Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 474: A Demon Emerges as the Dream Ends

The fiery pool within the fragmented land in Pang Jian's dantian transformed into a sea of flames, with interwoven strands of ghostly crimson lightning in its depths.

Slender crystalline threads resembling mineral veins materialized in the green fragmented land below the fiery pool. However, they did not contain any profound mysteries or extraordinary engravings of Heavenly Daos.

Pang Jian guided the crystal bloodline chains of the Rank Eight Flame Dragon using the Primeval Demon Fusion Art. The ghostly crimson lightning representing the chains was drawn from the dragon's heart, merging seamlessly into the crystalline threads below his fiery pool.

As this happened, the Flame Dragon's bloodline mysteries and innate abilities imprinted themselves into Pang Jian's fiery pool.

Long Yan's comprehended Dao of Fire! Pang Jian's mind raced as he diverted his attention toward grasping the profound truth of the Dao of Fire.

A delighted expression appeared on his face.

The bloodline mysteries of the Rank Eight Flame Dragon were akin to advanced flame techniques and comprehending them seemed almost effortless.

The process was far smoother than his attempts to comprehend the Dao of Cold within the Heart of Winter or decipher the Lightning Dao Seals in the Thunder Pool.

Both the Ice Demon's and the Duke of Thunder's cultivation realms transcend my own. Thus, it makes sense that their Heavenly Daos lie far beyond the reach of my cognition and are incredibly challenging to comprehend.

In contrast, my cultivation in the Nirvana Realm, which is equivalent to Rank Eight. Grasping the Rank Eight Flame Dragon's comprehended Heavenly Dao is naturally more straightforward.

Pang Jian felt a surge of excitement.

Calming his mind, he focused on the essence of the Primeval Demon Fusion Art, envisioning himself as a furnace capable of incinerating and melting all things.

He quickly absorbed the bloodline mysteries within the Flame Dragon's heart and the crystalized drops of its blood essence.

Abyssal Demon, why do I find this demonic technique so effortless to use? Pang Jian asked in astonishment.

Your Primordial Chaos Spiritual Sea is unlike the spiritual sea of ordinary cultivators, allowing your fiery pool to align seamlessly with the Primeval Demon Fusion Art.

I am whole now. There is no need for you to grip the sword hilt for us to communicate anymore.

Moreover, I've also gained autonomy.

The Abyssal Sword flew away from Pang Jian's palm, soaring through the air without Pang Jian controlling it.

The divine sword had become a unique vessel for the Abyssal Demon.

Whoosh!

The Abyssal Demon Sword pierced one of Long Yan's horns, instantly dissolving all the profound mysteries within.

It then pulled itself out and stabbed into the next horn to repeat the process.

Next came Long Yan's claws, red crystalline scales, flesh, and blood.

Apart from the heart, the sword completely devoured the Rank Eight Flame Dragon, not leaving even a single bone behind.

The Qilin Bell hovered outside the ruined city.

Li Jie stood atop the bell, expression blank as he watched the black-gold sword consume the hundred-zhang-long Flame Dragon like a snake swallowing an elephant.

Only the heart remained, where Pang Jian absorbed its bloodline mysteries while engulfed in blazing flames.

Li Jie turned to where Wu Yuan was also hovering in the air and asked in a low voice, "Wu Yuan, I heard Mo Nan of the Demon Sword Sect forged that sword. Can you tell me what's happening here? Do you sense the presence of a Demon God within that black-gold sword?"

Wu Yuan did not reply to Li Jie.

After some consideration, he summoned the Purple Demon Eye and held it firmly with both hands.

Within the Purple Demon Eye was a divine image of the Great Demon God He Motian, with his four heads, four faces, and four arms.

In each of He Motian's four hands were a token, a prayer bead, a lotus, and a water jug.

He sat atop a peacock and faced the Abyssal Demon Sword, adopting a defensive stance.

He Motian in the starry skies had been keeping a constant watch on his divine image in the Purple Demon Eye lately, and Wu Yuan had endured tremendous suffering in suppressing it.

At the moment, He Motian was surprisingly quiet and had not even attempted to corrupt him.

In the miniature world of the sword, a mysterious realm engulfed in raging flames and boiling lava was absorbing the blood, flesh, tendons, and bones of the Rank Eight Flame Dragon.

The illusory mysterious realm had started to solidify thanks to the dragon's blood, organs, and bones.

The Abyssal Demon hovered over this fiery world with its hazy form, gazing at the divine image of He Motian in the Purple Demon Eye from within the sword.

It's just a divine image, the Abyssal Demon said disdainfully. I desire He Motian's true soul, not a divine image that doesn't even hold one percent of his strength.

Whoosh!

The black-gold Abyssal Demon Sword flew out of the ruined city and headed straight for the demonic stone.

Wu Yuan, still gripping the Purple Demon Eye, was startled into a cold sweat at the demonic sword's actions.

Flying over to Pang Jian, he shouted, "Pang Jian, your sword is out of control!"

Pang Jian did not even open his eyes. "It's not out of control."

