Chapter 538: Aberrant Spirit, Star Devourer

When Pang Jian entered the Shadow Abyss, Pan Di had assumed he would never see him again.

A divine being capable of entering other worlds would typically seize the opportunity to plunder rare treasures from within.

Since Pang Jian could enter, it was only logical that he could also leave. He could easily take what he desired and retreat before the powerful beings of that world could react.

If the world lacked any being stronger than him, he could even go as far as to establish himself as the new ruler, enlighten the intelligent creatures within, and have them revere him as a God.

This was a common practice among the Outer Gods when they entered the worlds that existed outside the bizarre mist.

Such events also frequently occurred in the Ancient Fey World.

Pan Di had only heard legends of the Gods of the human race and had never interacted with one before, so his understanding of them was limited.

Naturally, he assumed that Pang Jian would act no differently from the Gods of other races.

Pang Jian's unexpected return caught him off guard and conversely made him even more cautious than before.

After all, Pang Jian was fully aware of Pan Di's desperate state. The fact that he still dared to return and face him despite knowing this could only mean that Pang Jian had no fear of him.

"The world is called the Shadow Abyss. The Shadow Spirit Race inhabits it. A powerful being known as the Star Devourer also resides within. Not long ago, it drew a star into the Shadow Abyss," Pang Jian revealed.

"The Shadow Spirit Race of the Shadow Abyss?" Pan Di pondered out loud. "That race has been dormant for a long time. I remember hearing about a Shadow God who hailed from the Shadow Abyss within the bizarre mist.

"That God perished not long after leaving the Shadow Abyss, and no new Gods have emerged ever since.

"As for this Star Devourer..." Pan Di grew visibly excited. "I suspect it's an Aberrant Spirit."

"What's an Aberrant Spirit?" Pang Jian asked humbly, eager to learn.

"Aberrant Spirits are unconventional beings that have a soul but lack flesh. Beings like you, me, and the powerful Gods of other races all have physical bodies." Pan Di glanced awkwardly at his massive golden skeletal form and added, "I used to have one too, but the bizarre mist eroded my flesh."

Pang Jian nodded, motioning for him to continue.

"Aberrant Spirits are different," Pan Di explained. "They could be trees, mountains, stones, an entire sea, metallic objects, or crystals that have awakened sentience.

"Aberrant Spirits can evolve and grow stronger. Their strength is both awe-inspiring and formidable.

"However, in the eyes of the Outer Gods, most Aberrant Spirits are nothing more than raw materials for forging divine artifacts. The Star Devourer you mentioned is likely one of these Aberrant Spirits.

"I vaguely recall that Aberrant Spirits consume mountains and rivers in their early stages. They then progress to refining fragmented lands in the middle stages before ultimately developing the ability to devour stars and extract the nutrients from their cores.

"This Aberrant Spirit is likely terrifying if it calls itself the Star Devourer and can pull a star into the Shadow Abyss."

Pan Di sighed.

"I have no chance of victory against an Aberrant Spirit capable of devouring stars in my condition."

Pang Jian remained silent.

Pang Ling, also known as the World Tree or the World Eater Vine, had once been a small sapling. After taking root, she gradually took control of Misty Swamp, then Divine Fortune, and later Divine Fortress.

She had since merged with even more fragmented lands, though she neither consumed nor refined them. Instead, she transformed them into a domain uniquely her own.

Despite that slight discrepancy, the aspect of a sentient tree without flesh and blood undeniably matched Pan Di's descriptions of an Aberrant Spirit.

"Have you ever heard of the World Tree?" Pang Jian asked.

"Of course! The World Tree is renowned as one of the highest-level Aberrant Spirits!" Pan Di immediately replied. "The Star Devourer you mentioned can only influence a single star at a time, while the most powerful World Tree is said to have dominated an entire galaxy, with its branches piercing through countless stars!

"In the records of our ancient Fey Race, there was once such a World Tree, and it took the combined efforts of many Gods to bring it down. That World Tree drifted through the starry skies, devouring several galaxies and leaving a trail of lifeless stars in its wake.

"No new World Trees have roamed the starry skies since that one was cut down and burned to ashes.

"The Star Devourer in the Shadow Abyss is nowhere near the same level as a World Tree," Pan Di said, gesturing with his massive golden skeleton to emphasize his words.

His joints, the bone wings on his back, and his claws formed crackling spheres of lightning as if attempting to replicate the stars.

