Chapter 707: The Fall of the Dragon Lair Sect

"How is this possible? Long Xiao was captured just like that?"

"I have to be seeing things. There's no way that tree is binding the ancient Thunder Dragon!"

"I don't believe it either!"

The members of the Pure Land Sect felt like they were in a dream.

That weary, battered azure dragon could not possibly be Long Xiao. Just moments ago, that tyrannical Thunder Dragon had seriously wounded three True Gods with his nine lightning vortexes. For him to end up in such a pitiful state in the blink of an eye was truly unbelievable.

The elders of the Divine Treasure Sect on board the distant Shooting Star Boat were similarly dumbfounded.

Elders Guang He, Wang Ce, and Liu Junhong of the Sword Pavilion stood, jaws agape, as they stared blankly at the incomprehensible sight before them.

That fearsome ancient Thunder Dragon had declared that he was about to ascend to a higher level. The sudden surge in his strength proved that he had grown more powerful.

Dong Tianze's and Wu Yuan's grievous wounds, along with Dong Shangqing's desperate attempt to send Li Jie away, were undeniable proof that Long Xiao was not bluffing. He truly had power surpassing every other Fey God in the history of the Abyss.

Despite that, Pang Jian's appearance unexpectedly caused the domineering Thunder Dragon to yield and beg for mercy. From the way he backed down, it was as if Pang Jian were a Sovereign in the starry skies, holding absolute authority over life and death.

Everyone felt baffled. No one could make sense of it. They could hardly even believe their eyes.

"Isn't this a little...absurd?" Dong Shangqing muttered incredulously, watching as the branches of the Nine Heavens Thunder Divine Tree binding the massive azure dragon pierced through the gaps between its scales. "Is that really Long Xiao?"

The True God could not help but suspect that this was merely one of the Mirage Dragon Pearl's illusions—one of Long Xiao's cunning manipulations.

Dong Tianze and Wu Yuan, on the other hand, had no such doubts.

The branches piercing the Thunder Dragon drew in the vast reserves of lightning within it.

The thousand-zhang-tall Nine Heavens Thunder Divine Tree visibly grew as it sprouted new limbs and branches. The bark on its trunk took on the texture of dragon scales, gleaming with a metallic sheen, imbuing the tree with an even more awe-inspiring presence.

Long Xiao's massive body steadily shrank.

Soon, the ten-thousand-zhang-long dragon was only three-quarters of its previous size.

When Dong Tianze saw this, he immediately knew that Pang Jian intended to use the tyrannical Thunder Dragon to nourish the Nine Heavens Thunder Divine Tree, preparing it as a gift for his sister.

"I'm sorry. You have to die here in the Abyss." Pang Jian coldly watched as the Thunder Dragon shrank with the Thunder Pool still hovering in his palm. "You provoked me again and again. You killed Elder Mu, seized the Thunderclap Paradise, and kidnapped my sister. Your actions sealed your fate. Not to mention, you attacked the Pure Land Sect while I was away. You've brought this upon yourself."

The radiant sheen of the ancient Thunder Dragon's tough scales dimmed, and the light in his eyes faded. Long Xiao did not have the strength to resist, nor the power to stop the loss of his lightning and blood essence.

When the Thunder Pool emerged through the spatial rift, Long Xiao had instantly lost control of everything.

The Thunder Pool originated from the Divine Court of Thunder. Moreover, the Duke of Thunder, a being once poised to rise as a Sovereign, had forged the divine artifact.

After absorbing the accumulated lightning of Thunder God Mountain, the Thunder Pool manifested a series of magnificent palaces within it, granting it a portion of the power that the Divine Court of Thunder once held.

All the Thunder Gods in existence were required to revere the Duke of Thunder and bow before his Divine Court of Thunder. Even if Long Xiao were to ascend as a high-ranking Thunder God, he would still have stood no chance before the Divine Court of Thunder.

Even the slightest glimpse into the Duke of Thunder's Dao of Lightning had brought him immense benefits. He knew all too well what the Divine Court of Thunder represented.

When the Thunder Pool seized control of the Nine Heavens Thunder Divine Tree, Long Xiao's crystal bloodline chains, lightning, blood essence, and body were all completely suppressed.

He became no more than a lamb awaiting slaughter. No divine technique or secret art of his could offer any resistance. That was why he unhesitatingly yielded and begged for mercy.

Unfortunately, Pang Jian had no intention of sparing the Thunder Dragon.

Although Long Xiao could already see the fate that awaited him, he still could not fully accept it.

"Is there still a way out for me?" Long Xiao asked.

"No." Pang Jian shook his head.

A muffled thunderclap echoed through Long Xiao's mind, destroying any thought of mutual destruction in a final act of defiance.

