Chapter 769: Ascending to Godhood in the Nether Abyss

Pang Jian's divine soul in the Nether Abyss experienced something entirely different from what he had in the Abyss.

In the deep sea at the bottom of the Nether Abyss, five clusters of Fortune, shimmering like crystalline rainbows woven with radiant mist, swept across tens of thousands of li, converging upon the Soulstream where Pang Jian's divine soul resided.

Four more crystalline radiances similarly descended from the barrier above, totaling nine clusters of Fortune that responded to Pang Jian's divine soul.

Bai Zi looked up, completely baffled.

That's not Long Di's Soul Convergence Altar! Who is it? Who's choosing to ascend at a time like this?

No warrior of the Nether Race would dare ascend to become a Nether God at such a critical stage of the conflict.

Absorbing a cluster of Fortune and ascending as a Nether God was not something that could be accomplished overnight. As the human race required time and preparation to ascend as True Gods, a Nether Race warrior typically needed at least half a month, sometimes even several months, to become a Nether God.

The process of ascending to godhood required meticulous preparation. Even the slightest mistake could spell disaster.

Under Yuan Yi's lead, the intruders were rampaging across the Nether Abyss, launching fierce assaults against the Nether Race and the Nether Gods alike. The older generation of Nether Gods was falling one after another.

There were intruders active throughout the Nether Abyss. Nobody in their right mind would dare to attempt ascension at this tumultuous time.

Shocked and deeply confused, Bai Zi kept her eyes fixed on the four clusters of Fortune descending from the sky above, watching as they drew closer and closer. In the end, the four clusters of Fortune all descended into the deep sea.

Bai Zi extended her divine senses into the depths of the sea, only to be taken aback once more.

There are five more clusters of Fortune beneath the waves!

As the World God of the Nether Abyss, she understood that the battle between Long Di and Yuan Yi had to be unimaginably fierce.

Long Di had gathered clusters of Fortune on that continent in advance to hasten his recovery in case of injury. As a master of warfare between souls, he had to project his divine soul in battle, and once severely wounded, only Fortune could heal him.

Thus, Bai Zi had initially assumed that the five clusters of Fortune in the deep sea were connected to Long Di. However, after carefully sensing their flow, she became certain that none of the nine clusters of Fortune were converging on Long Di.

A mysterious sea of deep blue briefly flashed through Bai Zi's mind. In that fleeting glimpse, she caught sight of a golden figure. The nine strands of Fortune had transformed into nine rainbows and were surging toward that golden figure.

As the nine clusters of Fortune merged with the golden figure, it started to take on physical form, going from incorporeal to tangible.

At the same time, boundless spiritual qi surged toward the figure like iron filings drawn to a colossal magnet. The indistinct golden figure soon became clear. It was a strikingly handsome young man with sharp eyes and a cold face.

"Pang Jian!" Bai Zi cried out in shock.

Not far away, Fa Jie clutched his head and shouted, "Pang Jian!"

The Great Demon God once again felt Pang Jian's will seep into the depths of his soul.

Pang Jian's face was gradually overwriting the ancient imprints, each previously etched with the likeness of Sovereign Demonheaven, deep within Fa Jie's soul.

A strange delusion took hold of Fa Jie. Memories of Sovereign Demonheaven leading him through countless campaigns across the Demon Realms and elevating him from a low-ranking Demon God to a high-ranking Demon God were slowly replaced with Pang Jian's image.

The imprint of Sovereign Demonheaven on his heart was fading as Pang Jian's face etched ever deeper. The day Sovereign Demonheaven's likeness vanished entirely was the day Fa Jie would obey Pang Jian without question.

That creeping dread, that terrifying inevitability, made Fa Jie cry out.

***

On the largest continent, deep in the endless sea of crimson, shadowy figures of Long Di darted between the many crystal bloodline chains.

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Each of these shadowy figures was a tangible manifestation, encased in a deep-blue crystalline shell.

These manifestations of Long Di severed Yuan Yi's crystal bloodline chains one after another, preventing the ancient ape from spreading his vast bloodline power across the continent. Meanwhile, an ethereal projection of Long Di hovered before the ancient ape, drawing upon the spiritual qi of the Nether Abyss.

The spiritual qi condensed into vortexes that devoured the radiance of the sun, moon, and stars, as well as cold energy, wood energy, and earth energy.

These violent vortexes circled the raging ancient ape, tearing apart the blood essence radiating from its body. Hundreds of strands of ghostly light transformed into rivers of souls that surged wildly through the ancient ape's mind, chest, and meridians.

Despite starting at a disadvantage, Long Di had managed to close the gap with the ancient ape through a war of attrition.

All his tangible manifestations could be restored through new clusters of Fortune whenever they were damaged. He believed, without a doubt, that he would be the one to laugh last in this battle.

Suddenly, he sensed several clusters of Fortune deviating from their path.

Something's wrong...

The ground abruptly split open, revealing a massive altar deep within the earth's core, constructed entirely from the highest-grade soul crystals. Etched upon its surface were soul-related techniques that Long Di had comprehended from the Soulstream, manifesting in the form of intricate patterns, arcs of lightning, ancient sigils, and Dao Seals.

This construct was known as the Soul Convergence Altar, capable of drawing in the Fortune and souls of fallen Nether Gods, converting them into power that Long Di could wield.

The Soul Convergence Altar was still operating, meaning the Fortune and souls of fallen Nether Gods were supposed to flow into the altar and become a source of power to strengthen Long Di.

Despite this, a portion of the Fortune had evaded the altar's pull, veering strangely toward the Soulstream.

Strange. The Soulstream only absorbs the souls of fallen warriors and Nether Gods. Fortune has always fallen under the domain of the barrier. Why is it behaving like this?

Long Di was deeply puzzled.

As the leader of the Nether Gods, he could influence the barrier and steer the flow of Fortune within the Nether Abyss. At certain times, he could even attune himself to the Soulstream and glimpse the truths etched within it.

The one most closely attuned to the Soulstream in the Nether Abyss was not Long Di but Bai Zi, the World God.

Bai Zi, there's a disturbance in the Soulstream. Check if something unusual is happening within it,

Long Di's voice echoed in Bai Zi's mind.

After hesitating briefly, she answered,

Pang Jian's divine soul has reassembled within the Soulstream. He drew in the nine clusters of Fortune and is forging a new path to godhood within our Nether Abyss.