Chapter 612: Eradicating Future Threats

Abyssal Demon!

Pang Jian called out to the handsome Demon God within the Abyssal Demon Sword.

How much do you know about the Nine-Headed Bird?

Not much. My time in the Abyss hasn't been long. I've never interacted with those ancient Fey Race mentioned in legends,

the Abyssal Demon replied honestly.

Are there any legends about the Nine-Headed Bird among the ancient Fey Race beyond the Abyss?

Pang Jian asked again.

The starry skies are vast, and the Ancient Fey Word is far from the regions where I once roamed,

the Abyssal Demon responded.

During my battles in the outer worlds, I barely even encountered any Fey Gods. My knowledge is mostly limited to the Ghost Race and the Demon Races.

Perhaps you could ask the Frost Crystal God or the Moon God?

Their territories aren't too far from the Ancient Fey World. They could have some inside information.

I'd wager the Frost Crystal God would be quite eager to help you figure this out.

The Abyssal Demon smirked, arching his brows mischievously.

Pang Jian, you're quite different from the True Gods I've heard about. One remarkable female Outer God after another seems to have some kind of connection with you, be it that Sovereign, Luo Hongyan, or those mid-ranking Outer Gods, Han Yi and Ying Yue.

Perhaps you could use this to your advantage, sowing discord among the Outer Gods and stirring up internal strife,

the Abyssal Demon suggested with feigned sincerity.

Pang Jian snorted coldly.

Why don't you just focus on figuring out where that missing Primordial Demon has gone?

***

Back near the boundary wall of the Shadow Abyss, Pang Jian's physical body sat atop the Heart of Winter.

The Duke of Thunder's Thunder Pool hovered before him, the shimmering Dao Seals within it twisting through the air like arcs of lightning.

Immersing his mind in the Thunder Pool, he glimpsed a distant past where the Duke of Thunder soared majestically across the starry skies.

The Duke of Thunder wielded his Divine Court of Thunder in his unwavering pursuit to eradicate wicked ghosts and demons, striving to cleanse the world of all evil.

Lightning had always been the nemesis of ghostly beings and demons. The Duke of Thunder, in particular, harbored an unmatched loathing for the Ghost Race and the Demon Races.

Whenever the Divine Court of Thunder drifted across the Ghost Race and the Demon Race territories, it left nothing but devastation in its wake.

During that era, the Duke of Thunder had been one of the most formidable high-ranking Outer Gods in the vast starry skies. He was on the verge of ascension, poised to become a Sovereign.

Had multiple Thunder Gods not conspired in rebellion and the Thunderveil Godbeast not aided them, the Duke of Thunder would have likely ascended as a Sovereign.

A realization struck Pang Jian.

Outer Gods of the Ghost Race and Demon Races like Zi Mo and He Motian likely played a significant role from the shadows when it came to the Duke of Thunder's downfall.

After all, the Duke of Thunder's grand vision was built upon the eradication of the Ghost Race and the Demon Races.

There was no way the Outer Gods of these two races would sit idly by and allow the Duke of Thunder to ascend as a Sovereign.

His physical body and Immortal Divine Soul resonated, allowing Pang Jian's physical body to become aware of everything related to the Nine-Headed Bird.

After a brief hesitation, he put away the Thunder Pool, stepped onto the Heart of Winter, and soared out of the bizarre mist.

Expanding his divine sense, he locked onto the aura of the Frost Crystal God.

Moments later, Pang Jian stepped into a frigid palace, appearing before the puppet vessel of Han Yi, the Frost Crystal God.

Han Yi's bright eyes flickered with unmistakable joy when she saw Pang Jian, only for sorrow to soon overwhelm it.

"I thought you already left." She forced a weak smile, the corners of her lips barely tugging upward. "Ying Yue has already withdrawn her divine consciousness. Only I left behind a small fragment."

She did not say it outright, but she had left a fragment of her divine consciousness in this body in the hope that Pang Jian would return to the Shadow Abyss one day.

In the Abyss, the Ice Race did not worship her, and the one-eyed giant, Ah Man, was not someone she could subdue.

When Pang Jian expelled the divine power she had left in his body, she lost all connection with him.

She had left this puppet vessel solely because she believed Pang Jian would one day return to explore the nearby abysses.

Unexpectedly, that day came sooner than she had thought.

"I have something I wish to consult you on," Pang Jian said, wasting no time with pleasantries. "There's a Fey God in the Abyss, the Nine-Headed Bird. Its heads are said to follow a pattern of either nine evils and one virtue, or nine virtues and one evil."

He concisely explained the origins and characteristics of the Nine-Headed Bird, along with everything the last surviving head had said.

"I suspect this Nine-Headed Bird isn't native to the Abyss. You're a divine being from the starry skies. Have you ever heard anything about it?" Pang Jian asked.

"I have." Han Yi knitted her brows as she gathered her thoughts. "Nine-Headed Birds have a terrible reputation in the Ancient Fey World. That Rank Ten Nine-Headed Bird you're describing is almost certainly deceiving you.

"Nine-Headed Birds has a little-known trait, one I happen to be aware of.

"They indeed have ten heads when they reach full maturity. However, they never reveal all ten in front of others. They're known as Nine-Headed Birds because they always present themselves with only nine heads.

