The Purgatory Calamity
Chapter 153 - 138: Having Thunder in the Chest, No Change in Face. _1

Chapter 153: Chapter 138: Having Thunder in the Chest, No Change in Face. _1

Ice Rock Island.

Today, there was no sun in the sky, casting a somber and oppressive gray pall.

Pang Jian and Luo Hongyan, like the many other individual cultivators who came to watch the spectacle, stood beside the frigid Great Stone Hall.

The individual cultivators, at this moment holding the wooden tokens for participation in the assembly, were staring in astonishment toward the sky.

A white tower from Yin Spirit Temple, flouting the so-called rules of Individual Cultivator Cloud Ascetics, boldly hung suspended in the air!

"Yin Spirit Temple!"

"Dong Tianze!"

Someone cursed under their breath.

"Rules, in the face of absolute power, sometimes aren’t worth shit."

"The rules of Individual Cultivator Cloud Ascetics have always only bound cultivators like you and me, those without powerful backers."

"Have the people of Yin Spirit Temple or Raging Sun Sect ever cared about his damned rules?"

Some sneered in secret.

In the Third Realm, only those from Blood Moon bothered to show any respect to Individual Cultivator Cloud Ascetics because of his relationship with Jiuyuan, choosing to anchor their boats outside.

The other powerful sects disregarded his rules entirely, even daring to stop their flying spirit artifacts right above his Stone Hall.

Pang Jian looked up and saw at the familiar entrance of the White Tower, a familiar figure standing.

With a gloomy face and eyes shining with ruthless light, Dong Tianze arrogantly and coldly surveyed the Stone Hall down below.

Individual Cultivator Cloud Ascetics and his trusted aide Zhu Yuanxi from Blood Moon were right above the Stone Hall that was prepared for hosting the assembly.

Behind Dong Tianze, there appeared to be a silhouette, quietly sitting as if backing him up.

"He dares to show up openly like this?"

"Yin Spirit Temple’s behavior is becoming more and more bottomless, now they’re even plundering us!"

"Do people from the Lower Realm really disregard all rules?"

"..."

The many plundered individual cultivators glared at Dong Tianze with fury, whispering amongst themselves.

Anger filled their hearts, but upon considering the Yin Spirit Temple behind Dong Tianze, and another figure sitting imposingly within the White Tower, they dared not act rashly.

"He’s actually reached the Innate Realm."

Luo Hongyan stood beside a stone pillar, leaning against a shattered boulder, and whispered to Pang Jian.

Pang Jian was taken aback: "You can tell at a glance?"

"Of course I can," she said plainly. "He stands at the entrance of the Heavenly Spirit Tower, in a subtle balance with the dense nature’s spiritual energy within. The spiritual power in his body, his vigorous and surging qi and blood, are all well-constrained."

"Only one who has attained the Innate Realm possesses this ability to return to simplicity, to masterfully control their own body."

"Remember, after reaching the Innate Realm, the body can be self-sufficient for long periods, can go without breathing for a lengthy time, and has control over all pores on the skin."

"Powders and fogs with poison, unless extremely high-grade and malicious, cannot harm someone in the Innate Realm."

Luo Hongyan explained the difference between the Innate Realm and the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

Pang Jian nodded earnestly, "I am close myself."

Luo Hongyan smiled slightly and said, "I know. When we left Sky Fortune Fragment Land, you were already at the Great Perfection stage of the Marrow Cleansing Realm. It’s clear to see that before long, you’ll also ascend to the Innate Realm smoothly."

After a pause, she shook her head and added, "Alas, I gave these individual cultivators too much credit."

She had thought with Dong Tianze’s notoriety, after all he had done, the individual cultivators would surely band together to take him down.

Yet when Dong Tianze truly appeared, they did nothing but whisper their complaints—

—Not a single one dared to step forward and accuse him.

"I specifically chose this time to come here to tell you that others are responsible for the plundering of the Cloud Sail along the way."

Dong Tianze stood at the entrance of the White Tower and spoke coldly, "I come from the Lower Realm, and perhaps you do not understand me well."

