The Purgatory Calamity
Chapter 282 - 267: Leaf of Life_1

Chapter 282: Chapter 267: Leaf of Life_1

The Second Realm, Qitian Continent.

Among mountain ranges, there was a nine-storied pavilion suspended in the air, hanging upside down.

It was even taller than the highest mountain peak, and from a distance, it resembled a giant sword with its tip pointing downward.

As one drew nearer, they would discover that the upside-down nine-storied pavilion was filled with numerous bizarre and peculiar Spirit Swords.

Dazzling sword lights flew out from each Spirit Sword, releasing complex and profound Sword Intent, whistling through the air as they shuttled between the different pavilions.

This was the Sword Tower.

At this moment.

At the belly of a mountain facing the Sword Tower, Qi Qingsong, who was attempting to break through to the Spirit Condensation Realm, had the door of his secret chamber suddenly pushed open.

"Master!"

Qi Qingsong exclaimed in surprise at the visitor.

"Cease your attempt to break through to the Spirit Condensation Realm for a moment."

Yao Junhong, with his goat beard and salt-and-pepper hair tied into a bun, entered and first threw out a Spirit Sword forged of blue crystal, saying, "Here, this is the Blue Dream Sword you’ve always wanted."

Qi Qingsong’s face lit up with joy as he caught it, laughing wildly, "Thank you, Master, for your generous love!"

As he held the Spirit Sword in his hand, he let a wisp of Spiritual Power seep into it, causing the precious crystal-like Spirit Sword to immediately shine with a dreamy and illusory blue luster.

Within the crystal body of the sword, numerous bright sparkles shimmered, looking like a series of mysterious and enchanting dreamscapes upon closer inspection.

"You, lad, love to dream the most, and this Blue Dream Sword is most suited for you. It also contains a complete set of Sword techniques."

Yao Junhong said with a smile.

Qi Qingsong felt so honored that he was somewhat puzzled, "Master, you never used to think much of me before, what’s gotten into you today?"

"Before?"

Yao Junhong snorted, "When you had yet to make a breakthrough to the Innate Realm in the past, I didn’t drive you away. It was you who felt ashamed and took the initiative to leave for the Outer Sect."

"What? You were unimpressive in the past, always idle and only knew how to daydream, and you blame me for that?"

Yao Junhong scoffed.

"Not at all, not at all."

Qi Qingsong, unable to let go of the sword named Blue Dream, was already taking out the Sword technique inscribed within it to silently memorize.

"The Sword technique you practiced before should no longer be your main one. Since you like to dream, keep dreaming. From now on, the Dream Sword shall be the foundation of your Great Tao. In the future, should you have incredible luck and be able to advance to the Immortal Realm with the Dream Sword, you could try to achieve Divine Enthronement through this Sword technique."

Yao Junhong said solemnly.

"Enthrone as a god through dreaming?"

Qi Qingsong was thunderstruck, his eyes gleaming with longing as he asked, "Has anyone done it before?"

Yao Junhong shook his head, "Many new Divine Taos have been painstakingly forged step by step by those who came after. The strongest person to practice the Dream Sword reached the pinnacle of the Immortal Realm, but unfortunately perished in his attempt to become a True God."

"However, just because he did not succeed with the Dream Sword doesn’t mean others will fail too."

"The Dream Sword at least bears the hope of Divine Enthronement, while the Sword technique you originally practiced will never allow you to successfully achieve it."

Yao Junhong relayed the harsh reality.

Qi Qingsong was not foolish, promptly expressing his thanks before asking, "Master, this Blue Dream Sword is a Holy Artifact, and the Dream Sword is a Sword technique with the potential for Divine Enthronement. Given my understanding of our Sword Tower, I shouldn’t have been able to obtain this sword unless I had made a significant contribution. What... great deed have I accomplished?"

"The Tower Master said you gave a Sword Command to Pang Jian, helping the Sword Tower find an exceptional talent," said Yao Junhong with a slight frown.

He would never doubt the Tower Master’s strength, but Pu Zhaotian’s past actions left much to be unreliable.

