Chapter 383: An Invitation

"My name is Cheng Rutang," the elegant woman introduced.

Pang Jian froze. The small booklet in his hand seemed to grow heavier.

Looking down, he answered truthfully, "I've been out of contact with my master for a long time."

Cheng Rutang's lips curved into a strange smile. "I know."

Zheng Guowang gestured to the others on the warship and everybody disembarked.

In an instant, only Cheng Rutang and Pang Jian remained on the spacious deck.

"My master went to the First World to attend a council with the True Gods. He hasn't returned to the Sword Pavilion," Pang Jian said, head still lowered. "Neither my senior brother nor I have received any response from him."

Chen Weihuang had previously informed him that Li Zhaotian was staying with the True God Yin Ji, a rogue cultivator and his close confidante.

Pang Jian had a faint suspicion the relationship Liu Youyu's elder had with his master was also...ambiguous.

Cheng Rutang nodded again.

"I know." Her slightly rounded chin glowed with a jade-like radiance as she huffed, "An irritating woman is keeping a close eye on him. She's being vigilant against any other women trying to communicate with him.

"You, Chen Weihuang, and that girl Hu Yuanfei have the best chance of contacting him. That's why I came to find you.

"Reliable sources tell me there are people who don't want him to advance to the True God Realm and will go to great lengths to obstruct him.

"The path to godhood is treacherous enough without others working against him. It's far too dangerous for him to attempt the breakthrough now.

"The existing True Gods can hold up the heavens if they're about to collapse. What's he in such a rush for?

"Pang Jian, I'm doing this for his sake, you have to listen to me!" Cheng Rutang's face grew serious.

"He may not even read my message," Pang Jian replied.

"He'll definitely check his sword token for messages from his disciples when he's about to attempt the breakthrough to the True God Realm," Cheng Rutang confidently assured. "When that time comes, he'll naturally see your messages."

"All right," Pang Jian reluctantly agreed.

***

On a fragmented land called the Azure Moon in the First World, a broad-shouldered man in blue robes swung his legs and gazed down dejectedly, as though imprisoned.

He sat at the edge of the fragmented land, with the Second World just below his feet.

All his belongings—his spatial ring, sword token, and other items—had been confiscated.

Nearby, a tall woman with long hair flowing to the ground arranged a tea set with her back to Li Zhaotian.

"Li Zhaotian, I invited you to admire the moon and enjoy the beautiful scenery with me. Is that so unbearable to you?" she asked coldly. "What does the fate of this world have to do with you?"

Scratching his head with a dry laugh, Li Zhaotian said, "Don't I still have a few disciples?"

"Your disciples are more capable than you. What do you have to worry about?" She flicked her finger and seven cups of fragrant tea appeared before Li Zhaotian. "Even the one you recently took on as a disciple has climbed to ninth place on the Soul Wandering Realm leaderboard."

"Haha, that doesn't surprise me one bit." Li Zhaotian laughed heartily as he drank the tea from the seven cups before him, one after the other. After finishing, he added, "He's bound to make it into the top five!"

The woman was astonished. "Even your second disciple, that Hu girl, is only ranked seventh."

"He's different. I told you, they're not on the same level," Li Zhaotian replied smugly. Wrapping strands of sword intent around the seven teacups, he made them spin in the air, forming a mysterious sword array. "My third disciple has a fierce aura, daring spirit, and luck on his side. He'll likely reach the top five soon."

"Are you truly planning to entrust the Sword Pavilion to him?" the woman asked solemnly.

"If I survive, I won't have to." Li Zhaotian grinned brightly. Turning around to face the woman, he said, "You and my other women—why do all of you think I'll die? My Senior Brother Jiang has been competing with me all his life and even he has more faith in me than you all do!"

"If you dare mention other women again, believe me when I say I'll descend to the lower worlds right now and kill every one of them," the woman snapped.

Li Zhaotian shrank back slightly.

"Not a word more! I won't bring them up again!" he said hastily. Then, sighing, he said, "When the last Sword God passed the mantle of Pavilion Master of the Sword Pavilion to me, he said I was to look out for the entire Abyss.

"When the Abyss faces a great cosmic calamity, the Pavilion Master is the first to stand on the front lines.

"This is the duty of every Sword God!" he declared.

"You aren't a Sword God yet; you can still hold off your breakthrough for now!"

"No! I wasn't in a hurry before because it didn't matter if I achieved godhood, but now I find the Abyss's situation intriguing. I want to join the battle and have some fun with those folks outside.

"Yin Ji, if you truly love me, don't keep me here."

She fell silent.

After a long pause, she sighed. "Then I'll accompany you to your death."

"You still have it all wrong. I want you to accompany me in breaking through this damn barrier! Let's go to the vast starry skies together and confront those Outer Gods who've hunted us for so long!"

***

In a simple courtyard on Auspicious Light, a grayish-green iron ball was slowly absorbing the surrounding murky energy.

Han Duping stood nearby with a strange look on his face. "Pang Jian, why does that thing feel like a dark artifact from the foreign races?"

"You should use it cautiously," Zhou Qingchen advised.

