Location: High Altitude – Aboard the Imperial Flagship 'Obsidian Wrath'
The fleet of War-Arks cut through the clouds like sharks swimming through milk.
Aris stood on the prow of the lead ship. The wind at this altitude was freezing, but his Abyssal Sovereign Body absorbed the chill, converting the thermal deficit into a refreshing hum of energy.
Below them lay the Peak of Eternal Day.
It was magnificent. A cluster of floating islands chained together by massive links of celestial iron. Waterfalls cascaded off the edges into the clouds below. A localized formation kept the sun shining here 24 hours a day, bathing the white marble temples in perpetual gold.
"It's a waste of energy," Aris critiqued, his Abyssal Eye scanning the inefficiency of the formations. "They spend 40% of their budget just on lighting effects."
Behind him stood Lin Chen. The Shadow-Knight had washed the blood off his armor, but he hadn't repaired the hole in his chest where Xuan had stabbed him. To an undead puppet, a stab wound was just ventilation.
"The defenses are active, Master," Lin Chen said, his voice hollow. "The 'Solar-Shield' vaporizes anything that approaches without a high-level clearance."
"I know," Aris said. "That's why you're driving."
The Trojan Horse: Part Two
The War-Arks slowed as they approached the golden barrier.
On the Sect's defensive walls, hundreds of Outer Disciples cheered. They saw the Imperial ships and assumed their Grandmaster had conquered the capital. They saw Lin Chen at the bow—their Hero, their Golden Boy.
"Open the gates!" a ranking elder shouted from the wall. "Senior Brother Lin Chen has returned! The Empire is ours!"
Lin Chen stepped forward. He raised Solstice. The blade glowed with a fake, mimicked golden light provided by Aris's system.
"Brothers!" Lin Chen shouted, his voice amplified by Qi. "The war is over! The Emperor has surrendered! Lower the shields so we may offload the spoils of victory!"
The Elder didn't hesitate. "Drop the Solar-Shield! Welcome the heroes home!"
The golden dome flickered and dissolved.
Aris smiled beneath his mask. "Corporate takeover initialized."
The Liquidation
The moment the ships docked at the main plaza, the ramp lowered.
The disciples rushed forward with flowers and wine, eager to celebrate.
"Senior Brother Lin! Where is the Grandmaster?" a young girl asked, beaming.
Lin Chen looked at her. "He is waiting for you in the afterlife."
Shing.
Lin Chen's sword moved faster than sound. The girl's head separated from her shoulders, her smile still frozen on her face.
The cheering stopped.
"Kill them all," Aris commanded calmly from the top of the ramp.
The cargo hold of the War-Ark opened. It wasn't filled with loot. It was filled with Black Jade Guards and Imperial Shadow-Archers.
"Open fire!"
A rain of crossbow bolts, enchanted with armor-piercing Void runes, blackened the sky. The disciples, unarmored and unprepared, were mowed down like wheat.
[System Notification: Combat XP +150]
[System Notification: Combat XP +200]
[System Notification: Combat XP +180]
The notifications scrolled in Aris's peripheral vision like a waterfall. He walked down the ramp, stepping over the corpses. He didn't draw a weapon. He didn't need to.
[Passive: Dominator's Presence Active]
Every disciple within 50 meters of him suddenly felt their knees buckle. Their physical defense dropped by 50%. Aris walked through them, and as he passed, he tapped them.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
[Skill: Alchemical Cannibalism]
With every touch, a disciple withered into dust, their cultivation sucked dry and added to Aris's reserve. He wasn't fighting; he was harvesting crops.
The Vault of the Sun
Aris left the massacre in the plaza to his minions. He headed straight for the Sect Vault, located inside the central volcano of the main island.
The door was a massive slab of Star-Metal, protected by a riddle that only the Sect Leader knew.
"What has no shadow but creates all shadows?" the ancient voice of the door boomed.
Aris didn't answer the riddle.
"System," he thought. "Analyze the locking mechanism."
[Analysis: Mechanical Tumbler fused with Spirit Logic.]
[Weakness: The hinges are made of Low-Grade Fire Copper.]
"Nox," Aris pointed at the hinges. "Eat."
Nox, now the size of a tiger, pounced. The shadow-beast crunched through the metal hinges like they were candy. The massive door, weighing fifty tons, groaned and fell forward with a thunderous crash.
