Chapter 553: The Water God, Naga

Pang Jian sped forward like a bolt of lightning in the bizarre mist.

This time, he was thoroughly prepared for his journey within the bizarre mist. The Sword Pavilion had helped him stock his spatial ring with an array of supplies, from lightning-attribute crystals and precious ores to pills for replenishing blood and soul essence.

Once he met Pan Di, he planned to give him the lightning-attribute materials and pills to help the Thunder God recover some of his power, enabling him to survive longer in the bizarre mist.

The Abyss was not like the Shadow Abyss, where the Heavenly Dao was incomplete and resources were scarce. Rare treasures unattainable in the Shadow Abyss could be easily amassed in the Abyss.

There's a reason the Outer Gods covet the Abyss,

Pang Jian mused.

He had roamed the starry skies with his divine soul and had observed the sun, the moon, and even the frigid stars that the Frost Crystal God occupied. He had also thoroughly explored the Shadow Abyss.

The sun harbored only blazing fiery energy, with its scorched surface raging with flames. In contrast, the moon radiated a brilliant moonlight imbued with a faint chill. Meanwhile, the Frost Crystal God's frigid star held nothing but pure cold energy.

As remarkable as the celestial bodies and the Shadow Abyss were, they still paled in comparison to the unparalleled uniqueness of the Abyss.

Those places could not encompass all things. Only within the Abyss could one witness the stars, sun, and moon alongside the corresponding mineral veins forming deep within the earth.

Thunderstorms and lightning, icy domains, volcanoes, lush forests, rivers, mountains, and mineral veins all existed within the Abyss. Everything the fragmented land in his dantian lacked, the Abyss provided in abundance.

Perhaps only such a world, where the Heavenly Daos were complete, could give rise to a unique human civilization. A world capable of nurturing True Gods capable of breaking through the barrier of the Abyss to shine brilliantly among the starry skies.

***

A colossal golden skeleton, spanning tens of thousands of zhang, glided through the bizarre mist, only to stumble into a black water domain. This water domain spanned hundreds of li, with bizarre mist blanketing it above and below.

Pan Di wasted no time plunging straight into its depths.

Crackle!

Blinding lightning burst forth from his skeletal wings and golden bones. The lightning writhed across the surface, sending arcs of crackling lightning flying as it illuminated the black waters.

The overwhelming force of the lightning swiftly compelled the God presiding over the water domain to reveal itself.

An otherworldly being with an aquamarine serpent's body, a human head, and four arms emerged from the depths. Its long, sinuous form was covered in gleaming scales, and its features were strikingly handsome.

The being gazed at Pan Di with an unsettling grin as it surfaced from the black waters.

Pan Di immediately recognized it.

"A Water God of the Sea Race! A Naga!"

The Naga Clan, belonging to the Sea Race, was the most likely to give rise to Water Gods. Male Water Gods were called Naga, while their female counterparts were known as Naji[1].

The most defining traits of a Naga were a human head atop a serpent's body, multiple arms, and naturally armored scales.

"A Thunder God of the ancient Fey Race." The Naga smiled brightly.

The black water domain stretched toward Pan Di, seamlessly merging with a colorless water domain that rested nearby.

Whoosh!

Another Water God emerged from the colorless water domain, a female Naji of the Naga Clan.

Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled with excitement as she surfaced. "Let's see how far you can run!"

The Naga and Naji flanked Pan Di from the front and back, forming a pincer.

Although Pan Di was a low-ranking Thunder God, his status as a Fey God of the Ancient Fey World gave him unmatched prestige.

Under normal circumstances, he would have had full confidence in taking on both Water Gods. However, his powers had been long depleted after wandering the bizarre mist for so long, and he knew the odds were no longer in his favor.

"You two are here in pursuit of the one who dragged down the star, aren't you? The Star Devourer is clearly in the Shadow Abyss. Why have you come after me?" Pan Di attempted to stall for time as he sensed the terrifying surge of lightning rapidly approaching.

Pang Jian had made no effort to fully conceal the aura of the Thunder Pool, which allowed Pan Di, a Thunder God, to detect its presence.

Although Pan Di did not know who approached, he hoped to create enough chaos to seize an opportunity to escape.

"Is it truly a Star Devourer?" The Naji swam closer, interest piqued. "Every Star Devourer is a treasure trove. For it to drag a star into the Shadow Abyss...it has to be an exceptionally high-level Star Devourer!"

"The Star Devourer is in the Shadow Abyss. We can't even enter there, so stop dreaming," the Naga retorted coldly.

"Oh, that's right." The Naji sighed regretfully. "Natural boundary walls protect the abysses in the bizarre mist. No God can cross them. If only we could communicate with the intelligent beings in that world, convert them into our followers, and have them construct altars dedicated to us so we can descend freely."

The Naga poured more cold water on her eagerness. "The Star Devourer knows full well that Gods roam the starry skies. The fact that it still dared to drag down a star means that it's confident we're powerless against it."

The two Water Gods of the Sea Race continued to converse while secretly laying their trap.

"It's ready."

The Naji rose from the waters, revealing a massive serpent body that stretched for tens of thousands of zhang. She gracefully drew a magnificent longbow with her four slender arms.

The colossal bow, adorned with glittering gemstones, resonated with the gentle sound of flowing water as its string was drawn taut.

A crystalline water arrow materialized out of thin air and shot toward Pan Di with astonishing speed. More water arrows followed, unleashed at Pan Di in rapid succession.

When Pan Di tried to retreat, an overwhelming pull from below the surface of the water domain anchored his towering golden skeletal frame firmly in place.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Dozens of water arrows struck Pan Di. The Thunder God's once-indestructible golden bones started to crack under the relentless barrage.

Though they were all low-ranking gods, the two Water Gods held a clear advantage over the skeletal Pan Di.

Naji unleashed a torrent of arrows, while the Naga restricted Pan Di's movements with his divine power. Their coordination was seamless.

Pan Di soon found his massive golden skeleton riddled with fractures.

If his skeletal body cracked any further, there would truly be nothing left to shield his divine soul. He had hidden his one remaining organ—his heart—inside his bones, and if even they splintered apart, it and his divine soul would be exposed to the corrosive power of the bizarre mist.

At that point, his demise would be inevitable. The relentless assault of the two Water Gods only hastened his already impending death.

Whoosh!

A massive black-gold demonic sword flew out of the swirling bizarre mist, radiating an unparalleled divine brilliance that left the two Water Gods stunned.

"A human!"

"A True God of the human race!"

"A True God dares to appear beyond the Abyss?"

Their attention was immediately drawn to the black-gold sword and the faint figure standing atop it.

Pan Di was forgotten for the moment.

1. 纳吉 (Naji) is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word Nāgī, which refers to a female Naga in Hindu, Buddhist, and related mythologies. Nāgas are serpent-like beings with divine qualities, and the term Nāgī specifically denotes the feminine counterpart. ☜