Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 372: The Heaven-Earth Cosmos Chest

Pang Jian stayed in Misty Swamp in the days that followed.

The little tree restored the towering ancient trees in the air to their original places, and the marshland regained its former tranquility.

Li Yuqing's condition improved by the day with the help of her pills and rare treasures,

A table and chairs were always set up under the lush little tree and an endless supply of delicacies, braised meats, and wine were readily available.

A young man and a young girl drank and chatted beneath the tree, with the spirit body of the World Eater Vine occasionally joining them.

Pang Jian rarely spent extended periods in Misty Swamp, so Pang Ling thoroughly enjoyed this rare period of peace, and as a result, her attitude toward Li Yuqing also softened considerably.

One day, Pang Jian brought up something the Observer had mentioned—the grand event spanning multiple worlds that occurred once every hundred millennia.

"The True Gods of the First World and the major factions are aware of it," Li Yuqing remarked as she took a sip from her delicate silver flask and nibbled on a juicy peach. "There are always signs when the Abyss opens."

Pang Jian's curiosity was piqued. "What signs?" n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"A surge of geniuses who break through their cultivation realms at an accelerated pace, Vicious Beasts, strange phenomena, and countless other peculiarities emerge one after another." Li Yuqing glanced at the little tree. "The Outer Gods call the Abyss the Tribulation Ground of Gods and Demons, the most ancient and primordial kind."

Pang Jian's expression shifted. "I've heard of that before."

"I don't know the specific details, but I do know that our world is incredibly special," Li Yuqing said slowly, considering her words carefully. "In short, whenever the Abyss is about to open, geniuses appear in droves, the old generation ages and dies faster, and the cycle of the young replacing the old accelerates.

"When the Abyss opens, the attention of the Outer Gods shifts toward it. Powerful beings from other worlds and those lurking in the starry skies emerge from the shadows, igniting great upheavals within the Abyss.

"A stagnant peace can neither create true powerhouses nor foster innovation.

"Miracles can only emerge in a harsh environment filled with slaughter, chaos, death, despair, and oppression. Difficult times produce cultivators that surpass the greatest of previous eras.

"The human race, Spirit Beasts, and foreign races are alike—all their greatest powerhouses emerged during such periods.

"Perhaps that's what makes the Tribulation Ground of Gods and Demons so unique." Li Yuqing's eyes held a trace of bitterness as she continued, "Generation after generation of True Gods have risked their lives to explore the bizarre mist.

"They all believe someone deliberately created the Abyss, and that it has been a colossal prison since its inception."

She paused briefly.

"As for the grand event that occurs every hundred millennia, our human race likely hasn't experienced it yet. After all, our history of rising to power is less than a hundred thousand years old."

There was another moment of silence as she seemed to mull something over.

"You, me, and the others on the Soul Wandering Realm leaderboard like Zhou Yi, Fan Chen, and Liu Youyu, all possess Soul Wandering Realm cultivation at an incredibly young age. This is extremely unusual compared to the previous era," she added.

Pang Jian was startled. "Are you saying that we're benefiting from the massive upheaval in the Abyss?"

"Yes, and an unprecedented one at that," Li Yuqing said seriously. "According to our Li Family's records, even when the Abyss opened in the past, there weren't so many young cultivators with such high cultivation realms appearing at once. It's as if this surge is forcing the older generation into retirement.

"In past eras, reaching the Soul Wandering Realm before reaching a hundred years old was exceedingly rare.

"But now, you, me, and several others have reached the Soul Wandering Realm before our thirties. It's something the older generation could have never even dreamed of.

"Most of the current True Gods at the pinnacle of combat prowess were once brilliant geniuses that emerged during the previous eras when the Abyss last opened.

"Our emergence can no longer be explained as mere miracles. It's more fitting to call it a divine phenomenon."

Li Yuqing gazed at the dim sky of the Fourth World, shrouded in thick leaden clouds, where sunlight and moonlight would never reach.

In a dreamlike voice, she murmured, "There's a force within the bizarre mist, a heavenly law that governs everything within it, writing new chapters and setting new rules."

Her keen intellect and the extensive knowledge she had access to through the Li Family allowed her to reach such realizations.

Pang Jian took a swig of wine, brows knitted in thought.

He could not help but recall what Sun Bin had told Pang Lin before they left—his hope that she would reach the Profound Abode Realm within a hundred years.

Evidently, Sun Bin had been viewing Pang Lin through the lens of an older era.

In his eyes, although Pang Lin was an excellent talent with a natural lightning vortex, she was still not on the level of a peerless prodigy like Li Yuqing.

With her talent, Sun Bin assumed a hundred years for Pang Lin to reach the Profound Abode Realm was reasonable.

Pang Lin's potential had only elevated further after she obtained the Celestial Phoenix's inheritance.

Even Pang Jian had advanced far beyond the Profound Abode Realm after the trials in Absolute Heaven, and Pang Lin was likely in a similar cultivation realm.

