A Lotus Blooms in the Perilous Abyss, Demons Lie in Wait

Three months flew by in devoted cultivation.

Inside the courtyard's meditation chamber, Lin Yinuo's aura grew ever deeper and more restrained. His Destruction Divine Power circulated flawlessly, and his mastery of the concept of "annihilation" reached a new level. His greatest gain came when he tried incorporating the "swiftness" aspect of the Laws of Lightning into his movement technique and unexpectedly touched upon a peculiar connection between the Destruction Rule and the Laws of Lightning—ultimate speed could itself bring ultimate devastation and destruction!

He tried incorporating this insight into his attacks, creating a new move that combined speed and destruction-"Thunderbolt Flash"! It unleashed Destruction Divine Power instantaneously in the form of lightning, pursuing ultimate penetration and speed. Although its range fell far short of "Spatial Tremor," its single-point destructive power and element of surprise were superior.

That day, the Crescent Moon Jade Talisman warmed slightly, and the Youyue Prefect arrived as promised.

Without saying much, she handed Lin Yinuo a jade slip containing information and a pouch that seemed woven from moonlight.

"The jade slip contains a detailed map of the Abyss of Chaos, the habits and weaknesses of Soul-Devouring Demons, and the precise location and harvesting method for the Moonlight Soul Lotus. This 'Moonveil Pouch' can seal off the lotus's aura and provide you with a degree of concealment in that chaotic environment," the Youyue Prefect said coolly. "Remember, when the lotus matures, it will produce a phenomenon called the 'Moonlight Sky Curtain,' which will certainly attract other contenders. Act swiftly and finish quickly."

Lin Yinuo accepted the items and swept his spiritual power through the jade slip, committing the information to memory. The Abyss of Chaos lay in a perilous region at the edge of the Zijing Continent where space was extremely unstable. Its interior was filled with all manner of chaotic energy storms and spatial rifts, making for a harsh environment. Soul-Devouring Demons were terrifying, soul-eating creatures found nowhere else.

"I understand." Lin Yinuo nodded.

The Youyue Prefect gave him a long look. "Come back alive."

With that, she raised a hand and sliced open a spatial gate. Beyond it lay a bizarre, shifting spectacle of turbulent currents and raging energy. "This gate will take you directly to the outskirts of the Abyss of Chaos. When you wish to return, simply crush the jade talisman."

Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Yinuo stepped through the spatial gate.

A powerful spatial tearing sensation struck him, more violent than any teleportation he had experienced before. A moment later, his feet touched solid ground, and an aura of chaos and brutality, mingled with countless negative emotions, hit him head-on.

Before him stretched a boundless wasteland, vividly colored yet utterly lifeless. The sky was a warped dark purple, with neither sun nor moon, only spatial rifts and energy vortices constantly forming and vanishing. The earth was parched and cracked, enormous skeletons and broken weapons lay everywhere, and howling winds whipped up corrosive dust.

This was the Abyss of Chaos! Even here at its edge, the omnipresent pressure of energy and the sensation of soul erosion were enough to unsettle an ordinary Midgod.

What a chaotic place! My divine sense is severely disrupted here, and visibility is poor too. No wonder Highgods are unwilling to enter.

He immediately circulated divine power to protect himself while letting a trace of the concept of destruction linger around his body. The chaotic energies attempting to erode him were silently annihilated as they approached. Following the map in the jade slip, he stealthily made his way deeper into the abyss.

The farther he went, the harsher the environment became. Sometimes he had to push through energy storms powerful enough to tear apart a divine body; at other times, he had to carefully skirt spatial rifts that swallowed everything. He even encountered some god-level creatures that had lost their reason to the corrosive chaotic energy. He swiftly dispatched them all with "Thunderbolt Flash" to avoid attracting more trouble.

Several days later, he reached the vicinity of "Fallen Soul Gorge," marked on the map. It was said to have been one of the battlefields of an ancient war between gods, where countless powerful beings had fallen. Their resentment and soul fragments had lingered for ages, making it a favored nesting ground for Soul-Devouring Demons and the place where the Moonlight Soul Lotus grew.

