Chapter 799: Retreating to Advance

Within the Lunar Divine Palace, the radiant veils surrounding Sovereign Luo faded away layer by layer, revealing her breathtaking beauty and her tall, flawless figure.

Even though she was a Sovereign born of the Celestial Race, she kept her pure white wings folded and hidden away.

Her surreal beauty defied reality. It was the kind of beauty that should not have existed in the mortal world, as if she were a creation born only from pure imagination.

Clad in a flowing white gown, Sovereign Luo hovered between Ying Yue and Han Yi. Her eyes, filled with boundless light, now shimmered with amused curiosity.

Her eyes had captured the Divine Personas of Ying Yue and Han Yi, and she observed everything unfolding within the Nether Abyss through them.

"Yuan Yi is still as sinister and cunning as ever," she said with a cold smile.

Neither Han Yi nor Ying Yue could hear her voice, nor sense anything from the outside world. Their bodies and souls were fully submerged in an ocean of light, unaware even that Sovereign Luo had revealed her true form.

"Long Di may no longer have a choice," she murmured. "The only question is..."

Sovereign Luo watched the shifting tides with calm detachment, quietly curious about what might unfold next.

She may have returned from the Abyss in defeat, but it had not been at Pang Jian's hands. Her loss had come at the interference of an old nemesis, someone who tampered with the fourth cluster of Fortune, fracturing her Divine Personas piece by piece.

Neither she nor the one she viewed as her rival had ever considered Pang Jian to be worthy of being their opponent.

Even now, after Pang Jian reforged his Immortal Divine Soul and ascended to the Transcendent God Realm in the Nether Abyss, she still looked down on him.

"Once the two of you clash, Yuan Yi will seize an opportune moment to return. Sometimes, your choices aren't yours to make..."

Deep within her eyes that shone like beacons, there appeared, for the briefest moment when there was no one around to witness it, a rare flicker of emotion.

The trace of humanity that had awakened in her during her time in the Abyss had not been entirely extinguished. On the contrary, after her vessel was destroyed, that faint spark of humanity had quietly taken root within her true body.

***

On a mountaintop in an unnamed world, Luan Ji sat alone in silence, gazing at a distant crimson sun sinking slowly beneath the horizon.

Suddenly, the space to his left shattered as a jet-black fist punched through the void.

A fearsome and grotesque Demon God, dark as night and brimming with menace, boldly burst through the spatial tear. With a wide grin, he leapt onto the mountaintop next to Luan Ji and chortled, "Luan Ji! It's been too long!"

The newcomer was a Great Demon God of the Dark Demon Race. Sharp black spines jutted from his shoulders, knees, and back, making him seem like a porcupine at a glance.

"Tian Wei"—Luan Ji narrowed his eyes, eyeing the uninvited guest with cool detachment—"Whatever you and He Motian are scheming in the Abyss, I have no interest in hearing it, nor do I intend to get involved."

Tian Wei chuckled, unbothered by the cold reception. He didn't bother responding immediately. Instead, he carefully studied Luan Ji, sensing the fluctuations of the other Demon God's physical body and demonic soul.

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

After a while, Tian Wei broke the silence. "You have also left your name on that demonic cloak. Pang Jian used it to corrupt He Motian, and even struck at Fa Ji... Why didn't he come for you?"

"He tried and failed," Luan Ji replied flatly.

Tian Wei raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. "Did he?"

"Tian Wei, I'm not interested in your plans," Luan Ji said, his tone growing colder, "And I'd prefer you all stop bothering me. As for Pang Jian, I've nothing more to say."

Tian Wei was a Great Demon God himself, but he was a generation younger than Luan Ji. He gathered his thoughts for a moment before carefully saying, "You should know that after eighteen mid-ranking Demon Gods took part in suppressing Yan Lie, Sovereign Luo is demanding an explanation. You're one of us, Luan Ji. We want to know where you stand."

"Stall for time. Everything can be delayed until the Black Empyrean Phoenix emerges," Luan Ji answered without hesitation.

Tian Wei blinked. "You really believe that the Black Empyrean Phoenix succeeded in its rebirth?"

"Sovereign Luo's vessel died in the Abyss." Luan Ji's tone was resolute. "That alone proves the Black Empyrean Phoenix succeeded. In a world like the Abyss, there is no one who could truly defeat Sovereign Luo Shen's vessel besides the Black Empyrean Phoenix."

Hearing that, Tian Wei cupped his fists and bowed. "I've disturbed you enough."

Having received the answer he came for, the newly ascended Great Demon God decisively departed, retracing his path through the void.

