Chapter 655: The Return of the Primordial Demon

Wu Yuan sat atop a crumbling altar in the howling astral winds between the Second and Third Worlds, undergoing his breakthrough to become a True God.

Before the Abyss had been sealed, Great Demon God He Motian had generously granted Wu Yuan the divine consciousness he lacked, filling his divine soul with divine essence and allowing him to ascend ahead of time just as Pang Jian did.

Within his sea of consciousness, his divine soul was fusing with a strand of Fortune and condensing into a greenish-black demonic stone.

A projection of Wu Yuan's divine soul resided within the demonic stone.

This demonic stone he had forged was not an illusion. It was a tangible entity.

The presence of something physical signified that his ascension as a True God had reached its final stage.

Despite his impending success, an unease had lingered in his mind since embarking on this path. Wu Yuan remained on high alert with every step he took.

Throughout his ascension, he had felt an unseen eye, silently watching him from the shadows.

He suspected it was one of the Great Demon Gods, like He Motian and Tian Wei, or some other Demon God beyond the Abyss.

When he successfully ascended as a True God, he was certain that a Demon God from beyond the Abyss would seize his body and use his ascension to claim a vessel.

This was the reason Wu Yuan could never truly relax during his breakthrough. He was merely waiting for that time to arrive.

He was prepared for the worst possible fate. Day and night, the ever-present threat haunted his mind.

The closer he came to becoming a True God, the more vivid that sensation of being watched became.

After a long period of vigilance, that terrifying feeling of being gazed upon from the shadows one day vanished without warning.

Wu Yuan did not know what had happened, but he was not about to let the opportunity pass him by. He had to complete his ascension before that presence returned.

Only then would he have the confidence to face what lay ahead.

It's time.

With his resolve set, the Dao of Demon he had comprehended and the forbidden techniques he had studied all transformed into arcs of lightning, etching themselves onto the demonic stone that embodied the fusion of his divine soul and Fortune.

The Dao of Demon reshaped itself into a divine path inside the demonic stone, solidifying into divine power that Wu Yuan could wield.

***

Within the bizarre mist in the Fifth World, a simultaneously foreign yet familiar will surged through Pang Jian's sea of consciousness.

He abruptly lost his sense of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

His self-awareness became severed from his body, leaving him unable to sense his dantian, limbs, acupoints, blood, or flesh.

It was as if his entire existence had been confined solely to his sea of consciousness.

His thoughts started to drift.

These drifting thoughts took shape, only to be corrupted and warped as soon as they manifested.

Eventually, a shadowy figure of a young man emerged from the depths of his sea of consciousness.

The youth had ashen-purple skin, strikingly handsome features, and a slightly androgynous appearance.

His long, unkempt hair billowed wildly like the manifestation of demonic thoughts.

A smile played at the corners of his lips as he stood tall and elegant within Pang Jian's sea of consciousness, looking for all the world as if he were in his own domain.

His smile was carefree and confident. He had the air of someone who had never known defeat.

"We meet again," he said, gazing at Pang Jian.

As they spoke, Pang Jian's second soul, the cluster of Corruption, the shattered fragments of You Kui's Divine Persona, and murky energy were still merging together.

This resulted in the formation of an emerald-green crystal.

The Source of Divinity flowed like fresh blood within its translucent depths, slowly coursing through its core.

Unlike his Immortal Divine Soul, this newly forged True God form appeared rigid and unyielding. This new form would find it far more difficult to transform at will.

"A human forging their divine form with Corruption from the depths of the Abyss." The elegant, androgynous youth chuckled softly, his tone carrying a pleased amusement. "Your body is actually far more suited for me than your master's was.

"I'm not interested in breaking through the barrier and escaping the Abyss into the starry skies beyond.

"I seek a different path. One that leads into the endless darkness below, into an unknown world.

"Pang Jian, lend me your Divine Persona and body. Consider it compensation for casting me away.

The youth winked mischievously, his tone light yet laden with intent.

"In fact, I want to thank you for throwing me into that darkness. It allowed me to immerse myself in its depths."

Inside his sea of consciousness, Pang Jian remained oblivious to the outside world and was unaware that the Black Dragon King had reappeared once more.

When the flow of life energy from Pang Jian's hand unexpectedly halted, Li Yuqing softly called out, "Pang Jian?"

Pang Jian did not respond. He did not seem to hear her at all.

Li Yuqing's expression hardened at the realization that something was wrong. The Heaven-Splitting Sword, which she had stored within her body, manifested in her grasp.

A demon has corrupted Pang Jian. He's on the verge of falling into the demonic path. How can I help him?

A battle against a demon is likely to occur within his sea of consciousness. But at a time like this...

A storm of thoughts surged through her mind.

Then, steeling her resolve, she clenched her teeth, preparing to send her divine soul into Pang Jian's sea of consciousness to help him eradicate the mysterious demon.

