The Abyssal Depths were a wound in reality, a labyrinth of jagged obsidian spires and rivers of liquid void. Lin Feng's trio descended via a sect-forged airship, its hull etched with protective arrays. The system's warning lingered—Shadow Master, the god behind the Devourer's birth, waking. Lin Feng's meridians pulsed, Layer 6 (40%) straining under essence weight.
[Quest: Disrupt Rift Core. Reward: Shadow Suppression Key.]
Huo Yan's flames lit their path, her phoenix aura a beacon against miasma. Zhao's tempest qi cleared air, his eyes sharp: "Shen's here. I smell his betrayal."
The Depths teemed with demons—winged fiends, void serpents, and hulking behemoths. Their first clash: a serpent ambush. Lin Feng summoned Void Serpent Avatar, its coils countering kin. Huo's Cascade incinerated, Zhao's Dance hacked through scales.
[Devoured: Void Serpent Alpha. Gained: 60 Essence. Serpent Fang Strike.]
Progress was brutal, each kill feeding Lin Feng's pool. Shadow Storage overflowed: 300 Essence banked. He fused for [Void Tempest: Storm + Abyss Fusion], blades now black whirlwinds.
Midway, they found Shen's trail—charred runes, demonic pacts etched in blood. Huo's voice trembled: "He's summoning the Lord's true avatar."
A cavern loomed, rift core pulsing like a heart. Shen stood before it, chanting, qi fused with void. Around him, Crimson disciples guarded, their eyes hollow—puppets.
Lin Feng scanned: [Puppet Control Detected. Counter with Grasp.]
Battle ignited. Zhao's tempest scattered minions; Huo's flames clashed with Shen's corrupted phoenix blaze. Lin Feng veiled, targeting Shen. "End this, traitor!"
Shen laughed, voice warped: "The Lord promises godhood. Your system's a fragment of his will!"
Lin Feng's Grasp latched, siphoning Shen's qi. Visions flooded: Shen's descent into void worship, craving power to rival Yun Hao. Antagonist's fall—ambition to madness.
Shen countered, void claws rending. [HP 120/200. Corruption Debuff.] Lin Feng's Affinity resisted, but pain seared. Huo intervened, her dive shattering Shen's focus.
Zhao pinned a minion, devouring its essence with Lin Feng's guidance—his first taste, eyes alight: "This power..."
Together, they overwhelmed Shen, Lin Feng's Tempest devouring his flames. Shen fell, whispering: "The Lord... comes."
[Devoured: Huo Shen. Gained: 100 Essence. Corrupted Phoenix Blaze.]
Core destabilized, but a void pulse erupted—Shadow Master's echo. A spectral face formed: "Devourer, you wield my gift. Join or perish."
Lin Feng defied: "I forge my Dao!" He plunged Grasp into the core, essence flooding. [Key Gained. Shadow Master Suppressed—Temporary.]
The cavern collapsed; the trio escaped via airship, rift sealed. Back at Spire, Yun Hao praised: "You've bought time."
But Lin Feng's thoughts churned: The system's god—ally or enemy?
Huo and Zhao, now essence-users, bonded closer. Zhao: "We're monsters together." Huo: "Heroes, maybe."
[Level Up: Layer 7 (10%). New Skill: Shadow Echo—Project Devoured Forms.]
The summit planned a final assault—Void Lord's sanctum. Lin Feng prepared, system whispering: Devour to ascend, but guard your soul.