"It can absorb murky energy," Pang Jian said, extending his hand to summon the Primal Sphere back to him.

When he used his divine sense to peer within, he could see the condensed murky energy separating into murky green, black, and bluish-green substances, resembling the foreign energies he had once encountered in his spiritual sea.

From Cheng Rutang's booklet, he learned that the Sword Pavilion had killed Reverend Primal because the Primal Sphere had turned against him.

The Primal Sphere had become corrupted after repeatedly being used to absorb murky energy during his secret excursions into the Fifth World.

Even with his Immortal Realm cultivation realm, Reverend Primal succumbed to cultivation deviation and committed unspeakable acts, prompting the Sword Pavilion to kill him.

The Primal Sphere had been stored away after the murky energy within was purged and the array core destroyed.

"Only dark or demonic artifacts absorb murky energy!" Han Duping exclaimed in shock. "Pang Jian, you already have the Abyssal Demon Sword. If you use this sinister artifact as well...be careful of a backlash."

"It's fine." Pang Jian used his divine sense to control the Primal Sphere, releasing various energies into it and watching as the iron ball expanded and contracted.

Recalling the words in what had likely been Reverend Primal's booklet, he mulled them over in his mind.

Spiritual power and murky energy are complete opposites—like yin and yang; fire and water; the sun and the moon.

The rise and fall of murky energy are part of the natural order. It can never be completely eradicated.

He found the notes deeply insightful.

At that moment, a battered Mountain Stream Spirit Boat appeared in the sky above the Auspicious Light. Cultivators from the Celestial Lagoon Sect of the Second World and disciples from affiliated noble families disembarked with somber expressions.

"That's the seventh wave." Han Duping sighed. "They'll probably regroup before returning to the Cosmic Skies Continent."

Lately, many flying vessels had passed through Auspicious Light, stopping briefly before continuing their journey.

Each had suffered attacks from beast hordes.

Those lacking the formidable strength of cultivators like Pang Jian and Liu Youyu to deal with the Vicious Beasts between Ranks Seven and Eight could only escape after suffering heavy losses.

"Old Han, it's time for you to return to the Cosmic Skies Continent as well," Zhou Qingchen suddenly said.

"I know." Han Duping nodded with a pained expression. "I'll wait for a reliable flying vessel and leave with Wu Xuanfeng and the others."

"You're welcome to take the Scarlet Dawn Boat," Zhou Qingchen offered.

"That belongs to you and the Red Mountain Sect, Zhou Qingchen. It's not mine."

As they spoke, a Demon Incursion Ship from the Demon Sect came whistling through the sky to hover over the courtyard where the Sword Boat and Scarlet Dawn Boat were docked.

A figure landed with a sharp thud.

"Wu Yuan!" Zhou Qingchen was taken aback. "Are you also planning to return to the Cosmic Skies Continent?"

"No." Wu Yuan replied bluntly. With his usual stoic expression, he added, "Pang Jian, I invite you to join an expedition on behalf of Senior Brother Hong Qiming. The organizer is Zhou Yi from the Nine Tribes Sect.

"Liu Youyu from the Primeval Pillar Divine Kingdom has already agreed. Your Senior Sister Hu Yuanfei is also on the team.

"Fan Chen from the Supreme Monad Divine Kingdom will also be there.

"Only those ranked in the top ten of the Soul Wandering Realm and Spirit Condensation Realm leaderboard are invited.

"Zhou Qingchen, that means you're invited too."

Despite Wu Yuan's persuasions, Hong Qiming had not initially been interested in Pang Jian but finally agreed in light of his recent rise to ninth place on the leaderboard.

The Demon Incursion Ship had come specifically for Pang Jian.

Although Zhou Qingchen was invited as well, he was not a priority.

"I'm not interested," Pang Jian coldly declined.

He had joined the battles in the Third World only because of Elder Jiang Ran's demands.

According to his senior brother, Chen Weihuang, reaching the top ten of the Soul Wandering Realm leaderboard would be enough to satisfy Elder Jiang.

Having achieved that, he intended to return to the Resolute Expanse to continue tempering his divine soul with the magma there.

Wu Yuan's invitation was of little interest to him.

“Hear me out.” Wu Yuan took a deep breath and continued, "Zhou Yi from the Nine Tribes Sect has been operating in the Fourth World, hunting the stronger foreign races and Vicious Beasts there to amass contribution points.

"He says he's discovered that a continent that had previously vanished within the bizarre mist has re-emerged.

"It lies at the far western edge of the Fourth World," Wu Yuan explained, uncharacteristically verbose. "Zhou Yi hasn't reported this to the higher-ups yet."

He cast a sharp, warning look at Han Duping.

"You're certain it's a complete continent? Not a fragmented land?" Zhou Qingchen asked, visibly shocked.

He was from the Fourth World and knew well that it only had fragmented lands. If continents ever existed there, they had long been shattered in past wars.

A continent hidden within the bizarre mist had appeared at the far western edge of the Fourth World.

This sparked intense interest in Zhou Qingchen.

"Pang Jian, want to go have a look?"

"Very well."

Pang Jian's interest had been ignited as well.