Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 299: Follower of the Forest God

Chapter 299: Follower of the Forest God

At that moment, Pang Jian noticed the blood-stained grass beneath his feet was acting unusually obedient.

It was only the grass under his feet that behaved.

The grass in other areas greedily absorbed any blood it came into contact with like sponges soaking up water.

Some blades of grass even twisted and stretched to reach nearby corpses, stabbing their leaves into the bodies in a ravenous devouring of blood and flesh.

The lucky survivors had completely hacked away the grass under their feet, leaving the ground bare where they stood.

How interesting, Pang Jian thought, raising an eyebrow.

The eight Leaves of Life had allowed him to be spared from the plants' attacks.

"Friend!" Chang Li of the Skyveil Cliff Sect shouted. "That guy can control the plants and trees in this area!

"Almost all of the members of our Skyveil Cliff Sect have died in this forest. If you can send a message out, please get more members of the Sword Pavilion to come to this forest and save us!"

Pang Jian narrowed his eyes.

The Skyveil Cliff Sect was a sect on the Heaven Awakening Continent, just like the Sword Pavilion and the Celestial Lagoon Sect.

However, the Skyveil Cliff Sect was fairly weak and far inferior to the Sword Pavilion or the Celestial Lagoon Sect.

The Skyveil Cliff Sect disciples had unexpectedly been the first to enter Absolute Heaving, meaning they were also the first to suffer attacks from the foreign races.

Pang Jian frowned.

The foreign race figure wrapped in black gauze had an aura similar to the Wood Race in Misty Swamp and could also control plants to attack.

The disciple from the Skyveil Cliff Sect called them the Green Spirit Race, Pang Jian recalled.

"Pang Jian!" Zhao Yuanqi yelled, appearing above the ancient trees on her giant crimson gourd.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The branches of the ancient trees intertwined to create a covering of foliage that completely blocked the sky.

Zhao Yuanqi could no longer descend and those in the forest could no longer see outside.

A barrier of densely packed branches and leaves had sealed off the forest.

"Friend, why don't you join forces with the Scarlet-Eyed Demon Wolf?" Chang Li from the Skyveil Cliff Sect urged Pang Jian. "It advanced to Rank Six while in Absolute Heaven and is our main force against the foreign races!"

The surviving cultivators dared not move recklessly and only operated in areas where the grass had been cleared away. Even when sharp branches attacked the Scarlet-Eyed Demon Wolf, they could only assist with their weapons from the barren areas.

Suddenly, the Green Spirit Race warrior wrapped in black gauze became dazed, like a sinister spirit from another world had possessed it.

The look in his eyes changed!

A deathly aura capable of withering all life surged out of his eyes to engulf his surroundings.

The flowers and plants withered the moment his eyes landed on them.

His gaze settled on Pang Jian, and the plants around him started to wilt.

"It's you!" the Green Spirit Race warrior exclaimed.

"It's you!" Pang Jian replied in shock.

Using his spear, Pang Jian hastily took to the sky, intending to escape the terrifying forest.

A Rank Six foreign race warrior was equivalent to a Spirit Condensation Realm cultivator.

Although Pang Jian was confident he could win against the foreign race warrior, battling an Outer God possessing the Green Spirit Race warrior's body was another matter altogether.

All Pang Jian wanted now was to leave as fast as possible.

"I'm the master of my own body!" the foreign race warrior shouted angrily, tugging at the black gauze to cover his bright green eyes.

Pang Jian had been about to reach the ceiling of intertwined branches but paused his retreat when he saw the foreign race warrior's actions.

The foreign race warrior seemed to be using the black gauze to retain his self-awareness and prevent the Outer God's possession.

"You, the one who just arrived, one of the Forest Gods my race worships recognized you.

"My name is Ka Zi, from the Lunar Grove World." The Green Spirit Race warrior stood up from the massive leaf, staring directly at Pang Jian despite the black gauze covering his eyes. Holding a green wooden staff, he asked, "What's your name?"

"Pang Jian."

"Pang Jian of the Abyss, very well!" Ka Zi seemed to be grinning behind the black gauze. "One of our Forest Gods has its sights set on you and attempted to descend into me to kill you.

"I stopped him because I plan to kill you myself, so don't think you can escape me!"

Ka Zi leaped from the massive leaf and appeared on the canopy of intertwined leaves and branches with a flash of green light.

His body hung upside down like a stalactite as he stepped on the bottom of the leaves and swung his wooden staff.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Hundreds of sharp branches from dozens of giant ancient trees thrust toward Pang Jian like a flurry of swords and spears.

When the people below looked up, all they could see were glowing green branches surrounding a hovering Pang Jian.

Whoosh!

Pang Jian formed a deep crimson shield infused with lightning, earthflame energy, and solar energy to resist the piercing branches.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The branches struck Pang Jian's protective shield like a torrential downpour but could not break through his firm defense.

