The Purgatory Calamity
Chapter 204 - 189: Advancement to Hollow Profound!_1

Chapter 204: Chapter 189: Advancement to Hollow Profound!_1

First, form the Sea of Consciousness, and Divine Sense will naturally emerge.

Once Divine Sense emerges, it signifies Hollow Profound!

A mnemonic from the "Pot Heaven Nourishing Qi Spell" floated into Pang Jian’s mind, causing him to pause slightly.

He was absolutely certain that the threads, which slipped out like fish from a "spring eye" type of acupoint, were what cultivators referred to as Divine Sense!

According to what Luo Hongyan said, and how Qi Qingsong described it, the formation of Divine Sense meant stepping into the Hollow Profound Realm, ascending a great realm.

However.

Pang Jian felt perplexed because his Spiritual Sea had not stirred any significant waves; it was not like when he broke through to the Innate Realm where the Spiritual Sea expanded anew, nor did it absorb nature’s spiritual energy from the surroundings vehemently.

There was nothing noticeably abnormal about his body either.

He recalled the pain of opening meridians in the Meridians Channeling Realm, the gnashing and wailing in the darkness of the Marrow Cleansing Realm, and the marvelous enlightenment under the exotic state of "Unity of Heaven and Man" in the Innate Realm.

The attainment of the Hollow Profound Realm was too calm, too... child’s play.

— This also made him doubt his own condition.

"I still can’t control Divine Sense; does that mean I haven’t entered the Hollow Profound Realm? Yet according to the records, being able to subtly manipulate Divine Sense is a skill of the later stage of Hollow Profound..." he thought to himself.

The more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

"According to the description of the Hollow Profound Realm, as long as Divine Sense has formed, internally, one can minutely perceive the mysteries of viscera and soul; externally, one can inspect the environment in all directions..."

Doubtful, Pang Jian first tried to examine the exterior.

With his eyes closed, his consciousness focused, and his attention immediately concentrated.

A wonderful realization suddenly surged to his mind!

With closed eyes, he could see himself sitting quietly in the cave dwelling; he could vividly see every detail around him, including above his head and beneath his feet!

It was as if his whole body had grown eyes!

This meant that if he fought someone, he would not be caught by surprise at all, not from behind, not from the side; he could perceive all enemy movements!

"Is this what it means to be in the Hollow Profound Realm?"

Standing up, he kept his eyes closed and continued to feel, finding the situation stayed mostly the same.

Within a certain range, with himself at the center, a three-dimensional scene would visually present itself, allowing him to clearly see the actions of various opponents during a fight.

This miraculous state was like the time he established a connection with Cloud Marsh’s Sapling, able to see the surroundings in all directions through the Sapling’s eyes.

"Perhaps, I have indeed achieved a breakthrough. Let’s try... internal visualization!"

After sitting back down, like usual, he tried to sense his dantian Spiritual Sea.

He saw it!

In the vast depths of his Spiritual Sea, there were the embedded Ice Pool and Flame Pool!

The Bright Moon above the Spiritual Sea, a tiny sun, and the scattering of small stars were no longer just in his perception!

In that magical dantian Spiritual Sea, as if having his own eyes, he could directly and clearly see every nuance!

The leaping flames within the Flame Pool, the explosive aura of lava and sulfur, the Extreme Cold Alien Power in the Ice Pool like cold crystals were all displayed before his "mind’s eye"!

Even the many "shadow wells" connected to the meridians beneath the Spiritual Sea were distinctly flashing.

With a thought.

He could clearly see his heart beating "thump thump" and the three tender green leaves covering it.

The complex and exquisite veins on the three tender leaves, the flow of life essence within them, and their nourishment to his heart were all clearly visible to him.

Then came his intestines, stomach, liver, spleen, and various organs, as well as the bones wrapped in a faint blood light.

Every meridian that transported Spiritual Power or Qi and Blood seemed to have magnified tens of times, appearing so clear.

Pang Jian also suddenly knew that meridians and blood vessels were different; within some fine meridians of the limbs, only Spiritual Power and various Alien Powers could flow.

In some blood vessels, only fresh blood and rich Qi and Blood could circulate.

There were also meridians that could accommodate all, unobstructed by any type of power.

Although he still could not use the Divine Sense in his Sea of Consciousness delicately, the existence of those Divine Senses gave him many wonderful perceptions.

"It’s right, this is the Hollow Profound Realm!" Pang Jian inwardly cheered.

All signs indicated that he had successfully broken through the realm, reaching the Hollow Profound Realm like Qi Qingsong!

As long as Divine Sense is present, he has a miraculous mind’s eye; externally he can observe the surroundings, and internally he can delve into the subtleties of his own body.

"Let’s try again, to see if I can communicate with the Goddess of Alien Tribes..." he thought.

The moment the thought arose, he instantly established a connection with the Dark Giant Python in the Fifth Realm.

The view in his vision changed.

"Hei, I wonder how Yu Gu and the others are doing in the Third Realm," said Yu Xin of the Heaven Clan, anxiously caressing the forehead of the Dark Giant Python, looking at the deathly still lake, and murmuring low:

"It’s been quite a few days; many people must have died by now. I only hope that those big shots in the Second Realm haven’t noticed the drastic changes happening in Yuanmang. Yu Gu, please, you must survive..."

Her voice, her every move, Pang Jian could feel and see.

"War comes with sacrifices; most of them are still alive for now, and the gains... are not bad," Pang Jian sent a thread of his thoughts, trying to reach into the Beast Soul of the Dark Giant Python.

The pitch-black eyes of the Dark Giant Python suddenly showed confusion.

It could clearly hear Pang Jian’s voice, feeling that Pang Jian was speaking to it.

"Ah!"

