Chapter 893: Advanced Warning

In the Darkcloud Realm, the branches of the colossal World Tree had taken on the color of verdant jade, with streams of light flowing inside like bubbling springs.

The old World Tree had since been reduced to sawdust, scattering into the vastness of space.

Meanwhile, the young World Tree vibrantly transformed.

A graceful figure stood tall above the canopy of the young World Tree, gazing into the distant starry skies, as if looking at the faraway worlds where the Wood Race thrived.

The lack of Wood Race members is keeping me from reaching Rank Thirteen.

Pang Ling frowned.

As long as she could establish resonance with the Gods of the Wood Race, she would achieve a breakthrough. Likewise, the Wood Race would also benefit from her.

Why did that high-ranking God of the Wood Race disappear after going to the Ruin Realm with father?

Pouting to herself, she suddenly caught sight of a young girl in green flying toward her on a divine sword.

World-rending sword intent radiated from the divine sword beneath the young girl, creating strange sizzling sounds as it traveled. It was as if the fabric of space itself could not handle her razor-sharp sword intent.

"You..." Pang Ling's body trembled involuntarily as she recalled how this young girl had nearly cleaved her in two years ago.

"You've changed a lot since leaving the Abyss," Li Yuqing said, ponytail whipping behind her as she landed. "You're going to be in danger soon. Can you try to establish a connection with Pang Jian?"

"Danger? What danger?" Pang Ling asked in surprise.

Li Yuqing raised her hand and swung her sword, drawing out a long river of sword light infused with the Dao of Fate. "There's a Spirit Race man coming up from the bizarre mist via a teleportation array. He seems to be headed for you."

Fragmented Divinity Mountain appeared within the river of sword light, along with an unremarkable-looking Spirit Race man.

Pang Ling was surprised. "I don't know this man."

"He's a God of the Spirit Race. I sensed he would come for you," Li Yuqing said, her brow twitching slightly as she felt the restriction of the Heavenly Dao weighing on her. "Pang Jian hasn't sent us back to the Abyss, so we'll get dragged into it along with you.

"I first sensed I'd be in danger myself, and when I traced it to its source, it led me to you. That's when I saw this Spirit Race man."

Li Yuqing had already reached the Transcendent God Realm, on par with a high-ranking God. Under the guidance of the God of Fate, her understanding of the Dao of Fate advanced by leaps and bounds. Naturally, her intuition for impending danger had also become sharper.

The True Gods in the distance all looked as if they were about to face a great enemy.

Sensing the impending crisis, Li Yuqing had warned everyone that a God of the Spirit Race was coming to the Darkcloud Realm to destroy the World Tree. She also made it clear that this God of the Spirit Race was extremely formidable and that none of them would be a match for him.

The True Gods of the human race panicked. Even Mu Qingya was at a complete loss, no longer daring to communicate with Lin Baixiang and the others. They were all afraid the God of the Spirit Race would wipe them out in one fell swoop.

The Spirit Race? Why would a God of the Spirit Race target me?

Pang Ling wondered.

After some thought, she said, "Only someone skilled in the Dao of Life would be interested in me. Yuan Yi wanted to use me to make up for what he was missing so he'd qualify to become a Sovereign."

"Yuan Yi?" Li Yuqing froze for a moment. "I heard he died in the Ruin Realm. Moreover, I can sense that this God of the Spirit Race also happens to be highly skilled in the Dao of Life."

Realizing something was wrong, she hastily used the Pearl of Fate to communicate with the God of Fate.

"What?!" Li Yuqing exclaimed in alarm. For the first time since she left the Abyss, she could not sense the God of Fate's presence. "Something's wrong! We need to find Pang Jian or evacuate from the Darkcloud Realm!"

Making a snap decision, Li Yuqing flew straight toward the star where the True Gods were gathered.

"It's dangerous here!" she shouted as she approached. "We can't stay any longer. Senior Mu, do you have any way to get everyone out of here? Anywhere else would be safer than staying here!"

Mu Qingya, the Bronze-Masked God, had been reluctant to establish communications with the True Gods in the starry skies for fear of dragging them into trouble. Glancing at the teleportation array he had built, he asked in a deep voice, "Are you certain?"

"I'm certain," Li Yuqing said firmly.

