Chapter 54: Unscathed

Zhou Qingchen was startled. The arm holding his cold iron saber trembled.

Dong Tianze's counterattack had almost caused the hilt of his saber to split open his palm.

The Sinister Soul Temple's cultivation method was renowned for its assassination ability and agility in the Third World. However, in terms of raw physical strength, it fell short when compared to the Red Mountain Sect's cultivation method practiced by Zhou Qingchen.

However, Dong Tianze shattered Zhou Qingchen's preconceived notions about the Sinister Soul Temple!

The counterattack of the black-gold dagger unleashed a terrifying force that stunned Zhou Qingchen.

By the time Zhou Qingchen had overcome the soreness and swelling in his arms, Dong Tianze had vanished. There was not even a hint of blood on the lake's surface.

The image of the dazzling Celestial Phoenix between Dong Tianze's eyebrows stirred a sense of unease within Zhou Qingchen.

When Dong Tianze brandished his Ghost's Cry, he was bursting with formidable power. Dong Tianze was known for his savageness and brutality. However, with the presence of the strange Celestial Phoenix, he unexpectedly exuded a sacred and awe-inspiring aura.

Han Duping rushed over and found Zhou Qingchen standing motionless. Concerned filled his eyes as he assumed Zhou Qingchen was seriously injured. "Are you alright? Don't chase after Dong Tianze. He's not in a normal state right now."

Luo Hongyan leisurely descended the small hill and casually remarked, "He's right, don't chase after desperate foe."

Zhou Qingchen glared angrily at her.

Smirking, Luo Hongyan said, "Both of you are in the Marrow Cleansing Realm, but Dong Tianze has tempered his muscles, bones, and organs with the black turtle's blood essence, and you have not. Furthermore, he has refined a drop of the Celestial Phoenix's essence. Pursuing him while he's injured will only lead to your demise."

Luo Hongyan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

After Spirit Devil Luo Meng self-immolated in Dong Tianze's mind, she could no longer see what was happening in the deep hole and was unsure if Pang Jian had succeeded.

Pang Jian was indeed full of mysteries. However, Dong Tianze was in the Marrow Cleansing Realm and was no pushover.

She had feared Pang Jian was no match for Dong Tianze.

It was not until she saw Dong Tianze emerge from the deep hole, Dragonwood Spear still in his bottom, that she realized Pang Jian had severely injured him after trapping him in the silver net.

For her, killing Dong Tianze was not important. Her interest lay solely on Pang Jian and the bronze pendant hanging from his neck.

Dong Tianze had unleashed astonishing potential on the brink of death. With him still wielding Ghost's Cry, she had no interest in diving into the lake to search for him.

Not to mention, the Spirit Devils she painstakingly refined had all perished in the battle.

With a stern expression, Zhou Qingchen glared coldly at Luo Hongyan. However, he chose not to pick a fight with her, instead walking toward the deep hole to shout, "Pang Jian, how are you holding up?"

"I'm fine." Pang Jian knitted his brows at the bottom of the deep hole as he picked up the Dragonwood Spear and said, "His life force is remarkably strong. I left several gaping wounds on his body, but he still managed to escape alive."

Having said his piece, Pang Jian quickly climbed out from the deep hole.

Several pairs of eyes instantly fixated on him.

His body was covered in the viscous blood of the black turtle, giving off a strong stench of blood, and appearing like a reincarnation of a bloodthirsty slaughter god.

However, upon closer inspection, the trio noticed that the blood on his body did not belong to him. There were no signs of injury on his clothes or body.

"You're unscathed?!" Zhou Qingchen exclaimed in disbelief.

He had experienced Dong Tianze's prowess firsthand when his cold iron saber clashed with Dong Tianze's Ghost's Cry.

When Dong Tianze reemerged from the deep hole, his body had been severely wounded, and he looked as though he had been through a bloody battle.

His only enemy in the deep hole was Pang Jian.

So how did Pang Jian manage to come out unscathed?

Zhou Qingchen could not make sense of it.

Luo Hongyan did not know what happened in the deep hole after Spirit Devil Luo Meng's demise. Her eyes shimmered with a strange light as she sighed. "You are even more abnormal than that madman Dong Tianze.

"Dong Tianze tempered his flesh with the black turtle's blood essence and successfully refined a drop of the Celestial Phoenix's essence. Among the Divine Guards of the Celestial Phoenix, Dong Tianze stands out by far.

"Fighting against such a formidable individual on your own, one would expect to come out with at least a scratch, yet you emerged unscathed...

Luo Hongyan clicked her tongue in amazement. "Pang Jian, you've truly exceeded my expectations!"

"Enough with the sarcastic remarks!" Zhou Qingchen grunted.

From his perspective, all Luo Hongyan did throughout the ordeal was pick up some stones to throw at Ghost's Cry to obstruct its movement. Aside from that, she did not do anything else.

Zhou Qingchen was displeased with Luo Hongyan's reluctance to engage in battle and her refusal to use the spirit artifact of the Star River Alliance. Naturally, he did not look kindly upon her.

"Someone helped me from the shadows." Pang Jian no longer called this person an "evil woman". He continued, "The one who created the Spirit Devils secretly assisted me, ensuring my ambush on Dong Tianze went smoothly. When Dong Tianze jumped down, the enchanting scarlet lotus unexpectedly vanished into thin air, causing Dong Tianze to misjudge and plunge straight down due to the immense inertia."