Before he even approached the gorge, Lin Yinuo felt waves of stabbing pain in his soul. Countless chaotic, malicious soul whispers echoed through his mind. He immediately guarded his soul and sent a faint pulse of willpower's might through it, dispersing the noise.

He concealed himself behind a massive meteorite and activated the Eye of Illusion-Breaking, gazing into the depths of the gorge.

Gray soul mist filled the gorge, leaving visibility extremely low. But through the Eye of Illusion-Breaking, he could see countless translucent, manta-shaped creatures floating in the mist, radiating cold soul fluctuations—Soul-Devouring Demons! They roamed the gorge in vast numbers like a gray tide. Several were especially large, their soul fluctuations already at the Highgod level!

At the very center of the gorge, in a relatively clear patch of ground, stood a crystalline lotus that looked as though it had condensed from moonlight, its bud on the verge of blooming. Nine lotus leaves spread outward, radiating a gentle, pure soul glow that dispersed the soul mist in a small area around it. It was the Moonlight Soul Lotus! No Soul-Devouring Demon dared approach within a hundred meters of it, seemingly wary of the pure moonlight it emitted.

There are too many Soul-Devouring Demons, and some are at the Highgod level. Forcing my way through definitely won't work. I have to wait for an opportunity.

He noticed that the bud atop the Moonlight Soul Lotus was slowly swelling at a visible rate. The moonlight contained within grew ever brighter; clearly, it was close to maturity. The surrounding Soul-Devouring Demons were also growing increasingly restless. They craved the pure soul essence the lotus would release upon maturing, yet feared its light.

Lin Yinuo held his breath and focused, waiting for the perfect opportunity like the most patient of hunters.

Time ticked by. Suddenly, the lotus bud shuddered violently, and a narrow opening appeared at its tip. A moon-white pillar of light, condensed almost to solidity, shot skyward, piercing the soul mist above the gorge and forming a brief "Moonlight Sky Curtain" in the chaotic sky, shedding a clear radiance!

The phenomenon had appeared! The lotus was about to mature!

"Hissss!"

The Soul-Devouring Demons throughout the gorge instantly went mad! Like sharks scenting blood, they surged toward the lotus without regard for anything else! The Highgod-level Soul-Devouring Demons let out piercing screeches, their powerful soul assaults sweeping outward like a storm!

At that moment of utter chaos, Lin Yinuo moved!

"Thunder Shadow Void Escape!"

His figure turned into a lightning shadow that all but blended into his surroundings as he pushed his speed to its limit. Rather than charging straight toward the lotus, he circled along the edge of the gorge, approaching under cover of rocks and soul mist! Skillfully avoiding the densest concentrations of Soul-Devouring Demons, he headed straight for his target-the lotus!

But just as he came within a thousand meters of the lotus, another sudden change occurred!

"Swish!"

An incomparably sharp black blade arc slashed out of the mist to his side without warning, heading straight for his neck! Rich with the aura of darkness and the Ed of Death, it moved at astonishing speed!

There was another contender!

Alarm bells screamed in Lin Yinuo's mind. He forcibly changed direction with Thunder Shadow Void Escape, and the Destruction Thunderblade instantly appeared in his hand. With a backhand slash, he struck at the black blade arc!

"Clang!"

The crash of metal against metal exploded through the air! Destructive sword energy and the blade arc of darkness and death furiously eroded and annihilated each other! The tremendous impact checked Lin Yinuo's movement, forcing him to reveal himself.

He looked coldly toward the source of the attack. An eerie figure slowly emerged from the mist, shrouded in a black cloak and wearing a mask that both wept and smiled. The figure held a curved saber wreathed in black energy.

What quick reactions! A tough opponent indeed. But I, Wuchang, will have this Moonlight Soul Lotus!

At the same time, a wild roar came from the other side! An enormous Abyssal Demon Beast, covered in bone spikes and radiating a savage aura, tore through the mist and charged out, its scarlet eyes fixed on the lotus and Lin Yinuo!

At this critical moment when the lotus was maturing, three forces collided with a thunderous clash within Fallen Soul Gorge!