NABC Chapter 2049 Abolish Cultivation
Chapter 2049 Abolish Cultivation
“It’s Zhenyuan Boat!” a disciple who recognized it whispered.
The Zhenyuan Boat is a war artifact specially crafted for crossing and suppressing extremely dangerous places like the Xu Ning Abyss. It is usually outside the Xu Ning Abyss, but no one expected it to come today to transport disciples to Kunyuan.
The Zhenyuan Ship came to a steady stop above the mountain gate, and a massive portal of light opened at its hull. A Tai Cang Realm elder, clad in black armor and with a stern face, stood in mid-air. "All disciples participating in the Kunyuan Trial, board the ship immediately!"
Instantly, figures soared into the sky, transforming into streaks of light and entering the portal. Chen Fei was no exception; he flickered and blended into the crowd, flying into the Zhenyuan Ship.
The interior of the Zhenyuan Boat was much more spacious than it appeared from the outside, clearly indicating the use of an extremely sophisticated spatial array.
A network of corridors, gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen, crisscrossed the space, while the walls, inlaid with luminous stones, emitted a soft glow.
A faint, peculiar scent permeated the air; it was the unique trace left by the long-term operation of the airship's protective array and its friction with the void energy, carrying a calming effect.
The jade pendant at each disciple's waist warmed slightly, projecting a faint path of light visible only to the disciple, guiding them to their own temporary rest room.
The crowd dispersed in the spacious corridors, and the sounds of footsteps, whispers, and the slight clinking of armor and weapons echoed in the enclosed space. But soon, as the hatches opened and closed, these sounds were quickly shut out.
Following the token's guidance, Chen Fei arrived at his assigned cabin.
The hatch slid open silently, revealing a small interior space, only about ten feet in diameter, with extremely simple furnishings: a hard, cold black iron stone bed, an old futon placed on the floor, and nothing else. The only light source was a small bright stone overhead.
The instant the hatch closed behind him, an absolute silence enveloped Chen Fei.
All sounds, breaths, and senses of being spied on from the outside were completely isolated. The intricate array patterns flowing on the bulkheads and doors were clearly visible, radiating a powerful sense of isolation and protection.
Chen Fei walked to the center of the room but did not rush to sit on the stone bed or the futon.
He stood quietly for a moment, closed his eyes and focused his mind, carefully sensing the subtle vibrations and spatial rhythms brought about by the huge flying ship as it traveled through the void.
Then, Chen Fei slowly walked to the prayer mat, brushed off the dust, and sat down cross-legged.
Chen Fei did not immediately enter a deeper level of cultivation. Instead, he closed his eyes slightly, allowing his mind to gradually calm down, like a still well. In his mind, all kinds of information about Kunyuan, the dangers that might be encountered, and the things that needed to be paid attention to flowed through him clearly, and he sorted them out and deduced them again.
A faint, calming effect emanated from the futon beneath him, helping him dispel the last trace of distracting thoughts. Time, in this absolute stillness, quietly passed by.
In less than an hour, the steady turbulence of the Zhenyuan Ship abruptly ceased.
Immediately afterwards, a deep, aged voice resounded simultaneously in the ears of every disciple undergoing the trial, echoing endlessly:
"Kunyuan has arrived. Merit will be awarded based on the capture of demons, demonic cultivators, and specific rare treasures. Unwarranted private fights and killings among disciples are strictly prohibited, and violators will be severely punished!"
As the sound faded, all the cabin doors slid open silently at the same moment. The previously isolated silence was shattered, and the sound of rapid footsteps and the soft clanging of weapons being drawn quickly filled the outer corridor.
Chen Fei opened his eyes, his gaze clear. He stood up, straightened his robes, and stepped out of the cabin.
In the corridor, the flow of people had already begun to surge towards the exit. Each person's face carried different expressions such as solemnity, tension, and excitement, and the atmosphere instantly became tense and urgent.
Chen Fei arrived at a huge exit platform on the side of the airship. There was no obstruction outside the platform. A violent void current and an indescribable heavy, chaotic and foul aura rushed towards him, making his robes flutter.
Chen Fei followed the others as they stepped out of the flying boat and stood in mid-air.
The first thing that catches the eye is a huge black hole that seems to pierce through the earth and reach the deepest hell!
The rock walls at the edge of the abyss are twisted and broken, as if they were torn apart by a tremendous force, displaying a mixture of dark red and black colors, resembling congealed blood and festering wounds.
From within the abyss, a thick, inky, and churning gray-black mist continuously spewed forth. This was pure and violent demonic energy, mixed with chaotic spatial ripples, destructive energy currents, and countless fragments of negative mental energy that echoed with the agonizing cries of countless living beings.
