Sacred Land Trial Chapter Twenty: Departure from the Thunder Abyss

As soon as the words left his lips, a faint breeze swept by, and Sword Zhongli appeared behind him in an instant. Luo Chen felt Sword Zhongli place a hand on his head. The eerie voice echoed again in his ears.

"Oh? Since Young Master Luo Chen wishes to experience pain, this old man shall grant you this small wish."

"Wait—"

Before Luo Chen could finish his sentence, he felt something being drawn out from the top of his head by Sword Zhongli. Instantly, the paralysis that had gripped his body was replaced with a sensation as if countless blades pierced him while raging flames consumed him.

Sweat poured from Luo Chen's brow in torrents. Sword Zhongli appeared in front of him, holding a silver needle and gazing at Luo Chen.

"Young Master Luo Chen, how does it feel now? That should teach you not to disrespect your elders."

With that, the silver needle slipped from Sword Zhongli's hand and fell to the ground. With a casual wave, Luo Chen regained mobility, but the overwhelming pain forced him to his knees.

Sweat dripped relentlessly from his forehead onto the ground, veins bulging across his body. Luo Chen stared at the silver needle lying on the floor, recalling it was the very needle that had sealed his pain senses.

He hadn't felt pain before because the needle remained in place. He cursed his own tongue—he had dug his own grave.

"Little one, carefully absorb the power within your body. Do not waste the Spirit Pearl this old man bestowed upon you. What realm you reach now depends on your fortune."

Curled on the ground, Luo Chen heard Sword Zhongli's voice and once more sensed the power stirring in his dantian. Ignoring the agony, oblivious to his nakedness, he forced himself to sit cross-legged and focused his spiritual sense on his dantian, reaching out with his spiritual veins to touch that power.

Immediately, a tremendous aura radiated from Luo Chen, startling him so much that he opened his eyes, looking at the lightning coursing through his hands and body.

"Fifth Stage of the Origin Spirit Realm!"

Luo Chen was genuinely astonished. Previously, his spiritual veins could not awaken, and he was unable to communicate with elemental forces, unable to break through the final threshold of the Seventh Stage of the Spirit Gathering Realm.

Disheartened, he had foolishly dispersed his cultivation. Yet now, the familiar power within him not only restored his lost cultivation but propelled him past the barriers of the Spirit Gathering Realm.

He had directly entered the Fifth Stage of the Origin Spirit Realm. Staring at the lightning surging from his hands, he wondered if this was the awakening of his elemental power. Still, Luo Chen found it hard to believe his own eyes.

He closed his eyes again, probing his dantian with his spiritual sense. He found a sea of spirit energy, with nine gates upon his spiritual veins that marked his cultivation.

Five of these gates now shone brightly, confirming he had indeed stepped into the Fifth Stage of the Origin Spirit Realm. While he was still secretly delighted, Sword Zhongli's voice interrupted him.

"Not bad—a very pure lightning spiritual vein."

Luo Chen opened his eyes and saw Sword Zhongli emerge from the cave. Luo Chen smiled; he wanted to stand, but seeing his naked form, could only smile awkwardly.

Then, two spheres of light flew from Sword Zhongli's hand, landing in Luo Chen's grasp. As the light faded, Shi Ling's body and the handkerchief he had previously entrusted to Sword Zhongli appeared in his hands.

On the handkerchief rested the spatial ring Qing Xingyue had given him. Luo Chen looked at Shi Ling, still asleep, and gently stroked her small face with a touch of sadness. Watching a stream of spiritual energy flow into Shi Ling's forehead, Luo Chen raised his head and met Sword Zhongli's smiling gaze.

"Master."

Luo Chen heard Shi Ling's voice and thought it was an illusion, but the next moment a pair of small hands clasped his neck, confirming that Shi Ling had awakened.

He smiled and patted Shi Ling's back, but she soon squealed and wriggled free, flying to Sword Zhongli's side with her back to Luo Chen. Luo Chen saw her ears flush red, hurriedly stood, and retrieved a set of clothes from his ring to dress himself.

"Um... I forgot for a moment... Sorry."

He watched as Shi Ling slowly turned around, her face bright red. Luo Chen smiled inwardly, slipped on his ring, and glanced at the handkerchief in his hand.

Luo Chen thought of Xiao Ya. He wondered how she was faring after these months, and a look of melancholy crossed his face. He opened the handkerchief, finding inside the golden scale, and looked to Sword Zhongli.

"Senior, do you know what this scale is?"

At his question, Sword Zhongli glanced at Shi Ling, who nodded gently, then looked very solemnly at Luo Chen. Luo Chen was puzzled by their demeanor.

"Luo Chen, if you wish to learn the secret of this scale, you must wait until your strength is sufficient. For now, all I can tell you are four words: Azure-Blooded Qilin!"

What? Could the Qilin tribe truly still exist in this world? Luo Chen could hardly believe what he had heard, but Sword Zhongli's serious gaze convinced him he had not misheard.

