The night was oppressive, the skies above the Black Sect’s fortress devoid of stars, as if the heavens themselves recoiled from the malevolent energy brewing below. Kalen stood alone in his chamber, drenched in sweat, his body trembling from the dark power coursing through his veins. The Abyssal Convergence Method had sunk its claws deeper into him than he had expected, the shadows of the Abyss creeping through every corner of his mind.

But Kalen was not a victim.

He drew a deep breath, his icefire Qi flaring to life within him, cooling the corrosive influence of the Abyss. The Abyss sought to consume him, to remake him into a servant of darkness, but Kalen had other plans. Each day he learned how to temper the Abyssal energy, using his unique power to not only resist its grasp but to reshape it to his will. He would bend the Abyss before it broke him.

Tonight was different, though. He felt the hunger within him, a gnawing need that had been growing since he first touched the Abyssal Devouring Arts. The method itself was savage, designed to absorb the Qi and life force of others to fuel one's cultivation. It was a path of predation, turning its user into a hunter who fed on the weak to grow stronger.

Kalen sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor, the scroll of the Devouring Arts open before him, the faint light from the candles flickering across the intricate symbols. He studied it intently, his mind already calculating how to push the technique further while avoiding the corruption that inevitably followed.

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The Abyssal Devouring Arts were simple in theory but required precision in practice. To drain Qi from another living being was a violent act—it involved breaking through their natural defenses, stripping away their essence, and absorbing it into one’s own. The more powerful the target, the greater the risk of backlash.

Kalen extended his hand toward the small iron cage beside him, where a vicious creature from the Abyss squirmed within. The creature was a manifestation of Abyssal energy, an abomination used by the sect for training. Its body pulsed with dark Qi, its eyes glowing with an unnatural hunger.

“You will do,” Kalen muttered, focusing his mind.

He channeled his icefire Qi, feeling the cold flame burn within him, then layered it with the Abyssal Devouring Arts. As the two forces combined, Kalen reached out toward the creature with his spiritual energy. The beast snarled, but its movements became sluggish as Kalen’s Qi began to sink into its core.

He felt the creature’s life force, its Qi—a turbulent, chaotic flow of dark energy. With a precise touch, Kalen began to extract it, drawing the essence into himself. The creature’s struggles grew weaker as its vitality ebbed away, its dark Qi merging with Kalen’s.

At first, the sensation was overwhelming. The Abyssal energy surged into him like a raging storm, threatening to tear him apart. But Kalen’s icefire Qi immediately reacted, cooling the volatile power, turning it into a steady flow. He could feel the creature’s essence becoming his own, strengthening his core.

Minutes passed, and finally, the creature fell limp, its body reduced to an empty husk. Kalen opened his eyes, his breath steady, his body brimming with the stolen Qi.

“That was… easier than I thought,” Kalen muttered, though a cold sweat covered his brow. He had absorbed the Abyssal energy, but at a cost. A small part of him felt the darkness clawing deeper into his mind, trying to sink its fangs into his soul.

But he had survived. And more importantly, he had grown stronger.