Chapter 762: The Horror That Gripped the Demon Gods

Overwhelming torrents of energy engulfed the battlefield between Long Di and Yuan Yi in the Nether Abyss.

No one could perceive what lay within.

A colossal ancient ape stood like an eternal mountain range among the swirling energies, its presence shaking the heavens.

His ice-blue eyes radiated a soul-stirring light like a fearsome sun and moon.

Crimson lightning surged from its bloodline, forming world-annihilation whips and soul-purging lightning spheres that rampaged across the largest continent of the Nether Abyss.

Long Di manifested the fundamental laws of the continent as dazzling chains. The spiritual qi from across the entire Nether Abyss flowed endlessly into the battlefield, empowering the chains with world-shattering might.

Though the leader of the Nether Abyss was nowhere to be seen, his presence saturated the Nether Abyss itself.

A quiet chuckle echoed from the massive continent suspended above the boundless deep ocean.

"Into the sea!" Long Di's voice echoed from all around.

The colossal continent plunged into the waters with a thunderous crash. Yuan Yi's massive head still peeked through the bloody mist above the surface.

"Fa Ji, keep an eye up here. I'm diving down to face Long Di." His ice-blue eyes locked onto the Great Demon God, glowing eerily within the crimson mist. "Don't take your eyes off Bai Zi!"

"Don't worry. Leave it to me." Fa Ji grinned. Tendrils of malevolent thoughts twisted into human forms within the conjured Demon Realms behind him, each aimed at disturbing Bai Zi's mental state.

Searing lightning suddenly burst from his mouth and nose.

Fa Ji's sinister grin dropped, body trembling violently as he roared, "The Abyss! Pang Jian!"

Bai Zi, perched atop a golden bee, wore a look of astonishment. She had not expected Fa Ji's curses to be aimed at Pang Jian.

After all, the ferocious ancient ape had long since obliterated the World God of the Abyss.

Bai Zi was deeply perplexed. She secretly performed a technique to search for traces of Pang Jian's soul.

Nothing. There's no trace of his soul in this world. Strange. He's not here, so why is Fa Ji wounded?

Puzzled, Bai Zi could not help but wonder whether Fa Ji was merely putting on an act.

***

Zi Mo, a high-ranking God of the Ghost Race, arrived at the star where He Motian resided. "He Motian, you owe me an explanation. Mou Qi won't let this go. I've received word that the Spirit Race truly does have high-ranking Gods on the move.

"He Motian, something about this is off. High-ranking Gods of the Spirit Race don't usually answer such summons so easily. I don't believe they've come just because of Mou Qi's vendetta. There's likely another reason..."

Zi Mo's words trailed off when she noticed He Motian's many demonic souls churning with abnormal intensity.

She knew He Motian fairly well. The only time his sea of consciousness surged so violently was when he was using his divine consciousness to infiltrate a powerful individual.

Who is it? Who could warrant such attention from He Motian, enough for him to draw in his scattered power across the starry skies, just to target a single being?

Hundreds of lightning bolts—golden, white, black, blue, and crimson—erupted from the nostrils, ears, mouths, and eyes of He Motian's three heads.

He Motian clutched his three heads, roaring in agony as he channeled his demonic energy to repair the damage.

"It's Pang Jian!

"Pang Jian has seized that demonic cloak in the Abyss! He's using Lord Demonheaven's cloak to slaughter the Demon Gods!

"Damn him! He's ruined everything we planned!"

He Motian's three mouths cursed furiously.

***

In a damp subterranean palace in one of the Demon Realms was a diminutive mid-ranking Demon God of the Earth Demon Race named Qi Ya. Exquisite women of various races surrounded him, tending to his every need.

Qi Ya was a Demon God so ancient he could scarcely remember how long he had lived, and had abandoned hope of ascending as a Great Demon God ages ago.

Having forsaken his ambition, he sought only to indulge in the pleasures of the world—women, fine wine, gourmet delicacies, and the fawning praise of his faithful worshipers. That was all he lived for.

When he sensed that his name had surfaced on Sovereign Demonheaven's cloak in the Abyss, his only thought was to erase his name so he could continue living freely and undisturbed.

Just a brat so young he still reeks of milk.

Clicking his tongue, he dismissed his concubines and attendants. Then, gathering his power, he focused it upon his name on the cloak.

You court death.

A stranger's voice boomed in his mind.

Lightning streaked through the connection between Qi Ya's name on the cloak and his body. Arcs of lightning coursed wildly over his body, charring him black.

He had no idea what the other party's origin or intentions were, but the terrifying lightning they commanded left no doubt about their power—it could have ended his life as easily as Sovereign Demonheaven had been able to in the past.

If he didn't hold back, I would've already...

Qi Ya tasted the dread of having his life in the palm of another once more.

***

In other Demon Realms, the ancient Demon Gods Mo Yue and Bai Jin also suffered severe injuries one after another.

All the Demon Gods whose names were inscribed into the demonic cloak were thrown into a panic.

Communication artifacts buzzed in the hands of the Demon Gods.

"He Motian!"

The wounded reached out to He Motian once they recovered, seeking to uncover the identity of the one wielding the cloak and demanding that the Great Demon God handle the matter.

A great uproar erupted among the Demon Races in the starry skies.

***

On the nameless fragmented land in the Fifth World of the Abyss, Pang Jian finally stopped tracing the Demon Gods' names on the cloak.

Many of the Demon Gods quietly breathed a sigh of relief as the looming threat vanished.

"So, infusing one's blood into a Demon God's name can produce this effect." Pang Jian let out a surprised chuckle.

