Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 370: Impersonation

The World Eater Vine had a soul.

As time passed, the little tree developed a higher intelligence, and its appearance became more refined.

The little tree had transformed from an "it" to a "her," and even had the potential to become a divine being in the future.

The World Tree would become a God once it reached its final stage of growth. Once placed into the starry skies beyond the Abyss, it would become an exalted being that the Wood Race revered.

Li Yuqing was stunned.

As she looked at the graceful little girl, a sparkle appeared in her bright eyes, and she asked in surprise, "Are you the World Eater Vine? You already have a spirit body? And your appearance, it looks..."

She glanced at Pang Jian, then back at the little girl, a smile forming on her lips. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"I modeled my spirit body after my father, so of course I resemble him! What's so strange about that?" The little girl huffed.

"Father?" Li Yuqing was even more astonished.

The little tree declared firmly, "My name is Pang Ling!"

"I see." Li Yuqing gently nodded in understanding, clear eyes twinkling. With a calm smile, she said, "Alright, I understand. From now on, I'll never think about killing you ever again."

"Smart choice!"

New green leaves gently fell onto Li Yuqing's shoulders.

***

A man and a woman swiftly approached from beneath the thick layer of leaden clouds outside the fragmented land.

Having locked onto their target, they soon arrived at Divine Fortune.

After discarding her gray cloak, Zhu Ying emerged like a phantom. Fixing her gaze on the lush green tree, she exclaimed, "Cousin, there's a stranger with the girl from the Li Family."

Jiang Yutian squinted and signaled her to remain patient. "I saw him too. Let's act according to the situation."

The duo hovered cautiously above Misty Swamp, observing the area with their divine sense and various tools to search for other signs of life.

Zhu Ying relaxed a little. "There are no foreign race warriors or powerful Vicious Beasts within a hundred li."

An azure ring quietly appeared behind her, glowing a shimmering blue that turned the sky around her into a sea of blue light.

"Cousin, we should head down."

With that, she descended to hover about a zhang above the ground, not far from the little tree.

She introduced herself with a charming smile, "I'm Zhu Ying, from the Zhu Clan of the Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom. I rank outside the top ten on the Soul Wandering Realm leaderboard.

"My cousin, Jiang Yutian, is ranked ninth. We happened to pass through this area..."

As Zhu Ying spoke, she secretly assessed Li Yuqing's condition.

Whoosh!

Jiang Yutian descended after Zhu Ying.

"I am Jiang Yutian of the Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom's Jiang Clan!" He cupped his hands toward Li Yuqing and said with a righteous expression, "We heard you were injured and are willing to escort you back to the Third World!"

Li Yuqing shook her head as she stood to wash her hands in a basin. "There's no need for that. It's just a minor injury. It's not a big deal."

"It doesn't seem like a minor injury," Zhu Ying said, expression sincerely concerned. "We saw the remains of the two Rank Eight foreign race warriors. The battle was so fierce that one of your treasured garments was reduced to fragments.

"Little Sister Li, we're all from the First World. It's only right that we look out for each other. We came here to ensure your safe return. That way, your family elders won't worry as much about you."

As the thin-framed Zhu Ying hovered in the air, the sleeves of her loose robes fluttered in the wind like a ghost drifting through the forest.

Strands of her divine sense discreetly extended outward to probe the grounds, trees, and plants.

Li Yuqing's expression turned cold. "I said I don't need your help!"

Jiang Yutian frowned and sighed. "We mean well, but you—"

"Zhu Jinghong of the Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom—is he your elder?" Pang Jian abruptly interjected.

Zhu Ying acted as though she had only just noticed Pang Jian. Nodding, she replied, "Yes, he's my uncle."

Pang Jian let out a cold laugh.

A streak of blinding lightning shot from his fingertips, obliterating the silver-gray strands buried in the muddy ground beneath his feet.

Zhu Ying let out a muffled grunt, expression turning grim. "Who are you?"

Jiang Yutian's expression also darkened.

After descending, they had outwardly paid no attention to Pang Jian while secretly probing and setting ambushes, embedding the soil and air around him with divine sense and spiritual power.

They had not expected him to notice.

"I am Fu Wangchen of the Forsaken Expanse Sect!" Pang Jian loudly declared.

Jiang Yutian and Zhu Ying's expressions changed dramatically.

Li Yuqing, on the other hand, had a faint smile on her face.

"You dare show off in front of me with your petty little tricks?" Pang Jian sneered as a glimmer of golden light appeared on his forehead like a golden eye and locked onto the two of them. "I've been finding people from the Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom rather unpleasant lately.

"Did you know? Li Yuanchen from your Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom also died at my hands."

Sizzle!

Pang Jian sent a crackle of lightning into the muddy ground, swiftly disintegrating the threads of divine sense, spiritual power, and blood essence hidden below.

The World Eater Vine's green life energy worked in tandem with Pang Jian to eradicate the energies Zhu Ying and Jiang Yutian had planted.

"Fu Wangchen, didn't you die in Absolute Heaven?" Zhu Ying exclaimed.

