5: Abyss Of Hope

The descent was a nightmare. The darkness swallowed him whole, an endless spiral into the unknown. The wind howled around him, tearing at his flesh like claws. His body twisted and flailed uncontrollably, each motion sending new waves of pain through his shattered frame. The whispers of the Abyss became deafening, their voices overlapping in a maddening chorus.

"You are weak," one voice hissed.

"Give up," another taunted.

"Join us in the void," a third beckoned.

He clenched his teeth, his mind a fortress against the relentless assault. He would not succumb. Not yet.

Time lost meaning in the Abyss. Seconds stretched into minutes, minutes into hours—or so it seemed. Just as he thought he might lose consciousness, the descent ended with a bone-jarring impact.

The ground beneath him was cold and unyielding, yet it rippled like liquid stone. He lay there for what felt like an eternity, his breaths shallow and ragged. His body screamed in protest as he forced himself to move, dragging his battered frame across the shifting terrain. The crutch, his only support, was now little more than a splintered stick.

The air was thick and oppressive, each breath a struggle. Shadows danced at the edges of his vision, shifting and twisting into grotesque shapes. The metallic scent of blood and fire clung to the air, and distant screams echoed faintly. The Abyss was alive, a realm of torment and chaos that sought to consume all who dared enter.

He crawled for hours, or so it felt, his will was the only thing keeping him alive. The faces of his enemies haunted him, their laughter a cruel reminder of his failure. But it was his wife's face that drove him forward—the memory of her smile, her touch, her final, heart-wrenching cry. He could not fail her. He would not.

Then he saw her.

She stood amidst the darkness, a radiant figure of both beauty and danger, her presence dominating the Abyss. Her form was ethereal, bathed in an otherworldly glow, her golden eyes locking onto him with a predatory intensity. Her lips curved into a wicked smile as she regarded the broken man who had dared to enter her domain.

"Look what we have here," she said, her melodic voice laced with mockery and intrigue. "The famous Silver Dragon Six Swords, reduced to this? A crawling wretch at the end of his strength. Did you truly believe you could survive the Abyss and emerge alive?"

He dragged himself closer to her, his voice barely a whisper. "I didn't come here to survive," he rasped. "I came for power. I came for vengeance. To make them pay."

The Devil emperor tilted her head, her golden eyes gleaming with dark amusement. "Power? Vengeance? You mortals are always so predictable." She stepped closer, her movements graceful and deliberate. "And you think I will grant you this power? Because of that trinket around your neck?" Her gaze lingered on the pearl, its faint glow reflecting in her eyes. "A gift from my descendant, the Nether Devil Undead Flame Emperor. A treasure that saved your life and brought you here. But do you think that alone makes you worthy of my aid?"

"I have nothing left to lose," he said, his voice gaining strength despite the pain. "My soul, my life—take them. In exchange, give me the power to destroy those who betrayed me."

The Devil's smile widened, her aura becoming even more oppressive. "Your soul?" she echoed, a hint of disdain in her tone. "You mortals are always so quick to offer it, as if it holds any real value. Do you truly believe your meager soul is enough to pay for the power you seek?"

"I don't care what it costs," he said firmly."I will give you everything. Just grant me the strength to tear them apart."

Her laughter echoed through the Abyss, a chilling sound that sent shivers down his spine. "Such desperation," she mused. "Very well, mortal. But know this—you will be mine. Your soul, your will, your fate—they will belong to me. Are you prepared to pay this price?"

He met her gaze, his eyes blazing with determination. "I am."

The Devil studied him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, she extended a hand, her fingers brushing lightly against his brow. "So be it," she said, her voice a seductive whisper. "But there is one more thing you must know. I am not the being I once was. My power is but a shadow of its former glory, my true body long lost?

"Yet there is a way—a forbidden technique that can Coalesce our souls and grant us something unbelievable or unimaginable."

She held up a piece of luminous black jade, shaped like a reversed Taiji diagram. Its glow pulsed with an ancient, incomprehensible energy. "This is a heavenly treasure," she explained, her voice laced with awe. "It was founded in the cataclysmic wars between Devils and Fake-Gods. Its origin remains a mystery, known only to those who survived the war. This is a heavenly treasure above all others—a vessel of unimaginable power, manipulating the balance of law, capable of granting rebirth, Implanting and transmuting forbidden and incomprehensible scriptures that date back to the primordial era, But… it is not without risk as its chaotic nature could easily consume those unprepared to handle it.. If we fail, death will be the only outcome for both of us."

