Chapter 27: The Abyssal Core's Secret
The eerie glow of the abyssal core pulsed in Bai Yuan's grasp, its energy sending strange vibrations through his arm. It was unlike any beast core he had encountered before, a mix of abyssal Qi and something even more profound—something ancient.
Ling Xi and Feng Yao watched warily as Bai Yuan inspected the core. The battle with the Abyssal Alpha had been fierce, and though they had emerged victorious, the energy within the core left them unsettled.
"This thing feels… alive," Bai Yuan muttered, his grip tightening around the swirling mass of darkness. His nanobots stirred in response, their circuits humming in tandem with the core's energy, as if attempting to analyze its properties.
Feng Yao sheathed his saber, wiping the sweat from his brow. "That wolf was no ordinary beast. It was more like a guardian of this place. If it had a core this powerful, then what else could be lurking deeper inside the Fallen Star Gorge?"
Ling Xi's sharp gaze swept their surroundings. "We should move. That battle wasn't exactly quiet. If there are more creatures like that lurking nearby, we don't want to stay here for long."
Bai Yuan nodded, slipping the core into his storage ring. As he did, he felt a strange pulse in his consciousness, as if something had momentarily connected to him. He frowned but chose not to dwell on it for now.
They pressed forward, weaving through jagged rock formations and eerie, mist-covered terrain. The deeper they ventured, the more unnatural the environment became. The ground pulsed faintly with energy, and the very air seemed to hum with an ominous rhythm.
After an hour of cautious travel, they arrived at the heart of the gorge—a massive crater surrounded by towering obsidian pillars. In the center of the crater, embedded within the rock, was a gigantic black monolith covered in glowing crimson runes. The moment Bai Yuan laid eyes on it, his nanobots buzzed with activity, feeding him fragmented data about an ancient power source.
"What is this place?" Feng Yao whispered, his eyes filled with awe and caution.
Ling Xi's fingers brushed against the hilt of her daggers. "It feels like a seal of some kind. Whatever is inside… it wasn't meant to be let out."
Bai Yuan stepped forward, drawn to the monolith by an inexplicable force. As he approached, the abyssal core in his storage ring trembled violently. Before he could react, a surge of energy erupted from the core, forming spectral tendrils of black mist that snaked toward the monolith.
A deafening rumble shook the ground.
The runes on the monolith flared to life, and a deep, guttural voice echoed in Bai Yuan's mind. "Heir of the forgotten path… you have arrived."
Pain lanced through his skull as images flooded his mind—fragments of an ancient civilization, warriors wielding powers beyond comprehension, and a great calamity that had been sealed away within this very gorge.
Bai Yuan staggered, gripping his head. His nanobots surged, trying to suppress the overload of information, but it was clear—this monolith held secrets tied to the very essence of cultivation itself.
Ling Xi caught his arm. "Bai Yuan! What's happening?"
His vision refocused, and he took a deep breath. "This place… it's connected to something ancient. And I think the core we found is the key."
Feng Yao tensed. "Then we need to decide. Do we open it… or leave before we awaken something we can't handle?"
Bai Yuan stared at the glowing runes, feeling the weight of an unknown destiny pressing down on him.
One decision here could change the fate of not just himself, but the entire Nine Mystic Heaven Realm.