Simply standing above the edge of the abyss, an indescribable sense of terrifying oppression crashes down on everyone's mind and soul like a heavy burden!
The feeling was as if countless cold, sticky, invisible hands were trying to tear through your defenses, drill into your consciousness, drag you into the endless darkness, and completely devour and assimilate you.
This is Kunyuan!
A branch of the Xu Ning Abyss is also a training ground for the disciples of the Dan Chen Sect.
Even the veteran disciples who had visited several times looked solemn as they circulated their cultivation techniques to resist the pervasive erosion and oppression.
Chen Fei paused slightly. The abyssal aura that rushed towards him was even more violent and filthy than he had expected.
Chen Fei's internal energy cultivation technique circulated spontaneously, forming a barely perceptible halo on his body surface, quietly dissolving the demonic intent and mental pollution that attempted to invade.
Chen Fei didn't linger. His figure transformed into a streak of light, blending into the large number of Dan Chen Sect disciples who had also begun their actions, and flew swiftly towards the entrance to the massive abyss below.
Chen Fei's decisive flight into the abyss caught the attention of some disciples who had not yet set off.
"Look, isn't that Chen Fei, the new junior brother from Cuiping Peak? He's quite decisive." A disciple dressed in Chiyang Peak robes crossed his arms, looked in the direction Chen Fei had disappeared, and shook his head.
"Oh? Senior Brother Wang knows him? I heard he's incredibly skilled in array formations, even Senior Brother Shi, who's at the Earthly Origin Dao Foundation level, was defeated by him." A familiar junior brother asked curiously.
"I wouldn't say I know him personally, but who in the sect doesn't know this influential figure these days?"
Senior Brother Wang chuckled, lowered his voice, and glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention before speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear: "After all, he cultivates the Heavenly Origin Technique!"
"It's truly incomprehensible why this Junior Brother Chen would choose to cultivate the Heavenly Origin Technique. However, given the strength he's displayed, if he's careful around the outskirts of Kunyuan, he should be able to survive, right?"
"Save your life?"
Senior Brother Wang's lips curled into a slightly mocking smile as he gazed into the unfathomable Kun Abyss, as if he could pierce through the demonic energy and see the hidden undercurrents within. "But the problem is, many people don't want him to leave this Kun Abyss!"
The junior brother was taken aback at first, then seemed to understand something, and his expression changed slightly.
"But this is fratricide! If discovered, according to the sect rules, one's cultivation will be destroyed, and one will be imprisoned in the Xu Ning Abyss forever, suffering the torment of demonic energy until one's soul is scattered!"
"Fellow disciples killing each other?"
Senior Brother Wang shook his head slightly, as if he had heard a joke, his smile carrying a hint of indifference and helplessness: "Within this Kunyuan, monsters roam freely, and space is chaotic. If we really want to take action, how could you easily find any traces or obtain any evidence?"
Upon hearing Senior Brother Wang's words, the junior brother was at a loss for words.
Senior Brother Wang patted Junior Brother on the shoulder, his tone returning to calm: "Forget it, this kind of thing is neither your nor my concern. Whether Junior Brother Chen lives or dies, and whether he can ultimately obtain the rank-level spiritual material, is all up to his fate and ability."
Let's think more about how to slay more monsters on the outskirts and accumulate more merit points; that's what's truly important. Let's go, don't fall too far behind.
After saying this, Senior Brother Wang said no more, and with a flick of his body, he flew towards the entrance of Kunyuan. The junior brother stood there stunned for a moment, his expression changing before finally turning into a sigh, and quickly followed.
Chen Fei landed lightly on a black rock ridge resembling fangs at the edge of Kunyuan. The rocks beneath his feet felt cold and rough, with a strange, adsorbing sensation, as if the rocks themselves were living things, quietly drawing the warmth and energy of the living.
Thick, almost tangible, gray-black demonic energy churned all around, severely reducing visibility and greatly suppressing any attempts to probe with divine sense, rendering them obscure and indistinct. The air was thick with the stench of sulfur, blood, and something rotting—a nauseatingly sweet and foul smell.
The Dan Chen Sect disciples who landed around him at the same time all intentionally or unintentionally distanced themselves from Chen Fei. No one approached to speak, and even when their eyes met, he would quickly look away.
A silent sense of isolation and rejection permeated the edge of this abyss.
Chen Fei's lips twitched slightly upwards as he looked at the churning demonic energy and unfathomable darkness ahead of the rocky ridge. He took a step forward, and his figure was instantly swallowed up by the thick, gray-black mist and disappeared.
Based on the materials distributed by the sect and the information he collected privately, Chen Fei had a clear understanding of the structure of Kunyuan.
