Chapter 684: Changes to the Celestial Phoenix's Bones

A flock of gray sparrows chirped incessantly in the vast, empty True Dragon Hall.

"Liu Fu is dead. The Blood Vault, where the human race stored the blood essence of various races, has been raided."

"The blood essence of the foreign races and our Fey Race has mysteriously vanished without a trace."

"We still have no idea who was behind it."

"Fire God Yan Lie guided that fragmented land into the depths of the Fifth World, and he hasn't resurfaced since."

"Yu Xin of the Celestial Race and Xuan Ying of the Demon Scaled Race both received word from Yan Lie, forbidding anyone from returning to the Fifth World at this time."

"An unknown person absorbed a cluster of Fortune outside the bizarre mist of Absolute Heaven."

"Li Wang, Li Zhaotian, Su Wanrou, and the others remain trapped in the Fifth World."

"Something earth-shattering is happening there!"

The sparrows twittered among each other.

Long Xiao sat on a high throne in his human form, one arm resting on the armrest, seemingly lost in deep thought.

The grand True Dragon Hall, once filled with Rank Nine dragons and Fey Kings seated on either side, was now eerily empty, save for him and the chattering sparrows.

His most valued subordinate, Long Zhan, was dead. Long Yan, the rising star of the Dragon Race, had also fallen. Pang Jian had slain both dragons outside the bounds of the Sacred Soul Continent, in the bizarre mist of Absolute Heaven and the Demon Chasm respectively.

The combat prowess of the Dragon Lair Sect had never been so feeble.

Su Wanrou's Poison Scourge had killed many of the Fey Race on the Sacred Soul Continent. At that time, Long Xiao acted as the vanguard for the foreign races, first attacking the Resolute Expanse, then attempting to stop Li Zhaotian from ascending to godhood.

In the end, Li Zhaotian had successfully rescued the little girl within the Thunderclap Paradise and even ascended to godhood.

Li Zhaotian's power surged to terrifying heights after merging with the barrier. Long Xiao was gravely injured in battle and was forced to retreat into the Dragon Lair Sect to recover.

Following that disaster, the older Fey Kings started questioning his judgment and decisions. Though many still dared not voice their doubts aloud, fearing his strength, their hearts secretly longed for the Celestial Phoenix and the black turtle to return.

Is it time for me to leave?

Long Xiao felt conflicted.

With a listless wave of his hand, the flock of gray sparrows tasked with delivering reports fluttered out the windows of the True Dragon Hall.

Long Xiao's gaze drifted toward the dome of the hall, where fierce depictions of the Flame Dragons, Thunder Dragons, Frost Dragons, and Five-Clawed Golden Dragons were etched into the ceiling.

The carvings of dragons roaming the starry skies were a reflection of the grandeur Long Xiao envisioned for the Dragon Race. He had stayed in the Abyss for so long, unwilling to leave, because he dreamed of nurturing more Dragon Gods.

He wanted to wait until the Dragon Lair Sect produced at least five more Rank Ten Dragon Gods so they could break through the barrier and soar into the vast beyond together.

The Dragon Race was an integral branch of the ancient Fey Race. Naturally, the emergence of Dragon Gods inevitably signified the resurgence of the ancient Fey Race, heralding the return of the Fey Race's former glory.

The entire Fey Race would inevitably benefit from the Dragon Race's achievements. This, in turn, would pave the way for more Fey Kings to ascend as Fey Gods.

In Long Xiao's eyes, it was merely a matter of sequence. Thus, he could not understand why the Fey Kings were so dissatisfied with him.

The deflated Long Xiao longed to venture deep into the Resolute Expanse and have an open conversation with the reborn black turtle. He wanted to ask where he had gone wrong, to seek answers to the doubts gnawing at his heart.

Suddenly, a wave of restlessness washed over him, and an inexplicable sense of unease gripped his soul.

He sensed a force, somehow familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time, gathering power from some unknown place.

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

That force seemed potent enough to threaten him. It carried a weight capable of ending his existence in the Abyss.

Perhaps it's really time for me to leave.

The ancient Thunder Dragon felt an unsettling sense of dread gnawing at his heart.

***

In Northern Qi, as well as in other areas where the remains of the Celestial Phoenix had once fallen, strange changes were unfolding unnoticed.

The dull gray Celestial Phoenix bones in Insect Valley, Blackwater Pond, and Central Lake Island gradually darkened to an ominous black.

The Fey Race roaming these lands noticed the change in the bones' color but could not discern the reason.

Many foreign race warriors from the Fifth World also observed the color shift in the Celestial Phoenix bones scattered across the lands.

The gray bones were turning black for no apparent reason.

***

The Black Dragon King silently waited in the Sixth World after Pang Jian's descent into the Seventh World.

Murky energy surged violently around him, and the darkness seemed more turbulent than before.

An incomprehensible darkness abruptly flooded into his massive, coiling dragon form. Each of his scales radiated a cold, metallic gleam, appearing darker and harder than before.

This seemingly tangible darkness enveloped his soul, forcing him to endure an infusion of the Dao of Darkness far beyond what his bloodline rank could comprehend.

Then, his soul started to materialize!

The Black Dragon King knew from Pang Jian that Outer Gods only saw a transformation in their hearts when they ascended to godhood.

Beings that advanced through the strengthening of their bloodline followed this same path of ascension.

