The stone steps creaked under their feet.
Ye Tian and Yue Qing walked in silence. The air below was colder, heavier. Every breath they took felt like they were breathing in pain and agony.
After what felt like forever, they reached a round chamber with no windows, no light—only glowing runes on the floor.
In the center stood a large black coffin made of crystal.
"Why is this here?" Yue Qing asked, her voice quiet.
Ye Tian stepped forward. The System Interface flickered violently.
⟨SYSTEM WARNING⟩
Abyssal Seal Detected: [Level ??? Prisoner]Status: DormantUnlocking forbidden – DO NOT INTERACT
Ye Tian frowned.
"Looks like someone powerful is locked in there," he muttered.
Yue Qing circled the coffin, eyes sharp. "And whoever sealed them didn't want them to wake up."
But then it happened.
The Unwanted Touch
Ye Tian noticed a soft red light glowing from a corner of the floor. A shard of metal. Curious, he bent down and touched it.
CLICK.
As soon as he touched it, the runes on the ground lit up in red.
The crystal coffin cracked.
"No—no—NO!" Yue Qing shouted, rushing toward him.
But it was too late.
The Awakening
The cracks spread fast. Red mist spread out from the coffin as a deep, slow tremor shook the chamber.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
From the mist rose a figure—a man, tall and thin, dressed in broken robes. His skin was pale like a corpse, but his eyes… were glowing silver with black flames.
"How long… have I asleep for?" he asked, his voice cold and powerful.
Ye Tian pulled Yue Qing behind him, sword drawn. "Who are you?"
The man looked around, then laughed softly.
"You broke the seal. That makes you mine."
⟨SYSTEM INTERFACE⟩
Danger Level: ???New Entity Detected: [Abyssal Prisoner – Mo Han]Status: WeakenedBinding Attempt: INITIATED
"Binding attempt?!" Ye Tian said. "What does that mean?!"
⟨SYSTEM⟩
Emergency Trigger: Bloodline Conflict DetectedAuto-defense activated…
System Reaction
Ye Tian felt pain shoot throughout his whole body. The system inside him resisted the prisoner's presence, creating shockwaves and bursts of power.
Mo Han winced too, gripping his chest.
"You… you have Mo Wuxian's scent… His essence. Interesting…"
Yue Qing summoned chains of spiritual energy to protect Ye Tian, but the prisoner simply waved his hand and broke them all.
He smiled coldly.
"You will help me rise again. Whether you like it or not."
Then—he vanished into mist, leaving behind a mark on Ye Tian's arm. A black flame-shaped scar.
Aftermath
Ye Tian fell to one knee, gasping heavily. Yue Qing caught him.
"Are you alright?"
"I… I think I just woke up something worse than death."
⟨SYSTEM MESSAGE⟩
Curse Mark Received: [Mo Han's Brand]Effects UnknownQuest Activated: "Break the Flame Scar"Reward: ???Time Limit: Unknown