Chapter 397: Li Wang and Gui Mu

Late at night, a man lazily drank tea in the Nine Tribes Sect on the Southern Gorge of the First World.

The ancient-looking man, draped in a robe adorned with the sun, moon, and stars, sat in a hall without a dome as he admired the night sky.

Stars filled the night canvas, dazzling and breathtakingly beautiful.

"One day, I'll leave the Abyss and hold the stars in my hands, with the radiant moon beneath my feet," he murmured.

The hall was known as the Stargazing Platform, with fifteen white jade pillars standing tall around it.

As the hall was domeless, the pillars served no structural purpose.

They represented the fifteen divine seats in the Abyss and symbolized the pinnacle of the human race's authority.

Not long ago, the True Gods from the Abyss had either attended in their true bodies or sent soul projections through the white jade pillars to participate in a meeting.

"Li Wang." A voice echoed from one of the white jade pillars in the hall.

The man, absorbed in the splendor of the stars, said in surprise, "Gui Mu, what troubles you?"

A tall, graceful female figure appeared, though her true face remained obscured.

"That girl has awakened," she said calmly.

Li Wang frowned., "Do you know where she is?"

"She's in the Fourth World, though her exact location is unclear. It's likely within the bizarre mist." Gui Mu's image rippled like water on the white jade pillar. "If she's awakened, it means she now knows she's, in fact, an Outer God.

"Back then, she used some technique to plant part of her soul into a human infant girl, intending to grow with her.

"I happened to sense it and brought her into the Ghost Sacrifice Sect, using the Netherworld Specter Karma Art to alter her memories and seal her true self.

"All these years, she has remained unaware, and whenever her true memories started to resurface, I would suppress them once more. Through her, we've gained invaluable information about the starry skies.

"This time..." Gui Mu trailed off, tone slightly concerned. "We didn't expect this calamity to be the once-in-a-hundred-millennia grand event. I can't help but feel that she sent a fragment of her soul through the bizarre mist because she somehow foresaw this day.

"That soul fragment has grown considerably. It's no longer just a simple divine consciousness.

"Since she's within the bizarre mist, I can't sense or influence her—it's quite troublesome." Gui Mu sighed.

While part of the Outer Gods' divine consciousness could be contained within puppet bodies, their power was limited. Naturally, a true soul differed from a mere wisp of divine consciousness.

"Luo Hongyan of the Blood Spirit Sect first led the heretical cultivators to establish a cult, created a physical body suitable for her, then endowed it with her divine consciousness," Li Wang said helplessly. "Then, in Absolute Heaven, she awakened a deceased Outer God, allowing him to descend into the Fifth World with his true body.

"The Outer Gods seem to have been long aware of the once-in-a-hundred-millennia grand event and prepared in advance.

"We, on the other hand, knew nothing of it and failed to prepare beforehand."

Li Wang set down his teacup with a deep sigh.

"During previous calamities, the Outer Gods could only send their divine consciousness into the Abyss, at best descending into the bodies of powerful foreign races.

"But now, a Fire God has descended in his true body, Luo Hongyan has a specially refined body, and Ling Yimo's true soul is here.

"We need to be cautious, or we could perish within the Abyss before ever even reaching the starry skies to battle them," Li Wang said with a shake of his head. After a brief silence, he added, "It seems Zhou Yi has also made his choice."

"Zhou Yi? What choice did he make?" Gui Mu asked in surprise. "Are you saying the disappearances of the top-ranked on the Soul Wandering Realm and Spirit Condensation Realm leaderboards are related to Zhou Yi?"

"He's from the Nine Tribes Race," Li Wang offhandedly revealed.

Gui Mu asked in astonishment, "And you still raised him with such care?"

"His bloodline was stripped when he was young, and he strengthened himself using our cultivation system. He's no different from us both inside and out, so I consider him as part of the human race," Li Wang explained. "I'll see him as human for as long as he does."

"But he knows he's of the Nine Tribes Race. What if he wants to fight for his race?" Gui Mu asked.

"Then I'll consider him a member of the foreign races."

***

The young girl from the Ghost Sacrifice Sect stood in the illusory Sanctum of Godly and Demonic Genesis on the Fey Spirit Continent.

Souls from the Fey Race howled around her as beams of strange light flowed into the illusory city.

She had performed the Soul Severance Art and had devoured Shen Yanxi's and Lu Yanshu's divine souls one after another.

The divine souls of young men and women were a supreme delicacy to her, nearly impossible to resist.

After savoring these two "delicacies," she intended to continue her feast, only to realize the others' divine souls were steadfastly anchored in their seas of consciousness.

Whoosh!

The Celestial Phoenix Imprint between Dong Tianze's brows lit up.

A Celestial Phoenix appeared, radiating an aura of holiness and nobility. It seemed to gaze across the river of time at the Fey Race souls within the Sanctum of Godly and Demonic Genesis.

The roaring Fey Race fell silent at the sight of the radiant Celestial Phoenix.

The Divine Origin Pearl on Zhou Qingchen's chest released a brilliant divine glow, encasing his mind and firmly rooting his crimson divine soul within his sea of consciousness.

