Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 490: Master and Disciple Meet at Last

In the First Continent of the Fifth World, barren peaks thousands of zhang tall jutted into the sky around a towering Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillar.

Despite their height, the mountains still paled in comparison to the Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillar.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Awe-inspiring figures descended onto the barren peaks one after another.

The moment they landed, they bowed respectfully toward the Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillar.

Li Bai of the Demon Scale Race, Lie Yang of the Radiant Race, Ah Man of the one-eyed giants, Sha Jia of the Celestial Race, Wu Bi of the Ghost Race, Chi Feng of the Blackhorn Race, Jing Sha of the Dark Shadow Race, and Qi Xu of the Flame Race were the eight Rank Ten warriors of the Fifth World.

"My Lady," they greeted as a graceful figure shrouded in blood-colored mist emerged from White Bone City atop the Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillar.

She floated above the barren peaks as six small artifacts materialized behind her.

The knife, sword, hammer, spear, mirror, and flag exuded a chilling aura.

The eight Rank Ten warriors gazed at the array cores of the Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillars, feeling the suppressing force that had dominated the Fifth World for ten thousand years.

Although many years had passed, and the divine might of the seven Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillars had long since waned, the aura emanating from the six items still weighed heavily on their bloodlines.

The seven Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillars and their respective suppressing array cores had kept the beings of the Fifth World from getting stronger for tens of thousands of years.

Luo Hongyan, clad in a black gown within the blood-colored mist, asked coldly, "Li Bai, how much do you know about the schemes of the Demon Gods you worship?"

The refined Li Bai dared not conceal anything. Lowering his head, he respectfully replied, "My daughter, Xuan Ying, may know more. I am not as well-informed."

"They bypassed me and hid their actions from the other Outer Gods, creating a Demon Fetus on the Demon Abyss Continent in an attempt to create a Sovereign equal to me." Luo Hongyan's lips curled into a mocking smile. "It would be one thing if they'd succeeded, but I suppose they're more adept at failing than not."

The knife, sword, hammer, spear, mirror, and flag—the six array cores of the Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillars—suddenly erupted with radiant light, casting their brilliance upon the towering Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillar behind her.

Whoosh!

Her divine power pierced the sky, projecting the events on the Demon Abyss Continent in the Second World onto the glowing Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillar behind her.

"The barrier sealing the Demon Abyss Continent has been broken and the Demon Fetus has been separated from the Demon Lair.

"The four True Gods, Li Wang, Liu Fu, Dong Shangqing, and Li Yuanli, are about to enter the Demon Abyss Continent to eradicate He Motian and those following the demonic path.

"I can't believe their years of scheming bore this rotten fruit!"

Her words dripped with disdain.

The eight Rank Ten warriors silently watched the scenes on the Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillar.

"I summoned you to save your life and the Demon Scale Race. The ones you worship don't care about you or the lives of your Demon Scale Race in the slightest.

"Do you really think you, Li Bai, and your force, could turn the tide against four True Gods?"

Luo Hongyan snorted coldly.

"Can you even save your daughter, Xuan Ying?"

Li Bai's heart clenched. Kneeling on one knee atop the peak, he lowered his head and pleaded, "I beg you, my Lady, please save my daughter!"

***

The sun could once again be seen above the Demon Abyss Continent.

As its blinding light poured over the continent, it illuminated the remaining survivors to the fact that they had escaped the calamity.

Many wept with joy as they basked in the radiant sunlight, unaware that the True Gods had initially intended to sacrifice them to thwart the Demon Gods' plans.

They only saw daylight again because Pang Jian had entered the barrier and recklessly absorbed the demonic energy within.

Their survival was not due to a change of heart from the True Gods, but because Pang Jian had caused the barrier to collapse.

Whoosh!

Li Wang's conjured sun reignited, radiating light so brilliant that even deities dared not touch it.

The scattered fragments of the stars swiftly reformed into dazzling constellations.

When Moon God Ying Yue saw the first rays of sunlight filtering through the gap in the barrier, she knew things had taken a dire turn.

She snorted coldly at Xuan Ying of the Demon Scale Race. "Foolish girl, your Demon Races' scheme has failed. Where will you run now?

"The Demon Races dream of producing a Sovereign—what folly!

"If not for your interference, I would've killed Pang Jian long ago. You ruined my plans!"

Ying Yue then activated a secret escape technique.

A full moon appeared before her chest and transformed into a spatial portal. She then stepped inside without hesitation.

"Moon Concealment Technique," Li Wang muttered softly.

He was the Sect Master of the Nine Tribes Sect and had taught Zhou Yi the Spatial Mirror Technique. Naturally, he was also highly proficient in such Daos and could recognize Ying Yue's secret escape technique at a glance.

Boom!

The full moon shattered with a thunderous boom.

Li Wang silently appeared beside the shattered moon and casually extended his hand in a grasping motion.