The hands of Yu Xin, who had her fingers on its forehead, trembled slightly, immediately gathering Soul Energy to perceive.

She heard the intentions of that mysterious existence!

Inside the Beast Soul of Hei, there were threads of consciousness not belonging to Hei, precisely expressing thoughts and will.

"What should I do? What can I do for you?" asked Yu Xin, using formal language.

She dared not let her own consciousness drift into Hei’s beast soul, fearing that the presence of multiple minds within Hei’s beast soul might cause him to fall into a state of spiritual confusion.

She simply looked into the eyes of the Dark Giant Python with respect and unease, softly asking, "Was it you who delivered them to the Third Realm, Yuanmang? All of us are grateful for your kindness."

"Please, what can we do for you?" she asked sincerely.

Her earnestness was beyond doubt.

"You are the Wood Tribe who ascended to the skies with flying spirit artifacts from the Fifth Realm, hoping to make your way to the Fragment Land of Sky Fortune in the Fourth Realm. The Wood Tribe will find their faith there," Pang Jian provided guidance through his heart’s voice.

"Thank you for your guidance. I will explain everything to Madam Muyuan. She has long been eager," Yu Xin said with utmost respect and politeness.

"Hmm."

Pang Jian was still considering his words when his expression suddenly changed, and he cut off the connection immediately.

"Who’s in there?"

An unfamiliar voice came from outside the cave.

Pang Jian, who was focused on communicating with Yu Xin, had to end the exchange abruptly, summoning the Astonishing Spear immediately.

After preparing himself, he kicked aside the rubble blocking the cave entrance.

At that moment, a group of disciples dressed in Blood Moon attire stood at the foot of the mountain below the cave.

One of them held a blood sphere, looking up at the cave on the flank of the fifth peak, and quickly backed away to dodge as rocks flew in all directions.

"Blood Moon!"

Standing at the mouth of the cave, Pang Jian took a quick glance and spotted someone he had seen before at the trade meet—an individual named Fang Boxuan.

Fang Boxuan, at the mid-stage of the Hollow Profound Realm, was just twenty years old and a prodigy of Blood Moon.

Besides Fang Boxuan, there were six other Blood Moon disciples, some at the Innate Realm and others at the Hollow Profound Realm, clad in the same robes, also looking up at him from the mountain’s base.

"Pang Jian!"

Fang Boxuan called out.

"Pang Jian?"

"The very same Pang Jian whom Elder Jiuyuan is so keen on killing?"

"He’s actually still alive!"

The Blood Moon disciples who had never seen Pang Jian but had heard of him confirmed his identity upon Fang Boxuan’s shout.

Then...

One of them’s eyes lit up, suddenly saying, "Rumor has it, he has a million spirit stones in his possession that he hasn’t spent yet!"

"Exactly! He failed to draw out that remnant of the Blood Spirit Sect from Madam Hua. Those spirit stones he exchanged for the spiritual materials from the level seven Spirit Beast are now in his possession!" another licked his lips.

All except Fang Boxuan, who frowned in silence, had their eyes fixed on the storage ring in Pang Jian’s hand, their intentions clear as day to him.

"Including Fang Boxuan, seven in total, mostly at the Innate and Hollow Profound Realms. It would be troublesome to be surrounded, but if the fight were drawn out, it might be worth a try," Pang Jian thought, coming to a decision.

"Whoosh!"

Without using any spear-flying technique, he simply leapt down from the mouth of the cave, carrying the Astonishing Spear.

As he landed, he darted towards the fourth peak.

"This kid is quite clever!"

"Chase him!"

A group of five did not hesitate and immediately pursued.

"Junior Brother Fang, you?"

Chen Min, with considerable beauty, raised her brows with concern.

Seeing that Fang Boxuan remained motionless, she suppressed the urge to chase and added, "I know you have issues with Elder Jiuyuan, but that shouldn’t stop you from taking the opportunity to claim a million spirit stones, right?"

In the Third Realm, only Elders at the Spirit Condensation Realm from the major sects could possibly possess a million spirit stones through years of accumulation.

Fang Boxuan might be a remarkable talent, but due to his relatively short time in cultivation, his resources were still lacking.

In the future, even if he were to leave the Third Realm’s Blood Moon and seek fortune in a higher realm, he would still rely heavily on spirit stones to pave his way.

Chen Min found it strange why Fang Boxuan did not act.

"Zhao Yuanqi of the Red Mountain had once asked me to save her sister; I suppose there might be some connection," Fang Boxuan, who was hesitant, did not hide anything and explained, "Zhao Yuanqi, Yang Rui, and Xie Xiwen will all go to the Second Realm for cultivation in the future, and I do not wish to kill this Pang Jian only for Zhao Yuanqi to find out and blame me."

"Zhao Yuanqi again!"

Chen Min snorted inwardly.

She had always been fond of the tall and handsome Fang Boxuan, making many overt and covert attempts to approach him, which he always ignored.

Just a few days ago, after they barely escaped an encirclement by the Wood Tribe, she had proactively sought him out, even offering herself to him.

She hoped that if Fang Boxuan became successful in the future, he would remember her kindness and grant her some cultivation resources.

Yet, she was rejected by Fang Boxuan once again.

Hearing Fang Boxuan’s consideration regarding Pang Jian’s life being connected to Zhao Yuanqi, Chen Min felt even more uncomfortable.

"If you won’t make a move, then I will!"

Chen Min chased after him.

Thinking that acquiring a million spirit stones might enable her to advance to the Spirit Condensation Realm and become an Elder like Jiuyuan, her determination to kill firmed up all the more.

...

ps: Good morning, dear brothers, a new week has begun. Old Ni is asking for your votes—a monthly ticket, a recommendation ticket, any and all are greatly appreciated!