"Eventually, when the people from the seven major families ascend, you’ll inquire and understand that those who plundered you do not share my methods."

He bared his teeth in a grimace, "Indeed, if it were truly my hand, Dong Tianze, at work, I would leave no survivors!"

As soon as he said this, the individual cultivators who wanted to challenge him were instantly silenced by fear.

They sensed that the ferocity and bloodlust of this Dong Tianze were fundamentally different from that of the one who had robbed them.

The frenzied look in Dong Tianze’s eyes suggested he was a madman capable of indiscriminate killing; had it actually been him who took action, they likely wouldn’t have survived.

Witnessing Dong Tianze’s violent demeanor, they felt further intimidated, becoming even more hesitant to make any rash movements.

"Blood Moon has a secret skill to adjust bone structures and transform one’s appearance to perfectly impersonate another," Dong Tianze said with a chilling expression.

From his vantage point, he could easily see the figure inside the roofless Stone Hall, wearing the robe of Blood Moon.

He asked, in a cold voice, "Your name is Zhu Yuanxi, right? Is it you who colluded with Individual Cultivator Cloud Ascetics to rob the individual cultivators along the way using my name?"

Zhu Yuanxi burst into laughter, "Dong Xiaozi, you dare accuse me with your malicious slander?"

Before Dong Tianze could reply, Zhu Yuanxi continued to challenge, "You should have seen the corpses and bones piled outside, right? Heh, others may not understand the relationship between Yin Spirit Temple and Dark Ghosts, but do you think Blood Moon is in the dark too?"

"You incited the Dark Ghost Leader to raid our beast-catching ships in the Sky Fortune Fragment Land of the Lower Realm, to kidnap our Beast Blood and meat, and even killed many of our disciples. Do you think we are unaware?"

"Dong Xiaozi, we have investigated thoroughly. Your adoptive father, Dong Qianfeng, is a member of the Dark Ghosts!"

Zhu Yuanxi coldly exposed the truth.

Wang Yisen, standing behind Dong Tianze, said in a deep voice, "Without any solid evidence, don’t sling mud and spill filth on us!"

"Wang Yisen..."

The Individual Cultivator Cloud Ascetic felt a shock in his heart and quietly reminded Zhu Yuanxi, "Wang Yisen is a Protector of the Yin Spirit Temple and is at the same cultivation level as I am, also in the late stage of the Hollow Profound Realm. In my opinion... we should try to avoid crossing blades if possible."

The well-dressed Individual Cultivator Cloud Ascetic wore luxurious pale yellow brocaded clothes and a conspicuous storage bracelet on his wrist.

He had a tall figure, crowned with a feathered headdress, exuding an air of immortal grace.

He, who had always bullied the weak and feared the strong, had seen the Heavenly Spirit Tower hanging high above the Great Stone Hall in a manner incongruent with his principles, yet he had no complaints.

He’d chosen to play dead and ignore previous clamors from Dong Tianze.

It was only after Wang Yisen spoke and his identity was confirmed that he hastily warned Zhu Yuanxi, fearing that if Zhu Yuanxi caused an uproar, he would be forced to act as well.

Wang Yisen was at the same level of cultivation as him, but had only entered the late Hollow Profound Realm recently. If it really came to a fight, he still held some confidence.

However, he did not wish to clash with the Yin Spirit Temple.

Yet the one who ordered Zhu Yuanxi to come to the Three Immortal Islands was none other than his good friend, Jiuyuan.

If Zhu Yuanxi were to die on his Three Immortal Islands and he dared to sit idly by, he would first have to answer to Jiuyuan.

If the Blood Moon found out, they definitely would not look after him in the future, which would jeopardize his esteemed status on the Three Immortal Islands.

He neither wanted to provoke the Yin Spirit Temple, nor offend the Blood Moon, so he could only seek to mediate, treading a tightrope to survive.

"I and my adoptive father have long severed ties; since his expulsion from the Raging Sun Sect, we have never met. Don’t spout nonsense." Dong Tianze said coldly.

