Chapter 924: An Old Grudge

Tian Yu's expression shifted.

It really is her!

He vividly recalled the image of the peerless Black Empyrean Phoenix, soaring through the starry skies.

Like Fu Ya, Luo Hongyan, and the God of Fate, he too had once lived under the shadow of that Black Empyrean Phoenix.

The Black Empyrean Phoenix had always stood at the pinnacle, the strongest of the Sovereigns. That was, until she died in the bizarre mist.

Even the thought of her awe-inspiring power back then caused Tian Yu's heart to skip a beat.

She's finally returned to the starry skies. She...

Tian Yu's unease stemmed from the fact that he had not expected Pang Lin to actually respond.

Since her death, his dominion had only grown more stable, and his comprehension of the mysteries of space had even reached its limit.

He had always believed himself to be peerless beneath the heavens, throughout the history of the Void Race, and even in the long chronicles of the Dao of Space.

Pang Lin, on the other hand, had yet to even return to Sovereignhood after her nirvanic rebirth.

How can she respond so calmly to my descent in true body? Why am I so unsettled?

Despite having grown vastly more powerful over the many years since her passing, Tian Yu still harbored a deep-seated dread toward that Black Empyrean Phoenix.

The boundaries of space within Tian Yu's Shattered Void groaned and screeched like scraping blades.

The fractured starry region was mending.

His divine domain only reached its full potential in a state of fragmentation. It required countless broken shards of space for him to manipulate at will. A stable and complete space, governed by intact laws, would only diminish the power of his divine domain.

Even the fleeting echo of that Black Empyrean Phoenix's voice was enough for his Shattered Void to slip from his control.

Tian Yu's expression darkened.

The Illusory Void Realm.

At that moment, through one of the shards in his divine domain, he saw a young girl clad in flowing black robes traverse through the starry region and appear before him in a single breath.

This was not the Black Empyrean Phoenix he once knew.

Her delicate human body radiated none of the boundless vitality he remembered. There was no overwhelming aura belonging to a Fey God nor any divine consciousness vast enough to envelop an entire starry region.

Unlike the awe-inspiring Black Empyrean Phoenix, Pang Lin seemed comparatively frail and powerless. Despite this, she still dared to appear before him and face him head-on.

A spear wreathed in an aura of destruction materialized above Pang Lin's head. Then, an eye resembling a twisted sun appeared, hovering alongside the spear.

The arrival of the Spear of Ruin and the Eye of Destruction made it feel as if two worlds had descended upon this fractured space.

Tian Yu stared at Pang Lin, feeling the oppressive might of the two supreme divine artifacts, and his unease only grew stronger.

Unlike fools such as Ling Xuan or Zi Wu, he knew the truth about the Black Empyrean Phoenix and her terrifying legacy.

As a Sovereign, he was qualified to commune with the will of the starry skies.

The fragmented traces of her downfall and the veiled hints from the will of the starry skies had long caused him to suspect that the Black Empyrean Phoenix had, on multiple occasions, come terrifyingly close to ascending as a God King.

All the God Kings of the past had fallen, but the Black Empyrean Phoenix had endured. That fact alone suggested that she was no less powerful than those God Kings.

"It's been a long time," Tian Yu said quietly, staring at the unfamiliar human before him. "I expected you to return someday, but I didn't expect it to be so soon."

Pang Lin's eyes were distant and thoughtful.

"Tian Yu, the only reason I perished in the bizarre mist back then was because the three of you ambushed me. I had no time to prepare.

"I never expected the three of you to have already formed a secret pact, plotting together to eliminate me.

"Had I known, I would've brought the few supreme divine artifacts I sealed within the Dark Star. I wouldn't have fallen victim to your combined betrayal if I had."

The Illusory Void Realm arrived in a flash, suspended above the starry region where Tian Yu's Shattered Void had formed.

Tremors rippled through the fabric of space. The fragmented pieces of the starry region stirred, its scattered pieces slowly drifting toward one another, as if invisible hands were restoring its original form.

This was one of the mystical powers of the Illusory Void Realm.

The Illusory Void Realm, a supreme divine artifact passed down through the Void Race, not only allowed its wielder to traverse the fabric of space freely but could also restore cracks or rips in said fabric.

In other words, it was the ultimate counter to Tian Yu.

The fabric of space was mysterious and unfathomable. Tian Yu, the Sovereign of Space, had forged himself a divine domain he named the Shattered Void.

He would shatter an entire starry region and wield its broken fragments as devastating weapons. This divine domain was unimaginably terrifying, capable of unleashing power beyond measure.