Long Yan's massive heart continued to shrink within the flames as Pang Jian relentlessly absorbed its essence through the Primeval Demon Fusion Art.

Meanwhile, Pang Jian's connection with the Abyssal Demon remained intact.

He could see everything the Abyssal Demon was doing, including the transformations in the world within the sword.

In fact, the Abyssal Demon was recounting its tragic past to Pang Jian at that very moment.

I was originally a prince of the Nether Demon Race in the outer worlds, ruling over a demonic kingdom. We worshiped the Demon Gods and had the potential to ascend to their ranks ourselves.

I was once the most outstanding genius of my race, not unlike Xuan Ying of the Demon Scale Race. I waged wars across the starry skies for the Demon Gods, conquering territories in their name.

They greatly favored me, granting me powerful demonic artifacts and even permitting my ascension to Demon God.

I then became one of the Demon Gods myself.

There are many Demon Gods but only five Great Demon Gods.

I had the strength to advance to that new height. They even promised me—granted their approval for me to contend for the position of Great Demon God.

However, the Outer Gods worshiped by the intelligent races I once conquered suddenly appeared when I started my ascension to a Great Demon God.

My path to a Great Demon God was severed. I had no choice but to split my soul and flee. I don't know why or how I ended up here.

This soul fragment of mine has only just manifested and reformed its will.

Even when Mo Nan wielded me, I was incomplete—fractured and chaotic.

I don't know why my soul inexplicably followed the demonic stone to the Abyss, but the answer likely lies within that stone. I need to uncover it! the Abyssal Demon declared.

***

In a secluded cultivation chamber in the Demon Sect on the Demon Abyss Continent, Xiang Shengwei slowly awoke from a strange and prolonged dream.

He stared blankly at the murals etched into the walls of the chamber.

The murals were ancient and largely unrelated to the Abyss. Instead, they illustrated the magnificent conquests of the Demon Races as they waged war across the starry skies and subjugated other races.

There were also murals depicting towering figures of demons successfully ascending to Demon Gods and being worshiped.

Xiang Shengwei found the scenes hauntingly familiar, as though he had personally participated in them.

"Brother Shengwei, I've warned you against cultivating the Demon Stone Art before. You're not among the chosen. Forcibly cultivating it will only put you at extreme risk of cultivation deviation," scolded Elder Cheng Hao.

Elder Cheng Hao had only recently ascended to the peak of the Immortal Realm and was one of Xiang Shengwei's most trusted confidants.

The two had grown up together and shared a bond as close as brothers.

When no others were present, Elder Cheng Hao would affectionately call the Sect Master "Brother Shengwei," and regarded him as his dearest kin.

Xiang Shengwei smiled faintly, violet eyes flashing with an eerie glint. "I am the Sect Master. Why can't I cultivate it?"

"According to tradition, only those that the demonic stone has chosen can cultivate the Demon Stone Art," Cheng Hao replied earnestly. "This rule has been followed since ancient times and cannot be broken."

Xiang Shengwei tended toward distraction lately, often becoming lost in his own thoughts. Cheng Hao worried that his "Brother Shengwei" was under too much pressure from the mounting threats from the foreign races and the calamities facing the human race.

He also feared the other elders in the sect would discover Xiang Shengwei's secret cultivation of the Demon Stone Art.

"It's fine," Xiang Shengwei assured with a graceful smile.

Clasping his hands behind his back, he approached a mural depicting crowds of demons worshiping the Great Demon God He Motian, sitting imposingly on a massive stone platform.

Tiny specks of light streamed out from the worshipers and into He Motian's body like raindrops.

"I entrusted the Purple Demon Eye to Wu Yuan," Xiang Shengwei said after a brief silence. "That powerful demonic artifact is actually a fragment of the demonic stone. Naturally, there's also a connection between the Purple Demon Eye and the demonic stone."

A vision flickered through Xiang Shengwei's mind.

Xuan Ying of the Demon Scale Race was slaughtering disciples of the Demon Heart Sect before leaping into the Demon Abyss.

He paused, narrowing his eyes in contemplation.

Deep within his violet eyes, he saw the massive purple demonic stone at the center of the Demon Abyss.

A black-gold sword flew toward the massive purple demonic stone. He also saw Wu Yuan holding the Purple Demon Eye and Xuan Ying gripping a demonic blade.

Xiang Shengwei's violet eyes quietly turned the same greenish-black as the veil shrouding the Demon Abyss.

"A fleeting dream will eventually end. Rootless and boundless, all will ultimately return to dust." Turning around, he looked at Elder Cheng Hao and smiled. "Cheng Hao, would you still follow me if I were a Demon God?"

Cheng Hao shot him a confused smile. "Brother Shengwei, you're joking with me."

"I'm not joking," Xiang Shengwei replied pleasantly.

Cheng Hao froze.

He then turned to flee toward the entrance, only to collide headfirst with the abruptly sealed stone door.

The stone door encased Chang Hao like an insect in amber.

"Xuan Ying," Xiang Shengwei called. His voice resonated from the Demon Sect, echoed through the dark pit of the Demon Abyss, and reached her demonic blade. "Hurry to that demonic stone."