Chapter 647: Disrespect

The soul-binding quagmire churned violently above where Pang Jian vanished, murky waves rippling outward, but never truly sinking into the bizarre mist below.

Looming like an oppressive firmament, the quagmire cast its shadow over a vast portion of the bizarre mist. Soul essence pulsed within its depths, reaching out with probing tendrils, searching for any sign of Pang Jian's whereabouts after his descent.

It found nothing.

An unseen force would instantly seize and toss any Outer God entering the bizarre mist in a random direction.

To delve into the bizarre mist was to surrender oneself to disorientation.

Only those sharing a resonance with something in the starry skies could hope to retain their bearings in the boundless bizarre mist.

It was nearly impossible to return to the starry skies above without an anchor to orient oneself.

When Pang Jian descended, an invisible "hand of the Heavenly Dao" had similarly caught and flung him into the unknown.

As the high-ranking God of the Ghost Race, Zi Mo believed that her divine techniques would allow her to pinpoint Pang Jian's exact location regardless. However, it seemed she had underestimated the bizarre mist.

Even a high-ranking God of Zi Mo's caliber remained helpless in the face of this unfathomable force.

At that moment, a colossal golden divine platform blazed through the starry skies, wreathed in the scorching radiance of the sun.

The three Three-Legged Golden Crows pulling the platform gracefully spread their wings, traveling millions of li in a single breath and arriving in the blink of an eye.

Atop the massive divine platform, which spanned tens of thousands of mu, stood the Sun God, clad in golden armor with burning eyes that seemed to pierce the depths of the bizarre mist.

His ten-thousand-zhang-tall body was adorned with intricate patterns related to the Dao of Sun. These radiant patterns flickered across his golden armor and fiery eyes like crackling lightning.

Around his platform, the fabric of space trembled from the force of bursting solar flames, igniting with divine conflagration.

Behind him, Outer God Yang Luo, with her flawless face and spider body, streaked through the sky in pursuit.

A cold smirk curled on her eerily perfect face as she mocked, "Lady Zi Mo, You Kui was a mid-ranking God of the Ghost Race, one of your most trusted subordinates.

"How did Pang Jian single-handedly kill him? Are the Gods of the Ghost Race truly this weak?"

Yang Luo had lost much of her reverence for Zi Mo since swearing allegiance to the Sovereign.

The only reason she answered Zi Mo and He Motian's summons this time was because she had taken a personal interest in Pang Jian.

"Not long ago, I severely wounded Pang Jian in the bizarre mist, forcing him to flee with the power of the World God's artifact," Yang Luo bragged, lips curling into an arrogant smile. "That wasn't even that long ago. Now, he's somehow killed You Kui, escaped from the star, and evaded your pursuit?"

Yang Luo tutted derisively.

The handsome Sun God cast an intrigued glance at her, surprised that a mere mid-ranking God dared to ridicule a high-ranking God of the Ghost Race.

A spectral force gathered within the swirling quagmire of soul essence and slowly coalesced into Zi Mo's ghostly projection.

"Yang Luo," Zi Mo's voice was calm but unmistakably laced with an eerie chill. "That Sovereign's true body is not present here.

"The vessel she forged within the Abyss was severed from her true body when Li Zhaotian merged with the barrier.

"In other words, she wouldn't even know if I were to kill you right now, and even if she did, she wouldn't be able to arrive in time to stop me.

"She commands many followers. Mid-ranking Gods like you are a dime a dozen to her.

"So tell me, do you truly believe she would risk an all-out war between the Celestial Race and the Ghost Race over you?"

The smirk on Yang Luo's face dropped.

"Don't provoke me." Zi Mo scoffed. "I'm not in the mood for games. My true body is already on its way. In the meantime, I suggest you move quickly. Locate Pang Jian within the bizarre mist.

"You all know where the Abyss is. If you wait near its boundary wall, he'll eventually appear."

More Outer Gods arrived while the high-ranking God of the Ghost Race spoke.

These newly arrived low-ranking Outer Gods merely glanced at Zi Mo's spectral projection before tactfully diving straight into the bizarre mist.

Zi Mo focused her attention on the Sun God and Yang Luo.

"Pang Jian has two divine artifacts imbued with the power of lightning. Be mindful of them."

The two mid-ranking Gods exchanged a considering glance, then wordlessly dove one after another into the bizarre mist.

***

On the First Continent of the Fifth World, Li Yuqing—tasked with finding Pang Jian and informing him of Li Wang, Zhu Ji, and Gui Mu's entrapment beneath the Fifth World—had taken on the appearance of the Dark Shadow Race.

Her slender figure exuded an eerie chill, and the murky energy surging around her was consistent with that of a Dark Shadow Race woman from the Fifth World.

She looked even more like a native of the Fifth World than Pang Jian did in his Radiant Race disguise.

At Lightbringer City under the rule of the Celestial Race, she sought out stationed Celestial Race warriors to purchase information. It did not take long for her to learn that a Radiant Race youth had flown into the bizarre mist from the direction of Godfall Mountain not long ago.

He entered the bizarre mist?

Li Yuqing gazed in the direction Pang Jian was said to have disappeared in, uncertain of her next move.

For Pang Jian to suddenly enter the bizarre mist was already suspicious enough from an outsider's perspective.

If she ventured into the bizarre mist after him, it would only draw more attention to his actions.

Just as she decided to wait, a blazing meteor of flames enveloping a tall figure tore through the dense clouds above, heading straight for the stretch of bizarre mist where Pang Jian had disappeared.

The figure within the fiery meteor appeared to be none other than Qi Xu, a Rank Ten powerhouse of the Flame Race.

Li Yuqing's heart wavered with unease.

Has Pang Jian been exposed?

Unaware that Pang Jian's physical body had inadvertently "fished out" a surge of Corruption, she instinctively assumed the worst from Qi Xu's arrival.

She was unsure of what to do.

A Rank Ten powerhouse of the Flame Race has ventured into the bizarre mist to hunt down Pang Jian. Do I follow and assist in battle?

Pang Jian's physical body is only in the Immortal Realm, and his Immortal Divine Soul, which wields the full might of a True God, isn't in the Abyss.

Do we stand a chance against Qi Xu of the Flame Race with our combined power?

Senior Li once fought Li Bai to a standstill while still in the Immortal Realm. I've since advanced to the Immortal Realm myself. Moreover, I will also have Pang Jian's aid.

Together, we can likely put up a good fight!

Li Yuqing wrapped herself in the treasured divine robes of the Li Family, masking her presence as she soared toward the bizarre mist.

***

"Another one."

A Rank Nine elder of the Celestial Race gazed at the bizarre mist from atop a grand palace in Lightbringer City.

Earlier, a young but formidable-looking warrior of the Radiant Race had drawn in Corruption, only to retreat into the bizarre mist.

Not long after, Qi Xu of the Flame Race descended from the upper worlds and entered that same bizarre mist.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Then, another warrior, this time of the Dark Shadow Race, also headed straight for it.

Sensing something amiss, the elder quickly reported the incident, leaving the matter for his superiors to decide.