Chapter 705: Changes in Long Xiao

"The World God Pendant of the Abyss..." Pang Jian's expression shifted as a curious thought arose. "Does the Nether Abyss also have a World God Pendant?"

"Not just the Nether Abyss. Every abyss within the bizarre mist has its own version of a World God Pendant. As far as I know, they all appeared in an incredibly ancient era, and all at the same time," the envoy of the Nether Abyss explained.

Pang Jian grew even more intrigued. "I've visited the Shadow Abyss and the Thunder Abyss, but no one there ever mentioned anything like that."

"That's because many of the pendants were lost when their respective World Gods perished," the envoy said, the blue flames in the hollow eyes of Pan Di's possessed skeleton flickering. "The legacy of a World God is usually passed down through a single lineage. If the World God falls, that line often ends with them. Without a World God, the pendant and legacy disappear, leaving future generations unaware of their existence."

"Who forged the World God Pendants in the first place?" Pang Jian questioned. "And what were they made from?"

The envoy of the Nether Abyss let out a low chuckle. "I'm just a messenger. If you want to learn more, you'll have to enter the Nether Abyss yourself and seek answers from our leader."

"He knows?" Pang Jian asked, a flicker of anticipation in his eyes.

The envoy nodded. "Our World God often wanders the starry skies. He's strongly advocated for an alliance with your human race for a long time, but our leader has had his reservations, at least until recently.

"Something's changed. Our leader has taken a keen interest in your Abyss and is paying close attention to what's happening within. Whether or not that alliance comes to pass will likely depend on you."

The two of them continued to race through the bizarre mist. When Pang Jian posed questions, the envoy would only answer what he deemed appropriate, skimming past anything touching upon the core secrets of the bizarre mist.

"What exactly is the Nether Abyss like?" Pang Jian asked. "Is its bottom layer traversable? Do you have any unique substances capable of merging with the divine soul?"

Having confirmed that Corruption was the essence of the Black Empyrean Phoenix, Pang Jian was eager to learn more about the particularities of the Abyss, especially about Fortune.

Neither the Shadow Abyss nor the Thunder Abyss has anything resembling Fortune. But what about the Nether Abyss? Does it have a bronze continent at its bottom as well?

Pang Jian wanted to pry more secrets from the envoy of the Nether Abyss.

"Once you arrive in the Nether Abyss, you can pose those questions to our leader," the envoy replied coolly.

***

In the Seventh World, Pang Jian struck the vast bronze continent beneath him with the bronze pendant. Sparks scattered as the resonant clang of metal-on-metal echoed through the darkness.

Even the World God Pendant could not crack the bronze below. It seemed there was no shattering the "well's" bottom, no escaping from the depths of the Abyss in this way.

Pang Jian's perception increased exponentially while standing on the bronze continent of the Seventh World. Even so, he still could not tear open a spatial rift with the bronze pendant and meet his Immortal Divine Soul in the bizarre mist.

What he could do, however, was use the bronze pendant to travel between worlds within the Abyss, be it to the golden bees or the black turtle.

In short, he could move freely within the Abyss, but not leave it.

Unwilling to give up, he shot toward the bizarre mist at the edge of the Seventh World.

As he suspected, the bronze continent extended to the boundary wall within the bizarre mist, covering the entirety of the "well's" bottom.

He tried to force his way through the boundary wall surrounding the Seventh World with his physical body, but was once again repelled.

After several careful attempts to probe the obstruction, he finally confirmed the previously suspected cause. His Divine Persona, fused with a cluster of Corruption, prevented him from leaving using the World God Pendant.

The laws of the Abyss have always constrained the essence of the Black Empyrean Phoenix. Is this meant to help it quietly accumulate power for rebirth, or is it a mechanism to suppress it entirely?

A tangled web of doubt grew in Pang Jian's mind.

Those ascended to godhood through Fortune could breach the barrier and soar freely in the starry skies. His Immortal Divine Soul could even leave the Abyss directly.

Those fused with the essence of the Black Empyrean Phoenix, on the other hand, were all trapped. They were destined to die within the Abyss, where the essence would return to the Black Empyrean Phoenix.

Is the Abyss intended as a prison for the Black Empyrean Phoenix? One that instinctively repels all beings carrying its essence?

Pang Jian wondered.

At that moment, Pang Lin's startled cry rippled across Pang Jian's sea of consciousness.

Brother!

***

High above the Western Loam, Long Xiao reverted to his dragon form, weaving through a storm of lightning and thunder.

The Nine Heavens Thunder Divine Tree, originally formed in the Thunderclap Paradise on the Resolute Expanse, became lush under Long Xiao's control. A massive lightning sphere slowly took form on one of its thick branches, solid and tangible like a ripening fruit.

Having undergone a qualitative transformation in Long Xiao's hands, the Nine Heavens Thunder Divine Tree was bearing a Dao Fruit.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Long Xiao roared, "My persistence has paid off."

A patch of metallic-hued scales on his neck suddenly lit up with intricate Dao Seals.

Though the Nine Heavens Thunder Divine Tree came from the Thunderclap Paradise on the Resolute Expanse, with its formation attributed to the black turtle, the true foundation behind it was still the Duke of Thunder's Dao of Lightning and his Forbidden Land of the Thunder God.

