Chapter 907: The Fallen God Ruins

"I've found them, my Lord."

In the ruins of a crumbling ancient city, a God of the Spirit Race, wielding a long spear, knelt while gazing reverently up at a finely carved statue of the God of Wisdom.

The jade-crafted statue's eyes flashed with dazzling light as a vast will descended, turning the statue into one of Fu Ya's manifestations. The jade seemed to come alive, transforming into flesh and blood.

"Where did your information come from?" Fu Ya asked warmly.

"A mid-ranking God of the Void Race named Zi Wu," replied the spear-wielding God of the Spirit Race. After briefly explaining Zi Wu's discovery, he added, "The God of Space's instructions are for us and Sovereign Luo to send forces into the Bewildering Dustlands and wipe out the human race in the starry skies."

"Tian Yu is still the same. He values his people too much." Fu Ya nodded with a serene smile. "Gather some of our people and have them coordinate with that Zi Wu. I'll also assign someone else to accompany you all. With them on the field, this battle will be flawless.

"The Bewildering Dustlands..."

Fu Ya mentally reviewed her intelligence about that strange realm, her smile slowly growing on her face.

"There's nowhere near that anomaly for those rats to hide."

"An abandoned, desolate region truly does make for the perfect battlefield," the spear-wielding God agreed.

"Go make the preparations." Fu Ya waved her hand, divine consciousness withdrawing. The statue turned lifeless once more, capable only of listening to the prayers of its followers.

***

On the Dark Star, the Vermilion Bird's graceful, fiery form soared toward a darkness-shrouded palace.

"Divine Saint, there's news!" the Vermilion Bird reported to Pang Lin. "A member of the Void Race happened to spot the movements of those human stragglers in the Bewildering Dustlands. They're gathering forces and are planning to head there soon."

"Got it." Pang Lin's voice echoed from the massive throne. The black phoenix she had forged from pure darkness flew forth as a streak of black light from the heart of the star and landed before the Vermilion Bird. "We're going to get involved too."

"There's no teleportation array in the Bewildering Dustlands, and our relations with the Void Race aren't good," the Vermilion Bird said hesitantly. "We likely won't make it in time if we travel from here to the Bewildering Dustlands without one."

"I have the Illusory Void Realm. We'll get there in time," Pang Lin said coolly.

"The Illusory Void Realm?" The Vermilion Bird perked up. "Divine Saint, that long-lost Illusory Void Realm is with you?"

Pang Lin snorted coldly. "It's always been in my possession. Tian Yu has been searching for it for years. Back when they joined forces to hunt me down, it was also to pry information about the Illusory Void Realm from me. Go gather the Fey Gods. Once they're ready, have them come and wait here."

"At once!"

***

In the Ruin Realm, Pang Jian sat within the Sanctum of Godly and Demonic Genesis, his divine sense merged with the cyan city itself, imprinting its insights into the Dao of Life onto his Divine Persona.

With every passing second, he dissected the Dao of Life further and refined his understanding of its deepest truths.

At the same time, his consciousness was also roaming through the starry skies.

Beyond channeling the power of the Sanctum of Godly and Demonic Genesis into the World Tree to heal the True Gods and elevate their cultivation realms, he was also searching for sources rich in life energy. Eventually, he sensed life energy so intense it left even him shaken.

It was in a starry region that had been torn to pieces. Stars had been shattered into fragments, some as pieces large as continents and others as small as dust. The altars and corpses of countless Gods lay scattered all over alongside debris from ruined divine artifacts.

The sun and moon there had long gone dark. It was clearly a battlefield in the starry skies where many Gods had once gathered and waged a brutal war.

Pang Jian's consciousness, drawn by a vast reserve of life energy, crossed the endless starry skies and arrived at this battlefield. On the shattered stars, he saw many traces of once-glorious civilizations, ruined temples, and fallen kingdoms. Among these remains were even the remnants of a replica Sanctum of Godly and Demonic Genesis, completely devoid of life energy.

What is this place?

Pang Jian wondered.

A strand of his divine sense drifted across the battlefield like a ghost, searching for the strange life energy that had drawn him here.

There's definitely something here.

He was certain there had to be an object filled with immense life energy, or perhaps a powerful being, hidden somewhere in this starry expanse, but he could not pinpoint its exact location. His consciousness drifted like an invisible wind, scattering his perception.

Strange ripples spread from the remains of a dead moon, and a phantom-like figure slowly took shape.

"What are you looking for?" this phantom figure said to the empty air. "These Fallen God Ruins are under my watch. Stranger, where did you come from? How did your consciousness break through the seal and enter the Fallen God Ruins?"

That phantom figure refined itself from the chaotic energies of the region, taking the form of an old man in a gray robe. He did not look like a God and did not even have a tangible body. He was just a vague, ethereal image impossible to identify as any specific race.

"Are you talking to me? Who are you?" Pang Jian asked in alarm, warily releasing his aura outward. He had a terrifying feeling that the other party could erase him at any time.

Even Fu Ya and Ling Yun had not noticed his presence when meeting in that hidden cavern. This phantom being, on the other hand, had noticed him almost immediately after he arrived. This forced Pang Jian to treat the situation with the utmost caution.

"Who am I?"

The old man in the gray robe had sunken eye sockets and an expressionless gaze, just a darkness in his eyes. He did not move at all and simply maintained his slightly stiff posture.

After mulling Pang Jian's question over, he finally answered, "I can't remember. I only know that I am the guardian of the Fallen God Ruins, part of this ancient site itself.

"Perhaps I was one of the fallen Gods, or maybe a fusion of the lingering remnants. None of those memories remains in my mind. My only task is to prevent anyone from ever setting foot here again.

"Yet you broke through my seal and entered this domain I guard. Can you tell me where you came from?" the phantom being asked in return.

"I come from the bizarre mist. I projected my will here through the Sanctum of Godly and Demonic Genesis." Pang Jian paused to think, then added, "Something here drew me in. It contains incredibly potent life energy."

"Ah, so you're looking for the Life Crystal." The old man in the gray robe let out a soft laugh. "That crystal is here, but it's not something you can lay your hands on. The bizarre mist? It's been ages since I heard anyone mention that place. I vaguely remember that I also came from there."

Pang Jian was deeply shaken. Any being that managed to leave the bizarre mist was almost always an exceptionally powerful God. For this being to have established itself in the starry skies and become the guardian of the Fallen God Ruins meant his background was undoubtedly extraordinary.

The Life Crystal?

Pang Jian wondered. He turned the term over in his mind, but had no idea what it actually was.

"The bizarre mist has many abysses," the old man said. "Which one did you come from? What race are you?"

"I am of the human race from the Abyss," Pang Jian answered truthfully.

"The Abyss? Never heard of it." The old man looked truly puzzled. "There's no such abyss in my memory, and I've certainly never heard of any human race. How did the number of abysses in the bizarre mist go from eleven to twelve?"

"There are only eight left now. The Fey Abyss, Spirit Abyss, Wood Abyss, and Star Abyss don't exist anymore. The Abyss was probably the last abyss to form."

Pang Jian was a little shocked. If the old man's words were true, then he was a powerful figure from the ancient era.

"From twelve, down to eight, huh?" The old man let out a long sigh, sounding genuinely sorrowful. "It seems that the ones above have always held the upper hand in their struggle for dominance.

"And I—I..."

He clutched his head in confusion, gazing at the shattered starry region before him.

"It feels like I was imprisoned here, forced to watch over this place for them."