Chapter 845: The Responsibility of the World Gods

In a tree hollow filled with the stench of decay, Mu Duo slowly awakened from a long slumber, his gaze solemn as he looked at the World God Pendant floating before him.

The World God Paragon.

Mu Duo's World God Pendant, shaped like a bronze gate just like the others, was slightly ajar, revealing a narrow gap.

Through that hairline-thin opening, Mu Duo glimpsed a strange and otherworldly scene.

A towering figure radiating golden light stood alone on a vast bronze expanse, silently observing a series of portals before him.

Mu Duo was just one of many.

Faint glimmers of light drifted from his World God Pendant, merging into his Divine Persona.

There are ranks between the World Gods? There's a leader among them?

Is the one before me the World God Paragon, capable of observing and even exerting power over all other World Gods through the World God Pendant?

Mu Duo suddenly felt as if the World God Pendant in his hand had become a burden too heavy to hold.

He was a high-ranking God from the Wood Race in the starry skies. The World God Pendant had ended up in his hands through a matter of chance, having acquired it at great cost through an auction.

After obtaining the pendant, he meticulously studied its mysteries and eventually discovered that it was connected to a destroyed abyss in the bizarre mist. That Abyss was named the Wood Abyss, recorded in the annals of the Wood Race's history as their main stronghold within the bizarre mist.

However, the Wood Abyss had long been destroyed. The World God who once held the pendant had likely perished as well, which was why it had ended up adrift, changing owners multiple times before finally landing in his hands.

Mu Duo had finally grasped the many mysteries of the World God Pendant after years of study, and with its aid, he had ultimately ascended as a high-ranking God.

The Wood Race was not considered powerful in the starry skies, and high-ranking Gods like him were exceedingly rare.

The pendant had brought him immense benefit. Through it, he learned that the strength of the Wood Race was deeply intertwined with the World Tree.

He came to realize that if he could find such a tree and elevate it to Rank Thirteen, he could use the World God Pendant to reconstruct the Wood Abyss within the bizarre mist.

Moreover, if he succeeded, he would have the chance to rise as the Sovereign of the Wood Race.

A Sovereign!

Mu Duo's blood surged with excitement at the thought. He had scoured the starry skies and myriad worlds, seeking to achieve that dream, until at last, he discovered this lifeless World Tree.

Unfortunately, the tree had long perished. No matter how he nourished it, the tree never showed the faintest sign of vitality again.

Unwilling to abandon his dream of becoming a Sovereign, Mu Duo chose to slumber inside the dead World Tree, clinging to the hope that a miracle would someday occur. He longed for the day this World Tree would stir once more with life.

Mu Duo sat upright with a solemn expression as he processed the coming of the World God Paragon.

Fixing his gaze on the ajar gate, he asked seriously, "World God Paragon, may I ask where you are now? I'm not a native of the Wood Abyss. I've spent these years searching for a World Tree."

Mu Duo had a distinct feeling that if he so willed it, he could step into the world beyond the ajar World God Pendant before him.

"I am in the Abyss. More precisely, the Seventh World," replied the golden giant on the bronze expanse. "I was born of the human race of the Abyss and serve as its World God. I knew what you sought from the moment I sensed you.

"As it happens, the World Tree you've spent years searching for is growing in the Abyss. If you can help it reach Rank Thirteen, a new Wood Abyss can be reborn within the bizarre mist, and you too could ascend as Sovereign."

Mu Duo shot to his feet. "Is that true?"

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"If you're willing to step through the 'gate,' I can show you myself," the golden giant said with a confident smile. "There are members of your Wood Race here in the Abyss. If you have an altar to commune with them, you can ask them yourself. You'll know whether I speak the truth soon enough."

"What-what rank is the World Tree at now?" Mu Duo urgently asked.

"It just recently reached Rank Eleven. Two more ranks before it reaches Rank Thirteen."

"Give me—give me some time to think this through. The Abyss and the human race..." Mu Duo scratched his head in frustration, clearly torn and conflicted.

He was well aware of the Abyss and also knew that its True Gods once shone brightly across the starry skies.

After the True Gods destroyed the Hall of Gods, they were hunted relentlessly, leaving them in a state of misery and decline.