After stabilizing his realm on Gold and Stone Island, he arrived before the gathering began and saw Meng Qiulan and Zhao Ling among the stones.

Through the Ghost Altar, he had seen Meng Qiulan and Zhao Ling of the Dark Ghosts and felt something was amiss.

He also wondered how these Dark Ghost members managed to come to the Third Realm. But he would never admit any involvement with the Dark Ghosts.

Han Zhiyuan had long said, no matter how much the major powers speculated, they must never admit any connection to the Dark Ghosts.

Afterward, Dong Tianze staunchly claimed it was the Blood Moon and Individual Cultivator Cloud Ascetics who impersonated him and plundered the Individual Cultivators along the way.

Zhu Yuanxi then self-righteously stated that it was Dong Tianze who colluded with the Dark Ghosts, directing them to raid their beast-catching ship and kill their people in the Lower Realm.

The two sides argued endlessly, each with their own reservations, making a lot of noise but reaching no conclusion.

"Junior brother, it seems our objective has been achieved. Those Individual Cultivators should be able to feel that it wasn’t you who acted against them."

Wang Yisen sat inside the Heavenly Spirit Tower and said softly, "Individual Cultivator Cloud Ascetic and Blood Moon are in cahoots; his cultivation is equal to mine, and fighting won’t bring us any advantage. The Heavenly Spirit Tower has been here for half a day, and you have also intimidated him. I think... perhaps we should let it go now?"

Dong Tianze kept silent.

Elsewhere.

The Individual Cultivator Cloud Ascetic also advised Zhu Yuanxi not to act rashly. Knowing who Wang Yisen was, Zhu Yuanxi also maintained restraint.

Below.

Standing next to a thick stone pillar, Pang Jian saw the Individual Cultivator Cloud Ascetic who was softly advising Zhu Yuanxi at the edge of the Stone Hall.

Zhu Yuanxi and the Individual Cultivator Cloud Ascetic were both not at the center of the Stone Hall, but more at the rim.

From that angle, the Individual Cultivator Cloud Ascetic could look down and observe all the Individual Cultivators below, gauging how they viewed him.

Similarly, those below, including Pang Jian and Luo Hongyan, could also see him.

"Individual Cultivator Cloud Ascetic, Zhu Yuanxi..."

Pang Jian’s mind conjured the image of Bai Wei tightly clutching the fragment of the storage bag and of Zhao Ling, who had been coerced with a blade before her death.

"Compared to before, you’ve become much more calm and rational, which I find very reassuring."

Luo Hongyan had been watching him.

Watching him silently staring at Individual Cultivator Cloud Ascetic and Zhu Yuanxi, his heart ablaze with fury, yet his eyes betraying no emotion.

A storm in his chest, yet his face showing no sign.

This Pang Jian made her realize that he had truly taken to heart the painstaking guidance she had given him over this period.

Since leaving the Solitude Mountain Range, the simple and naive boy who had never dealt with anyone was rapidly maturing, quickly adapting to this cruel world.

Pang Jian would no longer be as impulsive as he had been at the City Lord Mansion, acting rashly without understanding the situation or knowing how big the gap was between him and the disciples of the Sword Tower, Demon Sect, and Black Valley.

Individual Cultivator Cloud Ascetic, Zhu Yuanxi, his targets marked for death were right above him, yet he managed to remain calm.

Luo Hongyan could also feel that Pang Jian’s heartbeat, breathing, and other subtle details were well maintained.

"Help me adjust my appearance, not as I am now, but as I appeared when I met Dong Tianze through the Ghost Altar."

Pang Jian quietly moved back, stepping away from the outside of the Stone Hall to the side of a pillar below, looking for an angle where no one could see him.

Luo Hongyan paused for a moment.

"If they don’t actually fight, if real conflict doesn’t erupt, our chance is very slim. I need to appear in Hong Jian’s image to pin down Dong Tianze as the Dark Ghost Leader and force them to tear each other’s faces off."

While speaking, Pang Jian had reached behind the pillar.

After Luo Hongyan hesitated, a smile slowly played across her lips, and then she flashed into the shadows.

...