With the shocking revelations from the Devouring Jade and Overseer Alpha's advice, Lin Fan understood that he couldn't just simply "farm" Chaotic Force from the environment or infected monsters anymore. He needed a large amount of Chaotic Force essence to truly awaken the Ancient God's Eye and unlock its full potential. And that meant facing much greater dangers.
He didn't return to the Silent Abyss. Based on the information Blood Splendor provided, his next target was the Abyssal Void, an area rumored to have a higher concentration of Chaotic Force, and also Dark Shadow's stomping grounds.
The journey to the Abyssal Void took almost a full day. The closer he got, the heavier and more eerie the atmosphere became. Decaying trees, murky black puddles, and a thick, pungent death qi-laden mist enveloped everything. There were no bird songs, no sunlight, just an unsettling silence and the distant growls of unseen creatures.
The Chaotic Force meter on Lin Fan's interface constantly spiked: 5%... 7%... 10%... As he stepped into the heart of the Abyssal Void, it reached a terrifying number: [Chaotic Force in Area: 20%!]
Here, monsters weren't just infected with Chaotic Force anymore. They seemed to be formed from the energy itself. Flickering shadows, distorted spirits, and skeletal beasts with glowing red eyes appeared everywhere.
Lin Fan moved slowly, with extreme caution. He activated his full Spiritual Energy Shield, while maintaining a certain amount of spiritual energy within the Devouring Jade, ready to activate Devouring Eye at any moment. He knew that one small mistake here could cost him his life.
As he was passing through an ancient cemetery, where crumbling gravestones lay scattered beneath withered trees, a chilling aura suddenly engulfed him.
"Who are you? The one stealing my 'energy'!" A raspy, enraged voice echoed.
Lin Fan instinctively spun around. A tall, shadowy figure, human-shaped but with a body blurred like smoke, hovered above a tombstone. It had no discernible eyes or mouth, only two glowing red spots like hellfire. On its chest, a jet-black object, resembling a crystal, emitted an ominous glow.
[Name]: Dark Shadow (Trial Participant) [Level]: ??? (Extremely Dangerous!)
Dark Shadow! And he was also a Trial Participant, a Lost One! This caught Lin Fan by surprise. He had expected to hunt him, not to be discovered by him immediately.
"You dare trespass on my territory, absorbing my 'hard work'?" Dark Shadow roared, the air around him violently vibrating. "You have something similar to me. You are one of them!"
He lunged with terrifying speed, leaving a trail of black smoke behind him. Dark Shadow wasn't a monster; he was another Trial Participant, and he was wielding Chaotic Force.
Lin Fan reacted with lightning speed. He pulled out the Devouring Jade, activating Devouring Eye at full power. The dark purple eye on the pendant suddenly widened, emitting a terrifying suction force.
"Hmph!" Dark Shadow paused for a moment, seemingly surprised by the Devouring Jade's pull. He hissed, his smoky black body constricting, then suddenly dispersed into hundreds of smaller shadows, encircling Lin Fan from all sides.
"Illusions?" Lin Fan thought to himself. He knew dealing with player enemies was far more complex than monsters.
However, Devouring Eye wasn't an ordinary attack skill. The dark purple eye on the pendant suddenly spun rapidly, creating an incredibly strong vortex of suction. Dark Shadow's small shadows, as soon as they approached Lin Fan, were immediately pulled into the vortex, vanishing without a trace!
"You... what are you doing?" Dark Shadow's voice echoed in horror from one of the remaining shadows. He couldn't believe his eyes. His dispersion ability, which made him virtually untouchable, was being nullified!
Lin Fan felt his MP rapidly deplete, and the headache returned. He knew he couldn't maintain it for long. He had to act fast!
He closed his eyes, focusing all his intent on the Devouring Jade, no longer thinking about absorbing essence, but about repelling! He wanted to recreate that first moment he repelled the Ghost Hound, but with much greater power.
When Lin Fan opened his eyes, they were no longer ordinary black. A faint dark purple light flickered deep within his pupils, just like the eye on the Devouring Jade.
"Get out!" Lin Fan roared, pouring all his spiritual energy and the newly collected "Chaotic Force essence" into the Devouring Jade.
The jade pendant erupted in a dazzling dark purple light, many times stronger than before, accompanied by an incredibly powerful repulsive force. This light didn't just pull; it compressed all the surrounding Chaotic Force.
The entire Abyssal Void trembled. Dark Shadow's clones, unable to react in time, were compressed by the dark purple light, then exploded into tiny specks of light, like black fireworks, disappearing into nothingness!
Even the original Dark Shadow, who was standing not far away, couldn't escape the immense pressure. He roared in pain, his shadowy body compressed into a black dot, then forcefully pushed back, disappearing deep into the thick mist.
"You... you will pay!" Dark Shadow's vengeful voice echoed from afar, then faded completely.
Lin Fan stood upright, panting. His entire body was drenched in sweat. His MP was completely depleted, and he felt utterly exhausted, almost passing out. But he had done it. He had repelled another Trial Participant.
He checked his interface.
[Devouring Jade]: Ability [Devouring Eye] successfully tested!
[Devouring Jade]: Chaotic Force essence has been purified; a small amount has been absorbed by the wielder.
[System Notification]: Player Nameless One has successfully repelled another Trial Participant. Received [500 Contribution Points].
[System Notification]: Quest [Secrets of the Lost Ones] activated! [Description]: Learn about other Lost Ones and their role in fighting/utilizing Chaotic Force. [Reward]: ???
Lin Fan looked at the newly received 500 Contribution Points, then at the new quest. He had officially been drawn into the conflict between Trial Participants. Dark Shadow would surely return.
But more importantly, the notification "Chaotic Force essence has been purified; a small amount has been absorbed by the wielder" puzzled Lin Fan. He felt a cold energy flowing through his meridians, yet it wasn't unpleasant; it was like Chaotic Force but purer, and seemed to be harmonizing with his spiritual energy.
Could this be how he "tamed" Chaotic Force, as Overseer Alpha and Old Man Feng had hinted? If so, the Devouring Jade not only helped him fight against Chaotic Force but also helped him absorb and transform it into a part of his own strength!