The newly revealed passage yawned like a wound deep beneath the Rootspire. The air grew heavier, saturated with the lingering breath of ancient Sovereigns long thought vanished.
[Environment Modifier Activated: Abyssal Nexus]
Spirit Pressure: Extreme
Visibility: 40%
Corruption Residue: Present
Recommended Cultivation: Rootweaver Realm (Advanced) + Thread Mastery (Tier 3)
Li Shen tightened his grip on the Sovereign's Whisper Keystone. The threads woven through it shimmered faintly — a tether to the power hidden below.
Descent into Darkness
Their footsteps echoed through the Nexus corridor, roots thickening into massive pillars, writhing faintly like serpents asleep. Each breath drew heavier as the corrupted Qi thickened.
Korin's eyes glinted. "I can feel something… watching."
Yue Han whispered, "Not just watching… waiting."
Suddenly, the ground trembled. From the shadows emerged a towering figure, draped in ancient bark armour, its eyes burning with a cold blue flame.
[Entity Detected: Sovereign Root Guardian—Ascendant-Class]
Level: 35
Abilities: Sovereign Roar, Rootbind Grasp, Spirit Shard Barrage
Weakness: Thread Weave Harmony, Light Essence
The system flared urgent warnings:
[Warning] High-threat enemy detected! Activate maximum synergy.
Clash of Threads
Li Shen activated his core skills:
[Skill Activated: Moonwoven Harmony – Tier 3]
[Skill Activated: Threadweave Barrage]
[Skill Activated: Flame-Thread Blade – Tier 3]
Threads of silver light and burning ember coalesced into a storm of radiant fury. The Guardian roared, shaking the pillars and sending waves of corrupt Qi toward them.
Korin and Yue Han flanked the beast, weaving wind and flame threads, creating a web of light that weakened its defences.
[System Notification] Critical Combo Achieved: +45% Damage, +20% Defence Buff
[Boss HP: 100% → 45%]
The Guardian's counterattack was brutal—grasping roots erupting from the ground, trying to ensnare them. Li Shen's reflexes surged.
[Passive Trait Activated: Bound to the Root]
Automatic Root Pulse — Dispelled Rootbind Grasp.
He surged forward, flames slicing through bark armour as threads wrapped and tightened.
[Boss HP: 45% → 0%]
Defeated: Sovereign Root Guardian.
Aftermath and Revelation
As the Guardian collapsed, its body dissolved into glowing spores. The system confirmed:
[Boss Defeated: Sovereign Root Guardian]
[XP Gained: 18,000]
[Item Acquired: Sovereign Seedling]
[New Skill Unlocked: Sovereign Threadmastery (Passive)]
Li Shen approached the altar behind the Guardian. Placing the Sovereign's Whisper Keystone into the pedestal caused the entire chamber to pulse with vibrant life.
Roots began healing, and an ancient voice echoed in his mind:
"The Sovereign's root has been broken… but the seed remains. Protect it, child of thread."
Level Up!
Li Shen – Level 26 → 27
Stat Points +6
New Passive: Sovereign Threadmastery
Quest Updated: Protect the Sovereign Seedling.
Li Shen's fingers tingled with newfound power. The Abyssal Nexus had been breached, but the real battle was only beginning.