Chapter 852: Shattering the Divine Domain

The lifeless starry expanse grew increasingly real.

Du Ling stood atop a massive altar built from white bones, slowly rising into the skies where the Dao of Death wove together.

His body continued to absorb pale gray filaments, and he rapidly grew in strength.

The aura of death from the outer worlds poured into his still-forming body in ways so subtle that even Pang Jian could barely perceive them. His divine power grew ever denser as time went on.

"Du Ling!"

"The God of Death!"

"Our God!"

A chorus of voices echoed like a tidal wave, as if billions of beings across the starry skies were still worshiping Du Ling, even after his death.

The bone altar beneath him transformed into an ancient kingdom steeped in death, with malevolent phenomena taking shape in its far corners.

Du Ling's confidence grew with every second Pang Jian remained silent.

"Once I've resurrected and become a Sovereign, the Heretical Outer Gods will no longer be a disorganized rabble. I promise to grant your human race a flourishing starry region in the starry skies where your kind can dwell eternally.

"The True Gods of the human race will be recognized as Orthodox Gods. The other races won't hunt your kind anymore.

"I even promise you that—"

Du Ling brazenly made promise after promise, never once mentioning the real reason behind the True Gods' destruction of the Hall of Gods.

Pang Jian was curious about the Hall of Gods, and grew visibly impatient as Du Ling continued to dodge the topic.

"Too much pointless chatter. I'll just ask someone else."

With that, he summoned even more blood through the holes riddling Du Ling's divine domain.

Du Ling's starry expanse started to unravel under the overwhelming deluge. The Dao of Death and the aura of death were washed away with the flood, and Du Ling's control over his divine domain teetered on the brink of collapse.

"Wait! I'm not refusing to explain. Just give me a moment!" Du Ling cried in panic.

His divine domain trembled on the edge of ruin, and signs of annihilation loomed once more.

***

Three towering Fey Gods pierced through the leaden clouds bordering the Third and Fourth Worlds, plunging straight toward the vast continent where the World Tree had taken root.

From afar, they could see the World Tree standing in a vast sea of blood.

A colossal golden figure had flooded the entire continent. Crimson bolts of lightning streaked across the sky like raging pythons, hunting down pale gray crystalline filaments steeped in the aura of death. A fractured starry expanse unraveled beneath the sea of blood, the encroaching tide slowly consuming it.

The Black Dragon King halted his descent, enormous eyes filled with confusion. His claws, capable of rending space, swiped unconsciously through the air, tearing open visible cracks in the sky of the Fourth World.

"This...doesn't look nearly as dire as the Lord said."

When the Black Dragon King received Pang Lin's order, he rushed down without hesitation, fearing for Pang Jian's safety.

He had assumed that the Wood Race had long since been wiped out and that the World Tree was on the verge of death.

Contrary to his expectations, the World Tree shone with vibrant vitality. Mysterious blood-colored veins ran along its thick trunk like muscle fibers, forming armor-like plates akin to ironclad shields.

Powerful blood essence churned within the tree's core as the World Tree underwent an astonishing transformation.

It appeared to be evolving into a lifeform of flesh and blood.

The leaves of the World Tree carefully enveloped the dead Wood Race warriors lying among the withered flora, stirring them back to life.

𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"It seems we don't need to intervene after all," said the towering Yuan Qi.

The black turtle's gaze was fixed on the lifeless starry expanse. Sensing the profound mysteries radiating from Pang Jian's strange body of blood essence and the Dao of Life within, he said, "Let's just watch for now."

At that moment, a cyan sword light tore through the heavy leaden clouds.

The clouds parted to reveal Li Wang, Zhu Ji, Li Zhaotian, Su Wanrou, and Mu Qingya, with his Heavenwood Sword [1].

The black turtle, Black Dragon King, and Yuan Qi sensed the tangible sword intent radiating from Mu Qingya and knew at once that the unfamiliar face was no ordinary person.

"A human in the Transcendent God Realm!" they exclaimed in shock.

As the black turtle studied the new face, he suddenly froze in realization.

"Mu Qingya!" blurted the black turtle. "I never expected you to return from the starry skies."

The black turtle had long since regained all his past memories. Thus, he naturally remembered the significance of this Sword God who had played a pivotal role in the history of the Abyss.

"Greetings, senior." Mu Qingya bowed deeply. "Thank you for the tremendous contributions you've made to the Abyss over the years. Without your mediation, the alliance between the human race and the Fey Race would never have been formed, and the foreign races of the Fifth World would've likely already conquered us."

His respect for the black turtle was genuine and heartfelt.

"I only did what I had to," the black turtle replied. Transforming into the form of a dignified middle-aged man, he said, "Junior Mu, since you've returned from the starry skies, can you handle that leader of the Heretical Gods, Du Ling, below?"

"Heretical God Du Ling?" Mu Qingya exclaimed in shock.

Although he had sensed a vast aura of death spreading across a massive continent in the Fourth World, he had not realized its source.

The knowledge that it was Du Ling brought a chill to his heart.

"Is this Du Ling well known in the starry skies?" Li Wang asked with a frown.

"He's a Heretical God who nearly became a Sovereign," Mu Qingya said grimly. Drawing in a deep breath, he added, "I'd heard of his infamy when I first left the Abyss. Many Heretical Outer Gods revered him. He created many kingdoms of death in the starry skies, attempting to carve out a domain of his own.

"Du Ling..."

Mu Qingya lowered his head, his gaze falling upon the death-stained starry expanse below, worry for Pang Jian flickering in his heart.

"Du Ling's divine power directly suppressed my Heavenwood Sword and the Dao I pursue."

As a Transcendent God, Mu Qingya was the strongest human cultivator in the Abyss aside from Pang Jian, surpassing even Zhu Ji by a full realm. That was why both Li Wang and Li Zhaotian had placed such high hopes on him.

Seeing Mu Qingya's apprehension toward Du Ling brought a wave of unease to the gathered True Gods.

"Du Ling intends to resurrect using the young World Tree and the inhabitants of the Abyss," the black turtle said coldly. "His resurrection requires the deaths of countless creatures of flesh and blood. If he were to resurrect in the Abyss, all life here would be wiped out."

The situation was more dire than the True Gods had expected.

"Pang Jian!"

At that moment, Wu Yuan, Dong Tianze, and Li Yuqing, the three newly ascended True Gods, also tore through the leaden clouds.

"What are you all standing around for? Why aren't you going down to deal with that leader of the Heretical Gods?" Dong Tianze snapped, eyes sweeping briefly over the group before drawing his Bloodthirsty Sword and charging down.

"Dong Tianze is being far too reckless! Du Ling nearly ascended as a Sovereign in the past. His Dao of Death is nothing Dong Tianze can contend with!" Li Wang said urgently.

Mu Qingya exclaimed, "His cultivation involves blood. I'm more worried Du Ling will exploit him instead!"

"Even I feel an overwhelming fear toward Du Ling," said the normally ruthless Yuan Qi. The aura of death below sent a chill running down even his spine.

As his lineage traced back to the Yuan Yi, Yuan Qi could instinctively sense the incompatibility between him and Du Ling.

Suddenly, interwoven arcs of crimson lightning tore apart the lifeless starry expanse in the sea of blood. The celestial bodies and the kingdoms of death within the starry expanse popped like bubbles.

Du Ling's divine domain became steeped in crimson.

The overwhelming Dao of Life had completely drowned out its aura of death.

1. Both the divine sword and Mu Qingya's title are "the Heavenwood Sword" ☜