Great Demon God Luan Ji had allowed him to glimpse into many lives filled with suffering using his Dao of Oblivion, an experience that tempered and cleansed his soul.

In comparison to divine beings with endless lifespans, his life was undeniably short. His divine soul would have struggled to evolve without experiencing birth and death, love and hate, parting and betrayal.

Luan Ji had forced him to endure all manner of excruciating suffering, to the point of wishing for death, but this was in truth a form of brutal tempering of his soul.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Though he nearly broke, he did not lose himself in the agony. In the end, he overcame a great tribulation of the heart and mind.

The fact that Luan Ji did not take advantage of his weakness, when he was barely conscious, to strike made him realize the other never truly meant to kill him.

Thus, Luan Ji was the only one he spared when he struck at those attempting to erase their names from the cloak.

Congratulations. You've grasped a portion of the cloak's wonder,

Luan Ji muttered.

The two ancient demonic characters representing him then finally ceased glowing.

Curious, Pang Jian infused his divine sense into Luan Ji's name. He could vaguely sense Luan Ji's presence, aware of the many manifestations of him that existed across different worlds.

You're the only one who didn't try to erase your true name. Why?

Pang Jian asked.

Leaving our names in that cloak means being bound to Lord Demonheaven and becoming part of his power. We all did it willingly back then. At least, I know I did.

Luan Ji paused briefly.

After Lord Demonheaven fell, the names on that cloak became a liability. The wielder of that cloak could strike at the Demon Gods through those names. Erasing their names is the only way they can truly be free.

I understand why they did it.

I didn't act because I see you as Lord Demonheaven's successor. Besides, even now, you can't influence me through the cloak if I refuse to abide.

Tch, how troublesome. I still have to deal with Yuan Hui,

Luan Ji murmured before severing the connection.

With that, his manifestations all vanished from Pang Jian's perception.

As I suspected. He's stronger than Fa Ji and He Motian,

Pang Jian thought to himself.

That brief exchange gave him a new understanding of the demonic cloak.

The Demon Gods on the cloak could only attempt to influence him through their divine consciousness, not dissimilar to Outer Gods attempting to descend into the Abyss. The rest of their power could not be transmitted through the cloak.

Pang Jian's Divine Persona and his deep understanding of the mysteries of the soul meant he no longer feared the divine consciousness of any Demon Gods. The mid-ranking Demon Gods posed no threat whatsoever, and even the three Great Demon Gods—He Motian, Fa Ji, and Luan Ji—could hope to possess him.

Moreover, as the wielder of the demonic cloak, he could strike at them freely once his blood seeped into their names!

Any power he held, especially those tied to the soul, could be poured directly into the names on the cloak to strike the Demon Gods. He could easily unleash his full strength to kill them at any time and from anywhere!

Mid-ranking Demon Gods stood no chance against Pang Jian's overwhelming lightning and terrifying techniques. They simply would not last long. His remote assaults could even injure He Motian and Fa Ji.

Leaving one's name on the cloak is no different from handing your life over to Demonheaven.

At that moment, a cluster of Corruption slipped silently out from the eternal darkness of the Sixth World and shot toward the upper worlds.

Pang Jian's expression shifted as he took note of its path toward the Fourth World.

Corruption is a fragment of the Black Empyrean Phoenix's essence, capable of creating a Rank Ten powerhouse or a Fey God.

But isn't the Black Empyrean Phoenix in dire need of its essence right now?

Let's investigate this.

Briefly glancing at the towering Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillar of the Fifth Continent, Pang Jian transformed into a dim light and quietly followed the cluster of Corruption.

Before long, Pang Jian left behind the Fifth World, flying over the fragmented lands of the Fifth World.

Foreign races from the Fifth World were scattered across the various fragmented lands. Some peered up at the sky above, while others glanced down at the now-visible Fifth World.

The foreign race warriors in the Fourth World had long been forbidden from descending into the Fifth World. They dared not act recklessly while Yan Lie and the Rank Ten powerhouses were absent.

Pang Jian followed the cluster of Corruption to Misty Swamp, where Pang Ling resided.

His eyes lit up. The linking of multiple fragmented lands had turned the Wood Race's territory into a sizable continent.

Wood Race warriors lived beneath the ten-thousand-zhang-tall divine tree, basking in its pure wood energy, letting it cleanse their bloodlines.

A dignified woman in jade-green robes held a sacred wooden staff, speaking to a group of Wood Race youths below the divine tree.

Mu Yuan!

She was the Rank Ten Wood Race warrior Yu Xin once referred to as Granny Mu Yuan.

A graceful figure appeared at the crown of the divine tree, waving enthusiastically at Pang Jian.

Father, did you come here to see me?

I'm only passing through this time,

Pang Jian replied through their connection.

Shooting past the continent in a streak of light, he soon caught sight of the only other continent in the Fourth World, the Fey Spirit Continent.

The cluster of Corruption flew toward the Fey Spirit Continent and sank deep into its heart.

The black turtle!

Unexpectedly, the black turtle had appeared here instead of the Resolute Expanse.

Reaching out through their connection, Pang Jian questioned sharply,

Why would you choose Corruption? You know full well that you'll never break through the barrier if you ascend with it! You'll be forever trapped in this prison that is the Abyss!

The black turtle did not respond. Like Xiao Hei, he had severed their connection completely.

Pang Jian could still sense the black turtle through his divine sense and could pinpoint his location on the Fey Spirit Continent through his blood essence, but the connection between them could no longer be sustained.