He was somewhat skeptical about whether the exceptional talent Pu Zhaotian mentioned was genuine.

Thus, he asked, "Does that kid Pang Jian really deserve the title of ’exceptional’?"

"Pretty much,"

Qi Qingsong chuckled, saying casually, "He and I, we both advanced to the Innate Realm through the Unity of Heaven and Man."

"That’s far from being ’exceptional’."

Yao Junhong glared at him and said, "You should know, in the Second and First Realms, what the standard is for so-called exceptional geniuses. You, Qi Qingsong, are just a passable Inner Sect Disciple of our Sword Tower. Exceptional? You’re nowhere close to that!"

With those words, Qi Qingsong immediately became dejected, "Is it right for a master to crush his disciple like this?"

"Enough talk, come out of seclusion now. With your cultivation at the pinnacle of the Hollow Profound Realm, lead a group into the Absolute Sky Forbidden Land."

"Aside from the Sword Tower, there will be forces from the Demon Sect, Black Valley, Sky Water Swamp, and even Sects from the First Realm entering the Absolute Sky Forbidden Land."

"This Forbidden Land, shrouded in Mysterious Fog, has seen numerous God Spirit puppets and some Ferocious Beasts and evil spirits emerging. Cultivators of the Fifth Realm or higher, once they venture too deep, will be contaminated by the Mysterious Fog. Thus, only you all can go."

"Lad, this is also a Sect trial involving both the Second and the First Realms; don’t you dare bring shame upon our Sword Tower."

Yao Junhong admonished.

"The Absolute Sky Forbidden Land? God Spirit puppets?" Qi Qingsong was taken aback and hastily asked, "Master, what’s happened outside while I’ve been in seclusion?"

"You head to the Saint Spirit Continent first. Someone will inform you on the way about the recent turmoil in the Purgatory World," said Yao Junhong gravely.

"What about Pang Jian? Has he returned? For this journey to the Absolute Sky Forbidden Land, I want him to represent our Sword Tower as well to meet those so-called geniuses from both realms," Qi Qingsong hastily said.

"He left the Sword Command in the storage ring, and the Tower Master doesn’t know his whereabouts. The Tower Master personally asked around Red Mountain, and they said he went to the Prayer Spirit Forbidden Land," Yao Junhong said with a furrowed brow. "The kid’s habits aren’t very good. The Tower Master intended for him to enter the Absolute Sky Forbidden Land with you."

"Master, please think of a way. Get Pang Jian up here soon. Having him by my side will give me much more confidence," Qi Qingsong urged.

"You think that highly of him?"

"Of course!"

"Alright, I’ll think of something."

...

Cloud Marsh.

Pang Jian sat quietly beneath the Corrosion Boundary Vine, taking out the flesh and blood of a ferocious beast to eat, providing nourishment for the formation of the bee pupae.

While extracting the flesh and blood, he also noticed the Sword Command that he had thrown into it.

"Chaotic Sword Skill..."

The thought of Pu Zhaotian’s divine shadow swinging a sword within the Sword Command, demonstrating the complex and exquisite sword technique, made him itch to try it out.

When hunting the body of an Alien God puppet, he used the rudimentary Chaotic Sword Skill he had just grasped, yet it yielded miraculous effects.

It was with the Chaotic Sword Skill, combined with his Chaos Sea filled with Filth Alien Power, gathering the forces of the stars, moon, Cold Ice, and Thunderbolt, including the Power of Earth Flame, that unleashed divine might and instantly blasted the ten-zhang-tall Woodman on the spot.

He was eager to take out the Sword Command and continue to ponder the profound meanings of the Chaotic Sword Skill, hoping to comprehend more of its profound variations.

However.

"It won’t do, the moment the Sword Command leaves the bracelet, the Tower Master might lock onto its position with precision."

He shook his head and dismissed the thought.

His consciousness scanned the storage bracelet and found that the amount of ferocious beast flesh and blood he had acquired from Yuanmang was running low.

"Pills that stabilize the spirit and nurture the soul, along with ferocious beast meat that replenishes Qi and Blood vitality, still need to be continuously stocked up."