Pang Jian's mind was filled with the vivid image of a colossal ancient tree rooted in a galaxy. Its branches extended infinitely outward, piercing through innumerable stars in a sight both awe-inspiring and terrifying in equal measure.

Could Pang Ling become that powerful as well?

Would her branches eventually pierce through all the fragmented lands and continents in the Abyss?

If that happened, wouldn't the Abyss become nothing more than Pang Ling's nourishment?

Who could possibly contend with her at that point?

Pang Jian felt deeply uneasy. As Pang Ling's creator, he silently resolved to lead Pang Ling out of the Abyss if possible to prevent her from destroying it.

"By the way, what do you need to recover some of your strength?" Pang Jian suddenly asked.

He had observed Pan Di's internal struggle and understood what was weighing on him. Eliminating the dark thoughts in Pan Di's heart was, in truth, rather simple.

As long as Pan Di saw a glimmer of hope, a way to sustain his life, he would not take any reckless actions.

After all, Pan Di was a genuine Fey God. If he could be brought into the Abyss with his strength restored to its peak, he would be powerful enough to rival even the ancient Thunder Dragon.

Moreover, a Fey God like Pan Di innately harbored animosity toward Gods of foreign faiths. His origins could also act as a beacon for the Fey Race in the Abyss, showing them that there existed a haven where they could thrive beyond the Abyss, the Ancient Fey World.

The primary conflict the Fey Race had with the human race in the Abyss stemmed from their inability to claim their rightful lands after the war. If the barrier were one day broken, the Ancient Fey World could provide them with a sanctuary among the starry skies.

"Flesh and blood with abundant vitality, ores or wood containing lightning, and herbal juices or leaves that can restore soul essence!" Pan Di cried, desperate.

"Alright, I'll keep an eye out for those things," Pang Jian replied.

He then returned to the Shadow Abyss.

***

Faint stars hung in the sky of the Shadow Abyss, their light dim and unremarkable.

The inhabitants of the Shadow Abyss could see these stars whenever they looked up, their positions eternally unchanging.

Unlike the Abyss, the Shadow Abyss was static, and the stars suspended beyond the Shadow Abyss were the only celestial bodies the inhabitants could behold.

The sun and moon were merely figures of legend for them.

Tens of thousands of years ago, an extraordinary being broke through the barrier of the Shadow Abyss and saw the sun and moon for the first time in the starry skies. This God from the Shadow Spirit Race vividly described these marvels to their kin through an altar.

This was the only reason the Shadow Spirit Race knew that the starry skies held a blazing sun and a serene moon.

The inhabitants of the Shadow Abyss could only dream of the day they could escape the Shadow Abyss and behold the boundless splendor of the starry skies.

Unfortunately, the arrival of the Star Devourer had crushed any possibility of their ascension.

***

Seven elderly members of the Shadow Spirit Sect silently waited after constructing an altar aboard the shuttle-shaped ship.

The hexagonal altar was primarily made of Shadow Starstone and supplemented with diamonds and crystals imbued with spatial energies. It was made so the Holy Maiden, Cui Ling, could attempt communication with the starry skies.

Cui Ling, dressed in exquisite ceremonial robes, used her bloodline power to resonate with the altar, using her body and soul as coordinates from which to call upon the Shadow God.

This marked the seventy-fifth time she had taken her place on the altar since being chosen as the Holy Maiden.

The last Shadow God born from the Shadow Spirit Race successfully broke through the barrier and entered the starry skies nine centuries ago. For two centuries after, the inhabitants of the Shadow Abyss could communicate with the Shadow God through the altar and learn of the wonders of the starry skies.

However, the Shadow God had mysteriously vanished seven hundred years ago and had not responded to the Shadow Spirit Race since.

Five hundred years ago, the strange being known as the Star Devourer appeared in the Shadow Abyss.

The Star Devourer initially only consumed small fragmented lands, but as it grew, it started devouring entire continents, reducing three of them to barren wastelands.

Eventually, the Star Devourer gained the ability to pull stars from beyond the Shadow Abyss and feed on smaller celestial bodies.

At first, the powerhouses of the Shadow Spirit Race paid little attention to it, dismissing the Star Devourer as insignificant.

By the time they realized the danger, the Star Devourer had already grown too powerful. Despite their efforts, the Shadow Spirit Race suffered devastating losses, managing only to inflict serious injuries on the Star Devourer.