Aside from the God of Fate, the other three Sovereigns all turned against the True Gods. They were treated as aberrations, and anyone daring to associate with them was likewise condemned.

Mu Duo feared that those three Sovereigns would discover his contact with the human race within the Abyss, bringing endless trouble not only upon himself, but the entire Wood Race as well.

***

The World God Paragon.

Xing Huan, a member of the Star Race, abruptly ended his lecture and retreated to his private chamber, where he took out his World God Pendant and stared at the ajar "gate."

Like Mu Duo, he too saw the towering golden giant and the vast bronze expanse beyond.

Though Xing Huan was already a high-ranking God, he rarely displayed his strength in public. Instead, he chose to remain hidden on a star inhabited primarily by the Star Race, spreading doctrine on behalf of an organization known as the Church of the Star God.

He had come into possession of the World God Pendant through sheer coincidence, and from it, learned about a strange world called the Star Abyss that once existed in the bizarre mist.

Power had never been his concern when it came to the pendant. His interest was purely driven by curiosity about the destroyed Star Abyss.

Moments ago, while explaining the mysteries of the stars, the pendant had suddenly opened slightly, sending a deluge of new information into his mind. Through this, Xing Huan learned about the existence of a "World God Paragon" for the first time.

He also discovered that, as a member of the Star Race with the recognition of the pendant, he bore the responsibility of rebuilding the Star Abyss.

If the Star Abyss could be restored within the bizarre mist, his strength could advance, giving him a chance to become a Sovereign.

I could become a Sovereign if I rebuild the Star Abyss?

Xing Huan had never been one for grand ambitions, but the information from the World God Pendant stirred something in him that was hard to ignore.

After a brief hesitation, Xing Huan took the initiative to question the golden giant, "Who are you?"

"I am the World God of the Abyss. My name is Pang Jian, born of the human race." The towering golden giant's clear voice echoed from the World God Pendant in Xing Huan's hand. "Those wielding a World God Pendant bear the responsibility of rebuilding the fallen abysses.

"If you undertake this task, the supreme will of the bizarre mist will grant a reward worthy of your efforts when the abyss is restored.

"Please give this matter some thought."

***

The World God Paragon.

The ancient ape sat cross-legged atop his World God Pendant at the summit of Thunder God Mountain, baring his teeth.

"That brat Pang Jian"—Yuan Yi caught sight of the icy chill in Pang Lin's eyes—"No, no! Your brother!

"Your brother is in the Seventh World of the Abyss. It seems he's gained control of all the World God Pendants and has become the leader of the World Gods!"

"I know."

Yuan Yi froze. Only then did he remember that her Black Empyrean Phoenix body was still in the Seventh World of the Abyss.

"What else have you learned from the World God Pendant?" Pang Lin asked coldly.

"If I can rebuild the Fey Abyss, I could have the chance to ascend as a Sovereign!" Yuan Yi dared not conceal anything from Pang Lin. "From what I've gathered, the abysses will indeed allow Outer Gods from the starry skies to enter them once the once-in-a-hundred-millennia grand event occurs.

"That also makes this the perfect opportunity to rebuild the destroyed abysses.

"The Fey Abyss, the Wood Abyss, the Star Abyss, and the Spirit Abyss now stand a real chance of being reborn during this coming grand event!

"Those helping to give rise to these abysses will have the chance to—through the World God Pendant—ascend as a Sovereign within it!

"If I'd known this earlier, I wouldn't have bothered with the Nether Abyss in the first place!"

Yuan Yi stomped his foot in frustration, ready to swear up a storm, when he saw the icy glint in Pang Lin's eyes.

Swallowing down his irritation, he forced a wide smile.

"Of course, I'll also have a real chance at becoming a Sovereign with your help, especially after you've stepped into the Exalted God Realm!"

"Rebuild the Fey Abyss..." Pang Lin narrowed her eyes in thought. "I was once part of the Fey Race as well, and rebuilding the Fey Abyss doesn't conflict with my path to the Exalted God Realm.

"Yuan Yi, I support your efforts to rebuild the Fey Abyss. Let's see if you truly have what it takes."