Trials of the Abyss

Massive banners fluttered fiercely in the wind at the edge of the Demon Abyss. Their white fabric was adorned with bold black characters for "Demon" alongside blood-colored hearts—the unmistakable emblems of the Demon Heart Sect.

Underneath some of these banners sat disciples of the Demon Heart Sect, clad in white robes marked with the same black "Demon" characters and blood-colored hearts.

They remained vigilant, guarding against outsiders attempting to breach the defensive arrays and enter the Demon Abyss.

More worrisome, however, was the possibility of those who had succumbed to cultivation deviation emerging from the Demon Abyss and wreaking havoc upon the world.

Defensive arrays surrounded the Demon Abyss, with disciples from various branches of the Demon Sect guarding each one.

At the moment, it was noon, and the sun blazed overhead.

The towering banners, each a hundred zhang tall, cast long, twisting shadows over the forest under the radiant sun as they swayed in the wind.

"The murky energy is still surging upward. If it truly spreads to the Second World, the Demon Abyss Continent will inevitably become a primary target for the Demon Scale Race," said a Demon Heart Sect disciple in the Spirit Condensation Realm.

He glanced at the Demon Abyss behind him, his face filled with worry.

"We could face complete annihilation if the Demon Scale Race conquers this continent and seizes the Demon Abyss.

"Something seems wrong with the demonic stone lately. I've been feeling anxious and unsettled, like signs I'm succumbing to inner demons."

Every disciple of the Demon Sect understood that their demonic techniques and secret arts were derived from the demonic stone buried deep within the Demon Abyss.

It was not an exaggeration to say that they had stolen the Demon Scale Race's treasure.

They had used the demonic stone to adapt forbidden techniques originally belonging to the different demonic races into methods suitable for human cultivation.

Unfortunately, this path came with a heavy cost. They constantly fought the interference of inner demons and endured countless trials in forging their unique path of cultivation.

The fact that these demonic techniques and secret arts did not originate from the human race was likely the reason that disciples of the Demon Sect often succumbed to cultivation deviation and died.

Among all the factions in the Abyss, the Demon Sect had the highest number of mysterious deaths during training.

Statistics within the sect showed that, since its founding, more disciples had died from cultivation deviation than from any other cause.

Even the combined losses from battles against other sects or clashes with the foreign races of the Fifth World could not surpass the fatalities from cultivation deviation.

In the early days of the sect, two-thirds of those cultivating demonic techniques died prematurely during cultivation.

This percentage was significantly reduced through generations of effort as the wise forebears of the Demon Sect continuously refined and adjusted the demonic techniques.

Now, only about one in four disciples died prematurely while cultivating demonic techniques.

Another disciple sighed deeply. "Both our companions, Wang Hai and Fan Yue, died while attempting breakthroughs in the past three months.

"I was supposed to advance to the Soul Wandering Realm myself, but now I'm too afraid to try. I think the recent surge in deaths from cultivation deviations could have something to do with that demonic stone."

The disciples were chatting idly when the banners' shadows suddenly twisted, transforming into figures of the Demon Gods in the starry skies.

Some Demon Gods had three heads and six arms or bore enormous bone wings on their backs. Others were shaped like razor-sharp blades and exuded a sinister, bloodthirsty aura.

Footsteps echoed as the Demon Gods emerged from the shadows. A graceful figure with a blade on her back strode toward the disciples of the Demon Heart Sect from a distance.

Each step she took seemed to tread upon their hearts.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Hearts exploded in rapid succession.

The disciples of the Demon Heart Sect did not even have time to process the situation before they all dropped dead.

"Homeland, sacred ground."

Xuan Ying removed her veil, revealing her beautiful face. Her silver-robed figure seemed to float effortlessly above the ground as she passed through the defensive arrays and reached the Demon Abyss.

A massive crater, spanning thousands of li, lay before her eyes.

No light could penetrate the depths, even at noon, when the sun was brightest and most intense. An unseen force at the upper edge of the Demon Abyss blocked the sunlight from passing through.

The massive Demon Abyss was shrouded in a greenish-black veil, completely obscuring its interior.

Xuan Ying took a deep breath, removed the serrated blade from her back, and knelt at the edge of the Demon Abyss.

Performing an ancient ritual, she bowed in reverence and murmured a chant under her breath, "My ancestors were born here and my blood is etched into this land. I will follow the guidance of my lineage and honor the source of the blood's imprint."

With that, she gripped the hilt of her blade with one hand, stood upright, and leaped into the Demon Abyss.

The greenish-black barrier did not resist her whatsoever.

A profound sense of returning home surged within her the instant she passed through it. At that moment, she truly understood that the Demon Abyss—and the demonic stone that created it—was the origin of her bloodline.

***

On the other side of the Demon Abyss, Wu Yuan and Pang Jian passed Demon Sect disciples guarding the area.

"Junior Brother Wu, this way."

"Greetings, Junior Brother Wu."

"Junior Brother, are you planning to enter the Demon Abyss?"

"Why now?"

Disciples of the Demon Sect and protectors with advanced cultivation realms greeted Wu Yuan with deep respect.

The Purple Demon Eye in Wu Yuan's possession clearly indicated that Sect Master Xiang Shengwei had already decided on Wu Yuan as his successor.

Barring unforeseen events, the future of the Demon Sect would rest in Wu Yuan's hands.

When faced with their future leader, the disciples and protectors of the Demon Sect naturally dared not display any negligence.

Although they noticed Pang Jian, recognizably a Sword Pavilion disciple from the sword token hanging from his waist, walking alongside Wu Yuan, they all pretended not to see it.

