Chapter 624: A Plot to Hunt You Kui

A fragmented land, wreathed in blazing flames, crashed into the domain of the withered World Tree, sending a fresh wave of unease rippling through the assembled Fey Kings and Great Feys.

The appearance of one foreign race powerhouse after another had already put the Fey Race in constant fear.

Now, a divine being from beyond the Abyss descended upon them.

The aura surging from the fiery fragmented land engulfed the World Tree and its seven fragmented lands like an unstoppable tide.

Every fiercely guarded secret of the Fey Race was abruptly laid bare.

"Your Excellency!" The Fey King White Fox, trembling, cautiously flew out from one of the fragmented lands, bowing with unease. "We—"

Yan Lie did not even acknowledge the White Fox, the fiery fragmented land continuing onward without pause.

The fragmented land had a clear destination. It knew exactly where it was meant to go.

A lone figure rose from the scalding rivers of magma and erupting volcanoes, his expression cold and unyielding. His very name embodied his title of Fire God Yan Lie [1].

In the bizarre mist, Lie Yang of the Radiant Race hovered, the jagged edges of a gaping wound glaringly visible on his waist and abdomen.

Golden blood, imbued with solar energy, flowed freely from his wounds. Despite this, the elderly warrior's face remained stoically unbothered, as if the injuries did not belong to him.

The Primordial Sun Diagram had separated from his body and once again floated behind him.

In the diagram, the golden toad lay listless, and the Three-Legged Golden Crows huddled together in recovery. Even the twelve golden leaves had lost their radiant glow.

The divine artifact had suffered significant damage, and it would take a great wealth of materials to restore it.

Qi Xu of the Flame Race descended gracefully, coming to a halt just below Yan Lie and bowing respectfully. "My Lord, Pang Jian and the Abyssal Demon Sword have crossed the boundary wall.

"Lie Yang forbade me from intervening in his battle. I honored his decision. After he was injured, I attempted to use my Fire World to block Pang Jian's escape, but failed.

"Please punish me, my Lord."

Qi Xu lowered her head, pressing her chin firmly against her chest in submission.

Shrinking to the size of a human, Yan Lie silently assessed Lie Yang's injuries. He could not help but admire the raging, untamed energy radiating from Lie Yang's body.

Even among the Sun Gods beyond the Abyss, few had such raw, primal solar energy.

Lie Yang had tempered his Radiant Race's bloodline to unparalleled purity in the eternal darkness of the Fifth World. His unfathomably deep comprehension of the Dao of Sun brought even Yan Lie awe.

A sudden thought took root in Yan Lie's mind.

Yan Lie had a Divine Sun Scripture from beyond the Abyss, one he had previously hesitated to bestow on Lie Yang. Now, however, he tossed it toward Lie Yang with a flick of his wrist.

The Divine Sun Scripture flipped open.

Golden runes resembling solar flames emerged from its pages, merging into Lie Yang's body to aid in the recovery of his injuries.

This Divine Sun Scripture detailed the construction of Sun Temples, the enslavement of worshipers, and the methods of forging altars. Everything a Sun God needed to know about power, scriptures, and followers was recorded in its pages.

"Focus on your recovery. We still need you for our battles against the True Gods in the future," Yan Lie instructed, tone reassuring yet weighty.

His willingness to give Lie Yang the Divine Sun Scripture was not an act of charity, but rather stemmed from the belief that the Patriarch of the Radiant Race would be the perfect weapon in the war against the human race.

Moreover, if Lie Yang ever made it out of the Abyss and into the boundless starry skies, his monstrous power could propel him to become a high-ranking Sun God. Such potential was naturally worth investing in.

Yan Lie did not bring up Pang Jian's escape nor the deaths of Li Bai and Jiu Luo.

Li Bai had been under He Motian's command, while Jiu Luo had ties to Zi Mo.

Those two high-ranking Outer Gods each had their own agendas. Severing their links to the Abyss made it easier for the Sovereign to act without restraint.

***

Pang Jian gripped the Abyssal Demon Sword, gaze steady as he waited in the bizarre mist outside the boundary wall.

The Fire God loyal to Luo Hongyan would undoubtedly emerge soon.

That Fire God absorbed abundant fire energy after slaughtering Lin Qiyang in the First World,

the Abyssal Demon said from within the divine sword.

His divine power is recovering far too quickly.

Although his strength within the Abyss is far from what it once was, his mastery of the Dao of Fire remains at the level of a high-ranking God.

He's not someone we can afford to provoke.

Pang Jian, you need to temper your Immortal Divine Soul further and consider your next steps for advancement.

The Abyssal Demon fell into deep thought about Pang Jian's potential path forward, but could not come to any clear conclusion.

You're different from the other True Gods within the Abyss.

Perhaps you need the guidance of the past True Gods—those who left the Abyss long ago and uncovered the key to the human race's continued rise. The only problem is that those individuals have all gone into hiding. No one knows where they are now.

The Abyssal Demon and Pang Jian were not of the same race. While the Abyssal Demon could still offer advice about ascending to godhood, the path that came after True Gods left the Abyss was another matter entirely.

Pang Jian lowered his gaze, fingers tightening around the Thunder Pool as his focus shifted to the silver-white palace within it.

