Chapter 344: The Merging of Multiple Fragmented Lands

On a Sword Boat in the Second World, Qi Qingsong and Zhuang Yuyan frowned at their sword tokens in deep thought.

"Let's hold off on contacting the sect for now," Zhuang Yuyan suggested. Turning to Wu Yuan, Dong Tianze, Zhou Qingchen, and Zhao Yuanqi, she added, "We should get our story straight so we don't contradict each other.

"We should say as little as possible about Little Junior Brother. We know next to nothing about the Heart of Winter, the Thunder Pool, the Divine Court of Thunder, or the Nether Abyss Spirit Bees.

"We can tell the truth about everything else, like matters involving the foreign races.

"We'll claim we heard about the grand event and impending catastrophe that will befall the Abyss from other foreign race warriors. We'll also act as though we know nothing about the Thunderveil Godbeast," the cautious Zhuang Yuyan instructed.

"I'll just say I fainted and didn't know what was happening. You can handle telling the sect all this," Zhao Yuanqi said, glancing at Zhou Qingchen. "You seem good at making things up."

"Sure, I'll explain it to the sect," Zhou Qingchen agreed.

"Wu Yuan, the Demon Sect will likely question you harshly. You won't have any problems, right?" Zhuang Yuyan asked. The one she was the most worried about was the genius of the Demon Sect.

Wu Yuan expressionlessly replied, "I'm very tight-lipped. You'll see."

"Good. If you deviate from what we agree on, we'll all testify against you. We'll say you killed Fu Wangchen, massacred everyone from the Forsaken Expanse Sect, and that an Outer God has corrupted your soul!" Qi Qingsong growled. "And most importantly, that you're the one who killed Chen Lushi."

Wu Yuan's face darkened and he fell into silence.

***

Beneath the sea of massive boulders in the Third World, the Resolute Expanse was slowly merging with Frozen Thunder under the power of the black turtle.

As the fragmented lands merged, the spiritual qi from the Resolute Expanse started to flow into Frozen Thunder.

How marvelous!

the black turtle admired, having arrived before the mysterious lightning vein.

Whoosh!

The black turtle's dense blood essence spread outward as it used its innate divine abilities to study the lightning vein.

I can't fully see through its mysteries, but this is incredible. It's going to greatly benefit me!

The black turtle was overjoyed.

The Forbidden Land of the Thunder God had originally been located in the Thunder Abyss, under the control of the Duke of Thunder.

The Thunder Pool had once been buried deep within the Forbidden Land of the Thunder God, allowing the fragmented land to gather lightning no matter where it drifted.

After the Thunder Pool was unearthed, the Forbidden Land of the Thunder God lost its ability to gather lightning and it was assumed that all its hidden mysteries had been uncovered.

Unexpectedly, the black turtle discovered a special lightning vein deep underground while merging with it.

Noticing the black turtle's excitement, Pang Jian explained,

This fragmented land isn't from the Abyss.

A fragmented land containing the mysteries of lightning from the outer worlds?

The black turtle exclaimed in shock.

It's not just this one. The other frozen one also isn't from the Abyss.

You brought back two fragmented lands from the outer worlds? This could lead to a breakthrough for me!

The black turtle's power seeped into the Frozen Land and discovered veins containing the mysteries of the cold, deposits of frigid iron, and collections of ice crystals beneath the glaciers and snow-capped peaks.

This entire fragmented land is a treasure trove!

The black turtle cried out in excitement.

The spirit vein extended and its aura spread as the black turtle brought Frozen Thunder under its control.

As an Earth Spirit, the black turtle could perceive the mysteries of the land and reveal all the hidden wonders of the Frozen Land and the Forbidden Land of the Thunder God.

The black turtle could uncover things that even Pang Jian, the wielder of the Heart of Winter, could not detect.

Pang Jian observed the frigid earth beneath the glaciers and snow-capped peaks through the black turtle.

Silver-bright iron deposits and glowing blocks of frigid ice crystal brimmed with pure, concentrated cold energy.

Several ice veins lay deep within the Frozen Land, connected to the Heart of Winter on the altar.

Whoosh!

Pang Jian summoned the Heart of Winter, causing it to fly off the altar and settle at the bottom of his ice pool in his spiritual sea.

The link between the Heart of Winter and the Frozen Land made his perception through the black turtle more vivid than before.

The crystal-clear veins were connected to the snow-capped peaks, glaciers, and ice lakes of the Frozen Land, forming a mystical domain of ice.

This allowed the fragmented land to naturally absorb cold energy beyond the Frozen Land.

The entire Frozen Land is a divine domain that the Ice Demon laid out! The Heart of Winter acts as the array core, while the snow-capped peaks, glaciers, and ice lakes form the components of a divine array!

Cold energy is dispersed throughout everything, including the ice veins, frigid iron, and ice crystals.

With the Heart of Winter, I can command all the power buried within this fragmented land as long as I'm in it.

It's like controlling a massive, mystical array.

Pang Jian's understanding deepened.

He then turned his thoughts to the Thunder Pool, which also rested in his spiritual sea.

