Chapter 498: Turbulence

Time passed swiftly, and months slipped by like flowing water.

The spiritual qi within the Resolute Expanse grew more concentrated. Meanwhile, the Forbidden Land of the Thunder God thrived with vegetation.

In the Forbidden Land of the Thunder God, the Ice Armor Eel Dragon sparred lightly with Pang Jian in his human form.

Pang Jian's skill and strength deeply impressed the Ice Armor Eel Dragon.

Pang Jian refrained from using the Abyssal Demon Sword, relying instead on his harmonization with the Resolute Expanse and his recent breakthrough to the middle stage of the Nirvana Realm to hold his ground in a fierce and evenly matched exchange.

The Ice Armor Eel Dragon could not help but dejectedly question whether his bloodline had truly advanced to Rank Nine.

That was the only explanation he could think of for Pang Jian to stand toe-to-toe with him despite only being at the Nirvana Realm, which was equivalent to Rank Eight.

A single strike from a peak Rank Nine Fey King like him was supposed to crush a human cultivator in the Nirvana Realm.

It was not until the White Lynx challenged him to a private duel elsewhere that he regained his confidence.

The Ice Armor Eel Dragon soon arrived at a simple conclusion—Pang Jian was just abnormal!

It was not that his strength as a Rank Nine Fey King was lacking but rather that Pang Jian's combat prowess was simply absurd!

He can fight me to a standstill while he's in the Nirvana Realm. What'll happen when he reaches the Immortal Realm or becomes a True God? How terrifying will he be then?

From then on, the Ice Armor Eel Dragon held nothing but respect for Pang Jian.

***

Lately, Pang Jian had been cultivating near the lake where the Ice Armor Eel Dragon resided instead of at his usual spot in the Cloud Wilderness.

As he delved into the mysteries of the verdant valley brimming with wood energy on the fragmented land in his dantian, he also kept an eye on world affairs through his sword token.

The murky energy in the Third World had not yet risen to the Second World, nor had foreign race warriors dared to ascend into the upper worlds like Xuan Ying.

Likewise, no human cultivators had descended either.

A fragile calm lingered between the human race and the foreign races, a temporary truce until the murky energy surged once more.

Both sides knew that war would immediately break out when that happened.

The next battle would involve not only Immortal Realm cultivators and Rank Nine foreign race warriors but possibly also True Gods and Rank Ten powerhouses.

The storm brewed on the horizon, and both sides were quietly preparing for its inevitable arrival.

During this period of uneasy peace, the fragmented lands in the Second World saw increasing outbreaks of chaos and bloodshed.

Pang Jian frequently received news of where unrest had broken out and how many had died through his sword token.

Low-level cultivators spiraled into despair, seeing no hope of ascending to the First World.

Opportunistic heretical cultivators spread rumors, claiming that worshiping Outer Gods and cultivating their forbidden techniques would secure them divine protection, much like the traitorous members of the Demon Sect.

These forbidden techniques slowly spread among cultivators on the fragmented lands, and an increasing number of cultivators started drawing power from murky energy instead of spiritual qi.

A rumor circulated, claiming that tempering one's body with murky energy allowed human cultivators to advance their cultivation realms and be recognized as one of the foreign races.

Those cultivating such forbidden techniques would supposedly be spared when the foreign races inevitably invaded the Second World.

However, those accustomed to cultivating with spiritual qi found that switching to murky energy led to disastrous results. Many died during the transition, long before they ever came into contact with murky energy.

Many died before the major factions could even step in to purge them.

Fear and paranoia spread only further across the Second World.

***

One day, the Abyssal Demon contacted Pang Jian from the wooden hut in the Cloud Wilderness.

I've been studying the intricate arrays within the demonic orb, and it's left me mentally exhausted. I need to go somewhere crowded, so I can extract and refine the malice in human hearts to recover.

As a Demon God from the outer worlds, the Abyssal Demon had to feed on the malice within the hearts of living beings to replenish his strength.

The Resolute Expanse only had a handful of Ice Race members, and the little conflict among them meant they emitted too little malice for the Abyssal Demon to recover.

Either let me leave the Resolute Expanse or bring some outsiders here. The malice within the hearts of humans far surpasses that of the Ice Race. They would be the ideal nourishment.

Also, this place needs more living creatures. Even a world with a comprehensive Dao will remain incomplete if there's not enough intelligent life to inhabit it.

Life is the essential nourishment that drives the continuous evolution of any world.

The spiritual qi here is abundant, and the underground spirit and mineral veins are gradually changing. The Dao of this place is steadily solidifying. It feels like a Blessed Land is already starting to take shape.

But this place still lacks people. A great migration of life would revitalize it. Life is the foundation of any world!

the Abyssal Demon advised.

Pang Jian silently contemplated the Abyssal Demon's words before eventually deciding to set out.

He donned a black robe, removed the sword token from his waist, and headed to his first destination, the nearest fragmented land to the Resolute Expanse—Flower Valley.

Unfortunately, Flower Valley no longer held any flowers, only bones.