"Senior, legend has it that the Qilin tribe went extinct millions of years ago. Are they truly still extant?"

Sword Zhongli did not answer immediately, but stepped forward, wrapped the scale in the handkerchief, returned it to Luo Chen's hand, and turned his back.

"All things in this world may last tens of millions of years. The matters of ancient times are unclear to this old man, and I cannot say more. You will know what you are meant to know when you have the necessary strength. Otherwise, there are some things best left unknown."

Luo Chen watched Sword Zhongli's departing figure, feeling somewhat disappointed, but agreed with his words. Indeed, to know certain things without requisite strength could bring disaster.

"Still, do not lose heart. This old man believes that one day you will have the strength and the right to learn what others cannot."

Luo Chen nodded with a smile. After all, he had entered the Origin Spirit Realm, and his spiritual veins had fully awakened. Now, he truly walked the path of cultivation.

He had sufficient time ahead to focus on this road, and one day, he would reach the heights he desired and witness different vistas. Luo Chen said nothing more, turning to survey the barren ground around him.

"Senior, what happened to the treasures and medicinal plants you kept here? Don’t be so stingy as to hide them away."

Luo Chen suspected Sword Zhongli had concealed them, fearing he would ask for hundreds of precious items. But now, aside from a distant pile of spirit stones, nothing remained.

"Stingy? You dare mention it? All the treasures this old man hoarded for half a lifetime were burned to refine your body. Otherwise, how could your mortal flesh withstand the agony of divine sword vein transformation? You now possess the physical strength of a Void-Breaker cultivator and the soul strength of a Spirit-Void cultivator. You can show off for a while when you go out."

"Alright, Grandpa Sword, don’t be angry. Master will repay you in the future, Shi Ling promises."

Watching Sword Zhongli’s angry yet resigned face as Shi Ling comforted him by stroking his beard, Luo Chen couldn’t help but smile.

Repay? Does she think I'm foolish? When I leave, I'll pretend nothing happened. Shi Ling, you’re hopeless—how could we ever repay so much? It’s best to feign ignorance.

"Alright, no need to repay. Those things weren't worth many spirit stones anyway. Since fate has brought us together, this old man will give you something else."

He stepped up to Luo Chen, pressed a finger to his brow, and a stream of light flashed. Luo Chen felt something added to his mind and looked at Sword Zhongli in confusion.

"Senior, what is this?"

"The Five Arrays of Extreme Thunder—each array corresponds to one of the five elements, but a cultivator only needs a lightning spiritual vein to practice the first array. The other four elements can be borrowed from the environment. If your spiritual veins contain all five elements, you can unify the five arrays into a sixth array. As for what the sixth array can do, even I don’t know."

With that, Sword Zhongli turned and headed out of the cave, Shi Ling giving Luo Chen an encouraging gesture before following cheerfully. The cave was left empty, save for Luo Chen. Watching their fading figures, Luo Chen sat down and focused on the gift Sword Zhongli had just imparted.

Extreme Thunder Five Arrays—a heavenly grade technique. It matched Thunder—Dark Lightning, Wood—Jade Blossom, Water—Raging Waves, Wind—Shadow Escape, Ice—Spirit Seal.

Reading this, Luo Chen choked up a little. The Five Arrays was indeed formidable; it was the first technique he had seen with five distinct moves serving five purposes.

It could be used for offense, defense, to restrict, and to confuse opponents. But, being a heavenly grade technique, he could only use it once with his current spirit sea.

He needed to hurry and raise his cultivation; only then would his spirit sea expand. With this thought, Luo Chen abandoned further cultivation of the Five Arrays and instead concentrated on absorbing the spirit energy radiating from the Spirit Pearl in his dantian.

After a night of absorption, the Spirit Pearl’s energy was nearly exhausted. Luo Chen stopped, opened his eyes slowly.

Now, the aura around him was entirely different from the night before. Seeing the pure lightning energy radiating from his body, Luo Chen smiled in satisfaction.

"As expected of the Earth Spirit Realm—not only has my spirit sea doubled, but my perception of surrounding elements is greatly enhanced."

He straightened his clothes, folded his arms behind his head, and strolled out of the cave.

Soon, Luo Chen reached the mouth of the cave at Thunder Abyss. Sword Zhongli and Xiao Ya smiled at him, clearly waiting for him.

"Excellent. In one night, you advanced from the Ninth Stage of the Origin Spirit Realm to the Seventh Stage of the Earth Spirit Realm. In this world, only you, Luo Chen, could accomplish such a feat."

Luo Chen approached Sword Zhongli and bowed with a smile.

"I must thank Senior Zhongli for the Spirit Pearl. Without its powerful energy, I could not have advanced so quickly. Now that its energy is nearly spent, I ask the Senior to reclaim it."

