Chapter 767: Number One Figure Among The Human Race

Beneath the sky of the First World, the mysterious starry expanse vanished without a trace.

Zhu Ji's Dharma Idol still radiated a mighty aura, like a divine being from time immemorial. The assembled True Gods, sensing Zhu Ji's immense strength, were inwardly astounded.

Compared to Zhu Ji, Pang Jian, now no larger than a mustard seed after withdrawing his divine domain, seemed insignificant.

Zhu Ji's aura was as deep as an abyss and vast as the sea. Around him, faint tearing sounds could be heard, as if space itself could no longer withstand his power, on the verge of splitting open, with cracks about to form. As for Pang Jian, aside from the oppressive presence of his black cloak, no overwhelming force could be felt from him.

And yet, despite Zhu Ji's awe-inspiring presence, his expression was slightly dazed. His towering Dharma Idol shrank, returning to a normal human form like the others, as he looked at Pang Jian with a strange gaze.

Zhu Ji still found it hard to accept. He had always known Pang Jian was extraordinary. Pang Jian was unlike any other True God of the human race and had even ascended using Corruption.

By the standards of the Outer Gods, Pang Jian had already formed his Divine Persona and was, without question, a mid-ranking God. He had broken through earlier than Zhu Ji.

Moreover, Pang Jian was also a World God and wielded many powerful divine and demonic artifacts. His comprehension of the Heavenly Dao was also far beyond ordinary.

But still, why did Pang Jian possess such a profound understanding of the soul? How had he grasped the insights into the mysteries of the soul to such a terrifying degree? That was where Zhu Ji had lost.

Over the years, he too had studied various soul-related techniques and tempered his divine soul time and again. He believed his sea of consciousness and his divine soul were strong enough to endure a fierce battle of the soul and go toe-to-toe with Pang Jian. He never imagined he would suffer such a crushing defeat.

I wanted to explore soul-based artifacts and more profound soul-related techniques too. But unfortunately...

Zhu Ji sighed inwardly.

Li Wang, Li Zhaotian, and the others were silently observing the two men now that Pang Jian's divine domain had dissipated.

Pang Jian's earlier question to Dong Tianze no longer seemed to matter.

Zhu Ji had long been the strongest True God of the older generation. Before figures from the younger generation like Li Zhaotian, Pang Jian, and Li Yuqing had emerged, he had stood as the strongest of the human race, a figure who kept the entire Fifth World in check.

He had once been the human race's stabilizing pillar. Even in this era, he was the first to break through the limits of the True God Realm and step into the next realm.

Pang Jian, the World God of the Abyss, was a groundbreaking figure in his own right, having displayed battle prowess that left all witnesses in awe. Between these two titans, everyone was eager to know who truly stood at the top.

Suddenly, Zhu Ji spoke flatly, "Elder Li, this is beyond me now."

With those words, he had, without a doubt, admitted his defeat within Pang Jian's divine domain.

Everyone's hearts trembled. When they looked at Pang Jian again, their expressions had all changed.

Gui Mu, still silenced by Pang Jian's sharp rebuke, found herself unable to speak while Zhu Ji, who had reached the next realm, had indirectly admitted he was no match for Pang Jian. Didn't that mean Pang Jian now stood as the number one figure among the human race in the Abyss?

"So even you can't rein him in..." Li Wang said with a bitter smile.

His position as leader of the True Gods had only ever been maintained because figures like Zhu Ji, Gui Mu, and Jiang Fan had supported him behind the scenes.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

But now Jiang Fan was dead, Gui Mu was unable to speak, and Zhu Ji had conceded defeat. There was nothing he could do but smile bitterly.

"Elder Li, I'll say it again. Times have changed," Li Zhaotian said solemnly, for once without a trace of mockery. "It has long been a proud tradition of our human race for the older generation to step aside and safeguard the path for the next.

"Dong Tianze may have acted rashly, but I see no real fault in what he did. Li Yuqing will be arriving soon. When you see her, you'll understand that Dong Tianze did nothing wrong." Li Zhaotian took the initiative to mediate the conflict and even gave Pang Jian a subtle glance.

Pang Jian understood at once. Fixing his gaze on Dong Tianze, he asked again, "Was Senior Liu Fu's death truly unrelated to you?"

Dong Tianze immediately replied, "I never met Liu Fu. As for the Blood Vault you mentioned, someone else delivered it into the bizarre mist of Absolute Heaven. That person left it there and departed. I never saw who it was.

"That person indeed aided me on my path to godhood, but that was all."

As he spoke, the horrifying wounds on his body were already beginning to heal. Amid the blood-colored mist, the bulging veins on his neck, forehead, and arms stood out like fierce serpents, giving the illusion they might lash out at any moment.

Li Wang and the others narrowed their eyes, sensing with their divine senses that within those veins, the bloodline mysteries of various powerful foreign races and Fey Race seemed to lie dormant within Dong Tianze.

Having cultivated the Blood God Technique and pursued the Dao through blood, Dong Tianze had become something closer to monstrosity than man. And yet his mind remained clear, and he had not lost himself, nor had he become a mindless, bloodthirsty monster. Which meant that his assassination of Jiang Fan had been a deliberate, calculated choice.

A blinding sword light streaked across the distant sky, arriving in the blink of an eye. Riding her sword, Li Yuqing appeared before Li Wang, Zhu Ji, Pei Yishan, Gui Mu, and the others.

In one hand, she held the Heaven-Splitting Sword, in the other, the Pearl of Fate. Her gaze swept across the gathered figures before finally coming to rest on Li Wang.

Li Wang's expression grew dazed. Under Li Yuqing's gaze, he felt as if every thought in his mind had been laid bare. His past experiences, good and bad, his struggles before becoming a True God, even the shameful memories he had long buried, all felt as though they could be drawn out and used as devastating weapons against him.

He was the oldest among the True Gods, having stayed in the Abyss for more than ten thousand years. Yet facing Li Yuqing, he felt utterly without hope of victory. The same feeling was shared by the other True Gods, all equally shaken.

Among this new generation of the human race, Pang Jian had overwhelmed Zhu Ji, once the strongest of all them, Dong Tianze had assassinated Jiang Fan on his own, and Li Yuqing, a newly ascended True God, already left veterans like Li Wang feeling powerless.

None of this made any sense to the True Gods.

"Elder Li, you feel it too, don't you?" Li Zhaotian said, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "It's not just you. To tell you the truth, even I feel old.

"In the relentless tide of a changing era, True Gods like Jiang Fan, who clung rigidly to old ways, were always doomed to fall. Making way for stronger successors, cruel as it may seem, is necessary. Don't you agree?" Li Zhaotian asked, turning to Li Wang.

Li Wang narrowed his eyes. "Then, let me ask you this, Dong Tianze. Who were you clearing the way for when you killed Jiang Fan?"

Dong Tianze answered bluntly, "Pang Lin of the Pure Land Sect."

Su Wanrou was stunned. "Already? She's ready to ascend?"