Feeling the copper badge draw Qi and Blood, he took out a barrel of rank five spotted shadow leopard’s beast blood and drank it all.

Half an hour later, the beehive within the copper badge finally ceased to extract the essence of Qi and Blood from his body.

At that moment, strands of golden Divine Sense started to surge from the "Spring Eye" at the bottom of Pang Jian’s Sea of Consciousness!

His total Divine Sense count broke through from one hundred and thirty-six to one hundred and forty-four, with the number containing divine nature of golden Divine Sense becoming twelve strands!

"Boom!"

The limits of his Sea of Consciousness were once again expanded, continuously stretching its boundaries, as if his brain’s world was being rebuilt.

His head felt swollen, and suddenly, golden light shone from the depths of his eyes.

"Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh!"

The twelve strands of golden Divine Sense, like streaks of golden lightning, zipped through his Sea of Consciousness.

Also at this moment.

The Mysterious Turtle from the Third Realm, the Rebel Kid from the Fifth Realm, and the Sapling from Cloud Marsh began to express... gratitude towards him, one after another.

The three peculiar items transmitted thoughts to him in succession.

"The transformation of my Sea of Consciousness benefits you as well, enhancing your Spiritual Wisdom?"

Pang Jian was startled.

Through the feedback from the Mysterious Turtle, Rebel Kid, and Sapling, he understood that the oddities that had stepped out from the "Purgatory Gate" were soul-bonded to him, and so the variations and enhancements of his Sea of Consciousness could, in turn, nourish those three peculiar items.

"It must be the increase in golden Divine Sense, alongside the breakthrough from thirty to forty, that resulted in a substantial leap in quality."

Pang Jian marveled at the wonder of the golden Divine Sense.

He resolved that if there were another chance to encounter Alien Gods from the Outer Realm, and if there was a possibility to hunt them, he would not miss any!

In the time that followed, he did not rush to leave Sky Fortune Fragment Land but instead focused on mastering Divine Sense under the Sapling.

Several days later.

All one hundred and forty-four strands of Divine Sense achieved a mysterious resonance with his thoughts and intentions.

Those Divine Senses that were initially uncontrollable and freely drifting in his Sea of Consciousness now acted as his hands and feet.

This state was the pinnacle of the mid-stage in the Hollow Profound Realm, with the prospects of a breakthrough approaching at any moment.

"Not bad at all."

A smile appeared on the corner of Pang Jian’s mouth.

At this moment, he noticed that new grass was breaking through the earth near the Sapling, and new trees were resolutely emerging once again.

The death of the Alien Gods from the Outer Realm allowed some Divine Power to be intercepted by the Sapling, which seemed to benefit it substantially.

"Whir! Whir whir!"

The Sapling’s branches swayed gently, each leaf radiating divine splendor, emanating astonishing vitality.

Pang Jian’s body trembled slightly.

Above the heart of the Mysterious Turtle shell, three new green leaves formed, each the size of a fingernail.

Now, there were eight leaves covering his heart, diffusing a dense Life Vitality.

"Leaf of Life?"

The Sapling transmitted thoughts telling Pang Jian the name of these leaves and said... when it transforms again, it would also endow the leaves with magic.

This further exhilarated Pang Jian.

He had witnessed the wonders of the Mysterious Turtle shell, and if the rank eight Leaf of Life could also reveal strangeness and provide aid during battles, then his path of cultivation would become even smoother.

Another two days passed.

Full of anticipation and hoping to seize the opportunity to advance to the late stage of the Hollow Profound Realm, Pang Jian did not sense the emergence of a breakthrough chance.

Feeling somewhat dejected, he suddenly stood up and began constructing the Ghost Altar, wanting to through Tianze from the Third Realm, find out more about the situation above.

No sooner had the Ghost Altar been completed than Dong Tianze appeared.

Seeing the familiar hermitage, Pang Jian knew that Dong Tianze had returned to Yin Spirit Temple and was no longer wandering about.

"You even have the face to rebuild the Ghost Altar!"

...