Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 175: The Mid-Stage of the Innate Realm!

After making the necessary arrangements, Pang Jian returned to his cave dwelling.

The thought of Old Monster Cao's event the next day weighed heavily on his mind. It had been a long time since he had last seen Luo Hongyan. For him to see her again only for her to be sold like merchandise was suffocating.

Old Monster Cao... He snorted, silently resenting the master of the Primordial Wilderness for his actions.

Knock knock!

A knock abruptly came at the stone door just as he was about to sit down and cultivate. Assuming Gao Yuan had some questions, Pang Jian got up to open the door.

Outside the cave stood an unexpected visitor—Lei Kun.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” he asked.

Pang Jian invited him inside with a suspicious frown. “What brings you here, Senior?”

Lei Kun gave him a deep look before grinning. “I gave that Rank Seven Blood Lizard skin to Jiu Yuan.”

Pang Jian nodded without saying a word.

His and Luo Hongyan's looting of the beast-hunting sailboat was no longer a secret after Jiu Yuan's reveal. Naturally, Lei Kun also knew they had destroyed the new body the Blood Moon Sect had specially forged for him. Therefore, Pang Jian suspected Lei Kun bore ill intentions when he came to his cave dwelling.

Lei Kun broke the silence. “I’m not here to seek revenge over the loss of a new body. I'm here to tell you that your sister was captured by Old Monster Cao and will appear at the trade fair tomorrow. I’ll be leaving Primordial Wilderness tonight to avoid being used by Jiu Yuan.”

Pang Jian was stunned. “Why?”

“It’s just a new body. The Blood Moon Sect still has to follow the rules and reforge another one for me since I've paid for it.” Lei Kun laughed. “At most, it'll only set me back a little. But my instincts tell me it’s best not to become your enemy. I don’t want to get involved in your conflict with Jiu Yuan, so I have to leave.”

Pang Jian nodded. “I don’t want to be enemies with you either, Senior.”

Lei Kun chuckled. “Someone who can retrieve spirit materials from so many Rank Seven Vicious Beasts during a terrifying trial likely won't die so easily at Jiu Yuan’s hands. Pang Jian, I hope we meet again someday.”

With that, Lei Kun left cave dwelling number fifty-six.

"Who will die is still uncertain," Pang Jian muttered in Lei Kun's wake.

After calming his emotions, he took out a barrel of the Scarlet-Eyed Demon Wolf's blood, drank it, and cultivated the Qi Nurturing Divine Cauldron Art.

A fierce fiery energy and a violent blood essence surged forth.

Focusing intently, Pang Jian directed these two energies separately to his spiritual sea and the Providence Mystic Reservoir Acupoint in his chest.

The fiery pool in his spiritual sea expanded!

Meanwhile, the blood mists in his Providence Mystic Reservoir Acupoint also thickened!

The early stage of the Innate Realm allows one to close their pores and hold their breath to greatly enhance the refinement and circulation of spiritual power.

In the middle stage, spiritual power bursts out from every pore, forming a protective shield.

In the late stage, spiritual power penetrates the brain, stimulating one's potential as preparation to form their divine sense, Pang Jian recalled.

He then attempted to release his spiritual power within his body through his pores.

Swoosh!

A green protective shield formed around him.

The mid-stage of the Innate Realm!

Pang Jian's heart trembled. According to Luo Hongyan and the manual of the Qi Nurturing Divine Cauldron Art, the formation of the protective shield from spiritual power signified advancement to the middle stage of the Innate Realm!

Once his initial excitement died down, Pang Jian could not help but feel puzzled. I haven’t been cultivating diligently lately, so how could this happen?

Squinting, he examined the translucent protective shield formed from his spiritual power. It was shaped like an egg and enveloped his entire body.

He recalled how Zhu Yuanxi from the Blood Moon Sect had deployed a dark red protective shield that had repelled all the Lunar Edges he had unleashed on Ice Rock Island.

The protective shield was the hallmark of reaching the middle stage of the Innate Realm. He had not expected that a casual attempt would result in him successfully forming the protective shield.

Could it be the special properties of the Primordial Chaos Spiritual Sea or the absorption of cold energy from the sacrificial altar beneath Ice Rock City? Pang Jian did not know the answer to his questions.

Shaking his head, he stopped dwelling on the mysteries of his rapid advancement and focused on the present.

If the protective shield is formed with spiritual power, can it be combined with lunar energy, stellar energy, or cold energy?

Pang Jian experimentally infused the green protective shield with these three energies from his spiritual sea.

The green protective shield became several times denser!

It seemed that merging lunar energy, stellar energy, and cold energy would greatly enhance the protective shield's defensive capabilities!

Next, he tried to add in solar energy and fiery energy.

However, these two energies clashed with the lunar energy, stellar energy, and cold energy, and the instant they entered the shield, it shattered with a resounding boom.

Energies with incompatible attributes, if forcibly combined, will only backfire, Pang Jian realized

Reforming the protective shield, he instead tried integrating solar energy and fiery energy without having lunar energy, stellar energy, and cold energy in the mix.

