Embrace in the Abyss

"Jumping into the abyss..."

"They didn’t hesitate for even a second..."

Yin Huacheng’s mind went blank, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks.

He had seen many people’s wretched states before death.

But he had never seen anyone charge headlong toward their demise without hesitation.

No one knew how deep the Qing Abyss truly was, and it was filled with an oppressive aura strong enough to suppress one’s qi, blood, inner breath, physical form, and even the connection between inner and outer worlds.

Even a sect master who had reached the External Scenery Realm wouldn’t dare descend unprepared.

Two Qi-Blood Realm cultivators? A certain death.

"Madmen!"

"You two are even crazier than me!"

Yin Huacheng punched the ground, regret surging in his heart.

The reason he had dodged that sword earlier was fear of injury!

An injury could expose his true intentions.

But even that would have been better than this—losing the prey and the bait alike!

This meant not only had he failed to obtain high-quality cultivation materials, but he had also committed the grave crime of scheming against a true disciple.

"The elders will arrive soon."

Yin Huacheng forcibly suppressed his churning emotions.

He quickly stripped off his black robes and mask, tossing them into the Qing Abyss before changing into the attire of a true disciple.

Once done, he prepared to send a message to the elders.

But before he could act—

BOOM!

A fiery meteor crashed just three zhang away from the cliff’s edge, the impact sending dust and debris flying, creating the illusion that the entire Moonview Cliff trembled.

As the dust settled,

a woman in fiery-red palace robes stood with her sleeves fluttering, her dark hair dancing like strokes of wind.

"Where is my disciple?"

Her voice, devoid of its usual drunken laziness, sounded almost unfamiliar.

"Gulp—"

Yin Huacheng’s throat dried under the scorching heat of her aura, his carefully prepared excuses dying before they could leave his lips.

"Disciple... disciple just arrived as well."

"Shang Wu, let’s discuss this calmly."

Other elders landed on the mountaintop.

"First, we must clarify what happened."

Yin Huaxuan gave his son a deep look.

Bolstered, Yin Huacheng finally spoke:

"Moonview Cliff is under my supervision. When I heard the signal arrow, I rushed here immediately."

"But by the time I arrived, the cliff was already empty."

Silence fell.

Everyone’s expressions darkened instantly.

There was only one path up Moonview Cliff.

If Li Mo and Ying Bing hadn’t been seen on the way up, and they weren’t on the cliff now, then only one possibility remained...

Their gazes drifted toward the Qing Abyss, hearts sinking like stones.

"This sword belongs to Ying Bing."

"She must have encountered an enemy she couldn’t handle, forcing her to strike with everything she had."

Xue Jing stepped forward, his face grim as he held up a frost-covered blade still radiating cold.

"Those two were no ordinary Qi-Blood Realm cultivators. Together, they could at least hold their own against an Inner Breath cultivator long enough for us to arrive."

"Whoever attacked them... was at the Observation Divine Realm?"

Qian Bufan’s words hung in the air.

No one had expected that the demonic cultivator behind Wang Hu would target the true disciples.

THUD!

Suddenly, Yin Huacheng coughed up blood and was sent flying.

Just before he could crash into a tree, an invisible force dissipated the momentum, leaving him stumbling in circles before barely regaining his footing.

Yin Huaxuan steadied his son, frowning.

"Shang Wu, none of us wanted this."

"Casualties happen every year during trials. Overseeing such a vast area makes it impossible to be everywhere at once. Must we blame the overseers for every mishap?"

Shang Wu’s narrowed eyes flashed with fire.

She didn’t strike again, only coldly stating:

"Pray I never discover your involvement in this."

Yin Huacheng paled as if facing death itself.

"Shang Wu!"

Yin Huaxuan roared, "I sympathize with your grief, but do not make baseless accusations!"

Shang Wu ignored his fury.

"Enough. Infighting won’t help now."

Qian Bufan interjected, "Yin Huaxuan, have your avian scouts reported anything?"

"Birds cannot approach Moonview Cliff due to its proximity to the Qing Abyss."

"I’ll search the surrounding area. If I find anything suspicious, I’ll notify everyone immediately."

Yin Huaxuan nodded.

Xue Jing exhaled heavily. "Hunting the demonic cultivator is secondary. Our priority is confirming whether Li Mo and Ying Bing are alive!"

"And if they are, how do we rescue them?"

Silence.

The elders exchanged uneasy glances.

No one knew what lay at the bottom of the Qing Abyss.

The sect’s records offered no clues.

Many of Qing Abyss Sect’s experts suspected hidden treasures below, explaining the perpetual oppressive aura.

Countless had attempted to explore, but most either vanished or retreated halfway.

Jumping down meant likely never being seen again—alive or dead...

Then—

Tink.

A faint chime?

Shang Wu’s almond-shaped eyes lit up as she raised her wrist.

The Soulbound Bell!

Li Mo was still alive!

"Stop her!"

"Shang Wu, don’t rush in!"

"If they’re alive, we’ll find a way to bring them back."

Shang Wu prepared to leap into the abyss.

The elders scrambled to restrain her.

Chaos erupted.

Only Yin Huacheng and Yin Huaxuan exchanged a glance, their faces betraying shock.

Yin Huacheng opened his mouth to speak, but his father’s warning glare silenced him.

"Return to Rare Beast Peak!"

"...Yes."

......

"Master must know I’m alive now."

Li Mo clutched the Soulbound Bell tightly.

Falling through the clouds for so long distorted one’s sense of time and space.

One thing was certain:

They had fallen deep.

The oppressive aura grew heavier, dulling Li Mo’s senses until even the howling wind seemed distant.

Only the icy coolness of the small hand in his grasp kept him grounded.

Blurrily, he glanced at its owner.

Her half-lidded eyes remained as serene and detached as ever.

Was she confident?

Or simply unafraid of death?

"From this height, anyone but a chosen one would be reduced to paste."

"Not even scraps would remain..."

"Even with something to cushion the fall, we’d likely be knocked unconscious or worse."

The hidden legacy site couldn’t be explored without Ying Bing.

If it were easily accessible, it wouldn’t have remained undiscovered for so long.

So...

The ice block couldn’t be harmed.

Driven by impulse, Li Mo pulled her closer.

Soft jade met his chest.

The steady rhythm of her heartbeat pulsed against him through her delicate frame.

Ying Bing: "?"

She didn’t resist, only watched curiously as the boy gradually twisted to position himself beneath her.

He’s trying to cushion my fall?

Even her tranquil mind wavered at the absurdity.

From this height, what difference would a human cushion make?

Never before had she been this close to a man.

In her previous life, no man dared to come within three meters of her.

Ying Bing gently bit her lip.

Moving recklessly might alter the direction of her fall...

In the end, she didn’t push the young man away.