The Purgatory Calamity
Chapter 196 - 181: Ascending to the Heavens to Embrace Death_1

Chapter 196: Chapter 181: Ascending to the Heavens to Embrace Death_1

Yuanmang’s highest peak, the internal trading ground.

The trading festival continued to flourish.

"Madam Hua, Pang Jian went to Jade Lake alone, apparently looking for a female cultivator named Han Ting."

"There were five individual cultivators who admired Han Ting. Seeing Pang Jian alone, they tried to murder and rob him but were instead killed by Pang Jian."

"Pang Jian, as if venting his inner indignation, subsequently killed two more individual cultivators to unleash his fury."

"..."

With a charming smile still on her lips, Madam Hua was selling a Soul Condensing Pill to the children of heaven like Yang Rui, Zhao Yuanqi, Xie Xiwen, and Fang Boxuan. She was constantly receiving messages from her subordinates through a White Jade Token in her hand.

All the white-robed women in Yuanmang Fragmented Lands were trained by her, and she had informers on all the major peaks.

From the moment Pang Jian left the highest peak and headed towards Jade Lake, she was well aware of his every move.

Her sources of information were even more detailed and accurate than those of Jiuyuan.

"Jade Lake, after the killing and pulling off storage bags, Pang Jian immediately used spirit stones to recuperate..."

Madam Hua pondered for a moment and then secretly transmitted through divine sense, "Do not act rashly. Just let him stay near Jade Lake. Be sure to pay attention to which Cloud Sail he boards in the end—that is key."

"Right, where is the individual cultivator named Huang Qi now?"

Madam Hua asked again.

"Madam, we lost him."

"Just after Huang Qi left the highest peak, he lingered in a grove for a while and then vanished."

"Please forgive our incompetence!"

The few people Madam Hua specifically arranged to keep a close watch on Huang Qi all apologized with shame.

Madam Hua’s heart sank, but her face remained composed as she continued with a smile, "My esteemed guests, a Soul Condensing Pill costs three hundred thousand and can help you better and faster refine your spiritual soul when advancing to the Spirit Condensation Realm."

"I’ll take part in the bidding!"

Yang Rui, who was in the late stages of the Hollow Profound Realm, declared.

"Me too."

Qi Qingsong said with a lazy smile.

"I’m also bidding!"

Xie Xiwen of the Star River Alliance stated her intent.

"Count me in!"

Fang Boxuan of the Blood Moon spoke up.

The elites of several sects, except Zhao Yuanqi, decided to try their luck to see if they could obtain the Soul Condensing Pill to aid their breakthrough into the Spirit Condensation Realm.

...

"Huh!"

A Star River Alliance disciple, who glanced below by chance, suddenly realized that Pang Jian had disappeared from the grass.

"When did that guy leave?"

He searched around Jade Lake for Pang Jian’s figure with visible confusion.

The exclamations also surprised others, who likewise looked down and did not see Pang Jian.

"Strange..."

Those who felt something was amiss didn’t think much of it.

At the bottom of Jade Lake.

Pang Jian, buried entirely in silt with only his copper plate visible outside his chest, established a connection with the Dark Giant Python first and saw the Heaven Clan’s Yu Xin.

The Fifth Realm.

In midair beside a pond, Yu Xin flapped her wings, continuously circling without stopping.

She seemed anxious and excited.

"The Third Realm, Yuan Mang Fragmented Lands..."

Her usually clear and bright eyes now clouded with unusual mist due to her excessive excitement.

Having been suppressed by the Heavenly Tribulation Pillar for so long, all of the Wisdom Races of the Fifth Realm harbored a dream to ascend to the heavens again. Yet no one had succeeded in thousands of years.

All those who attempted to ascend died under the strikes of the Heavenly Tribulation Pillar while breaking through the skies!

Without exception!

Today, they might have a chance to ascend!

Moreover, it was in the Yuan Mang Fragmented Lands of the Third Realm, where numerous individual cultivators happened to be trading Strange Treasures!

A divine opportunity presented itself!

The impoverished Fifth Realm greatly needed those rare spiritual materials from the worlds above. They were willing to pay anything for them!

Including the lives of this batch of warriors and ferocious beasts from various tribes!

"I hope it will be a success. I hope they can ascend smoothly, because this time it’s below level seven, and I cannot pass temporarily...perhaps later, I may also ascend."

Yu Xin prayed silently.

"Splash!"

Hei, who was lying beside the pond, suddenly got up and plunged into the water.

Seeing this sign of hope, Yu Xin trembled with nervousness at every feather.

"I beg you, please, give us a chance! I know that the warriors going up this time will ultimately die above, but I still wish to ask you..."

Yu Xin prayed with folded hands.

The one she prayed to was the mysterious being who communicated through Hei’s continual carving of words on the ground.

She was well aware that this batch of warriors and ferocious beasts, with a maximum power level of six, would die if they truly appeared in the Third Realm’s Yuan Mang.

Because if the five major sect powers of the Third Realm could quickly unite, that force would be sufficient to annihilate them.

Besides, in the realms above, there were even more terrifying human powerhouses.

All she hoped was that before these people were found and killed one by one, they could successfully obtain the needed materials and throw them into the Fifth Realm.

If materials fell from the sky into the wilderness forests of the Fifth Continent, they would have seeds of hope.

Subsequently, their more powerful warriors and ferocious beasts may be able to break through the Heavenly Tribulation Pillar’s seal on the most powerful beings and enter the Fourth Realm filled with Filth Alien Power.

Only then would they truly be able to secure a foothold in the Fourth Realm!

At the bottom of Jade Lake.

Pang Jian, knowing that the Dark Giant Python had taken its position, closed his pores and condensed the Qi and Blood magnetic field of his entire body with his Innate Realm abilities, merging himself with the heaven and earth inside the lake.

