Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 502: The Frost Crystal God

The Resolute Expanse was evolving with every day that passed.

More and more people migrated to the fragmented land, allowing the Abyssal Demon to gain the power it sought.

The arrival of human life also allowed the fragmented land to form three Blessed Lands.

The Sword Pavilion supplied anything the fragmented land lacked.

Guang He, Wang Ce, Xu Yu, and Chen Weihuang had all secretly visited to witness the formation of the Blessed Lands firsthand.

After some discussions, Liu Junhong decided to seal off the Resolute Expanse, permitting entry but forbidding anyone from leaving to prevent the secrets of the Resolute Expanse from being leaked.

Pang Jian, the master of the Resolute Expanse, did not concern himself with such matters.

He remained fully immersed in comprehending the Primeval Demon Fusion Art, focusing on the wonders of the fragmented land within his dantian.

His soul often drifted into the Heart of Winter or submerged itself in the Thunder Pool to study the profound Daos within.

Both Qi Qingsong and Zhuang Yuyan had recently broken through to the Soul Wandering Realm and were starting to temper their divine souls with the magma hidden in the depths of the Resolute Expanse.

Zhou Qingchen had advanced to the Soul Wandering Realm ahead of them and was already tempering his soul with astral winds and bizarre mist.

At that moment, the Second Elder of the Ice Race approached Pang Jian's wooden hut under Liu Junhong's guidance.

"My Lord," greeted the now Rank Eight Bing Yuan. "The Ice Race first wishes to thank you for your care and for allowing us to keep the Frozen Land undisturbed.

"We wish to trade with the humans, as I recently noticed a human trading post near the Forbidden Land of the Thunder God.

"Exchange of rare materials will greatly aid the development of our Ice Race. My lord, we cannot remain isolated in the Frozen Land forever."

The Ice Race had been confined to the Frozen Land since arriving in the Abyss.

Previously, the Resolute Expanse had seen little traffic, with only Pang Jian, the black turtle, Dong Tianze, and Zhou Qingchen visiting the land.

Although Pang Jian had since opened up the fragmented land to tens of thousands of human cultivators, he had forbidden them from entering the Frozen Land, causing the Ice Race to remain isolated.

The Ice Race longed to fully integrate into the flourishing culture of the Resolute Expanse and establish meaningful interactions with the human race.

Pang Jian glanced at Liu Junhong as he pondered the matter.

Liu Junhong smiled in assurance. "The existence of the Ice Race will remain a secret as long as no one leaves the Resolute Expanse.

"Once the Pavilion Master ascends to the True God Realm, and once you possess the strength to protect yourself, no one will dare to question your acceptance of races from beyond the Abyss.

"Just look at the Dragon Lair Sect. The True Gods remain silent despite their actions."

Liu Junhong's displeasure over the collective silence of the fourteen remaining True Gods following Fan Ao's death was evident.

"Understood." Pang Jian nodded. "From today onward, the Ice Race can move freely within the Resolute Expanse. I'll send word to the towns and villages, permitting trade and interaction with your race.

"In time, if you feel capable of defending yourselves and wish to leave this place, I won't stand in your way."

Bing Yuan repeatedly expressed his beaming gratitude.

"It's been a while since I visited the Ice Race. I'll head over now," Pang Jian said, rising to his feet.

Before long, he casually seated himself at the Ice Race's sacrificial altar.

Whoosh!

He summoned the Heart of Winter and let it hover above his head. With practiced ease, he unleashed the cold energy within him, channeling it into the six massive ice pillars around the altar.

"My Lord!" Sixth Elder Bing He cried out in alarm.

"My Lord!" Bing Ji and Bing Yun, the two Rank Seven Ice Race warriors, were equally shocked.

Pang Jian had long forbidden them from activating the altar, fearing that the Frost Crystal God in the outer worlds would trace the connection and enact divine punishment upon the Ice Race.

The Ice Race faithfully adhered to Pang Jian's orders, never daring to be careless with the altar.

Naturally, Pang Jian's activation of the altar on arrival sent shockwaves through the Ice Race.

"It's fine." Pang Jian sat with commanding ease, expression confident and composed. "Things aren't as they once were. I now have the confidence to face the will of any Outer God descending from the outer worlds."

Whoosh!

The sheathed Abyssal Demon Sword whistled through the air from Pang Jian's wooden hut in the Cloud Wilderness and landed beside the altar.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Six streams of frigid light rushed from the surrounding ice pillars into the altar, instantly transforming it into a beacon for the Outer Gods in the outer worlds.

