Trials of the Abyss
Chapter 752: The Mystical Abilities of the Demonic Cloak

Chapter 752: The Mystical Abilities of the Demonic Cloak

Pang Jian stood on the nameless fragmented land in the Fifth World of the Abyss, shrouded in a cloak as black as ink, still quietly delving into its profound mysteries.

Immersing his divine sense in the cloak, his perception drifted across various Demon Realms, allowing him to perceive the peculiarities and the movements of the living beings on each.

Although the cloak was originally linked to thirty-six Demon Realms, this number had since been reduced to twenty-six. The other ten had already been lost.

The Demon Realms under the Demon Races and Demon Gods were at their peak when Demonheaven was still alive and reigned as a Sovereign. That was the golden age of the Demon Races.

The Demon Races started to decline after the Black Empyrean Phoenix killed Demonheaven in the Ancient Fey World. One by one, these ten Demon Realms fell into ruin.

Regardless, the remaining twenty-six Demon Realms still left Pang Jian in awe.

Each Demon Realm encompassed an extensive region of the starry skies, within which many self-contained worlds existed.

These worlds were steeped in demonic energy and teemed with life, each governed by its own laws.

The number of worlds in a Demon Realm ranged anywhere from a few dozen to well over a hundred. Altogether, the twenty-six Demon Realms contained more than two thousand such worlds.

A variety of races lived within these innumerable worlds, many demons, but some not. However, all were devoted to the worship of Demon Gods. The cloak drew in all the negative emotions that arose within them, be it malice, hatred, or wicked desire.

With the cloak draped over his shoulders, a single thought from Pang Jian was enough to enter one of the connected Demon Realms and observe the worlds within.

The starry skies truly are vast beyond imagination, Pang Jian thought in awe.

The twenty-six Demon Realms under the rule of the Demon Races contained over two thousand worlds, yet the Demon Races were not even the most powerful force in the starry skies. They did not even have a Sovereign at the moment.

One could only imagine how many territories the races with Sovereigns held under their dominion.

The Demon Realms have been reduced to twenty-six. As for the Great Demon Gods...

Pang Jian focused his attention, tracing the names left behind on the cloak. Of the five Great Demon Gods, he could sense traces of only three—Fa Ji, He Motian, and Luan Ji.

The other two names, Qing He and You Jin, could not be detected at all, seemingly vanishing without a trace.

They had likely perished somewhere in the starry skies.

Pang Jian then turned his attention to the eighteen mid-ranking Demon Gods. Of those, only eight still left a discernible presence. The other ten were clearly no longer alive.

New Great Demon Gods and mid-ranking Demon Gods had undoubtedly emerged in this era, but their names were absent because Sovereign Demonheaven fell, and this cloak was lost.

Thus, Pang Jian could only observe and perceive twenty-six of the Demon Realms, three Great Demon Gods, and eight mid-ranking Demon Gods.

That'll do.

Running his fingers along the cloak, he sensed the vast reservoir of demonic energy within. Wicked thoughts, malicious intentions, and chaotic, ever-shifting negative emotions surged through it.

His Divine Persona remained linked to the mysterious Soulstream of the Nether Abyss, comprehension and insight rising.

As he unraveled the cloak's inner mysteries, his understanding of its wonderful abilities deepened.

A strange glint appeared in Pang Jian's eyes as he grasped a demonic technique capable of being cast through the cloak itself.

Foster demonic thoughts, bending one's original will.

Pang Jian chuckled as his divine sense locked onto He Motian's name.

Let's try it on He Motian.

Images of He Motian in different Demon Realms surfaced in his perception. Of these, one particular manifestation drew his attention.

The moon? What's He Motian doing at Ying Yue's place?

Pang Jian was taken aback.

The ethereal Zi Mo was meeting He Motian in the starry expanse beyond the moon.

***

"Zhu Ji is becoming difficult to deal with," Zi Mo grumbled.

Dark, murky rivers coiled around her body, each filled with wailing spirits and ghostly wretches. Her body, hovering between reality and illusion, seemed forged from condensed soul essence.

The high-ranking God of the Ghost Race frowned deeply. "Sovereign Luo has been in the Abyss for a long time, but still hasn't made a move. What exactly is she doing?"

All three of He Motian's heads wore grim expressions.

"I don't know," one of the heads said curtly, clearly agitated.

Just before Zhu Ji destroyed the divine consciousness he had projected into the Abyss, he had sensed the disappearance of the "veil" over the Fifth World.

