The journey northward began under a sky painted with streaks of fiery orange and deep purple, as if the heavens themselves were bracing for the coming storm.
The team of seven moved in tight formation, their robes billowing in the brisk wind. A solemn focus replaced the camaraderie in the Grand Hall as they ventured into the unknown.
The path was treacherous, cutting through dense forests and over jagged cliffs. The group traveled restlessly for three days and nights, and their enhanced cultivation allowed them to endure the brutal pace.
Lin Shuyi led the way, her movements so silent that even the rustling leaves seemed louder in comparison.
Behind her, Zhao Jianhong strode confidently, his twin sabers clinking softly with every step.
"I'm telling you, I know this route like the back of my hand," he said, his voice a low murmur, barely louder than the surroundings.
"If we keep this pace, we'll hit the first village by dawn. Unless, of course, someone wants to stop for some tea along the way."
Yue Lian raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile on her lips. "If you tire out, I'll be sure to find some nice grass for you to sit on while I enjoy my drink."
Jianhong smirked but didn't retort, and the group pressed on.
Wei Zheng walked near the center, his senses attuned to every sound. The Abyss's presence had been faint but constant since they crossed into the northern provinces.
It was like a distant pulse, just beyond the edge of perception, growing stronger with each step.
Hua Jin, walking beside him, suddenly paused. She knelt to examine a cluster of wildflowers blooming at the base of a tree. Her fingers brushed the petals before she straightened.
"These flowers shouldn't be here," she murmured.
"What do you mean?" Lu Feng asked, his hand moving swiftly to the hilt of his sword.
"They're Ghost Petals," Hua Jin explained, her voice tight.
"They bloom only in the wake of spiritual decay, where the very essence of life has been corrupted beyond restoration."
An uneasy silence fell over the group.
"It's a warning," Lin Shuyi said, her green eyes narrowing as she scanned the surrounding forest.
"We're close."
Wei Zheng nodded. "Stay alert. Jianhong, keep point with Shuyi. Everyone else, keep your weapons ready."
As they advanced, the forest seemed to close in around them. The air grew colder, the shadows deeper.
Eventually, they stumbled upon the first village or what remained of it.
The sight was unsettling. Houses sat empty, their doors swinging ajar on rusted hinges. A musty smell filled the air, hinting at something rotten.
The once-vibrant marketplace lay in ruins, with broken stalls and the remains of spoiled fruits scattered about.
Yue Lian's voice was grim as she scanned the area. "There's no hint of a struggle," she murmured, kneeling to examine the ground more closely.
Her eyes fixed on something strange. A thick, iridescent substance seeped into the dirt, pooling in strange, gelatinous patches.
The fluid shimmered unnaturally in the dim light, flickering in hues of crimson and black as if it had a life of its own.
Yue Lian recoiled but beckoned Lin Shuyi over.
"Look at this."
Nearby, Xiang Ru, his expression grave, held up a burnt talisman, its edges curled and charred. "The barriers were breached... from the inside. Whatever happened, it was sudden. The villagers didn't stand a chance."
Lu Feng stepped in closer, summoning a protective barrier around their group. The soft glow from his artifact provided some comfort against the enveloping darkness.
"We should search for survivors or any clues. Whatever we find might help us prepare for what's ahead."
The team split into three, combing the village with caution. Wei Zheng and Yue Lian entered the village elder's home, its interior eerily untouched.
Dust covered every surface, and the faint scent of incense lingered in the air.
"Wei Zheng," Yue Lian whispered, pointing to a wall covered in writing.
On the wall were frenzied scribbles, ancient runes intertwined with desperate markings, warnings scrawled with shaking hands.
"These aren't just warnings," Yue Lian said, tracing one of the runes with her finger.
"This is a sealing array, unfinished. The elder must have been trying to contain something."
Before Wei Zheng could reply, a harsh grating noise broke the silence. It came from the far edge of the village.
The team regrouped within moments, drawn to the source of the sound. They found Lin Shuyi standing near a collapsed well, her expression unusually tense.
"There's something down there," she said, gesturing toward the darkness below.
Hua Jin approached cautiously, tossing a glowing vial into the well. The liquid burst into soft light, illuminating the area.
The glow revealed claw marks, deep and jagged, etched deeply into the stone walls leading down into the well.
The glow from Hua Jin's vial lingered briefly before extinguishing, as though something deep within the well resisted the light's intrusion.
A faint, guttural sound echoed from the depths, low and rhythmic like a heartbeat.
Wei Zheng leaned in, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized the claw marks. "These markings are intentional. Whatever created them was using this well as a gateway."
