Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 310: The Bee Sovereign's Transformation

Pang Jian passed through the thin white mist of the frozen fragmented land. The sight of crystalline ice mountains greeted him.

Glaciers as sharp as swords and short peaks covered in snow could be found across the land.

Pang Jian randomly picked a mountain peak to land on.

A bone-chilling cold permeated the frosty air, causing him to shiver.

He sat on the snow, gathering the cold energy from his spiritual sea and circulating it throughout his body.

It did not take long for him to no longer feel the cold. It was as though he had become one with the frozen world.

Fu Wangchen of the Forsaken Expanse Sect, Pang Jian thought, wiping the blood off his face and swallowing pills to replenish his blood essence.

As he waited for the pills' medicinal properties to take effect, he lay back in the snow, staring up at the mist-covered sky.

Fu Wangchen would have killed him earlier with the Divine Illumination Mirror if not for the sudden appearance of the Ice Armor Eel Dragon.

Fu Wangchen's formidable strength and Spirit Condensation Realm cultivation made Pang Jian realize just how wide the gap was between him and the top talents of the First World.

This difference was not just a matter of cultivation.

The Heavenly Roc Warship, the ancient god Dharma Idol, and the quasi-divine artifact known as the Divine Illumination Mirror meant Fu Wangchen was well-equipped enough to fight a late-stage Spirit Condensation Realm expert.

Pang Jian was still only in the Profound Abode Realm, and his defeat had not been undeserved.

The only way I'll stand a chance against Fu Wangchen is if I successfully refine my divine soul and break through to the Spirit Condensation Realm, especially now that he's lost the Heavenly Roc Warship, Pang Jian mused as he focused on healing his injuries.

As he recovered, he continued to observe the situation in Absolute Heaven through his golden bees.

The arrival of the Ice Armor Eel Dragon and the destruction of the Heavenly Roc Warship had left the once arrogant cultivators of the Forsaken Expanse Sect in utter disarray, with their morale at an all-time low.

The Ice Armor Eel Dragon inadvertently saved me this time.

Pang Jian turned his attention toward the forest and noticed Wu Yuan's frequent glances at where Pang Jian had disappeared.

Why does he keep watching me? Pang Jian frowned as he continued to observe.

Many cultivators hovered above the forest with the help of their spirit artifacts, gazing with wide eyes at the lake where the Heavenly Roc Warship had sunk and discussing the scene with a mix of fear and confusion.

"Isn't an Ice Armor Eel Dragon from the Fifth World?"

"How is a Rank Eight Ice Armor Eel Dragon in Absolute Heaven? The bizarre mist restricts cultivators with Spirit Condensation Realm and above from coming in, so could a Rank Eight Vicious Beast enter?"

"Could the Ice Armor Eel Dragon have been in Absolute Heaven all along?"

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe it came here when it was much weaker—hundreds or even thousands of years ago. Over time, it slowly strengthened its bloodline and eventually reached Rank Eight."

"No way."

"How are we supposed to return with the Heavenly Roc Warship gone and all other flying vessels destroyed?"

"Return? Worry about staying alive first!"

A growing sense of despair and hopelessness took root in the survivors after the sudden appearance of the Ice Armor Eel Dragon.

Cough! Cough! Cough!

Dong Tianze retched out large amounts of blood as he staggered away from the destroyed Black Iron Mountain and toward Zhao Yuanqi.

Zhuang Yuyan had already flown off on her sword toward a different lake where Qi Qingsong had fallen.

"Zhao Yuanqi, use that gourd to take me away. We need to find Pang Jian as soon as possible," Dong Tianze said urgently, face pale. "Pang Jian said an Outer God's corrupted Fu Wangchen. We'll all die if we stay in Absolute Heaven with him."

"Fu Wangchen says an Outer God corrupted Pang Jian, while Pang Jian claims the opposite. So, who's telling the truth?" Fang Boxuan was baffled.

Dong Tianze ignored him and stared anxiously at Zhao Yuanqi.

"Alright!" The silver-haired, black-clad girl bit her lip before tossing the gourd—with Zhou Qingchen still inside—into the air and jumping on. "Let's go!"

Dong Tianze joined her.

"I..." Fang Boxuan hesitated.

Zhao Yuanqi did not wait for him.

By the time Fang Boxuan started shouting, the gourd was already far from the forest, heading toward the lake where Qi Qingsong had fallen.

"Someone's after me. Hurry," Dong Tianze whispered from behind Zhao Yuanqi.

The crimson gourd accelerated, releasing clusters of radiant light and increasing its speed in the blink of an eye.

Not long after, they arrived at the lake.

Zhuang Yuyan and Qi Qingsong stood on a floating log on the lake's surface.

"I'm glad the two of you're alright." Zhao Yuanqi sighed in relief.

"Where's Fang Boxuan?" Zhuang Yuyan asked.

"Don't mention him," Zhao Yuanqi replied coldly. "He hesitated when we were leaving, so I didn't bother waiting for him."

