Chapter 3: Blazing Sun Star · Former Transcendent Realm (Due to the invasion of this realm by the Abyss Gate, this realm has been fairly reinforced. Hunters can fight here with full force, without worrying about battle damage causing the collapse of this realm.)
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The sky was a deep, burning crimson, as if soaked in blood and fire. The ground beneath was a cracked, obsidian-like surface, pulsing with faint, dark blue veins of energy that writhed like living things. In the distance, colossal spires of black crystal pierced the horizon, their surfaces etched with ancient, alien runes that hummed with a malevolent power.
A figure stood alone on a jagged outcrop, his silhouette sharp against the hellish backdrop. He wore a tattered black coat, its edges frayed from countless battles, and a long, straight blade rested at his hip. His eyes, calm and cold, scanned the desolate landscape.
Kukulin Bai Ye.
He had been here for only a few minutes, but already he could feel the weight of this place. The air was thick with a chaotic energy, a mixture of scorched ozone and something far more ancient and sinister. This was the Blazing Sun Star, a former Transcendent Realm, now a scarred battlefield ravaged by the Abyss.
A notification appeared in his vision, projected directly into his mind by the Reincarnation Paradise.
[Hint: You have entered the Blazing Sun Star · Former Transcendent Realm.]
[Hint: This realm has been reinforced by the Void Tree. All combat damage is reduced by 85%. Realm collapse risk: 0.01%.]
[Hint: The Abyss Gate's influence is strong here. Abyss Spawn are more aggressive and possess enhanced regeneration.]
[Hint: Hunt List: Blood Pact is active. Kill targets within this realm to gain additional rewards.]
Bai Ye’s expression remained unchanged. He had expected as much. The Abyss Gate’s invasion was no small matter. The fact that the Void Tree had intervened to stabilize the realm meant that this was a high-priority war zone.
He took a step forward, his boot crunching on the brittle, glass-like ground. The sound echoed unnaturally in the dead silence.
“Bubu Wang, Baha, Amu,” he called out, his voice low but clear.
From behind a nearby black crystal spire, a large, fluffy dog with a goofy expression trotted out. Its fur was a pure, pristine white, completely out of place in this grim environment. This was Bubu Wang, a contract beast with an uncanny ability to blend into any environment, making him nearly invisible.
Above, a black-feathered hawk circled down, landing on Bai Ye’s shoulder. This was Baha, a demonic hawk with sharp intelligence and a talent for reconnaissance and communication.
From the shadows of a crevice, a massive, hulking figure emerged. It was a bull-headed humanoid, standing over three meters tall, with muscles like forged iron. This was Amu, a loyal and powerful guardian.
“The area is clear for about two kilometers in that direction,” Baha said, tilting his head to the east. “But there’s a lot of Abyss energy gathering near those crystal spires. Probably a nest.”
Bubu Wang sniffed the air, then whined softly, pointing his nose towards the ground.
“Underground?” Bai Ye asked.
Bubu Wang nodded vigorously.
“Good. We move carefully. The enemy knows we’re here,” Bai Ye said, drawing his blade. The weapon hummed with a faint, cyan light, the signature of his Cyan Steel Shadow Energy.
He began to walk, his three companions falling into formation around him. Bubu Wang took point, his nose to the ground, sniffing for traps and ambushes. Baha took to the air again, providing aerial surveillance. Amu brought up the rear, his massive axe resting on his shoulder, ready to crush anything that approached from behind.
As they moved deeper into the blasted landscape, the dark blue veins of energy on the ground began to pulse faster. The air grew heavier, and a low, guttural growl echoed from the shadows between the crystal spires.
Bai Ye stopped. He could feel it now. A presence. Multiple presences. They were being watched.
From the shadows, dozens of pairs of glowing red eyes flickered open. Then, the creatures emerged. They were humanoid, but twisted and malformed. Their skin was a sickly, pale gray, stretched tight over protruding bones. Their limbs were too long, ending in razor-sharp claws. Their mouths were filled with needle-like teeth, and a constant, black, oily drool dripped from their jaws.
Abyss Spawn. The foot soldiers of the Abyss.
They didn’t charge immediately. Instead, they circled, their movements unnaturally synchronized, as if controlled by a single, malevolent will.
“They’re testing us,” Baha said from above, his voice tense.
Bai Ye didn’t reply. He simply adjusted his grip on his blade and waited. He had faced countless enemies. These were nothing new.
The lead Abyss Spawn let out a screech, and the pack attacked. They moved with terrifying speed, their claws leaving trails of black smoke in the air.
Bai Ye moved.
He didn’t dodge. He stepped forward, directly into the path of the leading creature. His blade flashed, a simple, horizontal slash.
*Blade Path: Azure Demon.*
A crescent of cyan energy erupted from his sword, tearing through the air. The lead Abyss Spawn didn’t even have time to scream. The energy blade cleaved it in two, from shoulder to hip. Its body dissolved into black smoke before it hit the ground.
But Bai Ye was already moving again. He spun, his blade tracing a perfect arc. Another Abyss Spawn fell, its head separated from its body. Then another. And another.
