Chapter 774: Lightbringer Luo Hongyan appeared in a flowing robe of pure white, its fabric adorned with intricate patterns that shimmered with the essences of the Daos of Light, Cold, and Death. To gaze upon those patterns was to glimpse the ultimate truths of these three Heavenly Daos. Comprehending even one of them was enough to ascend to godhood. Radiant rings mixed with an icy chill rippled outward from her. The murky energy in Eight Trigrams City was instantly driven back. The darkness was lifted, and light flooded the city. Light surged like a vast ocean from the top of the Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillar, blanketing the entire Fifth Continent in seconds. The black veil above Eight Trigrams City remained, but everything beneath was illuminated, every detail laid bare. The empty streets, the items by the roadside, every brick and tile seemed to glow under the light. The foreign races still in the Fifth World—the elderly, the sick, and the frail—gazed up at the glowing Eight Trigrams City. "Such dazzling light! I remember long, long ago, the Virtuous Celestial Phoenix descended upon the Fifth Continent and drove away its darkness!" "I never thought I'd live to see the Fifth Continent shine this brightly again!" Faintly making out a small, radiant figure at the heart of the light, the foreign races quickly fell to their knees in reverent worship. Luo Hongyan hovered above Eight Trigrams City in solitary grace, her flawless features marked with her typical detachment. The reverence of living beings was something she had long grown accustomed to. It stirred no emotion in her heart. Staring at Pang Jian with her indifferent eyes, she said, "You've improved, but it's still far from enough. "Yan Lie, Sha Jia, Ah Man, Lie Yang." Four voices answered in unison, "Present." The four named beings emerged from beneath the Fifth World. Fire God Yan Lie, Sha Jia of the Celestial Race, the one-eyed giant Ah Man, and Lie Yang of the Radiant Race reappeared from the Sixth World one after another. They positioned themselves at the four corners of the Fifth Continent, causing Pang Jian's expression to shift sharply. Yan Lie smiled brightly, nodding at Pang Jian through the barrier. "Pang Jian, you truly are exceptional. The formation of your Divine Persona means you've become a mid-ranking God already. But..." The high-ranking God pointed at Sha Jia, Ah Man, and Lie Yang with a hearty laugh. "They've reached it too." Pang Jian was taken aback. Turning to look at the three foreign race powerhouses, he realized he could no longer sense any trace of Corruption in any of them. The foreign races in the Fifth World could only advance to Rank Ten through Corruption. This marked them as low-ranking Gods. Only after refining their divine souls into Divine Personas would they become mid-ranking Gods. Back when the trio descended into the Sixth World, Pang Jian could still sense that same Corruption lingering within them, but now, it was gone. "Strange, isn't it?" Yan Lie chuckled. "The essence of the Black Empyrean Phoenix was bound to return to its rightful master. The laws of this world have shifted. As our Lord's power awakens, it's only natural she'd have the means to let them advance without relying on Corruption. "Even a fallen Black Empyrean Phoenix could elevate the Black Dragon King to a mid-ranking God. It's only a given that our Lord can accomplish the same." At those words, Sha Jia, Lie Yang, and Ah Man all turned to Luo Hongyan with eyes full of reverence and awe. When they lost their Corruption and their bloodlines fell back to Rank Nine, they thought death was imminent. However, Luo Hongyan used miraculous divine techniques to return their bloodlines to Rank Ten once more. Not only that, she even passed on secret techniques to them, enabling each of them to condense a Divine Persona. "What happened to the Black Dragon King?" Pang Jian demanded. He had a sinking feeling that Luo Hongyuan had gained the upper hand in the battle for dominance unfolding in the Seventh World. This was likely the reason for Yan Lie's composure, as well as why Sha Jia, Lie Yang, and Ah Man had all advanced to mid-ranking godhood. "He's still alive, but not for long," Sha Jia of the Celestial Race replied coldly before turning away to communicate with Yu Xin and other high-ranking members of her race through secret techniques. Her face twisted into a puzzled expression. "Our people in the Third and Fourth World weren't wiped out?" Sha Jia glanced across the seven continents of the Fifth World, sensing signs of life. "When did the human race become so merciful? They didn't take advantage of our absence while we dove into the Sixth World? That, I did not expect." "Long Xiao is dead! That old dragon is actually dead!" bellowed Ah Man, the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Mountains. He had learned of the death of the domineering Thunder Dragon after using an artifact to communicate with the warriors of his race. At that moment, he felt strangely fragile. After losing the essence of the Black Empyrean Phoenix, his bloodline rank had regressed to Rank Nine, but with Luo Hongyan's aid, he had managed to forge a Divine Persona. His return had been for one purpose: to challenge Long Xiao and avenge his father's death. Unexpectedly, Long Xiao was already dead. "Yan Lie, he's not yet qualified to face me. Retrieve that cluster of Fortune on my behalf," Luo Hongyan commanded with cold indifference. "Sha Jia, Lie Yang, and Ah Man. The three of you will head to the upper worlds and slaughter the other True Gods. I still need two more clusters of Fortune. With a casual wave of her hand, Luo Hongyan dismissed them. "At once!" The three mid-ranking Gods, Sha Jia, Lie Yang, and Ah Man, soared directly toward the upper worlds. Yan Lie smiled faintly, then transformed into a streak of flame, crashing through the Fifth Continent's barrier toward the Heaven Ascension Tribulation Pillar. In the blink of an eye, Yan Lie appeared in the sea of demonic energy where Pang Jian hovered. "Sovereign Demonheaven's demonic cloak. Pang Jian, how much of its power can you truly wield?" Yan Lie asked casually, confidence oozing from his every word. "You're the World God of the Abyss. You could've left long ago. Why chain yourself to this place when you can leave for the starry skies and the bizarre mist? You could've walked away." Pang Jian knitted his brows, remaining silent. Xiao Hei, he called mentally, trying to reach out to the Black Dragon King. Xiao Hei. His newly comprehended soul-related divine techniques guided his voice down faint threads of connection, reaching deep into the eternal darkness of the Seventh World. Gradually, a blurry image took shape in Pang Jian's mind, revealing the Black Dragon King. A deadly weapon had severed the Black Dragon King's massive head, and his body had been cleaved into seven pieces. These parts floated silently above a wing of the Black Empyrean Phoenix.