Chapter 8: Awakening of the Abyss
The moment Lin Fan opened his eyes, the world felt… different.
The Forbidden Region, once filled with hidden threats and unseen predators, was now eerily silent. Not a single beast dared to move in his presence. The air itself felt heavier, charged with an unfamiliar energy—one that pulsed in rhythm with his own heartbeat.
He looked down at his palm.
The Abyssal Mark had changed.
Before, it had been a simple sigil—an insignia of his connection to the abyss. Now, it was something more. The dark patterns had deepened, forming intricate spirals that seemed to shift and pulse as if alive. The glow was no longer a faint ember but a burning sigil of authority.
A whisper echoed in the back of his mind.
"Claim your throne."
Lin Fan exhaled slowly, his fingers curling into a fist. The encounter with the Abyssal Sovereign had given him more than just knowledge. It had changed him.
And now, it was time to see just how much.
---
The Forbidden Region Kneels
Lin Fan took a step forward, and the world reacted.
The shadows shifted unnaturally, bending toward him as if acknowledging their new master. The beasts lurking in the darkness didn't flee as they once had. Instead, they observed—waiting, anticipating.
Then, the first one emerged.
A Shadowfang Wolf—a creature known for its ruthlessness, its ability to phase through darkness itself. It had once been an apex predator of the Forbidden Region.
Now, it crawled forward, its glowing crimson eyes locked onto Lin Fan. It lowered its head.
Submission.
Then another.
A Bone-Crawler slithered out from the undergrowth, its skeletal frame rattling as it approached. Its many eyes flickered with hesitation—then resignation. It, too, bowed.
And then more came.
Night Panthers. Abyssal Vultures. Even a massive Iron-Horned Tyrant, a beast that once required an entire squad of elite cultivators to subdue, lumbered forward—before bending its knees.
The Forbidden Region was not merely reacting to Lin Fan's presence.
It was acknowledging him as its ruler.
The system's interface flickered before his eyes.
[Abyssal Dominion (Passive) – Advanced Stage Achieved]
[Effect: All abyssal-aligned creatures within a 50 km radius will instinctively submit. Weaker creatures cannot resist your will.]
Lin Fan tilted his head, his golden eyes gleaming.
"So this is what it means to be sovereign."
A slow, almost dangerous smile formed on his lips.
And yet—deep within, he knew this was only the beginning.
---
The Challenge of the Abyss
As Lin Fan adjusted to his newfound authority, a presence stirred in the distance.
Not one of submission.
But of defiance.
Lin Fan's gaze shifted, locking onto the depths of the Forbidden Region. A pulse of abyssal energy resonated from the heart of the land, darker and more intense than anything he had felt before.
It was a call.
A challenge.
The system reacted instantly.
[Warning: An Abyssal Warden has noticed your rise.]
[Title: Abyssal Warden – Guardian of the Abyss]
[Power Level: ???]
Lin Fan's expression didn't waver.
Instead, his smirk deepened.
"Good."
He turned toward the source of the disturbance, his body already moving before he could think.
The beasts that had just submitted to him hesitated, uncertain whether to follow or stay behind.
But Lin Fan didn't need them.
This fight—
This was his alone.
---
The Abyssal Warden
The deeper Lin Fan ventured, the more the world around him changed.
The Forbidden Region's dense forest gave way to something… unnatural. The ground beneath his feet turned black, like molten obsidian cooled under immense pressure. The trees grew twisted, their branches stretching unnaturally toward the sky.
And in the center of it all—
A figure stood waiting.
The Abyssal Warden.
It was massive, towering at least three meters tall, its body covered in jagged abyssal armor that seemed to shift like liquid darkness. Its face was hidden behind a horned mask, and in its grip, it held a massive halberd carved from what looked like the bones of some ancient beast.
Lin Fan's Abyssal Mark burned in response.
The Warden exuded power—ancient, undying. Unlike the beasts that had submitted to Lin Fan, this creature was not bound by instinct alone.
It had purpose.
It had will.
And it would not kneel so easily.
The Warden raised its weapon. The abyssal energy around it flared, twisting the air itself as reality trembled under its presence.
[Abyssal Warden challenges you.]
[Defeat it to prove your dominion.]
Lin Fan's heart pounded.
But he did not step back.
Instead, he laughed.
Because for the first time since stepping onto this path—
He had found a worthy opponent.
---
The Clash of Sovereigns
The battle began in an instant.
The Warden moved first, its massive halberd descending like a blackened crescent of death. The force behind it was monstrous—enough to shatter mountains, enough to kill even peak-stage cultivators.
But Lin Fan was no ordinary cultivator.
His Abyssal Mark pulsed. His Chaos Veins surged. And in the split second before impact—
He vanished.
The halberd struck the ground, obliterating everything in a ten-meter radius. Trees disintegrated. The earth cracked. A shockwave rippled outward.
But Lin Fan had already reappeared behind the Warden.
His hand shot forward, fingers wreathed in abyssal flame. He struck.
The Warden twisted impossibly fast, blocking with its armored forearm. Sparks erupted from the impact.
For the first time—
The Warden spoke.
"Interesting."
Lin Fan's grin widened.
"You have no idea."
The ground beneath them cracked as they clashed again. Speed against strength. Technique against raw power.
With each exchange, the Forbidden Region trembled. The beasts that had once ruled these lands cowered in fear.
And above them, the sky darkened.
The Abyss itself was watching.
---
The Fall of a Guardian
The battle raged for what felt like an eternity. Neither side gave an inch.
But in the end—
Lin Fan was the one still standing.
The Warden knelt before him, abyssal energy leaking from the cracks in its armor. It looked up, those glowing abyssal eyes burning with something unreadable.
Respect.
Recognition.
Then—it spoke once more.
"You… are worthy."
With those final words, the Warden's body dissolved into pure abyssal essence, flowing toward Lin Fan's Abyssal Mark.
[Abyssal Warden Defeated.]
[New Title Acquired: Abyssal Challenger]
[Abilities Enhanced.]
Lin Fan inhaled sharply, his body shaking from the sheer influx of power.
He had won.
But deep inside—he knew.
This was only the first of many challenges to come.
The Abyss had acknowledged him.
And soon—
The world would do the same.