Chapter 850: Facing the Heretical God Head-On

In a world aglow with starlight, Xing Huan, a high-ranking God, stood atop a colossal flying vessel with the World God Pendant held firmly in his grasp.

"Sovereign..." Xing Huan mumbled.

A series of markings glimmered on his forehead like radiant stars, each corresponding to a celestial chart from a different starry region. His consciousness drifted through these markings, attempting to reach out to the upper echelons of the Church of the Star God through a secret technique.

Suddenly, a disturbance rippled from the World God Pendant in his hand.

Xing Huan focused his attention on the World God Pendant, his consciousness spanning the boundless starry skies to glimpse a distant scene.

The human named Pang Jian stood tall atop a dark continent. A sea of deep crimson resembling blood surged through the trees below him. Among these loomed a World Tree, towering above the rest.

A World Tree!

As Xing Huan silently observed the scene, his curiosity steadily deepened.

Within that sea of blood was a starry expanse, shrouded in an overwhelming aura of death, straddling illusion and reality.

At the center of the starry expanse was an altar made from bones, and atop that altar, a being woven from pale gray crystalline filaments was rapidly taking form.

Du Ling!

Xing Huan's expression shifted dramatically.

Like all the other divine beings, Xing Huan had an eternal lifespan and had been a high-ranking God for an unimaginably long time.

Even Yuan Yi had not lived as long as he had, and few held his understanding of the vast secrets of the starry skies. Thus, Xing Huan not only knew of Du Ling but was also aware of the terrifying power he had wielded at his peak.

Xing Huan gripped his World God Pendant tightly, his resolve hardening.

"World God Paragon!" he called out softly through the pendant. "Du Ling nearly became the Sovereign of Death. His understanding of the Dao of Death surpasses those Sovereigns who merely dabble in it.

"Do not let him resurrect within the Abyss. If he returns, he will destroy it, turning the Abyss into his domain of death!

"Du Ling was once of the Spirit Race, but he dreamed of creating an entirely new race that he called the Dead Spirit Race.

"World God Paragon! If you need me, I am willing to cross over to the Abyss and stop Du Ling's resurrection!"

Xing Huan had made his decision the moment he detected Du Ling's residual divine power.

"There's no need for such trouble," Pang Jian responded.

His reply was not only directed to Xing Huan but also to Fa Ji, Bai Zi, Yuan Yi, and Yu Hang.

When Du Ling first revealed himself, Pang Jian had used the World God Pendant to rally the other World Gods, establishing a connection with each one to alert them of the incoming battle.

However, he soon abandoned the thought of relying on them, having gained a sudden confidence in himself. While within the Abyss, he believed he could eradicate Du Ling's remnant divine power, even without the intervention of the other World Gods.

"Pang Jian, don't be reckless! Du Ling was only a step away from becoming the Sovereign of Death!" Yuan Yi roared, having already summoned the Celestial Fey Warhammer atop Thunder God Mountain. "If you lose and Du Ling resurrects, everything the Sovereign I serve has planned will be ruined!"

Atop the same mountain peak, light flickered continuously in Pang Lin's eyes as she issued commands in secret.

The black turtle, the Black Dragon King, and Yuan Qi were already descending to the Fourth World to aid Pang Jian against Du Ling.

Du Ling...

Arcs of lightning snapped and hissed around Pang Lin. She quietly suspected that this heretical Outer God named Du Ling had chosen to unleash his divine power in the Abyss not only because he had sensed the presence of another World Tree, but because he had caught a whiff of her lingering presence.

The young World Tree and her remains in the Seventh World gave Du Ling a real chance to ascend as a Sovereign.

"First Sovereign Luo, then Fu Ya, and now you, Du Ling." Pang Lin let out a cold snort.

***

In the Nether Abyss, Bai Zi cried out in alarm, "Pang Jian! Senior Long Di once told me that the Geretical God named Du Ling is incredibly dangerous!

"Pang Jian, open a spatial rift! Let us join the battle in the Abyss!"

In the starry skies, fluttering banners floated behind the towering Great Demon God, Fa Ji.

𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

The re-emergence of Du Ling had stirred all the Great Demon Gods. Luan Ji, He Motian, Tian Wei, and Qi Ling were all urging Fa Ji to lend aid to Pang Jian.

"Right now, that demonic cloak is not with his physical body. It's with his Immortal Divine Soul," Fa Ji said in frustration. "But his Immortal Divine Soul is missing. It's not in the Abyss."

At present, Fa Ji could only communicate with Pang Jian through the World God Pendant. The only way he could assist was if Pang Jian opened a spatial rift.

However, Pang Jian had not granted access, only allowing the other World Gods to observe.

"Pang Jian can likely erase the imprints that Du Ling left behind," Luan Ji said calmly. "Du Ling's strength hinges on mass death. Since Pang Jian discovered it early, he'll be able to deal with it."

"Luan Ji, do you really have that much faith in him?" Tian Wei asked in surprise.

Luan Ji nodded. "Just wait and see."

Qi Ling and He Motian appeared skeptical, not quite believing that Pang Jian could stop Du Ling's resurrection alone.

***

"Dao of Life, connect!"

Crimson lightning surged into the towering World Tree in the Fourth World of the Abyss.

These crimson bolts transformed into tangible manifestations of the Dao of Life within its trunk, catalyzing the tree's metamorphosis.

New, intricate patterns emerged along its bark, leaves, and roots.

The Dao of Life branched into many paths. Some governed flesh and blood, while others were tied to the essence of vegetation.

The World Tree's innate mysteries were almost entirely attuned to the latter. It was not particularly adept at creating sentient lifeforms or healing the wounds of powerful beings. Fortunately, nearly all branches of the Dao of Life could be harmonized.

This was precisely why Yuan Yi, despite pursuing the aspects of blood and flesh, had sought to enter the Abyss when he learned of this young World Tree. He wanted to refine it to complete the missing links in his Dao.

By that same logic, Pang Ling could similarly evolve if she attained Yuan Yi's insights into the Dao of Life.

Within Pang Jian flowed three distinct branches of the Dao of Life, one from Pang Ling, one from Yuan Yi, and one from the Sovereign Luo's shattered Divine Persona of Life.

As a Sovereign, Luo Hongyan naturally had an extraordinarily profound understanding of the Dao of Life. Her insights alone were enough to elevate someone to a high-ranking God.

With the enhancement of his soul essence, Pang Jian, a high-ranking God himself, had also gained a deep understanding of the Dao of Life within him.

At this moment, he was channeling these three branches of the Dao of Life through the sea of blood and into the death-shrouded starry expanse Du Ling had created. He also imprinted a portion onto Pang Ling.

"Father, I-I'm evolving at an astonishing pace!"

The roots at the base of the colossal World Tree mutated, fading from dusky brown to a vivid red, like the sinewy tendrils of a mighty flesh-born creature.

Crimson plating as hard as forged iron emerged on its massive trunk like crustacean shells.

Dark red veins formed in the verdant leaves, making each leaf appear as if it pulsed with blood vessels.

In the heart of the tree, the emerald lights that made up Pang Ling's shattered spirit body absorbed the essence of Yuan Yi's and Sovereign Luo's Daos of Life.

The emerald lights flared with intense vitality.

Potent imprints of life swiftly overwrote the lingering traces of death within them.

"Father, I...I think I can forge a body of flesh and blood!" Pang Ling exclaimed with joy.

***

Streaks of crimson lightning surged through the starry expanse steeped in deathly stillness, completing the construction of a body above the altar of bones ahead of Du Ling.

A strange version of Pang Jian stood calmly in the churning sea of blood, silently watching the still-evolving pale gray crystalline filaments.

This Pang Jian appeared otherworldly, his body seemingly forged from crimson lightning and seemingly capable of siphoning vitality from any living creature or plant at will.

"Du Ling, they say you nearly ascended to become a Sovereign among the Heretical Gods," Pang Jian said with a wide grin. "Did you intend to make your return in our Abyss?"