The bridge trembled beneath Xiao Lan's feet as the Abyssal Sovereign's pressure increased. It was unlike anything he had ever faced—a force that seemed to press against his very soul, threatening to consume him whole.
But Xiao Lan stood firm. He was no longer the fallen prodigy. He was the Forsaken One.
Li Mei clenched her fists, her body tense as she watched the clash unfold. She had seen many powerful warriors, but none who carried the same indomitable will as Xiao Lan.
The Sovereign stepped forward, his black armor radiating abyssal energy. "You have potential, Forsaken One. But potential is meaningless if you cannot wield it properly."
With a flick of his wrist, the space around them twisted, and suddenly, Xiao Lan and Li Mei were no longer on the bridge. They stood within a vast void—a world where the abyss reigned supreme. Floating ruins stretched endlessly into the distance, and the sky above them swirled with chaotic energy.
A deep, ancient voice echoed through the void.
"The Abyssal Trial begins now."
Xiao Lan's eyes narrowed. A test? He had no time to hesitate as shadows surged from the ruins, taking the shape of warriors long forgotten—legendary cultivators who had fallen into the abyss, their souls now enslaved.
The first opponent moved like lightning, a swordsman wreathed in ghostly flames. Xiao Lan barely dodged the first strike, the blade grazing his shoulder and leaving a burning wound despite not making direct contact.
"These aren't illusions," Li Mei warned. "They carry the remnants of their real power!"
Xiao Lan grinned, wiping the blood from his wound. "Good. Then that means they can die."
He surged forward, meeting the swordsman's blade with Demonbane. The clash sent shockwaves rippling through the void, and Xiao Lan countered with a vicious kick that shattered his opponent's balance.
Before the swordsman could recover, Xiao Lan delivered a devastating slash, his sword absorbing the remnant's very essence as the specter dissolved into the void.
But there was no time to celebrate. Three more figures emerged—each one more powerful than the last.
Li Mei moved with deadly precision, weaving through the battlefield as her daggers found weak points in their spectral foes. Her breathing was steady, but Xiao Lan could sense it—she was reaching her limit.
But just as they prepared for the next assault, a powerful gust of wind swept through the battlefield, and a figure descended from the ruins above.
A woman, clad in flowing dark robes, landed gracefully before them. Her crimson eyes glowed with an ethereal light, and her long silver hair flowed like silk.
Xiao Lan's grip on his sword tightened. She was strong—far stronger than any of the previous enemies.
The woman smiled. "So, you are the Forsaken One?"
The way she spoke, her voice laced with curiosity and amusement, sent a chill down Xiao Lan's spine.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
She took a step closer, her gaze locked onto his. "My name is Yue Shen. And from this moment on, you belong to me."
Li Mei's eyes widened. "What?!"
Yue Shen chuckled, unfazed by the hostility. "The abyss does not simply test strength, Forsaken One. It recognizes those who are destined to rule. And you… you intrigue me."
Xiao Lan could feel it—the abyss itself was shifting, its chaotic energy responding to Yue Shen's presence.
This trial was no longer just about survival. It was about domination.
And for the first time, Xiao Lan realized—he was not the only one who sought to rule the abyss.