Trials of the Abyss-Chapter 640: Han Yis Inner Turmoil

Pang Jian had always known about the Abyssal Demon's unruly nature.

However, he had not expected the Abyssal Demon to choose this moment to bid him farewell.

From their first encounter in the Sword Pavilion, Pang Jian had been locked in a battle of wits with the Abyssal Demon.

At first, the Abyssal Demon feigned submission while secretly stirring up trouble. Later, he even turned on Pang Jian at a critical juncture.

Pang Jian had thrown the Abyssal Demon into the darkness of the Heaven-Earth Cosmos Chest, wearing him down over time. Only after enduring this did the Abyssal Demon eventually agree to an alliance.

Despite this, Pang Jian always knew that the Demon God had his own agenda. The Abyssal Demon was not someone who could be truly controlled.

This was why Pang Jian found it grating when the Abyssal Demon addressed him as "Master."

After all, it was never real.

The Abyssal Demon only truly felt real to him after he forged a physical body and regained the full power of a Demon God.

They had fought together in the bizarre mist of Northern Qi, where the Abyssal Demon helped Pang Jian crush the Patriarch of the Demon Scale Race.

The Abyssal Demon even urged him to make a move on the Frost Crystal God after encountering her outside the bizarre mist.

In those moments, the Abyssal Demon did not feel like a mere sword soul.

The lack of deference had allowed for playful teasing. As much as it annoyed Pang Jian, it also made him realize that the Abyssal Demon himself had started to regard their relationship as one of equals.

Only then did the Abyssal Demon feel truly real to Pang Jian.

As Pang Jian used the Primeval Demon Fusion Art to refine You Kui's divine soul, a thought briefly crossed his mind.

If the Abyssal Demon were to harbor murderous intent against me as he did in the past, would I suffer a crushing defeat?

The Abyssal Demon was aware of the value of the Thunder Pool and Five Thunder Annihilation, yet he did not attempt to seize them, instead departing on the Abyssal Demon Sword.

Their connection was intact, meaning Pang Jian could still see the Abyssal Demon and sense his every move.

Thus, Pang Jian knew the Abyssal Demon had deliberately taken on his appearance. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

Pang Jian was not a fool. He quickly realized that the Abyssal Demon sought to shoulder some burden for him even after bidding him farewell.

The fact that the Abyssal Demon had not ambushed him while he was refining You Kui's divine soul, and had even chosen to aid him one last time, proved that he no longer saw him as an enemy.

This action caused Pang Jian to finally understand that he had truly earned the Abyssal Demon's trust.

Unfortunately, this realization only came when it was time for them to part ways.

The vast starry skies stretched endlessly in every direction. It was uncertain if they would ever cross paths again.

The other soul fragments from the Primordial Demon had years of accumulation and growth on the Abyssal Demon. This meant that they almost surely surpassed him in strength.

The Abyssal Demon's plan was far from guaranteed to succeed.

Pang Jian also did not know if he could successfully return to the bizarre mist under the watchful eyes of the Outer Gods.

Their connection gradually faded as the Abyssal Demon sped away into the distance.

The Abyssal Demon's breakneck speed briefly faltered when he realized that Pang Jian was likely not going to respond.

Melancholy flickered across his cold, resolute face.

"I took the sword and You Kui's spatial ring with me at this critical time. He needs the strength to return to the bizarre mist." The Abyssal Demon let out a quiet sigh. "That guy probably won't forgive me."

The Abyssal Demon deliberately masked his thoughts so Pang Jian would not hear.

Their connection became increasingly fragmented as the Abyssal Demon continued to streak into the distance.

Pang Jian's location and condition gradually faded from the Abyssal Demon's perception.

It would not be long before all traces of their connection were erased.

After that, it was possible they would never see each other again.

The Abyssal Demon let out another weary sigh. Just as he was about to accelerate away and cut off their connection for good, the long-awaited message finally arrived.

Take care. Safe travels. I hope we meet again someday.

Farewell.

With that, Pang Jian took the initiative to sever their connection.

The Abyssal Demon trembled. His eyes lit up with surprise and joy.

"Farewell!" he echoed aloud.

Then, smiling, he sped away a hundred times faster than before.

***

Han Yi clutched the crystal token as she watched a streak of black-gold light disappear into the distance.

"Pang Jian, who just left? Did You Kui escaped?

"I can tell it wasn't you.

"If You Kui escaped, you have to return to the bizarre mist now! Get back to the Abyss!

"The other Gods will soon weave an inescapable net around you. You have to move!" the Frost Crystal God anxiously urged.

The vast distance between them and the absence of lingering divine power made it impossible for her to determine exactly who the fleeing figure was.

All she knew was that it was not Pang Jian.

The Star Devourer had already fled, and Han Yi did not believe that the Demon God within the sword had the ability to sever ties with Pang Jian.

In other words, this only left You Kui.

If You Kui truly survived, he would not let her and Ying Yue off so easily in the future.

