Chapter 75

Chapter 75

The demon slowly raised a hand, a finger extended towards Ixuhuels in an inviting gesture.

"We are not enemies. Do you not wish for a successful resurrection? Let us work together to drag Him down from His divine throne. By seizing more authority from His grasp, you can be resurrected." The demon's smile deepened, his voice laced with temptation. "Do you not wish to resurrect your beloved? He has been waiting for you in the Abyss for a thousand years."

Ixuhuels paused upon hearing this, the azure soul-fire in his pupils flickering several times.

Seeing His reaction, the demon's smile grew even wider. His gaze shifted to Lou Guanyue, and he continued in the same seductive tone, "Outlander, do you not desire the authority of a deity? With divine authority and a divine spark, you could become the supreme existence in this world. As for you..."

"Do you not wish to become a renowned necromancer, commanding a mighty undead legion... *Wait*, why has your desire diminished so much?" The demon's words trailed off as he looked at Pelan, his expression suddenly turning strange.

"Human desires are boundless! How could you possibly be satisfied with such paltry achievements?!" For the first time, composure slipped from that handsome face, replaced by a flicker of shock, anger, and disbelief.

A purple glint flashed in his eyes as if frantically searching for something within Pelan.

Lou Guanyue's brow furrowed slightly. He pulled Pelan into his embrace, shielding him from the demon's prying gaze.

A pure, icy, pale flame ignited in Ixuhuels's palm. The demon could peer into the deepest desires of a heart, but Ixuhuels was not swayed by his words.

Those who made deals with demons seldom met a good end. These cunning and greedy creatures possessed no such virtue as integrity.

When the demon saw the pale flame in the Lich's palm, his scrutinizing gaze froze.

His voice turned cold. "It seems this transaction will end in failure after all. Then, let me first take your—"

Before he could finish, a concentrated lance of dark purple energy, faster than thought, tore through the air with a shriek, aimed directly at Ixuhuels's brow.

The Lich's expression remained unchanged. The pale flame surged violently, colliding with the dark purple energy and shattering it into countless faint points of light.

The demon's eyebrow arched slightly, his tone unable to conceal his astonishment. "You actually obtained the authority of War!"

"It appears your memories are not fully synchronized with Rudelsh." Ixuhuels showed little surprise. He nodded towards Pelan. "I will handle things here. You two go and find Gardner first."

Pelan nodded, took Lou Guanyue's hand, and began a spatial jump.

Their purpose in coming to the Abyss had always been to find Gardner. Ixuhuels was a true deity. Even if His current state was not at its peak, dealing with a Demi-god level demon would not be difficult.

The demon snorted coldly. His massive membranous wings spread to their fullest extent. Countless intricate threads of dark energy lit up, and a constantly shifting magic circle of dark purple and pitch-black instantly formed, emanating a terrifying suction force and a wave of destruction that caused the entire Abyssal plane to tremble.

Just as the destructive ripple was about to reach Pelan, the spatial gate slowly vanished.

The nerve-wracking sensation of the destructive wave seemed to linger even after they left that space. Pelan let out a sigh of relief but did not release their intertwined hands.

Pelan turned to look at Lou Guanyue. "You knew all along that the demon was connected to the God of Light?"

Lou Guanyue wasn't surprised Pelan had figured it out and said nonchalantly, "Apart from the color of his eyes and hair, he looks almost identical to Rudelsh."

"How did you know?" Pelan didn't hide his curiosity.

Lou Guanyue smiled. "Remember the Wraith in the ancient castle? I saw its memories. In the era when gods still walked the earth, I saw the true visage of the God of Light through Adams's eyes."

"Later, after Ixuhuels killed Adams and took the portion of authority over 'Secrecy and Prophecy' granted to him by the God of Light, He soon learned of His devotee's death. Yet, He did not retrieve him, instead exiling Adams along with part of the city of Catlas into a rift in spacetime."

Pelan frowned slightly. "Why did He exile that Divine Envoy?"

"Not merely an act of displaced anger." Lou Guanyue's lips curved. "Ixuhuels took that authority, which originally belonged to the God of Wisdom. Severely affected by the existence of 'Secrecy,' it became difficult for Rudelsh to locate members of the Holy Advent Society, now the Secret Cult. Ixuhuels also gradually reclaimed other lost ancient divine authorities through 'Prophecy,' such as the authority of War in Kaiva City."