Lin Shuyi knelt near the edge, her sharp eyes following the spirals downward. "The traces of qi are corrupted but older than this village. Whatever's down there is no simple remnant. It's alive, and it's waiting."
Hua Jin frowned, her fingers lightly brushing the worn stones of the well. "There's a heaviness in the air, like a weight pressing down on everything. I can feel it more strongly here than anywhere else." Her voice was steady but tinged with quiet unease.
Zhao Jianhong leaned lazily against his sabers, smirking faintly. "Good. I was starting to worry this trip would be boring."
Yue Lian uncoiled her whip with a soft hiss as she glared at him. "You won't find it boring when something rips that smug look off your face."
"Enough," Wei Zheng interjected firmly, cutting through the rising tension. He turned to the group, his tone measured but commanding.
"Whatever's down there is dangerous and tied to everything we've seen so far. We need answers, but we need discipline more. Lin Shuyi and I will take point. Jianhong and Yue Lian, rear guard. Hua Jin, stay in the center. Xiang Ru, keep your talismans ready. Everyone stays in formation."
Lin Shuyi nodded once, drawing her twin daggers. Their edges shimmered faintly as they resonated with her qi.
"Let's not waste time. The Abyss won't wait for us to prepare."
The team descended, one by one, into the depths. The walls of the well were slick with the same iridescent substance they had seen above. It pulsed faintly, almost like veins under the surface.
When the group reached the bottom, they found themselves in a cavern carved from rough stone. The air was oppressive, damp with a cold that seemed to seep into their bones.
Hua Jin raised her hand, channeling qi into a small orb of light. The faint glow revealed more marks and runes carved into the walls, crisscrossing across the surface like a whirlwind.
They seemed to shift and writhe in the dim light as though trying to escape notice.
"This is not just a cavern," Xiang Ru said quietly, his fingers brushing one of the markings. "This was a sanctum. A place for rituals."
Yue Lian's voice was sharp. "A place for containment. These markings aren't for calling something here. They're for keeping it inside."
Before anyone could respond, a bone-chilling growl erupted from the cavern's depths, vibrating through the ground like an ancient beast stirring from its slumber.
Shadows twisted and writhed grotesquely, reaching out with dark tendrils as a suffocating sense of dread filled the air, making it clear that they were not alone.
From the darkness emerged a figure, hunched and bony, its movements erratic as it flickered in and out of sight. Its flesh was ashen and translucent, veins of black corruption coursing beneath its skin.
Its pale white eyes locked onto the group, jagged claws scraping against the ground as it advanced. Behind it, more shadows stirred, taking shape and creeping forward on elongated limbs.
"Shadows," Lin Shuyi muttered, her daggers spinning into a ready position. "The Abyss is feeding them."
"They're testing us," Wei Zheng said, his sword sliding from its sheath with a sharp hiss. "Formations. Hold the line."
One of the creatures lunged, its claws outstretched and unnervingly fast.
Lin Shuyi intercepted it, her daggers flashing as she deflected its strike and countered with a precise slash to its chest. The creature dissipated into dark mist, but two more surged forward to replace it.
"Don't get distracted," Yue Lian shouted as her whip lashed out, wrapping around the limb of another Shadow and snapping it into the ground.
The creature thrashed, but her blade followed quickly, severing its head in one fluid motion.
Zhao Jianhong darted forward, his twin sabers slicing through another two creatures.
"This is almost fun," he said, breathless but grinning. "They come right to us."
"They're not endless," Hua Jin said from the back, her hands glowing with restorative energy as she channeled a steady stream into Lu Feng.
"But they're trying to wear us down. Push forward before we're overrun."
Lu Feng stepped in front, his artifact shifting into a broad, shimmering shield as he deflected a Shadow's strike. The impact rang like a bell, and he shoved forward, sending the creature sprawling.
"We need to find the source. These things are just puppets."
"Let's move," Wei Zheng commanded, cutting down two more Shadows in a single sweep.
"Feng and Shuyi, take the lead. Jianhong, Lian, keep the rear clear. Go!"
The group moved as one, cutting through the creatures with efficient precision. As they advanced, the cavern opened into a larger chamber.
A towering obsidian obelisk loomed at its center, its surface covered in runes glowing faintly with the same iridescent corruption as the substance above.
A figure knelt at its base, humanoid but uncannily so. Its form flickered like the Shadows, but it was more solid, its skin stretched thin over long, gangly limbs.
It rose slowly, its milky eyes glowing as it faced them.