A surging tide of darkness struck without warning.

The absolute darkness, exuding an aura of desolation, coldness, and emptiness, suddenly engulfed part of her body.

"Don't waste your efforts," the Black Dragon King said grimly.

The churning darkness tore her away from Pang Jian with overwhelming force.

"It's not just him. The demon is also corrupting you. Your thoughts and your emotions are already being manipulated. If your divine soul enters Pang Jian's sea of consciousness, it'll only become fuel for the demon.

"A single wisp of the demon's will is enough to poison your thoughts and turn you into a blade in its hands."

The darkness swallowed Li Yuqing whole.

"Even I find it incredibly difficult to resist its silent infiltration. What hope do you have?"

Li Yuqing could see nothing while shrouded in the absolute darkness. Not the Black Dragon King, nor any trace of the world beyond. Only his voice echoed around her.

"That demon has already intertwined itself with his divine sense. I don't know how to separate them.

"I had no choice but to block my connection with him to prevent the demon from using it as a bridge to corrupt me.

The Black Dragon King sighed.

"I'm worried that the others may not have noticed yet. As long as their connection to him remains, that demon's power will seep into them as well."

"What can I do?" Li Yuqing asked urgently.

"All you can do is wait." The Black Dragon King offered no consolation as he delivered the harsh truth. "That being is the most terrifying demon to exist. It's the progenitor of all demons.

"It's a demon with ambitions to ascend as a Sovereign and overturn the fate of the Demon Races. Such an existence is far beyond your reach.

"Even I am no match for it in the realm of the soul.

"But Pang Jian..." The Black Dragon King trailed off in thought. "He's fused with the Divine Persona of a mid-ranking God of the Ghost Race and has gained some understanding of soul-related techniques.

"He's in his own sea of consciousness, so it's possible he could confront that demon.

"Perhaps he can avoid the fate of being possessed."

Despite his words, there was still an uncertainty in the Black Dragon King's tone.

***

In the bizarre mist, Pang Jian's Immortal Divine Soul had used the Thunder Pool as a guide and finally reached the abyss where the Duke of Thunder and Thunderveil Godbeast originated.

The Thunder Abyss!

His Immortal Divine Soul could traverse the abysses at will, allowing him to effortlessly pass through the boundary walls.

Lightning was indeed everywhere in the Thunder Abyss.

Even the gray bizarre mist flickered and pulsed with lightning.

He tossed out the Thunder Pool, allowing it to grow to full size. The silver-white palace at its center immediately started to draw in lightning from the bizarre mist.

Each crackling thunderclap caused the bricks and stone walls of the silver-white palace to erupt with blinding radiance.

Pang Jian suddenly frowned.

He had originally planned to leave the bizarre mist and explore the Thunder Abyss freely, eager to witness the wonders of this world, only for the Thunder Pool to pull him in.

Fine wisps of green, violet, and black smoke dissipated into nothingness.

These foreign contaminants, which had been attempting to corrupt his thoughts and will, were instantly eradicated when he entered the Thunder Pool.

The Duke of Thunder had sought to reduce the Ghost Race, the Demon Races, and even the Gods they worshiped to ashes.

Thus, the Thunder Pool was extremely sensitive to the divine beings from the Ghost Race and the Demon Races.

Any trace from either of these races, whether within the Thunder Pool or even lingering nearby, would immediately trigger a reaction.

So, the Primordial Demon is hiding in my physical body.

As he deliberated his next course of action, the Primordial Demon unexpectedly emerged from the stray thoughts and chaotic emotions in his heart.

After a brief hesitation, Pang Jian chose to remain near the boundary wall of the Thunder Abyss.

Summoning Five Thunder Annihilation and gripping Ghostflare, the fallen You Kui's artifact, he sat motionless within the Thunder Pool.

Things are different now. This time, you're not beyond my reach.

Pang Jian's expression remained cold as he focused on his connection with his physical body in the Abyss.

He counted on the insights he recently gained into the Dao of Lightning, his understanding of You Kui's soul-related divine techniques, and his lightning-attribute divine artifacts to face the Primordial Demon.

***

"Pang Jian, no one can help you. There's only you here. Nobody can save you from your own sea of consciousness. You're the only one here, and soon, there will only be me."

The Primordial Demon drifted forward with a smile, slowly closing in on the prismatic crystal that represented Pang Jian, intending to merge into the Source of Divinity within.

His possession had started.

The Primordial Demon would engrave his demonic imprint within Pang Jian's Divine Persona until Pang Jian's will was erased.

"You know, you weren't my first choice. I actually chose Wu Yuan, but changed my mind when you drew in Corruption.

"Only after taking over your body and ascending to godhood will I be worthy of facing her in battle when I descend into the darkness below."