Many dormant bloodline mysteries were awakened within him after his heart fused with a strand of Corruption. Power surged through his veins, and long-lost memories resurfaced.

He had once again become the Black Dragon King of the past, capable of dominating the Fifth World.

Despite this, outside the Abyss, he was nothing more than a low-ranking God.

A hallmark of a mid-ranking God was the formation of one's Divine Persona, where the soul gained a tangible form.

At this moment, the darkness of the Sixth World was propelling the Black Dragon King into the ranks of the mid-ranking God!

The Black Dragon King could not help but let out a low, emotional roar.

If I had known that the Sixth World would grant me such fortune, I would've descended here long before I clashed with Long Xiao in my past life.

Long Xiao could never have hoped to rival me if I had ascended as a mid-ranking God with a Divine Persona.

The Fifth, Sixth, and even the Seventh Worlds of the Abyss are filled with darkness!

Darkness is the eternal theme of the lower worlds, and my bloodline, imprinted with the insights into the Dao of Darkness from birth, was destined to flourish in these worlds!

Why didn't I realize this sooner?

The Black Dragon King brimmed with excitement.

***

When Pang Jian descended into the Seventh World with his physical body, he felt as though he was inside the Heaven-Earth Cosmos Chest without his bronze pendant.

Pure darkness stretched endlessly, an expansive vacuum devoid of familiar energy. All he could sense was an overwhelming sense of emptiness, desolation, and stillness.

Unlike the Heaven-Earth Cosmos Chest, the Seventh World was not cold. It also did not hold any foreign forces that affected his physical senses.

He ignited a flicker of flame at his fingertips and unleashed a bolt of lightning, but neither could illuminate the darkness. The darkness instantly devoured any light that appeared.

Probing with his blood essence, he detected no trace of life. Even when he cast his divine sense outward, he failed to perceive any soul fluctuations nearby.

The Primordial Demon, Qi Xu, and even Luo Hongyan were in the Seventh World, but he could not seem to find any of them despite his best efforts.

Pang Jian wandered aimlessly.

At first, he could not even see his own limbs and had to rely on his Divine Persona to perceive them.

While he could see clearly in the darkness of the Fifth and Sixth Worlds, the same did not hold in the Seventh World.

At least the darkness of the Sixth World above still contained some form of energy.

The Seventh World, on the other hand, had no murky energy, cold energy, lightning, or celestial radiance, as well as none of the five elements of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, or Earth.

There was only absolute darkness.

Everything was pure black.

He moved through the void, using his Divine Persona to probe his surroundings, searching for any trace of the Primordial Demon.

At some point during his wanderings, his vision abruptly returned. It was as if his eyes had adjusted to the oppressive darkness of the Seventh World, allowing him to see his own limbs once more.

Surprised, Pang Jian carefully examined himself, instinctively reaching for his bronze pendant.

The bronze pendant remained unchanged. His body also showed no signs of mutation. He could not explain the reason behind the unexpected change.

Finding nothing out of the ordinary and with no additional clues about the nature of the Seventh World, he felt no urgency to contact the Black Dragon King. Thus, he simply continued drifting aimlessly through the void.

***

Beyond the Thunder Abyss, the Sunken Crypts that symbolized Zi Mo's lofty status, with vast rivers of soul surrounding them, suddenly soared away from the bizarre mist.

Many Outer Gods were gathered outside the Thunder Abyss, having laid an inescapable trap in anticipation of Pang Jian's emergence.

"Withdraw."

Zi Mo's frustrated voice echoed from the crystalline tokens clutched in the Outer Gods' hands.

Another voice, belonging to a different God of the Ghost Race, then explained on Zi Mo's behalf, "The Fey Gods of the Thunder Abyss have exposed their affiliations and failed to lure Pang Jian out. Pang Jian knows we're lying in wait beyond the Thunder Abyss. There's no chance he'll risk leaving after this."

The gathered Outer Gods cursed and grumbled at the news before scattering like a flock of startled birds.

As the Sun God prepared to depart on his blazing divine platform, he noticed that Han Yi's divine platform had remained stationary.

"Why aren't you leaving?" he asked curiously, approaching Han Yi with a radiant smile on his handsome face. "I hear you're on good terms with Ying Yue. Would you be willing to put in a good word for me? My devotion to her is plain for all to see!"

Han Yi replied indifferently, "I will pass along your sentiments if I meet her."

The Sun God's smile stiffened, but he managed to maintain his composure. Bowing with what he imagined to be effortless charm, he said, "If Ying Yue agrees to my pursuit because of your mediation, I'll be sure to reward you handsomely.

"The bizarre mist has been rather turbulent lately. You'd best not linger too long. I heard that Pang Jian killed You Kui. You Kui was a mid-ranking God like us. It would be wise for you to be cautious as well.

"I won't disturb you any further."

With that, the Sun God turned and departed from the Thunder Abyss.

***

A few hours later, a figure, emitting multicolored radiance, emerged from the boundary wall of the Thunder Abyss, near the remains of Pan Di.

Han Yi hurriedly sped over when she sensed this.

***

Yang Luo, with her human face and spider body, had also yet to depart from the bizarre mist.

This ruthless Outer God had been secretly observing the anxious Han Yi from the beginning.

"As expected, something's not right," Yang Luo sneered coldly.