"Rudelsh was furious. Ever since He reclaimed the authorities of numerous ancient gods, especially the 'Chaos and Corruption' authority of the God of Darkness, His divine soul was severely eroded by darkness. Due to a specific curse, He could not separate it out. He could only continuously split off contaminated shards of His own divine soul, gradually attaching the authority of Darkness to these fragments, amputating to save the life."

"That unfortunate soul, Adams, lost such an important divine authority, which is why he was exiled into the ancient castle, his soul used to suppress a portion of the corruption."

As Lou Guanyue spoke, he suddenly pointed at the *Saint's Finger Bone* atop Pelan's staff. "This is crafted from the divine body of the God of Death, imbued with the 'Peace and Purification' authority He once held. It was left by Ixuhuels for His successor, a material required for ascension to the Demi-god realm. It is also the divine authority Rudelsh has been desperately searching for and wishes to obtain."

Pelan's eyes widened abruptly. He tightened his grip on the staff. Ixuhuels had given him something so precious?

Recalling the ambush he had encountered not long ago, his eyes flickered. He finally pressed his lips together and asked, "Did Field bring the knights and priests of the Church of Light to the forest because he was influenced by the God of Light?"

As if knowing what Pelan was worried about, Lou Guanyue raised his hand and gently ruffled Pelan's soft hair.

He softened his tone. "The effect of 'Demon's Whisper' is to amplify the malice in a person's heart. The God of Light merely caused that day to arrive sooner. Teacher, Filian is not worthy of your concern or pity."

Pelan nodded, then heard Lou Guanyue say plaintively in a slightly aggrieved tone, "Teacher is still thinking about them. Does that mean you haven't yet considered me family?"

All thoughts related to Field instantly flew away.

Pelan reached out and poked his arm, feeling somewhat awkward. "Of course we are family."

Lou Guanyue wrapped his arms around Pelan's waist, lowered his head to kiss Pelan's forehead, and smiled. "I'm very happy."

Doing something so intimate in a place where they could be noticed at any moment made Pelan a bit shy. He pressed against Lou Guanyue's approaching chest. "Aren't we supposed to be looking for Gardner? We should hurry. We can't let the demon's subordinates find him first."

Lou Guanyue reined himself in slightly but still didn't release the arm around Pelan's waist. "Don't worry. We just need to wait for him to come to us."

Pelan blinked. "Come to us? Gardner is still alive?"

"Of course." Lou Guanyue's chin imperceptibly shifted closer to Pelan's ear as he spoke leisurely. "The Austin family is also a Divine Envoy Family, granted the 'Creation' authority of the Earth God Frey. That Divine Envoy was Gardner's great-grandfather. He secretly bestowed the divine authority to his most beloved and talented grandson."

So there was this hidden layer!

Yue knows so much. That's my student for you... Pelan felt a surge of pride in his heart.

"A Demi-god's perception is very strong. With such an obvious coordinate, he'll soon notice us." Lou Guanyue's gaze fell on the tip of Pelan's staff as he gently pecked Pelan's earlobe.

"We just need to wait for him here."

During the wait, they casually dealt with a malicious low-level demon and a few lost magical beasts.

Yes, quite a few magical beasts actually lived in the Abyss.

Isolated from the outside world, it even housed many species of magical beasts that had gone extinct on the Yakalanst continent.

Pelan tossed all the magical beast corpses into his dimensional pocket, his face filled with joy.

"There's a teleportation array on the island. I can accompany you here anytime you wish to come." Lou Guanyue walked over and kissed Pelan's forehead.

Pelan nodded vigorously, then lowered his head to open the dimensional pocket, eagerly taking stock of today's spoils.

Suddenly, Lou Guanyue looked towards the western direction. Seeing something, he raised an eyebrow slightly and whispered into Pelan's ear, "He's here."

Pelan looked up but could only see thick fog and strange rocky caverns, no sign of anyone.

Except for—

"Chirp! Chirp!"

A faint chirping sound was almost drowned out by the wind. A small, snow-white shadow slipped out from a crevice in the rocks, nimbly weaving through the sulfurous smoke, flying straight towards Pelan.

Involuntarily, Pelan opened his left hand, allowing that white shadow to land lightly in his palm.

