Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 560: An Outer God's Affection

Pang Jian's Immortal Divine Soul was different from the Outer Gods. For Ying Yue and Han Yi, their divine power and Heavenly Daos could often be sensed from the aura emanating from their bodies.

The power of these Outer Gods was often revealed through their bodies, leaving visible traces for others to discern. Meanwhile, Pang Jian's greatest strength remained hidden in his sea of consciousness.

Moon God Ying Yue had already experienced an unforgettable encounter with Pang Jian's divine sense in the Abyss. That memory left her with a deep reluctance to get close to Pang Jian. Moreover, probing another's sea of consciousness was a highly intrusive act, and she dared not act recklessly.

Thus, all she could sense was the power contained in Pang Jian's physical body, which was indeed merely that of an Immortal Realm cultivator, only slightly stronger than others in the same cultivation realm.

"He can't provide us with enough help. I think we should just give up," Ying Yue urged.

Han Yi's eyes, cold like frozen stars and glowing with icy light, calmly replied, "This isn't his divine body. It's his former mortal body. He wasn't in this form when he fought the Star Devourer last time."

"Then have him release that divine body for us to see. We need to confirm his power before making any decisions," Ying Yue said reluctantly.

She would have tactfully retreated long ago if not for Han Yi's predicament.

For an Outer God like her, associating with a True God of the human race was already incredibly risky. If such a connection became known, it would invite widespread criticism.

Even teaming up with Pang Jian in the Shadow Abyss was inherently improper and left her feeling conflicted.

The usually cold and aloof Frost Crystal God gazed at Pang Jian with hopeful, pleading eyes.

"Pang Jian, you..." she said gently. "The Star Devourer is no ordinary foe. We have made every preparation and even descended with our divine artifacts, yet we still lack complete confidence.

"Could you...release your divine body and give us some reassurance?"

Their previous intertwinings of divine sense caused the Frost Crystal God to feel that her relationship with Pang Jian had become something more.

She had never experienced such emotions before meeting him, nor had she ever interacted with male Gods. That unforgettable encounter had truly touched her heart and soul.

This was the reason she could mentally set aside the inherent opposition between Outer Gods and the True Gods of the human race.

The Frost Crystal God forgot that an Outer God like her was supposed to not only distance herself from the True Gods but also strike them down on sight.

"Reassure you?" Pang Jian frowned deeply. "The two of you, residing in the starry skies above the Abyss in your true forms, are no different from the other Outer Gods scheming to harm us.

"I refrained from immediately destroying your puppet vessels when I entered the Shadow Abyss. That, in itself, was already an act of generosity.

"Tell me why I have to cooperate with you and provide you with any reassurance? And when, exactly, did I ever agree to join forces with you to kill the Star Devourer?" Pang Jian questioned in genuine bafflement.

Different races meant different allegiances. There were even clear factional divides even among the divine beings in the starry skies.

A Frost Crystal God and a Moon God were waiting for him in the Shadow Abyss, intending to join forces with him against the Star Devourer.

Pang Jian simply could not understand what the two Outer Gods were thinking.

"Killing the Star Devourer is my own business and has nothing to do with the two of you. Remember this. I'm a True God of the Abyss. I'm destined to be your enemy in the future, so let's just act as if we never crossed paths here."

With that, Pang Jian shot toward the grayish-yellow star on his sword.

Noticing plumes of smoke rising from the six continents below, he peered down to see that countless cities and mountains had been destroyed.

Instead of ascending to the star, he approached the continents and extended his divine sense. The endless wails of despair soon revealed the tragedy that had unfolded.

Meteors had obliterated ancient cities, temples, palaces, and sacred mountains. Countless inhabitants of the Shadow Abyss had been massacred.

The severed limbs of children, the headless skeletons of the elderly, and the crushed remains of women could be found throughout the ruins of the once-prosperous cities.

The cries of anguish from the continents were deafening. Voices steeped in helplessness called out for loved ones, and orphaned children sobbed in the wreckage.

Thriving cities and land had been reduced to graveyards, saturated in a bleak aura of death and desolation.

The inhabitants of the Shadow Abyss lived tragic lives under the Star Devourer's shadow. They had no future, and even the strong dared not advance their bloodlines or strive for ascension to godhood.

Now, even the weak were being mercilessly slaughtered.

The Shadow Abyss had no human race, and its myriad of other races would likely be adversaries of the human race in the Abyss. Still, Pang Jian could not help but empathize with the inhabitants as he took in the horrific scenes on the six continents.

He could not help but wonder if this would be the fate of the human race in the Abyss.