Knowing full well what that veil represented, he had long suspected that the remains of the Sovereign of the Fey Race lay in the endless darkness at the bottom of the Abyss. After all, Demonheaven had perished in the Ancient Fey World, leaving not even a corpse behind.

The Black Empyrean Phoenix had vanished into the bizarre mist. The fact that Demonheaven's cloak had become the sky of the Fifth World was evidence enough of the Black Empyrean Phoenix's presence in the Abyss.

From there, it was not hard to guess that Sovereign Luo was likely working to deal with the resurrection of the Black Empyrean Phoenix. Still, he had no intention of sharing that secret with Zi Mo, so he had given her a perfunctory reply.

"You really have no idea?" A cold glint flickered in Zi Mo's eyes. "You were the one who strongly urged me to come here in the first place, to uncover the secrets of the Abyss! If not for you, I would've focused my efforts on the Nether Abyss instead!

"You know better than anyone that the Soulstream of the Nether Abyss, and its other peculiarities, are far more valuable to me than anything the Abyss has to offer!" Zi Mo's voice rose.

He Motian sneered, "And what would you gain in the Nether Abyss with Long Di still there? Would you have fared any better there if you descended in person and faced him directly? Both of you cultivate soul-related techniques, but do you really think you'd stand a chance against him if it came to a fight in the Nether Abyss?"

Zi Mo's face twisted with anger, but she could not refute the truth.

"Enough. Let's turn our attention to what Mou Qi intends to do on this visit," He Motian said, choosing not to provoke Zi Mo further. "Mou Qi has always been arrogant, not to mention, he's a trusted confidant of that Sovereign. We'd best tread carefully."

***

Mou Qi, dressed in a spotless white robe, stepped uninvited onto the Frost Crystal God's divine platform. The corners of his mouth curled in an unreadable smile. "Han Yi, how long do you plan on hiding from me?"

The divine platform, wreathed in an aura of icy cold, was the Frost Crystal God's vessel for traversing the starry skies. It was also her sanctuary and place of rest.

For Outer Gods, one's divine platform was an intensely private domain, never to be trespassed. His behavior bordered on sacrilege among the Outer Gods.

"I wasn't hiding from you," the Frost Crystal God said, biting her translucent lower lip. She retreated on her divine platform as she spoke, trying to put distance between herself and Mou Qi, only for him to advance with every backward step she took. "I know I owe you more than I can ever repay.

"Without your help, I may not have broken through to mid-ranking godhood. Mou Qi, I've always been grateful to you. It's just that..."

Forced to leave her divine platform in humiliation, Han Yi stopped at the center of the Lunar Divine Palace.

"Ying Yue is my friend. She invited me here to see if I could find an opportunity in the Abyss," Han Yi finally bit out.

Seeing this, Ying Yue could no longer remain silent. "Lord Mou Qi, do you have to be so forceful?"

She repeatedly signaled to the Sun God for help, but the usually eager-to-flatter man feigned ignorance, pretending not to notice the intent in her eyes.

Left with no choice, Ying Yue let out a cold snort. "Whatever Han Yi owes you, we'll repay you. Soon."

"Ying Yue, it would be best if you kept your mouth shut while I'm speaking with Han Yi." Mou Qi frowned, and with no regard for decorum, sat down boldly upon the Frost Crystal God's divine platform, his arrogance on full display. "There are many Moon Gods, but you, Ying Yue, are merely a mid-ranking God. You ought to know your place when faced with a high-ranking God like me."

Though he stood within Ying Yue's Lunar Divine Palace, it felt as if Mou Qi were its true master.

"Know my place?" Ying Yue snapped, her voice sharp with anger. "You storm into my Lunar Divine Palace uninvited, then lecture me on knowing my place?"

"A single rank of difference between Gods is a gap of ten thousand li," Mou Qi said coldly. "You'd do well to learn from this Sun God here. He can be quite arrogant himself, but only when dealing with low-ranking Gods. In front of me, he behaves as is appropriate for his standing. That's the only reason his path forward remains open."

The Sun God grinned, his handsome face lit with a dazzling smile. "Ying Yue, Lord Mou Qi only has Han Yi's best interests at heart. You're her friend. Why don't you encourage her instead of resisting him?"

Ying Yue cast a long, disappointed glance at the Sun God. She had no words left for him. His behavior had, in her eyes, erased any possible worth he could have once held.

At that moment, He Motian and Zi Mo arrived at the Lunar Divine Palace together.

"Mou Qi!"