"You certainly have some tricks up your sleeve. No wonder a Forest God is targeting you," Ka Zi muttered, preparing to unleash even stronger attacks.

A thirty-zhang-tall ancient tree uprooted itself, and its branches, roots, and leaves shone with divine light as it charged toward Pang Jian.

The branches attacking Pang Jian gave way.

Boom!

Pang Jian's deep crimson protective shield shattered on impact with the enormous ancient tree.

The branches then took another stab at him.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Pang Jian's silver skin sparked at the relentless assault.

Although the branches failed to pierce his skin, the force of their blows was enough to knock him out of the air.

"His flesh is as strong as ours!" Ka Zi exclaimed, intrigued at the discovery.

He then waved his wooden staff again.

The tough yet flexible vines around Pang Jian slithered along the ground and coiled around his limbs like hundreds of serpents.

"Devour his blood and flesh," Ka Zi commanded.

The serpent-like vines aimed their sharp tips at Pang Jian's ears, nostrils, mouth, and eyes.

Each vine shone with a cold green light.

The heads of many disciples of the Skyveil Cliff Sect, scions of the Second World noble families, and rogue cultivators had been pierced in this way, with similar vines sucking their brains and blood dry.

Black turtle scute! Pang Jian mentally shouted.

The black turtle scute immediately moved from his chest to shield his face and ears like a mask.

The sharp vines stabbed the black turtle scute, leaving Pang Jian unharmed.

With his hands and feet still restrained, he gathered the energies within his body in preparation to unleash his chaotic sword intent.

"It's over." Chang Li from the Skyveil Cliff Sect sighed. "Even a Sword Pavilion disciple couldn't handle this foreign race warrior."

Xiao Yu of the Xiao Clan from the Heaven Awakening Continent gritted her teeth as she pulled out the withered branch impaled deep in her thigh.

Glancing over at the sharp vines overwhelming Pang Jian in the distance, she shook her head in disappointment. "I saw the legendary Heavenly Roc Warship from the Forsaken Expanse Sect in the sky before the branches covered it.

"All we can do now is hope the cultivators from the Forsaken Expanse Sect will come and help us."

Xiao Yu applied medicine to her leg and roughly bandaged it.

"Brother Chang, let's find a way to help the Scarlet-Eyed Demon Wolf," she suggested. "It's a Rank Six Spirit Beast, but it just broke through and hasn't fully adapted to its power yet.

"Still, it's our main pillar of support and we only survived until now because of it."

Then, standing up with great difficulty, she waved over the Scarlet-Eyed Demon Wolf, "Can you come here?"

The Spirit Beast had been with her for six years, and she shared a deep bond with it.

The advancement of its bloodline in the bizarre mist was the reason they had survived Absolute Heaven and the terrifying forest so far.

The Scarlet-Eyed Demon Wolf shook its head in response, silently signaling with its eyes that coming closer would only put her in more danger.

Bang!

A sharp branch pierced through the dark golden rock body of the Rank Five Goldrock Beast.

The Goldrock Beast resembled a mighty lion at three zhang tall and nearly five zhang long.

More sharp branches impaled the Goldrock Beast and hoisted it into the air before draining its blood and flesh.

Its massive body soon shriveled up.

Awoo!

The Scarlet-Eyed Demon Wolf let out a mournful howl as its companion was devoured.

"Not bad. It's surprisingly nourishing," Ka Zi remarked, glowing a faint gold hue as he absorbed the blood essence of the Rank Five Goldrock Beast.

The sight of that faint golden hue made the remaining survivors from the Skyveil Cliff Sect and the Xiao Clan feel even more hopeless.

At that moment, Ka Zi suddenly sensed a distorted, chaotic intent erupting from where Pang Jian was wrapped in vines. Through the vines, he saw a cluster of blackish-yellow light enveloping Pang Jian's body.

The sharp tips of the vines splintered apart the instant they came into contact with the blackish-yellow light.

"What?!" Ka Zi cried.

Pang Jian's pupils turned gold and eighteen golden lightning bolts shot out of his eyes.

"Divine sense!" Ka Zi was shocked.

Boom!

A diverse mix of energies exploded from Pang Jian's chest, palms, eyes, and forehead.

The tough vines trapping him crumbled into dust in the blink of an eye.

Pang Jian sat down on the ground, left hand gripping the Startling Slaughter Spear, as he focused his thoughts.

Six strands of golden divine sense surged into the Startling Slaughter Spear.

The silver spear became an extension of his body, imbued with his consciousness.

"Go!"

The Startling Slaughter Spear shot toward Ka Zi.

"There's more!"

The Star Crushing Umbrella and the Nine Suns Cauldron also flew out.

Pang Jian had split his eighteen strands of golden divine sense into three groups of six and infused it into the three spirit artifacts, forging an unbreakable connection between them.