Trials of the Abyss-Chapter 643: "Fishing Out" the Corruption

A divine presence was said to have once graced the perilous Godfall Mountain on the First Continent of the Fifth World. To this day, lightning and thunder still occasionally rumbled from its deep valleys.

Atop Godfall Mountain, a transformation was taking place within Pang Jian's dantian.

Seven fragmented lands, each crystallized from refined murky energy, floated above the darkness within his dantian.

The golden mountain, fiery pool, ice pool, valley, lightning vortex, forest, and lake, previously already separated from the fragmented land of crystallized spiritual power, integrated with the seven fragmented lands after absorbing the lingering power of the six Fey Emperors and the dead World Tree.

The five elements, lightning, and cold manifested as sprawling landscapes on the seven fragmented lands.

Radiant golden peaks, blazing volcanoes, frozen wastelands, endless forests, vast seas, and lightning that danced through the skies appeared.

The manifestations of these seven energies were not strictly divided but intertwined across the fragmented lands, merging in a chaotic yet natural balance.

The only difference between the seven fragmented lands lay in which energy held greater dominance on each.

Some were filled with golden mountains or volcanoes, while others had vast seas or dense forests.

This all mirrored the seven continents of the Fifth World with remarkable accuracy.

No continent was formed from a single element, and the composition of murky energy across them varied greatly.

These seven fragmented lands within Pang Jian's dantian hovered above the darkness, and below the greenish-black sea of demonic energy.

The fragmented land of crystalline spiritual power, on the other hand, lay above the sea of demonic energy.

Above that was a brilliant stretch of the starry skies, illuminating the vast space with shimmering stars, bright moons, and a scorching sun.

The five elements, lightning, cold, the sun, the moons, the stars, darkness, and demonic energy, each had a corresponding presence within his dantian.

These manifestations were arranged in a manner that aligned with a greater cosmic order.

As Pang Jian stood atop Godfall Mountain, he instinctively peered at the sky.

He had never truly passed through the sky of the Fifth World. Every time he went to the Fifth World, it had been through instantaneous teleportation via either the Gate of the Abyss or a Mirror Tunnel.

As he gazed at the dark, oppressive sky above, however, he had the abrupt realization that it was saturated with dense demonic energy, like within his dantian!

A greenish-black sea of demonic energy rested above the seven fragmented lands in his dantian like a shadowy firmament.

Similarly, the force that separated the Fifth World from the Fourth World was a sky of demonic energy. This was the reason the dim light from the Fourth World could not penetrate the Fifth World.

Pang Jian had finally elevated his dantian to a new level after traversing across the seven continents of the Fifth World, absorbing the lingering imprints of the Fey Emperors and the World Tree, and ceaselessly devouring the surrounding murky energy.

At that moment, he felt something...stir.

Pang Jian felt like an unseen force within the darkness had locked onto him, like he had stepped into a strange order tied to some higher law.

A strange "Heavenly Dao" had noticed him and seemed to be evaluating him as a candidate.

A gray radiance surged from the darkness beneath the Fifth World toward his body!

It was as though Pang Jian's presence had drawn forth this gray radiance from the darkness!

The aura of this radiance was boundless and carried an extremely concentrated power. It was also hurtling straight toward him.

A cluster of Corruption?

Pang Jian's mind reeled in shock.

Not only was he human, but he had also already ascended to godhood. His divine soul had fused with Fortune to become tangible.

Moreover, he had neither the heart of a foreign race warrior nor any crystal bloodline chains!

Why is this ethereal gray radiance responding to me? It's supposed to be the force that allows Rank Nine foreign race warriors in the Fifth World to break through to Rank Ten.

Is it because of the seven fragmented lands of murky energy in my dantian?

Will absorbing this Corruption create a conflict within my body? What will it mean for my Immortal Divine Soul in the future?

Can I really assimilate this strange energy into my body?

A flurry of thoughts flashed through Pang Jian's mind like lightning.

As the gray ethereal radiance was about to break free from the darkness, he hesitated briefly, then left the First Continent and silently flew toward the bizarre mist.

The bizarre mist felt increasingly like a sanctuary to him.

In the bizarre mist, his connection to his Immortal Divine Soul was sharper, and he retained the ability to traverse freely into different abysses.

He could also evade the prying eyes of the foreign race powerhouses and teleport instantly to the black turtle and the Giant Abyssal Serpent on the Resolute Expanse.

***

The Rank Ten foreign race powerhouses were deep in discussion on the Dark Abyss Continent, strategizing their next move, when they sensed something amiss.

"Another surge of Corruption?" Jing Sha froze, eyes flickering with surprise as she turned to Sha Jia. "Is there anyone among your Celestial Race capable of absorbing this Corruption?"

The gray radiance had surged from the darkness below, its trajectory set for the First Continent.

The only Rank Ten powerhouse on the First Continent was Sha Jia. Naturally, this meant the Celestial Race held absolute control over the continent.

Thus, when Jing Sha saw the trajectory of the gray radiance, she assumed that Sha Jia had secretly kept a Rank Nine warrior in the Fifth World in preparation for an ascension to Rank Ten.

With the deaths of Li Bai, Wu Bei, Chi Feng, and Jiu Luo, there was now an abundance of Corruption available.

There were eight clusters of Corruption in total for the foreign races, but at this time, only Sha Jia, Lie Yang, Ah Man, Qi Xu, and Jing Sha herself remained.

The ascension of the World Eater Vine and the Giant Abyssal Serpent did not fall within the eight designated clusters of Corruption for the foreign races. As a result, two still remained even after Mu Yuan of the Wood Race had successfully claimed one.

Each Rank Ten foreign race powerhouse had candidates in mind for these final two clusters and was already making secret preparations.

Unexpectedly, one of the two remaining clusters was suddenly drawn from the darkness, capturing everyone's immediate attention.

"No one in my Celestial Race is qualified to break through to Rank Ten in such a short time," Sha Jia replied, equally perplexed. She then turned to Lie Yang and asked, "Could it be someone from your Radiant Race ascending on my First Continent?"

Lie Yang shook his head. "I can't think of anyone."

"Regardless of who it is, this is good news," the Fire God said brightly. "Anyone capable of attracting Corruption will be as powerful as the rest of you.

"Qi Xu, go to the Fifth World and check it out. Report back once you find out who it is."

"I'll go at once."

With a slight smirk, Qi Xu of the Flame Race transformed into a blazing meteor and shot down toward the Fifth World.

***

Pang Jian had only just entered the bizarre mist when he caught sight of the ethereal gray radiance streaking toward him like a bolt of lightning.

This Corruption, capable of elevating a foreign race warrior to Rank Ten, shot directly into his forehead, appearing within his sea of consciousness.

The gray radiance then abruptly halted, scanning its surroundings in confusion.

At the moment, Pang Jian's sea of consciousness held only strands of divine sense and no divine soul.