Chapter 748: Chaotic Situation

The dark Fifth World took on the gloomy gray light of the Fourth World after the shroud of demonic energy was removed. The fragmented lands scattered across the Fourth World could finally be seen from below.

"The cloak of a Sovereign!"

"Sovereign Demonheaven, the former leader of the Demon Race!"

"Tsk, to think a single cloak could seal off the sky of the Fifth World for tens of thousands of years!"

Su Wanrou, Yin Ji, and Li Zhaotian exclaimed after hearing Pang Jian's explanation.

The two women repeatedly cast astonished glances at the cloak in his hand.

"These Demon Gods have some twisted tastes," Su Wanrou muttered.

Li Zhaotian chuckled, a playful glint in his eyes as he rubbed his double chin. "Can you spy on the Demon Gods with that cloak? Does it allow you to see both their true bodies and clones?"

"I can only spy on the Demon Gods who have left their names on the cloak," Pang Jian replied.

"He Motian too?" Su Wanrou asked curiously.

"Yes." Pang Jian nodded. "A strand of his divine consciousness tried to descend into the Abyss, but Zhu Ji cut him down before he could succeed. The fragment of his soul that is above the bizarre mist is raging furiously."

"Pang Jian!" Li Wang called out as he approached. Having heard their conversation, he asked in surprise, "Do those Demon Gods know when you spy on them?"

A strong temptation stirred in Li Wang's heart at the thought that this cloak could reveal the movements of the Demon Gods.

He was a master strategist. If he could monitor Demon Gods like He Motian, he could prepare countermeasures that would make his enemies suffer miserably in advance.

"I'm not sure," Pang Jian answered frankly.

Li Wang looked visibly disappointed. After contemplating briefly, he said, "Li Zhaotian, I believe there's no need to rush into the Seventh World and get involved in the battle between the two Sovereigns just yet.

"It's better for you to head to the upper worlds and investigate the changes in the barrier. Gui Mu, Jiang Fan, and Sect Master Su can attempt to break through to the next cultivation realm.

"That Aberrant Spirit was right. We're too weak. We're not qualified to stand against the Sovereigns. Their true bodies aren't in the Abyss, but even then, we still don't have the strength to defend against them."

Li Wang knew that the Rock Devourer had not been exaggerating their weakness after seeing it send beams of light through a spatial rift to pierce the barrier over the Fifth Continent with ease.

In truth, any True God still trapped in the Abyss and yet to elevate their cultivation realm further was insignificant.

"I'm fine with anything." Li Zhaotian shrugged, gripping Yin Ji's hand tightly. "As long as you're not planning to sacrifice my woman, I don't mind waiting."

Yin Ji's eyes softened.

Li Wang glanced between the two of them and said, "In that case, I'll head back and make some arrangements."

He did not press Pang Jian about the origins of the cloak. After all, he had many other matters that urgently needed attending to after being trapped in the Fifth World for so long.

"Mhm, we'll talk about the cloak later. I need to return to the upper worlds as well," Li Zhaotian said, winking at Pang Jian before pulling Yin Ji along with him as he ascended. He had also sensed the disturbance in the barrier and was preparing to investigate its cause.

"I'll return to the Pure Land Sect," Su Wanrou said, staring at the cloak in Pang Jian's hands. Hesitating briefly, she added, "Treat that artifact with extreme caution. Be careful not to let your mind be corrupted."

A Sovereign's artifact, especially one walking the Dao of Demon, could not possibly be ordinary. Many in the Abyss had fallen into corruption after coming into contact with demonic artifacts.

Pang Jian said seriously, "I'll be careful!"

***

A figure of stunning beauty silently took shape within Eight Trigrams City, atop the Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillar on the Fifth Continent.

Neither Pang Jian and the True Gods nor the foreign race warriors on the Fifth Continent perceived her presence as she had formed within the city itself.

A faint smile touched her beautiful lips as she gazed. Her normally indifferent expression appeared in surprisingly good spirits.

"Light has broken through," she mumbled.

Though she commanded the six Heavenly Daos of Light, Darkness, Death, Life, Fire, and Cold, the Heavenly Dao etched into the deepest depths of her bloodline and soul was still the Dao of Light. Her mastery of the Dao of Light had been a large factor in her ascension as a Sovereign.

In the past, the Fifth World was perpetually shrouded in darkness, allowing the fallen Black Empyrean Phoenix to reign supreme in the mysterious Seventh World.

The Black Empyrean Phoenix's Dao of Darkness was something she had schemed tirelessly to claim for her own. After all, mastery of both the Dao of Light and the Dao of Darkness was necessary if she wished to rise to the seat of a God King.

She would either master the Dao of Darkness or meet her end in this fight against the Black Empyrean Phoenix.

The battle unfolding within the Abyss was still far from reaching a conclusion. Anything that drove away the darkness and brought light to the Fifth World indirectly aided her.

Although she knew that Sovereign Demonheaven's cloak sealed off the light from the upper worlds, she had no way to tear it apart without her true body.

