Trials of the Abyss

The laughter of the Rank Eight Flame Dragon, Long Yan, rang piercingly through the Greencliff Mountain Range.

He did not conceal his disdain, openly stating that the Dragon Lair Sect had only decided to stay its hand because Li Zhaotian announced his intention to ascend to the True God Realm.

If not for that, Long Yan would have mercilessly slaughtered all the young human cultivators present upon arrival.

The Dragon Lair Sect!

The expressions of Fan Chen and the others near the Sword Boat atop the rocky peak were grim.

Fan Chen, Dong Wenjian, and Liu Youyu were descendants of True Gods and had never been subjected to such humiliation.

Even so, they were on the Fey Race's territory.

The slumbering ancient Thunder Dragon was also known for being tyrannical and showed little regard for the True Gods.

Thus, they could only grit their teeth and endure.

As his unique divine sense converged, Pang Jian's eyes turned a brilliant gold, like radiant golden torches. Still hovering in the air, he carefully probed the Rank Eight Flame Dragon with his enhanced perception.

A fiery radiance covered the skin of Long Yan's massive human form.

Long Yan glanced at Pang Jian with a smile.

A shiver ran through Pang Jian's body.

He then landed at a vacant rocky peak, taking a moment to process what he had seen.

Fiery mountains seemed to lie beneath Long Yan's scales, flames churning with intense ferocity as meteors streaked across the sky.

There were also the glimmering lights of mortal dwellings, the spectral silhouettes of fire-attribute Spirit Beasts, and vivid images of Flame Race warriors with their bodies ablaze.

The Rank Eight Long Yan, a Flame Dragon of the Dragon Lair Sect, had an astonishingly deep comprehension of the Dao of Fire.

Long Yan's meridians were like streams of magma that brimmed with boundless fire energy.

His body, soul, and blood were all refined to near perfection.

Unlike before, Pang Jian now had a unique golden divine soul capable of seeing through Long Yan, allowing him to realize just how formidable Long Yan truly was.

Although the Scarlet-Eyed Demon Wolf from Northern Qi also had a complete Rank Eight bloodline and could single-handedly annihilate several Rank Eight foreign race warriors, it still paled significantly compared to Long Yan.

That short glimpse had given Pang Jian a deeper understanding of the Dragon Lair Sect and the naturally superior Dragon Race.

Pang Jian's prying did not bother Long Yan in the slightest.

Instead, Long Yan turned his attention to the pit where the Return to Antiquity ritual had been performed and chuckled. "Elder Bear, you've been away for many years. Why haven't you paid a visit to the Dragon Lair Sect since returning?"

"I returned in haste and needed to prepare for the struggle over the position of Fey God. I simply didn't have the time," the Rock Bear replied from deep underground, voice weary and weakened.

Pang Jian maintained an impassive expression even as his thoughts raced.

The Rock Bear has neutralized Yuan Min's venom thanks to the Rank Ten Primordial Serpent's blood essence. Over the past few days, he's been studying the bloodline mysteries of the Primordial Serpent.

Just yesterday, his voice roared with thunderous vigor when speaking with Yuan Qi, so why is it so weary and frail now?

He's feigning weakness! Pang Jian realized.

The Rock Bear was intentionally concealing his recovery from Long Yan.

Evidently, Long Yan had come here to spy on the Rock Bear on Yuan Min's behalf to see if the venom had been neutralized.

Long Yan was a dragon from the Dragon Lair Sect, meaning no other Fey Race on the Sacred Soul Continent would dare to oppose him.

Only dragons like Long Yan could venture into Rock Bear's territory with impunity and freely report the Rock Bear's condition back to Yuan Min.

Long Yan's face darkened. "I've come on behalf of the Dragon Lair Sect to pay my respects. Won't Elder Bear even grant me an audience?"

"I'm unwell and unfit for visitors," the Rock Bear rumbled.

"Oh, you're unwell?" Long Yan crouched by the pit and peered inside, feigning concern. "The struggle for the position of Fey God is imminent. If your health is poor, why not withdraw?

"You're undoubtedly the most qualified candidate—your age, seniority, and accumulated strength are unmatched. But if your condition is as bad as it seems, the Dragon Lair Sect could always select another Fey King to compete."

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Thin strands of fire energy wove together to form miniature red dragons that spiraled out from Long Yan's fingertips.

Dozens of these intricate red dragons shot into the pit, delving deeper in search of Rock Bear, eager to uncover his true condition.

Long Yan's actions bordered on insolence!

"I may not be in my prime, but dealing with Yuan Min is still well within my capability," the Rock Bear said gruffly, a hint of derision in his tone. "Perhaps killing Yuan Min and consuming his heart will allow me to regain my strength.

"I am old, and this struggle for the Fey God position is my last chance to extend my life. I will not relinquish it!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Long Yan's red dragons collided with dense, unyielding barriers deep underground, unable to advance another inch.

Long Yan used the strength of these barriers to further assess Rock Bear's condition.

Yuan Qi sneered, "Today, I've witnessed firsthand the arrogance and tyranny of the Dragon Lair Sect."

Long Yan merely laughed heartily in response,

Recalling his red dragons, he stood upright and turned his crimson gaze to Yuan Qi with a grin.

"The White Lynx mentioned that you hail from Northern Qi in the northernmost region of the Fourth World—a land rumored to harbor the ancient Fey Race.