The Star Devourer retaliated by consuming an entire continent in the Shadow Abyss after recovering from its wounds. From that point on, the Star Devourer became the nightmare of the Shadow Abyss. No creature could stand against it.

It hunted down the Rank Nine warriors of the Shadow Spirit Race, consuming their souls as sustenance and leaving the Shadow Spirit Race utterly devastated.

Powerful Rank Nine warriors of the Shadow Spirit Race would inevitably be discovered and devoured before they could reach Rank Ten.

Over the centuries, the number of Rank Nine warriors in the Shadow Spirit Race steadily dwindled, and advancing to Rank Ten soon became an unattainable dream. They lost all hope of breaking through the barrier and escaping the Shadow Abyss.

The spatial anomalies around the hexagonal altar gradually subsided. No unfamiliar will descended, and no lights or symbols appeared on the ancient altar.

"High Priest, the Shadow God...is most likely gone," a young member of the Shadow Spirit Race despaired. "Seven hundred years have passed with no response. The Shadow God would not have stood idly by while the Star Devourer ravaged our homeland if he were alive."

"My father just broke through to Rank Nine," a young warrior shouted in anguish, on the verge of tears. "I couldn't stop him! Advancing to Rank Nine places him in the Star Devourer's sights. Why does he seek his own doom?"

The High Priest, face covered with age spots from his many years of life, reprimanded angrily, "Do you think Tian Lu is truly a fool? He saw the Star Devourer pulling another star into the Shadow Abyss and knew it would be preoccupied for a time. That's why he decisively advanced to Rank Nine!

"What he seeks is to break through to Rank Ten before the Star Devourer finishes devouring that star! He is betting on a sliver of hope to break through the barrier and escape this sealed world! The chances are incredibly slim, yes, but they still exist!

"Tian Lu is the strongest warrior of our Shadow Spirit Race in the past century. He has endured in Rank Eight for years, waiting for this very opportunity!

"We have to pray that the Star Devourer takes long enough to refine this star so Tian Lu can ascend to Rank Ten and break through the barrier! Someone has to escape, grow stronger in the starry skies, and return to deal with the Star Devourer."

The High Priest gazed at the sky with hope etched across his face.

"When that star descended, I saw some strange shadows. They were likely Gods from the outer worlds.

"Cui Ling, maintain your resonance with the altar. Let the disturbance reach the outer worlds. If the Shadow God does not respond, then perhaps another God will. We just need to make it known that the Star Devourer exists in our Shadow Abyss."

The Holy Maiden of the Shadow Spirit Race, Cui Ling, lowered her head.

"Only gods born within our Shadow Abyss have even the slightest chance of returning, and even for them, it would be extremely difficult," she said softly. "Even if the Outer Gods know it's here, they still cannot break through the barrier of the Shadow Abyss.

"High Priest, have you forgotten? These are the basic laws of the Shadow Abyss that you taught me yourself."

The light in the High Priest's eyes dimmed at her words.

"You're right. Outer Gods cannot enter the Shadow Abyss at all," he said wearily. "I've grown old, and my memory has started to fail me. I fear I will not live to see the Star Devourer's end in my time as the High Priest."

His expression darkened as he shook his head with a heavy sigh.

The gathered members of the Shadow Spirit Race fell silent, their spirits weighed down, unsure when—or if—hope would ever arrive.

***

Pang Jian extended his divine sense through the bizarre mist, listening quietly as he confirmed the presence of different complex energies within the Shadow Abyss.

These energies included wood, water, stellar, and cold energy, all of which seamlessly blended together to form the foundation of the Shadow Abyss. Though the energies here were far more sparse, the mix felt akin to some of the more chaotic zones within the Abyss.

He also sensed the unchanging eternity of the starry skies above and realized that this world was perpetually shrouded in darkness.

No wonder it's called the Shadow Abyss. Neither the sun nor the moon ever shines here. The faint glow of starlight means the sky is forever dark.

It's still better than the Fourth World of the Abyss though. At least you can see the stars here.

Pang Jian then made up his mind to interact with the Shadow Spirit Race.

Whoosh!

He stepped onto the altar where the Holy Maiden Cui Ling sat like a descending celestial being.

The moment his Immortal Divine Soul appeared, the icy star in his chest triggered a profound reaction within the altar.

A resonance with a divine aura in the starry skies rippled upward like a beacon. Only divine souls with compatible essences could detect these ripples.

"Pang Jian!" the Frost Crystal Goddess cried out in shock from within the Lunar Divine Palace.