Trials of the Abyss-Chapter 617: Six Divine Personas

Long Xiao had spent tens of thousands of years fortifying the Dragon Lair Sect and had many secrets within its depths.

While in the Dragon Lair Sect, Long Xiao received a significant boost in strength, much like Li Zhaotian when harmonized with the barrier or the black turtle when fighting on the Resolute Expanse.

The injuries he sustained would rapidly heal through the accumulated reserves, and his expended divine power would also be replenished.

If push came to shove, he could even extract the subterranean spirit veins at the cost of destroying the Sacred Soul Continent. He could even siphon the energy from the Fey Race to bolster his strength.

As the Shield of the Abyss, Li Zhaotian would never allow an intact continent to be decimated just because of his battle against the ancient Thunder Dragon.

Li Zhaotian only recently ascended to godhood, and his understanding of the barrier was still deepening.

Even so, his strength was advancing at an astonishing rate with each passing moment.

Given a little more time, he would come to comprehend the mysteries of the barrier, becoming the strongest among the True Gods.

Killing the ancient Thunder Dragon would be far easier once that happened.

Each additional delay increased his odds of victory in his next battle against Long Xiao while reducing the price he had to pay.

As he was about to leave the Second World, he sensed a strand of Fortune descending.

This strand of Fortune was drawn from within the barrier, transforming into a crystalline radiance before falling toward the astral winds bordering the Second and Third Worlds.

The barrier of astral wind was a favored place for many Soul Wandering Realm cultivators to temper their divine souls.

With the threat of murky energy and the invasion of the foreign races, however, that turbulent region was nearly deserted.

The descending Fortune caught Li Zhaotian's attention, piquing his curiosity and prompting him to investigate.

He arrived at the barrier of astral wind in the time it took to brew a pot of tea.

There, he saw a man clad in dark blue robes with thick brows and deep-set eyes. The man sat upon a dilapidated altar, exuding a calm aura.

At the center of the man's forehead was an eye, fused with his flesh and brimming with wandering souls.

Li Zhaotian frowned.

Wu Yuan of the Demon Sect.

Rather than approaching recklessly, he observed from above the astral winds.

His divine sense split into many invisible sword intents, sweeping across the thousands of li around Wu Yuan's altar. Surprisingly, he found no Demon Sect cultivators standing guard.

He's in the Immortal Realm, and his divine soul is infused with abundant divine consciousness, similar to Pang Jian.

Who would have invested so much divine consciousness to reshape his divine soul? When he returned from Absolute Heaven, his divine soul was hardly any different from Qi Qingsong or Zhuang Yuyan.

Was it He Motian? Or perhaps, the Primordial Demon?

Li Zhaotian stroked his chin, fingers sinking into the layers of fat, deep in thought.

After observing for a while, he confirmed that Wu Yuan still retained his sense of self.

There was no external will from a Demon God interfering with him.

Even so, that did not mean a Demon God would not eventually corrupt his will or seize control of his divine soul.

I could eliminate him now and erase a future threat, or...

Li Zhaotian hesitated.

Wu Yuan's retention of his own will was a rarity in a time when the entire Demon Sect had fallen into depravity, with nearly all its members willingly embracing the demonic path.

He Motian had possessed Sect Master Xiang Shengwei.

The Immortal Realm elders had willingly pledged allegiance to the Demon Gods, each choosing to descend into corruption.

Wu Yuan, on the other hand, had his independent will intact and was attempting to draw upon Fortune to ascend to the True God Realm.

There was no doubt that a Demon God was backing him.

Li Zhaotian was certain Wu Yuan would be possessed either during or after his ascension to godhood. It was simply a matter of whether it was the Great Demon God He Motian or the Primordial Demon.

Killing Wu Yuan and returning the Fortune he had drawn back to the barrier was undoubtedly the most logical course of action.

However, Wu Yuan had not yet truly succumbed to the demonic path. A Demon God had not tainted his divine soul, and he still retained his complete sense of self.

Is it right to prematurely kill him just because he could fall into demonic possession in the future?

If Wu Yuan were to be killed, then what about Dong Tianze? He cultivated the Blood God Art and has yet to lose his mind. Will he have to be slain as well?

I dared to let Dong Tianze go even before I ascended to godhood and harmonized with the barrier. I even entrusted the Bloodthirsty Sword to him.

Do I really need to fear a Demon God taking root in Wu Yuan?

Li Zhaotian chuckled to himself.

Deciding to let go of the matter, he departed without revealing himself.

When the lingering sword intent in the area completely dissipated, large beads of sweat seeped from Wu Yuan's forehead.

Li Zhaotian of the Sword Pavilion.

Wu Yuan took a slow, steady breath at the realization that he had just brushed past the edge of death.

***

In the outer reaches beyond the Sacred Soul Continent, strands of poison surrounded Su Wanrou and her resummoned Dharma Idol.

Watching the blinding sword light streak toward the First World, she said, "Long Xiao's scheme has failed. Let's put an end to this battle."

She turned her gaze toward the Rock Bear.

The Ancestor of Ten Thousand Mountains, Ah Man, and Yu Xin of the Celestial Race had already descended into the Third World.