As Long Xiao forced this first Dao Fruit to emerge, a strand of the Duke of Thunder's Dao of Lightning manifested within it, an insight that the ancient Thunder God once comprehended. Long Xiao instantly comprehended that strand of insight and added it to his arsenal.

His nine lightning vortexes within Dong Tianze's crimson expanse abruptly unleashed a savage pressure, capable of annihilating Ghost Gods and Demon Gods alike. It was an aura that aligned perfectly with Long Xiao's overbearing nature.

The lightning vortexes around the Nine Heavens Thunder Divine Tree surged outward, obliterating Dong Tianze's spectral figures of ancient Fey Gods and foreign race powerhouses in the blink of an eye.

The ancient Thunder Dragon had reigned supreme over the Dao of Lightning for tens of thousands of years, but he had never been as terrifying as this moment. A single strand of the Duke of Thunder's Dao of Lightning was enough to have immediate and devastating results.

Even so, Dong Tianze still managed to hold on.

Then, two thunderous worlds erupted in Long Xiao's large azure eyes, annihilating all of Wu Yuan's Veiled Demons and leaving the True God severely wounded.

This was the same method that Pang Jian once used to counter the Primordial Demon.

"Heh, so that's how it is." Long Xiao snickered. "A soul can channel lightning as well! Those stationed across the starry skies above the Abyss are mostly Gods of the Ghost and Demon Races, with Zi Mo of the Ghost Race and He Motian of the Demon Races as their leaders.

"The Duke of Thunder's Dao of Lightning is a natural bane to both races. I finally understand why the Duke of Thunder had to die!

"Boy, as a True God ascended through the Dao of Demon, you'll never be a threat to me again!"

Long Xiao erupted into wild, manic laughter that shook the continent. His serpentine dragon form burst forth from one of the Mirage Dragon Pearl's illusory worlds. A thunderous crackle filled the air as his tail, bristling with razor-edged scales, came whipping down on Wu Yuan.

The host of demonic souls around Wu Yuan was obliterated. Streaks of lightning swiftly hunted down and erased any traces of demonic will still within Long Xiao's body.

Suffering from grievous wounds, Wu Yuan had no choice but to retreat from the battlefield.

His forced withdrawal put pressure on Dong Tianze to pick up the slack.

The sword soul within the Bloodthirsty Sword shrieked in Dong Tianze's mind, urging him to proceed with utmost caution when faced with the empowered Thunder Dragon.

"Brat, the Blood God Technique you've cultivated is something else, I'll give you that," Long Xiao sneered, his voice rumbling like thunder in the sky. "But your foundation is far too shallow.

"How long has it even been since you ascended to godhood? Even with Liu Fu's Bloodline Repository, you won't be turning the heavens upside down anytime soon."

The colossal ancient Thunder Dragon's massive body abruptly shuddered.

"Huh? That's odd. The laws of the Abyss have changed."

Exhilaration filled Long Xiao.

He knew that fixed laws governed the Abyss, laws that extended even to the starry skies beyond.

Despite his undisputed might within the Abyss, his rank had never advanced past a low-ranking God. His divine soul could not take a tangible form or condense into a Divine Persona. He had never been able to become a mid-ranking God.

These were simply the constraints of the Heavenly Daos. It was the reason he was so eager to leave the Abyss. He planned to break through the shackles of a low-ranking God and refine a Divine Persona to become a mid-ranking God.

The laws of the Abyss had never allowed for the birth of mid-ranking Gods. So long as one remained within, one would always be shackled as a low-ranking God.

However, those laws had suddenly changed!

Long Xiao could feel it. Something in him shifted after comprehending the strand of insight into the Duke of Thunder's Dao of Lightning. His ethereal divine soul was showing signs of solidifying and condensing into a Divine Persona.

"The Dao Fruit borne of the Nine Heavens Thunder Divine Tree could be the key to forging a Divine Persona that belongs solely to me, Long Xiao!" the ancient Thunder Dragon roared. "Why would I leave if I can take this next step while still in the Abyss? Once I forge my Divine Persona, the Fey Race of the Abyss would only need me to reign supreme! Even Yan Lie, the Fire God, would no longer be beyond my grasp!"

Long Xiao shook loose hundreds of lightning spheres from between his scales. They exploded through the expanse of crimson, ripping the sky apart in a storm of destruction.

The violent lightning blasted Dong Tianze from the battlefield. His aura dimmed drastically as he was catapulted through the air, blood trailing from the corner of his lips.

Dong Tianze was left wounded as well.

The ancient Thunder Dragon glided through the churning sea of lightning with even greater arrogance than before.

"I've made up my mind. I'm not leaving! I'll stay right here in this damned Abyss and upend your sects from their roots! First, the Pure Land Sect, then the Divine Treasure Sect, and finally, the Sword Pavilion! I'll crush your three factions before storming the Ghost Sacrifice Sect and the Nine Tribes Sect! I want to see who among the human race still dares to stand in my way!"

Despair fell like a shroud at Long Xiao's words. Faces turned ashen, as though mourning the death of all hope.

A wave of helplessness washed over Dong Shangqing.

If I'd known it would come to this, I would've just let that ancient dragon vent his fury and leave. At least then we wouldn't be dragging more sects into ruin. Why did it have to come to this?

Just as the oppressive dismay took hold, a clear voice rang out from the depths of the valley.

"My brother is coming," Pang Lin declared, eyes defiant. "He'll put an end to that ancient Thunder Dragon. He gave his word and he'll keep it!"