Kunyuan is divided into nine levels, each of which is vast and has a complex topography. There are also a large number of unstable entrances and exits between the levels, which may appear or disappear at any time, connecting the upper and lower levels.
The outermost three abysses have relatively thin demonic energy and stable space. The active monsters are generally at the early to mid-stage of the fifteenth rank. These are the safest areas in Kun Abyss and the easiest areas to kill monsters and obtain basic merits and rank fragments.
Therefore, most disciples with average strength or who seek stability will choose to operate in these areas.
This is why, as soon as the Zhenyuan Ship arrived, numerous disciples rushed into Kunyuan, eager to seize the initiative and gain an initial advantage in a relatively safe area.
In the middle, the fourth, fifth, and sixth abysses, the environment begins to deteriorate rapidly.
The concentration of demonic energy increases significantly, becoming viscous and highly corrosive. When cultivators practice their cultivation techniques or cast spells within it, not only will their energy consumption increase dramatically, but the power of their spells will also be weakened and neutralized to varying degrees by the demonic energy environment.
Conversely, monsters and demonic cultivators thrive in this environment, where their strength is enhanced.
The monsters in this area are generally at the mid-to-late stage of the fifteenth rank, and some may even be at the peak level. They are also more cunning and ferocious.
Typically, only lone strong individuals who are fully confident in their own abilities, or disciples who cooperate well and form a team, will venture into this area to take risks.
The seventh, eighth, and ninth abysses deep within are considered deadly by ordinary disciples.
The demonic energy was intense and its corrosive power was terrifying. The space was extremely unstable, with spatial cracks, turbulence, and even small-scale distortions of the laws appearing frequently.
There is now a certain probability that demons and demonic cultivators at the Tai Cang Realm level will appear here!
Even if it's just an occasional encounter, it would be a catastrophic disaster for a fifteenth-level disciple. Ordinary Dan Chen Sect disciples would never set foot here unless they had a special mission or no other choice.
Beyond the Ninth Abyss lies the Chaotic Zone, directly connected to the true Main Abyss, the Xu Ning Abyss.
That place is a forbidden zone for life, a graveyard of rules, filled with unimaginable terror.
Over the years, even the most outstanding disciples of the fifteenth rank have never dared to venture into the depths of the ninth abyss, let alone the terrifying main body of the Floating Abyss.
Before coming to Kunyuan, Chen Fei had naturally studied the maps provided by the sect and some experience jade slips from his predecessors regarding the more detailed terrain and landforms.
However, the space inside Kunyuan is not static. Affected by the tides of demonic energy, spatial turbulence, and other forces, the terrain, the location of entrances and exits, and even the level of danger in certain areas may change at any time.
Previous maps can only be used as a reference at best; they should never be copied blindly.
However, if you just want to determine your approximate floor level and find the path to deeper floors, it's not difficult.
By simply sensing the density and purity of the surrounding demonic energy, as well as the intensity of spatial fluctuations, one can make a roughly accurate judgment.
Chen Fei's goal was clear: the outer first, second, and third abysses. Although they were relatively safe, they also had the most competitors, making them too inefficient for him. He had no intention of staying there.
Upon entering the first level of the abyss, Chen Fei moved with lightning speed, following the direction of the flow of demonic energy and spatial fluctuations he sensed, heading straight towards the entrance leading to the next level.
Along the way, occasionally monsters attracted by the aura of living people would pounce on him, but they would be easily killed by Chen Fei unless they happened to block his path.
Slaying these monsters does indeed allow you to extract fragments of their dimensional nature from their disintegrating origin.
Although their numbers are far fewer than those of demonic cultivators of the same level, demons are generally less intelligent and only know how to fight on instinct, making them much easier and safer to kill than cunning and ferocious demonic cultivators.
It is precisely this relatively stable production of rank fragments, as well as the merits and combat experience brought by the trials themselves, that attracts so many Dan Chen Sect disciples to Kun Yuan, a place where danger and opportunity coexist.
Chen Fei moved with incredible speed and his judgment of the path was exceptionally accurate. In just a short while, after passing through several twisted, light-and-shadow-shifting entrances and exits, he had already set foot in the territory of the fourth level of Kun Abyss.
The demonic energy here is so dense that it has formed a faint gray-black mist, visible to the naked eye, and so viscous that it feels like being underwater.
The air was thick with the pungent smell of sulfur and decay, mixed with a disturbing, soul-stirring demonic sound, as if countless whispers were roaring in one's ear.
The spatial stability has clearly decreased. Occasionally, one can feel subtle, irregular spatial ripples brushing against the body. The surrounding rock walls and landforms are even more distorted and bizarre, like clay being kneaded at will by a pair of giant hands.
