Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 231: The Old Dragon Dominating the Path to Godhood for Millennia

Pang Jian was stunned.

"You know him too, Luo Yuan?" Lei Kun asked curiously. "You both come from the Sword Pavilion and are active in the Third World. Have you ever met?"

Pang Jian shook his head. "I haven't been to the Primordial Wilderness."

"Oh, I see. Let me tell you, your fellow disciple is really something. I've heard he hasn't even reported to the Sword Pavilion yet. Once he goes to the Second World, the Sword Pavilion will surely give him a spot as an inner disciple!"

Lei Kun went on to excitedly recount things Pang Jian had already grown tired of hearing.

Pang Jian decided to make use of this opportunity to clear up his concerns.

"He killed Liang Ying of the Star River Alliance, Jiu Yuan of the Blood Moon Sect, and Lou Yunming of the Sinister Soul Temple. Our Sword Pavilion...will they pursue this matter?" he tentatively asked.

"The Sword Pavilion has plenty of ways to handle these things!" Lei Kun glanced at the sky and pointed at the disciples chasing the white crane. "As you can see, the disciples from the upper world's Demon Sect, Black Valley Sect, and Celestial Lagoon Sect act with impunity in the lower worlds.

"The Sword Pavilion has always protected its own and values talent immensely. They'll definitely resolve any trouble for Pang Jian."

Pang Jian nodded slowly.

His gaze then at where the void rift had disappeared.

He had a feeling the boundary wall and bizarre mist surrounding the Abyss served as protections for their world.

The idea of that strange being crossing through the bizarre mist to the Abyss was terrifying.

Not to mention, there could be other mysterious beings hidden within the depths of the bizarre mist.

Could there be other god-like beings lost in the bizarre mist? Drifting in for millions of years, unable to find their way home or out?

The bizarre mist had completely eroded the strange being's flesh over time. It was doomed to endure a hopeless and agonizing struggle.

Could other mighty beings trapped in the bizarre mist have had their very bones ground to dust, becoming part of the void? Pang Jian wondered.

"The owner of that white crane must be extremely terrifying," Lei Kun remarked, cutting through Pang Jian's musings. He grabbed Pang Jian, led him away from the area still crackling with golden lightning, and whispered, "That white crane was collecting the lightning.

"Before I went to find you, I tried to collect some myself, but my lightning bead..." he trailed off with a bitter smile.

He opened his left hand to reveal some bead fragments in his palm.

"I couldn't collect the golden lightning, and I didn't dare to touch it. If I did, I'd die instantly. This isn't something I can handle right now," Lei Kun said heavily as they walked away from the battle between the white crane and the disciples. "I walked the path of the Dao of Lightning, and I can faintly sense a trace of divine power within the golden lightning.

"It's said that only True Gods can imbue lightning with divine power. I can't think of anyone else with such abilities in the Abyss besides that ancient Rank Ten Thunder Dragon."

Pang Jian was shocked to his core.

Imbue lightning with divine power...the ancient Rank Ten Thunder Dragon.

Does that mean the strange being in the bizarre mist is the same rank as that ancient Thunder Dragon? After all, its wings are formed from seas of that golden lightning!

The bizarre mist had eroded at that strange being until only its bones remained.

Perhaps, in a few more years, even its golden skeleton would be completely worn away as well.

Still, it was a being on par with the ancient Thunder Dragon and could even be a deity worshiped in some other world.

The bizarre mist, the Gate of the Abyss...

Pang Jian decided he would never mention the bronze pendant to anyone ever again.

"Senior Lei, does anyone know what lies outside the Abyss?" he asked sincerely.

"Outside the Abyss?" Lei Kun shook his head and smiled bitterly. "Above the sky of the First World exists a natural barrier. Only True Gods can attempt to break through it. However, many True Gods have failed.

"Those who successfully break through the barrier and leave the Abyss are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. They're all legends whose names resound throughout the Abyss.

"But even those people..." Lei Kun frowned deeply, shaking his head with a grave expression. "None of them have ever returned and reappeared in the Abyss. We don't even know if they're alive or dead."

He then turned to gaze up at the sky, eyes burning with passion.

"Even so!" he shouted. "Those who have ascended to true godhood in the First World continue to challenge the natural barrier, relentlessly trying to break free from this prison and see the world beyond.

"Even death is worth it!"

Lei Kun's fighting spirit flared, and he grinned wickedly.

"That old Thunder Dragon is a coward! At Rank Ten, it's comparable to a True God, possessing the power to break through the natural barrier, yet it's never dared to attempt it.

"It's lived for many years, killing all who sought to achieve godhood through the Dao of Lightning and cutting off that path to godhood for all who came after.

"It occupies this path to godhood but doesn't try to break the natural barrier. The Thunder Dragon simply doesn't dare to leave the Abyss!

"I think everyone would be overjoyed if the master of that white crane killed that old dragon and took over that path to godhood."

