Chapter Thirty-Two:
Descent into the Verdant Abyss: The Jungle of Endless Death!
The flames of the Burning Skies had barely cooled behind them, yet destiny allowed no rest.
Guided by the twin Vault Keys—the azure and crimson shards—the Main Character now turned the fleet southward, toward an ancient forbidden land known only in whispers:
The Verdant Abyss.
An endless jungle shrouded in mist, where daylight itself struggled to survive.
It was said that the trees could drink blood, the roots could trap souls, and beasts evolved in ways no normal world would allow.
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Arrival at the Abyss
As the fleet approached, the world below transformed:
Trees stood hundreds of meters tall, their trunks like mountains.
Vines thicker than rivers strangled the landscape.
The air shimmered with toxic mist and invisible killing intent.
Even the Starbreaker trembled slightly as it hovered above the treetops.
From the ground rose a pressure that felt... alive.
> "This jungle is not land," said the Main Character.
"It is a slumbering spirit."
He gathered his disciples for final instructions:
Alchemists prepared Antidote Brews against plant venoms.
Forgemasters distributed Root-Cutting Blades enchanted to resist soul attacks.
Talisman Masters crafted Beast-Sight Charms allowing vision through camouflage and illusions.
Their formation was tighter than ever—the sect moved like a single living organism.
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Into the Green Nightmare
They descended into the jungle.
Instantly, attacks came not from beasts but from the world itself:
Trees snapped like whips, vines coiled to choke, flowers released hallucinogenic spores.
Rivers turned to acidic slime, and mist-wraiths preyed on weak minds.
Even cultivators at the Foundation Stage struggled to defend themselves.
The Main Character led with a blazing sword wrapped in pure compressed energy—
an evolved version of the Sunpiercer Blade, now called:
Voidlight Saber.
He did not burn the jungle; he cut only what needed cutting, moving with balance between destruction and respect.
They pressed deeper.
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Secrets of the Verdant Abyss
They discovered ancient ruins swallowed by vegetation:
Shrines to Plant Spirits that ruled before humans rose.
Forgotten gardens where herbs of impossible age grew.
Ponds of silver water that healed wounds or cursed souls, depending on fate.
The disciples learned quickly:
Forgemasters adapted, blending metals with plant fibers to create Living Weapons.
Alchemists harvested ancient herbs to brew Life-Recovery Pills of terrifying potency.
Formation masters studied the natural energy flows, inventing Living Arrays that grew, shifted, and defended like plants.
This was the true power of Improvement Art:
Not fighting nature, but evolving with it.
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Guardian of the Abyss
At the jungle's heart, they faced the ancient Verdant Monarch, a colossal beast resembling both dragon and tree, crowned with blooming flowers of spirit fire.
It spoke, not with words, but with overwhelming pressure:
> "WHO BRINGS IRON AND FIRE TO MY ROOTS?"
The battle was beyond anything yet faced:
The Verdant Monarch controlled the entire jungle like its own body.
Roots burst from the ground like spears.
Poisoned rains fell from the skies.
Beasts swarmed in endless waves.
The Main Character adapted mid-battle:
He used compressed energy to fuse Improvement Art into body, mind, and soul.
He unleashed the Verdant Assimilation Art, an ancient technique learned from shrine murals.
By synchronizing with the jungle's life force, he countered the Monarch not with brute force—but with harmonious adaptation.
In a final clash, the Verdant Monarch, recognizing the wisdom and strength of the sect, willingly offered its treasure:
The Third Vault Key—a green shard, humming with life energy.
Ancient Plant Spirit Techniques lost for millennia:
"Immortal Vine Sutra"
"Worldroot Ascension Method"
"Spirit Bloom Rebirth Technique"
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Legacy of the Jungle
After binding a contract of peace with the Verdant Monarch, the sect gained not just treasure, but an ally.
The Starbreaker left the jungle, vines bowing to their passing.
They now held three Vault Keys.
The shape of the future was becoming clear:
> A sect that did not dominate nature...
But walked with it, adapted to it, evolved beyond limits.
The disciples were no longer the same—each had absorbed knowledge beyond the mortal realm.
And still, higher realms and greater secrets awaited.
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End of Chapter
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Next: Chapter Thirty-Three – The Black Vault: Tomb of Fallen Stars!