The Chasm’s Secret and Qingtong’s Legacy

Underground World Arc, Chapter Six.

A massive chasm, resembling a gaping maw, opened like a prehistoric crocodile, swallowing the surrounding darkness before disgorging a light bright enough to illuminate its own depths.

Even before making direct contact, Su Han felt a powerful force calling to her, as if intending to devour her entirely.

Devoid of gravity or any discernible pull, time itself seemed to stand still within. If Su Han had to describe it, she would say it resembled a black hole from her previous world, its devouring power sparing not even the fundamental elements.

Consequently, within a hundred-mile radius, only she and Luo Shang remained, and yet, this colossal chasm, standing in solitary grandeur, did not appear out of place.

Su Han’s inherited memories of array formations were merely rudimentary, granting her only a basic understanding and some proficiency in common designs.

Legendary arrays, those seen perhaps once in a millennium, remained entirely beyond her comprehension. However, for Luo Shang, who excelled in researching such formations, this was a sight more thrilling than encountering a High Elf.

Luo Shang skillfully retrieved a brush, made from the fur of an unknown creature, from his spatial ring. He then produced several bottles and jars.

Had Su Han not recognized the Star Sand used by Rune Masters, she might have thought he was concocting a potion.

Array formations, in essence, were vast areas constructed by alchemists. They utilized various energy-rich wonders—such as magic crystals, mana gems, and beast cores—as power sources.

These were then fortified with materials possessing unique properties, like high-grade metals, Abyssal Demon Iron, or even Titan remnants. Finally, Rune Masters were commissioned to meticulously etch the specific magic circuits, drawing upon the elemental reserves of heaven and earth to maintain the array’s operation.

Within such formations, primeval beasts and even Golden Giants could be sealed and compelled into service, acting as guardians of the land.

The terrifying magical fluctuations emanating from this grand chasm clearly indicated a Dark-attributed array—a type notorious for causing the most trouble.

To decipher an array, one could either brute-force their way through or rely on sheer luck to stumble upon an exit. However, brute force was clearly impractical; no one had ever been known to single-handedly destroy a legendary array.

Even the legendary figure mentioned by the Dragon Minister had merely forced their way in, their whereabouts unknown ever since.

The simplest method, of course, was to be an Array Master yourself, capable of systematically dismantling each node of the formation, thereby disrupting its magical circuits and breaking the array.

Yet, given that Dark-attributed magic excelled at concealment, the nodes of this particular dark array would undoubtedly be challenging to locate.

“For a legendary-grade array like this, we’ll need some higher-grade blood essence as ink for the runes,” Luo Shang declared. With that, he produced a bottle of thick, black blood and mixed it with the Star Sand.

He then added a few drops of mercury-like liquid, shook the mixture, and finally incorporated some granular substances, ultimately concocting a unique, magic-infused ink.

“Alright, the preparation is complete. We can enter now!” Su Han nodded, then relaxed her body, allowing herself to be drawn into the grand chasm alongside Luo Shang. They knew that only by stepping inside the array could they hope to locate its magical nodes.

Indeed, array formations were peculiar places. In the blink of an eye, Su Han found herself inside the array, black storm clouds swirling overhead.

Despite the absence of sun, moon, or stars, a strange light permeated the area.

Moreover, upon stepping into this place, Su Han’s bloodline began to stir, as if signaling its fondness for the environment. Luo Shang, in contrast, was deeply uncomfortable.

The pervasive dark elements constantly suppressed his Holy Spirit elements, preventing him from drawing any magic. His internal mana would steadily deplete without replenishment, forcing him to rely solely on potions for recovery.

Even Luo Shang frowned slightly, taking a deep breath. “This is truly unsettling,” he muttered. “The elemental fluctuations here make me completely uncomfortable.”

Luo Shang cast a ‘Light Spell’, illuminating their surroundings somewhat. He then began deducing the array’s flow, searching for its nodes.

However, just as Su Han took a step, Luo Shang yanked her back. “Careful! Don’t move recklessly!”

A ripple of strange energy emanated from beneath Su Han’s feet.

Then, a streak of rainbow light sliced through the air, like an arrow tracing time itself, appearing abruptly before Su Han without a sound.

Fortunately, Luo Shang had already cast ‘Stone Skin’ on her, so she only suffered a minor graze.

“Just stick close to me inside this array,” he advised. “Don’t wander off, or you might accidentally trigger a magical trap.”

After cautiously proceeding for several dozen meters, Luo Shang discovered a magical node. A hexagram array, etched into the ground, emitted a faint, starlike glow.

He began to chant a spell, one imbued with peculiar phonetics.

