Chapter 695: The Truth Behind the Black Empyrean Phoenix's Death

The Phoenix Race had the power of rebirth.

Perhaps the black turtle, the Bee Sovereign, the Black Dragon King, Yuan Qi, and even the Ice Armor Eel Dragon were all reborn because of the Celestial Phoenix's blood.

Pang Jian could have unknowingly absorbed some while drawing on the essence of the Celestial Phoenix. His father could have collected the rest long ago. If that was the case, that meant the Black Empyrean Phoenix, a Sovereign, also had the potential to be reborn.

Or, more likely, its path to rebirth had already started in secret.

Pang Jian looked around, then concentrated his attention on the remains of the Black Empyrean Phoenix.

The Black Empyrean Phoenix's remains were not a projection. Its true body floated in the Seventh World like a vast continent. The darkness and aura of destruction, madness, and chaos radiating from its remains were a constant reminder of the power it yielded while alive.

The elites of the ancient Fey Race often surpassed the other races with equivalent bloodline ranks, and the same held true for their Fey Gods.

Could the Black Empyrean Phoenix have been even more terrifying than Luo Hongyan before its death? How exactly did it die? Was Luo Hongyan the only Sovereign acting against it? Or were others involved in its death in the Seventh World of the Abyss?

The longer Pang Jian pondered, the more unsettled he became.

"I won't let anyone control me again! No one!" Qi Xu shrieked, seemingly breaking free from the Primordial Demon's divine technique. Then, detonating her heart, she died on the spot.

The mighty Rank Ten Flame Race powerhouse had perished just like that.

The nine Primordial Demons scoffed in unison. "Fool! Did you truly think your desire to die was your own?"

At that moment, a cluster of gray Corruption burst from Qi Xu's chest and shot into the air. It then streaked straight toward the Black Empyrean Phoenix.

The cluster of Corruption that helped foreign races ascend to new heights and turned Fey Kings into Fey Gods vanished into the remains of the Black Empyrean Phoenix.

It was clear that the dead Sovereign was the true source of Corruption. The Corruption within Pang Jian, the Black Dragon King, and the foreign race powerhouses all originated from the Black Empyrean Phoenix.

Though long dead, it still had the power to influence the Abyss in strange and mysterious ways.

Could the Corruption from the Black Empyrean Phoenix be manifestations of its will? Is this part of its path to rebirth?

Questions flooded Pang Jian's mind. After some thought, he quickly realized that the Black Dragon King's descent and decision to sever their connection were likely tied to the Black Empyrean Phoenix as well.

"This Sovereign of the ancient Fey Race once had the potential to ascend to the long-vacant throne of the God King," the Primordial Demon explained, his nine figures dissolving into streams of demonic light and entering Qi Xu's corpse.

Her dark crimson body turned a greenish-black, and a demonic light flickered in her eyes as the Primordial Demon took control.

"As you can see, it became nothing more than a colossal corpse, submerged in this world of darkness. You can probably imagine what happened. Sovereign Luo was certainly not the only Sovereign acting against it."

The Primordial Demon chuckled, gradually unraveling the truth for Pang Jian instead of attacking him.

"It's said that it fled toward the bizarre mist with unwavering determination, even while gravely wounded. Before its death, it successfully entered the bizarre mist, and its remains were lost within.

𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"As a member of the Phoenix Race, it had the power of rebirth. Moreover, a Sovereign's body is a priceless treasure trove. When its remains disappeared into the bizarre mist, many powerful Gods ventured deep inside, searching for its body in hopes of seizing the Dao of Darkness it had comprehended. But none ever found it."

The Primordial Demon paused, turning his gaze toward the colossal Black Empyrean Phoenix.

"Sovereign Luo, following a trail of clues, became certain that its remains lay hidden somewhere within the Abyss. That's why she invested so much effort here. It's why she made advanced preparations for the once-in-a-hundred-millennia grand event. It was all to pry the Black Empyrean Phoenix out.

"Do you really think the Abyss would've seen so many Fey Gods without its remains in the Seventh World? Those ancient Fey Emperors like Jin Yu, Shui Yuan, Bing Yi, and Xiong Ji would not have emerged without it.

"It was the Sovereign of the ancient Fey Race. Within its body lies a Bloodline Repository, capable of creating powerful members of the Fey Race.

"The Fey Gods that dominated the Abyss were all forged from the blood essence drawn from its Bloodline Repository—Dragons, Qilins, Vermilion Birds, Giant Apes, Thunder Cranes, Primordial Serpents, black turtles alike are no exception to this.

"Only the Celestial Phoenix was formed directly from its blood essence, not that of its Bloodline Repository. The Celestial Phoenix's emergence as the de facto ruler of the ancient Fey Race marked the beginning of the Black Empyrean Phoenix's path to rebirth.

"It concealed the truth, keeping the Celestial Phoenix from fully awakening, unaware of its true origin. It even allowed the Celestial Phoenix to ascend as a Fey God using the Dao of Light and Fortune of the Abyss.

"It went to great lengths to hide the truth, not wanting the secret to be revealed too early in fear of jeopardizing its rebirth.

"However, Sovereign Luo has had her eye on it for a long time. I also chose to be born in the Abyss because I knew it had to be hiding somewhere within. It turns out it was in the Seventh World all along.

"It seeks to be reborn through this once-in-a-hundred-millennia grand event. Sovereign Luo wants to seize its perfected Dao of Darkness to complete her Heavenly Dao, while I intend to use it to gather strength and attempt to become a Sovereign."

The Primordial Demon's expression turned cold as he suddenly asked, "Pang Jian, where do you stand?"

Pang Jian's thoughts were in complete disarray.

"I..."

The Primordial Demon was a master of deception, skilled at twisting hearts and minds. Much of what it said was likely laced with lies, and Pang Jian found it difficult to discern truth from falsehood.

Still, the undeniable truth was that the Black Empyrean Phoenix's remains lay before his eyes. The battle between light and darkness was also ongoing.

Luo Hongyan's body, which had yet to reveal itself, was not her true body. Meanwhile, the Black Empyrean Phoenix was still regathering strength after its death, in the process of its rebirth.

These two ancient rivals were both limited while within the Abyss. Neither could draw upon the full extent of their power. That was why they appeared evenly matched for now.

As for the Primordial Demon, he claimed that Luo Hongyan had sealed most of his power away. The flashes within the droplets of blood within Qi Xu's flames earlier seemed to back his claims, as she and the Primordial Demon were clearly far from allies.

Regardless, Pang Jian felt no affection for the Primordial Demon, Luo Hongyan, or the Sovereign of the ancient Fey Race. There was no stance for him to take.

"Since you're willing to share all this with me, could you also tell me what effect the Corruption from the Black Empyrean Phoenix will have on us?" Pang Jian asked sincerely. "Does it have to go through us on its path to rebirth? Can it influence us through Corruption?"