Swoosh!

The green protective shield turned deep red, radiating intense light and heat. It felt similar to the solar brilliance Yang Rui from the Radiant Sun Sect had emitted when he appeared at the trading hall earlier today.

My protective shield can transform in two distinct ways by incorporating different energies.

Pang Jian excitedly continued practicing within the cave, experimenting with the unique properties of both types of protective shields.

The next morning, Qi Qingsong knocked on the stone door once again.

Bang bang bang!

"Time waits for no one!" he shouted from outside. "Whatever decision you've made, you need to act quickly."

Pang Jian opened the stone door and handed him a bottle of herbal juice. “Drink this. It's good for you.”

Qi Qingsong did not hesitate and drank it in one gulp, smacking his lips as he felt its effects. “Hmm, this is good stuff. It can not only heal wounds but also seems to enhance my perception.

“Got any more?” He shamelessly extended his hand.

Pang Jian grudgingly handed over another bottle.

Qi Qingsong once again drank it all in one gulp. He squinted his eyes as he silently felt its effects and clicked his tongue in amazement. "I'm in the Profound Abode Realm and am in the process of refining my divine sense. This potion seems to help with that.

“Pang Jian, how many treasures do you have? As brothers, don’t forget about me when you come across good stuff!”

He then shamelessly demanded, “One more bottle!”

Pang Jian gritted his teeth and handed over another bottle. “This is the last one!”

"Mm-hmm!" Qi Qingsong nodded with a grin as he downed the herbal juice.

Swoosh!

Pang Jian summoned his green protective shield once again with a single thought.

“Wow! You’ve advanced to the mid-stage of the Innate Realm!” Qi Qingsong exclaimed. “I heard you were in the early stage not long ago. How did you break through so quickly?”

“Is it that strange?” Pang Jian frowned. “You advanced two cultivation realms after leaving Eight Trigrams City. If you can achieve that in a few months, why can’t I?”

“It’s different for me. I advanced to the Innate Realm by becoming one with the world,” Qi Qingsong boasted. “Anyone who advances to the Innate Realm this way will progress rapidly in both the Innate Realm and the Profound Abode Realm.

"The early, middle, and late stages of the Innate Realm are essentially about the refining and precise use of one's spiritual power. Since I advanced through becoming one with the world, my affinity with spiritual power is extraordinarily high, so mastering the intricacies of spiritual power comes naturally to me."

Qi Qingsong puffed up with pride.

Pang Jian was taken aback. “So, you mean that those who break through by becoming one with the world will advance through the Innate Realm and the Profound Abode Realm much more quickly?”

“Yes, it also benefits future cultivation, but the progress is particularly noticeable in the Innate Realm and the Profound Abode Realm,” Qi Qingsong explained seriously. “That’s why I was willing to wait until I could advance through becoming one with the world before I attempted my breakthrough.

“Those senior brothers of mine are still in the Profound Abode Realm. I may have been slow to start, but since my breakthrough to the Innate Realm, I've advanced to the Profound Abode Realm ten times faster than them!

“And in the future, the gap between us will only grow larger!” Qi Qingsong exclaimed with confidence.

“I see.” Pang Jian nodded. “It seems I'll be able to catch up to you soon and advance to the Profound Abode Realm as well.”

“You?!” Qi Qingsong was shocked.

“Yes, we're the same,” Pang Jian confirmed.

“You...” Qi Qingsong took a deep breath and slapped Pang Jian on the shoulder. “Since you’re as much of a genius as I am, don’t get yourself killed in the Primordial Wilderness! That woman, Luo Hongyan, isn’t even your real sister. Just let it go.”

Pang Jian ignored him and exited the cave. Qi Qingsong sighed and quickly followed.

“Little Brother Pang, I’ve delivered everything you asked,” Gao Yuan said at the door.

“Thank you.” Pang Jian nodded in gratitude.

Not long after, he and Qi Qingsong arrived at the trading hall. Pang Jian's eyes fell on Luo Hongyan as soon as they entered.

A giant prismatic crystal stood on the central platform of the trading hall. Inside the crystal was the devastatingly beautiful Luo Hongyan. Her fair skin, perfect figure, and deep, mysterious eyes captivated all who laid their eyes on her.

She caught the attention of everybody entering the trading hall, especially the male cultivators. All the cultivators could not help but marvel at her beauty, and no matter where they were in the hall, they could not help but sneak repeated glances at her.

“Who's that woman?”

“Why has Old Monster Cao imprisoned her? Is she another exotic treasure for sale today?”

“Jiu Yuan of the Blood Moon Sect and Lou Yunming of the Sinister Soul Temple have been paying close attention to her. Are those two old guys planning to fight over her?”

The cultivators whispered among themselves.

Luo Hongyan was frozen within the crystal, and only her eyes could move. As she was not facing the wooden door through which Pang Jian had entered, she did not know he had entered until someone called out his name.

"Pang Jian!"