Chapter 807: The Will of the Bizarre Mist

A Dao Source comes from the origin of a Heavenly Dao, a miracle born of the natural workings of the heavens, and a crystallization that embodies the core principle of a specific Heavenly Dao.

To comprehend a Dao Source is to come face-to-face with the essence of a heavenly Dao. In doing so, it's possible to become stronger at an unimaginable rate.

If a low-ranking God is fortunate enough to encounter a Dao Source that aligns with their Dao and they can earnestly comprehend its essence, they may have the chance to ascend to the rank of a mid-ranking God. Those with exceptional talent might even ascend to the rank of high-ranking God through it.

No matter the realm, any divine being who discovers a Dao Source that resonates with their Dao can refine and elevate their entire foundation. Even Sovereigns are no exception!

If a Sovereign finds a Dao Source that matches their Dao, and if they can grasp the profundities within, then they may well discover the path to becoming a God King.

The Soulstream that exists within the Nether Abyss is precisely such a Dao Source. Since it holds dominion over the Dao of Soul, it is the very treasure that Fu Ya longs for above all else.

Unfortunately, as a Sovereign from beyond the bizarre mist, Fu Ya was not a member of the Nether Race, nor was she a Nether God. Therefore, she was unable to submerge herself within the Soulstream that flows within the Nether Abyss.

Thus, in order to obtain the insights into the mysteries of the soul within the Soulstream, she could only rely on a World God of the Nether Abyss like Bai Zi.

She had her subordinate extend an olive branch to Bai Zi, repeating the same tactic she once used with Pang Jian's mother.

"Several high-ranking Gods loyal to Fu Ya have already arrived across the starry skies beyond the bizarre mist, and more Gods of the Spirit Race are arriving by the day." Pang Jian's expression darkened. "Senior, a grand event like this may only happen once every hundred thousand years. Is it possible for a Sovereign like Fu Ya to enter the Nether Abyss?"

Both Long Di and Bai Zi turned pale at those words.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Yuan Yi had only been a high-ranking God of the Fey Race and led nothing more than a ragtag coalition of low-ranking Outer Gods and World Gods from other abysses, yet he had already inflicted tremendous damage on both the Nether Abyss and the Nether Race.

It was only after Great Demon God Luan Ji and Sovereign Luo intervened that Yuan Yi retreated.

If not for Pang Jian's sudden rise, the Nether Abyss might well have fallen to Yuan Yi. If a Sovereign like Fu Ya truly set her sights on the Soulstream, could the Nether Abyss weather another invasion?

Bai Zi panicked. "You must not leave the Nether Abyss at this stage, my Lord!"

Glistening beads of sweat welled up on her porcelain-like face as she anxiously cried, "I suspect the God of Wisdom has already made her way to the starry skies above. She might even be prowling the bizarre mist right now! If you were to leave the Nether Abyss now and encounter her, whether it was inside or outside the bizarre mist, it would almost certainly spell disaster!"

Bai Zi had a deeper fear she did not dare voice.

She had discussed matters of the Soulstream and gleaned insights into the mysteries of the soul with Long Di.

If Fu Ya ever came across him, it would be all too easy for the Sovereign to capture the former leader of the Nether Abyss and strip him of every insight he had ever drawn from the Soulstream!

Fu Ya could gain an even deeper understanding of the Nether Abyss's Soulstream through Long Di!

This might allow Fu Ya to seize upon the grand event that rarely occurred in a hundred thousand years to find a way into the Nether Abyss.

What would happen if the God of Wisdom were to set foot in the Nether Abyss and submerge herself in the Soulstream?

The more Bai Zi thought about it, the more she felt a chill creeping through her bones.

Seated motionless atop the Soul Convergence Altar, even Long Di felt a cold shiver stir within his soul.

He contemplated in silence for a moment. His expression grew increasingly grave as he said, "As far as I know, Sovereigns are unable to enter the Nether Abyss with their true bodies. Even in the face of such a grand event, a Sovereign cannot cross the boundary wall. However..."

A possibility occurred to him, and he added, "If Fu Ya were to create a vessel equivalent to that of a high-ranking God, then she could pierce through the boundary wall in the latter stages of the grand event!

"Fu Ya's vessel should be no weaker than that ancient ape. She may even receive support from her true body in the starry skies."

Long Di looked toward Pang Jian, expression clouded with concern. In his mind, the moment the will of the Nether Abyss chose Pang Jian, it had entrusted Pang Jian with the duty of defending it. The responsibility, that had once been Long Di's, had quietly shifted onto Pang Jian's shoulders.

Pang Jian was Ling Jia's son and bore the unique Undying Soul Flame. Therefore, he could be considered half a native of the Nether Race.

The favor of the Soulstream and the partiality of the Nether Abyss's will were all dedicated to forging an unorthodox champion, someone who could help the Nether Abyss and the Nether Race survive the looming crisis.

They had at least succeeded in repelling the ancient ape, but things were no better now that Fu Ya had set her sights on the Nether Abyss. Could Pang Jian, who had only just been recognized as the world's favored chosen, truly shoulder such a burden? Long Di had grave misgivings on the matter, especially when the stakes were so high.

"A Dao Source, the very origin of a Heavenly Dao!" Waves surged violently in Pang Jian's heart.

In his mind, the Seventh World of the Abyss took shape once more, a boundless, shadowed void, beneath which sprawled an immeasurable expanse of bronze that reached to the very edge of the boundary wall.