Aris stepped inside.
The wealth of a thousand-year-old sect lay before him. Mountains of Spirit Stones. Racks of flying swords. Shelves of ancient manuals.
[Merchant's Eye: Scanning Area...]
[Total Estimated Value: 5,000,000 Gold.]
[Key Items Detected:]
The Sun-Swallowing Sutra (Heaven-Rank Manual): Requires a Solar Body to learn. (Useless to Aris, but great for Lin Chen).
Solar Essence Crystals (x50): High-grade fuel. Can be converted into 50,000 AP.
The Heart of the Star: A Divine-Rank artifact powering the island.
Aris walked to the center of the vault. Floating in a containment field was a sphere of pure, blinding plasma. The Heart of the Star.
"This is what keeps the islands floating," Aris realized.
[Guardian Detected!]
The lava pool beneath the artifact exploded.
A massive creature emerged. It was a Sun-Lion, a beast made entirely of living magma and holy fire. It was the Sect's Guardian Beast, dormant for centuries, awakened by the intrusion.
[Boss: Ancient Sun-Lion]
[Level: 55 (Nascent Soul - Mid Stage)]
[Attribute: Holy Fire (Double Damage to Shadow Types)]
The Lion roared, a blast of heat that instantly vaporized the gold coins on the floor into slag.
"Nox," Aris said, stepping back. "You've been wanting to evolve, haven't you? Fire is just spicy light. And light... is just food."
Nox hissed. The shadow-beast didn't cower. It expanded.
[Ability: Abyssal Domain - Maximum Output.]
The vault plunged into darkness. The only light was the Sun-Lion and Aris's violet eye.
The Lion lunged, claws of fire tearing at the shadows. Nox dodged, weaving through the darkness, biting at the Lion's flanks. Every time Nox took a bite, he didn't tear flesh; he tore out light. The Lion dimmed.
"Help him," Aris commanded Lin Chen, who had just entered the vault.
The Shadow-Knight charged, wielding Solstice. He struck the Lion from behind, the Abyssal-corrupted blade slicing through the magma hide.
The Lion roared in confusion. It recognized the sword. It recognized the Qi. Friend?
That second of hesitation was all Aris needed.
He threw the God-Blight Spike (recovered from the Grandmaster's corpse). It struck the Lion in the throat.
[System Error: Qi Flow Interrupted.]
The Lion froze, its flames flickering out.
"Dinner time."
Nox surged forward, its maw opening impossibly wide. It enveloped the Lion's head. There was a sickening crunch, a flash of suffocated light, and then silence.
[Nox Has Consumed a Divine Beast Essence.]
[Evolution Triggered!]
[Nox is evolving into: The Eclipse Hound.]
The Collapse
Aris walked to the Heart of the Star.
"System. Convert to AP."
[Are you sure? Removing this artifact will cause the islands to fall.]
"I know," Aris said. "Gravity is a harsh mistress."
He placed his hand on the star.
[Absorbing...]
[+200,000 AP]
The light in the vault died.
Outside, the perpetual sun vanished. The sky turned grey.
Then, the groaning started. The massive chains holding the islands together went slack. The gravity formations failed.
"Retreat to the ships!" Aris ordered via the comms.
He, Lin Chen, and Nox (now a cocoon of shadows) sprinted back to the Obsidian Wrath. They lifted off just as the main island cracked in half.
Aris stood on the deck, watching the Heavenly Sword Sect—a legacy of a thousand years—crumble and fall out of the sky. It crashed into the mountains below with a force that shook the earth for miles.
Dust rose. Silence fell.
[Abyssal Nexus: End of Chapter Status]
Host: Aris Thorne
Level: 48 (Approaching Level 50 - Nascent Soul Threshold)
AP Balance: 205,400 AP (Rich beyond measure).
[Loot Acquired]
The Heart of the Star (Converted to AP).
The Sun-Swallowing Sutra (Given to Lin Chen).
5 Million Gold in Liquid Assets.
[World Status]
Heavenly Sword Sect: Eradicated.
Reputation: The "Pale Alchemist" is now feared as a calamity.
Threat: The Dying God (The System Creator) has noticed your rapid progress. He is... amused.