"The concept of nine evils and one virtue and nine virtues and one evil is real, but what that Fey God of yours failed to mention is that the first time it regenerates its heads, they're confirmed to be of nine evils and one virtue.

"From that point onward, it is highly likely for its heads to remain as nine evils and one virtue.

"With nine virtues and one evil, the Nine-Headed Bird will suppress its one evil head, presenting only nine virtuous heads to others.

"When it roams the starry skies in this form, even Outer Gods holding contempt for the ancient Fey Race won't trouble it much.

"However, if such a Nine-Headed Bird were to die, the suppressed evil head would take over.

"The new heads that regenerate would then manifest as eight evils and one virtue, with the evil ones influencing and corrupting the remaining virtuous head.

"This is because keeping one evil head as a contingency ensures that future regenerations predominantly result in eight evils and one virtue.

"In other words, one of the nine heads you severed was actually the virtuous head. The other eight evil heads corrupted and obscured that virtuous head from you, leading you to believe it was also evil.

"If a virtue head is left as the contingency, newly regenerated nine heads are likely to manifest as eight virtues and one evil.

"Conversely, if an evil head is left as the contingency, the regenerated heads will most often be eight evils and one virtue.

"That so-called compassionate bird head you mentioned is the most cunning and insidious of them all. It's deceived not only you but also the Fey Kings and Great Feys loyal to it.

"The reason the White Fox and the Rock Python are so willing to protect the final head is because, like you, they genuinely believe it's the virtuous head," Han Yi revealed.

Pang Jian gently nodded. "I see."

***

As soon as the truth was confirmed, Pang Jian's Immortal Divine Soul decisively struck.

The last surviving head of the Nine-Headed Bird was still feigning humility, trying to soften Pang Jian's hardened heart.

A sword light flashed!

The neck of the bird's head snapped, severing its connection to the Rock Python's tongue.

The head immediately tried to flee into the bizarre mist.

Pang Jian had deliberately held back his sword strike, refraining from unleashing his full power to avoid harming the Rock Python as much as possible.

When the head broke free, the Abyssal Demon Sword unleashed its full might, carving out a brilliant starry sky in its wake.

The Nine-Headed Bird's last surviving head crashed straight into the starry skies.

Boom!

All traces of life were extinguished.

Pang Jian had eradicated the Nine-Headed Bird's silver-tongued head.

"Barring any surprises, it was indeed an outsider. And that bird head was actually one of the evils as well," Pang Jian explained as he sheathed his sword.

Afterward, he simply waited for the arrival of the bee.

***

In the Frost Crystal God's palace back at the Shadow Abyss, Han Yi lowered her head and said mournfully, "I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but I have no one else to talk to. If you're not in a hurry, do you mind listening to me for a bit?

"I've failed Ying Yue's trust...and she ended up suffering because of me.

"The two of us found that Star Devourer in the bizarre mist, but just as we were about to capture it, You Kui of the Ghost Race intercepted us. He even discovered that Ying Yue and I had allied with you in the Shadow Abyss and planned to use this against us.

"We had to give up the Star Devourer. Ying Yue and I could still have to pay another price. After all, Zi Mo of the Ghost Race is You Kui's backer.

"Neither of us has any powerful backing, and I'm already entangled in enough troubles myself."

Han Yi sighed softly.

In the starry sky above the bizarre mist, Han Yi still could not bring herself to face Ying Yue, guilt weighing her down.

Han Yi's reclusive nature meant she had no other friends to confide in. Lately, she had been living in constant fear, waiting for You Kui to make outrageous demands. Every single day was a torment for her.

She had already decided to offer herself to the high-ranking Outer God, hoping to compensate for Ying Yue's losses and prevent her from being further implicated.

"When I was trying to ascend to a mid-ranking God, a high-ranking God helped me immensely.

"That high-ranking God now wants me to compensate him. He's made it clear that I am to go to his domain and meet him once matters in the Abyss are resolved.

"I originally intended to use the gains from capturing the Star Devourer to resolve the lingering debt between us.

"Instead, I've made things worse, and I dragged Ying Yue down with me too. It won't be long before I leave, to go to his domain and face him."

The Frost Crystal God once again felt like that helpless little girl crying in the icy wilderness.

It did not matter if Pang Jian would listen, or if he even wanted to.

She simply could not hold her frustrations in any longer, needing somewhere to let out everything weighing on her heart.

"I feel so much better after saying it all. You're the only person aside from Ying Yue that I've been willing to open up to. I know we're on opposing sides, but somehow, I felt I could share this with you."

Head still lowered, tears slipped from the corners of her eyes, landing softly on her robes.

"The Ice Race in the Resolute Expanse will come to worship you. I will persuade them to use the altar to communicate with you. From now on, you can reach me through the Ice Race in the Abyss.

"As for You Kui, it won't be long before I can kill him. You and Ying Yue just need to hold on a little longer. Give me some time. I'll deal with him for both of you.

"The True Gods of the Abyss have extremely fast progress and breakthroughs, and I'm one of the best among them.

"I won't need much time to deal with that high-ranking God you mentioned. I can likely take him down on my own.

"I'll help you kill him."