Wu Yuan's expression remained blank as he ignored the greetings entirely. It was as if no one else existed in his eyes.

Wu Yuan led Pang Jian through the guarded region, and it was not long before someone finally recognized the Sword Pavilion disciple.

"That's Pang Jian!" a disciple exclaimed in shock. "I joined the battle in the Third World and have seen the scenes from the Celestial Profound Mirror. He's Li Zhaotian's disciple!"

The crowd erupted in astonished conversations.

The Demon Sect had long been the most powerful human faction in the Second World, boasting several powerhouses at the peak of the Immortal Realm with even more cultivators just slightly below that.

In contrast, the Sword Pavilion had only one peak Immortal Realm powerhouse—Li Zhaotian.

The Demon Sect undeniably surpassed the Sword Pavilion in overall strength.

However, in individual combat prowess, Li Zhaotian was still universally acknowledged as the strongest Immortal Realm cultivator.

After his battle with Li Bai, the Patriarch of the Demon Scale Race, Li Zhaotian's charisma and combat prowess became even more acclaimed than before.

His personal disciple, Pang Jian, had risen to fame soon after.

Pang Jian had single-handedly killed the Divine Son of the Radiant Race, Lie Yi, after all the human cultivators had retreated from the Cosmic Skies Continent. This feat catapulted his fame to near-equal standing with his master, Li Zhaotian.

As a result, Pang Jian became recognized as someone of equal standing with extraordinary geniuses like Li Yuqing of the Divine Treasure Sect's Li Family.

The rivalry between the Sword Pavilion and the Demon Sect had persisted for generations. Both sects vied for the qualification to ascend to the First World and the position of True God.

It was already unexpected to see Wu Yuan lead Pang Jian deep into Demon Sect territory. His apparent intention to take Pang Jian into the Demon Abyss—a place where even most Demon Sect disciples were forbidden to enter—was nothing short of shocking.

Rumors spread like wildfire, and it did not take long for them to reach the elders of the Demon Sect.

Even Sect Master Xiang Shengwei was informed.

In the heart of the Demon Sect's territory lay many shadowy pits that, when viewed from above, resembled sinister, watchful eyes. They bore an uncanny similarity to the Observer, the Outer God that the Nether Demon Race worshiped, with its hole-riddled banner.

These pits were man-made, vast in number, and scattered across the land.

The Demon Sect's main base resided within these shadowy pits, each belonging to a branch of the sect.

The Demon Abyss was a hundred li to the northeast of said pits and was situated behind some of the Demon Sect's strongholds.

Within one of these dark pits, Sect Master Xiang Shengwei held a talisman in his hand, addressing three elders who, like him, were in the peak of the Immortal Realm.

Xiang Shengwei was a towering figure with striking violet eyes. It was not known whether he had been born with unusually colored eyes or if they had been altered through demonic techniques.

"Times are changing," he said calmly. "If not for the relentless advance of the foreign races from the lower worlds, the Sword Pavilion would be our greatest threat—the rival we had to suppress.

"But the Abyss needs a Sword God now.

"It would be a great blessing if Li Zhaotian successfully advanced to the True God Realm.

"All the Sword Gods throughout history have fought valiantly against the top-ranked warriors of the foreign races. They brought hope in the human race's darkest hours. But how many of them met a good end?

"Li Zhaotian is the strongest opponent I've faced in my life. He surpasses me when it comes to individual strength. I've never denied that.

"We need to set aside our sectarian rivalries in these perilous times for the human race.

"Wu Yuan leading Pang Jian into the Demon Abyss reflects our stance and serves as a signal to the outside world: the Sword Pavilion and the Demon Sect are both pillars of the human race, and we will join forces against the foreign races!" Xiang Shengwei declared.

The three peak Immortal Realm elders nodded in agreement, unable to argue against the greater cause he presented.

***

Pang Jian stood at the edge of the Demon Abyss, gazing into the greenish-black abyss below with the black-gold Abyssal Demon Sword firmly in his hand.

The Abyssal Demon's fragmented demonic wills stirred to life within the sword.

A faint aura of revival came from the world inside the sword as clusters of demonic clouds, light, and flames became more active.

Simply being near the Demon Abyss seemed to accelerate the Abyssal Demon Sword's recovery.

Pang Jian did not even need to step into the Demon Abyss for the Abyssal Demon to recover. Standing on the edge for a few days seemed enough for it to reassemble its scattered consciousnesses.

"The Abyssal Demon originated from below," Wu Yuan explained as if sensing Pang Jian's thoughts. "Mo Nan of the Demon Sword Sect once knelt in pilgrimage before the demonic stone. He somehow connected with the Abyssal Demon and created this Abyssal Demon Sword.

"I come from the Heavenly Demon Sect. The demonic technique I cultivate is called the Demon Stone Art. It's the ultimate technique of our sect. Even the Sect Master, Xiang Shengwei, hasn't been able to master it. It's why your master, Li Zhaotian, has always overshadowed him in individual combat prowess."

Pang Jian was intrigued. "Is this technique really that difficult to cultivate?"

"It's not just difficult—it's selective," Wu Yuan clarified. "Or more precisely, the demonic stone chooses its cultivators. I can cultivate the Demon Stone Art because it chose me.

"Cultivators of this art are destined to become the leader of the Demon Sect—provided they don't die prematurely.

"I knew I would be the future leader of the Demon Sect when the demonic stone chose me. I was also certain I would surpass Sect Master Xiang Shengwei," Wu Yuan said matter-of-factly.

There was no trace of arrogance or pride in his words. It was as if he were merely stating an indisputable truth.