C1905 !

At the very depths of the Abyss, the intelligent life that dwelled there turned out to be humans from the Everlands!

Jihui had claimed that they were once the Gods of the Abyss, ruling over its seven layers and commanding the obedience of all Evil Gods.

Yu Yuan struggled to believe it, unable to picture their former nobility within the Abyss.

Yet, the evidence was undeniable, laid out before his very eyes.

Even as a soul, Yu Yuan could distinctly make out their constructed village and overhear snippets of their conversations.

They spoke the same language as the people of the Human Empire, indistinguishable from those living in the surrounding villages of the Everlands.

The stark difference now was their struggle against savage, bloodthirsty beasts devoid of spiritual wisdom.

Near the village, on the frigid ground, lay scattered bones, remnants of people who seemed to have ventured from neighboring human settlements.

These were individuals who, upon leaving the relative safety of their walls in search of essential supplies, met their end at the hands of mindless Abyssal creatures.

Their flesh and organs had been consumed, leaving only the indigestible bones discarded without a second thought.

It was evident that the once exalted Gods of the Abyss now faced a dire and tragic existence.

Was this all due to the loss of a precious treasure?

With a profound gaze, Yu Yuan reflected on his disbelief. Before arriving in the Abyss and witnessing these people, he could never have fathomed that humans lived within this enigmatic and perilous place.

The intelligent life of the Abyss was, in fact, the progenitor of the Everlands' humans. Their origins were one and the same.

Jihui had shown him the harsh reality, forcing him to confront a truth that was difficult to accept.

Had he not witnessed this scene firsthand, Yu Yuan might have dismissed even the most eloquent of Jihui's tales as mere fantasy.

In the lightless seventh level of the Abyss, one of sixty-four worlds, Jihui's towering yet gaunt figure continued to draw upon the Abyss's power effortlessly.

This power, rampant with violence and chaos, seemed capable of corrupting the flesh and minds of any being that resided in the Abyss, inciting an innate desire for battle and bloodshed.

Yet, it was apparent that the power at the Abyss's lowest level was significantly less dense than above.

Together, Jihui and he descended from the third level. He sensed the omnipresent power of the Abyss growing weaker with each layer they passed, the impurities and tainted energy becoming more prevalent.

Such conditions meant that the beings dwelling at the very bottom of the Abyss could never harness power to rival that of the upper echelons with the meager resources at their disposal.

In this harsh reality, the strength of those at the bottom was inevitably inferior to their counterparts above.

"Sir, are you aware of their former strength?" Jihui inquired after a prolonged silence, recognizing that he was gradually processing the information. He softly added, "Before their fall, they resided at the pinnacle of the Abyss, deeming themselves Gods. Born with limitless Divine Power, a mere gesture could shatter mountains and sever rivers."

"At the summit of the Abyss, a modicum of effort on their part could command the respect of the Evil Gods."

"The Evil Gods who fought their way up from the Abyss's depths had to endure tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of years to ascend to the uppermost layer."

"Go... and pay homage to them."

"Such a pity," Jihui murmured, releasing a magical sound that carried into the distance.

In a remote village, a sturdy young man with a tiger-like demeanor, clad in animal hides and wielding a bone-crafted saber, stealthily crossed the fence. Unnoticed by his kin, he crouched and hurried towards Jihui.

Soon, the young man stood before Jihui, kneeling devoutly and bowing his head in reverence.

"Great Priest, have you come to deliver us? Is it true what you said, that our people once dwelled atop the Abyss?" he asked, his voice filled with hope.

The youth, no more than seventeen or eighteen, had a determined visage and a robust physique, yet there was nothing particularly remarkable about him.

"What is rightfully yours will ultimately return to you," Jihui assured him, squatting down to meet the eyes of the young man who revered him as a divine being. He reached out, touching the young man's chest over his heart.

In the young man's bewildered state, Jihui infused a sliver of primal energy into his chest.

The young man trembled ever so slightly, bowing his head to gaze upon his chest, sensing the transformation within himself.

