Chapter 67: The Trial of the Dark Abyss
The Western Region was quiet beneath the night sky.
Han Feng moved through the forest without making a sound.
His black-and-purple robes blended into the darkness between the trees, while his long white hair occasionally caught the pale light of the moon.
Only a few days had passed since his breakthrough.
Yet the difference was already obvious.
His Qi Cultivation had reached Rank 4.
Every circulation of Qi through his meridians felt smoother than before.
His body was stronger.
His movements were faster.
His spiritual sense had expanded.
Even his control over his techniques had improved.
But Han Feng wasn't celebrating.
Rank 4 had not suddenly made him invincible.
If anything, the breakthrough had made him more aware of the gap between himself and the truly powerful cultivators of the Western Region.
Elder Li was still far beyond him.
The Celestial Corpse Sect was still searching for him.
The ancient six-point system remained unexplained.
And the seventh point on the ancient map had only created more questions.
Han Feng stopped on a high branch.
He looked toward the distant mountains.
A massive black ravine cut through the landscape.
Even from several kilometers away, he could feel something wrong with the place.
Darkness seemed to gather around it unnaturally.
That was the Dark Abyss.
A forbidden region known even among Western Region cultivators.
According to the information Han Feng had gathered, the abyss contained rare spiritual resources, strange Gu, mutated spiritual beasts, and ancient remnants.
Some cultivators entered and returned with treasures.
Most never returned at all.
Han Feng's gaze became serious.
He wasn't entering simply for adventure.
He needed resources.
His cultivation had advanced.
His Gu Master cultivation had not.
His Gu Master Rank remained Rank 2.
That imbalance was becoming increasingly noticeable.
The stronger his Qi became, the more carefully he had to maintain harmony between the two systems.
He needed stronger Gu.
Better materials.
And perhaps...
Something capable of strengthening the foundation of his existing Gu.
Han Feng looked at the abyss again.
"The Dark Abyss."
He had heard several rumors about it.
But one rumor had caught his attention.
A rare material called the Dark Essence Crystal occasionally appeared within its depths.
It was said to possess extremely concentrated dark spiritual energy.
For certain Gu, it could serve as a refinement catalyst.
But it couldn't simply increase their rank by itself.
The material had to be compatible.
And improper refinement could destroy the Gu entirely.
Han Feng smiled faintly.
"That sounds more believable."
If something could casually make a Gu stronger without risk, everyone would already be fighting over it.
He jumped from the branch.
His body disappeared into the forest.
Several hours later, Han Feng stood at the edge of the Dark Abyss.
Up close, it was even more imposing.
The ground simply ended.
A gigantic black ravine stretched downward into darkness.
Thick mist floated within it.
Occasionally, strange sounds rose from below.
A growl.
A hiss.
Sometimes something that sounded almost like a human whisper.
Han Feng activated the Art of the Celestial Veil.
His aura immediately became weaker.
Then he activated Shadow Concealment.
Instead of simply suppressing his presence, his existence seemed to merge with the surrounding darkness.
He carefully examined the abyss.
There were traces of spiritual energy everywhere.
But something else was mixed within it.
Corpse energy.
Han Feng's expression changed slightly.
"The Celestial Corpse Sect has been here."
He didn't hesitate.
That information should have been enough to make him leave.
Instead, he looked deeper into the abyss.
If the Celestial Corpse Sect was interested in this place, there was probably a reason.
And if they had already entered...
Then whatever they were searching for might be worth investigating.
Han Feng stepped forward.
Then he jumped.
Wind screamed past his ears.
The walls of the abyss rushed upward.
Han Feng didn't simply fall.
He used controlled bursts of Qi to slow his descent.
Several seconds later, his feet touched a narrow stone platform.
The moment he landed—
Something moved.
Han Feng's eyes narrowed.
A black shape burst from the darkness.
It resembled a wolf.
But its body was covered in thick black scales, while dark-red veins pulsed beneath its skin.
Its claws dripped with a poisonous substance.
A Venomscale Wolf.
Its cultivation wasn't particularly high.
But its poison was dangerous.
