Chapter 506: The Envoy from the Pure Land Sect

The arrival of an envoy from the Pure Land Sect signaled that the Resolute Expanse was no longer a secret to the great factions of the First World.

Clearly, Li Chu and Yue Fengxian of the Forsaken Expanse Sect had not kept this place under wraps.

"Do we refuse her or let her in?" Liu Junhong asked, voice echoing from Pang Jian's sword token.

After harmonizing with the Resolute Expanse, Pang Jian saw that the woman was the one from the Ghost Altar.

At first, he felt somewhat displeased at the fact that she had kept him from his sister, but when he remembered the care the Pure Land Sect had shown his sister, he relented.

"Let her in," he instructed.

"Understood, I'll greet her." Liu Junhong soared into the sky.

"This place is no longer a secret, so you can just show her around. She can explore the three Blessed Lands if she's interested," Pang Jian added.

Liu Junhong raised an eyebrow and asked through the sword token, "Pang Jian, what's your relationship with her? Where did you meet her?"

"I don't know her," Pang Jian replied flatly.

Liu Junhong chuckled. "You claim you don't know her, so why are you so invested in her? Did she catch your eye?

"Her name is Wu Sujin. She is Su Wanrou's most exceptional disciple.

"Surely your master has mentioned Su Wanrou of the Pure Land Sect to you?

"In terms of sheer combat prowess, she ranks in the top three among the True Gods of the human race."

Su Wanrou of the Pure Land Sect was a True God of the older generation and was widely known as the "Sage of Medicine and Poison."

She was a figure of legend, as extraordinary as those found in ancient myths.

"I truly don't know her. I just have a good impression of the Pure Land Sect. Besides, I know our Sword Pavilion has strong ties with the two sects on the Western Loam." Pang Jian responded vaguely.

"Heh, you're starting to sound more and more like your master." Liu Junhong smirked. "You have Li Yuqing from the Divine Treasure Sect's Li Family and now Wu Sujin from the Pure Land Sect.

"Pang Jian, don't you know not to bite off more than you can chew?"

Pang Jian did not respond to Liu Junhong's teasing.

***

Wu Sujin's bright eyes shimmered with curiosity as she gazed at the approaching Liu Junhong.

She had expected Pang Lin's brother to be the one to greet her.

Unlike Li Chu and Yue Fengxian from the Forsaken Expanse Sect, she refrained from probing with her divine sense and simply waited patiently outside.

This was because the Pure Land Sect had always held a deep respect for the Sword Pavilion.

That respect stemmed from the ancient True God of the Pure Land Sect, Su Wanrou.

Su Wanrou had an endless lifespan and had been there when the Sword Pavilion had five great Sword Gods walking the Abyss. Naturally, she understood the contributions those Sword Gods made for the human race more than anyone else.

She was equally aware of the formidable power the Sword Gods from the Sword Pavilion wielded. Even now, when they were demoted to the Second World and had no prospective Sword Gods, she never underestimated the Sword Pavilion.

Her reverence directly shaped the attitudes of all those within the Pure Land Sect, including her personal disciples.

Before Liu Junhong could even open his mouth, Wu Sujin took the initiative. "Senior Liu, may I ask...is Pang Jian below?"

A breeze tousled her hair as it swept by, and she gently brushed the stray strands aside to reveal features as flawless as white jade.

Liu Junhong could not help but silently praise,

That brat has excellent taste.

"You two know each other?" Liu Junhong asked with a teasing smile.

"No." Wu Sujin shook her head.

Liu Junhong's smile faded as he adopted a more serious demeanor. "Then he's not here."

Wu Sujin froze, pressing her lips together in thought before eventually giving in.

"I suppose...we kind of know each other," she said softly.

Liu Junhong chuckled at her reaction. "Come on, I'll take you into the Resolute Expanse and show you around. My Sword Pavilion and your Pure Land Sect have always been close. Others aren't allowed to enter so easily, but you're different."

"Senior, please don't misunderstand. Pang Jian and I—" Wu Sujin hurried to explain.

"Haha, there's no misunderstanding. Don't worry!"

Laughter echoed as the two descended toward the Resolute Expanse.

When they passed through the shrouding cold mist, Wu Sujin's graceful figure came to a quiet halt.

Hovering in the air, peering down at the Resolute Expanse, the Forbidden Land of the Thunder God, and the Frozen Land. She took in the three distinct regions sprawling beneath her and carefully sensed the unique energy of this fragmented land.

Pang Lin had previously described the Resolute Expanse to her as a fragmented land with relatively dense spiritual qi and nothing particularly remarkable about it beyond that.

However, as she examined the fragmented land veiled beneath the cold mist, it became increasingly obvious that it was a flourishing world of life.

The spiritual qi here was not just rich. It was second only to sacred grounds like the Pure Land Sect itself!

Three Blessed Lands in the making stood out vividly to her divine sense—a Verdure Paradise, Thunderclap Paradise, and Frostclad Paradise.

Before arriving, Wu Sujin had learned about the strange nature of this fragmented land from the Forsaken Expanse Sect, but stepping inside still left her stunned.

"Does this fragmented land belong to Pang Jian?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes, it's entirely his," Liu Junhong replied. "But since Pang Jian is part of our Sword Pavilion, this fragmented land can be considered ours by extension.

"The Second World is in chaos. Rogue cultivators and noble families live in constant fear of the future.