"The Dragon Lair Sect is quite interested in that place. Why don't you accompany me to the Dragon Lair Sect and tell us more about it?"

It seemed this was Long Yan's true purpose.

The Dragon Lair Sect's primary concern was the possibility of a Fey God hidden within Northern Qi.

"If the Dragon Lair Sect is interested, they can send a dragon over to investigate personally," Yuan Qi responded calmly.

He already knew that stepping onto the Sacred Soul Continent meant the Dragon Lair Sect would eventually come for him.

"I am but a humble Great Fey from the Solitary Mountain Range, with only a shallow understanding of what lies within."

Long Yan's grin widened. "The Dragon Lair Sect would like to hear from you firsthand. We'll decide whether to explore Northern Qi based on your account."

"Can I refuse?"

"Haha! I heard you've awakened your bloodline. I'll allow you to decline if you can withstand a single punch from me."

Without further warning, the two crimson horns on Long Yan's forehead flared brightly.

Long Yan, still in his human form, threw a punch in Yuan Qi's direction.

A blazing fireball the size of a clenched fist formed in the air with a deafening roar.

The blazing fireball swelled to an immense size, unleashing a wave of overwhelming heat capable of incinerating everything in its path.

Pang Jian, Fan Chen, and the others on the rocky peaks all paled with shock.

The sheer destructive force radiating from the blazing fireball filled them with a crushing sense of helplessness. Even their most powerful artifacts and talismans would be futile against such apocalyptic might.

Boom!

Yuan Qi transformed into his giant ape form and raised his massive hands to push back against the colossal blazing fireball heading his way.

Icy-blue radiance rippled from the palms of his massive hands.

Yuan Qi conjured a wave of extreme frost, mustering up all the innate abilities within his unique bloodline.

The blazing fireball collided with the icy-blue wave of extreme frost emanating from Yuan Qi's palms.

Long Yan's Dao of Fire unfurled within the fireball, transforming into rivers of magma, fiery meteor showers, erupting volcanoes, and seething infernal beasts.

The Dao of Fire manifested its full grandeur from the fireball.

Boom!

Yuan Qi's wave of extreme frost abruptly shattered into fragments.

Scalding jets of fiery liquid sprayed from the fireball, searing his palms and setting his dense fur ablaze.

His towering body crashed to the ground with a resounding boom, creating a web of fissures in the earth around him.

Yuan Qi coughed a mouthful of blood, interspersed with shards of ice and flickering embers.

Before the blazing fireball could further harm Yuan Qi, it shrank to a third of its size and vanished.

Long Yan, still in his human form, ascended into the air, clutching the marble-sized fireball with a smirk.

Turning his back on Yuan Qi and Pang Jian, he said nonchalantly, "Let's go."

Yuan Qi staggered to his feet without a word, his breathing rough and labored as he followed Long Yan in his injured giant ape form.

"Yuan Qi!" Pang Jian called out.

Yuan Qi did not pause his determined strides, though he turned his head slightly to glance back at Pang Jian.

"I always knew this day would come. Going to the Dragon Lair Sect was part of my purpose in coming to the Sacred Soul Continent.

"Don't worry about me. And don't do anything on my behalf."

There was no frustration or despair in Yuan Qi's eyes, only unyielding resolve.

Yuan Qi had only recently ascended to Rank Eight. Naturally, he did not feel discouraged at losing against a Flame Dragon at the peak of Rank Eight and on the verge of reaching Rank Nine.

The Dragon Lair isn't concerned about the awakening of your bloodline. You're still young, and they just want to know how you ascended to Rank Eight in such a short amount of time.

Unlike the foreign races in the Fifth World, our Fey Race requires a much longer time to break through our bloodline ranks.

You, along with the ancient Fey Race in Northern Qi…if you can solve this seemingly insurmountable problem, then our Fey Race...

Long Yan's voice resonated in Yuan Qi's mind.

These words were not meant for the humans.

***

After Long Yan and Yuan Qi left, Pang Jian descended into the pit and found the Rank Nine Rock Bear absorbing earth energy in his true form.

"I cannot intervene," the Rock Bear said before Pang Jian could even say a word. His eyes were filled with helplessness as he added, "Long Yan is a representative of the Dragon Lair Sect. I cannot act against him, even on my own territory.

"I can slaughter all of Yuan Min's subordinates without consequence, but I cannot raise a hand against the Dragon Race.

"The best I can do is remain hidden and ensure he doesn't figure out how much I've recovered.

"Only after I kill Yuan Min and successfully ascend to the rank of Fey God will I have the right to negotiate with the Dragon Lair Sect.

"Only then can I demand Yuan Qi's return," the Rock Bear admitted candidly.

"Why are the dragons of the Dragon Lair Sect the only ones with complete bloodlines?" Pang Jian asked. The question had plagued him for a while now.

"Perhaps because they made the right choice," the Rank Nine Rock Bear murmured, brows knitted.

After a long pause, he added, "Lady Celestial Phoenix once subtly hinted that the seven Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillars in the Fifth World not only suppressed the foreign races there but also gradually altered the Fey Race's bloodlines.

"This was not something Lady Celestial Phoenix had intended, and it wasn't until many years later that she became aware of it.

"I suspect this realization was one of the reasons for her eventual demise."

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