Unfortunately, the Primordial Demon's Dao of Demon was fundamentally different from Demonheaven's. The cloak also rejected the Primordial Demon, meaning that even he could not refine or remove it.

Even with their combined strength, she and the Primordial Demon could do no more than reinforce the cloak, trapping Li Wang and the other True Gods beneath it.

Unexpectedly, Pang Jian, a human born in the Abyss, managed to comprehend Demonheaven's Dao of Demon and take possession of the cloak. This truly caught her off guard.

With the cloak no longer veiling the sky, the dim light from the upper worlds poured freely into the Fifth World, allowing her to gather her divine power. In time, her true body could even suspend itself outside the barrier of the Abyss, flooding it with radiant light and greatly strengthening the power of her vessels within.

"You've helped me without even realizing it," she murmured before vanishing once more.

***

On a fragmented land in the Fifth World, Pang Jian gently traced two ancient demonic characters on Sovereign Demonheaven's cloak.

Fa Ji.

The pitch-black cloak in his hand surged with malicious thoughts, containing a vast reservoir of demonic essence ready to be unleashed at any time.

An image of Fa Ji manifested as his divine sense settled upon the two ancient demonic characters.

The perspectives of Great Demon God Fa Ji and the Observers loyal to him seamlessly merged into Pang Jian's mind.

Though physically in the Abyss, he could observe every detail of the war raging in the Nether Abyss using the cloak.

Normally, he would not have been able to pry into the Nether Abyss with his Immortal Divine Soul shattered into clusters of Undying Soul Flames, burning within the mysterious Soulstream.

However, Sovereign Demonheaven's cloak unexpectedly granted him multiple perspectives into the Nether Abyss, allowing him to watch as the vast continent where Long Di had been hiding was submerged beneath endless lightning.

𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Blood-colored light intertwined with silver lightning bolts, writhing and twisting like colossal dragons, intent on extinguishing every lifeform on that continent.

Pan Di's body was torn apart, scattering gorily across the continent.

At the center of the continent stood a towering ape. Its fur was a bloody crimson, its eyes filled with unparalleled ferocity, and its appearance monstrous.

It loomed even more magnificently than Great Demon God He Motian, even dwarfing Thunder God Mountain of the Thunder Abyss many times over. Crimson light enveloped its form, radiating a ferocious aura.

Tangible crystal bloodline chains surrounded it, extending outward from its body. Each chain embodied the profound essence of myriad Fey Race bloodlines. It was as if the fabric of existence had bent to its will.

Yuan Yi unleashed primal roars, the destructive resonance of which sent shudders through all the Nether Race warriors and the Nether Gods. The weaker among them vomited blood and died on the spot.

Blood-red light followed his gaze, sweeping over fragmented lands and continents alike.

When he stomped his foot, the largest continent of the Nether Abyss trembled violently, and entire mountain ranges collapsed into rubble.

Kingdoms and continents could be wiped out with a mere flick of his hand. His overwhelming ferocity struck terror into every being of the Nether Abyss. The display left Pang Jian in awe, leaving him doubtful of whether Long Di could truly stand against him.

Long Di appeared as insignificant as a lone speck of dust as he stood before the towering, savage form of the ancient ape.

Despite this, Long Di was undeniably alive and well.

He drifted effortlessly through the skies, dodging the relentless pursuit of crystal bloodline chains and flashing torrents of lightning as if on a casual stroll through a courtyard. Not a single bolt of lightning or ray of blood-red light could even graze Him.

The ancient ape's control over space and time, as well as his inversion of heaven and earth, did not affect Long Di in the slightest.

The leader of the Nether Abyss flew nimbly across the continent, circling the colossal ape while chatting and laughing as if it were nothing.

Long Di had not even attempted a single strike yet, but the monstrous ancient ape was already growing frenzied, its furious roars shaking the continent to the point of forming fractures in the ground.

Unfortunately, Pang Jian could only perceive these events visually through the eyes of Great Demon God Fa Ji and the many Observers. He could not probe more deeply and sense the hidden tides beneath without being there in person.

Pang Jian knew that Long Di was not being idle. Long Di's assault was simply taking place on a different plane.

It was a battle of souls!

Pang Jian had similarly launched attacks against the souls of Outer Gods in the past.

Thus, though he could not sense it, he was certain that another more terrifying battle was raging within Long Di and Yuan Yi's sea of consciousnesses.

Two Sovereigns are clashing in the Abyss.

Meanwhile, the two mightiest beings born within the bizarre mist are fighting for the chance to ascend as Sovereigns in the Nether Abyss.

Neither battle will end quickly, but it appears the fight in the Nether Abyss will likely conclude a bit sooner.

My Undying Soul Flames are still within the Soulstream. Perhaps I could find an opportunity in this chaos,

Pang Jian reflected.

Withdrawing his divine sense, he examined the cloak in his hands.

This cloak...

Pang Jian draped the pitch-black cloak over his shoulders.