C1904 Abyss

In the Otherworld, within the Abyss, a dazzling Origin Gate floated in the dim sky, gently swaying with the breeze. It was one among the numerous Origin Gates scattered throughout the Abyss. Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit, followed closely by Jihui, emerged from this open Origin Gate, making their presence known in the fabled Abyss.

The Lunar Spirit, in its spirited body form, did not immediately set foot on solid ground but instead gazed in wonder at the world beneath. Below lay a dark brown, diamond-shaped expanse dotted with numerous caves and adorned with beautifully crafted stone palaces, inhabited by peculiar life forms. Additionally, the land was overrun with thick, menacing plants, the likes of which Yu Yuan had never even conceived in his dreams.

The Abyss, shrouded in darkness, was devoid of sun, moon, and stars. Nearby the diamond-shaped land, three other landmasses of similar size floated in the void. Each was home to creatures clad in elaborate attire, though their appearances were bizarre and unusual. Above him, two even larger continents hung suspended.

Looking higher, Yu Yuan, driven by curiosity, set his gaze upon a continent assembled from countless colorful crystal blocks, towering above like the divine abode of deities. It radiated a spectrum of light, illuminating all the worlds below, making Yu Yuan's spirit feel insignificant in its grandeur.

Peering further down, he noticed eight smaller continents situated beneath the four larger ones, each more scattered and isolated than the last.

"The structure of the Abyss is entirely unlike that of our world," remarked Jihui, also in his spirited body form, his figure enshrouded in a cyan-black cape woven from the essence of the Everlands. He inhaled deeply, savoring the tumultuous and wild air of the Abyss, and declared, "Just as I suspected!"

It seemed he had at last confirmed a long-held theory.

"Sir, the Abyss is composed of seven tiers, arranged in a pyramidal structure. At the very summit lies the land that radiates light, revered as a holy site by all creatures of the Abyss, accessible only to the worthy," Jihui explained.

"There is but a single piece at the top, serving as the light source for the Abyss, casting its glow upon the six levels below. Beneath it, the second tier holds two continents, and our current location, the third tier, is comprised of four continents."

"Continuing this pattern, the fourth tier contains eight continents, the fifth sixteen, the sixth thirty-two, and the bottommost tier boasts sixty-four continents."

Every piece of land is a world unto itself, teeming with numerous creatures from the Abyss.

Yet the light emanating from the first layer can only reach down to the sixth. The sixty-four lands at the very bottom, sixty-four worlds, are inhabited by beings of the Abyss who may never see that light if they cannot surge upward. They are unlikely to ever be touched by its glow in their lifetimes.

Yu Yuan remained silent, his curiosity piqued as he observed the Abyss's peculiar structure, comparing it to Jihui's descriptions.

"Look, that's my physical form in the Abyss," Jihui said with a light chuckle, pointing to a figure beneath the Origin Gate—a person made of flesh and blood.

"Human!" Yu Yuan exclaimed, following Jihui's gaze to a person comparable to Jihui's spirited body.

Before them stood a person with a full head of silver hair, a handsome face, and a tall yet slender frame. His eyes seemed slightly dim, perhaps due to the extended period spent as a Lunar Spirit, which seemed to have taken a toll on his mental state.

This body, too, had acupoints and was structurally similar to the human bodies Yu Yuan was familiar with. The striking difference, however, was the absence of any astonishing power within this body, contrary to Yu Yuan's expectations.

Yu Yuan had imagined that Jihui, possessing a physical form in the Abyss, would be akin to the Evil Gods—massive like Titans, each muscle imbued with the power to destroy worlds. Yet, here Jihui was, a human in the Abyss, and such a frail one at that—almost like a mortal who knew nothing of cultivation!

"Sir, observe closely," Jihui's spirited form suddenly became grave. His soul, cloaked in the black essence of the Origin, descended abruptly beside Yu Yuan.

His soul and Origin merged into the frail human body. As his soul settled, the Origin from the Everlands seemed to catalyze an ineffable and wondrous transformation within his feeble flesh and blood form!

With a whoosh, the violent and chaotic power of the Abyss surged from all directions, forcefully infusing itself into Jihui's limbs and core. Jihui let out a low roar as the Abyss's power filled his once unremarkable body.

His veins, bones, and organs were being forged and hammered by the Abyss's power, undergoing rounds of mutations and ascensions. His body was visibly growing stronger at an astonishing rate.

"Lord, it's not the merging of my soul with my body that has triggered this profound change, but the Origin from the Everlands!" Jihui howled.

With the weight of a mountain, the warrior, a hundred feet tall and cloaked in darkness with four colossal elephantine hooves, charged forward. His neck was adorned with vine-like tendrils. Despite his immense weight, the diamond-shaped continent beneath him was as unyielding as steel.

He soon reached Jihui, who was in the midst of a transformation, drawing in the essence of the Everlands like a whale taking in water. The warrior crouched down before him and spoke in flawless human tongue, "Your Majesty, you have finally reclaimed what was lost to you!"

Jihui, with a knowing smile, responded, "Just as I anticipated."

Jihui, a being of flesh and blood, levitated silently and gazed upon Yu Yuan's spirited body. "I will take you to the very depths of the Abyss," he offered.