"Fake-Gods and Devils?" Ye Xian's mind raced, his thoughts swirling with more questions than he could keep up with. But he didn't voice them. The choice had already been made. There was no turning back. The end had come, and there was only one way forward.

"Then we won't fail," he said, his resolve unshaken. "Do what you must."

The Devil's lips curled into a dark, enigmatic smile. "Very well. Let us begin."

"Don't resist," she whispered, her voice like a sweet yet deadly promise. "We will link our souls through the death-life bond, merging our essence with this treasure. It's a one-time chance. If we succeed, we will emerge to life. But if we fail—only death awaits us."

Her translucent hand reached out, fingers brushing lightly against his brow. The touch was almost tender, yet the air crackled with power. A single drop of translucent liquid was drawn from his soul. The moment it left his body, Ye Xian went limp, every ounce of energy drained from him. His body, already teetering on the brink of death, felt as though it had been completely emptied.

"It's essential to this technique," she murmured, her eyes gleaming with a dark intensity. "Hold on—don't falter now. If you do, we fail."

The jade treasure began to glow, its light growing brighter and more intense. It pulsed with an otherworldly energy, consuming the soul essence as it merged with the forbidden power contained within.

"Now, we need blood," she said, her voice an eerie melody, both seductive and menacing. Without hesitation, she hurled the jade artifact at him. It tore through his body effortlessly, shredding muscle, snapping tendons, and breaking bones as it embedded itself in his heart with ruthless precision.

The man's eyes dimmed, the light fading from them as life drained away. The jade flared brightly, unleashing a soft yet intense light that engulfed his form. His body dissolved into the radiance, which coalesced into a dome of fog-like light, encasing them in a spectral barrier.

The Abyss, once filled with soft, blinding light and howling winds, descended into an eerie, suffocating silence. It was as though the very world had held its breath.

There was no body, no trace of the man or the Devil. Only the stillness remained—a void suspended between life and death. The fate of the man and the Devil was sealed, bound together in a delicate struggle, not yet concluded.

____________

The air still pulsed with the remnants of battle, the scent of blood thick and clinging. Wang Chi exhaled, his gaze sweeping over the ruined space before turning to Sylvia. His voice was smooth, almost casual, but a keen glint in his eyes betrayed his intent.

"Open a portal."

Sylvia arched a brow, her expression unreadable. Then, she scoffed. "I used a one-time artifact to get here." Her tone was edged with irritation, her lips curling into something that wasn't quite a smile. "And don't bother asking why I came. It's better that way."

Wang Chi's eyes flickered. So she hadn't used an initiate skill like Ash Vickman. That meant she wasn't capable of void travel—or at least, not without external aid. A useful detail.

With a dismissive nod, Wang Chi turned away. His attention shifted to the doorway, where a hesitant figure lingered.

A maid stepped forward, her wide eyes darting between the blood-streaked floor and Sylvia's imposing presence. Stunned, she hesitated before lowering her gaze in submission.

Wang Chi's lips curled into an easy smile. "Ah, you've done well." His voice was smooth, almost gentle. "You've been loyal, haven't you?"

The maid's breath hitched, excitement flashing across her face. She had been planted in Adler's house as a spy, carefully gathering intelligence and reporting back. Now, seeing the results of her efforts—the utter ruin of Adler—she felt her reward was imminent.

She stepped closer, head slightly bowed, anticipation making her hands tremble. A dreamlike euphoria filled her; she had pleased Wang Chi.

Then, the moment shattered.

A sickening crack echoed through the room as Wang Chi's palm slammed into her chest. The impact caved her ribcage inward, her body momentarily weightless before she was sent hurtling backward. Blood sprayed the air in a grotesque arc before she exploded into a mist of crimson, obliterated in an instant.

Wang Chi withdrew his hand, his expression utterly indifferent. "I don't like loose ends."

Silence reigned for a brief moment. Lu Ziyan swallowed hard, averting his gaze, while Ash Vickman merely chuckled, as if he had expected nothing less.

"Let's go," Wang Chi commanded.

Ash Vickman raised his hand, his initiate core skill flaring to life. A dark rift tore through space, a swirling void of black and violet energy distorting reality itself.

Without hesitation, one by one, they stepped inside, vanishing from the bloodstained room—leaving nothing but destruction in their wake.