A heavy fog loomed over the Hollow Lands as the remnants of the Eternal Vault faded into silence behind Li Yi and his companions. The sky, once twisted and broken, began to calm—but the air still buzzed with lingering traces of ancient power. The battle with the guardian had left them all drained, yet invigorated, their foundations sharpened by the heat of combat and the revelations they had uncovered.
They traveled in silence for hours, heading toward a safer region in the Hollow Lands to recuperate. Even after advancing to the Foundation Establishment – Early Stage, Li Yi felt the chaotic energies within his dantian still evolving. The Chaos Fruit he had absorbed had not only refined his Qi but awakened long-dormant veins of celestial memory buried deep within his bloodline.
Each pulse of his heart now felt like thunder in his veins, echoing with fragments of battle hymns and divine secrets.
As the group reached a cliffside ridge overgrown with black-rooted trees and crimson moss, Lan Qing'er pointed ahead. "There's a natural spirit convergence in the valley below. We can recover there. The soil looks rich with Earth Essence."
Li Yi nodded, though his gaze remained fixed on the horizon. "Rest. But don't let your guard down. That light we triggered from the Vault… it was a signal."
They descended the slope and settled in a small clearing near a half-buried stone temple—its origin likely predating even the Eternal Vault. Faint glyphs lined its steps, worn by wind and time, glowing occasionally with a dim blue light.
Mo Ruyan and Lan Qing'er erected defensive formations while Xue Lian sat cross-legged nearby, eyes closed in deep meditation. Li Yi took the chance to examine his condition. The moment his mind focused inward, he found himself standing within a vast mental sea—one far deeper and more ancient than before.
He stood on a floating island suspended in space. Above him, three celestial bodies pulsed in rhythmic orbits:
One of Chaos, wild and ever-shifting.
One of Celestial Flame, brilliant and scorching.
One of Oblivion, dark and silent, whispering truths in forgotten tongues.
A voice echoed from the shadows between stars:
"Heir of the Chaos Lineage… The path you walk shall either rebuild the bridge to the God Realm—or burn it forever."
The vision shattered as his eyes snapped open.
Just then, a ripple in the surrounding formation snapped his attention back to the physical world. Mo Ruyan stood abruptly, eyes narrowing.
"We have company."
In the darkness beyond the trees, silhouettes began to emerge. At first three, then six, then ten. Robed figures in black-gray cloaks bearing the emblem of a twisted lotus—The Sacred Abyss Sect.
From behind them stepped a man cloaked in shadows, his features mostly hidden, save for a long scar that ran from his left brow to his jaw. His aura radiated overwhelming malice and control.
Bai Mingxuan – Nascent Core – Late Stage
A direct disciple of the Abyssal Sovereign.
"Well, well," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. "The prodigal son of the Li Family. I must say, the lightshow you triggered from the Vault was very considerate. Made finding you far easier."
Li Yi stood slowly, unbothered. "I didn't know rats were so sensitive to light."
Bai Mingxuan smirked. "Arrogance runs deep in your blood, I see. But don't worry. I've come to cleanse it."
Without further preamble, the Abyss cultivators surged forward.
The air exploded with killing intent.
Li Yi met the charge head-on, his aura roaring outward. With a flick of his fingers, his Chaos Qi tore through the first wave of attackers like a wild tide. Mo Ruyan's whip coiled and struck, sending two of them crashing into trees. Lan Qing'er rained down arrows infused with Wood Law, forcing the flank to retreat. Xue Lian summoned frost petals that blossomed into piercing ice storms.
But Bai Mingxuan did not move. He merely raised one hand—and the sky darkened.
A massive claw of abyssal shadow tore through space, slamming into the battlefield. It created a crater nearly thirty meters wide, swallowing trees, soil, and one unfortunate Sacred Abyss disciple.
Li Yi's body blurred, vanishing and reappearing above the battlefield, sword in hand—now fully infused with Celestial Flame. He clashed with Bai Mingxuan in mid-air, sparks flying in every direction.
"Do you know what you carry in your blood, boy?" Bai Mingxuan sneered between strikes. "Even the Abyss fears your potential. That's why I must kill you before it blossoms."
Li Yi parried and responded with a blade arc of pure Chaos:
"Then let me show you how that potential blooms."
They fought through the sky, each strike shaking the Hollow Lands. Mo Ruyan and Lan Qing'er defended against the remaining attackers, while Xue Lian conjured a frost cage to contain the weaker disciples.
Suddenly, Bai Mingxuan roared—and his body shifted. A third eye opened on his forehead, black and swirling, leaking abyssal mist.
His power surged.
Pseudo-Divine State: Abyssal Avatar Manifestation.
His cultivation rose to a temporary Divine Foundation Stage, placing him far beyond Li Yi's current level.
But Li Yi did not retreat. He closed his eyes, drew in a breath—and summoned the ancestral memory sealed within his core.
A phantom formed behind him—tall, cloaked in stars, with eyes that burned like suns.
It was not an attack.
It was a reminder.
A projection of his future self.
The abyssal mist was torn apart by its presence.
"Impossible…" Bai Mingxuan stumbled, bleeding from his opened third eye. "You… you've glimpsed the Divine Path?!"
Li Yi's aura flared—runes and fire intertwining.
He surged forward and struck with the full weight of the Chaos-Flame Heaven Slash—a technique instinctively imprinted through his bloodline.
The sky itself split.
Bai Mingxuan was thrown back, his Avatar crumbling into dust.
He barely escaped by vanishing into a portal of shadow, leaving behind only curses and rage.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
The survivors of the Abyss Sect scattered in panic, leaving behind broken weapons, blood, and the stench of failure.
Li Yi landed softly beside his companions. His breathing was steady. Calm.
"Are you alright?" Xue Lian asked, inspecting his wounds.
Li Yi nodded. "We've only seen the beginning. They'll come again. Stronger."
He looked toward the skies above.
And far, far above the Hollow Lands… in the sealed outer void of the God Realm, the Abyssal Sovereign sat atop his throne of bones, his single eye flickering with amused interest.
"So the boy can already call his shadow from the future," he murmured. "Let's see how long he survives."
—
End of Chapter 25