***

A grand temple stood atop a towering glacier on a distant, isolated star in the dark expanse of the skies beyond the Abyss.

This realm of bone-chilling frostiness resembled the Frozen Land, only magnified a thousandfold.

Life had long disappeared from the star, and neither servants nor believers walked the halls of the majestic temple that crowned the glacier.

Only one being lived in this world—the Frost Crystal God.

Like the star she inhabited, the Frost Crystal God exuded solitude. She sat in the cold, empty temple, meditating on the Dao of Cold.

Left undisturbed, she could meditate for years, decades, or even centuries. Time held little meaning to her. Her eternal life allowed her to squander it as she pleased.

Her domain lay far from this lonely star, and her believers resided millions of li away. She came to this corner of the skies seeking the Heart of Winter.

She also sought to profit from the imminent calamity of the Abyss, intending to spread her doctrine and gather new followers.

If fortune favored her, this gathering of Outer Gods could be the opportunity she needed to ascend to a higher rank.

Whoosh!

A beam of dazzling light quietly shimmered from a multi-faceted crystal.

The Frost Crystal God opened her eyes, unleashing a chilling light that pierced the soul and stirred the heart.

"The Abyss... could it be that one-eyed giant again?"

An intrigued smile tugged at the corners of the Frost Crystal God's lips. She carefully restrained all traces of coldness, not wanting to scare the one-eyed giant into instantly severing the connection as they had before.

Her divine consciousness extended calmly, like the still waters of a mountain stream. There was no detectable malice or oppressive intent whatsoever.

With this remarkably gentle divine consciousness, she established a connection with the altar, and her divine consciousness descended invisibly into the Abyss.

***

Back in the Frozen Land, Pang Jian sat at the sacrificial altar, bracing for the Frost Crystal God's harsh, icy divine consciousness.

The unexpectedly benign divine consciousness caused him to briefly wonder if he had summoned the wrong Outer God.

Years ago, in Spirit Offering, the frigid divine power radiating from a crumbling altar had nearly torn his soul apart.

The warmth and calmness in this divine consciousness were completely uncharacteristic of the ruthless Frost Crystal God.

Pang Jian hesitated at the lack of hostility.

Perhaps I made a mistake.

However, since there was no trace of malice, he tentatively responded in kind, projecting his divine soul as harmless and unthreatening.

The instant he lowered his guard, the Sword of Ecstasy in his divine sense activated.

Meanwhile, the Frost Crystal God, hoping to communicate with the one-eyed giant Ah Man and turn his kind into devout followers, found herself linked to Pang Jian instead.

The Frost Crystal God's physical body suddenly trembled.

Her life prior to godhood had been devoid of affection or intimacy, and she had never experienced the desires shared between men and women before.

When she connected to Pang Jian, she found herself undergoing the same experience as the Moon God as she felt the essence of mortal passion for the first time.

The Frost Crystal God, known for her solitary nature and extreme temperament since youth, was utterly captivated.

***

Pang Jian sat motionless on the altar in the Frozen Land, with the Heart of Winter hovering above his head and the Abyssal Demon Sword firmly in hand.

His tall figure was as rigid as stone.

Around him, Ice Race warriors stood on high alert, ready for battle.

Liu Junhong hovered in the air, sword intent rippling through his sleeves,

Yuan Qi cautiously surfaced from the icy lake below.

All of them sensed the arrival of an unfamiliar divine consciousness.

An Outer God had projected a fragment of their divine consciousness into Pang Jian's body through the altar.

They were unsure if this was an attempt at possession.

Thus, they could only fix their gazes on Pang Jian, scrutinizing his every subtle expression.

But something felt...off.

Time stretched on, and not long after, beads of sweat were forming on Pang Jian's forehead, face, and neck. A deep exhaustion seemed to creep over him.

The peak of pleasure, no matter how intense, could not last forever. Fatigue inevitably followed.

Uh...I'm a little tired, Pang Jian said through his divine sense.

In that instant, his divine sense traversed the boundless skies, reaching the empty temple where the Frost Crystal God resided.

He felt like an Outer God as his divine consciousness flowed through the connection and settled on the Frost Crystal God.

She resembled a sculpture carved from flawless crystal, her skin glistening like ice and her face delicately long and smooth.

Licking her lips as if savoring the lingering sensation, she said with satisfaction, "I will bestow great divine favor onto you... and spare the Ice Race in the Abyss."