Chapter 584: The Domineering Thunder Dragon

Long Xiao had observed Pang Jian's battle against Li Chu through his own means.

In that fight, Pang Jian summoned his Immortal Divine Soul and pierced Li Chu's abdomen with the Abyssal Demon Sword, proving he had the strength to contend with True Gods even while in the Immortal Realm.

That battle forced Li Wang and Gui Mu to relent, allowing the Sword Pavilion to be relocated to the First World while also granting Pang Jian a place on the Stargazing Platform.

Despite this, in Long Xiao's eyes, Pang Jian still fell short of the ancient Sword Gods.

However, Long Xiao could not help the unease that flickered through him. Pang Jian was still only a newly ascended Sword God, but there was no telling how powerful he would become.

With his meteoric rise, if he were to one day inherit the Sword Pavilion from Li Zhaotian and become the master of all swords, commanding the strength of the past Sword Gods, he would undoubtedly have the power to rival Long Xiao himself.

The three strongest True Gods, Zhu Ji, Gui Mu, and Su Wanrou, had suppressed Long Xiao for thousands of years.

He could not help but wonder if this meant he would eventually have to contend with a Sword God as well.

Streaks of lightning flickered in Long Xiao's eyes as his thoughts churned.

The illusory bubbles surrounding Long Xiao became real, transforming into the Mirage Dragon Pearl.

A massive dragon emerged, dozens of times larger than even Long Xiao's dragon form. It was a behemoth forged from billowing mist, toxic fumes, and venomous haze.

Its form bore the characteristics of a Flood Dragon, with a serpentine body covered in emerald-gold scales, its forehead lacking a prominent horn, and only a single claw extending from beneath its massive frame.

The dragon was colossal beyond comprehension.

It inhaled clouds and exhaled mist, conjuring kingdoms, pools, caves, worlds, and starry skies where dragons reigned supreme, progressing from their lowest levels to their ultimate stage.

This dragon advanced step by step, ascending to the ranks of the Dragon Gods as a powerful Mirage Dragon and imprinting its ambitions upon the Mirage Dragon Pearl.

Its ambitions mirrored Long Xiao's own, allowing him to wield the Mirage Dragon Pearl to perfection.

He unleashed the divine might of the ancient Mirage Dragon and used its power to neutralize Su Wanrou's poisons.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

The ancient Mirage Dragon inhaled clouds and exhaled mist, expanding the dense mist shrouding the area.

The power of the Mirage Dragon Pearl spread across the boundless expanse to engulf millions of li in its influence. Su Wanrou's poisons were contained within this domain, unable to seep beyond to reach the Sacred Soul Continent.

Pang Jian sighed in realization. "I never expected this battle to come so soon."

A sudden tremor ran through his consciousness.

Deep within his chest, a hidden darkness that had long lain dormant surged forward from the shadows.

It filled the gaping wound in his chest, revealing faint glimpses of black roses, ravens, vultures, tombstones, and ruined crosses, flickering like illusions within the darkness.

The darkness veiled the wounds of his Immortal Divine Soul, temporarily shielding Pang Jian from the Mirage Dragon Pearl's influence.

Whoosh!

The tip of the Abyssal Demon Sword flickered with sword light.

This radiant speck of light was condensed demonic energy. It then transformed into a demonic realm.

As soon as the demonic realm stabilized, it separated from the sword tip and manifested beside Pang Jian.

Then, a second sword light flared before also condensing into a demonic realm.

After that came a third, fourth, fifth, and sixth sword light!

Six demonic realms surrounded Pang Jian, three on each flank.

"I've been preparing for this day ever since I learned that my sister entered the Pure Land Sect and embarked on the path of cultivation through the Dao of Lightning," Pang Jian said, expression unreadable as he fixed his gaze on the astonished Long Xiao. "You're the strongest Fey God of the Abyss and have reigned over the Dao of Lightning for tens of thousands of years.

"I've always known it would be difficult for Pang Lin to surpass a mountain like you."

"Surpass me?" Long Xiao burst into wild laughter, voice brimming with arrogance. "Little Sword God, even a reborn Lin Xuanqi wouldn't dare utter such words!

"Even if the past generations of Sword Gods were still alive, none of them could suppress me on their own!

"I feared the Sword Pavilion because it never had only one Sword God. Not to mention, these Sword Gods never hesitated to draw their swords!

"Now, the Sword Gods are gone, and I remain eternal in the Abyss!

"Do you even understand, little one? We ancient Fey Gods of the Fey Race, only grow stronger with time! Even after reaching the peak of Rank Ten and staying in the Abyss!

"I've remained in the Abyss, enduring the passage of time, growing stronger with each passing moment!

"I've waited for my opportunity in the Abyss. I have not spent these thousands of years complacent!

"Even Lin Xuanqi in his prime can no longer match me, let alone you, a mere fledgling Sword God!"

Long Xiao laughed mockingly.

"I refuse to leave because I seek a new path for the Fey Race, for the dragons!

"None of you True Gods nor the black turtle are aware of the impending calamity that will descend once every hundred thousand years!

"But I know! I have been waiting for this grand event all this time!

"I want to witness the dawn of a new era! I want to carve an everlasting legacy for the Fey Race, to lay the foundation for my descendants before I leave!"

Long Xiao no longer concealed his ravenous ambition, exposing all his previous claims of neutrality as nothing more than hollow rhetoric.

"Zhu Ji, Gui Mu, Li Wang, those fledgling True Gods have all forgotten the ancient glory of my Dragon Race!"

Long Xiao clenched his fist inside the Mirage Dragon Pearl and punched toward one of the demonic realms.