Turquoise rivers of light infused with Pang Jian's divine sense flowed through Long Xiao's sea of consciousness, grinding his attempts at reforming his will to dust.

You will become the fertile ground my sister needs to break through to the True God Realm.

Pang Jian's voice reverberated within Long Xiao.

Your body will nourish the Nine Heavens Thunder Divine Tree you once seized.

The Celestial Phoenix chose my sister for a reason. It was to bring about your death. This is your fate, Long Xiao. All you can do now is accept it.

The old dragon's will to resist surged repeatedly, but was swiftly extinguished each time.

Meanwhile, the Nine Heavens Thunder Divine Tree, wreathed in crackling lightning, grew thick roots and lush foliage as Long Xiao's body shrank. It did not take long for a new Dao Fruit to take shape.

The new Dao Fruit grew increasingly radiant as time passed. The insights into the Dao of Lightning contained within were no longer solely those of the Duke of Thunder but included the ancient Thunder Dragon's understandings as well.

Then, the Nine Heavens Thunder Divine Tree carried the azure dragon and the Mirage Dragon Pearl beyond the Western Loam.

Pang Jian lowered his head to smile at Pang Lin. "This divine tree will be planted in a secluded valley on the Resolute Expanse. All that's left is for you to go and harvest the Dao Fruit and start comprehending the insights into the Dao of Lightning."

His sister's path to godhood was fully laid out. All she had to do was follow it step by step. Pang Jian had done all he could as her older brother, fulfilling his vow to kill the ancient Thunder Dragon standing in the way of her path to godhood.

Pang Lin shot him a sweet smile in response.

***

"Pang Jian!"

Wang Beihong of the Pure Land Sect was already preparing himself for death when Huang Yun's shout caught his attention.

Emerging from the secluded valley and glancing up, he saw the branches of the Nine Heavens Thunder Divine Tree piercing the arrogant azure dragon before dragging it away.

Long Xiao was still alive, but his fading aura made it clear he no longer had the strength to change his fate. His eyes were dull, as though even his thoughts and consciousness were no more, reducing him to a living husk.

Wang Beihong stood in a daze, unable to believe how abruptly the battle had ended. It was as if everything had been decided from the moment Pang Jian appeared.

"If that were our Sect Master, Zhu Ji, Gui Mu, or Li Zhaotian..." Huang Yun rubbed her slightly stiff face and forced a crooked smile. "I don't think any of them could've forced that terrifying ancient dragon to surrender so quickly."

"All of this was Pang Jian's doing?" Wang Beihong asked in disbelief.

Huang Yun smiled. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it either."

***

"Pang Jian captured that ancient Thunder Dragon alive!"

This earth-shattering news swept across the Western Loam, then rapidly echoed through the rest of the First and Second Worlds.

Pang Jian's renown instantly eclipsed that of his master, Li Zhaotian. Some even regarded him as the strongest human cultivator in the Abyss, beyond even Zhu Ji.

Between him and Li Zhaotian, the Sword Pavilion had undoubtedly risen to become the most powerful sect in the Abyss.

***

On the Sacred Soul Continent, all the Rank Nine Fey Kings and dragons of the Dragon Lair Sect were gathered in the True Dragon Hall.

"I didn't expect him to stir up more trouble," The Rock Bear sighed in his human form. "I thought he'd simply slip through the barrier and leave the Abyss without issue. What do you want me to do?"

A Rank Eight Ice Dragon dropped its head to the floor and pleaded bitterly, "We all know you became a Fey God with Pang Jian's help. Could you please go and beg on our behalf? All we want is for our ancestor to return alive. The Dragon Lair Sect and our Fey Race have already fallen. We give up our claim over the Abyss. We just want to survive."

"Senior, Elder Long has done much for us. Please, save him..." the other Fey Kings joined in.

The Rock Bear's face twisted into a bitter expression. "Truth be told, I don't have that kind of influence, but there is one ancient being who does. There could still be hope, as long as he's willing to speak on Elder Long's behalf."

"Who is it?" the gathered Fey Kings and dragons asked in unison.

"A senior who was supposed to have perished long ago."

With that, the Rock Bear left the True Dragon Hall, flying from the Sacred Soul Continent to the Resolute Expanse with an uneasy heart.

***

The Resolute Expanse finally arrived in the First World under the black turtle's guidance.

Awaiting it was a Nine Heavens Thunder Divine Tree, towering three thousand zhang tall with its branches piercing an azure dragon.

Long Xiao was still alive, but his lifeless eyes stared blankly into the distance. After some time, he eventually noticed a familiar figure standing far off, gazing at him with a complicated expression.

Struggling to gather what little strength he had left, he quietly begged, "Help me."