Abyss

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Abyss (深渊)
Alias(es)	Bottomless Abyss; natural chasm
Type	Vast natural chasm and the site of an ancient sealing formation
Location	Within the Land of Great Fog, between Great Lai and the Ancient Abyss Kingdom
Status	Active; the seal within it remains in operation after the Star Devouring Dragon's defeat 685
First Appearance	241

Geography and Phenomena

The Abyss is an immeasurable black rift stretching beyond sight through the Land of Great Fog. Violent energy continuously erupts from its depths, sustaining a permanent storm of black clouds, cyclones, lightning, and thunder above it 244.

• It almost completely cuts off travel between Great Lai and the Ancient Abyss Kingdom; ancient records describe it as the sole route between the two lands 241 244.
• The erupting energy forms a barrier over the chasm and prevents energy and Spiritual Qi from flowing freely between its two sides 550.
• A powerful magnetic field and increasing gravity weigh down anything attempting to cross, while energy torrents scour travelers near the center 257 258.
• The Abyss is saturated with violent abyssal energy. At greater depths, this energy distorts space and can overwhelm even Grandmaster-level defenses 551 552.
• Its rock walls have been tempered by abyssal energy for so long that Song Changming could barely damage them even when driven into them by a powerful impact 551.

Crossing the Abyss

Ordinary Qi Refinement martial artists cannot cross the Abyss unaided. Innate martial artists can use Innate Qi to fly and shield themselves from its energy and magnetic force 244 258.

• Song Changming identified a location where the energy flow weakens for roughly five to ten minutes every three days, but the magnetic field and energy barrier remain dangerous even during this lull 258.
• Flying Talismans provide the means of flight, while Golden Shield Talismans and a sufficiently strong body protect a traveler against the central barrier 261.
• Song Changming ultimately crossed using a Flying Talisman, relying on his Flood Dragon Body to endure the torrent and fighting through evolved Gluttonous Beasts on the far side 261 262.
• He later led Su Qingqing, Song Ping'an, Li Jinyu, Big Yellow, and Big White across safely 271 272.

Inhabitants

Gluttonous Beasts

Gluttonous Beasts, also called Abyss Monsters, emerge from the upper reaches of the chasm. They possess armored bodies, extreme physical resilience, multiple limbs, and bony tails or spikes 245.

• They attack intruders in groups and frequently swarm travelers immediately after a crossing 261 272.
• Beasts encountered on the Ancient Abyss Kingdom side are visibly more evolved, tougher, faster, and more difficult to kill than those nearer Great Lai 262.
• Song Changming once killed hundreds or possibly thousands of Gluttonous Beasts around the Abyss without using internal Qi 262.

Abyssal Strange Beasts

Abyssal Strange Beasts inhabit the deeper regions, where they have adapted to the destructive energy currents that would kill most living beings 550 551.

• Their flesh and blood contain a dark, mutated abyssal energy distinct from ordinary death energy or yin sha 551.
• Deeper populations include Great Demon-level creatures and stronger humanoid, dragon-skinned variants 551 552.
• They can manipulate abyssal energy in battle and attack both physical bodies and divine souls 551.
• Their primary instinct at the Abyss floor is to gnaw at the sealing runes. When too many gather, the formation releases a shockwave that reduces them to ash 550 633.
• After the Star Devouring Dragon was slain, the beasts remained dependent on abyssal energy but became notably less frenzied and mostly entered hibernation 685.

Seal Star Grand Array

The Abyss contains the Seal Star Grand Array, an ancient talisman formation created by the Abyss Emperor to imprison the Star Devouring Dragon. The Cloud Emperor tentatively classifies it as a tenth-tier formation—the highest known tier 553.

