The Purgatory Calamity

By the time Zhou Ning and his family had finished eating and drinking and were just about to tidy up, Pang Jian timely emerged from the pile of stones.

"Pang Jian, you should handle this horse."

Upon seeing him appear, Zhou Qingchen, who had swapped for He Ziren's black horse, called out with a smile from afar.

At his side, indeed, was the jujube red warhorse that originally belonged to Yao Qi but had been taken over by Pang Jian.

"You may use the Dragon Pattern Spear on the horse."

Zhou Qingchen pointed to a long spear hanging at the horse's flank and said with a beaming smile, "From now on, we are companions in battle. The long blade you usually use is not the weapon that we cultivators should wield. Miss Ning told me you've also embarked on the path of cultivation, so take the Dragon Pattern Spear and try it out."

"Afterward, if you find a more suitable weapon, you can always switch then."

The members of the Ning Family, both old and young, witnessed the drastic shift in Zhou Qingchen's attitude towards Pang Jian, unclear about what he was plotting.

First, he had personally brought meat to the stone pile, and now he offered Pang Jian the Dragon Pattern Spear of his deceased subordinates, with all these suspicious actions raising doubts in their minds.

Including Han Duping, the remaining retainers of the Zhou Family were all befuddled by Zhou Qingchen's actions.

Pang Jian, however, remained calm, thanking Zhou Qingchen in a soft voice before climbing atop the warhorse and even attempting to lift the Dragon Pattern Spear.

The shaft of the long spear felt rough to the touch, with natural wood grain that, upon closer inspection, closely resembled dragon patterns.

The spearhead was made of a shiny, silver metal, glittering with a cold luster, looking extremely sharp.

It was only when he exerted force to pull it did Pang Jian realize just how heavy the wood-made shaft was, weighing several times more than his usual long blade!

He shook it gently, getting used to the weight, and then pointed the spear with both hands towards the depths of the mountain range, asking, "Solitude Mountain Range is vast, do you have a precise direction to go?"

After thinking for a moment, Zhou Qingchen replied, "We will head north, toward the place closest to the Mysterious Fog."

Ning Yao and Ning Yuanshan both shifted their expressions slightly, looking at him with surprise.

Previously when they discussed, they only spoke of searching for the bones of the Heaven Phoenix, as well as the fallen items of Blood Moon, Star River Alliance, and Yin Spirit Temple.

The people of the Ning Family actually had no intention of venturing deep into the north to explore the anomalies of the "Mysterious Fog" and risk greater danger.

"Don't worry, we're not really planning on entering the areas enveloped by the Mysterious Fog," Zhou Qingchen said, evidently noticing their concerns and continuing with a chuckle, "I've always felt that the remains of the Heaven Phoenix and the searchers from the three powers are located in the north, close to the Mysterious Fog."

Ning Yuanshan agreed reluctantly, barely managing to say, "Well... okay then."

"The gorge we are in is at the very south of Solitude Mountain Range. If we go north, a straight path is all we need. However, there are two routes we can take: one is mountainous and requires climbing high peaks. The other follows the meandering course of the river, which would be longer and slower. Which way would you like to go?" Pang Jian asked proactively.

"Since you are most familiar with this area, you decide," Zhou Qingchen expressed with an indifferent face.

"On horseback, we should follow the river path," Pang Jian suggested earnestly.

"Then it's settled," Zhou Qingchen agreed cheerfully.

Ning Yao furrowed her brow slightly, holding dissatisfaction in her heart. Pang Jian was clearly hired by her, yet looking at Zhou Qingchen's demeanor, why had Pang Jian become his person?

Despite her dissatisfaction, she did not express it outwardly and remained silent.

For the following journey, Pang Jian determined the schedule and direction, leading everyone along the turbid stream.

Whenever they stopped to rest and eat, Pang Jian would leave alone to find a secluded spot and retrieve a grey-white rock covered in cracks from a bamboo basket, practicing cultivation with the "Pot Heaven Nourishing Qi Spell."

As soon as he covered the cracks with his palms, a rich "Mysterious Yin Power" would flow out, pouring into his dantian's Spiritual Sea, helping him cleanse its impurities.

The peculiar rock he had stumbled upon greatly expedited his cultivation journey, significantly reducing the "cotton fluff" within his Spiritual Sea.

As the "cotton fluff" continued to decrease, he could distinctly feel his Spiritual Sea becoming more open and spacious. The resistance he encountered when guiding new power into it grew less and less.

It didn't take long for him to be convinced that, with the aid of that rock, he would be able to completely cleanse the impurities in his Spiritual Sea before long.

…

"A bone from the Heaven Phoenix!"

That day, Zhou Qingchen on his warhorse suddenly exclaimed excitedly as he looked into the far distance dense with trees, "Do you see it?"

At his reminder, everyone looked in that direction and immediately saw the Heaven Phoenix's bone, towering like a huge pillar, embedded in the woods miles away, astonishing them from afar.

"Let's go!"

The group vigorously whipped their reins, urging their warhorses to speed up.

Pang Jian, the guide, was left trailing behind the group, stunned by the sight of the enormous bone.

Only when he neared it did he begin to comprehend the enormity of a single Heaven Phoenix bone, and couldn't help but wonder at the sheer size of the mystical creature.

It was only when he realized he was gradually losing sight of the others did he hurriedly spur his horse to catch up.

Soon after, Pang Jian, who had fallen behind, also arrived at the location of the Heaven Phoenix bone.

The bone, over one hundred meters long, stood like a sword plunged into the forest, causing the earth to burst open with many web-like cracks.

As if the moment it pierced the ground, it created a terrifying energy wave, the remnants of which tore apart the surrounding terrain!

Even from several tens of meters away, there was a vast, ancient, and divine aura emanating from the lusterless bone, compelling all who looked upon it to have an involuntary desire to worship it.