Do you think we could kill a mid-ranking God from the Ghost Race with our combined strength and this Thunder Pool?

Pang Jian asked.

The mid-ranking God in question was You Kui, the target Pang Jian had promised the Frost Crystal God he would eliminate.

Uncertainty had previously held him back from conducting a reckless assault. However, the formation of the silver-white palace within the Thunder Pool and Pang Jian's effortless slaughter of Jiu Luo brought a surge of confidence.

I'd say it's worth a try,

the Abyssal Demon replied seriously.

As you said, we have the Thunder Pool, not to mention the level-up I've gained from devouring Li Bai.

Pang Jian nodded.

Good. Let's see if we can make this happen.

Li Zhaotian had successfully ascended to godhood and could harmonize with the barrier. This shift made Pang Jian much more optimistic about the state of the Abyss.

The foreign races and the ancient Thunder Dragon had conspired to launch an assault on the human race, only for their first offensive to fail to meet expectations.

The next wave would likely come with the rising tide of the murky energy.

In other words, Pang Jian had a period of relative stability at his disposal.

He intended to make full use of this time to disrupt the Outer Gods' plans as much as possible while slowly building up his strength in the bizarre mist and starry skies beyond the Abyss.

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

The two other foreign race powerhouses from the earlier battle, Qi Xu and Lie Yang, had left lasting impressions on him.

Both had deep comprehensions of a single Heavenly Dao, with one devoted to the Dao of Fire and the other to the Dao of Sun.

Lie Yang's insights into the Dao of Sun had redefined Pang Jian's shallow understanding of the sun.

During their battle, Lie Yang's deep understanding had almost completely overpowered Pang Jian.

Pang Jian would have been crushed if not for the Thunder Pool, Five Thunder Annihilation, the Abyssal Demon Sword, and the fusion of energies that formed the Demon Sun.

Thus, he resolved to thoroughly consolidate his insights of the various Heavenly Daos, further refine his Immortal Divine Soul, and temper his physical body.

***

Above the bizarre mist, Han Yi and Ying Yue guided their divine platforms toward a lonely star that lay far beyond the sight of the other Outer Gods.

Ying Yue's expression was icy as she glanced back at the distant moon. "I just hope that You Kui doesn't make outrageous demands."

Han Yi knitted her brows, her gaze fixed on the still-distant star ahead. "Why would You Kui choose such an isolated star?"

"I'm guessing he's raising that Star Devourer." Ying Yue chuckled coldly. "Choosing an unremarkable, low-value star means he can let the Star Devourer grow unchecked.

"The stronger it becomes, the more valuable it will be. He likely thinks it's worth giving it room to grow as long as he can keep it under control."

Ying Yue was still resentful that You Kui had snatched the Star Devourer away from them.

Worse still, she and Han Yi were forced to meet him on his turf, where he held all the leverage.

Although they were all mid-ranking Outer Gods, You Kui's blackmail left her and Han Yi at a clear disadvantage. Ying Yue could not help but grit her teeth in frustration.

Han Yi's divine platform came to an abrupt halt.

Ying Yue's eyes flickered with surprise, channeling lunar energy into her platform to bring it to a stop as well. "What is it?"

"Pang Jian says he'll kill You Kui for us." Han Yi lightly bit her lower lip, her cold eyes glinting murderously. "His Thunder Pool has awakened to newfound power. He believes he has the strength to take down You Kui."

Ying Yue fell silent at those words, contemplating the last bits of intel she had gathered before the barrier was sealed.

Pang Jian had killed the Nine-Headed Bird and Jiu Luo of the Ghost Race in the Abyss.

Although Ying Yue was still unaware of Li Bai's death, the knowledge of the Nine-Headed Bird and Jiu Luo's deaths was enough to sway her, especially when combined with the fact that the Thunder Pool was the Duke of Thunder's artifact.

"Shall we gamble once more?" she asked in a low voice.

Han Yi gritted her teeth. "Let's gamble! I refuse to let You Kui hold our secret over us and possibly use it to blackmail us again in the future.

"Not to mention, the Star Devourer was ours to begin with! He snatched it from us and is raising it in secret, but he still won't let us go! You Kui is too greedy. The only way we'll have any peace after this is if he dies."

Ying Yue nodded. "You Kui has ways to communicate with Zi Mo no matter where he is. We cannot show ourselves when Pang Jian makes his move, or everything will be ruined."

Han Yi briefly closed her eyes, using the divine consciousness she left behind in the Shadow Abyss to communicate with Pang Jian.

A few seconds later, she said, "Pang Jian says he can take down You Kui alone. He doesn't need us to do anything. All we need to do is give him You Kui's location and ensure no other Gods are nearby."

"That's it?" Ying Yue raised an eyebrow. "That's all we need to do?"

"That's all!"

"Alright then, tell him that I agree to his plans!"

Ying Yue and Han Yi no longer rushed toward the star where You Kui was residing.

Moving slowly, they continuously checked their surroundings and reached out to their network of informants. They soon confirmed that You Kui had not contacted any other Outer Gods to keep the Star Devourer a secret.

That immediately put them at ease.

1. Yan Lie's name consists of two characters: 炎, which translates to flame, and 烈, which conveys meanings of fierce, intense, or blazing. ☜