Chapter 546: Raring to Go

Pang Jian's body emitted a soft glow, like multicolored jade under the radiant sunlight. Although bright, it was not blinding in a way that caused one to shield their eyes, but rather drew one's eyes in to take in its novelty.

The return of his Immortal Divine Soul to his physical body had brought on a transformation. His appearance had become more refined, with an air of confidence and charisma he did not have before.

Pang Jian had been more restrained and cautious the first time he met Li Chu. Throughout that interaction, he had been worried that Li Chu would detect a fault in his words and take action against the Resolute Expanse before he could reveal his status as a World God.

At the time, the black turtle had not yet advanced to Rank Nine, and Pang Jian himself had yet to ascend to an Immortal Realm God.

The news of his master, Li Zhaotian, failing to ascend to the True God Realm had just spread across the Abyss. Under such circumstances, no one could have stopped Li Chu if he had chosen not to give Sword Pavilion face and forcibly entered the Resolute Expanse.

However, things were no longer as they were back then. The Rank Nine black turtle guarded the fragmented land below and Pang Jian was a True God. This meant he no longer needed to tread carefully or hold back.

"Pang Jian, congratulations on your divine soul's return from the starry skies and on securing your divine seat," Li Chu said with a calm smile that seemed to fill the air with an undercurrent of vitality. "The Abyss has gone far too long without a new Sword God.

"I know you understand the unprecedented troubles we're faced with. Powerful foreign races in the Fifth World have allied with the Outer Gods to launch an assault that will be difficult to withstand.

"Fan Ao is dead, and Mu Wentao has defected. Our situation is perilous with two True Gods gone.

"You've secured a divine seat and have forged your own unique path to godhood. Naturally, we're all relieved that you succeeded."

"But..."

Li Chu paused when Liu Junhong and Wang Ce, the two Immortal Realm elders of the Sword Pavilion, arrived and positioned themselves behind Pang Jian in a display of support.

Below, Li Yuqing of the Divine Treasure Sect and Wu Sujin of the Pure Land Sect also shot into the sky, brows laced with menacing fury.

Li Chu let out a faint but no less composed smile as he waited for them to arrive.

Once Li Yuqing and Wu Sujin were settled beside Pang Jian, he continued, "There has never been a True God in the Immortal Realm before.

"The True Gods will have to face Rank Ten foreign race warriors in the brutal battles to come. You have ascended to godhood, so you'll be expected to participate.

"I was concerned that you haven't had a chance to grasp your own power yet, so I came to help you reassess yourself. This way, we can promptly address any deficiencies or shortcomings that come up.

"We need you, a Sword God, and even more so a—"

Li Chu cut himself off abruptly before he could say "World God," stopping before he could accidentally reveal the information.

The sharp sword intent emanating from Li Yuqing softened slightly.

"Senior, you didn't come for the three Blessed Lands on the Resolute Expanse?" Li Yuqing asked before Pang Jian could even open his mouth to speak.

Li Chu shook his head with a smile.

Elders Liu Junhong and Wang Ce were stunned.

"So, Senior is here to give me pointers." Pang Jian bowed slightly to the True God of the Forsaken Expanse Sect before gripping his sword. "I humbly ask for your guidance."

Pang Jian was eager to have someone like Li Chu, a relatively weaker True God, help him test the limits of his newfound strength.

Unlike Pei Yishan—the other, more powerful True God of the Forsaken Expanse Sect—Li Chu was significantly less renowned in both combat prowess and reputation.

Li Chu, Fan Ao, and Mu Wentao were ranked near the bottom among the True Gods. This made Li Chu the perfect whetstone for Pang Jian to sharpen his blade.

"Oh, very well, very well." Li Chu was slightly taken aback at Pang Jian's impatience. Gesturing toward a distant patch of empty skies away from the Resolute Expanse, he said, "Let's move over there to prevent any damage to the Resolute Expanse."

Pang Jian nodded and took off without another word.

Li Chu hesitated at Pang Jian's blatant enthusiasm. It almost seemed like Pang Jian had been anticipating this encounter.

Where does his confidence come from?

Even Li Zhaotian could only slightly surpass me while we were both in the Immortal Realm, with me at the peak and him in its early stage.

While Pang Jian has indeed fused with a divine seat, he's still in the Immortal Realm. I'm a bona fide True God. Does this boy truly believe he can win?

Li Chu had originally intended to test Pang Jian's capabilities with a casual spar, but Pang Jian's attitude made him want to take the fight more seriously.

Whoosh!

Li Chu shot off into the distance in a streak of green light.

Vast, illusory forests took shape in the streak's wake. Towering ancient trees, thousands of zhang tall, appeared with scale-like bark, their surfaces etched with the profound insights of Li Chu's Dao of Verdure.

Though the forest was an illusion, the wood energy it emanated and the profound truths of the Heavenly Dao interwoven within were undeniably real.

"He's serious," Wang Ce said grimly, eyes fixed on the lush forest. "And he's already making preparations in advance."

