Alia's eyes slowly opened, her gaze calm and focused as she took in her surroundings.
The divine light that had been swirling around her now softened into a gentle, warm glow that outlined her form.
She glanced down at the world below, her expression calm but there was a glow burning in her eyes. She had crossed a significant threshold, one that had changed her forever, setting her apart from who she once was.
A soft, soothing energy radiated from Alia, touching everything around her with a gentle warmth.
Slowly, she floated down from the peak of the pagoda, her form now more ethereal, almost otherworldly. She descended toward the spot where Spark and Chaos had been observing her breakthrough.
The air shimred with a delicate light around her, and as she landed, her feet barely made a sound against the ground.
"Congratulations," Spark said in his usual casual tone. Chaos, standing beside him, also rumbled approvingly, his glowing eyes reflecting the light that surrounded Alia.
Alia's lips curved into a peaceful smile, her entire being filled with gratitude.
"Thank you," she replied, her voice as soft and gentle as the energy she radiated. "Without the two of you, I would not have had this opportunity."
Chaos, seemingly pleased with her words, rumbled again, his massive head bobbing slightly as if in further agreent. The display of approval was so grand that it nearly overshadowed the mont.
Spark could only laugh wryly, shaking his head at the scene.
"You..." he started, a grin tugging at his lips. "Don't you know to be humble?"
Chaos simply snorted, unbothered by Spark's playful rebuke, his enormous form radiating contentnt.
Watching the exchange, Alia couldn't help but let out a gentle laugh, the sound light and lodic. The sight of a human and a giant beast playfully bickering over sothing so simple was amusing.
As they were chatting, the two ethereal figures who had guided Alia appeared beside her, their forms dimr than before. Whether it was because of Alia's own radiance or their own exhaustion, their presence now felt less overwhelming.
"Thank you, seniors, for your guidance," Alia said, bowing deeply, her voice full of sincerity.
The female figure responded with a soft, proud voice, "It was your hard work that brought you here. We rely gave you a small push."
Alia shook her head slightly, still bowing. "Even so, I'm grateful for your teachings. That small push made all the difference. Without your help, it might have taken
decades, or even longer, to reach this stage."
She straightened up, her expression earnest as she continued to show her respect.
The bottleneck she had faced had been a nearly insurmountable obstacle, and it was the insights and wisdom from these ethereal beings that had allowed her to break through the final hurdle in her path.
The male figure, who had been silent until now, seed lost in thought, his gaze fixed on the sky.
Noticing his deep contemplation, the female figure turned to him, her voice filled with concern. "Is sothing wrong?"
His eyes stayed on the sky as he replied, "How did the tribulation manage to descend in this place?"
His words hung in the air, drawing the attention of both Alia and the female figure.
The male figure continued, his tone puzzled, "Since we fell into this place, no tribulation has ever descended—not once. The ever-present miasma blocks everything, hiding the secrets within from the eyes of the heavens."
Alia followed his gaze, her eyes widening as she saw what he was referring to.
Above the pagoda, a patch of sky had been torn open, revealing a small section of clear, blue sky.
The tear was already closing, with the surrounding miasma creeping back to seal the gap, but it was unmistakable—a breach in the seemingly impenetrable barrier of dark miasma.
"That's odd," the female figure murmured, her voice tinged with unease. "The miasma has never allowed anything like this before."
A ripple of confusion passed through Alia. She had noticed the tear during her tribulation but had assud it was a natural part of the process.
Now, hearing the explanation from her seniors, she realized just how unusual it was. Her brows furrowed as she pondered the implications.
The male figure's eyes narrowed, his expression one of deep thought. "If the heavens truly intervened here, then sothing has changed within this place… or sothing was brought here that forced their hand."
Alia glanced at Spark, a question forming in her eyes, but she hesitated to voice it. The female figure, noticing the exchange, turned her attention to Spark, her gaze sharp and probing.
"Did you have sothing to do with this?" she asked, her voice carrying both curiosity and suspicion.
Spark t her gaze, his expression unreadable. With a casual shrug, he replied, "Would you believe
if I said yes?"
The female figure's eyes narrowed further, a faint huff of irritation escaping her as she turned away, unimpressed by his nonchalant response.
"Forget I asked, mortal," she retorted, waving off his remark with a dismissive tone.
Spark rely shrugged again, unfazed by her reaction. He had grown used to the skepticism and found little reason to explain himself further.
His easygoing deanor remained unchanged as the two ethereal figures exchanged glances, still puzzled by the anomaly that had disturbed the sky.
While they pondered the cause of the heavenly disturbance, Alia's gaze drifted past Spark, drawn to sothing far more imposing.
Her eyes widened in astonishnt as she focused on the enormous dark vortex looming in the center of the large crater before her, its massive form reaching upward to touch the sky.
The vortex swirled with a darkness so intense it seed to twist the very air around it.
Seeing the vortex up close, Alia felt a deep sense of awe mixed with unease.
The power emanating from it was unlike anything she had ever encountered—ancient, vast, and beyond understanding. It was as if the vortex was alive, its presence exuding a dark, malevolent force that could draw in and consu anything in its path.
"What… is that?" Alia whispered, her voice tinged with disbelief as she continued to stare at the vortex.
The energy it radiated was almost overwhelming, a stark contrast to the gentle, divine light that had surrounded her just monts ago.
The two ethereal figures, lost in their thoughts, snapped back to attention.
They followed Alia's gaze to the massive vortex in the crater. The male figure's expression hardened as he looked at it, a shadow passing over his translucent face.
"This is the heart of this abyssal place," he said, his voice now heavy with seriousness.
"The heart of this place?" Alia echoed, her confusion deepening. The words felt heavy, carrying a aning she couldn't yet grasp.
The figures nodded in unison, their forms flickering as they focused on the vortex. The female figure spoke next, her voice solemn. "This is the core of the abyss, the very reason this place exists."
Alia turned her gaze back to the vortex, her bewildernt growing.
The dark, swirling mass pulsed with a life of its own, an ancient and terrifying power that had shaped the land around it.
"But why?" she asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and dread.
Before answering, the female figure turned her ethereal eyes toward her, studying her closely.
"How much do you know about this place?" She asked, her tone probing.
Alia paused, gathering her thoughts. "This place was ford during a battle between two powerful beings, and it is said to be filled with countless dangers."
The female figure's gaze softened slightly, though her voice remained serious. "The second part of what you've heard is true. This place is indeed filled with dangers so great that even powerful experts would struggle to escape unscathed. The fact that you've arrived here safely is nothing short of a miracle."
Alia frowned, sensing there was more to the story.
The figure continued, "However, you are mistaken about its origin."
"What do you an by that, senior?" Alia asked, a flicker of unease settling in her chest.
The two figures exchanged a glance before revealing the truth. "The two of us once battled in this land for a powerful artifact. Our battle was fierce, and it did scar this place… but we are not the originators of this abyss."
As the female figure's words sank in, Alia suddenly realized that the two ethereal beings standing before her were the very figures from the ancient stories she had heard.
For as long as she could rember, it had been accepted as fact that this abyssal realm was born from the clash of two imnsely powerful beings—a story passed down through generations.
But now, as she stood before them, these very beings revealed they were not the originators of this place. The revelation left her in shock, contradicting everything she thought she knew.
"Our battle only made its existence known to the outside world." The female figure added, "This abyssal place was already here when we arrived. The vortex you see—the heart of this place—existed long before us, for countless ages. "
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