Chapter 635: Bronze-Masked God

At the center of the star lay a massive cavern.

Nine severed limbs of the Star Devourer sprawled across the ground of this cavern like winding, earthbound dragons.

You Kui sat on a stone platform, his handsome face visible without his usual cloak shrouding it.

Before him was an octagonal teleportation array with a projection of a person at its center. This person was draped in a loose-fitting black robe with his entire face concealed behind a bronze mask.

"Infuse the Star Devourer's different limbs with these refined metals every three days," he solemnly instructed You Kui.

As he spoke, the nine white jade bowls placed on the teleportation array produced an endless assortment of metals—gold, iron, copper, silver, and more.

You Kui nodded as he obediently pulled the metals from the bowls.

With a swing of the sharp blade in his hand, he carved trench-like wounds into the Star Devourer's severed limbs.

The metals from the massive bowls drifted into the open wounds under You Kui's divine power.

After the metals were infused into the nine severed limbs, the gaping wounds slowly closed over. The limbs grew tougher, sharper, and more resilient as they mended.

The influx of metals gradually purged the other energies within the limbs, leaving behind only pure metal energy.

Each cycle of this brought the limbs closer to becoming prime materials for forging metal-attribute divine artifacts.

A dozen more of the Star Devourer's severed limbs lay tossed in the corners of the underground cavern.

These limbs were also riddled with ghastly fissures, but unlike the nine in front of You Kui, they remained beyond repair. You Kui had long drained their inner reserves of energy dry.

They were nothing more than discarded scraps to You Kui.

You Kui sighed. "Who knows how many of these nine will even make it to the end?"

"The Star Devourer is in your hands, and it still has plenty of limbs," the masked figure said indifferently. "I'm the one supplying the metals needed for their transformation. You don't have to pay any price. As long as even one succeeds, I will pay you accordingly."

You Kui nodded his head with a chuckle. "The reason I've secluded myself here, far from the other Gods, is to work together with you."

Even You Kui himself knew nothing about this masked figure. All he knew was that the other party called himself the Bronze-Masked God.

Nobody knew where in the starry skies the Bronze-Masked God resided, only that he was a master of forging divine artifacts.

One could contact this God using the methods he had spread across the starry skies. After specifying the type of divine artifact they wished to forge, the Bronze-Masked God would assess the available materials and name an appropriate price.

The cost could range from tens of thousands to even millions of divine crystals.

If the buyer found the price reasonable, they would pay half the amount as a deposit, at which point the Bronze-Masked God would start the forging process.

Once the divine artifact was complete, the buyer would establish an array to complete the transaction with the remaining divine crystals.

The Bronze-Masked God's buyers were consistently satisfied with the divine artifacts he forged.

You Kui, too, had originally sought him out to commission a divine artifact. However, after stating his requirements and hearing the quoted price, he gave up on the idea.

Although he was a mid-ranking Outer God, he was, in truth, quite poor.

It was precisely because of this lack of wealth that he had answered Zi Mo's summons, crossing the vast starry skies to reach this region. In short, he had come seeking wealth.

The Star Devourer, which he swiped from Han Yi and Ying Yue, was exactly the kind of unexpected windfall he had hoped for. When he contacted the Bronze-Masked God and once again expressed his desire for that divine artifact, he casually mentioned the Star Devourer.

The Bronze-Masked God showed interest and instructed him to bring the Star Devourer to this star.

Since then, You Kui had been entirely at the mercy of the Bronze-Masked God's commands.

Following the Bronze-Masked God's instructions, he had dragged the Star Devourer's severed limbs into this underground cavern.

He then forcibly infused the Bronze-Masked God's provided materials into the limbs, reshaping them according to the set instructions.

They were being refined into prime materials for forging divine artifacts.

The projection of the Bronze-Masked God grew increasingly faint, an unmistakable sign that he was about to leave.

"How is progress in the Abyss coming along?" the Bronze-Masked God casually asked.

"Not too well," You Kui replied as he mechanically pulled the metals from the bowls and forcibly stuffed them into the gaping wounds on the Star Devourer's severed limbs.

One of the severed limbs abruptly ceased its regeneration.

Annoyed, You Kui unleashed his divine power. A ghostly blue light streaked through the air and slashed the limb clean in two.

The Star Devourer's shrill cries could be heard in the distance.

Ignoring its wails, You Kui reached out toward a distant cavern.

His hand extended a millionfold, allowing him to grab hold of another one of the Star Devourer's limbs, severing it through brute force.

