Trials of the Abyss
Chapter 660: Strife in the Thunder Abyss

Chapter 660: Strife in the Thunder Abyss

The colossal Water Serpent slithered downward, following Pang Jian's descent into the depths of the bizarre mist. There, it witnessed Pang Jian's entire body radiating multicolored brilliance as he effortlessly passed through the boundary wall and out into the bizarre mist beyond.

The Water Serpent's eyes were filled with shock and disbelief.

"The ability to move freely in and out of an abyss—I've finally seen it with my own eyes. There's no mistaking it."

With a piercing hiss, the Water Serpent surged up through the lightning-filled sky.

Not long after, it landed beside the two Thunder Race powerhouses, the unicorn, and the Vermilion Bird.

"He left through the bottom of the Thunder Abyss. It seems he wants to understand the structure of this world. He'll be back," it reported.

The two Thunder Race warriors exchanged uncertain glances.

Even the unicorn, the most welcoming toward Pang Jian, had a gaze that flickered with cold, crackling lightning.

"He is the Pang Jian that Lord He Motian seeks," the unicorn said, opening its mouth and spitting out a grotesque, bone-spiked lotus platform.

The blue-purple lotus was etched with intricate demonic runes, exuding the aura of the Dao of Demon. Its aura was faintly linked to a mighty presence in the starry skies.

"Hold it! Not yet!" the male Thunder Race warrior shouted, cutting in to stop him.

The unicorn defiantly stomped its hooves, each step conjuring whirling vortexes of ice and lightning.

Its gaze was hostile as it spat, "The Thunder Race has not ruled the Thunder Abyss for a long time."

"I know." The male Thunder Race powerhouse, Lei Fan, lowered his gaze. "After our ancestor fell, most of the Thunder Race in the Thunder Abyss abandoned their old faith. Even those of us with Rank Ten bloodlines now struggle to break through the barrier and leave.

"Even if we do manage to leave, the Gods of the Ghost Race and the Demon Races beyond do everything in their power to hunt us down.

"The Thunder Gods of the Thunder Race can barely take a step in the starry skies. We all know this truth.

"As for the three of you, your Fey Race doesn't fare much better in the starry skies, does it?

"You're all Fey Gods from the Thunder Abyss. You're well aware that the struggles we face are not mere coincidences. The Gods of the Ghost Race and the Demon Races have deliberately targeted us," Lei Fan said.

"Even if that's true, what of it?" the unicorn responded coldly. "When the Thunderveil Godbeast left, he paved a new path for us, one that revealed the truth.

"The Gods of the Ghost Race and the Demon Races are most intolerant of the Thunder Gods born from the Thunder Race, not us.

"As long as a Fey God is not from the Ancient Fey World and is willing to align with those two factions, they are more than happy to accept us.

"The Thunder Abyss will not be able to resist when the once-in-a-hundred-millennia grand event arrives and powerful Outer Gods descend. If we establish a good relationship with Lord He Motian, those mighty Gods will likely spare the lives of the inhabitants of the Thunder Abyss.

"Your Thunder Race and our descendants could survive this disaster unscathed.

"Following their bidding allows us to secure a path to survival. Not to mention, when we finally leave the Thunder Abyss and step into the starry skies in the future, they likely won't make things difficult for us."

The unicorn glanced at the two Thunder Race warriors, scoffing derisively.

"I advise you two not to even think about leaving the Thunder Abyss and trying to survive in the starry skies."

With that, the unicorn activated the blue-purple lotus platform.

Demonic energy surged, and a shadowy figure of a Demon God appeared, seated atop the bone-spiked lotus. This figure had four heads, four arms, four faces, and a looming presence.

"Lord He Motian!"

The Vermilion Bird, colossal Water Serpent, and unicorn all bowed in reverence.

The two Thunder Race powerhouses, on the other hand, instinctively stepped back when the Great Demon God's projection manifested, not daring to even glance at it. They feared that even the slightest flicker of resentment in their eyes would bring their destruction.

Their ancestor, the Duke of Thunder, had harbored an unyielding hatred toward the Gods of the Ghost Race and the Demon Races.

Many divine beings of both races had perished at his hands.

Legends claimed that the high-ranking Gods of the Ghost and Demon Races had orchestrated much of the Duke of Thunder's downfall from the shadows.

After the death of the Duke of Thunder, the Thunder Race in the various abysses had suffered severe persecution. Those in the Thunder Abyss had fared the worst.

The Gods of the Ghost Race and the Demon Races had relentlessly hunted every Thunder Race divine being in the starry skies. Not a single mid-ranking God had emerged from the Thunder Race since. Even low-ranking Gods of their lineage had become a rarity.

Lei Fan knew that one of the main culprits behind the Thunder Race's decline in recent years was none other than the Great Demon God seated upon the lotus platform before them.

Although his heart was consumed with hatred, he was powerless to act.

Even within the Thunder Abyss itself, the unicorn, Water Serpent, and Vermilion Bird had not only willingly allied themselves with this Great Demon God but were even helping him suppress the Thunder Race.

Lei Fan knew that He Motian's true intention was to ensure that the Thunder Race of the Thunder Abyss would never rise again.

He Motian and Zi Mo would never allow another Duke of Thunder to be born from the Thunder Race of the Thunder Abyss.

"My lord, the True God you seek has arrived in the Thunder Abyss."

While Lei Fan lamented his helplessness, the unicorn was relaying everything about Pang Jian's arrival and actions in full detail.

"So, he didn't rush back to the Abyss after all." He Motian's deep voice echoed from the demonic figure on the lotus platform. "Keep a close watch on him, and find a way to keep him in the Thunder Abyss.

