Chapter 713: Envoys From the Sword Pavilion

There was a city built from golden stone in the Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom on the Eastern Land of the First World.

Its walls were a hundred zhang tall, with majestic palaces that loomed like fierce beasts crouched in silence.

This city was Boundless Sky City, the imperial capital of the Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom, home to the most powerful figures across the entire Eastern Land.

A gathering of the divine kingdom's high-ranking elites stood solemn deep within the imperial palace, all eyes fixed on a single man: Zhou Wenhao of the Sword Pavilion.

"This is a handwritten letter from the Jiang Clan's founding Patriarch." Zhou Wenhao calmly presented the letter to the emperor of the Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom, Jiang Yu. "Senior Jiang and the other True Gods are trapped in the Fifth World. He has suffered heavy erosion from the aura of death and urgently requires the Heaven Origin Divine Pill and other precious treasures for recovery. Please prepare them as soon as possible."

The dignified Jiang Yu radiated the aura of a true dragon among men and bore an overwhelming presence even in plain clothes.

He glanced at the letter. "It is indeed the handwriting of our Patriarch."

"My late master, Jiang Ran, was also a member of the Jiang Clan of the Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom," Zhou Wenhao said with slight irritation. "Do you truly think I'd spout nonsense?

"This letter came from the Resolute Expanse. My junior brother Pang Jian sent it using a secret technique.

"Your Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom is not the only one receiving such letters. Other factions such as the Ghost Sacrifice Sect, the Nine Tribes Sect, and the Pure Land Sect are all doing their part! This concerns the survival of our entire race. I urge you all to treat it with the seriousness it deserves.

"Oh, and I'm sure you've heard the recent news of that ancient Thunder Dragon from the Dragon Lair Sect? Only my junior brother Pang can move freely in and out of the Fifth World while the other True Gods remain trapped!"

Though only at the peak of the Nirvana Realm, Zhou Wenhao stood tall and unflinching before the Immortal Realm elites of the Eastern Land's most powerful divine kingdom.

"I ask that you deliver the supplies to the Resolute Expanse without delay."

Zhou Wenhao's confidence came from the Sword Pavilion.

Li Zhaotian had become one of the most formidable existences in the Abyss after ascending to godhood and merging with the barrier. He could provide support to any of the True Gods through it so long as they were in the spiritual-qi-rich upper worlds.

Not long ago, Pang Jian had appeared in the First World and captured the ancient Thunder Dragon alive, a feat that made the Sword Pavilion's prestige known across the Abyss!

The power of this master-disciple duo effectively restored the Sword Pavilion to its former glory, reviving its peak-era reputation and renown. This gave Zhou Wenhao the confidence to stand tall and speak boldly before the elites of the Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom.

"Very well, we'll see to it at once!" Jiang Yu acquiesced.

At his command, the attendants hastily retrieved every item listed in the letter from the divine kingdom's heavily guarded treasure vaults.

***

Elder Wang Ce of the Sword Pavilion arrived at the Nine Tribes Sect, producing Li Wang's Nine Star Token and handed it over to Li tribe's elite for verification.

"No need to examine it further," said an elderly woman with graying hair after nothing but a brief glance at the Nine Star Token. "What instructions does our king have for us?"

"Li Wang requests divine pills for replenishing blood essence and nourishing the soul," Wang Ce said. "As well as the highest-grade spirit jades and jade marrows."

"Where are they to be delivered?"

"I will personally bring them to the Resolute Expanse."

"Give us a moment. It won't take long!" said the old woman. She then barked at those around her, "You all heard him, didn't you? What are you waiting for? Move! This isn't just about our king. It concerns the future of the entire human race!"

"Yes!"

"At once!"

The leaders of the various tribes swiftly scattered.

Wang Ce nodded in quiet approval. No wonder Li Wang became the leader of the True Gods. Everyone in his sect treated the cause of the human race as a lifelong mission.

***

Guang He arrived at the Ghost Sacrifice Sect, calmly tossing out a token etched with the visages of spectral entities. "Gui Mu has been wounded in the Fifth World. She needs Ghost Essence Pills, Spirit Ghost Immortal Grass, top-grade jade marrow, and ancient wandering souls that have been imprisoned for tens of thousands of years."

Elder Fang Hui of the Ghost Sacrifice Sect examined the token, then said unhurriedly, "We'll need a bit of time."

"I can wait," Guang He replied coolly. "But remember, I'm not the one who needs them. Gui Mu is the sole reason your Ghost Sacrifice Sect still has any standing in the First World. Your other True God, Mu Wentao, has already perished. If Gui Mu falls, you'll no longer have the right to remain in the Southern Gorge. You'll be forced to relocate down into the lower worlds."

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Guang He did not bother appealing to lofty ideals about the human race. The Ghost Sacrifice Sect, like Gui Mu, was selfish to the core. He simply spelled out what would happen to the Ghost Sacrifice Sect if she were to die.

Fang Hui's expression shifted. "An hour! Just give us just an hour, and we'll make sure everything she needs is delivered to you in full!"

"Get it done quickly," Guang He replied coldly.

***

The elders of the Sword Pavilion scattered across the First World, visiting major factions such as the Pure Land Sect, the Li Family of the Divine Treasure Sect, the Primeval Pillar Divine Kingdom, the Supreme Monad Divine Kingdom, the Forsaken Expanse Sect, and the Ancient Law Sect.