If the Outer Gods breached our final defenses and our True Gods fell one by one, would my master, Senior Sister Hu Yuanfei, Senior Brother Chen Weihuang, Dong Tianze, Qi Qingsong, Zhou Qingchen, and my sister Pang Lin face a similar fate to this?

A single Star Devourer had already extinguished the hope of this world's inhabitants, slaughtering its weaker races with impunity.

Meanwhile, countless Outer Gods stood poised above the Abyss, determined to annihilate the human race!

Pang Jian felt an immense pressure settle on him.

Even if he were not a World God, he was determined to give his all to seek a glimmer of hope for the human race in the Abyss.

The tragedy of the Shadow Abyss could not be allowed to repeat in the Abyss.

He could not bear to see the human race, or those dearest to him, slaughtered like livestock.

For this purpose, he would use the Star Devourer as a stepping stone to further strengthen himself. He needed to quickly enhance his power to prepare for the upcoming turmoil in the Abyss.

***

"Han Yi, did we misjudge him?" Ying Yue asked, still in disbelief at Pang Jian's words and departure.

For Outer Gods like her and Han Yi to lower themselves to interacting with Pang Jian had been a significant risk. Despite this, their attempts were met with nothing but cold mockery and outright rejection.

Pang Jian bluntly refused to join forces with them and made clear the antagonistic relationship between humanity and their kind.

Proud as she was, Ying Yue would never have waited for Pang Jian in the Shadow Abyss if it weren't for Han Yi's predicament, nor would she have spoken politely to him.

This human boy not only failed to show gratitude, he even had the audacity to mock her!

"I—" Han Yi felt a deep bitterness. She never expected Pang Jian to show them no courtesy. "I thought our relationship was no longer one of enmity after our divine senses intertwined. It seems...I was presumptuous."

The Frost Crystal God's sorrow was so poignant that even Cui Ling, still kneeling with her head lowered nearby, could sense her feelings for Pang Jian.

The Outer God was filled with affection, yet the one she admired remained indifferent and detached.

How pitiful, how tragic. Cui Ling sighed inwardly.

Burying her face against her chest, she prayed earnestly once more, hoping that these Outer Gods from the starry skies would bring down the Star Devourer.

"That wretch Pang Jian is truly heartless and ungrateful! He deserves to die ten thousand deaths!" Ying Yue fumed. "I'd like to see how he plans to fight the Star Devourer in that pitiful mortal form!"

Han Yi tilted her head back, summoning the Frigid Nether Mountain from within her body and lifting it in her jade-like left hand.

"Ying Yue, prepare yourself. We need to find the right opportunity to support him and deliver a fatal blow to the Star Devourer," she instructed.

Despite Pang Jian's cutting remarks, the Frost Crystal God chose to set aside her inner frustration and self-pity to prioritize the greater good.

"You actually trust him?" Ying Yue retorted angrily. "Do you truly think he can harm the Star Devourer?"

Han Yi took a deep breath as the divine artifact in her hand grew, releasing a cold energy capable of freezing the heavens and earth.

The Nether Mountain originated from the starry skies and was a product of an incomparably frigid and remote region.

Each of these mountains was considered a priceless treasure to those pursuing the Dao of Cold. When refined, the Nether Mountain could be fused with frigid artifacts, to potentially transform into a divine artifact.

Han Yi's Frigid Nether Mountain had been refined into a divine artifact with the help of a certain high-ranking God.

As the Frigid Nether Mountain hovered in her hand, she murmured softly, "I've seen his battle with the Star Devourer. Ying Yue, please trust my judgment. He's not as weak as you think."

Ying Yue sighed, shaking her head in resignation. "Ah, love truly blinds."

Meanwhile, as Pang Jian drew closer to the grayish-yellow star, he noticed dozens of meteors streaking toward him with pinpoint precision.

Whoosh!

Pang Jian's radiant Immortal Divine Soul burst from his head, expanding to tens of thousands of zhang in an instant.

Boom!

Dazzling starry skies unfurled behind his Immortal Divine Soul, with the sun and moons suspended within its vast expanse.

The black-gold Abyssal Demon Sword, freed from its sheath, enlarged and rested effortlessly in the grasp of Pang Jian's Immortal Divine Soul.

Six demonic realms materialized amidst the sprawling starry skies with a flick of the sword.

The meteors formed from colossal chunks of the star had yet to even reach Pang Jian's Immortal Divine Soul before the deceptively gentle starlight emanating from the vast starry skies completely obliterated them.

The Star Devourer's first wave of attacks dissipated into nothingness.

Pang Jian let out a derisive laugh as he approached the grayish-yellow star. He moved with the bearing of a God descending upon a mortal world.

The inhabitants of the Shadow Abyss on the six continents wept at the sight.

Unlike before, they were crying because they had seen hope.