Pang Jian then explained what had happened at the bottom of the deep hole, including how Dong Tianze was entangled in the silver giant net, and how the last Spirit Devil had disappeared into Dong Tianze's body when he had been about to swing Ghost's Cry.

He also knew that the deranged Dong Tianze's mental state was already extremely exhausted when he charged into the deep hole.

"While I might have been able to seriously injure him without her assistance, there's no way I would have come out unscathed. Furthermore, Dong Tianze's hasty departure was also because you have reminded him of her," Pang Jian said as he looked at Zhou Qingchen.

"Dong Tianze will find somewhere to lick his wounds. Once he regains his strength, he'll return for revenge," Han Duping said worriedly. "I never imagined Dong Tianze could be so terrifying. The Sinister Soul Temple has acknowledged Dong Tianze. He will be a formidable adversary in the Third World."

Han Duping was worried about Zhou Qingchen's future.

Zhou Qingchen sighed. "Once I reach the Red Mountain Sect, I will complete the bone forging, marrow cleansing process using the Red Mountain Sect's extraordinary materials. However, their materials may not necessarily surpass the value of the black turtle's blood essence or the mysterious essence of the Celestial Phoenix."

"We still need to be cautious of that evil—the one who hasn't shown themselves yet," Pang Jian carefully reminded.

Thanks to her assistance, he was able to inflict serious injuries on Dong Tianze without suffering any injury himself. It felt embarrassing to continue to call her an "evil woman".

Also, he could not shake the feeling that the woman was somewhere on the island, secretly observing them.

Luo Hongyan looked coldly at him. Seeing him wisely refrain from using the term "evil woman" again, she snorted, "So, how many of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians have you opened?"

"I've opened up the four meridians in my arms," Pang Jian replied truthfully.

Luo Hongyan was stunned. She nodded in feigned composure and said, "Not bad, not bad at all."

"Four meridians. You just broke through to the Meridian Opening Realm and you've already opened up four meridians?!" Zhou Qingchen cried out in disbelief.

Han Duping also cried out, "How is that possible? Wait, no! When we first met you, you hadn't even reached the first stage of the Qi Practicing Realm, right?"

The plump Han Duping looked at Pang Jian as if he were looking at a ghost.

"How long has it been?" he muttered in disbelief.

He deeply admired Zhou Qingchen's foresight in extending an olive branch to Pang Jian. He believed that Zhou Qingchen's insight made him a rare talent indeed!

Pang Jian would stand out not just among the seven great clans, but also in the entire Third World. He was an exceptionally talented cultivator.

Zhou Qingchen said with utmost seriousness, "Pang Jian, if we manage to leave the Solitary Mountain Range alive, I will recommend you to the Red Mountain Sect."

Pang Jian's eyes lit up, and he earnestly clasped his hands together. "Thank you, Young Master Zhou."

After his sister had been taken to the upper world, his greatest wish was to ascend to the upper world and reunite with his sister there.

He had never thought that this once unattainable dream would ever come into reach.

"No need to thank me. With your talent and ability, all the major sects in the upper world will be eager to recruit you." Zhou Qingchen laughed heartily. "Except for the Sinister Soul Temple of course. Dong Tianze is an important member of their sect and even wielded the Ethereal Ghost Token. You've also sabotaged the Divine Spirit Pagoda, so the Sinister Soul Temple might not be too keen on having you."

Pang Jian did not seem to mind.

At that moment, Luo Hongyan suddenly said, "The black turtle has passed away and its beast soul has escaped. The spiritual qi on this island will gradually dissipate. We should collect the exotic plants on the island before they wither. Oh, and speaking of which, Pang Jian, are there any treasures in the white pagoda?"

She had no interest in these forbidden zones anymore. Dong Tianze had departed, and only Su Meng was the sole survivor from the Su Clan and the He Clan. Luo Hongyan did not want to stay on the island any longer.

Many of her Spirit Devils had perished due to Dong Tianze, but with Pang Jian and Zhou Qingchen watching, she could not seize this opportunity to refine more Spirit Devils. The souls of Su Yuntian, He Rong, and others would dissipate in vain.

She silently lamented the loss in her heart.

"I drained the spiritual power in the spirit jades when breaking through to the Meridian Opening Realm," Pang Jian said. He thought for a moment before continuing, "There were also stones imbued with Profound Yin energy on the fifth floor of the white pagoda. Those stones were used to construct the soul array."

"Those are Profound Yin stones!" Luo Hongyan's eyes lit up. She nodded and said. "The value of Profound Yin stones in the upper world is higher than that of spirit stones. They are rare materials used to construct soul arrays!"

With that said, Luo Hongyan no longer paid attention to the others and headed straight for the Divine Spirit Pagoda.

Su Meng was still crying bitterly next to Su Yuntian's corpse. Luo Hongyan did not even pause as she passed her, but Su Meng timidly called out to her. "Sister Ning, where did Dong Tianze flee to?"

"No matter where he's fled, he isn't someone you can deal with right now." With a cold expression, Luo Hongyan pointed to the dim sky overhead and said, "All you can do now is go to the Radiant Sun Sect and diligently cultivate with their resources. Once your cultivation realm surpasses Dong Tianze's, you can consider avenging your father.

"Remember, you must be at least one realm higher than him to successfully confront him. In the entire Fourth World, the only one who can fight Dong Tianze in the same realm is Pang Jian!

Glancing toward the deep hole, the corners of Luo Hongyang's lips pulled downward. "Even Zhou Qingchen cannot do so."