The presence of other Dan Chen Sect disciples can hardly be sensed here, indicating that most disciples have remained in the safer outer three layers.
Instead, from all directions came the aura of monsters, filled with tyrannical greed and chaotic intent.
Chen Fei stopped and stood on a dark red rock riddled with holes, calmly surveying the bizarre and surreal abyss landscape around him.
"Roar!"
A frenzied roar erupted from the thick fog on the left, and a black demonic lizard covered in heavy bone armor with barbs growing from its joints lunged out.
Its eyes were bloodshot, and highly corrosive viscous fluid dripped from its mouth. Its aura had reached the mid-stage of the fifteenth rank. Its long tail, covered with bone armor, was like a steel whip, tearing through the demonic energy and lashing towards Chen Fei with a shrill sound.
Chen Fei didn't turn around. The void beside him rippled slightly, and the figure of the array puppet silently appeared, blocking the demonic lizard's attack path. The array puppet crossed its arms, and the runes on its arms instantly lit up, condensing into a diamond-shaped array shield with a faint golden halo.
"boom!"
The bone tail slammed into the array shield, producing a dull thud.
Compared to the outside world, the array puppets' array deployment speed and array power were indeed significantly suppressed and weakened in this dense demonic energy environment.
However, the difference in cultivation level was overwhelming. Although this demonic lizard had the strength of a mid-fifteenth-tier demon, it was still no match for Chen Fei.
Just as the demonic lizard's attack failed and its movements faltered slightly, a pale golden sword aura silently burst forth from the void, its speed exceeding the demonic lizard's reaction limit.
The sword energy precisely pierced through the weakest point of the demon lizard's skull armor, penetrating its skull without any obstruction.
The lizard's massive body stiffened abruptly, and the madness in its crimson eyes quickly faded, turning into a deathly gray.
Before it could even let out a second roar, its life force abruptly extinguished, and it crashed to the ground, raising a cloud of demonic dust. Its hard body began to rapidly disintegrate, transforming into wisps of pure black demonic energy.
Chen Fei remained expressionless. With a swift movement of his right hand, he snatched the disintegrating demonic lizard essence from the air and stored it in the jade pendant at his waist.
The jade plaque flashed with a faint light, and the merit points recorded inside the plaque increased by three.
The entire process was seamless; from the moment the demonic lizard pounced to its slaying and the extraction of its essence, it took only a breath.
Chen Fei put away the jade token and continued forward, the puppet silently re-integrating into the surrounding spatial fluctuations.
Similar encounters occurred several more times during the rest of the journey.
There are demonic vine monsters lurking in the shadows of the rock walls, suddenly launching themselves out with poisonous bone spikes. There are stone golems crawling out of underground lava pools, their bodies engulfed in black flames. And there are invisible demonic shadows that can merge with demonic energy and unleash mental shrieks and shockwaves…
These monsters were extremely ferocious, but in the hands of the puppet array, they couldn't last more than a few moves before turning into merit points that increased in the jade tablet.
Chen Fei would occasionally spare a sliver of his mind to immerse himself in the merit jade tablet.
The jade tablet can not only record merits, but also display the merit rankings of all disciples who participated in the trial in real time, making the rankings and merit points clear at a glance.
The ranking rules are somewhat similar to those of the Martial Arts Arena of the Myriad Realms.
Killing a level 15 early-stage demon/demonic cultivator grants one merit point. A level 15 mid-stage demon/demonic cultivator grants three merit points, a level 15 late-stage demon/demonic cultivator grants six merit points, and killing a level 15 peak demon/demonic cultivator grants nine merit points.
At this moment, Chen Feiyu's merit points, displayed on the constantly updating leaderboard, barely made it into the top 100.
However, this ranking changes extremely drastically, fluctuating almost every second.
Chen Fei withdrew his gaze and looked ahead. The flow of demonic energy and the disorder of space reached a small peak. On the rock wall, a spatial vortex that was constantly rotating and emitting a dark halo was quietly suspended.
That is one of the entrances to the fifth level of the Kun Abyss.
Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Fei stepped into the dark vortex.
Less than a few breaths after Chen Fei's figure disappeared into the spatial vortex, three figures, like ghosts, quietly appeared from the dense demonic energy from different directions and gathered near the spatial vortex.
The leader was a middle-aged cultivator with a sallow complexion and sinister eyes. He looked at the slowly rotating spatial vortex in front of him and a cold smile appeared on his sallow face.
"Just as we expected."
His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping, "This kid is too eager for quick success, single-mindedly focused on climbing the rankings, he won't linger on the periphery for long." (End of Chapter)