The Purgatory Calamity
Chapter 309 - 292: Captured Alive!_1

Chapter 309: Chapter 292: Captured Alive!_1

The vast and endless Mysterious Fog shrouded the boundless void.

At the other end, where the damaged Bright Heaven Battleship was located.

A Golden Bee Insect clung to the mast’s enormous flag, right where the character "Bright" was.

With its calm compound eyes, it watched the surrounding movements, displaying great patience.

It had maintained this state for a very long time.

It believed that this ship, serving as a directional coordinate, would play a role at some moment.

Therefore, it had appeared here to wait after Luo Yuan had left.

As time ticked by second by second, a bright luminance suddenly flashed in its eyes.

This beam of light was like a bolt of lightning cutting through the dim gray fog!

Pang Jian teleported over and swiftly concealed himself in the shadows, awaiting the arrival of his prey.

Just a moment!

"Whoosh!"

A grayish-green vortex suddenly appeared out of thin air.

Li Yuanchen, covered in blood, with even his golden armor torn and tattered, waved his hand and drew the concealing smoke into the funnel.

He slumped on the deck, gasping for air, the light in his eyes dim.

"Stronger than Zhuang Yuyan by a great margin in the Spirit Condensation Realm, the Divine Eye on his forehead is his Spiritual Soul!"

Li Yuanchen’s scalp tingled.

The man, dressed in a cloak made of feathers and seated atop a giant bird skull, made Li Yuanchen feel powerless.

The man overpowered him just as he had once overpowered Lu Lingchan, with an overwhelming advantage.

With just one encounter, he had sustained severe injuries, with multiple fractures in his sternum and numerous items damaged.

"My Mysterious Heavenly Thunder Hammer, my Ice Yuan Seal, my... Vortex Spirit Funnel."

Li Yuanchen looked at the items in his hands, wanting to cry but having no tears.

Just then.

"Buzzing!"

The sound of the Golden Bee Insect flapping its wings could be heard again.

Li Yuanchen, his face covered in fresh blood, looked up at the position of the bee insect and sighed, "The owner of the bee insect is too terrifying; they found me so quickly that I’m afraid there’s no escaping doom this time."

He had only managed to return in a flash by using the connection between the Vortex Spirit Funnel and the Bright Heaven Battleship, yet the opponent could locate him simply by controlling the bee insect.

This made him feel utterly desperate.

As he stared intently at the Golden Bee Insect and swallowed a pill to prepare himself.

"Boom!"

A Giant Cauldron, encircled by nine suns, crashed into him from behind, and fierce flames immediately engulfed him.

"Crackle!"

Pang Jian manifested wielding his spear, his Square Seal above his head like a dazzling star river.

"Are you Pang Jian or Luo Yuan?" Li Yuanchen demanded in a sharp voice.

"Both."

As a brilliant star river fell, Pang Jian swung his Astonishing Spear and unleashed the Chaotic Sword Skill.

Twisting the rules of heaven and earth, the Sword Intent that shattered the natural laws of the Dao surged out from the silver spear in Pang Jian’s hand.

Once the Sword Intent formed, many conflicting forces released alien power from the Nine Suns Tripod, the Star-shattering Umbrella, and the Astonishing Spear, converging at one spot to confine Li Yuanchen.

The barely alive Li Yuanchen watched as the golden armor plates covering his body burst and shattered one after another.

In no time, this scion of Bright Heaven Divine Kingdom was dyed into a bloody figure by his own blood.

"Huff!"

The Nine Suns Tripod turned over and sucked Li Yuanchen inside, to prevent him from being turned into ashes and bone dust by the Mysterious Fog.

"Silver hammer, Square Seal, funnel."

Pang Jian landed and unceremoniously grabbed those items, channeling Spiritual Power to sense each one.

"Most of the Spirit Arrays inside are destroyed; no wonder you had little power to resist."

Pang Jian shook his head in disappointment, took the Storage Bracelet and a Storage Ring off the blood figure, and said, "Who did you pretend to be if not my likeness?"

Li Yuanchen wiped the blood from his face, losing his previous composure; he exclaimed in sudden realization, "Pang Jian, so you are Luo Yuan!"