Liu Junhong nodded, frowning as he contacted Li Zhaotian through the sword token.

Li Chu was creating a domain before the battle, an act that True Gods only did when they were being serious. In other words, Li Chu genuinely regarded Pang Jian as an equal opponent.

Wu Sujin's delicate brows knitted with worry, her graceful figure half-hidden within a cloud of white mist. "Pang Jian has only just returned. Has he even had enough time to grasp his true strength yet? Is he mentally prepared to fight a True God like Li Chu?"

"In terms of cultivation realms, the Immortal Realm and True God Realm are, of course, on completely different levels," Li Yuqing replied. "But Pang Jian has fused with a divine seat, which undeniably makes him a True God.

"Both are True Gods. Pang Jian is a few centuries behind Li Chu in cultivation time, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's weaker.

"Also, Pang Jian's ascension to godhood means that Li Chu won't dare to recklessly act against him, no matter how bold he outwardly appears."

Wu Sujin's tension eased at Li Yuqing's words. "That's true."

Meanwhile, the two elders had just received a response from Li Zhaotian.

"What did he say?" Wang Ce asked.

Liu Junhong's expression was odd as he replied, "He told us to stay far from the battlefield to avoid being caught in the crossfire. As for Miss Li and Miss Wu, you're welcome to watch as long as you don't get too close."

***

The Nine Tribes Sect's Stargazing Platform in the First World could be used to not only observe the starry skies but also the Abyss itself.

At this moment, there was a crystal-clear lake on the roofless platform. The surface of the lake reflected Pang Jian and Li Chu, allowing the True Gods to observe the unfolding battle.

The True Gods appeared as projections on the stone pillars of the Stargazing Platform.

Every True God apart from the defected Mu Wentao had sent a sliver of their divine soul to the platform to watch the fight.

A newly ascended True God, especially one that ascended through unorthodox methods, was bound to attract attention.

What form will he take? How strong is he?

the True Gods wondered.

In the middle of the stone pillars, Li Wang leisurely brewed tea and poured himself a cup. "Let's watch first. We can share our thoughts once it's over."

Li Chu's sudden decision to challenge Pang Jian perfectly aligned with Li Wang's intentions.

Li Wang had actually been in the middle of deliberating who to send to test Pang Jian's combat prowess when Li Chu voluntarily stepped forward.

"The Sword Pavilion's contributions to the human race are undeniable, both in the past and present," Liu Fu said, voicing his stance before the battle began. "Pang Jian has successfully fused with a divine seat and ascended as a new Sword God. There is no reason not to allow the Sword Pavilion to return to the First World."

"If not for the threats from below, I would've already welcomed the Sword Pavilion's return," Li Wang replied.

A calm voice came from a slender and delicate silhouette. "All Li Zhaotian seeks is recognition. He would never choose to move the Sword Pavilion at this time, especially not when he knows what the human race is about to face."

"Let's observe the battle between Pang Jian and Li Chu first," Li Wang said, setting his teacup down with an air of solemnity. "Regardless of the outcome, I will publicly announce that the Sword Pavilion is welcome to return to the First World after the fight.

"That piece of land, at your request, has never been opened to any other sect. It has always been reserved for the Sword Pavilion."

Li Wang dared not show any trace of negligence or ambiguity when addressing the silhouette.

This silhouette was Su Wanrou of the Pure Land Sect, renowned as The Sage of Medicine and Poison.

Her combat prowess ranked firmly in the top three among the many True Gods, alongside Gui Mu of the Ghost Sacrifice Sect and Zhu Ji of the Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom.

Though it was hard to determine which of the three was the strongest, each of their combat prowess undeniably far surpassed the other True Gods.

These three were also, in Li Wang's opinion, among the few capable of breaking through the Abyss's barrier and stepping into the starry skies with their own strength.

"We, the True Gods, and also the rest of the human race, owe far too much to the Sword Pavilion," Su Wanrou said with a sigh, her figure shrouded in hazy mist. "If not for the ancient rules, I would never have agreed to let the Sword Pavilion fall to the Second World.

"Do you truly think the human race would have prospered as we have without the Sword Pavilion's contributions and the heroic sacrifices of those Sword Gods?"

The gathered True Gods fell silent at her words.

***

"Senior Li Chu, there's something I need to confess before our battle," Pang Jian said, hovering under the blazing sun as he awaited the True God of the Forsaken Expanse Sect. "Foreign races and Vicious Beasts were not responsible for the death of your disciple, Fu Wangchen, during the trial of Absolute Heaven."

"Then who is?" Li Chu asked with a frown.

Pang Jian pointed to his chest. "It was me."

Li Chu was already displeased with Pang Jian's confident and aloof demeanor, but this bold admittance caused his gaze to become frosty. "Why?"

"He accused me of being corrupted by an Outer God without any evidence and attempted to kill me. But in reality, the corrupted one was Fu Wangchen himself. That is why I killed him."