This was a snow-white bird with fluffy feathers, its round, bright amber eyes studying Pelan. Its gaze was clear and alert, and upon seeing the magic wand in Pelan’s other hand, the bird’s eyes became completely fixated on it.

Pelan was also examining the snow-white bird, but no matter how he looked at it, it appeared to be just an ordinary white cockatoo.

“Mr. Austin, would you like to leave with us?” Lou Guanyue looked down at the parrot and asked with a smile.

Austin?

Pelan nearly dropped the parrot. He activated his spiritual sight and indeed detected extremely faint mental fluctuations emanating from the bird.

“You know me?” The parrot turned its head—and actually spoke.

“Mr. Ixuhuels instructed us to locate you first,” Lou Guanyue said, locking eyes with the parrot. “He was delayed by a demon but will arrive shortly.”

Hearing the familiar name, the parrot—no, Austin—flapped its wings, heart leaping with joy. “He came for me too? I was afraid Ixuh had forgotten about me!”

“Mr. Austin, why did you transform into a parrot?” Pelan asked, half curious, half puzzled. Aside from the soul, this appeared entirely like an ordinary white cockatoo.

The white cockatoo’s amber eyes shifted, preserving an air of profound mystery. “This is the fruit of Grand Alchemy—the art capable of creating all living beings. The precise experimental process is highly complex. Once we depart, I’ll explain it thoroughly when the opportunity arises.”

Pelan seized upon the key phrase and pressed for details: “So this parrot body is a product of Grand Alchemy? Are you now able to forge a new body for Mr. Ixuhuels?”

The parrot was visibly startled. It hesitated, stammered, and failed to answer the seemingly simple question.

“Gardner, how exactly did you trap yourself inside this avian shell?”

Ixuhuels reached out and took the parrot from Pelan’s hand.

“Ixuh…”

The little white bird immediately nuzzled his finger affectionately, its amber eyes sparkling brightly, gently pecking his palm with its beak.

Ixuhuels stroked the warm feathers on its back—but his words were far less gentle: “You forgot to set up the soul-transfer ritual beforehand, didn’t you? And ended up stuck in this tiny, magicless bird body?”

“A minor oversight—a minor oversight. Any experiment carries risk…” The little white bird’s fluffy feathers drooped slightly, its voice softening.

Ixuhuels tapped its head, then turned to Pelan: “Bad news: Rudelsh has escaped. He’s already assembled a demon army and is preparing to invade the Yakalanst plane.”

As he spoke, Ixuhuels pointed upward, tone laced with wry amusement. “If *He* ever regains full lucidity, divine edicts should already be en route to the various races… Be cautious when departing—you may encounter powerhouses from across the realms.”

Pelan frowned. “You won’t be leaving with us?”

“I need to locate Gardner’s original body to restore his soul.”

Ixuhuels waved his hand, stepped into empty space, and vanished instantly.

Elven Forest, Ithilien.

Familiar faces gathered within the tree-hall—elders who had long remained in seclusion. Upon hearing the divine decree, they assembled before the Queen’s palace.

The once-spacious hall now brimmed with elves.

The Elven Queen rose from her throne. Standing behind her, flanking her left and right, were Sipo and Eunice.

Her beautiful face bore deep lines of concern. “Honored elders, the Light God has issued a divine decree: the abyssal demons are poised to shatter the seal and invade the Yakalanst continent once more. Elder Izavel has already led a Sun Knights squadron to investigate. We have confirmed two probable planar rift coordinates.”

She surveyed the assembled elves and continued: “Defensive measures are underway. Four elders have already been dispatched to reinforce the seals at those coordinates. Yet countless additional potential rift points remain scattered across Yakalanst. To prevent a catastrophe akin to the one ten thousand years ago, we must prepare further…”

Hoplar.

Isadel stood at the head of her squad, with numerous adventurer teams assembled behind her.

The Adventurers’ Guild had issued multiple coordinate-investigation missions—restricted exclusively to A-rank and higher teams.

The Planar Protection Mission, jointly issued as a special directive by the five major organizations and the two empires, was open to all adventurers. Its rewards were exceptionally generous—not only substantial remuneration, but also exclusive merchant-guild discounts, allowing participants to purchase magical items and equipment at drastically reduced prices.

Other major powers likewise offered diverse privileges and support.