...

At the bird’s forehead.

"Late stage of the Hollow Profound Realm, not yet reached Spirit Condensation..."

Fu Wangchen, unable to find the Golden Bee Insect, reluctantly sat down again.

He placed both hands on his knees, his handsome face filled with confusion.

The Li Yuanchen that came with the bee insect couldn’t withstand a few of his hammer strikes and was so quickly defeated that he felt quite disappointed.

He thought Li Yuanchen was too weak, and even if he could control those Golden Bee Insects, he probably wouldn’t be able to find a way out of the Mysterious Fog, so he stopped worrying about it.

Turning his head, he looked back.

His third eye on the forehead shone brightly, with countless runes drifting in the depths of his pupils, like a mysterious sea of consciousness.

Upon the giant bird’s massive wing bones, palace buildings with closed doors and windows were perched.

But under his penetrating Divine Eye, the figures inside—whether lying still, sitting withered, or slumped on the ground—were inevitably revealed.

"I can only bring you into unconsciousness and protect your bodies with the power of the Spiritual Bird, but..."

Fu Wangchen sighed and shook his head.

He had been lost in the Mysterious Fog for a long time and could not find a way to leave, forced to stay here.

Those who came with him, unable to see hope, gradually became mentally unstable, their suspicion escalating to armed conflict.

Forced by circumstance, he had to use the remaining power within the Spiritual Bird’s bones to confine everyone, keeping them in a state of unconsciousness.

But he knew that this was only a temporary solution, merely delaying their deaths.

"Once I find a way out, I dare wake you up; otherwise, you will still die."

Fu Wangchen said helplessly.

...

At the location of the Sword Boat.

Qi Qingsong, Dong Tianze, Zhuang Yuyan, and Fang Boxuan, along with Zhao Yuanqi and Zhou Qingchen who arrived riding a gourd, once again gathered here.

"Pang Jian, how did you turn into a golden bee insect?"

"Not just one, several!"

"Indeed, it’s him who entrusted strands of his consciousness in the bodies of the bee insects, which led us back to the Sword Boat."

"There was a mark left by Li Yuanchen behind our ears, and it was also wiped away by the bee insects."

"..."

The people on the Sword Boat were engaged in a fervent discussion.

Some were on the third-floor viewing platform, while others were on deck, all awaiting Pang Jian’s return.

"Our junior brother does have some tricks up his sleeve."

Zhuang Yuyan had already sheathed her two Spirit Swords.

She stared absent-mindedly into the vast Mysterious Fog, sighing, "If it wasn’t for his release of the bee insects, Zhou Qingchen, and Fang Boxuan, they would definitely have been found and killed by Li Yuanchen."

Fang Boxuan, with a pained expression, said, "Don’t blame me for running away without a fight. My fiancée in name died so tragically and wrongfully, it’s hard for me to have the courage to stay and fight to the death."

Zhao Yuanqi, in black cloth and silver hair, kept her cool without uttering a word.

Knowing that the murderer had left a mark on each person to lock onto anyone leaving through the Mysterious Fog, she too was cursing in secret.

Looking back, the decision to lead Zhou Qingchen away was a blatant mistake.

At that moment, had she stayed and fought alongside Qi Qingsong and Zhuang Yuyan, there would have been a much greater chance of survival.

It was only due to the presence of the bee insects and Pang Jian’s covert support that her misstep was rectified, sparing her the taste of failure.

"The wisest decision of my life was when Yuanmang gave Pang Jian a Sword Command,"

Qi Qingsong exclaimed with a bright smile, "That Sword Command not only allowed me to obtain the Blue Dream Sword and helped me to comprehend the wonders of the Dream Sword but also earned me Pang Jian’s friendship."

Zhuang Yuyan looked forward with anticipation: "I have yet to witness our junior brother’s prowess."

"Whoosh!"

A Giant Cauldron, encircled by intense mini-suns, suddenly flew in from afar.

The Star-shattering Umbrella was plunged into the cauldron, covering its mouth with its canopy, radiating the luminance of stars and moon.

Pang Jian, back to his original form, stood on top of the umbrella.