"Sects like the Forsaken Expanse Sect, the Ghost Sacrifice Sect, and the Nine Tribes Sect only take in young cultivators with talent.

"The elderly, the women, the non-cultivators, and those with no clear potential are left behind to die.

"Pang Jian never intended to reveal this fragmented land, fearing True Gods like Li Chu would grow greedy, but he simply couldn't stand by as the Zhou Clan and the disciples of the Red Mountain Sect and the Sinister Soul Temple were abandoned.

"So, he brought this place to our Pavilion Master's attention.

"Pang Jian, like our Pavilion Master, has a soft heart. He can't bear to hear the desperate cries of the weak and helpless."

In Liu Junhong's eyes, it was obvious that Pang Jian had taken a liking to this girl from the Pure Land Sect, so he spared no effort in singing his praises.

Though Liu Junhong was not particularly familiar with Wu Sujin, he had still heard stories of her compassion. She was known for spending much of her time outside, saving lives and tending to the wounded.

"It's a pity this fragmented land is limited in size. Despite all his efforts, it's just not possible to save everyone." Liu Junhong sighed regretfully. "If only there were more people like Pang Jian in this world.

"If the sects of the First World were less pragmatic, perhaps more of those struggling to survive in the fragmented lands of the Second World could be saved."

Wu Sujin remained silent as she quietly observed those below.

Most members of the Zhou Clan in the Forbidden Land of the Thunder God were still ordinary non-cultivators, with the cultivators barely in the Marrow Cleansing Realm or Innate Realm.

The cultivators from the Red Mountain Sect and the Sinister Soul Temple were of similarly low cultivation realms, with only a rare few in the Profound Abode Realm.

Such people held no value in the eyes of the major factions in the First World. Even if they were brought to the First World, their futures were bleak.

A great calamity loomed over the human race. The major factions naturally focused on selecting the cream of the crop while ruthlessly abandoning the weak.

One could hardly blame them for allocating already limited resources, continents, and fragmented lands to nurture those with the best potential for the long-term survival of the human race.

Even so, Wu Sujin had seen many tragedies during her travels across the fragmented lands in the Second World. Her heart ached for the forsaken.

Pang Jian was the master of a fragmented land with abundant spiritual qi. His willingness to accept even non-cultivators made Wu Sujin regard him in a new light.

I misjudged him. Little Lin's brother is a good man after all.

Liu Junhong guided Wu Sujin to the valley where the Thunderclap Paradise was located.

Mu Aichuan stepped aside from his guard in front of the entrance when he saw Liu Junhong escorting her.

A sphere of lightning hovered and crackled in the valley.

"Senior Liu, please let Pang Jian know I'm here on my junior sister's behalf. She cultivates the Dao of Lightning and seeks enlightenment in lightning-attribute Blessed Lands to further her Dao," Wu Sujin said suddenly.

When Pang Jian heard her words through harmonizing with the land, he could no longer sit calmly in Cloud Wilderness and appeared in the valley before Liu Junhong could relay the message through his sword token.

He used a new ability—born from Pang Jian's recent insights into the mysteries of the earth—that he called Groundfold Stride. It allowed him to instantly travel to any location within the Resolute Expanse while harmonizing with the land.

"Since you're here now, I'll leave her to you," Liu Junhong said with a sly wink before swiftly departing from the valley.

Only the two of them and the Thunderclap Paradise remained in the valley.

Lei Kun had recently returned his divine soul to his body and was attempting to advance to the Soul Wandering Realm.

Wu Sujin's gaze settled on the stoic young man before her, expression growing serious. "Is this a safe place to talk?"

Pang Jian nodded. "It is."

"The ancient Thunder Dragon has returned to the Sacred Soul Continent, so she is now permitted to leave the Pure Land Sect and seek a suitable place to comprehend the Dao of Lightning," Wu Sujin said in a low voice. "She's already explored the two older lightning-attribute Blessed Lands within the Abyss.

"This newly-formed one feels extraordinary and happens to be within your domain. So, I intend to send my junior sister here for enlightenment."

Pang Jian took a deep breath, suppressing the emotions surging within him. "As long as you can guarantee her safety, she's welcome here anytime."

"Last time..." Wu Sujin gently bit her lip, a flicker of guilt crossing her face. "I stopped the two of you from communicating through the Ghost Altar because she was neglecting her cultivation. In hindsight, I was too harsh. It wasn't right for me to shut it down so completely."

Pang Jian smiled. "The Pure Land Sect has protected her well. I'm grateful for that."

"If that's how you feel, then I can rest easy," Wu Sujin said, visibly relaxing.

As they were about to discuss the details further, a brilliant sword light sliced through the cold mist and entered the Resolute Expanse without so much as a greeting.

Wang Ce, Guang He, and Liu Junhong stiffened in alarm, only to relax moments later in recognition.

Liu Junhong's expression turned strange.

"What are the chances?" he muttered.

Whoosh!

A bold streak of sword light descended into the valley.

Mu Aichuan shrank back slightly from his guard at the valley's entrance and pretended he did not see anything.

The young girl from the Li Family, already having ascended to the Nirvana Realm, hovered atop her sword in mid-air.

"Wu Sujin, what are you doing here?" she asked, round face twisting in confusion. "None of the three Blessed Lands on this fragmented land align with your Dao. What are you after?"

"Since when do I need to report my business to you, Li Yuqing?" Wu Sujin shot back sharply.