Chapter 742: Yuan Yi's True Body

A wraith-like figure silently emerged, wearing a black robe trimmed with golden thread along the edges.

It was a Nether Race warrior with black hair and eyes, just like Bai Zi. His frame was tall and slender, with the face of a peerless beauty.

Though just a soul projection, his appearance caused Pang Jian's hair to stand on end.

The newcomer did not even need to introduce himself. Only Long Di, the Master of the Nether Abyss, would pay attention to his movements during such a fierce battle.

When Long Di appeared, the spiritual qi of the Nether Abyss suddenly veiled the translucent boundary wall beside him and the gray bizarre mist beyond. This spiritual qi instantly solidified, freezing the boundary wall and the bizarre mist.

Long Di had refined the spiritual qi of the Nether Abyss into a solid using a single soul projection.

The surrounding spiritual qi transformed first into spirit stones, then into spirit jade, and then finally into soft spirit crystals. Long Di's soul projection quickly gained a physical shell formed of these spirit crystals.

"The true battle has yet to begin. Why not patiently wait and see how it all unfolds?" Long Di's lips curled into a faint, detached smile. "You crossed countless li to come here. Was it not to seek an answer?"

He floated like the king of this world, the ultimate convergence of all spiritual qi. His spirit crystal body breathed in the spiritual qi so naturally that it was like his existence resonated with the world itself.

It was akin to Li Zhaotian's merging with the barrier of the Abyss and the black turtle's harmonizing with the Resolute Expanse, giving them a massive boost in strength.

Similarly, Long Di appeared to have the same kind of empowerment within the Nether Abyss. While others harmonized with a piece of land, the barrier of an abyss, or a single stretch of sea, Long Di had harmonized with the entire Nether Abyss itself!

Pang Jian's heart grew cold. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I already know the outcome."

"Oh?" Long Di raised an eyebrow, looking at Pang Jian with interest. "What outcome do you see?"

"The invading Outer Gods and the World Gods will all perish here in the Nether Abyss," Pang Jian answered without hesitation. "Their souls will be absorbed into the Soulstream and become the strength that will fuel the rise of even greater Nether Gods in the future. Am I right?"

Long Di gave a small nod, seeming slightly surprised. "As expected of one of our own. You sensed our Soulstream, didn't you? You caught the stirrings coming from it, right? Pang Jian, though you were born in the Abyss, your soul shares the same origin as ours. But you've already realized that, haven't you?"

Pang Jian maintained his poker face and stayed silent.

"It doesn't matter, as long as you're aware." Long Di smiled, unfazed. Pointing at Yuan Yi, still possessing Pan Di's remains, he said, "What you see before you is not the true Yuan Yi. That seemingly fearsome Thunder God body is nothing more than a puppet he constructed.

"The real Yuan Yi is far stronger than you can imagine. That monstrous Fey God once had a real chance to become a Sovereign. What I'm waiting for is the arrival of his true body.

"That ancient Fey God was renowned throughout the abysses. He has to die here in the Nether Abyss for me to obtain what I truly seek!"

***

"Long Di!" Bai Zi exclaimed, noticing Long Di in the middle of her fight against Fa Ji. Narrowing her eyes, she soon realized it was merely a soul projection, and immediately rebuked, "You're still unwilling to make a move?"

Bai Zi did not want to see a mere soul projection of Long Di. She wanted him to step out from the dark chasm where clusters of Fortune were gathering and destroy the invading Outer Gods with his true body.

Knowing the extent of Long Di's real strength, she firmly believed that none of these invading Outer Gods would be able to escape alive if he truly went all out.

"You're always so impatient, Bai Zi, always unable to remain calm." Long Di shook his head in disappointment. "The real show is only just beginning. A grand feast has to be savored slowly. If you're impatient, you'll never enjoy the feast properly. You understand that, right?"

As the leader of the Nether Race, Long Di's ambitions ran far deeper than what Bai Zi had imagined. He had no intention of revealing his true body any time soon, no matter how much she wished for it.

***

While Long Di was speaking, Pang Jian saw the sealed boundary wall shatter.

A colossal bronze pendant, as large as a door, smashed through the frozen boundary wall and crashed in from the bizarre mist beyond.

A World God had forced their way into the Nether Abyss, and it just so happened that they had breached the exact spot Long Di had sealed off!

The air around the boundary wall trembled violently as space was compressed and the laws of the Nether Abyss were destabilized.

Spatial rifts wove together like dazzling blades of light, scattering streams of brilliance through the air. At the same time, a torrent of overwhelming blood essence burst forth from the colossal World God Pendant, so vast that Pang Jian could hardly fathom it.

