In Golden Plume City, Pang Jian attempted to touch the golden feather with his finger.
The feather's razor-sharp radiance sliced through the skin of his fingertip the instant it made contact!
It was a sharpness honed to the absolute extreme—a metal energy capable of shattering the sky, piercing the endless darkness, and slicing the Abyss apart from top to bottom!
The golden feather carried Fey Emperor Jin Yu's Heavenly Dao!
Jin Yu had always sought to break free of the Abyss.
The barrier above, the endless darkness below, even the boundary walls surrounding the Abyss had been unrelenting obstacles in his search for an escape.
Fey Emperor Jin Yu had long been searching for a way out, even before any Fey Race had ascended to godhood using spiritual qi in the First World of the Abyss.
This obsession ran so deep that the divine power he left behind from eras long passed still bore its imprint!
Pang Jian had no way of knowing how many attempts Jin Yu made or what his final fate was, but the sheer sharpness of will embedded within the golden feather left him deeply shaken.
The wound instantly healed when Pang Jian pulled back his finger. Closing his eyes, he then immersed himself in the profound mysteries of the Dao of Metal.
That fleeting moment of contact with the golden feather was enough for him to understand that Fey Emperor Jin Yu's insights into the Dao of Metal far surpassed the fallen True God Fan Ao, despite both having ascended through the same Heavenly Dao.
Since Pang Jian could not absorb the golden feather into his dantian, he simply remained in Golden Plume City, carefully studying this remnant of the late Fey Emperor, seeking to grasp the depths of its metallic essence.
Beneath a remote stretch of the starry skies, a dimly glowing figure emerged unnoticed from the boundless sea of bizarre mist.
I finally made it out.
Pang Jian's human-sized Immortal Divine Soul gazed at the endless expanse of the bizarre mist below.
Despite the distance, he could still vaguely sense the location of his physical body. This was the only reason he did not lose himself in the bizarre mist and could still distinguish up from down while inside.
Thanks to you, I escaped as well. The Abyssal Demon smiled inside the Abyssal Demon Sword, his strikingly handsome face filled with joy. I can finally soar through the starry skies beyond the Abyss!
The Frost Crystal God slowly descended on her divine platform from above.
Her delicate oval face, frost-kissed skin, and jade-like bones exuded an aura of icy ethereality.
A silver robe embroidered with snowflakes draped elegantly over her slender figure. Complementing her attire was a starry necklace, crystal-clear earrings, and a crystal bracelet.
It was clear she had carefully adorned herself.
The exquisite accessories only accentuated her beauty. She was an enchanting sight of icy elegance, like a solitary frost flower blooming alone atop glacial peaks, distant and untouchable.
Han Yi preferred to be alone and had never been one to wait for others. Despite this, she had uncharacteristically waited for Pang Jian's arrival outside the bizarre mist.
Raising her hand to point toward a massive star, she said softly, "It's that one. Ying Yue and I have thoroughly investigated the area. There are no other divine beings in the vicinity. That nameless star also harbors no intelligent life besides You Kui and the Star Devourer."
Pang Jian gently nodded. "You took a risk by coming to see me."
According to their agreement, he, Han Yi, and Ying Yue were not supposed to meet in person. They could communicate via their divine sense within a set range, allowing Pang Jian to receive all the necessary information about You Kui from a distance.
"I know I wasn't supposed to." Han Yi pressed her lips together and added, "But I felt—I just needed to meet you in person."
Han Yi, you've seen him now, so hurry back! The Moon God's reproachful voice was transmitted through the star-shaped necklace hanging around Han Yi's slender neck. No one can ever know we've had contact with him! Honestly, I've warned you repeatedly, but you just wouldn't listen. You're as stubborn as ever!
Even just seeing him once is enough, Han Yi replied, a faint gleam of joy flickering in her icy eyes,
Then, glancing at Pang Jian with a fleeting smile, she tossed a star-shaped crystal token to him and said, "The three of us can communicate through this. Remember: No other Gods can find out about us."
With that, she swiftly departed.
"You Kui is a God of the Ghost Race," Han Yi informed through the star-shaped crystal token after departing. "He specializes in soul-related techniques. Of these, I only know of Soul Extraction, Soul Restraint, and Ghost Rivers.
"Soul Extraction forcibly pulls a being's soul from its body. It affects all intelligent races, including Gods like us.
"Soul Restraint restricts part of your divine soul, weakening your connection to yourself.
"Finally, Ghost Rivers are mysterious rivers formed from the souls of powerful beings that the Gods of the Ghost Race have collected. Ghost Rivers can be wielded as a weapon or as a reservoir for souls."
As Pang Jian conversed with Han Yi, the Abyssal Demon used his demonic arts to observe the Frost Crystal God.
I never knew she was this powerful! the Abyssal Demon exclaimed in surprise.
Not only did the Frost Crystal God have an astonishingly vast reserve of divine power, her body was also tempered to perfection, and her understanding of the Dao of Cold surpassed that of any Ice God he had encountered before.
With her beauty and power, she likely has many admirers, the Abyssal Demon said. She's more than strong enough to stand on her own in the future.
As long as she has a solid backer and the right resources, she could very well ascend to a high-ranking God.
Pang Jian, the starry skies are vast, but high-ranking Gods are incredibly rare.
As far as I know, there are fewer than a hundred high-ranking Gods in existence. The combined number of mid-ranking and low-ranking Gods, on the other hand, is in the thousands.
Only high-ranking Gods like Zi Mo or He Motian can claim dominion over entire regions of the starry skies.
Even I dreamed of becoming a high-ranking God in the past. This woman has the potential. Moreover, she clearly has feelings for you. It's worth seriously considering having her on your side.
In my expert opinion, she has a far greater chance of becoming a high-ranking God than the Moon God, the Abyssal Demon advised, having become unusually lively after leaving the bizarre mist. Win her over. Help her ascend as a high-ranking God, and you'll gain a powerful backer.
Heck, if enough high-ranking Gods start changing their stance on the human race, it could shift the entire balance for the Abyss!
In the sword, the Abyssal Demon gesticulated wildly in excitement.
Pang Jian, just imagine. If you could—
Enough! Pang Jian reprimanded coldly, withdrawing his aura as he sped toward You Kui's star.
His Immortal Divine Soul streaked across the desolate starry skies, moving faster than it had within the Abyss.
As he soared through the boundless cosmos, he instinctively absorbed the energies scattered throughout the starry skies, integrating them into his organs, bones, and acupoints.
Pang Jian's Immortal Divine Soul was fully capable of sustaining itself while separated from his physical body.
As long as his flesh was not torn open, even injuries to his bones and internal organs could be repaired using the vast energies around him.
I'm in the starry skies!
Pang Jian accelerated, feeling like a bird taking flight for the first time.