Liu Youyu, Hu Yuanfei, and Fan Chen also possessed powerful artifacts that could guard and keep their divine souls in their seas of consciousness.

The Spirit Condensation Realm couple from the Ancient Law Sect merely held hands to resist Ling Yimo's Soul Severance Art.

Above the Flying Fish Vessel, the Celestial Profound Mirror reflected Ling Yimo, along with simple lines that appeared to sketch a faint outline of the illusory city.

Apart from that, nothing else was reflected in the mirror.

Neither the Fey Race souls nor the Sanctum of Godly and Demonic Genesis appeared in the Celestial Profound Mirror.

If an object did not appear in the mirror, then it was an illusion—a mere fabrication.

"She's trying to refine the sanctum using the power from underground, but it's still only in its early stages. Those Fey Race souls are manifestations of her power," Liu Youyu said calmly. "We'll be unaffected as long as we keep our divine souls within our bodies and away from that illusory city."

Dong Wenjian of the Ancient Law Sect suddenly shouted, "Lightning from the Nine Heavens above, strike down upon heaven and earth!"

A silver talisman engraved with lightning patterns soared into the sky.

Thunder Dragons, Lightning Serpents, Thunder Eagles, and Thunder Birds roared from within the talisman before transforming into bolts of lightning that struck the illusory Sanctum of Godly and Demonic Genesis.

His partner, Lin Manhe, followed suit. "Apocalypse Flame!"

A red talisman flew out and transformed into seven boiling rivers of magma that merged with the lightning in the air before surging toward the Sanctum of Godly and Demonic Genesis.

"Divine star radiance, purge all darkness!" Dong Wenjian tossed out another talisman.

A dazzling golden star hung above the Sanctum of Godly and Demonic Genesis, casting down a purifying divine power that filled Ling Yimo with astonishment.

"Lunar-Stellar Shift!" Lin Manhe tossed out yet another talisman.

The couple from the Ancient Law Sect had been immersed in their own world throughout the journey.

However, when Ling Yimo started her feast of divine souls, they abruptly unleashed numerous talismans, striking the sanctum with the terrifying force of lightning, flames, the stars, and the moon.

Ling Yimo had intended to use the power within the emerging Fey Spirit Continent to outline and replicate the Sanctum of Godly and Demonic Genesis, thereby unveiling some of its hidden mysteries.

She had not expected Pang Jian's group to resist her Soul Severance Art. They were more formidable than she had initially assumed.

"Zhou Yi," Ling Yimo called out softly.

In a spot hidden from the others, Zhou Yi tapped Su Li's forehead with his jade ruler, knocking out his divine soul.

Whoosh!

Unable to resist the pull of the Sanctum of Godly and Demonic Genesis, his divine soul was drawn out and soon appeared before Ling Yimo.

His divine soul roused.

"What are you?!" he cried out in horror.

Ling Yimo grinned, mouth widening as she swallowed Su Li's divine soul whole.

Her divine soul became more tangible with every divine soul she consumed.

"So you can strengthen yourself by devouring divine souls. I'll assist you as best I can," Zhou Yi said.

"These few aren't enough." Ling Yimo sighed, eyes landing on Zhou Qingchen, Dong Tianze, and Wu Yuan. "Wu Yuan of the Demon Sect, Dong Tianze of the Sinister Soul Temple, and Zhou Qingchen of the Red Mountain Sect—their divine souls contain the divine essence I desperately need.

"If I can devour their divine souls, I can kill everyone else on this continent with ease.

"Zhou Yi, if you help me, I promise you that your Nine Tribes Race will be able to return to their ancestral land.

"I'll persuade the other Outer Gods to cede the continent that once belonged to your Nine Tribes Race." Ling Yimo coaxed.

Zhou Yi looked at Ling Yimo in shock. "What right do you have to persuade the Outer Gods?"

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"I'm a high-ranking God that the Ghost Race worships!" Ling Yimo replied.

Zhou Yi was stunned.

"Zhou Yi, since you've decided to seek a new path for the Nine Tribes Race. You have no choice but to work with us," Ling Yimo said coldly, eyes glinting with a sinister light. "Gui Mu imprisoned me for years, using the Netherworld Specter Karma Art to alter my memories and exploit me to unravel the secrets of the starry skies.

"Despite knowing my background, she dared to keep a God like me. She was so confident in her calculations, so arrogant and conceited.

"Little does she know, I left imprints across the Abyss—imprints powerful enough to awaken me.

"I waited for the Ghost Race to ascend with the rise of the murky energy so they could activate those imprints according to their ancestral teachings.

"My struggle with Gui Mu will begin now that I've awakened.

"Zhou Yi, the Southern Gorge where the Ghost Sacrifice Sect resides will belong to the Ghost Race. My worshipers will become rulers of that continent.

"You have no choice but to ally with me if you want your Nine Tribes Race to survive.

"The Ghost Race revere me as supreme!" Ling Yimo declared arrogantly.

Zhou Yi's expression turned reverent. Bowing, he said, "I hope you'll keep your word."

"We, the Outer Gods, aren't like the human race. We don't make a habit of breaking our promises," Ling Yimo said, disdain dripping from her voice.