Han Feng didn't give it an opportunity to attack.
His fingers moved.
A thin strand of purple Qi shot forward.
The wolf twisted in midair.
Han Feng stepped aside.
The claws missed his chest by less than an inch.
His palm struck the creature's side.
Boom!
The wolf crashed into the stone wall.
Before it could recover, Han Feng's Qi pierced its spiritual core.
The creature collapsed.
Han Feng glanced at the corpse.
He didn't immediately leave.
Instead, he crouched beside it.
The blood of the Venomscale Wolf was unusual.
Its spiritual energy had been contaminated by the abyss.
Han Feng's eyes narrowed.
"This place is changing the creatures that live here."
That meant the danger wasn't simply the beasts.
The environment itself was dangerous.
He stood.
Then continued downward.
The deeper Han Feng went, the stranger the abyss became.
Plants grew upside down from the stone walls.
Black roots moved slightly whenever he passed.
Several pools of dark liquid emitted faint spiritual fluctuations.
At one point, Han Feng saw an old skeleton wearing the remains of a cultivator's robes.
There was no weapon beside it.
No storage ring.
No treasure.
Only a single word carved into the stone next to the corpse.
RUN.
Han Feng stared at it.
Then continued.
He wasn't foolish enough to assume that an ancient warning was meaningless.
After nearly three hours of exploration, his spiritual sense suddenly detected something unusual.
A rhythmic pulse.
Slow.
Steady.
Almost like a heartbeat.
Han Feng followed it.
Eventually, the passage opened into a massive underground cavern.
At its center was a stone platform.
An altar made from white bones stood upon it.
And above the altar—
A dark crystal floated in the air.
It was roughly the size of a human fist.
Black on the outside.
But faint purple lines moved beneath its surface.
Every few seconds, the crystal released a pulse of dark spiritual energy.
Han Feng's eyes narrowed.
"Dark Essence Crystal."
He had found it.
But he didn't approach immediately.
Something was wrong.
The crystal wasn't simply floating.
Thin spiritual threads extended from it into the altar.
The altar was feeding energy into it.
Or perhaps...
The crystal was feeding something beneath the altar.
Han Feng's expression became serious.
He activated his spiritual sense.
Nothing.
Then he noticed a faint fluctuation behind him.
Someone else was here.
A voice echoed through the cavern.
"You're more cautious than you look."
Han Feng turned.
A man stepped from the darkness.
He wore black-and-white robes.
A pale skull symbol was embroidered across his chest.
The man's cultivation was difficult to determine.
But the corpse energy surrounding him was unmistakable.
Celestial Corpse Sect.
Han Feng's eyes became cold.
The man smiled.
"I didn't expect to find another cultivator here."
His gaze moved toward the Dark Essence Crystal.
Then back to Han Feng.
"You saved me the trouble of searching."
Han Feng said nothing.
The man continued.
"I'll make this simple."
He pointed toward the crystal.
"Leave it."
"Then walk away."
Han Feng looked at him.
"That's your generous offer?"
The man's smile widened.
"Consider it generosity."
Han Feng's eyes narrowed.
He could sense something strange.
The man's cultivation was around the level of Qi Cultivation Rank 4, perhaps slightly stronger.
Not enough to make Han Feng helpless.
But strong enough that a careless fight could become troublesome.
More importantly...
There was something else.
A faint spiritual fluctuation beneath the altar.
The man had probably noticed it too.
Neither of them had come here only for the crystal.
Han Feng smiled.
"You can have it."
The man's eyebrows rose.
"Really?"
Han Feng turned toward the crystal.
"Of course."
Then he suddenly stepped backward.
"After you take it."
The man's expression changed.
"You—"
Han Feng's figure vanished.
Shadow Concealment.
The man immediately released his spiritual sense.
"Found you."
He turned.
Too late.
Han Feng had already appeared beside the altar.
His hand reached toward the Dark Essence Crystal.
The moment his fingers touched it—
Boom!
The entire cavern shook.
Han Feng's expression changed.
The crystal wasn't cold.
It was warm.
Almost alive.
The Celestial Diagram inside his consciousness suddenly reacted.