He imagined himself as a stubborn rock at the bottom of Jade Lake, devoid of any trace of life.

He was still silently calculating the time.

After a short while.

Fully buried at the bottom of the lake, he focused his mind and spirit, trying to trigger the marvelous power within the copper token.

"Whoosh!"

A dazzling play of light projected onto the surface of Jade Lake, instantly creating an ice crystal-like Mirror Tunnel!

"Success!"

Yu Xin from the Fifth Realm raised her arms and cheered, shouting, "Elder Yu Gu!"

A man of the Heaven Clan with six pairs of pure white wings, floating countless miles in the sky, heard her and exclaimed in overjoyed thunderous voice, "All clans, hasten into the pool and march to the Third Realm’s Yuan Mang!"

The Cyclops, Ghost Clan, Wood Tribe, and Devil Scale Tribe, mounted on massive ferocious beasts, became rushing torrents of war, heading toward the pool where the Dark Giant Python had submerged.

"Goddess!"

The man named Yu Gu, the Heaven Clan man, flew before Yu Xin with his wings and bowed respectfully, saying, "In our most dire moment, it was you who found us a new way out!"

As a member of the Heaven Clan and her elder, his face was filled with gratitude.

"Elder Yu Gu, as my level happens to be at the seventh tier, I cannot join you in the battle for the Third Realm. Please take care of yourself!" Yu Xin gently advised.

In the Heaven Clan, breaking through two levels of bloodline consecutively results in an additional pair of wings.

Although both she and Yu Gu had six pairs of wings, her level was seven, whereas Yu Gu’s was only six.

"Don’t worry, we are aware of the calamities we might face within the world controlled by the Human Race," Yu Gu said with a calm smile. "Before dying, I will definitely secure the urgently needed Spiritual Materials we need!"

Yu Xin, holding back the sorrow in her heart, reminded him, "Remember, the things I’ve entrusted you with."

She knew that the tasks assigned by the mysterious entity were absolutely critical; she had explained all the matters needing attention to Yu Gu in detail.

This was crucial for her future prospects of continuing to receive assistance from the mysterious entity, and she couldn’t afford any negligence.

She believed that with Yu Gu’s wisdom and caution, there would be no problems; he would not disappoint her.

"They have been etched in my heart!"

Seeing the various clans’ warriors arriving one after another, Yu Gu took a deep breath, took the lead fiercely, and shot towards the Mirror Tunnel above the pool, laughing loudly, "My fellows, follow me to ascend to heaven and meet our demise!"

"Go!"

"To ascend!"

"To achieve the glorious era that generations of our ancestors have longed for through the ages!"

"To return to our ancestral lands!"

Members of the Ghost Clan, Wood Tribe, Devil Scale Tribe, and Cyclops roared as they stepped one by one into the Mirror Tunnel.

...

On the first peak of Yuan Mang.

"Yang Rui, congratulations," said Madam Hua with a smile as she handed a Soul Condensing Pill to the pride of Raging Sun Sect. "It looks like you’ll be advancing to the Spirit Condensation Realm this year, barring any unforeseen circumstances."

She felt a tinge of envy for Yang Rui’s talent.

Without the backing of a major sect, it had taken her nearly four times Yang Rui’s age to reach the Spirit Condensation Realm.

Although she appeared youthful and beautiful, she was actually well over a century old, and looking at talented cultivators like Yang Rui, Xie Xiwen, and Fang Boxuan, she sighed with emotion.

"I should be able to move on to the Second Realm soon," said Yang Rui, standing tall and looking arrogantly at Qi Qingsong after grasping the Soul Condensing Pill. "I’ve had better luck than you, and it will continue to be so."

A wry smile curled at the corner of Qi Qingsong’s mouth as he replied with a chuckle, "Sure, we may meet again in the Second Realm if fate allows it."

"The next item is a Spirit Sword, valued at nine hundred thousand Spirit Stones," announced Madam Hua, raising her voice.

She cast a particular glance at Qi Qingsong and Xie Xiwen of the Star River Alliance, saying, "This Spirit Sword is of a quality between a high-grade Spiritual Artifact and a Holy Artifact!"

Xie Xiwen, who also wielded a sword, had come specifically for this blade and immediately declared, "I enter the competition!"

Qi Qingsong, who had missed out on the Soul Condensing Pill, let out an internal bitter laugh and shook his head, "Forget it, I won’t join the fray."

A Spirit Sword nearing the rank of a Holy Artifact could, if successfully claimed and nurtured with Spiritual Power and Divine Sense for many years, become a true Holy Artifact.

He too longed for a Spirit Sword better suited to him, but unfortunately, his time as an Inner Sect Disciple had been too short, and he didn’t have enough accumulation.

Nine hundred thousand Spirit Stones were beyond his means for the time being.

Suddenly.

"Madam!"

"Elder Lou!"

"Elder Jiuyuan!"

"Elder Liang!"

Audible alerts erupted from jade tokens and various tokens carried by attendees within the trading hall, bustling like a beehive coming to life.

"A Mirror Tunnel has suddenly appeared on the surface of Jade Lake, the situation is unclear at this time!"

"People from Star River Alliance and Yin Spirit Temple are closely watching the newly formed Mirror Tunnel, it is unknown where it leads!"

"Elders, I sense something ominous, I smell danger!"

"..."

Numerous messages, like a shower of rain, kept ringing densely in the jade tokens of the attending elders, causing those elders to turn pale with shock and exit the trading hall in a flurry.

On the highest peak of Yuan Mang’s first mountain, standing at the edge and gazing around, one could faintly see Jade Lake between the sixth and seventh peaks.

They were rushing out to find out exactly what was going on with that newly emerged Mirror Tunnel.

...