"Very well. We'll move somewhere else!" Mu Qingya glanced at the World Tree, which was already shrinking, and shouted, "If you want to live, come with us!"

"I'll come with you! I can't reach father. He's too far away!" Pang Ling said in a panic.

"Then hurry over here!" Li Zhaotian shouted.

Wu Yuan, Dong Tianze, and other True Gods like Zhu Ji were all unsettled by Li Yuqing's words, but in the end, they all chose to trust her.

***

Pang Jian maneuvered the massive skull of the God King through the gray bizarre mist as he sorted through the new information.

The God of Fate, the God of Space, the God of Wisdom, and the God of Light are the reigning Sovereigns.

According to Yan Hao's memories, if the Outer Gods wished to invade the bizarre mist, they would need a God King to lead them. Even a Sovereign was not enough to roam unchallenged within the bizarre mist.

A grand event occurs once every hundred millennia. This in turn grants the potential for a new God King to rise. So, among these four existing Sovereigns, who will earn the favor of the supreme will of the starry skies? Fu Ya, Sovereign Luo, or one of the other two?

Pang Jian fell into deep thought.

The spatial rift before him remained open, allowing him to watch as his other self led Bai Zi, Xing Huan, Fa Ji, and the Duke of Thunder to pay respects to the remains of the Black Empyrean Phoenix.

The Primordial Demon had fallen silent ever since the Duke of Thunder appeared in the Seventh World of the Abyss alongside the Divine Court of Thunder.

Even when Fa Ji approached to inform him about the predicament facing the Demon Gods, he only maintained an aloof expression, disinclined to respond.

"The Duke of Thunder..." the Primordial Demon murmured.

The miniaturized Divine Court of Thunder in the Duke of Thunder's hands emanated an aura powerful enough to annihilate him, erasing every last wisp of his demonic will and soul.

"Relax. My pursuit of the Dao changed after I resurrected." The Duke of Thunder, in the appearance of an elderly Thunder Race man, grinned. "I killed more than enough Demon Gods, Great Demon Gods, and the Gods of the Ghost Race in my last life. I tried to reach the rank of Sovereigns by driving your two races to extinction, but looking back, that wasn't the best choice."

The Duke of Thunder came to a stop before the enormous remains of the Black Empyrean Phoenix. Clicking his tongue in admiration, he thoughtfully stroked his chin.

"The Sovereign of the Fey Race once suppressed the strongest of all races, leaving destruction in its wake.

"In this life, I was reborn in the body of a Thunder Dragon. I suppose that makes me one of them."

"As for you..." He turned toward Pang Jian's Immortal Divine Soul. "Your sister, Pang Lin, is she really the Black Empyrean Phoenix? Your sister's Dao is to fuse lightning with a supremely powerful soul to break through, correct?"

After returning to high-ranking godhood, the Duke of Thunder had awakened many long-buried memories and gained insight into his past life. He now understood that the Dao he had pursued in his previous life had been obsessive. Even if it had pushed him into Sovereignhood, he would not have been able to walk that path for long.

Thus, he planned to try a different approach in this life, though lightning would remain the core of his Dao.

The Duke of Thunder could not help but wonder if Pang Lin's pursuit of the Dao of Lightning would stand in the way of his own ascension as a Sovereign.

"She's not my sister. My sister is her," Pang Jian explained.

"Then please tell her this for me. I, too, want to step into Sovereignhood. Right now, I'm not just a divine being of the bizarre mist like her. I'm also a Thunder Dragon of the Fey Race. Ask her to find a path for me."

With that, the Duke of Thunder bowed respectfully to the remains of the Black Empyrean Phoenix.

"All right, I'll talk to her," Pang Jian's Immortal Divine Soul replied. Then, pointing upward, he added, "You're free to move around in the Abyss as long as you don't cause any trouble."

"Of course!" the World Gods agreed in unison.

***

The massive God King's skull drifted through the bizarre mist like a blazing sun.

"Fragmented Divinity Mountain!"

Pang Jian emerged on the skull's forehead, gazing curiously at the strange, cracked mountain.

"Who is that?"

"What is that thing?"

"A gigantic skull?"

The Gods atop the mountain peak paled when they saw the enormous object drawing closer.