Only after he had vanished and the tear in the space mended itself did Luan Ji murmur softly, "This calamity is far from over. A Sovereign will fall, a fallen Sovereign may rise again, and perhaps, a new one will be born. Whether it happens in the Nether Abyss or in the Abyss... remains to be seen."

***

In the Nether Abyss, Long Di sat on the Soul Convergence Altar and lowered his head in silence while he sensed the changes happening within himself.

His primary authority resided within the barrier, granting him the ability to freely draw upon the Nether Abyss's spiritual qi, control the flow of Fortune, and directly influence the foundational laws of the Nether Abyss. At specific moments, he could gaze directly into the Soulstream and comprehend the profound truths of the Dao of Soul.

That was why he had always been the leader of the Nether Gods, the true ruler of the Nether Abyss.

However, his situation had changed after Pang Jian's ascension. Whenever Pang Jian summoned the spiritual qi of the Nether Abyss, it slipped from Long Di's grasp, empowering Pang Jian. Fortune no longer responded to Long Di's will, unresponsive to the pull of the Soul Convergence Altar. And the foundational laws, which had once been crystal clear the moment he focused his mind, were growing more and more elusive.

If he did nothing and simply allowed the situation to unfold, he would, in the end, lose everything.

And so, despite being fully aware that the ancient ape had deliberately sown discord between him and Pang Jian, though he knew exactly what kind of backlash he would face by stepping forward to reclaim power, Long Di knew he had to act. He poured his will and strength into forging a deeper resonance with the Soul Convergence Altar.

"Veins of the Heavenly Dao!" he intoned.

His divine consciousness surged into the altar, forcing the once-fading strands of laws to reemerge. What once came effortlessly to him now demanded his full strength and focus.

"Soul Convergence!"

Long Di channeled his divine power into the Soul Convergence Altar, forcefully drawing in the surrounding spiritual qi, refusing to let it slip from his grasp. He was going against the natural order, forcibly twisting the flow of evolving laws.

"Long Di, must you do this?" From afar, Bai Zi abandoned her golden bee mount and flew toward the altar, warning him from across the void, "The shift in the world's will is not something you or I can stop! If you push forward like this, you'll drag us all into danger, and that ancient ape may just return!

"You've always been the smarter one between us. Why choose such a foolish path now?"

Bai Zi simply couldn't understand the reasoning behind Long Di's action.

"You don't get it." Long Di shook his head, his expression firm with resolve. "No matter what, I can't just stand by and watch him take what's rightfully mine. He isn't truly of the Nether Race. He has no right to claim the Nether Abyss's greatest treasures! He was never meant to set foot in this world!"

Although Long Di knew the odds were against him, he was determined to fight Pang Jian for dominion over the Nether Abyss, even if it meant defying the will of the world itself!

***

Pang Jian, his Immortal Divine Soul brimming with surging power in the void, suddenly felt his connection to the Nether Abyss being stymied. Another force was pulling at it, disrupting his effortless control.

He immediately understood what was happening. It was obvious that the ancient ape's sudden retreat had signaled the end of the war. The retreat of the Fey Race was a sinister move that removed Long Di and Pang Jian's common enemies. If the two powerhouses were left to their own resources in the Nether Abyss, clashing over the world's strange and powerful authorities was inevitable.

Long Di was down to his final resort, desperately chasing after what was already gone. If Pang Jian stepped in now, it would mean open war between the two of them.

No matter which side won, the Nether Abyss would suffer after both sides drew upon the world's spiritual qi and foundational laws to confront each other. Battling each other in these circumstances would mean losing the war over which race would control the Nether Abyss.

Pang Jian had surpassed Long Di in raw power and control over the Nether Abyss and suddenly said, "Long Di, I'll leave. I'll go after Yuan Yi. I never truly belonged to the Nether Abyss. Once I'm gone, this world is still yours."

Pang Jian made his decision without hesitation. In a flash, he withdrew, flying straight toward the boundary wall where Yuan Yi had vanished and exited the Nether Abyss.

High atop the Soul Convergence Altar, Long Di, who had been pushing himself to the limit, froze in stunned confusion. He stared at the place where Pang Jian had disappeared, completely at a loss.

Long Di could scarcely believe it.

Had Pang Jian just given it all up?

Had Pang Jian stayed, Long Di didn't think they were equals in battle. Pang Jian could've claimed the highest seat in the Nether Abyss, becoming its unrivaled ruler and seizing all authority for himself. He wouldn't have just replaced Long Di, he might've surpassed him. He had a real chance at becoming a Sovereign within the Nether Abyss.

And yet, Pang Jian had willingly abandoned it just like that.