"You defile my sanctum," it said, its voice layered and inhuman.
"But you will not leave. The Abyss hungers, and it will claim you."
The obelisk pulsed, and the room plunged into chaos as more Shadows materialized, lunging at them faster and stronger than before.
The Shadows surged like a dark tide, twisting and coiling with a primal screech as their claws dug into stone.
"STAND FIRM!" Wei Zheng roared, his voice booming with an intense clarity that pierced through the chaos.
His sword burned with golden light as he swung it in a sweeping arc, simultaneously severing the heads of three Shadows.
"We push forward, or we die here!"
Lin Shuyi darted forward, a blur of motion as her twin daggers caught the dim light. Her strikes were feral yet precise, each slash aimed to cripple, to kill.
A Shadow leaped at her, its claws reaching for her throat, but she dropped low, spinning under its attack, her blade slicing cleanly through its underbelly.
Black mist erupted as it fell, but she was already moving to the next.
"Shuyi!" Yue Lian's whip cracked like a thunderclap, catching a Shadow mid-lunge toward Lin Shuyi's blind spot.
Its glowing length coiled around the creature, pulling it taut before Yue Lian yanked hard, sending it crashing into the jagged stone floor. She followed up with a brutal slash of her blade, splitting it in two.
"Watch your back!" Yue snapped, her tone sharp but tinged with a grin.
Lin shot her a quick smirk. "Always do."
Zhao Jianhong was a whirlwind of chaos at their flank, his twin sabers gleaming as they hacked through the Shadows in blinding arcs.
"Come on, then!" he shouted, adrenaline flooding his voice. "Is that all you've got?"
The Shadows answered with a furious hiss, their numbers surging. One lunged from above, claws poised to tear into Zhao Jianhong's head.
Before it could strike, Lu Feng stepped in, his shield-like artifact expanding with a burst of golden light. The Shadow collided with the barrier, its body snapping back with a sickening crunch.
"Focus, Jianhong," Lu Feng growled. "They're not here to entertain you."
"Just making sure they know who's boss," Jianhong shot back, slicing through another Shadow with a reckless grin.
Behind them, Hua Jin knelt in the eye of the storm, her hands glowing as she worked furiously. Pulses of restorative energy radiated outward, stitching together torn qi and strengthening the team.
"I'm restoring and keeping our qi balanced, but I can't do this forever!" she called out, sweat dripping from her brow.
Xiang Ru stood beside her, talismans flying from his hands like deadly missiles. Each exploded on impact, flashes of light erupting as Shadows ripped apart.
"Buy me a minute!" he barked, his focus locked on the obelisk.
"I can cut off the Abyss's energy, but I need time!"
"You have thirty seconds!" Wei Zheng growled, his sword cleaving through a Shadow's chest. "No more!"
The cavern erupted into chaos as the obelisk pulsed again, its runes bleeding crimson light that twisted the air around it. The Shadows, frenzied by the increasing Abyssal energy, surged forward with renewed fury, thirsty for blood.
Wei Zheng lunged toward the nearest Shadow, his blade a blur as it slashed cleanly through its torso. The creature didn't dissolve but split into two smaller, clawing monstrosities that lunged at his throat.
Without hesitation, he pivoted, planting his foot and swinging his sword in a savage horizontal arc, cleaving through both creatures in a single strike.
"Jianhong, keep them off of Ru!" he barked, not bothering to look back.
Zhao Jianhong grinned despite the chaos, his sabers moving relentlessly.
"They'll have to get through me first!" he yelled, his blades cleaving through two Shadows that had lunged toward Xiang Ru.
"Ru, how's that thirty seconds looking?"
Xiang Ru didn't look up; his hands blurred as he wove talismans at desperate speed.
"Working on it! This thing is layered with corrupted qi; it's like unraveling a knot while getting punched in the face!"
"Stop talking and focus!" Yue Lian snapped, her whip coiling around a Shadow and flinging it into the nearest wall with a wet crunch.
Another lunged at her, but she sidestepped, her blade slicing upward to cleave it in two.
Hua Jin's voice rang out, steady but strained. "Their numbers aren't thinning. The obelisk is sustaining them! We need to destroy it, or we'll be overwhelmed!"
Lu Feng planted himself before her, his shield flaring with golden light as he deflected a massive Shadow's swipe. "We won't last much longer at this rate. Wei Zheng, what's the call?"
Wei Zheng's sword cut through another wave of Shadows, his expression hard as iron.
"Shuyi, Jianhong, with me, we'll strike the obelisk as soon as Ru breaks the barrier. Lian, Feng, hold the line. Hua, keep us alive. No one falters." he ordered, his voice carrying over the deafening screeches.