The Rock Bear, still manipulating the fractured pieces of the continent and controlling a sea of boulders against Su Wanrou's poisons, abruptly halted his assault.

"The Nine-Headed Bird is dead. A new Fey God will soon be born.

"If this new Fey God chooses a different path from Elder Long, there could still be room for reconciliation between the Fey Race and the human race," the Rock Bear muttered.

He glanced at the fading sword light in the distance, recalling the sight of the gravely wounded azure dragon plummeting into the Dragon Lair Sect. A surprising sense of relief welled up in his heart.

"It's time to go back."

With that, the Rock Bear returned to the Sacred Soul Continent.

"I wonder what's happening in the outer reaches of the Eastern Land." Su Wanrou wondered aloud.

After communicating briefly with Li Zhaotian through the barrier, she headed toward the Northern Ruin of the First World.

***

In the vast skies beyond the Eastern Land, six artifacts—a knife, sword, hammer, spear, mirror, and flag—floated in a hexagonal formation.

These six artifacts, originally the array cores for six of the Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillars, had grown to mountainous proportions.

A hazy, mystical domain existed within the enclosed space between the six artifacts.

Three tiny specks of light, each no larger than a grain of rice, flitted about within this enclosed space like headless flies.

The Dharma Idol of Jiang Fan of the Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom stood atop a mountain called Boundless Sky. He wore an emperor's crown and an opulent golden dragon robe, exuding an aura of absolute sovereignty.

Boundless Sky was manifested from an imperial seal, symbolizing the throne of emperors and the destiny of rulership.

Though his name carried the character Fan, Jiang Fan had never been ordinary, having single-handedly established the Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom and elevated it into the most powerful kingdom in the Eastern Land.[1]

Jiang Fan gazed at the three tiny specks of light with deep concern.

At that moment, a streak of sword light came to a halt in front of him, transforming into Li Zhaotian.

"They haven't come out?" Li Zhaotian asked in surprise.

Jiang Fan pointed at the three tiny specks of light with a wry smile. "See for yourself."

Li Zhaotian examined them with narrowed eyes. These three specks were none other than Zhu Ji, Li Wang, and Gui Mu, all in their Dharma Idol states.

Each of their Dharma Idols was as towering as mountains, stretching tens of thousands of zhang high.

Yet somehow, despite having fully transformed into their Dharma Idol and activated their divine powers, they had all been reduced to the size of mere insects, completely lost within the hazy domain.

"The knife, sword, hammer, spear, mirror, and flag each emanate enigmatic auras, seemingly corresponding to her six Divine Personas," Jiang Fan said, expression reverent and gaze heavy with solemnity. "They are separated into three pairs: light and darkness, life and death, and flame and frost.

"Six distinct Divine Personas, paired in opposition. It's both eerie and terrifying.

"The most fearsome aura right now is death, which resides in that flag." Jiang Fan's gaze fell upon the enormous, gray-brown flag.

Merely looking at it caused his vitality to start draining away, an effect even his divine power could not suppress.

Not long ago, Luo Hongyan had drawn upon Fortune at the Imperial Dominion to forge a path to godhood with the Dao of Death through a pale woman in a black stone coffin.

After ascending to godhood, the woman's body was reduced to ashes, but her divine soul had been fused into Luo Hongyan.

Thus, her Divine Persona of death was successfully established in the Abyss.

She had infused this Divine Persona of death into the flag, making it the core, while channeling the other five consciousnesses into the knife, sword, hammer, spear, and mirror to form an unfathomable, ghostly domain.

Zhu Ji and Li Wang had been the first to be trapped.

Gui Mu arrived later, intending to venture in and rescue Zhu Ji and Li Wang, only to end up suffering the same fate.

Jiang Fan had witnessed firsthand as Gui Mu entered the domain, becoming one of the three wandering specks of light just like Zhu Ji and Li Wang.

Seeing this, he dared not make his own attempt, instead waiting outside until Li Zhaotian arrived.

"Can't we just destroy the knife, sword, hammer, spear, mirror, and flag? They serve as the array core. Won't Zhu Ji and the others be freed if we break them?" Li Zhaotian asked, puzzled.

Jiang Fan shook his head with a bitter smile. "These six artifacts are tightly linked to the Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillars in the Fifth World. If they're destroyed, it could destabilize the continents of the Fifth World, potentially causing them to break apart."

"The Fifth World is under the control of the foreign races. Why do we care if their continents crumble?" Li Zhaotian was perplexed.

Jiang Fan's smile grew even more bitter. "We cannot truly let them be destroyed. The seven continents in the Fifth World can't afford to fragment any further. If even one fell, it could trigger an undesirable chain reaction.

"The seven Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillars' primary purpose was not to suppress the inhabitants of the Fifth World and curb the awakening of the Fey Race's bloodlines.

"Those are merely some of their functions.

"They were built to stabilize those seven continents. Not a single one can be allowed to break apart.

"Don't ask me why. I don't know the exact reason either. The departed True Gods left this directive for us to uphold.

"Each of the seven continents in the Fifth World is important. All of them have to remain intact."

1. The Fan (凡) in Jiang Fan's name is the same character used for "mortal" (凡人) in Chinese. ☜