Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 232: Meddling

The spirit sword in Pang Jian's hand was about two fingers wide and occasionally flared with crimson lightning or gleamed silver.

Crackle!

"It's quite handy," he said, the corner of his mouth quirking slightly in satisfaction.

Surprisingly, the spirit sword Lei Kun had gifted him could harness two different types of energy.

A dozen or so disciples from the Second World were still chasing the injured white crane with their unique spirit artifacts.

The staggering white crane had learned its lesson and no longer soared through the sky.

Instead, it skulked through the grasslands and marshes of Cloud Lightning, periodically drawing lightning to strike its pursuers.

The white crane no longer focused solely on escaping as quickly as possible. It used the complex terrain of the restricted area to evade capture, making it increasingly difficult for its pursuers.

The disciples from the Second World would lose track of it, only for lightning to strike them when they finally caught sight of it again.

Despite their cursing and grumbling, they refused to give up.

"Luo Yuan!" Lu Xiangyi from Celestial Lagoon Sect called out when she saw Pang Jian join the chase. Frowning, she asked, "Luo Yuan, are you here for revenge or to snatch the white crane's spatial bracelet?"

"Both," Pang Jian replied in a deep voice.

The white crane had struck him three times in the Lightning Retribution Grounds. He would not let go of this enmity so easily.

Moreover, he also wished to seize the golden lightning the white crane had collected using the withered bone for himself.

"There's too many people and too little to go around. If you're here for revenge, that's fine, but if you're after that spatial bracelet, I suggest you reconsider," Lu Xiangyi cautioned, her almond-shaped eyes flashing warningly. "You're the only one from the Sword Pavilion here. Don't go looking for trouble.

"Also, it's not just our Celestial Lagoon Sect here. Inner disciples from the Demon Sect and the Black Valley Sect are also here.

"You can't compete with us for the spatial bracelet, so take my advice and don't even try. Let's avoid making things ugly," Lu Xiangyi persuaded, wanting to prevent a potential clash out of "good" intentions.

A few outer disciples from the Celestial Lagoon Sect flanked her, but Pang Jian simply shook his head and moved past them with the spirit sword in hand.

"Junior Sister Lu, what does he mean by this?" asked one of the outer disciples from Celestial Lagoon Sect with a frown. "He seems displeased with your kind advice. We arrived here on the Mountain Stream Spirit Boat with the disciples of the Demon Sect and the Black Valley Sect, not the Sword Pavilion!"

"The opportunities in Cloud Lightning are meant for those from these three sects. We can't let him interfere!" another Celestial Lagoon Sect disciple muttered in displeasure, "Lightning Chaser? Hmph, he thinks he can compete with us for treasure just because he made a name for himself as a lightning-attribute cultivator. In his dreams!"

An hour later, the evasive white crane finally stumbled and crashed into a nearby lake under the unrelenting attacks of the disciples' spirit artifacts.

As luck would have it, this was the same lake where Pang Jian had once sat in meditation before the white crane flew in and threw in the corpse of a Celestial Lagoon Sect disciple.

It was also here that Pang Jian revealed his sword-shaped token and avoided a fight against Lu Xiangyi and her companions.

Splash!

The white crane plunged headfirst into the lake.

Disciples from the three sects surrounded the lake, killing any rogue cultivators wandering around it.

"Hmm, rogue cultivators?"

"Still looking? What's so interesting to look at?"

The disciples sneered as they ruthlessly attacked the bystanding rogue cultivators.

One of these rogue cultivators was Qin Le, who had previously advised Pang Jian to keep up his protective shield at all times.

"We'll back off!"

"Please, we're not here to compete with you for that white crane!"

"We-we just happened to be nearby. We have no intention of becoming your enemies!"

The rogue cultivators begged for their lives.

The disciples from the Second World were unmoved, showing no mercy even as the rogue cultivators retreated.

At that moment, Pang Jian arrived.

"Sword Pavilion's Luo Yuan."

"The Lightning Chaser."

"Another one trying to take a piece of the pie."

The disciples from the Demon Sect and the Black Valley Sect voiced their discontent when they saw Pang Jian standing by the lake.

Though displeased, they would not attack Pang Jian as long as he showed no intention of competing for the crane's spatial bracelet.

The disciples continued their slaughter of the rogue cultivators.

"Luo Yuan!" Qin Le looked pleadingly at Pang Jian as he cried out angrily, "We did nothing wrong! We were just wandering nearby. Why are you killing us for no reason?

"We've been avoiding disciples of the major sects like you in Cloud Lightning! We don't dare provoke you, nor do we dare compete with you. What wrong have we done?

"Is it because we're rogue cultivators? Should we die for simply being in this restricted area?"

Blood seeped from the corners of Qin Le's eyes.

Resentment filled his heart and his hatred for the major sect disciples at the moment knew no bounds.

"If you were from sects like the Radiant Sun Sect, the Red Mountain Sect, or the Star River Alliance in the Third World, we might show some leniency," a Black Valley Sect disciple said coldly, controlling Violet Crystal Pagoda to attack Qin Le. "But a mere rogue cultivator? Killing you is no different from killing Vicious Beasts to harvest their body parts."