"Mirage Dragon!"

Colossal fists, wreathed in crackling lightning, came crashing down upon the demonic realm closest to Long Xiao as if the heavens and earth were on the verge of collapse.

Roar!

Long Xiao let out an earth-shattering draconic howl as the colossal fists landed on the demonic realm. Its foundational laws and Daos were obliterated in seconds.

Long Xiao shook his head at Pang Jian inside the Mirage Dragon Pearl, his voice carrying an air of indifference. "Little Sword God, you were never my true opponent. You have great potential. Just make sure you don't die too soon."

Shock flashed in Pang Jian's eyes.

He had already placed Long Xiao at the pinnacle of combat prowess, the strongest adversary in the Abyss. Even so, the sight of Long Xiao effortlessly destroying an entire demonic realm with a single blow left Pang Jian shaken.

Long Xiao was even stronger than he had imagined.

Those devastating punches had not even been his full strength.

If this domineering dragon were to break through the barrier, he would surely roam unchecked through the vast expanse of the bizarre mist.

Pan Di, the Thunderveil Godbeast, and the other Thunder Gods were nothing more than stepping stones for Long Xiao, mere vessels to further his mastery of the Dao of Lightning.

Even if the Thunder Gods were to join forces, they likely could not take down this Thunder Dragon and would instead be annihilated.

Given Long Xiao's strength, low-ranking Outer Gods would be utterly insignificant before him. Any low-ranking Outer God that encountered him beyond the Abyss was doomed.

The sheer dominance and ferocity of the ancient Thunder Dragon stemmed from its undeniable strength.

"Pang Jian, you need not take part in this battle. Go and protect Pang Lin outside," Su Wanrou said, her Dharma Idol still calmly holding a bamboo basket.

She showed no fear against the terrifying ancient Mirage Dragon formed from absorbing her poisonous mist.

"Senior Long Xiao, can you kill me? You know what will happen if you can't, and I step into the Sacred Soul Continent with this, right?"

Although her voice was soft, it carried an undeniable weight.

Long Xiao let out a cold snort. "I had Mu Wentao lurking between the Western Loam and the Sacred Soul Continent to intercept you before you could set foot here.

"Do you think I am ignorant of the terror that is your Poison Scourge?

"The Dao of Poison defies the natural order and requires living beings to reach their full potential. When the Poison Scourge is unleashed, creatures of flesh and blood will gradually be afflicted, causing the poison to evolve into something even more terrifying.

"The more that perish, the stronger the poison becomes. Even you could eventually lose control of it.

"Even I would not dare to let this fleshly body come into contact with your poison if it were truly to be nurtured to its ultimate form using the lives of my Fey Race on the Sacred Soul Continent.

"But that doesn't matter because you'll never set foot there. If you wish to unleash the full potential of your poisons, you'll have to find another place to cultivate them.

"Heh, why not try the Demon Abyss Continent? Or descend into the Third World and use the foreign races as fuel for your poisons?" Long Xiao taunted.

He had anticipated that Su Wanrou would come looking for him the second he laid hands on the Thunderclap Paradise.

His only miscalculation was failing to foresee Li Zhaotian's actions, infiltrating the Sacred Soul Continent in secret, unleashing the full power of the Sword Pavilion without warning, and seizing Long Xiao's descendants as hostages.

"Senior, do you know why I insist on confronting you even though I cannot enter the Sacred Soul Continent?" Su Wanrou asked with a smile.

Long Xiao burst into laughter. "Isn't it to show your disciple where you stand? Su girl, I dared to make a move on the Thunderclap Paradise precisely because I don't fear you."

"The True Gods coming here aren't just from my Pure Land Sect," Su Wanrou replied, casting a subtle glance at Pang Jian.

The message in her gaze was clear: Conserve your strength if you can. Your injuries are yet to heal. The other True Gods will soon arrive to help deal with this domineering ancient Thunder Dragon.

"Pei Yishan? Or perhaps Li Wang? Could even Gui Mu be coming?" Long Xiao chuckled with an indifferent shake of his head. "All I did was ask Li Chu for a small favor, and Pei Yishan flew into a rage, declaring he would settle this matter.

"It's fine. Let them come. I'll take them on together."

***

A figure emerged from the greenish-black demonic orb in the small world of the Abyssal Demon Sword.

It was none other than the strikingly handsome Abyssal Demon.

During his time in the Shadow Abyss, the Abyssal Demon had absorbed the boundless hatred of its inhabitants toward the Star Devourer and had gathered an immense reservoir of negative energy before entering a dormant state.

Even during Pang Jian's battle with Yang Luo, he had only lent minor assistance, choosing to remain in his slumber.

When Pang Jian returned to the Shadow Abyss, he continued his silent metamorphosis, never leaving the demonic orb.

Now, he finally emerged at long last.

He took the orb and pressed it against the chest of his Nether Demon Race body. The orb fused into his being to become his demonic heart, completing his new demonic form.

With his body formed and his soul empowered, the Abyssal Demon Sword had become a mere extension of his existence.

The Abyssal Demon had officially reclaimed his full power as a Demon God.

This ancient Thunder Dragon harbors grand ambitions,

the Abyssal Demon informed Pang Jian.

I can sense the malice within his heart. He desires far more than he lets on.

In the world of the sword, he formed intricate seals with his slender fingers, tracing the undercurrents of Long Xiao's intentions.

The only unexpected factor was Li Zhaotian's arrival. He already predicted you, Su Wanrou, Pei Yishan, Li Wang, and Zhu Ji would come.