The Sovereign's Wrath
The chamber howled with ancient hunger.
The Abyssal Fragment—towering, serpentine, with wings of shattered bone—lunged at them, its roar a pulse of madness.
Ye Tian ducked, blade flashing as it scraped against the creature's hide, drawing sparks but no blood.
[System Alert: Enemy resistance too high. Damage reduced by 78%. Criticals negated.]
"Damn it!" he cursed. "We're barely scratching it."
Yue Qing's cursed chains lashed out, wrapping around one of the beast's claws—but it only slowed, then snapped free, slamming her into a wall.
She coughed blood but rose again.
"It's not meant to be killed by us," she gasped. "We're not strong enough—"
"No. Not yet."
A Glyph Awakened
As the creature reared to strike, Yue Qing's blood splattered across a half-buried sigil beneath her feet.
It flared.
The ruin trembled.
Glyphs on the walls erupted into fire, lighting up a spiral array around the room.
A voice—not from the system—boomed across their minds.
"Trial Initiated – Test of the Broken Flame. Two bearers of chains and betrayal have been detected."
"Complete the ritual. Or be consumed."
The Sovereign Fragment screeched in fury, as if it, too, were bound by this ancient law.
The floor beneath them shifted—revealing a giant ring of interlocking blades and flame, rising from the depths.
Yue Qing staggered to Ye Tian's side.
"This is… a trial? A rite?"
He nodded, understanding clicking into place.
"A system within the Abyss. Older than the one bound to me."
The Trial Begins
The arena sealed with fiery chains. Above them, ghostly images flickered—of warriors long dead, cursed like them, battling through the same flame-ring.
The voice returned:
"Only those who confront their deepest chains may wield the Blade of the Abyss."
Trial Conditions Updated – Partner Synergy Required. Shared Pain Engaged. Split HP, Amplified Damage.
A searing line of pain shot through Ye Tian's side.
He turned.
Yue Qing had taken a claw strike.
They were now bound.
"Together," he growled, rising.
Yue Qing smirked. "Don't slow me down."
A Dance of Pain and Trust
As the battle resumed, they moved in sync—his blade and her cursed chains now harmonized, glowing with Abyssal fire.
When he struck, the system rippled.
[Abyssal Bond Technique Unlocked – Flamebind Execution]Chain + Blade = Explosive True Damage (15% Enemy Max HP)
Ye Tian's sword erupted with cursed fire as he stabbed into the beast's eye. Yue Qing pulled his blade deeper using her chains.
The Fragment howled.
Its wings burst into flame—self-destruction?
"Last phase!" Ye Tian shouted.
The glyphs pulsed one last time.
The Blade of the Abyss
From the center of the arena, as the Fragment fell screaming into the molten void, a pedestal rose, bearing a sword black as night, its edge inscribed with chains and burning runes.
The voice intoned one last time:
"Trial Complete.""Bearer of Vengeance – Ye Tian, you have earned the Blade of the Abyss."[Weapon Bound. System Integration Initiated.]
[System Upgrade: Abyss Authority Level 1 unlocked.]– Skill: Flamebind Slash– Passive: Pain-Link Synergy (with Yue Qing)
He reached for the sword—and it accepted him.
Yue Qing stood beside him, her chains glowing with matching runes.
"You're not alone anymore," she whispered.
Ye Tian stared at the sword, then the sealed gate ahead.
"No. And now… the real climb begins."