Pang Jian frowned.

Sects, noble families, and rogue cultivators...

If Qi Qingsong had not given him the blue robe and sword-shaped token of the Sword Pavilion, Pang Jian would have been just another rogue cultivator in Cloud Lightning.

He would have met the same fate as Qin Le.

Back in Misty Swamp of the Fourth World, Fei Zheng of the Blood Moon Sect had treated the members of the Shadow Specter Sect the same way this Black Valley Sect disciple was treating Qin Le.

Disciples from the upper-world sects carried an inherent sense of superiority when they entered the worlds below them.

"Go!"

Pang Jian threw the spirit sword.

It shot across the lake to precisely strike the Violet Crystal Pagoda about to crush Qin Le's skull.

Clang!

The pagoda was sent flying.

"Luo Yuan!" Ye Fei, the owner of the pagoda, shouted, expression darkening and eyes gleaming with cold light. "How dare you touch my belongings! You're just an outer disciple of the Sword Pavilion. Do you think you're Qi Qingsong?"

"This person is an old acquaintance of mine. I hope you'll show some leniency," Pang Jian said calmly, flying over to Qin Le's side to retrieve the hovering spirit sword.

He fully intended to meddle in the situation.

Glancing at the severely injured Qin Le, he advised, "You're the only one left alive. Once you leave this lake, you should disappear from Cloud Lightning as soon as possible."

Qin Le struggled to his feet and cupped his hands in thanks, coughing out a mouthful of blood when he tried to speak.

When he saw Ye Fei of the Black Valley Sect preparing to use the Violet Crystal Pagoda again, Qin Le did not linger to express his gratitude and fled in a hurry.

Whoosh!

The Violet Crystal Pagoda tried to pursue Qin Le.

Clang!

Pang Jian struck it down with his spirit sword as before.

"Luo Yuan!" Ye Fei bellowed. He had been controlling the pagoda from a distance and was forced to fly through the air to grab the pagoda to replenish its exhausted spiritual power. "If you were like Qi Qingsong, an inner disciple of the Sword Pavilion, I would show you some respect and spare this old acquaintance of yours.

"But you're not. You're just one of the many unknown outer disciples of the Sword Pavilion. You don't have the authority to protect this person!"

Ye Fei once again threw out the Violet Crystal Pagoda.

The recharged Violet Crystal Pagoda flew through the air at an even greater speed than before, trailing dazzling purple light in its wake.

Strange light patterns emerged deep within the enchanting purple radiance, carrying a mysterious power capable of disrupting one's mind.

Qin Le groaned in the distance, black blood trickling down his nostrils and pupils rupturing. His movement technique faltered and he plummeted headfirst from the sky.

Whoosh!

Pang Jian wordlessly threw his sword again.

The spirit sword, which had previously been translucent with a silver glow, now turned a fiery crimson. Crimson lightning crackled along its blade, bathing the sword in a blazing, sun-like brilliance.

Boom!

The spiritual sword surged forward, struck the Violet Crystal Pagoda for the third time, and destroyed it!

"My Violet Spirit Pagoda!" Ye Fei screamed.

Qin Le, having narrowly escaped death, hastily scrambled to his feet and took off into the air, shooting glances back at Pang Jian as he did.

The gratitude in his eyes was evident to all who saw it.

He never expected that a disciple of the Sword Pavilion he had met by chance would repeatedly offend an inner disciple of the Black Valley Sect just to save him.

Luo Yuan, I hope I can repay you someday. Qin Le thought as he made his escape.

Ye Fei approached the shattered Violet Crystal Pagoda and started to pick up whatever was left of it. Every scattered fragment of the pagoda was another wound on his aching heart.

Lu Xiangyi of the Celestial Lagoon Sect witnessed this scene as she arrived at the lake.

"Luo Yuan!" Lu Xiangyi stared at Pang Jian in shock. Frowning in confusion, she muttered, "The treasure on the white crane hasn't even appeared yet. Even so, he chose to confront Ye Fei to protect an old acquaintance. And a rogue cultivator as well."

"Ye Fei is an inner disciple of the Black Valley Sect!" One of the Celestial Lagoon Sect disciples exclaimed, glancing at the visibly shaken Ye Fei in fear. "It was unwise for Luo Yuan to provoke him over a rogue cultivator."

"Junior Sister Lu, you've warned him repeatedly, but he just wouldn't listen." Another disciple frowned, glaring at Pang Jian with disdain. "The members of the Black Valley Sect won't wait until after they kill the white crane—they'll want to settle the score with Luo Yuan first."

The disciples from the Demon Sect whispered among themselves as they cast cold glances at Pang Jian.

They were well aware of Ye Fei's character and knew he would not let this matter go so easily—especially not after suffering a loss.

"I told you he was an old acquaintance of mine and asked you to show mercy, but you just wouldn't listen." Pang Jian gazed unwaveringly at Ye Fei. A hint of regret flickered across his face as he sighed. "A pagoda destroyed just like that—it's truly unfortunate."