Abyss Ruin – Trial Cradle (Battlefield)
The clash rang like the toll of a funeral bell.
Ye Tian flew back, a streak of blood painting the cracked stone. His black-bladed sword, Abyssfang, was lodged in the wall, vibrating from the force.
[Warning: Host integrity dropping below 18%. Vital signs failing.][System Protocol Alpha-Black is primed. Consent Override: Imminent.]
Across the platform, Mo Wuxian walked slowly forward, bloodless and grinning.His red spear dripped corrupted flame—the kind that devoured spiritual roots.
"Your form is sharp," he said, "but your soul is... soft."
Ye Tian tried to rise, but his left arm refused. The bones inside felt like powder.
"Tian!" Yue Qing's voice cracked. She stepped between him and Mo Wuxian, violet chains unfurling from her wrists, her cursed eyes glowing bright.
"Get back," Ye Tian rasped. "This fight's mine."
System Emergency Override
[All conventional healing options exhausted.][Activating Abyssal Evolution Pathway.]
[Warning: Irreversible. Host will undergo Forced Sync with System Core.]
Ye Tian coughed blood. "Do it."
[Confirmed. Commencing Evolution: Shard Phase I → Phase II.]
Suddenly, time slowed.
The battlefield turned grayscale—only the red and violet hues remained.
Chains burst from Ye Tian's back, wrapping around his body like a cocoon.
A symbol etched itself over his heart—a shifting rune, ancient and alive.
[Evolution In-Progress: Abyssal Body Protocol – Tier 2 Awakening...]
Mo Wuxian froze mid-step. "That… That's not mortal cultivation."
Flashback – System Memory Burst
Images poured through Ye Tian's mind. Not his own.
Ancient warriors, bathed in light, falling into the Abyss one by one.
A giant door, the same one he and Yue Qing had opened, sealing shut behind a godlike figure wielding a black blade. The system wasn't born in this world.
It was a remnant. A vault of vengeance.
A design… to rebuild the fallen.
Present – Rebirth
[Evolution Complete.][New Traits Unlocked:]
Abyssal Regeneration (Lv.1)
Pain Conversion (Lv.1): Converts 15% damage into spiritual energy
Shadowstep Recode: Dash short-range through matter once per 3 minutes
Emotion Lockdown (Passive): Immune to Fear effects
The chains shattered.
Ye Tian stood.
His torn robes reformed, wrapped in living black fabric streaked with red light. His left arm—rebuilt from system crystal and bloodsteel—crackled with internal energy.
He looked at Mo Wuxian—and didn't blink.
"Your turn to bleed."
One Exchange
Mo Wuxian lunged.Ye Tian moved between heartbeats.A shimmer—Shadowstep.
He appeared behind Mo Wuxian, grabbing the spear's shaft with one hand and twisting.
"What—?" Mo Wuxian turned, but Ye Tian was already driving his elbow into his ribs. The crack echoed.
"I'm not soft anymore."
Far Above – Cloudshatter Sect
Zhao Feng felt the ripple in the air.
"He changed."
Lin Ruyan whispered, "He survived."
"No. He evolved," Zhao muttered. "And now we're all in danger."