The darkness of the night seemed to deepen as Xiao Lan stood at the edge of the ancient forest, the weight of Mu Yan's words pressing heavily on him. His heart thudded in his chest, not from fear, but from the anticipation of what lay ahead. The Hidden Realms—the Realm of Forgotten Gods—was within his reach, but the journey would not be easy.
The path to the Hidden Realms was a shrouded one, marked by treacherous trials and dangerous creatures known as the Shrouded Beasts. These beasts were no mere monsters; they were ancient guardians, born from the very fabric of the Abyss. Their strength was beyond comprehension, their loyalty to the realm unyielding. And they would not allow anyone to pass without a fight.
But Xiao Lan had no intention of turning back.
The moonlight filtered through the thick canopy above, casting eerie shadows on the ground. He adjusted his sword at his side, the blade humming with a strange energy—his Abyssal energy, thrumming louder now, as though it recognized the significance of the path he was about to tread.
He had no idea what awaited him beyond this forest. He only knew one thing: he had come too far to be stopped by fear or doubt.
As he stepped forward, the air grew colder, the once familiar sounds of the forest silencing. The atmosphere thickened with an unsettling pressure, as though the very land itself was holding its breath. His senses sharpened, his every step calculated, every sound amplified in the silence.
Suddenly, the ground beneath him shifted. A deep rumbling echoed through the earth, and Xiao Lan barely had time to react before a massive form erupted from the underbrush, its monstrous roar shaking the trees around him.
The Shrouded Beast towered above him, its body covered in scales as dark as the void itself. Its eyes, glowing with an eerie green light, fixed on him, and Xiao Lan could feel the weight of its gaze—cold, calculating, and filled with ancient malice.
"So, you've come to challenge the Shrouded Path," the creature's voice boomed, deep and resonant. It was not a roar, but a voice that seemed to echo from the very depths of the Abyss.
Xiao Lan's grip tightened around his sword. He had expected this. The Shrouded Beasts were not mere guardians; they were living manifestations of the Abyss itself, sentient creatures born from the darkness. They tested those who sought entry to the Hidden Realms, measuring their strength, their will, their very essence.
"I will not be turned away," Xiao Lan said, his voice firm, his eyes locked onto the beast's.
The Shrouded Beast let out a deep, rumbling laugh, as though Xiao Lan's defiance amused it. "Then show me your worth, Forsaken One."
With a sudden lunge, the beast charged, its massive claws slashing through the air like lightning. Xiao Lan's body moved instinctively, dodging to the side with fluid grace, his sword coming to life in his hands. He struck—once, twice—but his blade slid off the creature's armor-like hide with a dull thud.
The beast was too strong.
Xiao Lan narrowed his eyes. The creature was powerful, yes, but it was also slow, its movements predictable. He could sense the energy flowing within it, a dark, twisted power that radiated from its very core. The Abyssal power it wielded was vast, but not infinite.
"You will need more than speed to defeat me," the Shrouded Beast growled, its claws swiping toward him in a deadly arc.
Xiao Lan's mind raced, his thoughts a blur of strategy and instinct. He needed to tap into the depths of the Abyss within him—to embrace the darkness fully, to become one with the power that had already begun to course through his veins.
"Abyssal Rage!" he shouted, his voice a fierce cry.
His sword erupted with dark energy, the blade crackling as the Abyss itself seemed to answer his call. The air around him distorted, the shadows swirling in response to his command. He surged forward, his movements now quicker, more precise. The beast roared in defiance, but Xiao Lan was already upon it.
His sword cut through the air with a power that shook the earth. With a single strike, he severed one of the beast's massive claws, sending it crashing to the ground. The creature howled in pain, but Xiao Lan did not relent. He struck again and again, each blow resonating with the power of the Abyss, each movement driven by the fury of his desire to conquer, to rise.
Finally, with a roar of his own, Xiao Lan drove his sword deep into the creature's chest, the dark energy pulsing through the blade as it pierced the heart of the beast. The creature's roar cut off abruptly, and its massive form collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
"The first of many..."
Xiao Lan's voice was steady, though his heart raced with the rush of victory. His sword hummed with the energy of the Abyss, its blade now slick with the creature's blood. The Shrouded Beast was dead, but Xiao Lan knew that this was only the beginning. There were more challenges ahead, more creatures to face, and more trials to endure.
But the path to the Hidden Realms was now open, and Xiao Lan would not be stopped.
---
Hours later, after the beast's body had dissolved into the darkness from which it had come, Xiao Lan continued his journey deeper into the forest. The path ahead was unclear, the landscape shifting in ways that defied the natural order. The air was thick with an unnatural fog, and the ground beneath his feet seemed to shift and change with every step.
Suddenly, a whispering voice broke the silence.
"You think you've won?" it hissed, its voice like a thousand voices layered upon one another.
Xiao Lan froze, his eyes narrowing. "What is this?" His voice was sharp, his sword already raised, ready to strike.
"The Abyss is not so easily conquered," the voice continued, its tone mocking. "You are only at the beginning of your descent."
Xiao Lan's blood ran cold. He had heard this voice before, had felt its presence in the deepest corners of his mind. It was not the Shrouded Beast speaking now—it was something far more ancient, far more dangerous.
The voice laughed softly, as though it were speaking to a mere child.
"The Abyss calls to you, Forsaken One. And you will answer. Whether you wish to or not."
With that, the fog thickened, and the ground beneath Xiao Lan shifted again.