Shadow of the Abyss

The damp cave, lined by infernal runes that seemed to radiate sin, was heavy with the scent of blood. It was sickening to sit in. Altair had to wonder if his willpower was as great as he was led to believe.

Would a proper man allow such madness for power? He didn't know, but he was very much willing to sacrifice moral obligation for the necessary power to rise across the boundless.

"Is it done," Altair asked, perhaps too sharply. Tasha shuddered, a curious glow rising through those devilish eyes she possessed.

"Almost, your Majesty," the Lilim intoned, lashed by the sting of authority he possessed over her blood. 'He was getting better at it. Ruling, that is,' she told herself, unable to resist the seductive smile from cresting her lips.

In her palm, Tasha lifted a small azure Soul Flame, dipped her fingers in it like paint, and continued finishing the last of the Infernal Runes across the cave. When she was done, the Soul Flame could only whimper a feeble cry so innocent it broke the hearts of those who heard it. The sound left Altair shattered by the reality of his alliance with the Hells.

He questioned it. Questioned many things, but his heart remained steadfast.

'Heartless bastard,' he told himself, closing his eyes. He said, "Commense when you are ready."

Tasha obeyed, clenching her fist so tight the soul within her palm howled a cry none would forget, Not for the next hundreds of years as it was torn asunder, rendered to azura embers glittering about like fireflies. She grinned cruelly, licking her lips at her Lord's uncomfortable demeanor, and pulled out another soul and began squeezing it until it tore.

In all the Three God Realms—Arcadia, the Myriad Heavens, and the Abyss—there had only ever been a single renewable resource that could exist beyond the collapse of laws: the immortal souls of Mortals and Gods alike. No matter how strong a god claimed to be, Souls were indestructible. No matter how much you burned them, tore them, or stabbed at them, a Soul Flame would always ignite given time.

Across the Cultivation Cave, a scarlet mist rose across the earth, tangling itself across Altair's feet. It felt alive, coiling around the lines of his clothing. Rings of embers sizzled across his robes, slowly igniting into flames so red they seemed like blood.

"You can now begin breaking through, Master," Tasha said, eyes glued to the lines of muscles that lined his lean frame. "As a Higher Being, breaking through into the Fourth Circle shouldn't be an issue. All you need to do is bear the anguish that comes with Rebirth."

Altair opened his eyes. "Serve me the Soul Blossom."

Tasha found a smile as she looked at the boy, who was tained by the infernal flames without expression. She couldn't imagine the pain he was feeling. Yet he bore no expression. She wondered if she should have used a Soul so innocent that Heaven and Earth recognized it.

'A Lunar Fairy should do…' She told herself, drawing close to her Master as he sat in the lotus position. The infernal flames did not bother her. At least not flames of this level. Tasha lifted a palm, stretching her fingers forward. Space rippled like water mist the still lake, opening itself to her hand as she reached in, taking out a tea set with infernal markings along its smooth surface.

"How do you feel?"

Altair did not answer, allowing the Circle of Gluttony to devour more and more Mana of Heaven Earth, while another part of him began drawing Vale Qi from the Lake within his Astral Sea to refine.

From over a mile around, the Emperor mana jolted about like vaporous gas before it spun towards the center, towards the Vale Prince, as if he were the eye of the storm. Beads of sweat began to tarnish his striking features, treading the lines of his face and muscles strangely not igniting into the vaper as his the Infernal Flame blazed across his body.

Ba-Thump! Ba-Thump! Ba-Thump! Ba-Thump!

The mana turned cardinal red with radiance as mana poured into the cave to be tarnished by the infernal runes, which, in turn, strengthened the blood flames.

[The Heart of Darkness has Awakened]

[Warning]

[You Have Invoked The Wrath Of The Heavens]

[Heavenly Tribulation Has Been Engaged]

[Abyssal Qi detected]

[HeavenlyTribulation has been Tarnished]

Removing the mask that his master had gifted him, fearing it might shatter, Altair's calm expression began to fracture as the maelstrom of mana began to coalesce into something unimaginable, reaching levels beyond his control. Still, he calmly stared at Tasha as she smoothly prepared him a cup of tea.

Her movements seemed practiced, refined to a level that held his gaze for more than a few minutes. By the time he realized it, Tasha had placed the cup of Tea in his hand.