Isadel drew a deep breath, her beautiful face resolute.

Their team had successfully completed the Kaiva City mission and advanced in rank. With unanimous agreement, they accepted the most perilous investigation assignment.

After all, investigating suspicious coordinates carried high risk—abrupt encounters with invading abyssal demons were all too likely.

Isadel mounted her white-winged horned horse. “Preparations complete—let’s move out!”

“Wait.” A gentle voice sounded beside her. Arnold lowered his hood. “Allow me to join your team.”

The Church, the Kingdom, the elves, the dwarves, the dragons—all deployed across multiple planar rift battlefronts. The demons’ assault struck faster than anyone anticipated.

Waves of destabilizing energy pulsed from the rifts. Seals, reinforced repeatedly, now endured tremendous pressure—sparking violent spatial tremors in their vicinity.

The sky darkened; in some northern regions, snow even began to fall.

A heavy, oppressive atmosphere settled over the entire continent. Everyone heightened their vigilance, closely monitoring every suspicious coordinate.

Yet the demons proved far more cunning than imagined.

Increasing numbers of black rifts—deviating sharply from predicted locations—began appearing across Yakalanst.

The heavens seemed violently torn open, revealing jagged black fissures. Orange-red magma and the acrid stench of sulfur gushed forth. Piercing roars echoed as demons surged from the spatial rifts, swarming in vast, shadowy hordes toward the defensive lines erected by the various races.

A long, narrow fissure also split the sky directly above Mankova Holy City.

This was one of the initially identified coordinates. Half a day earlier, under guidance from the Empire and the Church, most residents had been evacuated to temporary shelters on the city outskirts.

Bathed in holy light—the most potent antithesis to darkness—the demons’ assault quickly crumbled.

“These invaders aren’t so formidable after all!” Field Rodney raised his longsword high; brilliant holy flames forced a towering demon backward.

Stevie, leading the team, frowned. A Divine Magic spell incinerated a demon lunging from the right. His voice was grave: “Field—don’t underestimate the enemy!”

Within the Sanctuary.

Clad in ornate white-and-gold robes, the Crown Prince knelt on one knee before the altar statue. Golden light flowed into his body.

Upon rising, his expression softened into compassion and sorrow. All bishops and divine messengers in the hall sank to their knees in unison, faces alight with fervent devotion.

Divine Descent!

The last time the God had manifested was during the Holy War a millennium ago.

“Rise.” His voice was not loud—yet each syllable resonated as if steeped in golden holy water, washing away doubt and weariness from every heart.

The Pope trembled, bowing his head humbly, eyes lowered—daring not to meet the figure upon the altar.

“Darkness shall descend with the third toll of the dawn bell.”

He no longer looked upon the assembly. His gaze pierced through the towering stained-glass windows of the sanctuary—fixing, unblinking, upon the churning darkness above.

No one saw the pure golden pupils suddenly flash with an icy, ashen gray.

Pure light washed over the entire Holy City like a tide. All abyssal creatures touched by the holy light dissolved like snowflakes under the summer sun.

A divine miracle had appeared, and cheers erupted from the warriors throughout the Holy City.

However, a wisp of dark purple, nearly invisible, began to creep, instantly corrupting the holy light. A sinister pall enveloped the entire Holy Hall, casting eerie shadows on the devout faces of every believer looking up.

He slowly withdrew his hand, his cold, mocking gaze sweeping over the Bishops who were still reeling. The corners of his mouth lifted, curving into a malicious smile on his pure, flawless face.

The three Divine Envoys were horrified. "Who are you?! How dare you defile our god!"

His golden eyes suddenly deepened, and his smile widened. "You may continue to call me—the God of Light."

"BONG—"

A distant bell tolled, striking at the heart of everyone in the Holy Hall.

"Filian" paused, enjoying the sight of the stunned crowd below. He raised his hands as if drawing back an invisible curtain.

"I will grant you... another kind of light."

"BONG—"

Centered on where "Filian" stood, large cracks suddenly appeared on the smooth, mirror-like floor of the Holy Hall. Countless spiderweb-like dark fissures materialized out of thin air, seething with a nauseating, cold, and sinister power. The entire Holy Hall, once saturated with divine power, dimmed considerably.

