The tunnel grew narrower and narrower. The damp air was filled with the smell of decay, as if they had stepped into a tomb that had been dead and silent for a long time. Kale held his long knife tightly, taking each step with caution. The wolf pack moved silently behind him, each step as if treading on an invisible boundary line. With the slightest carelessness, they might fall into the dark abyss.
Yize walked at the front, as if he knew the way very well. His back was elongated in the dim firelight, like an elusive shadow.
"You're walking too fast." Cangzhao reminded in a low voice, his brass-colored eyes scanning the surroundings. "It's too quiet here. This doesn't feel like the aura of the fissure."
"The fissure is never noisy." Yize didn't look back and continued forward. "It prefers to devour its prey with silence."
As soon as the words were spoken, a strange fluctuation suddenly spread from the depths of the tunnel. The ground trembled slightly, and the air seemed to be torn apart. A blurred shadow emerged from the darkness and stood at the end of the tunnel, blocking their way.
The shadow was as black as ink, its figure blurred. Only a pair of scarlet eyes slowly opened in the darkness, as if they could look straight into the depths of the soul.
Kale stopped in his tracks, his gaze sharp as he stared at the shadow in front of him. "It's the Shadow Messenger."
Cangzhao immediately stood in front of Kale, and his low growl echoed in the tunnel. The wolf pack immediately went on high alert.
"It seems that he arrived here earlier than us." Yize leaned against the rock wall with his arms crossed, still wearing that half-smile expression on his face. "Interesting. The Shadow Messenger is guarding here in person, which means we're not far from the real core of the fissure."
Kale's gaze was calm, and he slowly raised his long knife. "Anyway, we have to get through."
The Shadow Messenger slowly approached, his black cloak fluttering without any wind. His voice was like the scraping of dry wood, hoarse and low. "Kale, if you insist on stepping into the fissure, you're seeking your own death."
"I just want to know the truth." Kale replied calmly and took a firm step forward, the blade of his knife glinting coldly.
A trace of disdain flashed in the scarlet eyes of the Shadow Messenger. "The truth? The truth will only bring destruction. The fissure is a gift from the Abyss, and it won't leave you any hope."
Before the words were finished, the figure of the Shadow Messenger suddenly twisted in place. In the next instant, countless identical phantoms of him emerged from all directions, surrounding Kale and the others.
"Phantoms?" Cangzhao suddenly growled. The wolves all bared their fangs and stared warily at their surroundings.
"It's not just phantoms." Yize frowned, his gaze fixed on one of the phantoms. "These shadows all
carry real killing intent, and each one can be deadly."
The whispers of the Shadow Messenger echoed in the tunnel. "Can you tell which one is the real body?"
Kale didn't answer. Instead, he closed his eyes, blocking out all external distractions, concentrating his mind and feeling every slight movement in the air.
The next moment, he suddenly opened his eyes, exerted force with his feet, and rushed towards a shadow directly in front of him like a gust of wind. His long knife slashed horizontally, the blade tearing through the air and slashing hard at the phantom.
The shadow shattered instantly, but at the same time, a piercing chill came from behind Kale. The real Shadow Messenger appeared behind him, and a black dagger quietly stabbed towards Kale's heart.
"Kale, be careful!" Cangzhao suddenly pounced forward and opened his mouth to bite the Shadow Messenger's wrist.
But the dagger was blocked by Kale's horizontally-held knife at the moment of stabbing. Sparks flew, and he confronted the Shadow Messenger, their eyes meeting.
"You're more alert than I expected." The Shadow Messenger said hoarsely, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "But this is just the beginning."
The figure of the Shadow Messenger once again turned into a black mist and disappeared on the spot.
Yize frowned slightly. "He's stalling for time."
Kale sheathed his knife and looked coldly towards the depths of the tunnel. "Keep moving. Don't stop."
Although the Shadow Messenger had retreated, the whispers of the fissure became clearer. Those voices seemed to be snickering in the darkness, waiting for the prey to fall into the trap.
...
At the end of the tunnel, the real core of the fissure gradually emerged - a vast underground space. In the center, a huge crack was suspended, and scarlet light poured out from the crack, illuminating the entire space like a sea of blood.
Around the crack, dozens of Abyss followers dressed in black robes sat cross-legged, chanting ancient incantations, trying to summon the existence deeper within the fissure.
"It seems that we've come at just the right time." Yize said in a low voice, his gaze sweeping over those followers. "But the problem is, how can we pass through the fissure without alerting them?"
Kale didn't answer, his gaze fixed on the center of the crack.
There, a huge wolf shadow loomed, its eyes tightly closed, sleeping deeply in the depths of the fissure.
"The Wolf Soul King..." Kale murmured to himself, his heart beating faster. "He's still here..."
Upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Yize's eyes. "It seems that those whispers didn't lie to you."
"We have to wake him up." Kale slowly walked towards the crack, his voice firm. "He's the only one who can seal the fissure."
Cangzhao reminded in a low voice, "Once we alert the followers, we'll be in a tough battle."
Kale stopped in his tracks and took a deep breath. "I understand."
His gaze was calm as he stared at the wolf shadow in the depths of the crack, and an indescribable emotion welled up in his heart.
This time, he had to wake up the king who had been sleeping for thousands of years, no matter what the cost.