A spatial rift opened, allowing Li Wang to grab the escaping Ying Yue and drag her back into the open.

"Moon God Ying Yue," Li Wang greeted with a calm smile.

With a slight squeeze of his hand, Ying Yue's human vessel disintegrated into a mist of blood.

After destroying the puppet, Li Wang's attention turned to Xuan Ying of the Demon Scale Race.

"Young girl, your talent is exceptional. It's even greater than your father's. Unfortunately, I cannot allow you to live on."

Li Wang flipped his palm. An inverted starry sky materialized, ready to suppress Xuan Ying and crush her body and soul into dust.

Woong!

The serrated demon blade let out a long hum.

Demonic runes surged, unleashing vast divine power that shattered the inverted starry sky.

"Oh?" Li Wang raised his eyebrows in surprise.

He prepared to strike again, only to notice the Demon Subjugating Shrine descending toward the demonic stone.

Anger flickered in his eyes.

"He Motian, it doesn't matter how much chaos you stir, as long as you do not descend with your true body, you will never overturn the human race's dominion over the Demon Abyss Continent!

"Dong Shangqing, deal with this Demon Scale Race girl."

With that, Li Wang teleported to within the Demon Subjugating Shrine.

Great Demon God He Motian had freed the sealed Demon Gods and seized control of the shrine.

Moments earlier, he had shattered the fragment of Li Wang's divine soul in the shrine.

Unfortunately, just as Li Wang's divine soul was extinguished, the man appeared in his true body, prompting a helpless sigh from He Motian.

***

Elsewhere on the Demon Abyss Continent, Li Yuanli finally found the Qilin Bell.

"Brat, you're lucky!" he scolded with a sigh of relief. "Your old man is here. You're safe now. The Heaven-Encompassing Demonic Array is gone. The schemes of those Demon Gods in the outer worlds have failed."

"Was it because of Pang Jian?" Li Jie asked, glancing at the sky.

Pang Jian hovered motionlessly above, still absorbing demonic energy from the barrier.

A rotund figure in blue hovered beside him with a sword in hand.

"Li Zhaotian's here too!" Li Jie exclaimed, feeling more at ease. "Nothing can go wrong now that his master's here."

"Nothing can go wrong? He's fallen onto the demonic path. Who knows what he'll become when he wakes up?" Li Yuanli shook his head. "Still, the array only collapsed because he fell onto the demonic path and absorbed its demonic energy.

"Nothing happens by chance. Everything is preordained.

"He saved the Demon Abyss Continent and its inhabitants, but at the cost of falling onto the demonic path." Li Yuanli sighed.

Grabbing the Qilin Bell, he led Li Jie out of the Demon Abyss Continent, paying no attention to the fleeing disciples of the Demon Sect or Xuan Ying of the Demon Scale Race.

***

In the sky, Li Zhaotian rubbed his hands anxiously beside Pang Jian, waiting uneasily for Pang Jian to awaken.

He did not know whether Pang Jian was like Wu Yuan, Chen Xuanfeng, and Qu Long, or if a Demon God in the outer worlds had taken over his body and turned him into a puppet.

"There's still hope for salvation if it's the former. But the latter... There's no saving him if he's been possessed and his consciousness erased." Li Zhaotian sighed.

Inside the Abyssal Demon Sword, the Demon Fetus fighting Pang Jian suddenly fell silent as its consciousness once again fractured into chaos.

The demonic realms once again fell under the control of the Abyssal Demon, the prince of the Nether Demon Race.

Unfortunately, they had already been shattered during battle and would need to be restored.

Pang Jian! The chest! That place of boundless darkness!

You can seal the Demon Fetus there! The Primordial Demon is nearly impossible to kill, and even if he dies, I'll die with him.

Seal him in the chest! Lock him away! We can figure out the rest later, but whatever you do, just don't let him merge with the Demon Lair! the Abyssal Demon shrieked, delighted that he had found a solution for his plight.

In that instant, Pang Jian abruptly snapped back to consciousness.

His golden divine soul returned to his sea of consciousness and he opened his eyes to a familiar blue-clad rotund man waiting anxiously beside him.

Pang Jian grinned. "Master."

Whack!

Li Zhaotian smacked the back of Pang Jian's head, laughing heartily in relief. "You brat! You didn't succumb to the demonic path after all! You even remembered to call me Master!

"Good! As long as you're alive! Pang Jian, you'll have to explain how you became a World God!"

Li Zhaotian waved his arms excitedly, then pointed toward Liu Fu in the distance.

"Liu Fu, does Pang Jian look like he's lost his mind to the demonic path?

"Li Yuanli, come over here! Take a look and tell me if my disciple's all right!

"Dong Shangqing, stop chasing that girl! Is that Demon Scale Race little girl really worth all that effort? Come here and check on Pang Jian! Tell me if he's fallen to the demonic path or not!"