Trials of the Abyss-Chapter 544: The Bond Between Gods

Mu Wentao removed his silver mask, revealing a refined and handsome countenance. Despite being over a hundred years old, he resembled a gentle middle-aged man with a delicate demeanor, though his thin lips betrayed a hint of cold indifference.

"You'll need someone of equal standing to test a True God," Mu Wentao said. "Who do you plan to send?"

The ancient Thunder Dragon sat atop the high stone platform, baring his teeth in a domineering grin.

"Some True Gods still maintain secret ties with us even after I explicitly declared that the Dragon Lair Sect would not participate in the war between the human race and the foreign races.

"The promise of a favor from me and an alliance from the Dragon Lair Sect carries unparalleled weight.

The Thunder Dragon paused briefly as if considering his words.

"Mr. Mu, forgive my frankness, but that high-ranking God of the Ghost Race may not truly hold you in high regard. Their promises can't be entirely trusted."

The ancient Thunder Dragon refrained from being outwardly harsh, but he secretly thought, Perhaps you're merely being used...

Mu Wentao remained silent for a long while.

Then, eyes softening with indescribable tenderness, he said gently, "We both knew that she was an Outer God of the Ghost Race from beyond this world from the beginning, since my senior sister discovered her in the bizarre mist.

"We simply never imagined that she would be a high-ranking God.

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"She was an adorable infant," Mu Wentao said with a nostalgic smile. "As she grew, she became more mischievous and also more beautiful.

"My senior sister never held any affection for Momo. Her only purpose was to use her to learn about the world beyond. She suppressed Momo's memories and sealed her soul to prevent her from ever truly awakening.

"My senior sister despised Momo, yet at the same time, she relied on her growth to extract even more knowledge. Thus, she entrusted Momo to me.

"I don't know why but I just couldn't bring myself to hate or reject her, even though I knew her true identity.

"I meticulously taught her the Ghost Sacrifice Sect's secret techniques and watched her grow more with every passing day. I regarded her as my disciple, my daughter, and even as something more..."

A mix of pain and joy flickered in Mu Wentao's eyes.

"Honestly, I always had a premonition that one day she would awaken. When that time came, I knew I would have to choose between standing with the Ghost Sacrifice Sect and eliminating her or protecting her for one more stretch of her journey.

"She awakened on that Fey Spirit Continent in the Fourth World. I knew she was there and that she had awakened. I struggled with my emotions for a long time before secretly descending to see her."

Mu Wentao's expression then lit up with a strange brilliance.

"To my surprise, she didn't forget anything from our shared past even after awakening. Talking to her felt even more natural than before. Our only conflict lay in the fact that she's an Outer God while I'm a True God of the human race."

"She said..." His eyes burned with fervor. "She said that she hopes to meet me beyond the Abyss one day, in her true form, so we can continue the bond we shared as master and disciple.

"That's right! I am her true master in the Abyss, not my senior sister!"

Mu Wentao gazed up toward the sky.

"I don't care about the struggle between the human race and the foreign races. All I want is to leave the Abyss and meet her in the starry skies!

"She told me she's waiting for me out in the starry skies, but..." A pang of pain struck Mu Wentao's chest as he sighed helplessly. "Not every True God possesses the strength to break through the barrier.

"I have no chance unless my senior sister perishes, granting me control over the Pool of Reincarnation and access to the sect's treasured artifacts.

"But my senior sister taught me and cared for me over the years, even helping me secure my position as a True God. I could never harm her.

"It was then that I remembered the method you mentioned.

"If Long Zhan ascended to Rank Ten, he could tear a massive rift in the barrier, allowing all the True Gods and Fey Gods to ascend into the starry skies.

"That's why I ventured into the bizarre mist to rescue Long Zhan from Fan Ao. Everything I've done is so I can leave the Abyss and meet her in the starry skies," Mu Wentao concluded wistfully.

The ancient Thunder Dragon frowned at the realization that Mu Wentao had fallen into Zi Mo's carefully woven emotional trap. It was one he would likely never escape for the rest of his life.

Mu Wentao was a True God, not a dragon of the Dragon Lair Sect, and the Thunder Dragon's relationship with him was nothing more than a partnership. Thus, the ancient Thunder Dragon said nothing, quietly allowing Mu Wentao to walk a lonely tunnel with no exit.

It was a lonely tunnel because a high-ranking God like Zi Mo probably never harbored even the slightest genuine emotion for him.

***

The master and disciple in Imperial Dominion City bade each other farewell before going their separate ways.

Li Zhaotian returned to the Sword Pavilion to publicly announce that his disciple, Pang Jian, had become the new Sword God of this era.

The birth of a new Sword God meant the Sword Pavilion was qualified to ascend to the First World from the Second World.

