Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 324: Erasing Divine Consciousness!

The Ice Race warriors riding Spirit Avians surrounded Pang Jian at the wreckage of the Bright Moon Race's warship.

Two Ice Race warriors, as sharp and cold as ice spears, stood on either side of Pang Jian like his personal guards.

A chill crept into Zhao Yuanqi's heart. "Have you ever considered that—"

Before she could finish, Dong Tianze, Qi Qingsong, and Zhou Qingchen shot excitedly toward the warship's wreckage.

They had left without hesitation.

The silver-haired girl was stunned.

At that moment, she realized how deeply the three trusted Pang Jian.

"Are you worried that an Outer God had corrupted him?" The exhausted Zhuang Yuyan asked with a smile. "If Pang Jian hadn't appeared, we wouldn't have escaped the Bright Moon Race's pursuit, nor would we stand a chance against the Ice Race.

"Even if an Outer God has influenced him, he just saved our lives."

Zhuang Yuyan then rose into the air on her spirit sword.

Only Zhao Yuanqi and Wu Yuan remained on the gourd.

Like Zhao Yuanqi, his relationship with Pang Jian was too shallow to foster full trust, and he too harbored some doubts after seeing the reverence the Ice Race showed Pang Jian.

"She's right, at least we're alive." Zhao Yuanqi sighed, concerns easing slightly as she followed the others.

Meanwhile, Fifth Elder Bing Ying raised a thick ice wall at the wreckage of the Bright Moon Race's warship.

"Hold on!" he shouted. "He's investigating the secret of the God the Bright Moon Race worships at a small altar aboard the warship. Please wait."

Qi Qingsong saw lights flashing inside the broken warship's hull.

It was like a full moon was bursting with light, and someone was extracting its power.

"Alright, we'll wait," Zhuang Yuyan replied with a calm smile. "As long as Pang Jian is safe."

"Pang Jian..." Bing Ying thoughtfully repeated the name and then said with a serious expression, "He's the most honored guest of our Ice Race. Our fate is now closely tied to him. Rest assured, we will not act foolishly!"

"The most honored..." Zhao Yuanqi carefully observed the cautious Ice Race warriors from where she trailed behind.

The Ice Race valued Pang Jian immensely and treated him with the utmost respect.

The Ice Race, with their two Rank Seven and over a dozen Rank Six warriors, was a formidable force—especially in a world restricted by the laws of heaven.

With the Ice Race at his beck and call, Pang Jian could as he pleased in the Forbidden Land of the Thunder God, the fiery fragmented land, and even Absolute Heaven.

Fu Wangchen of the Forsaken Expanse Sect, Jiang Chao of the Celestial Lagoon Sect, and Wu Yuan of the Demon Sect could not possibly stand against such a Pang Jian.

Even the foreign races in the other three fragmented lands likely could not!

***

Pang Jian gazed at the two broken halves of the crescent-shaped altar inside the torn warship.

Touching the cold crystal block, he asked, "Is this the Bright Moon Race's altar?"

Bing Ji nodded. "Yes. Some Bright Moon Race members invaded our Frozen Land before. They worship the Moon God. This altar was likely used to communicate with her."

Bing Yun added, "Thankfully, it's been destroyed."

Fifth Elder Bing Ying had tasked Bing Ji and Bing Yun with protecting Pang Jian, and neither held back their knowledge about the Bright Moon Race when asked.

"Most foreign races have similar altars to communicate with their worshiped Gods." Pang Jian nodded thoughtfully.

As the Ice Race continued to hunt down the Bright Moon Race with Bing Yuan and Bing Ying at the lead, Pang Jian placed his hand on the crescent-shaped altar and silently activated the Qi Nurturing Divine Cauldron Art.

"Absorb!"

Pure lunar energy flowed from the fractured crescent altar into his dantian.

However, it did not fully merge with the gradually expanding full moon.

Whoosh!

A crescent moon materialized in Pang Jian's dantian from the pure lunar energy.

A second moon has formed!

One full moon and one crescent moon shone brightly in Pang Jian's dantian.

Suddenly, a vast divine consciousness surged from the crescent moon like an endless ocean.

"Outsider!"

A crisp, commanding voice echoed from both the shattered altar under Pang Jian's hand and the crescent moon inside his dantian.

An ethereal figure appeared within the crystal block beneath Pang Jian's hand.

It was an Outer God.

Her smooth, broad forehead was filled with mysterious lunar marks—full moons, crescents, and waning moons.

She had breathtaking features and her magnificent silver divine robes were adorned with continuously waxing and waning moons.

While resting atop a crescent moon, she had sensed one of her altars shattering and felt someone drawing the lunar energy within.

When she focused her attention on the affected altar, she witnessed the Ice Race slaughtering the Bright Moon Race under Pang Jian's command.

"You dare kill my subjects!" The Outer God sat upright on her crescent moon and locked onto Pang Jian across an infinite span of space and time.