The change was subtle yet profound.

The faintest power from the deepest reaches of the Abyss was seeping into his heart.

And this was the stuff of legends!

Legend had it that the intelligent life born of the Abyss could naturally harness its power from the very moment of their birth.

This power was believed to fortify their bones and physique, endowing them with a might that even the Evil God would respect.

Yet, the tales handed down through the ages remained just that—tales.

No one had ever managed to channel the Abyss's power through their body and heart for their own use, which is why the intelligent life of the Abyss had always been frail, surviving solely on their wits.

But he was the first!

"You are the spark. You will ignite hope in your kin, illuminate the future for intelligent life."

A dark green light emanated from the depths of Jihui's brow, piercing into the young man's mind.

It was a cultivation technique Jihui had long ago penned but never shared—until today.

"Go forth and cultivate as I have instructed you. When the time is right, you will be the beacon for others. You'll know when the moment arrives. Begin at the very bottom of the Abyss, and lead your people in their ascent."

Jihui, with the air of an ancient sage, gently tapped the young man's forehead, signaling his return to the village.

The young man, brimming with elation, hung onto every word as if it were gospel, his face alight with happiness as he nodded vigorously and made his way back with a spring in his step.

"Is the Origin akin to a spark?" Yu Yuan inquired suddenly.

"That's one way to put it."

Jihui pondered deeply before responding, "Without the Origin of the Everlands, this body of mine could never attract the power of the Abyss. Having brought back the Origin and fused it with this vessel, I needn't do anything else—the energy of the Abyss will converge naturally."

"The Origin itself is imbued with the Abyss's power; they are inseparably linked."

With these words, Jihui's face broke into a sly grin.

"My lord, once the Abyssal Gate shatters, any human from the Everlands, regardless of their status or realm—even mere mortals—if they can make it to the Abyss..."

"They have the ability to harness the power of the Abyss and use it to strengthen themselves!"

"This is because the humans of the Everlands were born of the Abyssal Treasure. Thus, they are inherently attuned to the Abyss. Any human who truly enters the Abyss will experience a significant boost in their combat abilities!"

"Of course, those of us who possess the Origin, like myself and Tan Xiaotian, are naturally poised to excel in the Abyss!"

Anticipation lit up Jihui's face.

"The Origin Deity, though he masqueraded as a human in our world, is not a true denizen of the Abyss. He belongs to a different race."

"His ambition is to first become the mightiest in the Abyss, to claim the Abyssal Treasure of the Everlands, and then to shatter the Abyssal Gate."

"When he first emerged from the Abyssal Gate and laid eyes on the Great Demon God Bertain, he was unfazed. But what truly astonished him... was seeing you!"

"Your human form and physique completely blindsided him, upending his entire worldview."

"He could never have imagined that intelligent life, once relegated to the lowest echelons of the Abyss, would take root and thrive in the world of the evil dragon, and that the Everlands would flourish so remarkably, ushering in a golden era for humanity."

"This individual has been concealing the truth from the Evil Gods in the Abyss. Meanwhile, as he plotted to capture the Abyssal Treasure beneath the Everlands, he kept the human race's secrets to himself."

"And I, who knew the actual truth, have been imprisoned by him, forbidden from leaving."

Jihui harbored deep-seated grievances against the Origin Deity, who had been gravely wounded by Bertain and had plummeted among the ranks of the Evil Gods in the Abyss.

"Fortunately, the will of the Everlands was aware of his deceitful intentions, and he did not succeed."

With a serene smile, Jihui gazed at Yu Yuan through the darkness. "Sir, you must now understand the destiny of our people from the Everlands, right?"

"The Abyss is our true home. Our roots in the Everlands signify an invasion of that world."

"Destroying the Abyssal Gate isn't about conspiring with the Evil Gods to usher the creatures of the Abyss into our realm; it's about our return home."

"When that gate crumbles, our human race will reclaim our homeland, and intelligent life will ascend to the upper echelons. The so-called Evil Gods will ultimately bow to us, just as they did in the past."

…