Chapter 554: Fulfilling a Promise

The Outer Gods did not target the True Gods of the human race in the beginning, when the first few broke through the barrier of the Abyss and stepped into the starry skies.

Back then, the True Gods had coexisted peacefully with the many Outer Gods scattered throughout the starry skies.

However, as more True Gods emerged from the Abyss, they gradually formed a formidable force. The True Gods gradually stopped hiding their strength and displayed their true power.

Their brilliance illuminated the starry skies, drawing attention across the heavens.

The True Gods of the Abyss quickly became the most dazzling and renowned among all the Gods. At their peak, they joined forces to destroy the Hall of Gods and suffered heavy losses in the process.

Since then, the True Gods became the targets of the Outer Gods' coordinated efforts, marking the decline of their golden age.

After the destruction of the Hall of Gods, the Outer Gods hunted the remaining True Gods across the starry skies. The survivors went into hiding and rarely showed themselves again.

The Abyss, the birthplace of the True Gods, became a strictly surveilled place. Several Observers set up monitoring arrays in the starry skies above the Abyss to detect any disturbances.

An Observer would be alerted if the barrier sealing the Abyss was breached, and the Outer Gods would quickly arrive via teleportation arrays to hunt and kill any emerging True God before they could shine in the starry skies.

Though the True Gods of the human race had disappeared from the starry skies, their reputation still lingered.

The Naga and Naji were recently ascended Water Gods of the Sea Race and had never encountered a True God themselves.

Pang Jian was the first.

"And a Sword God, no less!" The female Water God stared at the enormous black-gold demonic sword, her eyes stinging from its radiance. Her expression turned serious as she warned, "Be careful. I've heard that Sword Gods are among the most fearsome of the human race."

"I know," the Naga replied warily.

"Pang Jian!" The interwoven seas of lightning in Pan Di's hollow eye sockets surged with surprise.

At that moment, Pan Di had a revelation.

He had ventured from the Ancient Fey World into the bizarre mist, hoping to find the divine artifact that the Duke of Thunder had left behind in the Thunder Abyss. Except that very divine artifact—the Thunder Pool—was in Pang Jian's possession.

The mysterious artifact Pan Di had sensed through the Abyss's boundary wall back then turned out to be the Thunder Pool all along. The interference of the boundary wall had obscured the truth from him at the time, but now, with no boundary wall in the way, Pan Di finally understood.

"So, it wasn't in the Thunder Abyss after all..."

All the years Pan Di had spent wandering the bizarre mist had been a futile pursuit in the wrong direction from the very start. No wonder the Thunderveil Godbeast had also failed to claim the Thunder Pool.

Whoosh!

The colossal black-gold divine sword came to a halt, and Pang Jian's small figure appeared at its tip, shrouded in a protective shield.

Water Gods of the Sea Race,

the Abyssal Demon quietly informed.

Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth form the foundation of the Heavenly Daos.

Back then, you used demonic energy to create a sea of demonic energy, and it temporarily filled the void in your Dao of Water. While that sea of demonic energy is technically considered part of the Dao of Water, it's neither a pure nor true manifestation of it.

The two Water Gods of the Sea Race before you are the purest bearers of the Dao of Water. Killing them would allow you to truly complete your path to mastering the Dao of Water. Their deaths will make you even stronger.

Congratulations, Pang Jian. You now have the power to hunt the Outer Gods beyond the Abyss. As a fellow low-ranking God, I'm confident that your strength will enable you to achieve your goals with ease!

the Abyssal Demon said excitedly.

All True Gods of the human race were classified as low-ranking Gods. Beings such as Pan Di, the Thunderveil Godbeast, the Naga, and the Naji were all low-ranking Gods as well.

Despite only being a low-ranking God, Pang Jian had three divine artifacts, an extraordinarily resilient body, and his insights into multiple Heavenly Daos.

In other words, he had nothing to fear from the Water Gods of the Sea Race. Even the Abyssal Demon brimmed with unshakable confidence after their victory against Li Chu.

Complete the Dao of Water...

A thought stirred in Pang Jian's mind as he curiously studied the two Water Gods flanking the trapped Pan Di.

"Both of you, is he in your way?" he asked calmly.

The two serpent-bodied Water Gods differed greatly in form and aura from Yuan Min, the Fey King Pang Jian had encountered on the Sacred Soul Continent. Yuan Min was of pure Primordial Serpent lineage, and his original form was that of a coiling serpent without a human head.

As part of the ancient Fey Race, his physical body was exceptionally strong, though his soul was comparatively weaker.

The two Water Gods were fundamentally different in comparison, with serpent bodies and human heads. They also had extraordinary intelligence and intense soul fluctuations.