Her pupils transformed into a full moon and a waning moon respectively. Then, releasing a divine radiance that seemed to pierce through the ages, she pinpointed Pang Jian's exact location!

A sense of foreboding filled Pang Jian as the two moons in his dantian rapidly expanded.

It was like the divine consciousness of the Moon God was invading his dantian and threatening to burst it apart.

Pang Jian instinctively knew his soul would be torn to shreds if the two moons exploded!

The only thing that can counter her divine consciousness is my divine sense!

His three thousand strands of divine sense appeared in his dantian and transformed into three thousand golden waterfalls that enveloped the two moons.

Eradicate her consciousness!

The three thousand strands of divine sense morphed into golden swords, lightning bolts, and long blades. His weaponized divine sense cut down all the foreign energy from the Moon God Pang Jian could detect!

So, you want to descend your divine consciousness through this altar and obliterate me?

Outer Gods like you can't physically reach this world. What can mere fragments of divine consciousness accomplish?

Pang Jian's cold, resolute will resonated from every golden sword, every streak of golden lightning, and every sharp long blade.

He could sense his divine sense gradually erasing the intrusive will of the other higher being.

It did not take long for the will of the Outer God to be completely eradicated.

The shattered altar crumbled into dust and crystal powder once its lunar energy dissipated.

Only tiny threads of light, devoid of will, lingered in Pang Jian's dantian.

These threads were the pure divine essence left behind after Pang Jian erased the Outer God's will.

Whoosh!

Pang Jian's slightly weakened strands of golden divine sense gathered and merged with the divine essence to replenish their energy.

An Outer God's divine consciousness contains two parts, Pang Jian realized. Divine essence and will. Divine essence is pure soul essence and will is the Outer God's thoughts and intentions.

Once the will was removed, all that remained was pure soul essence.

Cultivators could absorb divine essence to form true divine sense.

His golden divine sense had formed after refining away the will of the Outer God, turning the divine essence that remained into something that was solely his own.

The late Li Yuanchen and Fu Wangchen from the Forsaken Expanse Sect had also refined the divine consciousness of Outer Gods, first removing their will before absorbing the pure divine essence.

This meant Qi Qingsong, Zhou Qingchen, and the others could also do the same.

"Qi Qingsong!" Pang Jian called out.

"What's up?" Qi Qingsong shouted back from outside.

"Come here."

"On my way!" Qi Qingsong soon arrived at the ruined altar. When he saw Bing Ji and Bing Yun guarding the area, he asked, "What's going on?"

"Try refining a thread of divine essence."

A strand of golden divine sense carried the divine essence of the Moon God into Qi Qingsong's sea of consciousness.

Although instinctively fearful and hesitant, Qi Qingsong trusted Pang Jian deeply and allowed the golden light to enter.

Qi Qingsong's one hundred strands of divine sense in his sea of consciousness were all light blue.

These strands gathered in the shape of a sword.

Upon closer inspection, Pang Jian realized the sword resembled the Blue Dream Sword.

"This divine essence no longer contains an Outer God's will. Try refining it," Pang Jian instructed, leaving behind the glowing thread and withdrawing from Qi Qingsong's sea of consciousness.

Qi Qingsong's face lit up with excitement, and he immediately sat down to refine the pure divine essence with his soul techniques.

Pang Jian quietly stood guard over him the entire time.

After about a quarter of an hour, Qi Qingsong's eyes opened.

He broke into a broad grin and laughed heartily, "Haha! I've gained an extra strand of divine sense—one imbued with divine essence! Pang Jian, you were right!

"Divine sense infused with divine essence does not comply with the established cultivation laws and constraints!

"Ahem!" Qi Qingsong cleared his throat and shamelessly asked, "Got any more?"

"There's a bit left."

"Hurry, give it to me!" Qi Qingsong lowered his voice, eyes shifty as he said, "Pang Jian, I should get some perks first with the bond we share, right? Zhou Qingchen's only at the early stage of the Profound Abode Realm and doesn't have enough strength to refine divine essence."

"Alright."

Another strand of golden divine sense entered Qi Qingsong's sea of consciousness, leaving behind six more threads of divine essence.

Meanwhile, Second Elder Bing Yuan had finished dealing with the remaining Bright Moon Race warriors. The victorious Ice Race returned, with some of their Rank FIve warriors even achieving breakthroughs.

"Bing Ying, cold energy can merge with some types of foreign energies, like lunar energy and lightning. If we can merge these energies into our bloodline, we could break through," Bing Yuan said excitedly. Then, raising his voice, he called, "Honored guest!"

"His name is Pang Jian," Bing Ying corrected.

"I see, Lord Pang Jian." Bing Yuan nodded in understanding before raising his voice once more. "Lord Pang Jian, we've finished here. We're ready to enter the Forbidden Land of the Thunder God."

"Good."