Lin Xuan stood amidst the swirling mist, his heart pounding like a war drum. The knowledge he had gained from the ancient script burned in his mind, expanding his understanding of cultivation far beyond what he had imagined. Yet, there was no time to marvel at his newfound enlightenment.

The Misty Abyss pulsed around him, a living entity that had not yet relinquished its grip. The air had shifted—dense with unseen forces, whispering of trials yet to come. The path ahead stretched into a void, deeper than the eye could perceive.

“This isn’t over,” he muttered, his voice swallowed by the silence.

Steeling himself, Lin Xuan advanced. With each step, the weight of the abyss pressed upon him, as if testing his willpower. The terrain beneath his feet crumbled like dried parchment, reforming into jagged formations that forced him to tread carefully. Shadows flickered in the mist—distorted figures that slithered through the veil like phantoms.

Then, it happened.

A low, guttural growl echoed through the abyss.

Lin Xuan’s eyes sharpened, his instincts flaring. He had felt this presence before—a lurking menace that had observed him since his arrival. Now, it had chosen to reveal itself.

A pair of crimson eyes materialized in the fog, their glow piercing through the obscurity. The creature emerged—its form draped in darkness, its limbs twisted yet eerily agile. It bore no definite shape, yet its very existence exuded a pressure that threatened to crush him.

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A guardian of the abyss.

Lin Xuan’s breath steadied, his grip tightening around his sword. The runes on his body pulsed, responding to the threat before him. He could feel the Heavenly Script stirring within his core, guiding his movements, urging him to rise beyond his limits.

The guardian lunged.

A blur of black and crimson descended upon him, clawed appendages slicing through the air with murderous precision. Lin Xuan barely managed to sidestep the initial strike, but the force of the attack shattered the ground where he had stood moments ago.

He retaliated in an instant, his blade cutting through the mist like a streak of silver lightning. Yet, the creature was unnaturally fast. It twisted its form, evading the strike with an unnatural grace before countering with a wave of dark energy.

Lin Xuan crossed his arms in defense, activating a protective barrier infused with the runic power of the Heavenly Script. The impact sent him skidding backward, his feet digging into the unstable ground. The energy crackled around him, biting into his skin.

Pain flared, but he endured.

He had to end this quickly.

Summoning his newfound power, Lin Xuan inhaled deeply, allowing the energy of the inscriptions to surge through his veins. The knowledge he had gained resonated within him, shaping itself into something greater.

“Heavenly Manifestation—First Form!”

A surge of brilliance erupted from his body, illuminating the abyss in golden radiance. His sword hummed with divine energy, its edge wreathed in ethereal flames. With a single step, he closed the distance, delivering a devastating slash imbued with the might of the Heavenly Script.

The guardian shrieked as the strike connected, its form distorting under the weight of Lin Xuan’s unleashed power. The darkness recoiled, fragments of the entity dissolving into the mist. But it did not fall.

Instead, the abyss trembled.

More eyes flickered in the distance.

Lin Xuan’s expression darkened. This was not the end.

The real challenge had only just begun.

To be continued…