wailed desperately.

Dong Tianze glanced up at Wu Yuan and said coldly, "She's yours to deal with. Kill her, and we'll accept you. If you don't—"

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan descended from the glacier. Summoning a massive boulder mid-flight, he sent it smashing down onto Chen Lushi and reduced her to a bloody pulp.

"Well done, Wu Yuan." Qi Qingsong gave him a thumbs up.

***

Second Elder Bing Yuan and Third Elder Bing Ling rode their Spirit Avians in the sky of Frozen Thunder and watched the battle in the pit below.

Bing Yuan quietly eavesdropped, then nodded and said, "Well done. Those not on the same page should die early and save us the trouble."

Bing Ling said softly, "The human race is truly terrifying."

"Indeed. No wonder the Outer Gods are so wary of them." Bing Yuan sighed. "Once we reach the Abyss, we must be careful and avoid too much contact with them."

"It's best to find a place where the foreign races gather and stick with them."

"I was thinking the same thing."

***

Half a month later, Pang Jian returned.

Whoosh!

He appeared atop the glacier, gently nodded to Qi Qingsong and the others, and then flew toward the Frozen Land without further conversation.

The Heart of Winter rested on the Ice Race's altar, drawing on the cold energy deep within the fragmented land to propel Frozen Thunder on its voyage through the bizarre mist.

Pang Jian appeared and summoned the five elders of the Ice Race.

"Bing Jing left?" Pang Jian asked.

"Yes, a group of kinsmen loyal to him and the Grand Elder were unwilling to enter the Abyss, so they took a Starry River Warship and left Frozen Thunder," Second Elder Bing Ying said with a somber sigh. "The bizarre mist is vast. Who knows where they will drift."

"I heard that once you get lost in the bizarre mist, it means..." Sixth Elder Bing He trailed off.

They had long learned about the harsh realities of the bizarre mist from eavesdropping on the conversations of the human cultivators.

Getting lost often meant a slow death.

Bing Yuan cleared his throat to clear the air. "By the way, your kin also requested a Starry River Warship and left. You mentioned that they could be given a warship if they wished."

"Those with the Forsaken Expanse Sect?" Pang Jian asked in surprise.

"Yes." Bing Yuan nodded.

"It's better that those with divided loyalties have left," Pang Jian said offhandedly. Though he thought it slightly strange, he did not pay much attention to the matter.

Whoosh!

A golden divine soul flew out from Pang Jian's forehead and entered the Heart of Winter to retrieve the crystal core of Winter.

"Some things rightfully belong to the Ice Race. Your ancestor, the Ice Demon, left it behind for you, and I won't keep it to myself."

His divine soul held the crystal core of Winter, reached inside, and pulled out fingernail-sized crystal shards.

Each crystal shard contained profound methods for harmonizing the Ice Race's bloodlines with cold energy, as well as the Ice Demon's insights on the path to godhood.

"Those of you remaining here are what's left of the Ice Race, and you're all qualified to pursue the path to godhood.

"This is a proven, correct path to godhood, and today I give it to you on the Ice Demon's behalf."

The five Ice Race elders wept tears of joy as the crystal shards landed on the altar.

"Bing Jing has made a grave mistake," Bing Ying lamented. "He'll surely regret leaving in the days to come!"