Chapter 710: A Difficult Choice

The Heavenly Daos were indifferent to the plight of emotions, and so was Luo Hongyan.

A chilling coldness always marked her flawless face. Even in this projected form, a detached apathy for all living beings could be seen.

In that regard, she did not seem like a being of flesh, blood, and emotion, but rather like the Heavenly Daos themselves, cold, impartial, and absolute.

Though her projection remained in the chest within the pool, gazing upward at Pang Jian, he could not help but feel as if she towered far above him. It was as though time and space had flipped, the Abyss itself overturned, and the worlds within plunged into chaos.

Pang Jian felt as if the City Lord's Mansion below, the Fifth World, the Sixth World, and even the Seventh World had become the true upper worlds of the Abyss, with the First World as the bottom of the "well."

Her boundless divine power seemed capable of twisting and rewriting the very laws of the Abyss.

"I'll even open the barrier and allow your human race to migrate out of the Abyss," she persuaded. "You've been outside. You know how vast the starry skies truly are.

"The human race holds astonishing potential. One day, the human race will take root among the boundless stars and flourish across the worlds beyond.

"I promise to recognize your human race as one of our own. You will no longer be outcasts.

"All you have to do is trade the deaths of three True Gods for the future of the human race. It's an easy choice, but if you're struggling to decide, why don't you step outside and ask the others for their thoughts?"

The darkness within the Heaven-Earth Cosmos Chest then swallowed Luo Hongyan's flawless projection. Pang Jian could not tell whether she had left on her own or if the Black Empyrean Phoenix had disrupted her.

A storm surged in Pang Jian's heart. The future she had painted for the human race was tempting.

If she kept her promise, this crisis could be resolved with little effort.

After the Hall of Gods was destroyed, Luo Hongyan flew into a fury, even personally leading the hunt for the ancient True Gods. A group of Outer Gods even set up a blockade above the bizarre mist, lying in wait to hunt and kill any True God daring to leave.

There was no place for the human race in the starry skies. The survivors were hunted like rats in the street.

She had schemed for tens of thousands of years to descend into the Abyss with a vessel, plotting to wipe out the human race at its roots in one fell swoop. As the key figure behind the crisis, she could bring the human race's plight to an end just as easily as she had once stirred it into motion.

Unexpectedly, she had put forth a concession, demanding the swift fall of three True Gods so their Fortune could be claimed without delay.

In exchange, the human race would enjoy peace. She even promised to open the barrier, allowing vast numbers of non-cultivators and cultivators to migrate into the starry skies, to thrive and multiply in distant worlds.

With their astonishing reproductive potential and wondrous cultivation systems, the human race could easily become one of the most powerful races in the starry skies, just like the Celestial Race, the Ancient Fey Race, or the Titan Race.

But what would she gain?

Following her line of thought, Pang Jian quickly realized that having all six Divine Personas would give her the upper hand in her struggle against the Black Empyrean Phoenix.

She would undoubtedly seize the Black Empyrean Phoenix's insights into the Dao of Darkness, along with anything else it amassed over its lifetime.

What kind of transformation would occur if one Sovereign completely "devoured" another?

Pang Jian's mind reeled as he finally grasped the true scope of Luo Hongyan's ambitions.

A God King!

The position of God King had remained vacant for a long time, with a God King being the next step up from a Sovereign.

If she succeeds in fusing Sovereign-level insights into both the Dao of Light and the Dao of Darkness...

Is that the key to her ascension?

Combined with her understanding of life, death, flame, and frost, not to mention the Black Empyrean Phoenix's understanding of destruction, ruin, and toxin, it would likely be enough to propel her to the position of the God King!

If she becomes a God King, she'll hold the highest authority in the starry skies. She'll have no reason to oppose the survival of the human race after that.

After all, the human race has yet to produce even a single Sovereign and pose no real threat to her rule.

Her elaborate schemes in the Abyss were ultimately for the sake of seizing everything the Black Empyrean Phoenix had left behind. Everything else was negotiable.

The conflict between the human race, the foreign races, and the Fey Race was nothing more than a tool to further her goal. She did not truly care about whether the foreign races succeeded in their ascension, nor did it matter which party ultimately controlled the Abyss.

All of it was trivial compared to her struggle against the Black Empyrean Phoenix and her path toward becoming a God King.

Pang Jian shot out from the Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillar on the Fifth Continent in a streak of grayish light.

The barrier posed no resistance to him, and he passed through in a single flash, appearing before Li Zhaotian and the others in the blink of an eye.

Li Zhaotian grinned broadly, pointing at Pang Jian as he said to the group, "See? I told you he could pass through the barrier with ease! He's the World God of this era, of course he can break through any barrier!"

"Pang Jian, what's going on?" Jiang Fan asked anxiously.

Su Wanrou and Yin Ji both smiled softly at him, their eyes full of anticipation. They were hoping he could lead everyone out of the Fifth World.

"The battle between the two Sovereigns has swept through the entire Abyss," Pang Jian solemnly informed. "The Fifth World, the Sixth World, the Seventh World. Their battle has always been everywhere."