"We've never been on friendly terms with the Eastern Land. Naturally, we don't share all our information with you." Pang Jian let out a cold snort. "Kill!"

Menacing ancient trees, each dozens of zhang tall, rushed out. Their hard-as-steel branches thrust toward Jiang Yutian and Zhu Ying like sharp spears.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The tree branches pierced through the sea of blue light from Zhu Ying's azure ring, riddling it with holes.

"Azure Celestial Ocean!"

Zhu Ying gritted her teeth as she frantically attempted to break free from the encirclement of the menacing ancient trees using her azure ring, only for more branches to pierce through the resummoned sea of light.

Jiang Yutian's face twisted and he roared, "Fu Wangchen, we have no grievances with you! We share a common goal of eliminating the foreign races, yet, here you are, trying to kill us!"

He and Zhu Ying were both over a hundred years old and were not considered one of the exceptional prodigies of the Jiang and Zhu Clans in the Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom.

The Eastern Land and the other three continents rarely interacted in the past, and although the pair had heard of a young talent named Fu Wangchen from the Forsaken Expanse Sect, they had never actually met him in person.

Thus, when they realized the young man before them was the prodigy of the Forsaken Expanse Sect, the pair quickly lost their nerve and were ready to abandon their original plan.

However, the opponent refused to let them go.

Pang Jian sneered, "Weren't the two of you planning to go all out against my admired person?"

Li Yuqing was drying her hands with a handkerchief and could not help but roll her eyes when she heard Pang Jian.

"He's really getting into character!" she muttered to herself.

"You're slandering us!" Jiang Yutian shouted angrily.

Boom!

A mysterious celestial realm manifested behind Jiang Yutian.

Vast fields stretched across tens of thousands of mu, with gentle rainfall showering over the land.

Rainfield Paradise was a unique artifact that Jiang Yutian's elders had created for him, and it possessed both offensive and defensive capabilities.

"Fu Wangchen! We came to escort Li Yuqing back to the First World!" Jiang Yutian said coldly as he manipulated his Rainfield Paradise. "If you don't appreciate our help, that's fine, but don't push us too far!"

Fu Wangchen was the top genius of the Forsaken Expanse Sect—a major sect with two True Gods. Despite Jiang Yutian's exceptional background, he dared not act recklessly and could not afford the accusation of plotting against Li Yuqing.

"Since you've come, don't think about leaving."

Pang Jian pulled out the Abyssal Demon Sword from where it had been stabbed into the ground.

Spiritual power streamed into the Abyssal Demon Sword, and Pang Jian watched as the demonic flames, lights, and clouds flowed into the radiant green river unleashed from the sword.

Whoosh!

The vast green river of light shot straight toward Jiang Yutian's Rainfield Paradise.

Seductive demonesses, dark purple demonic flowers, grotesque monsters, and sinister demonic eyes appeared in the lush realm.

The chaotic spectacle of tens of thousands of Heavenly Demons wreaking havoc unfolded vividly before Pang Jian's eyes.

Pang Jian, their malice is strong. They intend to harm you.

I sensed their ill intent long before they arrived—even from a hundred li away.

I feel obliged to help you get rid of such vile people! the Abyssal Demon whispered into Pang Jian's mind.

Pang Jian paid little mind to it and maintained his vigilance. Even as he continued to pour spiritual power into the Abyssal Demon Sword, he stayed on guard against its potential betrayal.

"Fu Wangchen!" Zhu Ying yelled, her Azure Celestial Ocean dimming with each passing moment.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

One towering ancient tree after another uprooted and crashed into the Azure Celestial Ocean, leaving Zhu Ying miserably injured.

At the same time, an inconspicuous little green tree stealthily moved beneath where Zhu Ying was hovering in mid-air.

A twig, as slender as a finger, slipped through the larger branches, pierced through the sea of blue light from the azure ring, and stabbed into Zhu Ying's abdomen.

Zhu Ying did not even realize she had been impaled until she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen.

Boom!

The Heavenly Demons shattered Jiang Yutian's Rainfield Paradise, causing it to explode into a shower of light.

"Fu Wangchen! This is just a misunderstanding!"

"Are you really going to kill us without mercy?"

The two of them desperately tried to flee, but the ancient trees, floating plants, and drifting leaves in the air pushed them back down.

"I had no intention of letting either of you leave alive in the first place."

Pang Jian brandished the Abyssal Demon Sword.

Waves of radiant sword light surrounded Zhu Ying and Jiang Yutian.

As Pang Jian channeled more spiritual power into the black sword, he keenly sensed the Abyssal Demon drawing strength from their malice.

The bitter hatred pouring out of them only solidified Pang Jian's decision.

They had already become mortal enemies, and if he let Zhu Ying and Jiang Yutian live, they would stop at nothing to seek revenge.

Identifying those harboring evil intentions was easy with the Abyssal Demon Sword.

As Pang Jian grew more adept at wielding the Abyssal Demon Sword, his coordination with the Abyssal Demon became increasingly seamless.

If the Abyssal Demon ever chose to truly cooperate, it would undoubtedly be extraordinarily powerful.