• The formation comprises 4,800 rare ancient runes and extends throughout the Abyss 645.
• Its visible runes are energy manifestations rather than physical inscriptions, yet Abyssal Strange Beasts can directly erode their true forms 550.
• The seal's energy barrier both protects the imprisoned dragon and supplies the formation's continuous operation 669.
• Its emergency activation releases enough power to annihilate masses of Abyssal Strange Beasts; Song Changming cannot withstand the resulting shockwave 633.
• Continued erosion gradually dimmed runes and disrupted the formation's energy circulation, threatening an eventual collapse if left unchecked 645.

Song Changming's Research

Song Changming repeatedly descended into the Abyss to study and deconstruct the formation's runes.

• He initially reached only the formation's outer layer after descending tens of thousands of meters, where abyssal energy and elite Strange Beasts forced him to retreat 551 552.
• He eventually learned to use spatial passages to access the lower Abyss and avoid prolonged exposure to unstable abyssal energy 591 633.
• After decades of research, he achieved a 57% completion record for the incomplete Seal Star Grand Array and could set up a novice-level incomplete version 633.
• The Talisman Arts Immortal trait drastically improved his analysis speed, allowing him to deconstruct high-level runes in minutes rather than across multiple expeditions 645.

History

Ancient texts record that the first humans fleeing the Ancient Abyss Kingdom crossed the Bottomless Abyss only after immense hardship. The records do not explain how they accomplished the journey 241.

During the ancient calamity caused by the Star Devouring Dragon, the Abyss Emperor led human powerhouses against the disaster and sealed the dragon beneath the Abyss. Public history held that he sacrificed himself, but his divine sense later revealed that he survived, traveled to the Primal Continent, and eventually became an Immortal 548 669 670.

Before leaving the Nine Provinces, the Abyss Emperor left behind a self-aware wisp of divine sense tied to the seal. It was meant to appear when the formation had deteriorated sufficiently, repair the seal, and prevent the Star Devouring Dragon from threatening humanity again 669.

Story Role

Discovery and Early Expeditions

Song Changming identified the Abyss through ancient records while seeking a route to the Ancient Abyss Kingdom. He, Nan Wuji, and Su Yaoguang reached it after crossing the Land of Great Fog with Elder Lu of the Corpse Refining Sect as their guide 241 243.

Nan Wuji's initial attempt to cross with his Crimson Swords failed, establishing that conventional Qi Refinement flight could not overcome the chasm's conditions 244. Song Changming subsequently made several increasingly refined attempts before securing Flying Talismans from the Corpse Refining Sect 257 258 261.

Seal Crisis

The Abyss became central to the looming return of the Star Devouring Dragon. The Cloud Emperor revealed that the dragon's body lay sealed below, while Abyssal Strange Beasts were steadily damaging the formation's runes 550.

Song Changming descended into the Abyss to investigate, resisted the dragon's will with his Witch Clan inheritance, and began long-term work to understand and restore the Seal Star Grand Array 551 633.

When the Star Devouring Dragon pulled Song Changming's Soul into the seal, the Abyss Emperor's divine sense manifested, restrained the dragon, repaired the formation, and returned Song Changming to his body 669.

Dragon Slaying

The Abyss later became the site of the human race's final campaign against the Star Devouring Dragon. Song Changming, Yuan San, the Province Kings, Grandmasters, and Talisman Masters prepared at the seal while Abyssal Strange Beasts continued to assault the formation 681 684.

Following the dragon's defeat, the Abyss remained a dangerous and energy-filled chasm, but the immediate threat of the dragon's will and the beasts' former frenzy subsided 685.

Associated Figures

• Abyss Emperor — Created the Seal Star Grand Array, imprisoned the Star Devouring Dragon, and left a divine sense within the seal as a safeguard for humanity 669 670.
• Star Devouring Dragon — An Outer Heaven beast sealed at the Abyss's core; its will influenced Abyssal Strange Beasts and sought to erode the formation from within 550 660.
• Song Changming — First crossed the Abyss using talismans, later studied the seal, repelled the dragon's schemes, and participated in its eventual defeat 261 645 685.
• Cloud Emperor — Explained the Abyss's role as the dragon's prison, protected Song Changming during his first deep descent, and supported research into the formation 550 551 553.