The crystal dome that depicted the Light God's salvation of the world surrounded by angels shattered with a crash. Above the altar, a spatial tunnel flowing with black flames formed. On the other side of the tunnel were scorching, sulfurous magma, twisted and grotesque rocks, and densely packed demon soldiers!

The seal was broken. The Abyssal Passage had opened once more.

The third bell toll was drowned out by sharp shrieks. Winged demons poured out from the spatial tunnel, howling with manic glee, eagerly charging into the Holy City.

The Pope now wore an expression of despair. With tears welling in his eyes, he looked up at the dome, now twisted and tainted by darkness. Even the divine statue had lost its holy radiance. The hopeful light in his eyes died.

He reached out, effortlessly reclaiming the authority he had bestowed upon the Divine Envoys. Without another glance at the believers below, he took a step forward, his figure appearing outside the Holy Hall.

"How could this be..." Field stared in shock at the demons flying out from the Holy Hall, rooted to the spot.

A protective shield appeared before him, blocking a demon's attack.

Stevie glared at him. "Everyone, pull yourselves together! Fight! For the glory of the Light!"

"For the glory of the Light!"

The knights' roars and their light magic were slowly swallowed by the black tide. The golden dam of the Holy City was on the verge of being torn apart.

Then, the muffled sound of scratching and sighs came from beneath the earth. Countless pale, decayed hands broke through the soil, followed by heads and torsos. Clusters of cold, eerie blue flames ignited upon the ground.

Even the most steadfast Holy Knights couldn't help but feel a flicker of despair in their eyes.

Taking advantage of the demon legion's invasion of the plane, these shadow-lurking fanatics had also emerged to stir up trouble.

Stevie tightened his grip on his staff. The prolonged, repeated expenditure of mana had nearly exhausted his magical power.

Cunning demons noticed that this Divine Mage seemed drained. They frantically lunged at him. Knights like Field tried to fall back to protect the vulnerable mage but were hindered by an increasing number of demons.

Gritting his teeth, Stevie concentrated the last vestiges of his mana into his staff.

Even in death, he would drag several demons down with him by detonating himself!

Just as he was about to ignite himself, a massive shadow fell over him. A majestic bone dragon appeared behind him. Its skeletal wings swept out, scattering all the demons lunging at him.

Pelan still remembered this Divine Mage he had once 'robbed.' He tossed down several bottles of mana recovery and healing potions, leaving behind the words "We have a common enemy," before riding the bone dragon into the distant battlefield.

Stevie caught the potions, momentarily stunned.

A near-overwhelming white tide crashed into the demons. An undead legion composed of skeletons and wraiths fearlessly blocked the demon onslaught. Besides the undead legion, tens of thousands of golems joined the fray.

At the forefront of this vast death legion, the enormous bone dragon was particularly conspicuous. On its back stood a handsome youth in black robes. He held no ornate staff; his lips moved silently, summoning more and more golems and undead.

Under the control of the youth's vast, ocean-like mental power, this terrifying death army fiercely cut into the flank of the main demon force.

With the undead joining the battle, the knights and mages who had been fighting for so long finally had a chance to catch their breath.

"The Holy Son is actually a Necromancer?!" someone exclaimed in shock upon seeing the youth on the bone dragon.

"That's not the Holy Son," a companion beside him slapped his shoulder. "The Holy Son has golden hair and eyes like sunlight, not black hair and red eyes!"

"Pah!" A Dark Wizard nearby heard them and spat lightly in their direction. "Hounds of the Light, open your eyes! The 'Holy Son' you speak of has long been controlled by the God of Darkness. That youth is the Holy Son of our faith, the next Leader!"

The Holy Knights' expressions shifted several times at his words. Their lips moved, but ultimately, they remained silent.

"Wait, look! How can there be two Holy Sons?!"

At the forefront of the battle, Pelan calmly looked at the person almost identical to himself.

A flicker of greed passed through Filian's eyes as he spoke casually, as if making small talk. "How surprising. The thing I've searched for tens of thousands of years was finally taken by you."

He chuckled softly, his voice gentle and beguiling. "I need it very much. Are you willing to make a trade with me? Give me 'Tranquility and Purification,' and I am willing to grant you more authority, even a 'Divine Spark.'"

Pelan remained unmoved. He stared expressionlessly at the other and said coldly, "Get out of Filian's body."

He seemed somewhat surprised. "A Divine Spark is the foundation of godhood. You're not tempted by that, yet you care about this hostile brother of yours."