"I will notify Zi Mo immediately. The pursuers in the bizarre mist will gather near your abyss soon."

"As you command," the three Fey Gods replied in unison.

After He Motian's projection faded, the unicorn once again swallowed the lotus platform.

The Water Serpent's piercing gaze fell upon Lei Fan and Lei Ying. "If either of you reveals this to Pang Jian, you will see a great number of the Thunder Race in the Thunder Abyss perish."

"The Sovereigns in the starry skies may not allow the complete extinction of a race like yours, but killing a few? That's never been a problem," the unicorn callously added.

Lei Fan lowered his head. "I understood."

***

Pang Jian returned to the Thunder Abyss, his expression dark and somber.

Pan Di had once fought alongside him and provided crucial intelligence regarding the Ancient Fey World.

Of course, Pang Jian had repaid that debt by helping Pan Di recover his flesh and organs, restoring his divine powers.

Though not particularly deep, the two still undeniably shared a bond, and his death left Pang Jian with a faint sense of sorrow.

Who could it be?

This question spiraled endlessly in Pang Jian's mind.

As he left the bizarre mist near the boundary wall, his gaze fell upon two distinct factions: the two Thunder Race warriors standing together on one side, and the three Fey Gods on the other.

The previously hostile Thunder Race warriors now appeared defeated.

Meanwhile, the unicorn, Vermilion Bird, and Water Serpent all looked at him with faux friendliness.

The unicorn, in particular, was especially eager, soaring toward him with a grin from afar. "Did you discover anything? How exactly does the Thunder Abyss differ from the Abyss?

"Since you have the Duke of Thunder's divine artifact, you absolutely have to visit Thunder God Mountain!

"According to ancient records passed down in the Thunder Abyss, the Duke of Thunder comprehended his Dao of Lightning and stepped beyond this world to become the first Thunder God of the starry skies on that sacred mountain!

"The lightning on Thunder God Mountain is the most violent and untamed. It was through enduring that very lightning that the Duke of Thunder first gained insights into the Dao of Lightning.

"If you place the Thunder Pool atop Thunder God Mountain, it could undergo some kind of miraculous transformation," the unicorn said enthusiastically.

It was determined to keep Pang Jian within the Thunder Abyss, even if it meant using the Thunder Race's Sacred Land to lure him in. [1]

Sure enough, Pang Jian's eyes lit up. "Is that possible?"

Rather than looking at the Fey Gods, he turned to Lei Fan and Lei Ying, seeking the opinions of the Thunder Race powerhouses.

Lei Fan was about to coldly refuse when he caught the Water Serpent casting him a pointed look. After a brief hesitation, he relented, "There's no issue. You can likely set foot on the sacred mountain since you carry our ancestor's divine artifact."

"I'll be in your care," Pang Jian said.

"Lei Ying, take him to the mountain," Lei Fan said wearily.

When Lei Fan first saw the Thunder Pool in Pang Jian's hands, he had felt a burning desire to claim it for himself, believing that he could use it to revitalize the Thunder Race.

However, after their brief battle, he had come to the stark realization that even he and Lei Ying together were no match for Pang Jian.

The unicorn, Vermilion Bird, and Water Serpent had suppressed the pair for years. The two sides had never truly been on the same side.

In order to survive the upcoming grand event, the three Fey Gods had secretly aligned themselves with Great Demon God He Motian, seeking external intervention to shield the Thunder Abyss from destruction.

With these three defecting to He Motian's side, the Demon God would soon have complete control over the Thunder Abyss, leaving Lei Fan and Lei Ying without hope for survival.

Even if the Thunder Pool were to somehow fall into their hands, it would only hasten their deaths. He Motian and Zi Mo would never allow the divine artifact of the Duke of Thunder to fall into the hands of the Thunder Race.

With no path forward, the disillusioned Lei Fan chose to drift along with the current, his mind sinking into quiet resignation.

***

Thunder God Mountain was a towering, silver-white mountain on the Primal Thunder Continent in the first layer of the Thunder Abyss. It was nearly thirty thousand zhang tall, with a summit that pierced the sky like a sword and crackled with boundless lightning.

It stood apart from everything else—an unrivaled giant that dominated the landscape.

Tendrils of lightning coiled around the mountainside like twisting vines, giving the sacred mountain an awe-inspiring presence that left Pang Jian in astonishment.

Even the Abyss did not have mountains of such height or continents with such violent lightning.

The first thought that surfaced in Pang Jian's mind was not of himself, but of the ancient Thunder Dragon.

If Long Xiao were here, he would probably...

This was undoubtedly the place Long Xiao had long dreamed of setting foot upon.

Long Xiao had an insatiable obsession with the Dao of Lightning. If he could descend on Thunder God Mountain and comprehend the Dao of Lightning contained within, his strength would undoubtedly surge to new heights.

"What do you think of our ancestor?" the Thunder Race woman suddenly asked, breaking Pang Jian out of his reverie.

Pang Jian frowned in thought. "The Duke of Thunder's Dao was one that verged on the unorthodox. His Dao was both obsessive and immensely powerful, allowing him to become the strongest among all Thunder Gods, unmatched to this day. I deeply respect that."

"The Thunder Pool is in your hands. Would you be willing to help the Thunder Race?"

1. As a reminder, a place capable of birthing Blessed Lands is known as a Sacred Land, as stated in chapter 501. Blessed Lands are self-contained worlds that exist within an abyss while still maintaining independence from it. Blessed Lands can foster rare mineral veins and spiritual herbs, harboring wonders that transcend the ordinary world. Also, don't confuse Sacred Lands with Spiritual Lands, which are just regions rich in pure spiritual qi. ☜