Trials of the Abyss-Chapter 754: Demonheaven! Pang Jian!

Mou Qi stormed out in a rage.

"Lord He Motian, you...?" the Sun God trailed off cautiously, clearly at a loss.

He Motian's towering form stood at the center of the Lunar Divine Palace.

Each of his three faces twisted into a grotesque expression, radiating a presence so oppressive it made others instinctively shrink back. His breathing grew heavy, and demonic flames streamed from his mouth and nose with every exhale.

He was visibly unstable.

"Get out!" He Motian roared, glaring at the Sun God.

Sensing something was seriously wrong, the Sun God wasted no time, fleeing the palace in a beam of radiant light as if pardoned from death.

"He Motian, what are you doing? Is it really worth offending Mou Qi over someone like Han Yi?" Zi Mo simply could not make sense of the situation.

They had known each other for a long time, and she was aware that He Motian was not the reckless type. Still, his earlier actions had been undeniably foolish.

Two of He Motian's faces slowly shut their eyes with great effort.

"Zi Mo, step outside for a moment. I need to speak with Han Yi and Ying Yue alone," said his remaining face through labored breaths. Gesturing toward the exit, he added, "Keep an eye on Mou Qi for me."

"Alright." Zi Mo floated away without further question.

Though she did not know the full story, her bond with He Motian ran deeper than anything she shared with Mou Qi. She believed that He Motian would give her a proper explanation in time.

He Motian sank heavily into a lotus position in the near-empty palace. His six arms crossed over his chest, constantly shifting as they wove a series of intricate hand seals.

Using his vast demonic will spread across the Demon Realms, he summoned power from his other manifestations in a desperate effort to resist the foreign will invading his body.

"Lord Demonheaven."

"Lord Demonheaven."

"Lord Demonheaven."

The same words echoed back from every one of his manifestations across the Demon Realms.

A searing pain split through his skull, causing He Motian to clutch his throbbing head. The hand seals he had been forming fell apart as he was forced to press his hands to his temples, barely holding himself together.

Han Yi stood frozen in the Lunar Divine Palace, staring blankly at He Motian's deteriorating state with a bewildered expression.

She had no connection to He Motian. Of that, she was certain.

It made no sense that the nominal leader of the Demon Gods would risk offending Mou Qi for her with such unwavering resolve.

Han Yi simply could not make sense of the situation.

"Han Yi, when did you get acquainted with him?" Ying Yue shot her a half-accusing look. "We're like sisters, yet you've kept this from me so well! Mou Qi could've been dealt with easily if He Motian was willing to speak up for you. Why have you been tormenting yourself all this time?"

Like the Sun God, she too assumed that He Motian had taken a liking to Han Yi.

"You're talking nonsense!" Han Yi exclaimed, flustered. "I've only seen him twice in my entire life—one of those times was right here in this palace! I haven't even spoken a single word to him before today!"

"Then why is he helping you?" Ying Yue asked, baffled.

"How would I know?!"

The two Gods argued back and forth, their voices echoing through the palace.

Meanwhile, a battle between souls was raging in He Motian's body. A foreign will threatened to taint him from within, just as he once did to his followers in the Abyss.

This battle continued for a long time.

Suddenly, all three pairs of He Motian's eyes snapped open across his three faces.

I am loyal to Lord Demonheaven! he cried in his heart.

"I serve Lord Pang Jian!" his three mouths howled.

I am loyal to Demonheaven!

"I serve Pang Jian!"

Demonheaven!

"Pang Jian!"

His tormented soul thought only of Demonheaven, but his lips only cried Pang Jian's name.

The two names, Demonheaven and Pang Jian, seemed to blur together, until even He Motian could no longer tell them apart.

"This..."

Ying Yue and Han Yi exchanged bewildered glances.

No matter how hard they racked their brains, they could not even begin to guess why the leader of the Demon Races was suddenly confusing Demonheaven and Pang Jian.

After a long while, He Motian finally seemed to regain clarity.

"Han Yi, Sovereign Demonheaven is in the middle of resurrecting. He sent me to protect you." Before either woman could respond, he added, "For now, it's best if both of you remain here. As long as you stay within my range of perception, I'll be able to intervene if Mou Qi dares to make a move."

With that, the Great Demon God, an unknown will tainting his soul, turned and departed from the Lunar Divine Palace.

"Does he even realize that he was repeating Pang Jian's name just now?" Han Yi asked, her expression blank.

"I'm not sure," Ying Yue replied, equally confused. "It was like he couldn't tell the difference between Demonheaven and Pang Jian. One of Pang Jian's bodies fell in the Nether Abyss while the other remained in the Abyss. Why is He Motian conflating the two?"

"I don't know." Han Yi shook her head, falling silent. After some thought, her eyes lit up. "Ying Yue, what if—just what if—Pang Jian is using some bizarre method to twist He Motian's will and take control of him?"

Ying Yue's jaw dropped. "You've really got some imagination!"

"But what if it's true?" Han Yi said, a hopeful gleam returning to her eyes. "Think about it. Pang Jian's name appeared when I was at my most powerless. Mou Qi probably doesn't even dare approach the moon anymore, afraid of provoking a fight with He Motian.

"I just have this feeling that Pang Jian is secretly helping me."

A mysterious glow lit up the Frost Crystal God's face.

***

Pang Jian stood on the nameless fragmented land in the Fifth World of the Abyss, still wrapped in the demonic cloak, gaze dim and beads of sweat forming on his brow and neck.

He had successfully altered He Motian's will using the cloak and the help of the Soulstream of the Nether Abyss, even leaving behind a mark deep within the Great Demon God's soul.

That mark compelled He Motian to believe that the cloak's true master, Sovereign Demonheaven, was awakening in the Abyss. The mark itself also bore traces of that Sovereign's presence.

Even with the cloak's support and the power he held over He Motian through his inscribed name, the backlash of He Motian's will would have overwhelmed Pang Jian if not for the Soulstream of the Nether Abyss.

Fortunately, his attunement with the Soulstream kept his soul pure and unwavering. No matter what demonic techniques He Motian unleashed, Pang Jian's true self remained untouched.

That was the key to his clear mind.

This hidden battle of souls brought Pang Jian a vital realization.

If his mastery of soul-related techniques could reach a higher level, he could use the cloak and the Demon Gods' names inscribed upon it to bend their wills to his own.

He Motian, Fa Ji, Luan Ji, and the mid-ranking Demon Gods could become his to command.

"Pang Jian, I've just merged with another fragment of the Primordial Demon in one of the twenty-six Demon Realms," the Abyssal Demon murmured into the empty air. "Will you keep helping me bring the rest of them under my control?"

The Abyssal Demon hovered mid-air. Below him, a vast demonic shadow took shape, radiating an awe-inspiring presence and growing stronger with every passing second.

The Abyssal Demon's black-gold sword had already devoured the gaunt Demon God, the nine lanterns, and the demonic souls contained within them.

"This world is changing fast," Pang Jian replied, laughter seeming to echo across the Demon Realm. "You'll need to move quickly. I'm helping you now. When the time comes, I hope you'll help me."

"Of course."