The air was thick with the scent of scorched earth and the oppressive silence that followed a fierce battle. Xiao Lan stood in the center of the wreckage, the Unseen Lord's lifeless body lying at his feet. His breath came in ragged gasps, but his heart pounded with something far deeper than exhaustion—the call of power.
The Abyss was stirring.
As the remnants of the battle settled, Xiao Lan's senses heightened. The deep hum of energy that flowed through his body now thrummed louder, more insistent. It was a familiar sensation—a dark force that wrapped around his very soul, a force that had once crushed him, and yet now fueled him. The Abyssal energy, his birthright, was no longer something to fear, but a power to wield.
But there was no time to contemplate it.
A new presence emerged.
Xiao Lan's eyes narrowed, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword. The air grew heavy, laden with the scent of blood and something far more ancient—something that stretched beyond the realms of mortal understanding. His instincts screamed. This was no ordinary foe.
From the shadows of the broken temple ruins, a figure stepped forward, cloaked in darkness. The figure's presence was suffocating, like a weight pressing down on his very chest, as though the very air around them had bent to its will. It was a being that existed beyond the mortal realm, a force of nature that could not be understood by those who walked the earth.
"So you survived, Forsaken One." The voice, smooth and cold, echoed through the empty space, reverberating in the air like an ancient curse. "Impressive. Few have the will to return from the Abyss."
Xiao Lan's grip on his sword tightened, but he did not speak. Instead, his eyes locked onto the figure, reading its every movement, every flicker of energy. Who was this? And why did it feel so familiar?
The figure stepped closer, its presence warping the very space around it. "You are but a shadow of your true potential," it continued, its voice low and mocking. "But I will help you—show you what you are truly meant to become."
"I need no help from you."
Xiao Lan's words were sharp, cutting through the figure's taunting tone. His heart beat with the fire of a warrior who had known suffering, betrayal, and death, yet still stood unbroken. "I've seen the depths of darkness, and I've risen from it. I don't need to be 'shown' anything."
The figure's laughter was hollow, like the echo of a thousand lost souls. "Ah, but you still don't understand. The Abyss is not a place—it is a power. And you, Forsaken One, were born to wield it."
Xiao Lan's brow furrowed. This wasn't just another enemy—it was an entity of immense power, one that seemed to know far more about him than he did himself.
With a sudden, fluid motion, the figure raised its hand, and the shadows around them deepened, coiling and twisting as if alive. The ground beneath Xiao Lan's feet cracked open, a deep chasm forming around him. "You will learn to bend to the Abyss, whether you wish to or not," the figure declared, and the very air shimmered with an unnatural energy.
Xiao Lan's mind whirled. He could feel it—the pull of something ancient, something far greater than anything he had ever experienced before. The Abyss, the force that had once crushed him, was now offering him its full power, a power that could tear the world apart.
No.
The fire in Xiao Lan's chest burned brighter. He had tasted this darkness before. He had been consumed by it, shattered by it. And yet, he had risen—he had mastered it. He would not let it control him.
With a fierce roar, he surged forward, his sword glowing with the energy of the Abyss. "I will forge my own path."
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Lan's sword slashed through the air, cutting through the shadowy vortex that the figure had created. The clash of energies sent a shockwave through the earth, a violent explosion that shook the very sky.
"Impressive," the figure said, its voice tinged with amusement. "But your strength is still incomplete."
The ground beneath Xiao Lan trembled as he landed, his body humming with the intensity of the battle. "Then show me." His voice was low, filled with determination. "If you think I'm weak, then come and prove it."
The figure stepped forward, the shadows swirling around it, taking on a more solid form. "Very well," it said, its tone darkening. "Let us see if you are worthy of the Abyss."
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