This was a dream Li Zhaotian had long yearned to fulfill but could never achieve. However, his disciple ascended to godhood from the Nirvana Realm, a feat unprecedented in history and perhaps never to be repeated.

Li Zhaotian was incredibly proud and was determined to spread the news far and wide.

He resolved to use this achievement to reclaim the Sword Pavilion's lost territories and reestablish it as the most dominant force in the Abyss.

***

Pang Jian appeared deep beneath the ground of the Resolute Expanse with a flash of brilliant light.

The Rank Nine black turtle occupied a vast space underground, with its massive head alone spanning a hundred mu.

"How does it feel to be an Immortal Realm God?" the black turtle rumbled deeply, voice echoing from deep within its abdomen.

"Not bad," Pang Jian replied with a squinting smile.

The energies within his physical body, the Heart of Winter, and the Thunder Pool had perfectly integrated with his Immortal Divine Soul the moment he returned.

Pang Jian essentially had two bodies now, with his Immortal Divine Soul containing not only soul essence but also all the energies his physical body held.

During his time in Imperial Dominion City, he had discovered that the two were perfectly compatible. He could fight with a unified body and soul or separate them to use independently in battle.

It was truly a wondrous phenomenon.

"The three Blessed Lands in the Resolute Expanse have fully formed. My bloodline has also advanced to Rank Nine," the black turtle informed, its intelligent eyes glowing with satisfaction. "Even an ordinary True God would find me a worthy opponent if they fought me on this fragmented land.

"I've heard about the possibility of ascending to an Immortal Realm God, but it's never actually occurred before.

"Where did your divine soul go for so long?"

Pang Jian quickly recounted his earlier explanation to his master, Li Zhaotian.

The black turtle was stunned.

"A Fey God from the Ancient Fey World," it murmured. "So, there's a world beyond the Abyss where our Fey Race can survive.

"If that's the case, our situation seems far better than the human race. Still, we remain trapped in the Abyss, unable to step beyond."

The black turtle did not care about the Shadow Abyss or the Star Devourer, focusing only on the Ancient Fey World. This newfound information stirred a sense of hope within him.

"What do you know about Aberrant Spirit, the Star Devourer, and the Shadow Abyss?" Pang Jian asked.

After some reflection, the black turtle replied, "I've never left the Abyss or wandered the starry skies, so I know nothing about any of those things."

Pang Jian sent a wisp of divine sense into his Abyssal Demon Sword. What about you?

Powerful Aberrant Spirits can be used to forge the highest-grade of divine artifacts, the Abyssal Demon replied. Naturally-born Aberrant Spirits are exceptionally unique lifeforms.

Naturally-born ones can even rival Outer Gods in power. Some can even surpass mid-ranking gods. However, these are exceedingly rare.

Whenever one appears, it inevitably creates a frenzy among the Outer Gods, all vying to claim it. For this reason, every Aberrant Spirit takes extreme care to conceal itself.

The one in the Shadow Abyss is of no low rank, but since you could step into that world, then...

The Abyssal Demon's lips curled into a wide grin as it burst into laughter.

Get ready! Let's head into the Shadow Abyss and take down that Aberrant Spirit!

***

Pang Jian did not rush to emerge from underground, instead familiarizing himself with the peculiar sensations that came with the reunion of his Immortal Divine Soul and his physical body.

Extending his perception outward, he soon came to understand the state of the Abyss over the past two years through the inhabitants of the Resolute Expanse above.

It seemed little had changed.

There had been no conflict between the human race and the foreign races of the Fifth World during this time. Both sides had exercised considerable restraint for two years, maintaining an almost unspoken truce.

The upheaval in the Imperial Dominion had eradicated almost all the heretical cultivators. Additionally, no one on the fragmented lands of the Second World dared to recklessly pursue forbidden techniques anymore.

Over the past two years, the most powerful figures of the First World had finally agreed on a strategy moving forward.

All humans below the Spirit Condensation Realm—including non-cultivators—were to be systematically relocated to the four continents of the First World.

The True Gods had persuaded every faction in the First World to make unprecedented sacrifices and accept extreme overcrowding to provide sanctuary for those from the lower worlds.

Furthermore, the most powerful factions—the divine kingdoms, the Pure Land Sect, the Nine Tribes Sect, the Divine Treasure Sect, the Forsaken Expanse Sect, and the Ancient Law Sect—had chosen to establish bases on the fragmented lands of the Second World and the Demon Abyss Continent.

Wave after wave of powerful cultivators descended, preparing to confront the next invasion of the foreign races.

The weak were lifted to the First World, while the strong were sent downward, effectively resolving the prior imbalances within the Abyss.

The True Gods had designated the Second World as the primary battlefield against the foreign races when the murky energy inevitably surged.