Chapter 790: The Two Siblings

Pang Jian had seen this radiant phoenix emerging from the center of Dong Tianze's brow before. Back when they were still enemies, he had feared the emergence of the Celestial Phoenix Imprint more than anything else, dreading the divine power Dong Tianze would unleash from it.

The silhouette of that phoenix was once a nightmare etched into Pang Jian's heart. It was also this phoenix's death and the scattering of its bones that triggered the chain of events that led Pang Jian to the path of cultivation.

This phoenix had also chosen to bestow its legacy upon Pang Lin.

That phoenix was none other than the Virtuous Celestial Phoenix, the leader of the Fey Race that the fallen Black Empyrean Phoenix had painstakingly forged with its own blood essence.

This same phoenix appeared behind Pang Lin like a drawing come to life, its radiance soft and gentle.

Unlike Sovereign Luo, whose brilliance bore down with oppressive force, the light of this phoenix was free of aggression. It evoked not fear, but beauty. Her glow was a gentle comfort to the soul.

Suddenly, insights into the mysteries of the soul she obtained from the Soulstream of the Nether Abyss emerged within Pang Lin's eyes. It merged with her soul essence before pouring into the Virtuous Celestial Phoenix, solidifying its illusory form.

The Virtuous Celestial Phoenix then quietly slipped back into Pang Lin's sea of consciousness, becoming an imprint within her divine soul.

Pang Lin's body, eyes, and even her sea of consciousness seemed to flash brilliantly.

She pursed her lips into a smile, her sweet face brimming with joy, and exclaimed, "My brother is amazing! I just heard the news. You destroyed that Sovereign's vessel in the Fifth World and even defeated Yan Lie!

"Brother, you saved the human race in the Abyss from disaster. You defeated the foreign races in the war of ascension! Everyone should be grateful that the human race and the Abyss have you."

Pang Lin still appeared innocent and full of life. Her eyes were clear and her smile just as warm. No matter how carefully Pang Jian studied her, she still felt like the Pang Lin he knew.

Despite this, he could not help but feel a discrepancy in her abilities. Pang Lin did not have the power to draw upon two clusters of Fortune, nor cultivate two opposing Daos of Light and Darkness to elevate her cultivation realm.

What she was doing in the Abyss now was no different from what Pang Jian himself was doing in the Nether Abyss.

"No. You're not Pang Lin!" Pang Jian growled.

"I really am! Why won't you believe me?" Pang Lin replied with a look of exasperation.

As she spoke, a third cluster of Fortune descended into the depths of her sea of consciousness.

A turbulent rumble of thunder erupted from her dantian and sea of consciousness. Arcs of lightning surged forth, coiling around her slender frame like serpentine dragons and silver snakes. The Nine Heavens Thunder Divine Tree, which she had absorbed and refined, flickered faintly at the center of her chest, channeling boundless lightning into her.

"Brother, the legacy I received is even more wondrous than I ever imagined. But..." She lowered her gaze, no longer meeting Pang Jian's eyes. "I've been burdened with certain responsibilities. I now bear a duty toward the Fey Race."

The third cluster of Fortune refined the lightning before streaming into the depths of her sea of consciousness.

A graceful blue figure formed within Pang Lin's sea of consciousness, drawing upon her divine sense to shape its essence. Darkness, light, and lightning wove together into intricate Dao Seals, becoming the bones, veins, and sinew of that figure.

This was Pang Lin's Immortal Divine Soul!

Two more clusters of Fortune descended into Pang Lin.

Pang Lin had drawn in the four clusters of Fortune released after the destruction of Luo Hongyan's vessel in the Fifth World, along with the one from Dong Shangqing's death, to forge her Immortal Divine Soul.

She had leapt from the True God Realm to the Ascendant God Realm in a single stride.

The two siblings had taken different paths. Pang Jian's Immortal Divine Soul was reborn within the Soulstream, restored through the Fortune he had drawn in the Nether Abyss.