Pang Jian considered her words carefully before asking in a low voice, "Are you saying that the times are shaping people?"

"Exactly. We're in both the worst and best times," Li Yuqing replied with a wry smile. "It's the worst because we face challenges more perilous than ever before. After all, there's never been a time when the Outer Gods have focused their attention quite so intently on the Abyss like this.

"And it was unheard of for the Outer Gods to descend with their true bodies. No one can predict what terrible situations could arise next.

"But it's also the best because we're growing at a speed that the older generation could never match. This way, even if the older generation perishes, we can quickly take their place.

"When we reach the True God Realm, we'll also likely be stronger than they are!

"The older generation's only path forward lies beyond the Abyss, where they must confront the relentless onslaught of the Outer Gods."

Li Yuqing could not help but sigh deeply.

"There's no other path forward but to leave? Can't they stay?" Pang Jian asked, puzzled.

"No." Li Yuqing shook her head solemnly. "The cycle of new True Gods replacing the old True Gods is inevitable. The potential and abilities of newcomers like you, me, and several others are far greater than theirs.

"When we ascend to the True God Realm, we'll surely surpass the older generation, significantly raising the overall power of the True Gods in the Abyss!

"Only with the new generation of more powerful True Gods will we gain the boost in strength necessary to withstand the harsh environment of the Abyss.

“As for the old generation..."

"The number of divine seats in the Abyss is limited. If they don't leave, they occupy those positions and block the path for those who come after. Staying behind means standing in the way of the next generation of stronger True Gods, and new True Gods won't be able to emerge in large numbers.

"This didn't matter as much during times of peace, but now, with the rise of the foreign races, if they don't make way, they risk dooming the human race in the Abyss to extinction.

"So, they have to leave, whether they like it or not." Li Yuqing revealed the harsh truth.

Pang Jian's heart surged with emotion as he gazed at the sky.

His master, Li Zhaotian, had never told him this before. He had never mentioned the limit to the number of divine seats in the Abyss, nor the insurmountable challenges that the True Gods faced.

In the outer reaches of the starry skies beyond the Abyss, Outer Gods hunted the True Gods of the human race in retaliation for the True Gods having once destroyed the Hall of the Gods.

For a True God, breaking through the barriers of the Abyss meant facing deadly battles the instant they stepped out.

To leave the Abyss was to risk almost certain death.

However, if they stayed, they would block the rise of the next generation of stronger True Gods. The new True Gods could not forge their own paths if the old True Gods did not vacate their positions.

Without the rise of stronger new True Gods, the human race may not be able to handle the upcoming challenges in the Abyss, which could lead to extinction.

"Who would have thought that even the mighty True Gods, who rule over all beings in the Abyss, would find themselves in such a bind?" Pang Jian muttered. "No wonder the recent True God council meeting lasted so long."

He could almost imagine a group of ancient beings gathered with expressions of deep concern.

"By the way, what do you know about the Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillars? Remember that copper chest from Eight Trigrams City?" Pang Jian abruptly changed the topic.

Li Yuqing's eyes widened in surprise. "Why are you asking about the Heaven-Earth Cosmos Chest? Don't tell me you have it?"

Her gaze sharpened.

Pang Jian hurriedly shook his head. "I'm just curious!"

"There are seven Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillars, each with a sealing artifact. I only know that the Heaven-Earth Cosmos Chest is the most crucial one. I can't remember the names of the others," Li Yuqing said with a frown. "My father told me the Heaven-Earth Cosmos Chest can extend to the highest heavens and into the darkest underworld.

"It even contains a world within. That's why it's called the Heaven-Earth Cosmos Chest."

"A mysterious World God is said to have left that artifact behind when the seven Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillars were first created.

"Its disappearance caused the seven Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillars in the Fifth World to malfunction.

"It's the most critical sealing artifact of the Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillars, more important than the other six combined.

"My descent into the lower worlds was to search for the Heaven-Earth Cosmos Chest and bring it back to Eight Trigrams City. Unfortunately, even if I found it now, it's already too late." She sighed in frustration.

Pang Jian remained silent, mind racing.

He finally understood why the copper chest plunged those without the Gate of the Abyss into endless darkness beneath the Abyss while allowing those wearing it to peer into the starry skies.

A World God had left the Heaven-Earth Cosmos Chest behind.

The Gate of the Abyss and the Heaven-Earth Cosmos Chest had always shared a deep connection!

Pang Jian made up his mind never to tell Li Yuqing about the copper chest or the bronze pendant, lest the True Gods in the First World placed the blame for the rise of the foreign races upon him.

"Could all of this have been avoided if the chest hadn't disappeared?" Pang Jian asked hesitantly.

Li Yuqing shook her head. "No, even if the Heaven-Earth Cosmos Chest hadn't disappeared, something else would've happened. The Abyss is the Tribulation Ground of Gods and Demons, and the hundred-millennia grand event is upon us. These occurrences were inevitable.

"Everything happening now was always meant to happen."