Once the Shattered Void was unleashed, it would often bring about the total collapse of an entire starry region.

Though the starry skies were said to be vast and limitless, the number of starry regions capable of sustaining life was, in truth, finite. Whenever the Shattered Void tore apart a starry region, it meant the total annihilation of that starry region and the instantaneous death of all life within it.

For Tian Yu, shattering the fabric of space was the pinnacle of his power. Reconstructing a ruined starry region, however, was not as easy.

The supreme will of the starry skies would never permit Tian Yu to wantonly destroy starry regions, and he knew this all too well.

That was why he rarely unleashed the full power of the Shattered Void, lest he provoke that supreme existence and suffer divine retribution in return.

In truth, at his level, he seldom needed to use the Shattered Void at all.

Pang Lin was simply an exception.

Even the threat of the Black Empyrean Phoenix was enough for him to unleash the Shattered Void.

Deep down, he still feared her, and he was determined to erase every trace of her existence, no matter the cost.

"Back then, if I had known you had the Illusory Void Realm, and you had been willing to hand it over, I would have been willing to pay any price." Tian Yu's gaze fell upon the massive mirror, the Illusory Void Realm, behind Pang Lin. "Black Empyrean Phoenix, you know how important this artifact is to me."

Pang Lin's expression remained blank. "Of course."

Since Tian Yu created the Shattered Void, he had scoured the starry skies in search of the Illusory Void Realm, determined to claim the supreme divine artifact for himself.

The Illusory Void Realm had the power to smooth over the fabric of space, restore shattered starry regions, and return them to their original state. It was the perfect divine artifact for Tian Yu.

With the Illusory Void Realm in hand, this God of Space could unleash his Shattered Void without restraint. As long as the starry region could be restored afterward, he would no longer have to fear punishment from the will of the starry skies.

With the Illusory Void Realm, the greatest flaw of his Shattered Void would be resolved. The divine domain itself would even undergo a transformation. Perhaps, it could even become the key that allowed him to become a God King.

He knew this, and so did Pang Lin.

This was the reason Pang Lin had kept the Illusory Void Realm hidden all this time, ensuring that Tian Yu would forever see no path forward.

"If you had given me the Illusory Void Realm back then, perhaps I would have stood by your side instead," Tian Yu said.

Pang Lin was surprised. After giving it some serious thought, she said, "If the Illusory Void Realm were in your hands, you would've eventually come to comprehend its mysteries and realized that it's both a mirror and a wondrous realm. You would've then merged it with your divine domain.

"At that point, you would've gained the qualifications to face me head-on. Would you have been content to remain beneath me after that?

"Tian Yu, with your unyielding pride and ambition, you would've done everything in your power to become a God King, forever striving to rise above us all.

"So tell me. Why would I hand you the chance to rise, and let you step on my head in the process?" Pang Lin's lips curled into a mocking, icy smile.

"I already suspected the Illusory Void Realm was in your hands. You were cast down into the bizarre mist because you wouldn't yield," Tian Yu said flatly. "You vanished for years after that. You've returned to the starry skies now, but what can you possibly do?"

Pang Lin let out a soft laugh. "You said it yourself. I was cast down into the bizarre mist, not destroyed. I'm still alive, am I not? And as long as I'm alive, the future holds infinite possibilities.

"I'm afraid it won't be as easy for you, Fu Ya, and Luo Hongyan to ambush me again. I'm well prepared this time."

The shattered starry region, gradually stabilizing under the influence of the Illusory Void Realm, became connected with the Bewildering Dustlands. It was as if the two regions had become one.

A powerful spatial distortion surged in the hearts of all living beings. The bodies and divine souls of the Outer Gods twisted as if wrung into ropes. The sensation was so intense that it made them feel like vomiting blood.

Strange radiance flowed toward the Illusory Void Realm like streams.

The vast expanse of space itself shifted, like rugs being pulled beneath their feet, endlessly drawn toward the Illusory Void Realm.

The World Tree did not move. Neither did Lin Baixiang, Mu Qingya, Dong Tianze, Li Yuqing, or any of the others.

It was the fabric of space around them that was shifting.

They watched in stunned horror as the Illusory Void Realm grew ever larger, eventually filling their entire field of vision.

It looked like a smooth mirror from a distance. However, as they gazed up at its encroaching form, they could not help but feel as though they were staring into a strange world.

There was a reason this artifact was not named the "Illusory Void Mirror," even though it resembled one—the word "Realm" was the only word that could truly reflect what it was.