Chapter 43 – Into the Abyss
The hours passed in a haze of tense silence. Tianming and his group gathered their things, ready to leave the inn. They had no idea who else might be tracking them or how far the eyes of the Nether Abyss Sect reached. But they had no choice. They had already ventured too far into the sect’s twisted corridors of power to turn back now.
“Let's go,” Tianming said, his voice steady despite the unease gnawing at him. “We need to get to the sanctums. It’s the only place left where we might find answers.”
Zhen, who had been unusually quiet during their time at the inn, broke her silence. “The sanctums are not some place you just wander into. Not without paying the price. If we want to find the truth, we need to move with care.” Her voice was low, tinged with the gravity of the situation.
Xueyan glanced at Zhen, a sense of agreement flashing in her eyes. “The sanctums are a myth to most, but to those in power here, it’s reality. Only high elders are allowed access. It’s said to house records of their oldest rituals and the keys to forgotten doors.”
Jiang Chen nodded, his expression serious. “And those records might have more than just scrolls. If we’re lucky, they’ll have the map we need to find the other jade fragments.”
Tianming’s thoughts drifted to the jade fragment he carried. The first piece, pulsing with energy and mystery, was already leading him down a path he wasn’t sure he was ready for. He couldn’t help but wonder: if he collected all of them, what would happen? Would he unlock more than just power? Was there a deeper purpose to the fragments—or was he walking into something far darker?
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Xueyan said, snapping him from his thoughts. “This is dangerous, Tianming. Even I’m not sure we can survive the trials waiting inside. The sanctums are guarded by beasts—some say by the souls of those who tried and failed before us. And that’s not counting the traps set by the elders themselves.”
Zhen gave Tianming a firm glance, sensing his determination. “If you want to survive this, we need to be smarter. Strength won’t get us through these halls. We need to know when to strike and when to hide.”
Tianming clenched his fist, feeling the warmth of the jade fragment against his skin. “Then we’ll be ready. I didn’t come this far just to turn back.”
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The morning was grim. Mist clung to the ground like a second skin, and the road out of the sect’s core was quiet—unnaturally so.
The path they followed was barely a trail. Winding through the desolate cliffs that bordered the deep sectors of the Nether Abyss Sect, it felt more like a forgotten crack in the earth than any true road. Mossy stones jutted out at odd angles, and the edges of the cliff were sharp enough to sheer skin from bone.
The wind screamed through the narrow passes, tugging at their clothes and echoing off the stone in haunting tones.
Tianming stepped carefully, boots crunching against broken gravel. Below them yawned a seemingly endless drop into the chasm—a gray and green swirl of mist and stone that could swallow them whole.
“Don’t look down,” Zhen muttered. “This trail’s killed more disciples than it’s led to answers.”
“I see why they call it the Devil’s Spine,” Jiang Chen muttered, using his sword as a support while he navigated a particularly crumbled stretch.
Xueyan led them with steady steps, her cloak fluttering behind her. “This was built as a test,” she said. “Only those desperate or determined enough dare to walk it. Anyone else turns back.”
It wasn’t just dangerous. It was exhausting. Hours passed, every one marked by stiff muscles, near-falls, and constant tension. At one point, they had to cross a narrow stone bridge held together by rusted chains. Zhen nearly lost her balance, gripping Tianming’s shoulder to steady herself.
He looked back at her, breathing hard. “Still think we always survive?”
Zhen chuckled. “Ask me again when we’re off this damn cliff.”
Just when they thought they couldn’t go any farther, the terrain shifted. The cliffs flattened into a wide ledge, where ancient stone pillars stood like sentinels. Beyond them lay a vast gate carved into the side of the mountain—blackened stone etched with runes that pulsed faintly, like the heartbeat of the abyss.
A strange silence hung in the air.
But then, a voice broke it.
“You made it farther than most.”
The four of them froze. A lone figure stood ahead, hands behind his back. He wore robes of smoky gray, with accents of frost-blue at the hems. His hair was pale silver, tied loosely, and his eyes… his eyes were cold as glacial glass.
Tianming narrowed his gaze. “Who are you?”
The man offered a slight bow. “Vaelin, emissary of the Everfrost Immortal Palace.”
Zhen stepped beside Tianming, red hair whipping in the wind. “Everfrost? What do they want now?”
Vaelin’s lips curled into a humorless smile. “The same as you. Answers. Power. Control.”
“We’re not here to start a war,” Xueyan said, her voice cool. “We just need the map.”
“That map,” Vaelin replied, “is older than your entire sect. It doesn’t just show locations—it reveals what was hidden for a reason. Once you step through those gates…” His voice dropped. “You’ll carry burdens that were never meant to resurface.”
Jiang Chen gripped his sword tighter. “We’ll handle whatever comes.”
Vaelin’s smile never reached his eyes. “I hope so. Because you're not the only ones searching anymore. And not everyone wants the jade reassembled.”
He turned to leave, but paused.
“Oh—and do greet Elder Veyar when you find him,” he added, voice sharp like frostbite. “He’s been expecting you.”
And then he vanished into the mist, leaving behind nothing but tension and a name that tasted like poison on their tongues.
Next up in chapter 44.
-Elder Vayer lays down a lethal trap for Tainming.
-Is Tainming going to lose everything again or will he rise above the influence of the mark.
Find out next because
Tainming is not just a lad looking for the answers
He is the Sovereign of Celestial Ascent
