Chapter 509: Building a Pavilion Together

In the dense forest in the northern region of the Imperial Dominion, Dong Tianze brandished his Sinister Soul Blood Halberd.

Unleashing a devastating attack against the Ghost Sacrifice Sect cultivators surrounding him, he killed three Soul Wandering Realm cultivators and broke through their encirclement.

A chilling aura radiated from Dong Tianze, eyes gleaming with murderous intent as his divine soul merged with the Sinister Soul Blood Halberd.

Whoosh!

A murky river of blood and a ghostly river of souls flowed on either side of the Sinister Soul Blood Halberd, devouring the blood and souls of the Ghost Sacrifice Sect cultivators.

The Sinister Soul Blood Halberd erupted with the piercing wails of the dead, their anguished cries reverberating through the valley.

Dong Tianze loomed like a demon reborn, his divine soul suppressing the souls of the dead cultivators as they were drawn into the halberd.

Despite sharing the same Soul Wandering Realm cultivation, Dong Tianze made short work of the three.

Xing Heng, an Immortal Realm cultivator from the Ghost Sacrifice Sect, glanced down from the flying vessel above.

"What a ruthless one," he said grimly. "The Sinister Soul Temple is little more than a shell with their Cult Leader dead. Despite that, this boy still managed to advance to the middle stage of the Soul Wandering Realm. He even killed Fan He and the others."

The name Dong Tianze was faintly familiar to Xing Heng.

He had once ranked near the top of the Spirit Condensation Realm leaderboard and had stood out even as a cultivator from the Third World.

Those ahead of him on the leaderboard had all hailed from the major factions of the First and Second Worlds.

Dong Tianze had since advanced to the Soul Wandering Realm, allowing him to kill all three of Xing Heng's fellow disciples from the Ghost Sacrifice Sect with ease.

The audacity!

He's just a lower-world brat with no backing or sect to rely on after his sect's destruction!

How dare he strike down the disciples of the Ghost Sacrifice Sect? He surely thinks of himself as above the heavens!

Xing Heng signaled to the two figures behind him. "Qian Bo, Yang Ronghao—you two, go. Remember to keep him alive."

The two cultivators were a whole cultivation realm above Dong Tianze in the Nirvana Realm. At Xing Heng's command, they immediately leaped from the flying vessel.

The Ghost Sacrifice Sect's flying vessel slowly headed toward the forest where Dong Tianze had fled, flag fluttering ominously as they hunted him down.

Meanwhile, the hooked-nosed old man reappeared in the now-empty valley.

"Blood Solidification!"

Extending his left hand, the old man gathered the lingering blood-colored mist within the valley and refined it into a semi-transparent, dark-red orb.

Dong Tianze's figure could be seen within it, darting swiftly through the forest with the Sinister Soul Blood Halberd in hand.

The old man gave a satisfied laugh as he watched Dong Tianze through the orb.

"Truly worthy of being her chosen Holy Lord.

"He's only in the Soul Wandering Realm, yet he effortlessly killed three Ghost Sacrifice Sect cultivators of the same cultivation realm.

"More impressive is his utter lack of hesitation. He didn't care about the Ghost Sacrifice Sect at all.

"What a rare and exceptional talent."

The old man was incredibly pleased with the result of his meticulous plans, having orchestrated Dong Tianze's arrival and luring Ghost Sacrifice Sect cultivators to the area.

The old man's smile deepened when two Ghost Sacrifice Sect cultivators in the Nirvana Realm appeared in the glowing orb.

"They're both one cultivation realm higher than you. Let's see how you handle this.

"Once you're injured and overwhelmed, you'll have no choice but to take out the Blood God Technique and cultivate it.

"Once you start, you'll come to understand the wonders of the Blood God Technique. There will be no turning back after that.

"By then, your role as the Holy Lord of the Blood Spirit Sect will be undeniable."

***

Dong Tianze flew through the forest on the Sinister Soul Blood Halberd. He could sense two powerful auras closing in behind him through the Celestial Phoenix Imprint.

"Nirvana Realm, and there's two of them," he muttered. "I haven't cultivated any of the Blood Spirit Sect's forbidden techniques, nor do I have any connection to them, yet the Ghost Sacrifice Sect won't stop coming after me."

As he glanced up at the clear sky, his gaze lingering briefly in the direction of the Pure Land Sect.

Dong Tianze could always establish a connection with Pang Lin through the Celestial Phoenix Imprint.

He briefly wondered if revealing his identity as a Celestial Phoenix Divine Guard would stop the Ghost Sacrifice Sect from hunting him down.

Unfortunately, if he did that, Pang Lin would know, and by extension, Pang Jian would too.

Pang Jian!

Anger surged within him at the very thought of the man.

Whenever danger arose in the past, he always instinctively reached out to Pang Lin through the Celestial Phoenix Imprint, but this time, he refused to do so.

"I'll handle this myself."

***

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A flash of crimson light streaked across the sky, with two dark shadows following closely behind.

At a nearby trading post for rogue cultivators, a group of bystanders watched the figures shoot past, murmuring among themselves.

A well-informed rogue cultivator clicked his tongue. "The Ghost Sacrifice Sect has labeled Dong Tianze as a remnant of the Blood Spirit Sect and refuses to let him go.