His movements were fluid, almost lazy, but each strike was precise and lethal. He didn’t waste a single motion. He didn’t use any flashy techniques. Just pure, efficient swordsmanship.
Amu roared, swinging his massive axe in a wide arc. The weapon caught three Abyss Spawn, crushing them into pulp. Bubu Wang, despite his cute appearance, was a fierce fighter. He lunged, his jaws clamping onto an Abyss Spawn’s throat, tearing it out with a savage shake of his head.
Within thirty seconds, the pack of over twenty Abyss Spawn was annihilated. The black smoke from their dissolving bodies hung in the air like a foul mist.
Bai Ye sheathed his blade. The fight had barely warmed him up.
“That was too easy,” Baha commented, landing back on Bai Ye’s shoulder. “They’re just scouts. The real threat is deeper in.”
Bai Ye nodded. “Let’s move. We need to find the source of the Abyss Gate’s influence.”
As they continued, the landscape began to change. The obsidian ground gave way to a field of shattered, white bones. Some were humanoid, others were from beasts of unimaginable size. A massive skeleton of a dragon lay half-buried in the distance, its ribcage forming a macabre archway.
In the center of this bone field, a structure stood. It was a black, obsidian altar, pulsing with a sickly, purple light. Around the altar, a group of figures were gathered. They were not Abyss Spawn. They were human, or at least, they had been human once.
They wore dark robes, their faces hidden by hoods. In their hands, they held ritual daggers, dripping with fresh blood. At the center of the altar, a woman was tied down, her body covered in ritualistic cuts. She was still alive, her eyes wide with terror.
The robed figures began to chant, their voices rising in a discordant harmony. The purple light on the altar intensified, and a crack began to form in the air above it. A small, black portal, no larger than a fist, was opening.
An Abyss Gate.
Bai Ye’s eyes narrowed. He had seen this before. These were cultists, trying to summon a powerful Abyss entity.
“Baha, take out the ones on the left. Amu, charge the center. Bubu Wang, protect the woman,” Bai Ye ordered, his voice cold.
Without waiting for a response, he drew his blade and vanished from his spot.
He reappeared directly behind the lead cultist, his sword already in motion. The cultist’s head flew from his shoulders, a look of surprise frozen on his face.
The other cultists spun around, their chants turning into screams of rage. They raised their daggers and charged.
But they were no match for Bai Ye. He moved through them like a ghost, his blade a blur of cyan light. Each strike was a death sentence. Within ten seconds, half of the cultists were dead.
Baha swooped down, his talons tearing through the robes and flesh of the cultists on the left. Amu charged into the center, his axe cleaving through two cultists in a single swing. Bubu Wang dashed to the altar, biting through the ropes that bound the woman.
The portal above the altar flickered, then stabilized. A hand, black and clawed, reached out from the other side. It was massive, easily the size of a grown man. The air around it screamed with a malevolent pressure.
The lead cultist, the one Bai Ye had decapitated, was not the true leader. From the shadows behind the altar, a figure stepped forward. He was tall and gaunt, his skin a pale, translucent white. His eyes were pure black, and a crown of jagged, black crystal adorned his head.
He was an Archbishop of the Abyss.
“Foolish mortal,” the Archbishop hissed, his voice like grinding stones. “You think you can stop the coming of our Lord?”
Bai Ye didn’t answer. He simply raised his blade and pointed it at the Archbishop.
The Archbishop laughed, a dry, rasping sound. “You are strong, I can feel it. But you are nothing compared to the power of the Abyss.”
He raised his hand, and the black portal expanded. The clawed hand pushed through further, followed by a massive arm. The ground shook as the entity began to force its way into this realm.
Bai Ye’s eyes flickered with a cold light. He sheathed his blade, then drew it again in a single, fluid motion.
*Blade Path Sword: Time.*
The world around him seemed to slow. The Archbishop’s laughter became a distorted, low groan. The entity’s movements became sluggish, as if moving through thick molasses.
Bai Ye stepped forward, his blade tracing a path through the frozen time. He appeared beside the Archbishop, his sword already passing through the man’s neck.
Time snapped back to normal.
The Archbishop’s head tumbled from his shoulders, his expression still frozen in a mocking grin. His body collapsed, dissolving into black smoke.
With the Archbishop dead, the portal began to destabilize. The entity on the other side let out a roar of fury, but its arm was severed by the collapsing portal. The black limb fell to the ground, twitching, before turning to ash.
The portal closed with a thunderous crack, and the purple light on the altar faded.
Silence returned to the bone field.
Bai Ye sheathed his blade. He walked over to the woman on the altar. She was unconscious, but alive. Bubu Wang was already licking her wounds, his saliva having a mild healing property.
“Good work,” Bai Ye said, his voice calm.
He looked up at the crimson sky. The Abyss Gate’s influence was still strong here. This was just the beginning.
Somewhere in the distance, a deep, resonant bell tolled. It was a sound that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. A sound of warning.
Bai Ye’s expression hardened.
The real battle was about to begin.