The Purgatory Calamity
Chapter 748 - 710 Difficult Decision_1

Chapter 748: Chapter 710 Difficult Decision_1

The Great Tao is merciless, and so is He.

His true form, one of the sovereigns of the Outer Star River, now bore a face in soul spirit form with the previously cold air vanished from it.

All that remained was indifference.

It was a kind of indifference that overlooked all living beings, rules, and everything else in the world.

Such was He, not resembling a creature of flesh, blood, and emotion, but more like the embodiment of the natural laws and the Great Tao itself.

In the box submerged in the pond, He was clearly looking up at Pang Jian, but the impression Pang Jian got was that He was high above.

Time and space seemed to have been overturned in an instant, the heavens and earth seemed to have spun around, as if a great change had suddenly occurred in the realms.

Located on the upper end of the Heavenly Tribulation Pillar, Pang Jian felt that the City Lord Mansion, the Fifth Realm, the Sixth Realm, and even the Seventh Realm below were actually the upper end of Purgatory, while the First Realm had become the "bottom of the well".

His vast and endless Divine Power, as if it ought to possess such might, should be able to twist and alter the rules of the void.

"I promise that someday in the future, I will open the ’Heaven Forbidden’ of Purgatory and allow your Human Race to commence the migration plan."

He continued to kindly and gently influence with a tone devoid of ripples, speaking indifferently, "You have been outside, you should know how vast the Star River is. The Human Race has astonishing potential and can settle in the Boundless Star River in the future, flourishing in countless realms."

"I promise to recognize your Human Race as one of us, from then on you are no longer different kinds."

"To trade the death of three True Gods for a broader future for the Human Race is an easy decision to make."

"If you find it difficult to decide, feel free to ask their opinions. I can see your determination."

"Whoosh!"

The darkness in the box once again concealed His perfect soul shadow, it was unclear whether He left on his own or was disrupted by the Black Phoenix.

Great waves surged in Pang Jian’s heart; the future of the Human Race as described by Him left him at a loss, even vaguely tempted.

If He truly could keep His promise, wouldn’t that mean the tribulation of Purgatory had been easily resolved?

After the Hall of Gods was destroyed, it was He who was most enraged and initiated the pursuit of the Human True Gods, leading to the death or hiding of those ancient True Gods who had escaped Purgatory.

Additionally, a group of gods from the Outer Realm set up spatial arrays over the Mysterious Fog, ready to join forces to encircle and kill any emerging Human True Gods.

Outside, there was no place for Human True Gods to stand; survivors were regarded like rats in the streets, everyone clamoring to strike them down.

Internally, He schemed for tens of thousands of years to manifest in Purgatory with a unique body, hoping to completely eradicate the foundation of the Human Race.

This great calamity aimed at the Human Race, He was the pivotal figure, capable of both instigating and resolving it.

And now, He offered a solution.

——He wanted three True Gods to fall swiftly, to acquire their fate as soon as possible.

The Human Race would henceforth harvest peace, the "Heaven Forbidden" would be broken at some point, and the Human Race would be able to migrate a large number of mortals and Cultivators into the starry sky, thriving on different stars.

With the Human Race’s astonishing reproductive capabilities and the magic of the cultivation system, the Human Race, no longer deliberately targeted, would very likely become one of the most powerful races in the Outer Star River!

Just like the Heaven Clan, the Ancient Demon Clan, and the Giant Spirit Race.

What about Him? What would He gain?

Pang Jian followed His line of thought deep into contemplation, realizing that He, with the six God Statuses perfected, should be able to secure a final victory in His struggle against the Black Phoenix.

The Black Phoenix Sovereign’s level of Dark Secret would certainly be stripped from Him successfully, along with everything the Black Phoenix had amassed in life.

For one Sovereign to completely "consume" another Sovereign, what kind of transformation would that induce?

Divine King!

Pang Jian’s heart shook.

The position of Divine King had been vacant for far too long, and each Supreme God started as a Sovereign to advance to Divine King.

If He combined the Sovereign-level powers of both Bright and Darkness perfectly, would He then qualify to become a Divine King?

The additional controls over life, death, ice, and fire, as well as destruction, sabotage, poison, and other powers facilitated by the Black Phoenix, might indeed propel Him to the position of Divine King!

If He were to become a Divine King, embodying the supreme authority of the vast Star River, He would naturally tolerate the Human Race’s existence under His watch.

The Human Race, having yet to produce even a single Sovereign, would pose no threat to His dominion.

Pang Jian gradually fathomed the profound implications within, realizing that what He truly coveted from Purgatory was everything of the Black Phoenix; everything else could be negotiated.

The ascendancy conflict of the Alien Tribes in the Fifth Realm, the disputes between the Human Race and Alien Tribes, the Ancient Demon Clan, were merely tools used by Him.

He did not care whether the Alien Tribes succeeded, who would continue to control Purgatory, or the rise and fall of the interior Ancient Demon Clan.

Compared to His path to becoming a Divine King and His struggle with the Black Phoenix, all those matters were trivial.

"Swoosh!"

Pang Jian transformed into a grey rainbow of light, flying from the summit of the Heavenly Tribulation Pillar in the Fifth Continent toward the outer void.

The azure light barrier opposed him not, allowing him to pass through in a flash.

In the blink of an eye, he materialized before Pu Zhaotian and others.

"Hey!"

Pu Zhaotian laughed loudly, pulling at the corners of his mouth as he pointed at Pang Jian and said to the others, "Look! Didn’t I tell you he could easily pass through the barrier? Since he’s the Realm God of this era, of course, he has ways to break all barriers!"