The surge of blood essence far surpassed even that of the ancient Thunder Dragon, the Rock Bear, and the Nine-Headed Bird!

Pang Jian had never felt such violent blood essence from any living being before!

Aside from the Black Empyrean Phoenix, it was likely that even the blood essence of all the Fey Gods in the history of the Abyss combined would still fall short of this overwhelming force!

What level of combat prowess is this?

Pang Jian thought in disbelief.

"Yuan Yi."

"Long Di."

The two strongest ancient beings of the abysses had finally crossed paths once more.

Atop the colossal World God Pendant was an ape in a yellow robe. Like Yuan Qi, he too had a rare pair of ice-blue eyes. He did not take human form but remained seated in his true ape form.

At a glance, he appeared neither tall nor imposing. His body actually looked rather thin and withered. However, that violent blood essence was unmistakably contained within that deceptively frail-looking ape body.

Within that diminutive frame was a power capable of destroying heaven and earth, a force so immense that he seemed capable of crushing celestial bodies with a mere gesture.

The Sun God and the Moon God were nowhere near his level. Even Zi Mo and Great Demon God He Motian were unworthy of being his match.

Pang Jian's heart trembled at the sight of the true Elder Yuan, the leader of the Fey Gods in all the abysses!

"Long Di, were you waiting for me?" Yuan Yi grinned, a gleam of wisdom flashing in his ice-blue eyes. "Are you planning to use the Nether Abyss's Soulstream to collect our soul and blood essence to attempt to ascend to the rank of a Sovereign?

"How many years have you been preparing for this day? Do you truly believe you can succeed?"

Pang Jian's already racing mind only seemed to accelerate from this exchange between the two mighty beings.

A Sovereign!

So, Long Di's ambition isn't merely the rise of the Nether Race. He intends to use this invasion to lay the foundation for his ascension as a Sovereign!

If Long Di succeeds, a fifth Sovereign could be born!

Before Long Di could respond, the ancient ape sitting atop the World God Pendant let out a chuckle.

"What a coincidence. Like you, I also intend to use the Soulstream to mend the deficiencies in my soul and attempt to ascend as a Sovereign."

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Nether God Long Di and Fey God Yuan Yi were both aiming to break through to the rank of a Sovereign!

Long Di had meticulously laid his plans over many years, hoping to trap the ancient Ape within his Nether Abyss. Meanwhile, this bloodthirsty ancient ape was likewise planning to use Long Di to reach the rank of a Sovereign.

The bizarre and the starry skies would be overturned regardless of who succeeded.

If Yuan Yi succeeded, the newly risen Sovereign of the Fey Race would unify all the ancient Fey Race across the bizarre mist and the starry skies!

With the might of the ancient Fey Race and the savage battle prowess of the Fey Gods, Yuan Yi's status across the starry skies would soar to the peak.

He could even overshadow the other four Sovereigns!

If Long Di prevailed, the Nether Race would effortlessly conquer all the other abysses once more.

The Nether Race and the Nether Gods could then use the abysses as their foundation to launch an assault into the vast starry skies!

From then on, the Nether Race would no longer be confined to the bizarre mist. They would be able to blossom across the endless starry skies, spreading their influence into different regions and worlds!

"You wish to become the Sovereign of the Fey Race?" Long Di pressed his lips into an elegant smile. Shaking his head, he mocked, "Yuan Yi, have you forgotten the fate of that Black Empyrean Phoenix? Without the shelter of the bizarre mist, that Black Empyrean Phoenix would not have even been able to preserve its remains!

"Only with her death could I rise in her place," Yuan Yi replied calmly, his expression unchanged. "Besides, she was a Sovereign born of the Ancient Fey World, while I hail from the bizarre mist. The divine beings of the bizarre mist have always been stronger than those of the starry skies. The same also holds true for us, the ancient Fey Race."

The ancient ape's implication was clear: If he succeeded in ascending as a Sovereign, he would surpass the Black Empyrean Phoenix. Yuan Yi was confident he had the strength to withstand the misfortunes that had befallen the Black Empyrean Phoenix.

"Then by all means, please proceed," Long Di said, gesturing toward the continent below, where the dark chasm was located.

With that, Long Di's soul projection vanished. The spirit crystal body dissolved into spirit jade, then spirit stones, before finally dispersing into a dense mist of spiritual qi.

At the same time, another Long Di emerged from the dark chasm on the continent below, where the clusters of Fortune were converging.

"I'll ask you one last time," the ancient ape said, staring at Pang Jian. "Will you hand over the Duke of Thunder's Thunder Pool or not?"

Pang Jian did not hesitate. "I won't."