Gripping his magic brush, Luo Shang dipped it into the prepared ink. He then flicked a few strokes towards the array on the ground before bending down to meticulously inscribe intricate, tiny patterns.

The red and blue crystalline ink dripped slowly from the brush tip, and watching the precious materials gradually deplete, Su Han felt a pang of heartache.

“Done!” Luo Shang exclaimed. Following a secret method, he launched streaks of dark light that settled into the magical mechanism within the hexagram array.

A rumbling tremor shook the ground.

With a whoosh, a green gem shot out from the hexagram array and into Luo Shang’s hand.

“It’s a Phantom Crystal!” Luo Shang chuckled, a wave of relief washing over him as he gazed at the gem shimmering with a faint green light.

With the breaking of one node, the fluctuations of dark elements seemed to diminish considerably.

Another spell was chanted. “Let’s go,” Luo Shang said, “to the next location.” He simply took Su Han’s hand.

Su Han glanced at him, finding no change in his expression, yet her own heart… seemed to beat a little faster?

Patting her crimson cheeks, Su Han lowered her head, avoiding Luo Shang’s gaze, and pondered as they walked. ‘Wait, am I actually developing feelings for this guy?’

Ever since her gender change, she had noticed her personality shifting significantly. Her chest was fine, not too large, and posed no issues.

But now, in this desperate situation, was she secreting strange female hormones? She couldn’t fathom it. She had been in this world for three years now, and living as a woman had become second nature to her, though sometimes she still battled certain inner impulses.

After all, she had lived for over a decade in her old world. Even though her experiences in this world over the past few years had been far more numerous—witnessing bloodshed and constant conflict had ceased to surprise her—certain moral principles still bound her.

Su Han no longer doubted the reality of this world, acknowledging it as a true other world and not a virtual online realm. Yet, a glimmer of hope remained for returning to her original home and fulfilling the three-year promise she had made to Xinyan in her memories.

Shaking her head, Su Han found no answers and decided to stop overthinking it. She simply followed quietly behind Luo Shang, appearing docile.

Luo Shang utilized various long-lost spells, unknown to Su Han, and peculiar magic scrolls on each magical node. The first layer of the array was breached with relative ease.

However, upon reaching the second layer, an invisible barrier, charged with an inexplicable power, abruptly invaded both Luo Shang’s and Su Han’s minds. A soul-piercing agony instantly spread, like waves of demonic sound appearing from thin air, as if their very souls were being sliced by blades, twisted and torn.

Fortunately, their wills were now incredibly resilient. Despite the thousand-cuts torment assailing them, they gritted their teeth, focused their spiritual energy, and channeled their magic to resist.

Suddenly, the Phantom Crystal in Luo Shang’s hand erupted with a blinding green light. Under its intense glow, Su Han noticed a jade-white skeleton not far away.

The skeletal remains were perfectly preserved, exuding a terrifying aura, and shimmered with an eerie luster under the crystal’s illumination. Beside the skeleton, an inscription read: “I, a peak-stage Legendary Knight, came here seeking a resurrection elixir rumored to be in the tomb of High Elf Lord Idas. Yet, who knew this array would be so vicious, offering no hope of survival? My time is short, and I do not wish for my legacy to end. Therefore, I leave behind my insights into achieving legend status, along with an extraterrestrial inheritance. I hope these may aid you in escaping this predicament. Remember my name, fated one: I am Qingtong!”

As the strange power flowed in, the voice echoing in her mind slowly faded. The insights into achieving legend status were premature for Su Han, so she didn’t delve into them.

However, the extraterrestrial inheritance was peculiar; it sought to directly transfer a vast amount of captivating magic to Su Han, attempting to invade her soul and drag her into eternal evil.

This inherited power carried the ability to forcibly alter one’s soul. Should it merge with her spirit, Su Han feared she would become a puppet dominated by evil forces, following in Qingtong’s footsteps.

Yet, she had no need for such transient magic, no matter how immense, gifted by others. Having cultivated to her current stage, everyone possessed their own unique inheritance, which they would not easily alter.

Moreover, Su Han’s own legendary inheritance was of the highest caliber; how could she possibly value such crooked paths? Thus, without hesitation, Su Han used a ‘Mental Shock’ to obliterate the inheritance mark.

“Not bad, I didn’t expect you to resist the temptation!” Luo Shang remarked, having also finished reading the legendary breakthrough experience. “It’s just a forced breakthrough using external power, nothing truly worth learning from!”

Su Han rolled her eyes, knowing Luo Shang was teasing her, but still reminded him, “The owner of this High Elf tomb is named Idas, and it seems there’s a resurrection elixir here.”

Immediately after, the two stepped into the second layer of the array.