Despite this, Han Yi did not even consider what You Kui's survival would mean for her.

Her only concern was whether Pang Jian would live through this.

"You Kui is as good as dead. The one who left was the Abyssal Demon." Pang Jian's cold, detached voice came through the crystal token in her hand.

"That high-ranking God of the Ghost Race won't be able to sense his demise until You Kui is truly dead."

Han Yi's tightly knitted brows eased, and joy flashed across her face. "You already have victory in your grasp?"

"Yes," Pang Jian confirmed. "You Kui's black cloak and physical body have already been destroyed. Only remnants of his divine soul remain, but I'm already in the process of refining them.

"I'm stripping away his memories, extracting the parts of his life experience that are useful to me.

"I deliberately kept Zi Mo's imprints on his divine soul intact to prevent her from realizing his impending death," Pang Jian said calmly.

"That's good," Han Yi replied. "That puts me at ease."

"Just now, you assumed that You Kui escaped. Did you even consider what that would mean for you and Ying Yue?" Pang Jian asked.

Han Yi hesitated briefly. "I didn't think of it immediately, but now that you mention it, I have."

Pang Jian was silent for a long while.

"Go with Ying Yue," he eventually replied. "Subdue and seize the Star Devourer together. That will likely resolve your troubles in the short term. If the opportunity arises in the future, I will help you eliminate the high-ranking God coercing you.

I'm destroying this crystal token now, so don't bother contacting me again."

A sharp sound rang out.

Han Yi could no longer communicate with Pang Jian using the crystal token.

You Kui was doomed to die, and Ying Yue was already pursuing the fleeing Star Devourer.

If Han Yi joined the chase, there would be no chance of escape for the Star Devourer.

The secret of her and Ying Yue's collusion with a True God of the human race would die with You Kui. With the Star Devourer in their grasp, everything would fall into place.

This was the best possible outcome for Han Yi.

Pang Jian had severed their final link by decisively shattering the crystal token. As long as Han Yi did not act recklessly, no one would ever know what had transpired.

Pang Jian had truly done everything he could for her.

Moreover, he did not even mention dividing the Star Devourer between them.

He had left the bizarre mist, braving immense danger to launch a surprise attack on You Kui despite being a newly ascended True God.

Everything Pang Jian did was solely to help her. He had even killed You Kui without seeking anything in return on her behalf.

In doing so, he had lost both a divine sword and an ally.

Han Yi was so moved that tears shimmered in her icy eyes.

Pang Jian had always remained cold and distant, repeatedly rejecting her with unwavering indifference.

Not once did he show her kindness.

At times, he even displayed irritation, which left her disheartened.

Despite the risks and Ying Yue's repeated warnings, she had cautiously, almost shamelessly, tried to get close to Pang Jian, to the point of feeling pathetic for her actions.

She had never expected this cold man to truly respond to her.

After all, they were from different races and opposing factions. It was not a stretch for him to consider her an aggressor.

Deep down, Han Yi understood why Pang Jian rejected her and wanted nothing to do with her.

This was why she dared not dream too much or hope for more. All she had hoped for was that he would no longer hurl cold words at her. That alone would have been more than enough of a response.

Han Yi had never imagined that Pang Jian would actually leave the bizarre mist for her sake, wielding his sword to kill You Kui on her behalf while asking for nothing in return!

Trusting Pang Jian had been a gamble for her and Ying Yue.

If they lost, they would have been left with no escape.

But she had won the gamble!

Pang Jian had taken everything back for her!

"Ying Yue, You Kui is finished! Only a fragment of his divine soul remains. His body and black cloak have been completely destroyed. Pang Jian didn't ask for a share of the Star Devourer. He even told me to join you in capturing it together.

"He destroyed the crystal token he used to communicate with us. We no longer have anything to fear.

"But I'm worried about him. I'm afraid that Zi Mo will hunt him down once You Kui's divine soul is completely extinguished.

"Ying Yue, what do I do?"

The Frost Crystal God clutched the crystal token that still allowed her to communicate with Ying Yue.

"Ying Yue, he's not like you said. He's not!

"He was willing to step out of the Abyss for me! He left the bizarre mist and faced death to end my troubles on my behalf."

The Frost Crystal God had finally succumbed to her emotions.

***

A radiant crescent moon chased after the Star Devourer under the guidance of Ying Yue's divine power.

Shackles formed wherever moonlight fell.

The pristine moonlight wove itself into chains as Ying Yue unleashed her divine domain, forming an inescapable net that tightly ensnared the Star Devourer.

Perched atop her divine platform, the Moon God gracefully knitted her brows as she patiently listened to Han Yi.

Her eyes gleamed with an entrancing brilliance as she silently gazed toward the nameless star where Pang Jian remained.

At that moment, she recalled an encounter in Star Moon Valley, an entanglement of divine sense that occurred before Han Yi.

Back then, Pang Jian's golden strands of divine sense had clung stubbornly to hers, refusing to let go.

A subtle but undeniable ripple stirred within her once-tranquil heart.