The Heart of Winter and the Thunder Pool are completely different.

The Thunder Pool concentrates the lightning accumulated over millennia in one place. If I take the Thunder Pool away, the Forbidden Land of the Thunder God will lose its mysteries.

That is, unless the lightning vein beneath the fragmented land accumulates enough power over time to attract lightning on its own and the sky of the Forbidden Land of the Thunder God becomes filled with suspended lightning once more.

Pang Jian silently pondered over the two artifacts.

The Heart of Winter could only exert its full power in the Frozen Land, and its strength plummeted outside of it.

The Thunder Pool, however, was different.

As long as he could comprehend the mysteries within the Lightning Dao Seals, he could unleash the limitless power of the Thunder Pool regardless of where he was.

But that lion-tiger-hybrid creature is near the Abyss, and it can sense when the Thunder Pool leaves my spiritual sea. If it can sense it, then the ancient Thunder Dragon can undoubtedly sense it too...

Pang Jian's golden divine soul appeared and settled atop the Thunder Pool.

He then attempted to sense the Thunder Dragon through the Thunder Pool.

The Thunder Pool locked onto a surge of violent lightning deep within the Sacred Soul Continent in the Second World, at the heart of the Dragon Lair Sect!

Just as I thought!

Pang Jian's mind trembled.

The Thunder Pool could sense and locate Thunder Gods within a certain range.

If I become a True God, or even just reach the Immortal Realm, I could refine this Thunder Pool and use it to restrain the ancient Thunder Dragon!

With the Thunder Pool, I can play a role in slaying that Thunder Dragon, but until then, I need to ensure its existence remains hidden.

Pang Jian suddenly felt relieved that Chen Lushi, Lu Jie, and the others had left on a warship.

While in the vast bizarre mist, he had not seen any sign of Chen Lushi or the others through the golden bees. Their warship was likely lost again, with everyone on board meeting a slow demise.

Qi Qingsong, Zhou Qingchen, Senior Sister Zhuang, Zhao Yuanqi, Dong Tianze, and Wu Yuan.

Pang Jian knitted his brows at the last member of his group, fearing Wu Yuan would pose a problem in the future.

If word of the Thunder Pool reaches that ancient Rank Ten Thunder Dragon in the Dragon Lair Sect...

Pang Jian's mood grew heavy.

The merging of the fragmented lands continued.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

As the underground spirit vein extended, the rich spiritual qi from the Resolute Expanse gradually flowed into Frozen Thunder and soon reached the Ice Race's living areas.

"This energy...is this the spiritual qi that human race cultivators rely on?"

The five elders of the Ice Race and many Ice Race members were gathered at the altar, detecting the neutral, non-elemental spiritual qi in the cold air.

They took deep breaths, feeling the spiritual qi being refined in their bodies and strengthening their physiques.

"Elders!" A Rank Seven member of the Ice Race said with a trembling voice. "For some reason, I feel our path has been partially restored with the influx of spiritual qi and the fusion of our fragmented land with one from the Abyss.

"This once incomplete, fragmented land no longer seems to restrict our bloodlines! Rank Seven, Rank Eight, Rank Nine—there no longer seems to be a limit!

"We..." Tears welled up in the Ice Race member's eyes. "We could ascend to godhood here, just like our ancestor, the Ice Demon!"

The Ice Race members were shaken to their core.

Following Pang Jian into the unfamiliar Abyss was not a mistake after all!

***

Time flowed by and the merging of the fragmented lands beneath the sea of massive boulders soon neared completion.

The black turtle occasionally let out involuntary sounds of joy, unable to contain its excitement.

Pang Jian moved the glaciers still in the Forbidden Land of the Thunder God to the Frozen Land.

Then, he remained in his wooden cabin in the Cloud Wilderness as the fragmented lands merged.

Immense pressure weighed on his shoulders when he thought about the trials lying in wait for the human race in the Abyss, the threat of the ancient Thunder Dragon, and Luo Hongyan's lofty, awe-inspiring image.

Thus, he pushed to a single-minded focus on his cultivation.

He planned to refine all the blood in his body and achieve complete mastery of the Vital Blood Realm. After that, he would temper his divine soul using the Qi Nurturing Divine Cauldron Art, while also comprehending the mysteries within the Lightning Dao Seals in the Thunder Pool.

Once he achieved that, he would return to the Sword Pavilion to seek out the next stages of the Grand Providence Sacred Body and Qi Nurturing Divine Cauldron Art.

Having decided this, Pang Jian kept his sword token in his spatial bracelet and avoided communication with Li Zhaotian.

One day, voices could be heard from the sea of massive boulders above the clouds.

"Sigh, good fortune never finds us, but trouble...it always comes looking for us rogue cultivators."

"Isn't that the truth? The murky energy continues to rise, and the Third World is bound to be contaminated. Why won't they let us leave?"

"Mortals and those below the Profound Abode Realm can leave, so why can't we?"

A group of rogue cultivators vented their frustrations, faces filled with bitterness as they flew overhead.