Chapter 648: Pang Jian's Ponderings

Pang Jian hovered silently in the bizarre mist bordering the boundary wall of the Fifth World.

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Strands of rich but polluted murky energy streamed from the seven fragmented lands within his dantian into his sea of consciousness.

The cluster of Corruption and his second soul drew in these condensed strands of murky energy.

Throughout this process, he maintained a close connection to the seven continents of the Fifth World through the seven fragmented lands in his dantian.

The fragmented lands rapidly shrank as the murky energy within them drained away.

In his sea of consciousness, shards of You Kui's Divine Persona were forcibly fused with his second soul and Corruption under the influx of murky energy.

This act of drawing Corruption into his human body had undoubtedly broken yet another convention.

Pang Jian had no idea how long this would last, nor how much murky energy would be needed to sustain this transformation. Regardless, this was not the right time to leave the Fifth World.

If the murky energy in his dantian became insufficient, he would have to find a way to slip onto the seven continents and absorb more to sustain the transformation.

At the same time, he also sensed his Immortal Divine Soul drifting further from his physical body.

In doing so, he hoped to prevent the Outer Gods from laying traps in the bizarre mist near the Abyss.

Pang Jian lost the ability to reopen a new spatial rift using the Gate of the Abyss when his second soul sank into his sea of consciousness and started merging with the cluster of Corruption.

Before leaving the nameless star, his Immortal Divine Soul had briefly conversed with the Bronze-Masked God and had learned of this enigmatic God's origins.

If his Immortal Divine Soul could avoid the Outer Gods' encirclement, he could seek out the Bronze-Masked God and gain insight into the plight of the True Gods in the starry skies.

The one downside was that his physical body was not truly safe within the bizarre mist without his Immortal Divine Soul.

At that moment, Qi Xu of the Flame Race streaked toward him like a fiery meteor.

Flame crystals, interwoven with fiery radiance, scattered through the bizarre mist like restless birds.

Her divine power spread through the bizarre mist, radiating outward through the flame crystals.

In no time, she locked onto the unfamiliar powerhouse attempting to break through to Rank Ten.

A tall, striking man stood in the bizarre mist. His hair was as red as fire, and bright sun-shaped markings adorned his body.

His eyes were slightly narrowed with confusion, as though contemplating an unsolvable riddle.

As she approached, she could sense the turbulent murky energy churning within him.

His resolute gaze turned toward her.

Their eyes met.

"Pang Jian!"

The man ascending with Corruption was none other than Pang Jian!

She still instantly recognized him despite his guise as a Radiant Race warrior.

"It's you again." Pang Jian frowned.

With his cover blown, he no longer held onto his disguise. His fiery-red hair reverted to its original black, and the sun markings on his body faded from view.

If things go south, I can cross the boundary wall and retreat into the bizarre mist beyond,

he thought to himself.

"Were you the one who drew in Corruption?" Qi Xu was in disbelief. "You're a human, and one already ascended to godhood at that. How could you possibly be drawing in Corruption?!"

Still, despite her incredulity, Qi Xu could clearly detect the extremely concentrated Corruption surging within Pang Jian.

Her expression turned exceedingly strange.

"The Fortune of the upper worlds and the Corruption of the lower worlds don't seem to be all that selective," Pang Jian calmly replied.

As they conversed, he secretly attempted to establish a connection with Pang Ling, the Giant Abyssal Serpent, and the Bee Sovereign.

All the connections remained intact!

He also realized that the transformation within his sea of consciousness did not stop him from teleporting within the Abyss.

Unfortunately, opening a spatial rift using the Gate of the Abyss to return his Immortal Divine Soul from beyond the Abyss still remained out of reach.

Regardless, Pang Jian breathed a sigh of relief at the realization.

"Are you saying that the races living in the Fifth World can also harness Fortune and ascend to Rank Ten?" Qi Xu asked.

She did not rush to attack, her flame-like eyes locked onto the boundary wall behind Pang Jian, wary that he would use it to vanish like before.

"Thirty thousand years ago, the races of the Fifth World lived in the upper worlds of the Abyss. What do you think?" Pang Jian countered with a question of his own.

Qi Xu considered his words. "You mean, before the human race rose to power, races like ours also refined our bodies using spiritual qi and ascended to Rank Ten through Fortune and spiritual power?"

"You have no records of this?" Pang Jian asked in surprise.

"No, I don't know." As Qi Xu mulled it over, she realized that Pang Jian was likely telling the truth.

However, the spiritual qi of the upper worlds lacked any attributes and was also exceptionally mild, making it far from ideal for bloodline-based races like hers to strengthen themselves.

The chaotic energy of murky energy, on the other hand, allowed it to assimilate various energies into itself. Moreover, its corrosive properties facilitated the destruction and regeneration of their flesh and blood.

"Fortune is singular for most beings. It's actually a more suitable path to godhood for races like yours, with predestined bloodlines.

"The human race has no inherent bloodline. We're born as blank slates. If humans ever came to live in the Fifth World, we would likely discover that we're more suited to the nature of the murky energy than you."

Pang Jian used his insights from the changes emerging within him to articulate the distinctions between murky energy and spiritual energy.

The matter had once confused him as well.

However, many things became clear as Corruption fused with his second soul in his sea of consciousness.

Telling Qi Xu was also a way for him to organize his own thoughts.

"Let's set aside my unique Primordial Chaos Spiritual Sea.

"Before me, every True God of the human race ascended to godhood by mastering a unique energy.

"There are different elements, from Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, as well as lightning, cold, the sun, moon, and stars. Each True God can only choose one force, and only by mastering it could they attempt to ascend to godhood through Fortune.

"As for the foreign races, you, Qi Xu, ascended to Rank Ten through your insights into fire, Lie Yang through his insights into the sun, and the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Mountains through his insights into the mountains. Similarly, the two fallen Ghost Race powerhouses each relied on their insights into the soul.

"But that doesn't mean you're bound to this path. It's simply because your bloodline attributes are set from birth.

"Multiple energies can coexist within murky energy, making it possible for one to grow stronger through the fusion of various energies.

"Qi Xu, if your bloodline contained multiple elements, all those elements would collectively transform upon ascending to Rank Ten.

"The singular nature of your bloodlines seems more suited to spiritual qi, making it ideal for drawing in Fortune.

"Meanwhile, the human race's lack of bloodlines means we could likely ascend through multiple forces if we manage to survive and cultivate with murky energy.

"Perhaps swapping environments would actually benefit both the human race and the foreign races in the later stages of growth," Pang Jian speculated.

The sheer audacity of his idea shook Qi Xu to her core.

Still, she dared not act rashly.

Pang Jian was likely the first and only person in the history of the Abyss to have ever drawn on both Fortune and Corruption.

Thus, she dared not ignore the logic behind his words.