"Pang Jian!"

Everyone shouted in surprise and delight.

A moment later.

The Nine Suns Tripod descended in midair above the Sword Boat, and Pang Jian first put away the Star-shattering Umbrella, then pointed at the steadily descending Giant Cauldron, telling Dong Tianze, "Enter the cauldron to probe souls with your Secret Skill and perform a soul search on this Li Yuanchen."

"Li Yuanchen has been captured by you?"

Zhuang Yuyan’s face was full of disbelief.

"Ah?"

Qi Qingsong flew into the air with his sword.

Looking down, he indeed saw the arrogant and domineering scion of the Bright Heaven Divine Kingdom, Li Yuanchen, weakened to the extreme, slumped at the bottom of the cauldron.

Li Yuanchen, covered in blood from head to toe, was in the utmost disarray.

Just a while ago, this man had divided his body into many, sometimes appearing on the third-floor viewing platform, sometimes on the deck lying in wait to hunt; he caused the annihilation of the Black Valley members, turning the living dead into mists of blood.

And now...

"Pang Jian, how did you do it?"

Qi Qingsong exclaimed in disbelief.

"It was just taking advantage of an opportunity; there’s nothing noteworthy," Pang Jian waved it off and continued to urge Dong Tianze to come in, his voice grave, "Li Yuanchen is nothing. I encountered another guy who has ascended to the Spirit Condensation Realm; he can open a vertical eye on his forehead. It was him who badly wounded Li Yuanchen, who fled in defeat and was captured by me."

"Spirit Condensation Realm, vertical eye on the forehead, riding a giant skeletal remains of a bird..."

Zhuang Yuyan pondered, her body trembling slightly, and said, "His name is Fu Wangchen, from the Desolated Terrains of the North Ruins!"

After pausing, she looked towards Fang Boxuan with a very strange gaze, cleared her throat, and then said, "His master is..."

"I know."

Fang Boxuan sat down on the deck with a slump, as if drained of all strength, gritting his teeth, "His master is Li Chu!"

"Hmm."

Zhuang Yuyan nodded slightly, choosing not to say anything more.

"Li Yuanchen killed Lu Lingchan on the Sword Boat, then somewhere else in the Mysterious Fog he was seriously injured by Fu Wangchen and fled in defeat..."

Qi Qingsong’s expression was peculiar, and he shook his head with a sigh, "Should I say it’s karma? Or just that he’s unluckier? He killed someone’s wife, and then almost got killed by the same person’s hand."

"Lu Lingchan was not his wife!"

Fang Boxuan shouted angrily, still seated on the ground.

"Uh, sorry, I didn’t mean that,"

Qi Qingsong looked slightly embarrassed but still decided to be frank, "Your marriage contract was dissolved by the Lu Family and Black Valley. Since Lu Lingchan caught the eye of Li Chu and plans to push her to his own disciple, well, cough cough... Fu Wangchen was meant to be her husband."

"My Fang Family never agreed to it!"

Fang Boxuan’s words lacked conviction.

"Whether the Fang Family agrees or not doesn’t matter anymore," Qi Qingsong said, unable to avoid provoking him, "The Fang Family is gone; what significance does their agreement have now?"

"In any case, since the Fang Family did not agree, it can’t count as..."

Fang Boxuan’s voice grew lower.

"Boom!"

Dong Tianze descended into the Nine Suns Tripod, waving Ghost Howling to release numerous soul shadows, forming a small river circling Li Yuanchen’s forehead.

He immediately began casting spells.

"Pang Jian, about his life and death..."

Dong Tianze asked from the bottom of the cauldron.

"Not important,"

"Just get whatever information related to him as quickly as possible, find out who he is and what happened before. His life and death really do not matter," Pang Jian said indifferently.

"Oh, that will be much quicker,"

Dong Tianze got the message.

The river of souls encircling Li Yuanchen’s forehead drilled straight into his Sea of Consciousness, transforming into a chain that peeled away memories, forcibly extracting images.

"His real name is indeed Li Yuanchen, one of the three great Divine Marquises of the Bright Heaven Divine Kingdom, the son of Break Armor Marquis."

...