Pelan ignored his temptations and began chanting a spell in a low voice.

Before coming to Mancova, Gardner had lent him half of his golems. He had also successfully fused with the power within the saint's finger bone, becoming a true Demi-god.

Those who have not become gods can never imagine their might.

Pelan never knew that while controlling so many undead, he could still have enough mental power to cast a forbidden spell.

As his mana was released, light began to devour the surroundings with him at the center. The shadow at Filian's feet wildly spread and elongated.

He raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat surprised by the magic being cast. "Interesting. So you are Ixuhuels's student."

Arrogant but not foolish, the deity did not allow the spell to complete. Flowing dark golden light, like tentacles crawling from the abyss, carrying a terrifying will to annihilate all life, poured down towards Pelan.

"Let the soul break free from its bonds,"

"Return to the most silent slumber,"

"Attain eternal salvation."

Mad shrieks and roars continuously echoed in Pelan's ears, tearing at his nerves. Under the power of "Tranquility," he could still resist such corruption. As the final syllable fell, pure purifying power erupted from his body, silently devouring the light and the dissipating corruption.

Sensing the threat the purifying ripples posed to him, Filian's pupils contracted violently. He clearly felt that the divine erosion power he had released was being frantically erased by this bizarre "purification."

"You didn't just accept the authority of 'Tranquility and Purification'! Ixuhuels gave you 'Void' as well!" The smile could no longer hold on his face. Filian's body, having endured the output of excessive divine power, began to show fine cracks, seeping with blood.

He tried to dodge the ripples, but the surrounding space was sealed off the next instant.

This meticulously chosen vessel for His descent had now become His prison.

The moment Filian's body touched the purification ripples, He abandoned it, and His divine soul abruptly appeared outside the ripple's range.

The weight of the world's laws crashed down upon Rudelsh's divine soul. His soul stumbled, the dark energy dissipating from Him growing considerably thinner.

Even a deity cannot openly flout the laws.

"When you appeared in Hoplar's royal capital, I should have struck you down with divine punishment!" Rudelsh's gaze swept coldly over Pelan. "Even with my divine power suppressed, a mere Demi-god like you still cannot stand against a true god!"

"Unfortunately, that chance is gone." A slight smile touched Pelan's lips as he looked toward Lou Guanyue, who had appeared flanking Rudelsh.

Rudelsh also looked at Lou Guanyue. "Outlander, kill him, and I will grant you the God of Light's divine spark and authority!"

"Is that so?" Lou Guanyue idly fiddled with the red thread in his hand, speaking leisurely. "But I'm more interested in the Dark God's divine spark and authority. After all, I'm a demonic cultivator; I don't fancy playing the bald monk's game of universal salvation."

Rudelsh was momentarily speechless, then let out a cold laugh. "Aren't you afraid of being corrupted by dark power like the God of Light, being split in two?"

Lou Guanyue tilted his head, offering Pelan a gentle smile before replying unhurriedly, "What is there to fear from mere inner demons? Even if I were truly overcome by them, my love would help me find myself again."

Rudelsh: "..."

"Hmph." He now found these two an eyesore. A terrifying magic of intertwined gold and black coalesced in His palm, ready to annihilate the insects before Him.

Yet, in the next moment, His body convulsed violently, the golden light within flickering erratically.

The purification ripples were working!

Although Rudelsh had abandoned Filian swiftly, He had still been grazed by a sliver of that radiance.

The power of purification had invaded His divine soul, awakening the consciousness of the God of Light!

Suppressing his excitement, Pelan began chanting another incantation.

Rudelsh tried to flee again, but His soul found itself immobilized.

He suppressed the turmoil in His soul, looking at Lou Guanyue with disbelief. "When did you plant the Soul Puppetry spell?"

"Soul Puppetry?" Lou Guanyue spread his hands. "I'm just a magic apprentice; I wouldn't know such high-level magic... However, back in the Nightglow Forest, I did cast a Soul Snare on that Saint."

With a gentle tug of the red thread, Rudelsh's expression contorted further.

"Coincidentally, you chose him as your vessel for divine descent." Lou Guanyue blinked, admiring His increasingly pained and furious expression.

Gold and black lights clashed and devoured each other frantically, the two divine powers tightly entangled, inseparable.