[Heart of Darkness has begun to beat]

Ba-Thump! Ba-Thump! Ba-Thump! Ba-Thump!

"Quickly now," Tasha urged him. "Drink it."

"What is going on here!" Raven shouted, about to rush into the cave. She stopped when she saw her master state. An ancient glow flickered across her amethyst eyes as she looked towards the heavens, tainted by clouds black as night.

Disciples were all hurrying out of their cultivation caves to gauge the situation before elders, one after the other, began appearing, urging them to evacuate.

The Gods, New, and Old, stared with poised focus, orienting their divine senses on the second floor of Babels Tower, listening to the rumbles of thunder racing up the tower. Despite the distance, each one of th gods felt as if they were beneath the gathering tribulation.

Altair did not have time to consider accepting the cup of Soul Blossoms Tea. He felt the lake within his soul stir at its lovely aroma. His pupils contracted, unsure how much water and liquid weighed the same as a mountain.

The rain began then. Lashing at the Earth, it carved through mountaintops, unwilling to allow anyone or anything to obscure its vision of its target.

He swallowed the tea, startled by how the liquid turned to vaper the instant it entered his body. It didn't travel down his throat but rather permeated his body, phasing through bones and tissue to touch upon the spirit.

A wall was torn asunder then following the system message.

[You have consumed the Leaves of the Soul Blossom]

[Restriction of the Mana Attricube has faded]

[Heart of Darkness has begun to produce Ashen Blood]

[Your Wisdom has Increased by 1000]

[Your Charisma has Increased by 1000]

[Soul Membrane has coalesced around Soul Flame]

DING

[Your Mana has increased by 1]

[Mana: 300 → 301]

The world came to a standstill, and only the Heavens' fury was allowed for movement. Be it mortal hands or the elements, everything seemed paralyzed by his will.

Seemingly unaware that the Will of the Abyss had been triggered, a deafening silence swept across Altair's mind as a fog that had been treading along his Astral Sea cleared. And for the first time, he could see.

[You have achieved basic Mastery of Realm of Spirits]

Realm of Spirits

Grade: S

Type: Almighty

Description: The user will obtain Omniscients based on the depths of their souls

Suddenly, Altair felt as if he was drowning as the mana around him became like water through his perception. He could breathe, but it felt stifling as if what he was doing was unnatural. He saw it then. Runes of Abyssal and Myriad gathered around him, coalescing to form matrixes, to create concepts and then laws.

[DING]

[Orgin System Has Been Forcefully Updated!]

[Orgin System AI Has Grown]

[Gods may now grant Karma to Worldly Events]

Just then, thunder roared like the rage of an angry god, as lightning black as night cut deep across the skies. The sun faded, giving rise to the moon, radiating its ephemeral beauty across the land.

Lu Chen watched on with cold eyes. The cultivation caves were close to falling apart. He saw it then, and blood drained from his face.

[True Abyss Demands you Activate your Heaven and Earth Defensive Formation.]

'Lilith Snow,' Lu Chen thought, caught in a cold sweat cascading across his body. 'What is the relationship with Altair and the Snow family?' he wondered.

It was no simple matter to align oneself with one party, Lu Chen knew, especially to Altair, who had a Lilm that was usually reserved for the pleasure of Fallen to stand by his side. But an order from the Abyssal Empress was not something he could ignore or refuse.

He cursed his luck before giving the order to his elders, " Activate the Sect's Barrier."

***

"First, you triggered an Abyssal Tribulation; now you are helping him," Arsene said to Lilith, frowning in her chambers. His body was more faded than ever before. "What are you planning?"

"I am his Grandmother," Lilith countered aghast.

'Bullshit. Tell me the reason."

Lilith curled up in her lover's arms and grinned fiendishly. "Well… I altered the Tribulation because he was your son but slightly aided him because I remembered he was your son and my little grandson. Funny how love and hate work."

"You…" Altair sighed. "Oh, whatever. Doesn't matter now. We're finally about to break out of Pandora's Box."

Lilith's expression hardened. "Think Mephisto has more hands to play after this?"

"Always. But Mephisto owes us more than one favor now. When we get out, I'll check on Iza and Ves with my own eyes. What about you?"

"Me?" Lilith thought about it. I'm not sure. We lost contact with the kids a while back, so I am curious, but… I think I might visit the Forsaken Clans in Arcadia. We'll see what happens."