Bronze filled the lowest layer of the Abyss, its surface smooth, devoid of any markings or runes, without a trace of carved mysteries. The material of the World God Pendant seemed to originate from that unimaginably immense expanse of bronze.

What exactly was it? A Dao Source of the Dao of Metal?

Pang Jian now had every reason to believe that the vast expanse of bronze at the bottom of the Abyss was another Dao Source.

"Senior, does a Dao Source have a will of its own?" he asked

On this matter, Long Di was unusually forthcoming and held nothing back. "It does. But a Dao Source is not a living being like you or me. It has no emotions, and the emergence of consciousness or intelligence within it requires an unimaginably long passage of time. Millions of years, or longer, must pass before a Dao Source can begin to awaken even a sliver of sentient thought.

"The Soulstream of our Nether Abyss, being a Dao Source of the Dao of Soul, stands among the most exceptional of its kind in terms of developing awareness.

"Even so, I can't sense its will at all. Only your mother and Bai Zi have ever managed to perceive it, and even then, only on rare occasions.

"If even the Soulstream is so elusive, then other Dao Sources must be even more difficult to perceive."

Perhaps he, too, believed that only Pang Jian was truly capable of shouldering the burden of guarding the Nether Abyss. As the previous Nether God to have benefited from it, he saw it as his duty to enlighten his successor.

Pang Jian still had plenty of questions. "What is Fortune, and what is the barrier?"

In the Abyss, no one had ever been able to give him a clear answer. Even figures like Li Wang, Gui Mu, or his own master had only a vague, half-formed understanding of such mysteries.

The question left Long Di silent for a long time. In the end, under the expectant gazes of Pang Jian and Bai Zi, Long Di braced himself and said, "I can only share what I understand. I won't pretend that my understanding is the absolute truth."

Bai Zi urged gently, "Please, my Lord, go on."

"The bizarre mist may well be the greatest miracle of all, perhaps without equal!" Long Di drew in a breath, his expression grave.

"From what I've seen, this boundless and unfathomable bizarre mist possesses a supreme will of its own. You could think of that as a different form of the Heavenly Dao.

"Its presence and the laws and principles it has laid down are what gave rise to the many abysses.

"The barrier and boundary walls are both manifestations of that will and its laws.

"As for Fortune that has appeared in our Nether Abyss and your Abyss, I believe it is an extension of that will.

"Through the Nether Race and your human race, that inscrutable will gradually grow within the framework of the barrier it created, eventually giving birth to this mysterious force called Fortune.

"You could see Fortune as a form of reward, a gift granted to us by that will. I believe both the Nether Race and the human race are the fruits of its design, the crystallization of its wisdom.

"We have no bloodlines, unlike the many other races. Beyond the bizarre mist, neither of our races exists. We are the native-born intelligent beings of the bizarre mist.

"The stronger we grow, the more we thrive, the more Fortune we spread.

"The Nether Race has extended its reach, through leaders like myself, across every abyss within the bizarre mist. We were made to govern these abysses on its behalf, to suppress races different from our own.

"The Nether Race governs within the barrier. Your human race was created later, and from the very beginning, you've been striving to push outward. The most exceptional True Gods among you all operate in the starry skies. So, as I see it, your human race is tasked with governing the outside.

"The Fortune it bestows is not just a gift, it is the extension of its will. It is also its means of exploration, both within and beyond.

"Every Nether God who has ascended through Fortune, every True God of the human race, whether operating within the bizarre mist or beyond it, serves as its eyes, helping it witness the vastness of the starry skies and comprehend all that is strange and wondrous.

"Back then, when that Black Empyrean Phoenix was gravely wounded and on the brink of death, I suspect she chose to die within the bizarre mist precisely because she had sensed its will.

"It may seem odd that the deceased Black Empyrean Phoenix slipped past the pursuit of a Sovereign and eluded the search of the Outer Gods, only to inexplicably reappear in the Seventh World of the Abyss. However, there is no doubt in my mind that the will of the bizarre mist was at work behind the scenes."

Building on Pang Jian's earlier words to Yuan Yi, Long Di brought up the Black Empyrean Phoenix to refine his understanding of the bizarre mist.

It was only after learning of the Black Empyrean Phoenix's fate that he became truly convinced the bizarre mist possessed a will of its own.

After all, neither he nor Yuan Yi, divine beings born within the bizarre mist, had the ability to precisely locate the Black Empyrean Phoenix's remains, much less transport them into the Abyss and keep them hidden there for so many years.

If the embodiment of the bizarre mist's will took action, then naturally, it could do what they could not.

"When I was acknowledged by the barrier and granted the authority to guide the flow of Fortune within the Nether Abyss, I felt as though I had been entrusted with a portion of its divine mandate. That mandate encompassed the barrier, Fortune, spiritual qi, and the foundational laws of this world."

As Long Di said this, a trace of bitterness showed on his face. "When I speak of the Nether Abyss's will, I mean the will of the bizarre mist.

"I don't know whether such a will can operate independently within each of the abysses it has created. It's also possible that it has divided its will into multiple fragments, placing a portion in each abyss."

Long Di paused and asked, "Does that make sense to you?"

While Bai Zi was lost in thought, Pang Jian gave a nod. "I understand. It's similar to the Primordial Demon that the Demon Races tried to create, where the Primordial Demon was split off into nine separate fragments, each sent to live out a different life and grow independently.

"If the will of the bizarre mist truly exists, perhaps the wills of each abyss are just its splintered sub-wills."