These elders collected any spirit materials or rare treasures deemed helpful for the True Gods' recovery. They acted under the names of Pang Jian and Li Zhaotian, and carried the personal tokens of Zhu Ji, Li Wang, and the others.

Even the factions whose True Gods had already fallen dared not refuse. They handed over any of the requested treasures in their vaults without protest. After all, this matter concerned the fate of the human race as a whole. No one dared treat it lightly.

***

A fragmented land floating in the oppressive darkness of the Fifth World. Zhu Ji gathered the surrounding murky energy and shaped it into a protective halo. The gray halo circled the group, attempting to block the infiltration of the aura of death.

"It's useless." Zhu Ji shook his head. "Her aura of death seeps through everything. I can't shut it out completely."

"Neither can I," Li Wang said with a bitter smile. The starry sky he conjured could resist the corruption of murky energy, but it offered no defense against the aura of death.

"We can't either." Su Wanrou sighed.

All the True Gods had since dispersed their Dharma Idols and instead used spiritual power to form a protective shield around themselves. While this could keep out the murky energy, the strange aura of death still passed through without resistance.

Like before, their vitality steadily drained away, forcing them to expend even more strength to dissolve the aura of death invading their bodies.

After choosing to follow Li Zhaotian's plan and refusing to offer up the three clusters of Fortune, the omnipresent aura of death had resumed its attack with renewed ferocity, eating away at their vitality faster than before.

"It's here!" Jiang Fan exclaimed.

A shimmering patch of light appeared above the fragmented land. Pills, top-grade spirit jades, jade marrows, and all manner of rare treasures rained down.

Pang Jian held the bronze pendant in his hand, channeling waves of rippling light that connected to the Resolute Expanse. His authority as World God allowed him to transfer these items across the worlds of the Abyss.

A flicker of hope rekindled in the True Gods' weary hearts at the sight.

"For now, I can only transfer supplies. It's not possible for me to send any of you to the upper worlds yet."

Pang Jian showed no signs of his vitality depleting despite the aura of death around him. Sinking his divine sense into his dantian, he sensed the Dao of Verdure of the World Eater Vine quietly stirring within him.

Wood energy carries immense vitality and can be considered an extension of life force itself.

Life stands in opposition to death. It seems the aura of death is affecting me less because my body contains this counteracting life energy.

I wonder what will happen if I expand this life energy outward? Could I block the infiltration of the aura of death altogether?

Pang Jian pondered this deeply but did not rush to act.

He felt even less compelled to intervene when he saw Jiang Fan, Gui Mu, and the others recover their strength after receiving the rare pills and treasures.

***

The envoy of the Nether Abyss sped forward through the bizarre mist, leading Pang Jian's Immortal Divine Soul toward a cluster of fragmented lands.

Fragmented lands of varying sizes floated quietly in the depths of the bizarre mist. Signs of life were visible on several of them. There were no boundary walls surrounding this cluster of fragmented lands, indicating they were not part of an abyss.

"We're getting close. The Nether Abyss isn't far," the envoy possessing Pan Di's skeleton informed. Slowing down slightly, he asked, "Pang Jian, what's the state of that ancient dragon? Long Xiao, was it?"

"The Nine Heavens Thunder Divine Tree is draining his flesh and blood, drawing in the lightning he cultivated for millennia in the Abyss to forge Dao Fruits," Pang Jian replied, examining the fragmented lands in the distance. He then turned his gaze toward the envoy. "Why are you concerned about him?"

"I'm not concerned," the envoy of the Nether Abyss said, ghostly flames flickering in his empty eye sockets. "The Nether Gods of our Nether Abyss fear Thunder Gods more than anything."

Pang Jian sneered, "So tell me, did you kill Pan Di?"

"No!" the envoy denied at once. "I left the Nether Abyss in my divine soul. I don't have the strength to kill any Thunder God like this. Besides, Pan Di was a Thunder God of the Fey Race. There's no way I could have killed him!"

"What about the envoy the Bronze-Masked God arranged to send to the Thunder Abyss? They died before ever getting there," Pang Jian said accusingly.

"The master of those fragmented lands up ahead killed him. It had nothing to do with me!" The envoy pointed at the cluster of fragmented lands ahead. "Do you want to check it out? Or skip past and head straight to the Nether Abyss?"

"What's the strength of the master of those fragmented lands?"

"Roughly at the level of a high-ranking God."

Pang Jian's expression changed. "And which race does this master belong to?"

The envoy hesitated for a moment, then finally answered, "It's an Aberrant Spirit, a being without flesh or blood, but with extremely high intelligence."

At those words, Pang Jian could not help but recall You Kui's attempts to "nurture a weapon" using the severed limbs of the Star Devourer in the nameless star under the Bronze-Masked God's orders.

After the Star Devourer was captured, its body was infused with refined essences of various metals with the intent of turning it into prime materials for forging divine artifacts.

If the master of those fragmented lands is also an Aberrant Spirit...

Does it know something about the Bronze-Masked God's plans?

Did it turn its wrath on the Nether God with ties to the Bronze-Masked God after witnessing a fellow Aberrant Spirit being brutalized?