"Pang Jian, what exactly is happening inside?" Jiang Fan asked anxiously.

Both Su Wenrou and Yin Ji, two women, smiled at him subtly, their eyes brimming with anticipation.

They were all anticipating that he could find a way out for everyone, leading them out of the Fifth Realm saturated with the Death Force.

"The war between the two Sovereigns, right from the beginning, involved the entire Purgatory, the Fifth Realm, the Sixth Realm, the Seventh Realm; their war is everywhere."

Once Pang Jian spoke, it was such earth-shattering news that it shocked everyone into changing color.

"Who is the other?" Pu Zhaotian reined in his smile, took a deep breath, and asked solemnly, "Where is He now?"

"The Seventh Realm, a fallen Black Phoenix, is in the stage of Nirvana Rebirth."

Pang Jian did not hide a single word, first explaining what he saw after his descent into the Seventh Realm—the enormous Black Phoenix.

Then he explained that the Filthy Essence was its source, and all the demons of Purgatory originated from the Bloodline Treasury it carried, making clear that the Heaven Phoenix was indeed a split from Its essence.

The revelation stunned everyone.

"Purgatory’s Luo Hongyan, known as God Luo outside, is one of the Sovereigns. The Black Phoenix’s fall, He was one of the participants, possibly even the leader."

"After the Black Phoenix fell, shrouded by the Mysterious Fog, it disappeared without a trace, and the gods searched in vain."

"But now, He has still found Purgatory. After tens of thousands of years of accumulation, the Black Phoenix has begun its road to Nirvana Rebirth."

"The war between the two great Sovereigns is currently unfolding and is likely to continue for quite a while."

"Just now..."

Pang Jian paused for a moment, giving everyone time to digest before continuing, "Luo Hongyan urgently needs three kinds of Fate to forge life, flame, and darkness into God Status, to take the initiative in the war."

"Her promise is that the tribulations of the Human Race in Purgatory will thus end, and in the future, they might have a foothold outside the heavens."

"From then on, no god spirits will gather outside ’Heaven Forbidden,’ to encircle and suppress our Human True Gods."

"Furthermore, She said ’Heaven Forbidden’ would open for a period in the future, where cultivators and mortals can all sail away, settling across the vast Star Rivers."

"..."

Pang Jian detailed Luo Hongyan’s promises and his own analysis, including the prospect of Luo Hongyan potentially becoming a Divine King, explaining everything thoroughly.

This matter concerned the future of the Human Race; he had to treat it seriously.

Li Wang, Zhu Ji, Ghost Mother, Shifu Pu Zhaotian, Yin Ji, Su Wenrou, and Jiang Fan—seven individuals representing the major forces of the Human Race—were entitled to be informed.

After he finished speaking, the rampant Death Alien Power that was everywhere eerily calmed and settled down.

The Death Force ceased infiltrating the bodies of the True Gods; it was as if it too was patiently waiting for their decision.

Luo Hongyan’s will could clearly influence every strand of the Death Force and observe them through the breath of death.

Without the intrusion of the Death Force, everyone should have felt a bit more relaxed, but Pang Jian sensed that everyone’s mood had become even more solemn than before.

The scene fell into a terrifying silence.

Gradually, the expressions of Li Wang, Jiang Fan, Su Wenrou, and others began to flicker uncertainly.

Pu Zhaotian’s lips curled up slightly. At this moment, he suddenly embraced Yin Ji in his arms, lowering his head to flash her a grin.

Yin Ji’s eyes were full of deep affection, as if her heart had melted.

After an uncomfortably long silence, Ghost Mother, with an icy expression, was the first to say, "To exchange the deaths of three True Gods for a broader future for us is indeed a good deal."

Li Wang nodded.

Zhu Ji remained silent.

Su Wenrou furrowed her brows.

Jiang Fan looked grim.

Pu Zhaotian chuckled and said, "I don’t care what happens in the future. Anyone who dares think of letting Yin Ji die, Pang Lin and I will make sure he dies first!"

His words were filled with assertiveness and didn’t seek Pang Jian’s opinion at all.

The kid was his own disciple, and why wouldn’t the kid agree with any decision he made?

—Pu Zhaotian had no doubt that Pang Jian would agree with him.

Yin Ji’s eyes brimmed with boundless tenderness as she pressed closer to him, her lips curling into a sweet smile.

Pang Jian smiled and nodded gently toward his Shifu’s wife, Yin Ji. Although he didn’t speak, his actions spoke volumes.

Then he bowed respectfully to Su Wenrou.

Su Wenrou pursed her lips and smiled lightly, suddenly feeling that taking in Pang Lin might be the most important decision she had made in her life.

"The deal might seem good, but if you are determined to go ahead, then just choose three people to die," said Pu Zhaotian, beckoning Su Wenrou over before addressing Li Wang and the Ghost Mother, "If you disagree, you could also try your luck in a fight."

The previously harmonious atmosphere instantly became tense.

On Li Wang’s side stood Zhu Ji, Ghost Mother, and Jiang Fan; on their side were him, Pang Jian, Yin Ji, and Su Wenrou.

Four against four!

He didn’t want to die himself, nor did he want Yin Ji to die, and Pang Jian was unwilling to let Su Wenrou, who had cared for his sister for years, die. So, the only option was to let the others die.

After the Ghost Mother said it was a good deal and Li Wang nodded in agreement, it indicated that they had come to a decision.

Zhu Ji would always stand firmly by Li Wang’s side.

Jiang Fan was also a member of their team.

...