Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 487: Strife Among the Outer Gods

In the skies of the contaminated Third World, fleets of massive flying vessels belonging to the Demon Scale Race hovered ominously below the Demon Abyss Continent.

All the Demon Scale Race Rank Nine warriors were gathered aboard a single warship, expressions solemn as they looked toward their leader, Li Bai.

Li Bai was dressed in pristine white without a single scale on his body and radiated an elegant aura.

Standing amid a group of heavily armored, battle-ready Demon Scale Race warriors, he seemed completely out of place as he resembled a scholar rather than a warrior.

However, every Demon Scale Race warrior present revered him deeply.

Before Li Bai's rise to prominence, the Demon Scale Race was scattered across the seven continents of the Fifth World.

At that time, the Demon Scale Race lacked a Rank Ten warrior and was thus subjected to constant oppression and exploitation at the hands of other races. Internal divisions had also left them disorganized and isolated on different continents.

Li Bai's emergence unified the scattered Demon Scale Race, granting them the right to negotiate as equals with other races.

Since then, the Demon Scale Race only grew more formidable, with a continuous influx of Rank Nine powerhouses and elites of new generations like Xuan Ying.

All of this was owed to Li Bai.

"The Demon Gods and Great Demon Gods have descended to the Demon Abyss Continent in the Second World," Li Bai said calmly. "That continent is our homeland. It is the sacred ground where the demonic stone stands.

"Xuan Ying is there now. I've just received a divine decree from a Great Demon God instructing me to lead our forces into the Demon Abyss Continent to assist their efforts."

"Patriarch, we will follow your orders."

"Sir, we are ready to move out at your command."

The Rank Nine powerhouses immediately pledged their allegiance to him one after another.

None of them questioned whether the other races were aware of this plan or if acting independently was unwise. They trusted Li Bai unconditionally and followed him without hesitation.

Li Bai chuckled lightly. "Very well. In an hour, the Demon Scale Race will initiate the assault against the Second World."

According to conventional wisdom, it was not the right time to start a war with the humans as the murky energy had yet to reach the Second World, but Li Bai cared little for such concerns.

Whoosh!

A streak of flame shot across the skies from the Cosmic Skies Continent and halted in front of the Demon Scale Race's flying vessels.

Qi Xu stood tall in the center of a blazing fireball, her fiery red hair dancing wildly like a river of flames.

"Lord Li Bai, you have been summoned to the First Continent to participate in a council. All those with Rank Ten bloodlines have been invited and must proceed to the Fifth World as soon as possible."

Qi Xu had since advanced to Rank Ten, and she smiled faintly as she said, "I'm on my way there. We can travel together."

"Right now?" Li Bai frowned.

Qi Xu nodded, her smile unchanging within the flames. "Yes, right now."

Li Bai glanced up at the Demon Sect Continent in the Second World and carefully chose his words. "My daughter, Xuan Ying, is trapped on the Demon Abyss Continent. I'm worried about her condition and was just planning to head there myself."

"By bringing all the elite forces of the Demon Scale Race into the Second World?" Qi Xu shook her head with a sigh. "Lord Li Bai, I understand that your Demon Scale Race serves the Demon Gods in the outer worlds and that you intend to stir up some chaos on their behalf, but the Great One is already aware of your plans."

"But..."

Qi Xu's expression turned serious. "Don't risk the lives of your entire race for their whims! The Great One has learned that the True Gods Li Wang, Liu Fu, Dong Shangqing, and Li Yuanli are all near the Demon Abyss Continent in their physical bodies."

Her words sent shockwaves through the gathered Rank Nine Demon Scale Race warriors, and their expressions shifted dramatically.

Even Li Bai's face darkened.

The Great Demon God they had been communicating with had omitted any mention of these True Gods. If Qi Xu's words were true, recklessly charging into the Demon Abyss Continent would mean facing the full might of four True Gods of the human race.

Li Bai fell silent.

"You are to proceed to the Fifth World and dismiss your warriors immediately," Qi Xu continued. "The situation in the Demon Abyss Continent will be explained in detail there.

"This is the Great One's decree. Even you, Li Bai, and the Demon Gods you serve have to think twice before defying a decree from someone of their rank."

With that, Qi Xu descended into the Fifth World.

After some deliberation, Li Bai dismissed the elite warriors of the Demon Scale Race and, like Qi Xu, descended to the Fifth World below.

The Great One was one of the four Sovereigns and held an official rank superior to all Demon Gods.

It was nearly impossible for any Demon Races to defy such commands without a Sovereign-level Demon God.

***

On the Demon Abyss Continent, Xuan Ying swung her blade toward the greenish-black sphere of light that was Pang Jian.

A river of silver radiance, carrying the blade intent of the demonic blade, tore through the sky of the Demon Abyss Continent, aiming to cleave Pang Jian in two.

Boom!

The dense demonic energy surrounding Pang Jian absorbed the strike like a massive cotton ball, neutralizing Xuan Ying's attack.

Xuan Ying was shocked.

Pang Jian had not even opened his eyes to counter her attack.

This human had used demonic energy, meant to empower the Demon Races, to form a barrier around himself.

Pang Jian had rendered her attack completely ineffective while madly drawing in the demonic energy from the Demon Abyss Continent.

How can he block my comprehended Dao and the profound mysteries of my bloodline? This defies all logic! Xuan Ying screamed inwardly.

Activating a secret technique of her bloodline, she used her demonic eyes to examine Pang Jian more closely. To her astonishment, the greenish-black demonic energy barrier enveloping the young man was strikingly similar to the barrier sealing the continent.

It had the same demonic patterns, veins, and interconnected arrays. The only difference was that one enveloped the Demon Abyss Continent while the other surrounded Pang Jian's body.

What kind of demonic technique is he cultivating?! Why does the demonic energy barrier around him conceal such profound principles of the Dao of Demon?

Xuan Ying swung at Pang Jian with her serrated blade several more times, but no blow could break through the demonic energy barrier.

After several failed strikes, she was eventually forced to withdraw. Shaken to her core, she used her soul to connect with the demonic patterns on her blade, seeking answers from the Demon Gods.

"The Demon Gods you revere have jointly facilitated the birth of a Demon Fetus. This Demon Fetus seems to have chosen Pang Jian, intending for him to become the vessel to carry its soul," Ying Yue sneered as she stepped past Xuan Ying.

The Moon God then pointed toward where Pang Jian was ascending,

"Lunar Ring."

Moons appeared one after another, gleaming like reflections on the surface of a lake.

These moons linked together in circular rings before shooting toward Pang Jian.

Whoosh!

The interconnected Lunar Rings broke through the oppressive barrier of demonic energy.

However, an overwhelming surge of demonic energy swiftly crushed them, and they shattered with a resounding crack.

Pang Jian was still immersed in his transcendent state and remained completely unaware of what had transpired. He soon came into contact with the Heaven-Encompassing Demonic Array encasing the entire continent.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Greenish-black demonic energy rushed madly from the array into Pang Jian's body.

From the outside, Li Wang, the other three True Gods, and the newly-arrived Li Zhaotian watched as Pang Jian gradually emerged from the barrier.

"Pang Jian!" they exclaimed in unison.