Pang Lin, on the other hand, had forged her own Immortal Divine Soul using the five clusters of Fortune from the Abyss. In terms of time taken, she was able to forge her Immortal Divine Soul faster than Pang Jian.

"Darkness, Light, Lightning, Destruction, and Poison—that should be enough for now," she said with a soft smile. Her expression then turned solemn, her voice sincere. "Brother, I will always be your little sister. I'm Pang Lin. That fact will never change.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me over the years, but it's time for me to go.

"One day, we'll meet again. Perhaps, it'll be here in the Abyss, or somewhere out in the starry skies."

Pang Lin bowed toward Pang Jian, then stepped back toward the boundary wall of the Abyss. Crossing it with ease, she vanished into the bizarre mist beyond.

Pang Jian stared blankly at where she had disappeared, dazed and full of questions.

He could no longer distinguish truth from lies. Rationally, he was certain she could not possibly be his sister. Her grasp of the different energies and Heavenly Daos, her cultivation, and her understanding of the world were far removed from the sister he remembered.

Despite this, for reasons he could not explain, the way she looked at him still felt familiar—warm, close, and full of affection. On a level beyond reason, deep within his heart and soul, Pang Jian could not help but feel that she was still his sister, Pang Lin.

How did things turn out like this?

He stood frozen in the bizarre mist, repeatedly questioning his own heart, trying to make sense of the truth.

According to the Primordial Demon, the fallen Black Empyrean Phoenix could achieve nirvanic rebirth through any of the Fey Gods. The black turtle, Yuan Qi, the Ice Armor Eel Dragon, and even the Black Dragon King could have been chosen as vessels for her rebirth.

However, it was clear none of them had been her choice.

Did the Black Empyrean Phoenix choose Pang Lin in the end?

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Did that Sovereign merge with Pang Lin's divine soul and start this path of nirvana rebirth through a human?

Is that why Pang Lin still retained her sense of self and why she still treated him as her brother?

Is Pang Lin alive or already gone?

Pang Jian had no answer for his own questions.

The Rock Bear and the White Lynx stepped into the bizarre mist alongside Yuan Qi.

"Where is Miss Pang?" the White Lynx asked in surprise.

They all maintained their beast forms. The bizarre mist would otherwise erode their flesh, forcing them to protect their bodies with their blood essence.

Astonishment shone clearly in their massive eyes. Five clusters of Fortune had entered the bizarre mist one after another, but they knew only Pang Lin had been inside.

Pang Lin had clearly used the influx of Fortune to break into the True God Realm. What they could not comprehend was the sheer number.

No human or Fey Race in the history of the Abyss had ever ascended using multiple clusters of Fortune.

If Pang Lin had truly ascended using five clusters of Fortune, that would mean she had overturned every rule that had ever existed.

It was a terrifying thought.

Though the Rock Bear, Yuan Qi, and the White Lynx were all members of the Fey Race, they each regarded Pang Lin with deep reverence. They held no jealousy toward her. On the contrary, they eagerly anticipated her ascension with the five clusters of Fortune.

"She just left the Abyss," Pang Jian said, steadying his emotions. Staring at Yuan Qi, he asked, "Did you notice anything unusual when you became a Fey God? Or when you advanced further?"

"No." Yuan Qi shook his head. "It just felt like this world was adjusting itself to me. The Heavenly Daos and spiritual qi resonated with my aura and bloodline.

"Some insights surfaced in my mind without me needing to seek them out, and certain divine techniques awakened on their own. Advancing from low-ranking godhood to mid-ranking godhood felt as natural as water flowing downhill, effortless, without the slightest resistance."

"It felt..." he trailed off, scratching his head as he tried to put his thoughts into words. "It felt as though I had already reached a higher level before."

"A higher level?" the Rock Bear asked in astonishment.

Though also a Fey God, the Rock Bear had not managed to break through to reach mid-ranking godhood yet. Meanwhile, Yuan Qi advanced at such a staggering speed that it was impossible not to question the reason behind it.