Lei Kun sighed deeply. "Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. The Thunder Dragon had dominated this Dao for tens of thousands of years. As long as he lives, no new Lightning God can be born. But who can kill him before becoming a True God?

"It's a dead-end path!"

Lei Kun was a lightning-attribute cultivator. If he were ever fortunate enough to climb to the pinnacle and reach the Immortal Realm, he would have to kill that ancient Thunder Dragon to become a True God through the Dao of Lightning!

As long as the Thunder Dragon were alive, he would never become a True God!

Any lightning-attribute cultivator would have to face the Thunder Dragon upon reaching the Immortal Realm or be forced to stagnate forever.

Meanwhile, the white crane had finished collecting all the golden lightning bolts.

"You little brats, one day I'll find you and kill you all!" the white crane threatened as it wearily flew off.

It had successfully seized the opportunity it sought and was planning to return to its master.

There was no longer any reason for it to tangle with or kill those in Cloud Lightning.

Unfortunately for the white crane, just because it wanted to leave did not mean the disciples of the Demon Sect, the Black Valley Sect, and the Celestial Lagoon Sect were unwilling to let it go.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Disciples from the Demon Sect unleashed black-purple "Demon" characters that bit at the white crane's wings.

The white crane let out a piercing screech as feathers fell from its pristine white wings.

Disciples from the Black Valley Sect unleashed needle-like beams resembling black lightning, which pierced through the white crane and left it riddled with bloody holes.

A Blue Water Pearl, weighing over ten thousand jun[1] smashed into the unsteady white crane, causing the lightning on its body to scatter wildly.

The white crane was struck heavily after putting away the withered bone. Although it no longer had the withered bone weighing it down, it was now too injured to make an effortless escape.

Its injuries deepened with every attack, and it eventually crashed to the ground with a thud.

The disciples from the Second World were exhilarated.

"It's done for!"

"Its crimes are countless. It deserves to die here in Cloud Lightning!"

"It killed our Senior Brother Liu and nine of our fellow disciples. Let's see where it can run now!"

The disciples paid no attention to Pang Jian and Lei Kun as they headed for the white crane's fallen body.

The white crane would soon be executed, never to stir trouble again.

"Serves it right!" Lei Kun spat on the ground. Snorting coldly, he glanced at the fallen white crane and said, "It's done so much evil.

"It cleared out all the Vicious Beasts and Spirit Beasts in Cloud Lightning the moment it arrived and attacked anyone who entered the restricted area. It deserves to be killed by those brats!"

Pang Jian asked, "Aren't you going to join them?"

Lei Kun shook his head like a rattle drum.[2] "I know my limits. I can't afford to provoke the white crane's master or these disciples from the Second World."

His face darkened. "I'm a rogue cultivator. I don't have a powerful sect backing me up. No one will stand up for me. Why do you think those disciples of the major sects got away unscathed when they hunted me down and tried to rob me of my lightning bead?

"I'm in the Spirit Condensation Realm, damn it!" Lei Kun cursed bitterly.

Pang Jian nodded in understanding.

"I see. In that case, I'll join the fray." He shook his robe, causing the sword-shaped token to sway slightly. "After all, I'm a disciple of the Sword Pavilion from the Second World. I'm not afraid of offending them."

He then rushed empty-handed toward the fallen white crane.

"Luo Yuan, where's your sword?" Lei Kun shouted.

"It broke when the white crane attacked me with lightning bolts," Pang Jian replied without looking back.

It was indeed unusual for a Sword Pavilion disciple to be without a spirit sword.

"Wait!" Lei Kun called out.

He had developed a fondness for Pang Jian due to the latter's respectful attitude.

Tossing a sword over, he said, "Luo Yuan, I hope you don't mind an intermediate-grade spirit sword. We're both lightning-attribute cultivators. This sword has a hidden lightning seal, so it should be of use to you!"

Whoosh!

The spirit sword shot toward Pang Jian's hand like lightning.

Pang Jian channeled strands of lightning from the lightning vortex within his spiritual sea toward the spirit sword. Clusters of lightning seals appeared on the silvery white blade, absorbing the lightning he released.

Pang Jian's eyes lit up and he bowed deeply toward Lei Kun. "Thank you, Senior Lei!"

Lei Kun replied with a somewhat flattered expression, "There's no need to be so polite, Young Brother. Unlike the disciples from other sects, those from the Sword Pavilion are courteous and don't use their influence to bully others."

In his heart, he mused, Both you and Pang Jian are like this.

"We'll chat more later, Senior Lei!" Pang Jian said as he sped off.

1. 钧 is an ancient unit of measurement equivalent to 15 kilograms. ☜

2. The rattle drum referred to here is 拨浪鼓, a traditional Chinese percussion instrument known as a "rattle-drum" or "wave drum." It consists of a small, usually circular drum attached to a handle, with beads or pellets on strings attached to the sides. When the handle is twisted or shaken, the beads strike the drumheads, producing a rhythmic sound. ☜