***

Back in the forest, a rogue cultivator in the Spirit Condensation Realm approached the area where the Sword Pavilion's group had previously gathered.

He watched the gourd disappear into the distance with a gloomy expression.

"Ling He, what are you doing here?" Qiao Zhen asked curiously.

"Just wanted to chat with you," Ling He, the Spirit Condensation Realm rogue cultivator, said as he casually sat down. "So, who do you think is corrupted—Fu Wangchen or Pang Jian?"

"Our Qiao Clan serves the Sword Pavilion, and Pang Jian is the Pavilion Master's personal disciple. I have no choice but to believe him," Qiao Zhen replied.

"So, an Outer God is slowly corrupting Fu Wangchen from the Forsaken Expanse Sect," Ling He mused, rubbing his chin. "If that's true, everyone in Absolute Heaven could die here.

"I think it's best to keep hiding."

With that, he left the forest, not wanting to associate with the others.

That rogue cultivator, Ling He, is the most likely hidden Divine Guard, Pang Jian thought as he stopped watching the forest through the golden bees.

Once he confirmed that Dong Tianze and Qi Qingsong had met up, and Qi Qingsong was unharmed, he could finally relax and focus on healing his injuries.

Pang Jian's incredible self-healing abilities and the life energy from the eight Leaves of Life meant his wounds mended rapidly.

As he recovered, he devoured the blood and meat of a Rank Six Vicious Beast to replenish his depleted blood essence.

Time passed, and his condition soon improved.

One day, a thunderous cheer erupted from the peak of a snowy mountain.

"Ice Demon!"

"Ice Demon!"

"Ice Demon!"

A crowd chanted.

Pang Jian was jolted awake. Standing up, he walked to the summit and squinted in the direction of the sound.

Foreign race warriors with bodies made of glistening ice stood on the top of the tallest mountain in the area, waving ice spears, spikes, and cold blades as they cheered loudly in celebration.

An enormous ice fortress rested at the summit, with a tall altar rising from its center.

Around the altar stood six massive ice pillars, each engraved with unknown runes and symbols.

It was the same altar the one-eyed giants had once used to communicate with the Ice Demon!

The large, crystalline heart on the altar emitted an icy white mist.

Most of the mist drifted into the sky to merge with the thin layer of mist shrouding the land that Pang Jian had passed through earlier.

Several hazy figures sat motionless on the edges of the altar.

Foreign race warriors with glistening ice bodies knelt in the square below the altar, worshiping the crystalline heart. The cold mist gradually engulfed them, making it seem like they were undergoing a divine baptism.

An ice fortress with a group of foreign race warriors chanting ‘Ice Demon' in a language similar to human speech...

Pang Jian tried to use the golden bees outside to survey the fragmented land.

However, the golden bees could see nothing on the mist-covered fragmented land besides snowy peaks and glaciers.

There was no sign of the cheering foreign race warriors from the outside, and the golden bees could see neither the fortress atop the mountain nor the massive crystalline heart.

The cold white mist must act like an illusion, preventing those outside from seeing what's actually within, Pang Jian realized.

There's a dense concentration of divine consciousness in that crystalline heart, the Bee Sovereign abruptly told Pang Jian.

Startled, Pang Jian connected with the Bee Sovereign and saw it had taken on a new form atop the beehive.

With its transparent wings folded, the Bee Sovereign's elongated body appeared vaguely humanoid, and its face had undergone a remarkable change, resembling that of a cold, stern young man.

He bore a striking resemblance to Pang Jian, with roughly sixty to seventy percent similarity.

The Bee Sovereign exuded a cold and eerie aura.

Surprised, Pang Jian asked, "What's with your appearance?"

I can transform and take on a human appearance, just like the Spirit Beasts of the Abyss, the Bee Sovereign said proudly. It's not complete yet, but after a few more evolutions, I'll be able to fully refine my entire body into one that more closely resembles a human.

If we can reach that heart and extract the divine consciousness within, I'll be able to nurture more bees and undergo a transformative breakthrough.

As for you, Master, you'll gain enough divine sense to forge your divine soul.

Pang Jian's spirit surged as he asked, "What else do you know? That man said you're called Nether Abyss Spirit Bees and that you feed on the divine consciousness of Outer Gods. Do you know what you truly are?"

The Bee Sovereign's human-like face darkened. I don't know what I am or where I came from. All I know is that I must continue evolving and transforming to unlock the sealed memories within me.

Master, we are destined to rise together.

My small golden bees and I are still too fragile. We can only feed on things with divine consciousness, but that'll change as I evolve.

Please help me, Master.

The Bee Sovereign stood atop the beehive and pondered for a moment.

There's an area in this restricted area that would be perfect for the beehive. Once this restricted area is safe, you could consider placing the beehive there.

But, Master, I'll need another breakthrough before I can leave this pendant with the beehive.

Pang Jian hesitated.

The Bee Sovereign had gained spiritual awareness much faster than the Giant Abyssal Serpent, the World Eater Vine, and the black turtle, forming a complete and independent personality in the blink of an eye.

"Let's think about this carefully," Pang Jian said.