His words struck like thunder, causing the expressions of everyone present to change drastically.

Li Zhaotian's smile vanished. Drawing in a deep breath, he asked gravely, "Who's the other Sovereign? And where is that Sovereign now?"

"In the Seventh World. It's a dead Black Empyrean Phoenix in the middle of its nirvanic rebirth."

Pang Jian went on to recount his descent into the Seventh World and the colossal remains of the Black Empyrean Phoenix he found there. He then explained the true nature of Corruption, that all the Fey Race in the Abyss had come from its Bloodline Repository, and about the Celestial Phoenix being born from its blood essence.

Everyone was shaken to their core.

"Luo Hongyan is known in the starry skies as Sovereign Luo and is one of the four Sovereigns. She was among those involved in bringing down the Black Empyrean Phoenix. It's possible that she even led the assault.

"The Black Empyrean Phoenix disappeared after falling into the bizarre mist. The Outer Gods searched in vain for it, not knowing its body had somehow found its way into the Abyss.

"This Sovereign of the Fey Race has spent millions of years accumulating its strength and has finally gathered enough to start its path of nirvanic rebirth.

"The battle between the two Sovereigns is unfolding at this very moment, and it's likely far from over."

Pang Jian paused, giving them a chance to take it all in.

"Luo Hongyan urgently needs three clusters of Fortune to forge her remaining Divine Personas of Life, Fire, and Darkness, so she can seize the upper hand in this battle.

"In return, she's promised that the human race's crisis in the Abyss will end. The human race will also gain a place in the starry skies beyond. Outer Gods will no longer gather outside the barrier to hunt us down.

"She also said the barrier will open for a time in the future, allowing both cultivators and non-cultivators of the human race to depart on flying vessels and spread their roots across the starry skies."

Pang Jian carefully detailed Luo Hongyan's promises, along with his own analysis, including the possibility that she could use this opportunity to ascend to the throne of God King.

Li Wang, Zhu Ji, Gui Mu, Li Zhaotian, Yin Ji, Su Wanrou, and Jiang Fan represented the majority of the remaining True Gods of the human race. They had the right to know the truth.

When he finished speaking, the ever-present aura of death abruptly eased. It no longer seeped into the bodies of the True Gods, as if patiently waiting for their decision. Evidently, Luo Hongyan's will could influence every thread of the aura of death, even allowing her to observe them through it.

The aura of death no longer pressed in, but instead of relief, an oppressive heaviness settled over them all. A suffocating silence fell over them.

Hesitation and uncertainty flickered in the eyes of Li Wang, Jiang Fan, Su Wanrou, and the rest.

Li Zhaotian's lips suddenly curled into a faint smile. Without warning, he pulled Yin Ji into his arms and lowered his head to flash her a broad grin. Yin Ji's heart and gaze softened with emotion.

After a long, uneasy silence, Gui Mu said coldly, "Trading the lives of three True Gods for the future of the human race...that's not a bad deal at all."

Li Wang gave a slight nod. Zhu Ji remained silent.

Meanwhile, Su Wanrou knitted her brows, and Jiang Fan's expression grew increasingly grim.

Li Zhaotian chuckled. "I don't care about the future. If anyone even thinks about sacrificing Yin Ji, Pang Jian and I will make sure they die first!"

His words were bold and domineering, not even bothering to ask Pang Jian's opinion on the matter.

Pang Jian was his disciple, one he trained with his own hands. Regardless of Li Zhaotian's decision, he had confidence that Pang Jian would stand with him.

Yin Ji's eyes were tender as she pressed into Li Zhaotian, her lips curled in a sweet smile.

Pang Jian smiled faintly and gave his martial aunt, Yin Ji, a gentle nod. Though he said nothing, the gesture spoke louder than words. [1]

He then turned to Su Wanrou and gave a deep, respectful bow.

Su Wanrou smiled softly. Taking in Pang Lin all those years ago was the best and most important decision she had ever made in her life.

"The deal looks good on paper. If you're set on it, then go ahead, pick three people to die," Li Zhaotian said, casually waving Su Wanrou over to his side. "But if you've got any objections, feel free to settle it the hard way."

The calm atmosphere instantly grew tense, like swords drawn in silence.

On Li Wang's side stood Zhu Ji, Gui Mu, and Jiang Fan.

Li Zhaotian, Pang Jian, Yin Ji, and Su Wanrou stood opposing them.

It was four against four!

Li Zhaotian was not willing to die, nor would he allow Yin Ji to die. Su Wanrou had looked after Pang Jian's sister for years, and he would never let her die either. This left the others to die in their place.

Gui Mu called it a good deal, and Li Wang nodded in agreement, thus making their stance clear. Zhu Ji always stood firmly on Li Wang's side, and Jiang Fan, being from the same Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom as Zhu Ji, naturally became associated with that side as well.

1. Martial Aunt (师娘) is a respectful title used to address the wife of one's master in a traditional master-disciple relationship. ☜