Yu Yuan nodded, allowing himself to be enveloped by the energy of the Abyss.

With a whoosh, he and Jihui descended from the third layer of the Abyss into the realm below.

On the fourth level, a myriad of bizarre and colossal Abyss creatures roamed. Some were hybrids of beasts and Otherkin, others were akin to massive trees with living flesh, and still others resembled giant serpents with numerous centipede-like feet. Here, the creatures were organized into distinct nations and territories, each clearly delineated from the next.

This layer was tranquil and civilized, with intelligent beings living under a system of rules and regulations.

The fifth level held sixteen continents, where the Abyss creatures engaged in constant skirmishes. Battles raged not only on the continents but also in the void between them, making war an integral part of this world.

On the sixth level, thirty-two continents lay shrouded in darkness. Yu Yuan could only discern shadows in the distance, unable to make out the full expanse. On the nearest continent, he saw Abyss creatures locked in brutal combat, devouring one another's flesh to grow stronger.

Barbarism, bloodshed, and cruelty were the dominant themes of this layer. The creatures fought to enhance themselves and advance their bloodlines, all in pursuit of higher-quality artifacts and the hope of ascending to the fifth level.

Finally, there was the seventh level, the nethermost reaches of the Abyss. Here, darkness reigned supreme, untouched by the light of the upper levels. Sixty-four continents, each a world unto itself, housed billions of Abyss lifeforms scattered across the vast expanse.

The beings here were not truly intelligent lifeforms; they were more akin to... beasts. Despite being similar to the creatures above, the lifeforms of the Abyss's lowest level appeared to lack any activation of their spiritual wisdom, operating purely on instinct.

In the darkest depths of the 64 worlds, they engaged in brutal combat, mating, and feasting on the flesh of the vanquished, much like unenlightened wild beasts. The horrific plants of this layer preyed on the flesh of any living creature that drew near. Yet, amidst the darkness, there existed strange artifacts and minerals not found in the upper worlds.

Even powerful entities from the upper levels of the Abyss would venture down, indiscriminately slaughtering these primitive beasts. In stark contrast to the savagery, the most out-of-place presence in the lowest level was that of... humans.

Jihui, guiding Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit, arrived at a ramshackle human settlement. From a distance, they observed the frail humans fortifying their village with fences and traps, using their wisdom to ward off the frenzied, spiritually witless beasts that threatened to rip them to shreds.

"Why are there humans living in the Abyss, especially at the very bottom?" Yu Yuan inquired, his voice tinged with confusion. "How did they come to be here? The Origin Gate remains intact, there's been no connection between the two worlds, and living creatures shouldn't be able to cross over." The situation defied all logic.

"In the Abyss, they're referred to as... intelligent life. My lord, if you ponder it, why did humans only emerge in the Everlands within our world? Delve deeper into that thought, and you'll realize that the Titan Spinosaurus had not yet reached the Everlands. Before its arrival, the Everlands were home only to beings like Bertain, the Sky Fiend, and alien beasts akin to the Dark Phoenix."

"It was only after the Titan Spinosaurus perished, its Abyssal Treasure plummeting to the earth, that humans began to appear in the Everlands. The Nagas were born from the lifeblood of the Titan Spinosaurus, but humans are different, at least not entirely the same," Jihui elucidated with patience.

In the enveloping darkness, they could discern the so-called intelligent life trembling with fear. Yet, these intelligent beings of the Abyss were oblivious to his presence. What astonished him even more was that Yu Yuan was in his pure spirited body form.

In the distant darkness, he could see the so-called intelligent life trembling in fear... Yet, the intelligent life of the Abyss lacked the ability to see him, let alone detect the pure spirited form of Yu Yuan.

"It's not that they came to the Abyss; rather, they've always lived here! We, the people of the Everlands, actually originate from the Abyss!" Jihui suddenly bellowed.

At the sound of his words and roar, Yu Yuan's spirited body quivered as if it might collapse.

The origins of the Everlands' people lay in the Abyss?

Humans, like the alien beasts, weren't the original inhabitants of this world?

"How can this be? It's not possible, is it?"

Yu Yuan murmured to himself, unable to accept Jihui's declaration. Yet, there they were—the intelligent life at the very bottom of the Abyss, struggling to fend off the incursions of beast-like creatures—right before his eyes.

Were these intelligent beings not the very people of the Everlands? They seemed almost indistinguishable from the ordinary mortals who knew nothing of cultivation!

"The hierarchy of the Abyss is incredibly rigid. Those who dwell in the higher levels are deemed powerful and noble, free to traverse the lower realms at will."

"But for those in the lower levels, ascending is as difficult as reaching the heavens. The effort and sacrifice required are unimaginable."

"Once upon a time..."

Jihui inhaled deeply, his gaze filled with compassion as he observed the weak and wary intelligent life. "They were once the royalty of the Abyss, residing on the first level, basked in its light. They stood as tall as the heavens, with all Evil Gods at their command."

"They were the divine beings of the Abyss!"

"Until they lost a precious treasure."

"That Abyssal Treasure was stolen by an invading Titan Spinosaurus and taken from the Abyss to the Everlands."

"That artifact gave rise to the civilization of the Everlands, allowing the intelligent life of the Abyss to emerge in that world as humans."

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