However, their divine bodies appeared significantly weaker than Pan Di's, classifying them as part of the foreign races, distinct from the ancient Fey Race.

Pang Jian was deeply curious about the forms and alliances of Outer Gods, so he refrained from drawing his sword unprovoked.

"You two know each other?" the Naga asked, startled.

A mysterious True God of the human race has allied with a dying ancient Fey Race Thunder God? Could they truly be companions?

The Naga secretly calculated their odds of winning if Pang Jian joined the fray.

"We do," Pang Jian replied, casting a long look at Pan Di. "There are no lightning-attribute materials in the Shadow Abyss that can help you recover."

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Pan Di's hopes were dashed. It seemed his path to recovery was hopelessly out of reach.

"But," Pang Jian continued, gesturing for Pan Di to come closer. "There are plenty in the Abyss."

Pan Di's soul trembled at the realization that Pang Jian was now in his physical body, and not the soul form he had encountered earlier.

It seemed Pang Jian had silently returned to the Abyss during their time apart. If what Pang Jian implied was true, he was carrying lightning-attribute materials capable of prolonging their life!

Boom!

Pan Di's golden skeletal body erupted with an earth-shaking thunderclap as hundreds of radiant lightning orbs tumbled from his skeletal wings.

The orbs transformed into thick golden lightning bolts, cascading like waterfalls to tear through the black sea. The Naga's meticulously crafted water domain was instantly riddled with holes.

At that moment, the Naga realized that the ancient Fey Race Thunder God before him had only refrained from unleashing his full might because his remaining divine power was limited.

Their combined strength would likely be insufficient to defeat the Thunder God if he had been at his peak. A few words from the True God of the human race had been enough to reignite the Thunder God's hope and confidence, freeing him from hesitation and fear.

"Fey Gods are unmatched among their peers. You two..." Pan Di roared, breaking free from the water domain with a deafening clap of thunder to move swiftly toward the black-gold demonic sword.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Golden lightning surged from his body, obliterating the water domain. As the domain's creator, the Naga groaned in frustration as the destruction spread.

Brother,

the Naji said through their shared bloodline technique.

I don't think we can handle a True God of the human race and an ancient Fey Race Thunder God, even if the latter has been weakened. Let's notify the others.

When the Star Devourer dragged the grayish-yellow star into the bizarre mist, other Outer Gods seeking the truth had also descended alongside the Naga and Naji. Several other low-ranking Gods were also active in the nearby bizarre mist.

When the siblings discovered Pan Di, they chose not to report it to the others. Instead, they planned to lure Pan Di further away and kill him in secret so they could claim his heart and soul for themselves.

A divine being born of the ancient Fey Race was an extraordinary treasure trove in the eyes of the Outer Gods. Though not as valuable as the Star Devourer, Pan Di was still enough to spark their greed.

Alright, inform them. Just tell them that a human race God has appeared,

the Naga responded.

It will take time for them to arrive. There's no need to engage this human race god right away. Stall for now. That Thunder God has grown even weaker after expending its divine power and poses no real threat to us.

The Naga's secret instructions came to an abrupt halt as he watched Pan Di open his mouth and swallow tens of thousands of crystalline ore chunks, each brimming with concentrated lightning.

Pills and barrels of blood followed the ores, all entering Pan Di like water into a whale.

"You truly do keep your promises!" Pan Di was so moved that he was on the verge of tears.

He had met Pang Jian by chance after years of being lost in the bizarre mist.

Having reached the brink of utter collapse, Pang Jian had kindly mentioned in passing that he would find resources to restore Pan Di's strength.

Pan Di had thought it was nothing more than a polite remark. At best, he assumed that Pang Jian would bring back a few lightning-attribute ores to prolong his life by a few decades.

Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that Pang Jian would give him such an abundance of high-quality ores, pills, and blood to nourish his soul and body.

Deep emerald-green eyes were the first to form within his hollow sockets, crackling faintly with golden lightning. Strands of flesh then started to grow across his face, slithering like writhing snakes as they pulled patches of skin and muscle into place.

Muscles, blood vessels, organs, and his long-lost divine power were all regenerating at an astonishing speed!

The ancient Fey Race Thunder God was no longer just bone. Sinew grew over his skeletal wings and face, body radiating a red glow as his flesh knitted together.

Channeling an overwhelming surge of blood essence, he regenerated the flesh over his golden bones while simultaneously infusing his skeleton with the lightning coursing through him. His aura grew stronger and more imposing with every passing moment.

Pang Jian could not help but marvel,

Heaven truly favors the ancient Fey Race.