"Quickly..." Golden light blossomed in Rudelsh's eyes as the God of Light successfully wrested control of the soul. Pelan wasted no more time; a white radiance of purification fell upon His soul, slowly peeling apart the tightly entwined gold and black.

"No! How dare you—" The dark soul let out a roar of extreme shock and fury. He felt an unprecedented threat, His divine power draining wildly, His control over the primary soul vanishing rapidly.

Finally, a seething orb of pure malice and resentment was completely stripped from the soul. Without pause, it swiftly fled into the distance.

Lou Guanyue gave chase without a second thought.

"Trust me, you have another battlefield to attend to."

Pelan could only stop. Watching demons still pouring endlessly from the rift's passage, he turned to look at the severely weakened Rudelsh.

"Do you still have the divine power to seal the abyssal rift?"

Rudelsh shook His head somewhat helplessly. "Thank you. My soul is extremely weak now; I must return to my divine body to slumber. I must leave the sealing to you."

After speaking, His soul transformed into a streak of light and vanished on the spot.

Pelan: "..."

Is the God of Light really this unreliable?!

Fortunately, Rudelsh hadn't truly washed His hands of the matter. The instant the light vanished, another silvery radiance descended upon Pelan.

Pelan felt a sudden influx of sealing knowledge in his mind. Immediately after, the mana throughout his body surged continuously, like a bottle being constantly filled with water. Just as it was about to overflow, a lid was placed upon it.

He took a deep breath, not dwelling on the changes in his body. With the Bone Dragon's aid, he arrived at the gaping maw of the abyssal rift.

With the Bone Dragon's intimidating presence, no demon could approach him. Standing on the dragon's back, Pelan clasped his hands in a gesture of prayer, his lips moving silently as he recited ancient true words.

The power of laws flowed from his fingertips, transforming into the purest force, gathering between his clasped palms before his chest.

"With my body as the guide, my soul as the vow—Abyss, be sealed!"

The moment the words fell, countless slender yet resilient chains of law tightly bound and stitched the rift shut.

Demons attempting to force their way through, upon contact with the spreading chains of law, let out wretched shrieks and rapidly disintegrated.

The spatial rift visibly shrank and closed.

Exhausted, Pelan slumped onto the Bone Dragon's back. Now, as long as these emerged demons were driven back, the planar crisis would be resolved.

He looked in the direction Lou Guanyue had left, preparing to use their soul contract to go to Yue's side.

The recovery potion slipped from his hand. Pelan's eyes widened in disbelief.

The soul contract had vanished.

An immense panic enveloped him. Pelan's heart sank violently, as if he had instantly plunged into an icy abyss. Sharp tinnitus exploded in his mind.

He didn't even have time to process what the disappearance of the soul contract meant. Instinctively, he commanded the Bone Dragon, swiftly heading in the direction Yue had gone.

Astamis, sensing the near-overflowing terror emanating from the depths of his master's soul, needed no further command. His massive dragon wings beat down powerfully, propelling them into the distance.

Just after flying beyond the holy city, a figure abruptly appeared behind Pelan. The familiar soul aura made Pelan whirl around. The next instant, he was pulled into a warm, solid embrace.

Pelan's hands clutched tightly at Lou Guanyue's shoulders. The man's cool, clean scent filled his nostrils. Pelan's nose stung, tears nearly falling.

"Don't cry." Lou Guanyue cupped Pelan's face, gently kissing the corner of his eye.

"You... you're okay... why..." Pelan's mind was a tangled mess. He gripped the man's sleeve tightly, frantically checking him for wounds, only to be pulled back into Lou Guanyue's embrace.

"It's alright, Pelan. I'm back." Lou Guanyue whispered comfort to the youth in his arms, his heart feeling full and swollen.

He had still made Pelan worry.

He lowered his head to kiss the youth's soft hair. "Let's go home, alright?"

"Alright. Home." Pelan nodded vigorously.

Lou Guanyue chuckled softly, whispering into Pelan's ear, "After we return, let's renew our contract."

"The kind that can only be signed between cultivation partners."

Pelan's face flushed, and he softly replied with an "Mm."

The scenery along the way whizzed by, unnoticed.

After all, the days ahead were still long—they had plenty of time to take in every view together.

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Author's note: And that's a wrap! Throw the confetti! ~~