According to the ancient records, the fragmented land once belonged to a sect known as the Hundred Flowers Valley.

A valley stretched along the front of the narrow strip of land. Bones were piled everywhere and the stench of decay hung heavy in the air.

Pang Jian hovered over the fragmented land, extending his divine sense to scan the expanse below in finer detail.

Core members of the Ouyang Clan and the Shangguan Clan from the Fourth World were gathered within Flower Valley alongside several Blood Moon Sect disciples and the sect's affiliated families from the Third World.

Those Pang Jian had once been forced to look up to now sat like hollow shells, lifeless and emaciated. There was no light in any of their eyes. They had completely lost hope.

An elderly woman of the Ouyang Clan held a manual of unknown origin in her hands and said to her Marrow Cleansing Realm grandson, "Child, cultivate this Bloodlust Scripture. Once you succeed, find a way to descend into the Third World.

"You'll survive the coming storm if you successfully circulate murky energy through your body.

"I don't have the means to send you to the First World. We'll be the first to die when the murky energy rises from below.

"We won't even need the foreign races to raise their weapons. The murky energy alone will overwhelm us. If you can cultivate this Bloodlust Scripture, there'll still be hope for you," she urged desperately.

The boy, looking to be in his mid-teens, recoiled in fear. "Everyone who cultivated the Bloodlust Scripture died horribly! Their bodies were thrown here into the valley. Grandma, I don't want to die, I don't want to die so soon! Please, don't force me!"

"At least if you succeed, there will still be hope for you to survive. Death is certain without it!" The elderly woman sobbed. "Do you think I want to harm you? I know you're talented. This is my way of giving you a chance at survival!"

"I won't do it! I'd rather die than cultivate that evil art! The great sects of the First World will come to save us—they won't just abandon everyone!" the boy cried, voice trembling as he fled.

"The First World? There's only so much space up there. There's barely enough room for themselves, let alone everyone here!" Tears clouded the old woman's eyes.

On the other side of the fragmented land, a middle-aged man cultivating the Bloodlust Scripture suddenly collapsed, blood oozing from his orifices as a foul stench emanated from his body.

"Another one, huh."

A Profound Abode Realm cultivator from the Blood Moon Sect casually picked up the corpse and tossed it into the valley.

Pang Jian watched silently from above before leaving for another fragmented land—Deer Island.

At the center of this fragmented land lay a vast lake, with a small island called Deer Island at its heart.

Rogue cultivators from the Second World had long since occupied Deer Island. When those from the lower worlds migrated here, they were forced to settle along the lakeshore, often falling victim to the bullying of the rogue cultivators on Deer Island.

Among the refugees were disciples from the Star River Alliance and the Radiant Sun Sect.

The once domineering disciples in the lower worlds found themselves powerless in the Second World.

The Profound Abode Realm and Spirit Condensation Realm cultivators of their sects had been left behind to fight in the Third World, and the low-level cultivators stood no chance against the rogue cultivators occupying Deer Island.

It was not until a few surviving Spirit Condensation Realm elders returned from the brutal battles on Cosmic Skies Continent that the balance started to shift slightly in their favor.

The elders had survived the brutal battles on the Cosmic Skies Continent and had firsthand knowledge of the foreign race warriors' strength. They also knew all too well that they would inevitably be left in the Second World in the next battles.

With the acceptance of their fate came a hardened resolve and a growing distaste for the rogue cultivators bullying their disciples.

Conflict soon erupted.

Pang Jian hovered in the air, observing as the two sides engaged in fierce combat, neither gaining the upper hand.

His expression darkened, and he left soon after.

Pang Jian traveled to many fragmented lands, but the events unfolding on each were eerily similar—order had crumbled, and slaughter had become the norm.

Malicious figures spread forbidden techniques, weaving honeyed words that tempted and misled desperate souls onto demonic paths. They preached the use of murky energy to rebuild one's cultivation realm.

Those heeding these whispers and cultivating these forbidden techniques met gruesome ends, often dying midway through the process.

Shockingly though, some succeeded. These few quietly descended to the Third World aboard small flying vessels, seeking refuge in regions steeped in murky energy.

Curious, Pang Jian observed from the shadows and soon discovered that the foreign races had actually left those entering the Third World alone.

It became clear that the mastermind behind the spread of these forbidden techniques was from the Fifth World. It was an effortless method to break the wills of the lower-world cultivators and orchestrate their deaths before a blade was ever drawn.

Two days later, Pang Jian's expression shifted into astonishment as he hovered above Hollow Yin.

Of all the places he had passed through, only Hollow Yin remained free of violent conflict and deaths resulting from the cultivation of forbidden techniques.

The fragmented land was surprisingly orderly. Members of different sects occupied distinct regions. Their territories were clearly demarcated, with no signs of encroachment between the various parties.

When Pang Jian took a closer look, he sensed a familiar aura.

It did not take long for him to realize that order had prevailed here because of the presence of one infamous individual—a calamitous star whose name alone struck fear across the fragmented land.

No one dared to stir trouble while Dong Tianze was here.