Lin Tian's consciousness felt as if it had been dragged into a boundless abyssal sea. The surrounding water was bone-piercingly cold, as though every breath could freeze his lungs to shards. By his ear, that deep, ancient voice echoed again, carrying a pressure that transcended time itself.
"…I have slumbered for ten thousand years… and now, I once again behold the light of day… Yet you—merely a mortal in the Qi-Condensation Realm…"
The voice was not impatient, but it bore a sense of scrutiny and testing, like a colossal beast sizing up its prey. Lin Tian clenched his teeth, forcing himself to steady his mind. "Who are you?"
Silence stretched for a moment. The seawater seemed to tremble faintly before the voice slowly replied: "I am called Hanyuan. In ages past, I was the sovereign of these waters, commanding three thousand Water Spirit legions, guarding the Dark River of the Northern Abyss. That Cold-Scaled River Otter you saw was but one of my former lieutenants in human form… Alas, now I remain only as a wisp of remnant soul bound to a spirit pearl."
Lin Tian's heart shook—he had read fragmentary records of the Northern Abyss Dark River in his sect's archives. It was an ancient battlefield long since swallowed by history, said to bury countless cultivators' remains, and to seal away existences that could not be named.
"Then… your presence here—is it for rebirth?" Lin Tian tested.
Hanyuan's voice sank low. "Rebirth? Hmph… If I could be reborn, why would I bind myself to a mere pearl? Now I have but two paths—either vanish completely… or merge with a host. Using your flesh and blood as my vessel, I could rebuild my form."
Lin Tian's breath stalled. He knew this was no fair exchange—if Hanyuan truly "merged" with him, he might well lose himself entirely.
But before he could refuse, Hanyuan's voice came again: "However… you are intriguing."
"Intriguing?" Lin Tian frowned.
"The aura on you is not purely human," Hanyuan said, with a faint, knowing amusement. "In your bloodline hides an ancient fluctuation… akin to that of an old acquaintance I once knew. If I am not mistaken, one of your ancestors may have left their mark upon the Northern Abyss Dark River."
Lin Tian was startled—his origins had always been a mystery. His master never spoke of them, and vast gaps lay in his clan's genealogy. Could it be… he truly had ties to this so-called Northern Abyss?
While he pondered, Hanyuan's voice suddenly turned sharp. "Boy, listen— that Purple Lightning out there is not a mere spirit beast. It… was once my subordinate's traitor."
Lin Tian felt as if struck by lightning. His eyes flew open—and the first thing he saw were Purple Lightning's deep, green vertical pupils staring directly into his own.
"You're awake," Purple Lightning said, its voice low, tinged with a probing edge. "The pearl's power… didn't consume you outright?"
Lin Tian gave no immediate answer, but his hand secretly tightened around the hilt of his spiritwood short sword. Hanyuan's warning pressed upon him like a shadow—if Purple Lightning truly was a traitor, then every word and action it took might hide a blade.
Sensing his wariness, Purple Lightning smirked faintly. "Relax. If I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have waited until now."
After a brief silence, Lin Tian asked flatly, "That Cold-Scaled River Otter… what was it to you?"
Purple Lightning's pupils narrowed slightly before it turned its head away. "An old friend, long ago. Sadly, it failed to adapt—and paid the price."
Lin Tian's heart sank—what Hanyuan had called a "lieutenant" was merely an "old friend" in Purple Lightning's words. The discrepancy made him even less inclined to trust.
"Come." Purple Lightning flicked its tail and moved toward the depths of the Dark River. "This river doesn't lead outside. The only exit lies at its end—a place sealed by an ancient barrier. Unless we break it, we'll never leave."
Watching its retreating form, Lin Tian's fingers tightened unconsciously. In his mind, Hanyuan's voice whispered again: "Follow it. Don't expose me… When we reach the seal, I will tell you the truth."
Drawing in a deep breath to calm his thoughts, Lin Tian quickened his steps.
The river's end drew closer, its waters rumbling with a deep resonance, as though flowing from some vast abyss. On the stone walls above, faint ancient inscriptions could be seen—dulled by time, yet still radiating an untouchable majesty.
Then, from the shadows against the wall, a tall, slender figure slowly emerged.
It was a man in a grey-white robe, face gaunt, eyes deep as the starless night. His aura was utterly restrained, yet it pressed upon Lin Tian like a mountain—no weaker than an Innate Realm master.
"At last, you've come," the man said, his voice cool as millennial ice. "Lin Tian, do you realize—the power you now hold will alter the entire fate of the Northern Abyss?"