He truly felt this way—after all, the Spirit Pearl belonged to Sword Zhongli, and its energy was nearly depleted. It was only right to return it, though Luo Chen was deeply grateful to Sword Zhongli.

Not only had he used the Wild Record to restore Luo Chen’s cultivation path, but he had sacrificed countless treasures to refine Luo Chen’s body, saving him the time needed for body tempering. Moreover, he gifted him the Extreme Thunder Five Arrays, a technique for both offense and defense.

Luo Chen still did not understand why Sword Zhongli was so generous to him. If it was fate, it seemed excessive; if there was another motive, what could a being millions of years old possibly want from him?

"Luo Chen, soon I will send you out. Before you leave, there are a few matters to remind you of. First is the scale I mentioned last night—do not pursue its secrets blindly. At least, you must not investigate it in the Mortal and Spirit Realms."

"Second, though your body and soul have reached sufficient strength, you are far from achieving the final unity recorded in the Wild Saint Canon. The reason, as you might guess, is that the earth fire and heavenly thunder here can only temper you to this degree. In the future, if you encounter other hidden, perilous places with even more terrifying forces, and you feel confident, you may attempt further tempering. Remember: the greater the destructive force, the better the tempering effect."

"Third, since your body and soul are not yet unified, this old man sealed your seven spiritual vein arrays with seven thunder needles. If not, your Void-Breaker strength body could not contain your Spirit-Void strength soul. Only when you break through the Void-Breaker Realm and enter the Spirit-Void Realm will a needle dissipate. The remaining six will require you to find six battle souls. Each time a battle soul enters a spiritual vein array, a thunder needle will vanish. Before you reach the Spirit-Void Realm, Shi Ling cannot again become your battle soul—at most, she is your spirit artifact."

"And finally, as for the Spirit Pearl, keep it. My soul can refine itself now, so the Spirit Pearl is of little use to me. For you, however, it has its purpose—you will learn what that is in time."

Luo Chen listened carefully to Sword Zhongli’s instructions, then inspected himself. Previously, when Shi Ling resided in his Heavenly Spirit vein array, he could feel it clearly. Now, he sensed nothing from the seven vein arrays, unable to open them, always blocked by a powerful force.

It seemed Sword Zhongli had spoken truthfully; the force was likely from the thunder needles. Luo Chen watched as Sword Zhongli waved his hand, and a formation appeared ten meters away.

"Go, enter this formation, and you will return to where you came in."

Luo Chen looked at the formation on the ground, turned to survey the surroundings and the thunder pool below the cliff, feeling reluctant to leave. Though this place was no immortal realm, everywhere was dim and lifeless.

The scorched earth showed no sign of vitality. Only the thunder that fell here illuminated the space.

He could not feel the warmth of sunlight, nor smell the fragrance of flowers and herbs, nor hear the bustle of living creatures.

Yet this place had granted him rebirth, a new beginning.

If his first life was given by his parents, then the second belonged to the village chief of Luo Yu Village, who rescued him and made his present possible.

The third was given by Shi Ling, who saved him in the desert and before her slumber left him the heaven-defying Wild God Record.

The fourth was from Sword Zhongli, who had lived for centuries in Thunder Abyss. Not only had he given Luo Chen a chance to cultivate anew and the body and soul of a powerful cultivator, but he also gifted him techniques that were considered miraculous by outsiders. He wondered what Thunder Abyss truly was, for Sword Zhongli never explained, and living here for a million years meant it was no ordinary place. Perhaps, as Sword Zhongli said, Luo Chen's current strength was not enough to know.

At this thought, Luo Chen's face grew serious. He remembered something important and turned to Sword Zhongli.

"Senior Zhongli, I have one more question."

"You wish to ask about those little ones who emerged from Thunder Abyss a thousand years ago?"

Sword Zhongli stroked his beard and asked gravely. Clearly, either he was involved or knew the reason. Luo Chen nodded.

"That matter does relate to Thunder Abyss, but it is not the main cause. If those children entered Thunder Abyss all at once, and I wished to destroy them in a night, it would be but a flick of my finger. But the truth is, Thunder Abyss only opens its formation once a week, and each time, only fifty people may enter. Every person who enters Thunder Abyss bears its mark on their spiritual veins. I was shocked by their sudden demise, but if you wish to investigate, I can give you a clue. Remember: Second Formation, Soul-Devouring Talisman."

After Sword Zhongli spoke, Luo Chen gained some insight. Apparently, Sword Zhongli knew those people died simultaneously by tracking the Thunder Abyss mark.

Yet Luo Chen sensed something else in his words. When he left, he would need to investigate the Second Formation and Soul-Devouring Talisman. Perhaps then the truth would be revealed; he hoped he was not overthinking.

Shi Ling landed on Luo Chen's shoulder, interrupting his thoughts. Luo Chen looked at Sword Zhongli.

"Senior Zhongli, thank you. If ever you need my help, so long as I am able, I will do as you ask."