Lin Shuyi was already in motion, vaulting off a jagged rock to avoid a lunging Shadow. Her daggers caught its neck mid-air, dark, iridescent blood spraying as she landed without missing a step.
Her eyes locked onto the obelisk, the fractures spreading across its surface like spiderwebs.
"Jianhong! Cut the path!" she shouted, her tone sharp and urgent.
Zhao Jianhong met her command with a reckless grin. "With pleasure." His twin sabers spun in wild arcs as he tore into the Shadows that were blocking their advance.
One massive Shadow lunged at him, its claws outstretched. Jianhong ducked low, sliding under its reach before driving both sabers into its chest with a brutal twist.
Wei Zheng didn't slow. He barreled forward like a battering ram, his blade igniting with heavenly qi as it slashed through a swarm of Shadows.
"Almost there!" Xiang Ru shouted, his talismans spiraling faster around the obelisk.
His fingers blurred as he drew another array mid-air, sweat pouring down his temples.
"This thing is fighting me; this isn't just a conduit; it's alive!"
Hua Jin stood next to him, her hands glowing with restorative light as she sent pulses of qi into Lu Feng.
"You're overexerting," she warned him, unable to hide the strain in her voice.
"I'm fine," Lu Feng replied, his voice tight as he slammed his barrier forward, pushing back a wave of Shadows. "Just keep me upright."
The creature by the obelisk suddenly let out a piercing shriek, its form pulsating as it drew on the obelisk's power. Dark tendrils erupted from its back, slashing at the group with lightning speed.
One caught Lin Shuyi off guard, wrapping around her ankle and yanking her off balance.
"Got you!" Yue Lian's whip cracked, severing the tendril before it could drag Shuyi closer to it.
Lin Shuyi flipped back to her feet, her eyes blazing with fury.
"You'll pay for that," she snarled, darting forward and throwing a dagger straight into the creature's shoulder.
The obelisk flared violently, the entire cavern trembling. The Shadows roared as they surged forward, their movements frantic and desperate.
"NOW!" Xiang Ru shouted, slamming his hands together.
The talismans circling the obelisk exploded in brilliant light, shattering its protective barrier. The runes on the obelisk flickered wildly, their glow dimming as it began to collapse.
"Shuyi, Jianhong, with me!" Wei Zheng charged, his sword aflame with heavenly qi.
Lin Shuyi was already at his side, her daggers glowing as she poured energy into them. Zhao Jianhong followed, sabers slashing with deadly precision to clear their path.
The creature roared, lunging at them with all its might. Wei Zheng met it head-on, his sword slashing through its tendrils in a blinding arc.
He deftly sidestepped the charge as it lunged again, his free hand slamming into the creature's side with a burst of concentrated qi. The impact sent it careening into the cavern wall, chunks of stone raining down as it writhed in fury.
"Shuyi, strike the obelisk!" he bellowed.
Lin Shuyi didn't hesitate. She leaped into the air, her daggers glowing as she summoned every ounce of her qi. Her movements blurred with speed, and she plunged both daggers into the obelisk with a ferocious cry.
A loud crack reverberated through the chamber as the crumbling structure shuddered violently, its dimming runes flickering like dying embers.
The creature shrieked, its movements becoming wilder as the obelisk's rune's light faded.
Zhao Jianhong covered Lin Shuyi, his sabers spinning in a deadly vortex that kept the Shadows at bay.
"Not bad, Shuyi," he said through gritted teeth, slicing through another wave of Shadows. "But next time, try to make it look cooler."
Lin Shuyi pulled her daggers free, ignoring him.
"Wei Zheng, it's destabilizing!" she shouted. "One more push!"
Wei Zheng nodded, his eyes fixed on the fractured obelisk.
"Shuyi, get back!" Wei Zheng shouted.
Lin Shuyi jumped back just as Wei Zheng brought his sword down in a two-handed arc, the blade radiating with pure, condensed heavenly qi.
The strike hit the obelisk with a loud explosion, the force so intense it cracked the cavern floor.
The obelisk shattered, fragments flying in all directions as a shockwave of raw energy blasted outward. Wei Zheng stood firm, his feet planted as the corrupted qi surged past him.
The Shadows screeched in agony, dispersing into black mist as their corrupted forms could not sustain themselves without the obelisk's energy.
The humanoid creature at the obelisk's base thrashed wildly, its translucent body cracking and splintering as it wailed its final, guttural cry. With a shudder, it collapsed into ash.