"That Dong Tianze is something else. He was ranked near the top of the Spirit Condensation Realm leaderboard, and now he's in the middle stage of the Soul Wandering Realm.

"Apparently, he killed three Soul Wandering Realm cultivators from the Ghost Sacrifice Sect and is still holding his own against two Nirvana Realm powerhouses. They want him alive, but they can't catch him."

A different rogue cultivator was surprised. "The Cult Leader of the Sinister Soul Temple is dead, and most of their Spirit Condensation Realm elders have fallen. He doesn't have anyone to rely on, where does he find the audacity to kill members of the Ghost Sacrifice Sect?"

"Even if Han Zhiyuan were still alive, could he really back him up? He killed disciples from one of the major sects of the First World!" A third rogue cultivator shook his head. "He won't escape. The Ghost Sacrifice Sect is after him, and he has no sect of equal standing to shield him.

"How long can he possibly fight them alone? It's only a matter of time before he's captured alive."

The rogue cultivators broke out into heated discussions.

Among the crowd was Huang Qi, with his sly, rodent-like features. He quietly puffed on his pipe as he listened, then slipped away from the trading post.

Once Huang Qi entered Imperial Dominion City, he immediately headed to the Soughing Wind Pavilion, an information broker.

Approaching Lin Miaojin, the pavilion's manager, he asked, "Does Elder Xu Yu of the Sword Pavilion ever buy information from you?"

Lin Miaojin smiled. "A modest establishment like Soughing Wind Pavilion isn't important enough to catch Elder Xu's attention, but the people working under her buy from us. Why do you ask, Huang Qi?"

"Help me send a message to someone under Elder Xu. Let them know that the Ghost Sacrifice Sect is hunting Pang Jian's friend, Dong Tianze, in the northern region of the Imperial Dominion." Huang Qi placed two hundred spirit jades on the table. "Send it now."

"Alright!"

***

In the Cloud Wilderness, Zhou Qingchen, Qi Qingsong, and others were cutting trees alongside Pang Jian, working together to build a new wooden pavilion near Pang Jian's hut.

"Why are you kids doing this yourselves? The families allied with our Sword Pavilion have plenty of skilled craftsmen. I could summon them with a word, and they'd handle it easily." Liu Junhong frowned. "By the way, who exactly is this new pavilion for?"

Three days ago, Pang Jian suddenly decided to build a new pavilion.

Zhou Qingchen, Qi Qingsong, Zhuang Yuyan, and Hu Yuanfei joined him after stopping by for a chat. They chopped wood and built alongside him, chatting idly as they worked.

Li Yuqing used her Heaven-Splitting Sword to cut down trees and bring them over.

Meanwhile, Wu Sujin from the Pure Land Sect set aside her usual rivalry with Li Yuqing to contribute to the pavilion's upper floors.

The most gifted talents across the entire Abyss, each with unparalleled cultivation potential, had collectively set aside their training to build a wooden pavilion.

Liu Junhong simply could not understand it.

"Master, stay out of the younger generation's business. Go find somewhere cool to sit and relax." Qi Qingsong shooed.

"I can't be bothered to deal with all of you." Liu Junhong shook his head and wandered off lazily.

Once he was gone, Qi Qingsong grinned at Pang Jian. "Hey, Pang Jian, when's 'our' sister coming over?"

Pang Jian glanced at Wu Sujin.

"The Thunderclap Paradise will stabilize in about ten days. She'll arrive through the teleportation array and head straight there to cultivate," Wu Sujin said. "The Resolute Expanse is in the Second World. The proximity to the Sacred Soul Continent means it's not safe for her to stay exposed for long.

"She'll head straight for the Thunderclap Paradise when she arrives. You don't need to build a new pavilion just for her."

When Pang Jian heard that she was coming, he decided to build a pavilion for Pang Lin beside his wooden hut.

Qi Qingsong, Zhuang Yuyan, Zhou Qingchen, and Hu Yuanfei came by to ask about the project. When they learned that Pang Jian's sister would soon be arriving, they gladly joined in.

A rare warmth stirred in Wu Sujin's heart when she saw how the young cultivators around her were already treating Pang Lin—someone they had never even met—as one of their own.

"I won't let her keep hiding forever," Pang Jian said to Wu Sujin. "The Pure Land Sect shields her for now. But in the future, I'll have the power to protect her myself. It doesn't matter if the ancient Thunder Dragon from Dragon Lair Sect appears. I won't let him take a single step near Pang Lin."

Wu Sujin silently gazed at Pang Jian's back as he worked on the pavilion, feeling the weight of his words.

Perhaps, in a few years, Pang Lin's brother will truly be able to give her the freedom to roam the Abyss without the constant shadow of the ancient Thunder Dragon looming over her,

she thought.

Two days later, a five-story wooden pavilion stood beside Pang Jian's modest wooden hut.

A rare smile crept across his lips as he stared at it.

He planned to purchase some furniture so that Pang Lin could move in the instant she emerged from the Thunderclap Paradise.

Pang Jian never cared much for his own comfort, but he only wanted the best for Pang Lin.

Buzz! Buzz!

An urgent message came through his sword token.

Grasping it lightly, he quickly learned that Ghost Sacrifice Sect cultivators were hunting Dong Tianze in the northern region of the Imperial Dominion.