"This generation's Pavilion Master of the Sword Pavilion in the Abyss chose a Heavenly Dao that enables him to merge with the barrier." You Kui sighed. "After he ascended to godhood, he sealed the Abyss from the outer worlds. We can no longer communicate with those in the Abyss through altars, believers, or puppet vessels.

"The high-ranking God of our race, Zi Mo, and Great Demon God He Motian's painstakingly cultivated half-divine bodies were destroyed in the process.

"We have no clear understanding of the situation in the Abyss. Fortunately, the Sovereign and the Fire God under her command remain. Otherwise, this would be considered a total defeat."

You Kui paused as he sliced open the newly retrieved limb with his blade and shoved the various metals into the wounds.

Then, preparing to speak further, he glanced up, only to realize that the Bronze-Masked God had already disappeared.

That enigmatic god had merely brought up the Abyss in passing. He had no real concern for its affairs.

You Kui did not dwell on it either. In a cold voice, he muttered, "You are my treasure. Every piece of your body will be used to its fullest.

"The Bronze-Masked God has promised to pay the full price of a prime material for each limb that successfully transforms.

"Heh! You have so many limbs. I can slowly carve you apart and trade them for tens of millions of divine crystals.

"With your help, I can finally obtain the divine artifact I desire. Even the resources my son will need to ascend to godhood will be within reach!"

***

On a continent of an uncharted star in an unknown expanse of the starry skies, the Bronze-Masked God sat atop an unlit furnace, forged from five metals—gold, iron, copper, silver, and lead extracted from the starry skies.

Reaching up, the God removed his bronze mask, revealing a human face with black hair and black eyes.

He rubbed his stiff cheeks to loosen the taut skin, lips curled into a rare smile.

It was an awkward expression, as if it had been so long since he last smiled that he had forgotten how.

"The Sword Pavilion! It's the Sword Pavilion!" He laughed brightly. "Even after all these years, we sword cultivators are still the ones you can count on when it truly matters!"

A small wooden sword, only half the length of his arm, flitted around him like a child's toy. Its sword soul let out gleeful giggles as it danced through the air.

"Sealed off? Good!" the sword soul crowed. "The more thoroughly sealed, the better!

"Those detestable bastards want to wipe out the human race? Wishful thinking! Let them choke on their own delusions!

"This generation's Pavilion Master is quite interesting. Did he truly merge with the barrier?

"Bold move! I like it! Speaking of which, why didn't you think of that back in the day?" the sword soul asked with crisp laughter.

"Back then, we were all just focused on leaving. The Outer Gods weren't wary of us yet. Why would I have merged with the barrier?" The Bronze-Masked God grinned. "If I'd done that, you wouldn't have been able to roam the boundless starry skies with me."

"True, true! You're right as usual!" The sword soul chuckled before sighing. "It's been so long. I almost miss those guys in the Sword Pavilion."

The Bronze-Masked God's expression darkened. "Too bad. Going back won't be easy. Not to mention, the starry skies are too harsh. I'd honestly rather they never leave."

***

If I survive, I'll make the entire Ghost Race pay the price!

I'll descend upon their territories in the starry skies and devour all the stars there! I'll feast on the souls of their kin and turn their domains into lifeless wastelands!

And You Kui! I want him dead!

The Star Devourer's anguished wails echoed within Pang Jian's mind.

Despite its hatred, the Star Devourer dared not utter a single word aloud.

It could only confide all its endless grievances and hatred in Pang Jian.

Pang Jian continued to move stealthily underground under the Star Devourer's guidance.

Knitting his brows, he sneered,

I don't care how many of your limbs were severed, how much metal energy was forced into you, or how many pieces of you were refined to death.

You're not any better.

How many Rank Nine warriors from the Shadow Abyss did you raise and devour?

An entire world lived under your shadow, their life and death at your mercy.

Now, you've left the Shadow Abyss and stepped into the vast starry skies, only for You Kui to capture you. Isn't this exactly what you deserve?"

Pang Jian suddenly arrived at the underground cavern.

The Bronze-Masked God had only just left. You Kui, still focused on "feeding" the Star Devourer's severed limbs, paused mid-motion, gripping his blade in stunned disbelief.

"Pang Jian?"

A profound sense of disbelief washed over You Kui.

He had hidden himself deep within the core of a remote star, one so insignificant that even the other Outer Gods paid it no heed.

There was simply no reason for a True God of the human race to appear here at random.

"Han Yi, Ying Yue, those treacherous whores!"