The six symbols spun violently.
The seventh point flashed.
Han Feng immediately withdrew his hand.
The crystal released a wave of dark energy.
The bones surrounding the altar began trembling.
The Celestial Corpse Sect cultivator's face changed.
"What did you do?"
Han Feng stared at the crystal.
"I didn't do anything."
A deep sound came from beneath the altar.
Boom.
Both cultivators froze.
Another pulse.
Boom.
The ground cracked.
The Celestial Corpse Sect cultivator took a step backward.
His expression was no longer arrogant.
"That's impossible..."
Han Feng looked at him.
"You knew?"
The man didn't answer.
The altar cracked.
A black mist seeped through the gaps.
The Dark Essence Crystal rose higher.
Then six faint lines appeared across its surface.
Han Feng's pupils contracted.
Six points.
The same pattern.
The same ancient resonance.
His Celestial Diagram responded immediately.
The man's expression changed completely.
He stared at Han Feng.
"You..."
For the first time, there was fear in his eyes.
"What are you?"
Han Feng didn't answer.
He was staring at the crystal.
The Dark Essence Crystal wasn't merely a rare resource.
It was connected to the ancient system.
Another node.
Another fragment of the same mystery.
And judging from the reaction...
It might have been waiting for someone capable of activating it.
Han Feng slowly clenched his fist.
The man suddenly attacked.
A black corpse claw tore through the air.
Han Feng moved instantly.
Boom!
The claw struck the stone platform.
Fragments exploded everywhere.
Han Feng appeared several meters away.
His expression became cold.
"So you decided to stop talking."
The Celestial Corpse Sect cultivator's eyes were filled with killing intent.
"If you understand what this place is..."
His aura surged.
"...then you cannot be allowed to leave."
Han Feng's purple eyes narrowed.
There it was.
The real reason.
The crystal was only part of the story.
Whatever was beneath the altar mattered far more.
The man rushed forward.
Han Feng met him.
Purple Qi collided with dark corpse energy.
Boom!
The cavern shook.
Their first exchange sent both cultivators backward.
Han Feng's feet slid across the stone.
His opponent stopped several meters away.
Both stared at each other.
Neither had gained the advantage.
Han Feng slowly raised his hand.
A faint golden-black glow appeared around his fingers.
The Celestial Transmutation Gu responded.
The Celestial Corpse Sect cultivator summoned several black threads of corpse energy.
The atmosphere became suffocating.
Then—
The Dark Essence Crystal pulsed again.
This time, the entire abyss responded.
Countless distant roars echoed through the darkness.
Han Feng's expression changed.
The battle had awakened the creatures.
The man from the Celestial Corpse Sect looked toward the entrance of the cavern.
His face became ugly.
"We need to leave."
Han Feng almost laughed.
"Now you want to leave?"
The man looked at him.
"This isn't a treasure chamber."
His voice was unusually serious.
"It's a feeding ground."
Silence.
Then something enormous moved beneath the altar.
The bones trembled.
A crack spread across the center of the stone platform.
Something below was waking up.
Han Feng's smile disappeared.
The Dark Abyss wasn't hiding a treasure.
It was hiding a trial.
And they had just stepped into it.
A deep voice echoed from beneath the altar.
Not loud.
Not angry.
Almost...
Hungry.
"Resonance..."
Han Feng's eyes widened.
The Celestial Diagram erupted with light.
The seventh point appeared.
For a single instant—
Seven points connected across his consciousness.
Then the darkness swallowed everything.
The Celestial Corpse Sect cultivator stared at Han Feng.
"You brought it here."
Han Feng's expression hardened.
"I don't even know what 'it' is."
The man slowly backed away.
"Neither do I."
Another roar shook the abyss.
This time, something struck the underside of the altar.
Crack!
A piece of stone broke away.
A black eye opened beneath them.
Han Feng's pupils contracted.
The Celestial Corpse Sect cultivator's face turned pale.
Neither man attacked.
For the first time since entering the Dark Abyss...
They were no longer enemies.
They were simply two cultivators standing above something that should never have awakened.