In the depths of the fissure, the air grew colder and more sinister, as if an invisible hand was gripping everyone's throat. The rocks under their feet were rugged and uneven, and the sharp edges seemed to warn them not to move forward any further. However, Kale walked with a firm stride, each step responding to the restless wolf soul within his body.
Behind him, Dailin chanted ancient runes in a low voice. Her fingertips gently touched the rock wall, summoning a faint blue light that illuminated the path ahead for no more than five feet.
"These marks are signs of sacrifice," she said slowly, her voice sounding particularly dull in the darkness. "The fissure was once the place where the Wolf Soul King fell. Legend has it that whenever the fissure is opened, enough souls must be offered up to truly enter the core of the abyss."
Yize whistled, his eyes filled with a hint of excitement. "It sounds like an unfriendly welcoming ceremony."
Cangzhua bared his teeth and growled. "This is a ritual of death, not a game."
Kale didn't say anything and fixed his gaze ahead. The fissure continued to narrow, like the mouth of a giant beast about to swallow them whole. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and stared sharply at a stone stele in front of him.
The stele was pitch-black all over, engraved with ancient wolf clan characters. The wolf head totem in the center exuded a faint blood-red light.
"The Wolf Soul Altar..." Kale said in a low voice, his tone solemn.
Dailin stepped forward and carefully examined the runes on the stele. Her face grew paler. "This stele is sealed with the blood of the wolf clan. It's the last barrier set up by the Wolf Soul King before his fall."
Yize raised his eyebrows. "So how are we going to get past it? We can't sacrifice ourselves, can we?"
"Not necessarily," Dailin shook her head. "The Wolf Soul King set up the seal not to stop his descendants but to select the true inheritor."
Kale raised his hand and placed it on the stele. A faint silver light appeared in his palm, and the power of the restless wolf soul in his blood resonated with the stele. In an instant, the wolf head on the stele slowly opened its eyes, and a bright red light like blood flowed out.
"The choice has begun," an ancient voice echoed in everyone's ears, carrying a sense of majesty and indifference. "Those who offer sacrifice, enter the fissure. You will face the judgment of the soul."
"Judgment?" Yize chuckled softly, but the smile in his eyes froze on his face.
In the darkness, a figure slowly emerged.
It was a man wearing a white robe, with a silver mask covering his face. His eyes were empty, exuding a chilling coldness.
Kale recognized him—the guardian of the fissure, Lorne.
"Is this the true master of the fissure?" Cangzhua asked in a low voice, his eyes shining brightly.
"No," Dailin shook her head slowly. "Lorne is not the master but one of the most loyal guards of the Wolf Soul King. After the Wolf Soul King's fall, his soul was trapped in the fissure forever and became the being that guards the altar."
Lorne's gaze swept over everyone and finally settled on Kale. "The inheritor of the bloodline, are you ready to accept the sacrifice of the fissure?"
Kale looked straight into his eyes and said in a deep voice, "I'm ready."
As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the fissure suddenly changed. The Wolf Soul Altar cracked in the darkness, and countless black mists surged out, condensing into the illusion of a giant wolf that coiled above everyone's heads.
The wolf shadow roared deafeningly.
Kale's eyes flashed with a blood-red light. The wolf soul in his body seemed to be stimulated to the extreme. His blood boiled, and his muscles tensed.
"The trial begins," Lorne announced coldly, and his figure gradually merged into the wolf shadow.
In an instant, the giant wolf pounced on Kale. Its claws were like knives, aiming straight at his throat.
Kale quickly drew his sword. The silver light burst out in the darkness and collided fiercely with the giant wolf. Sparks flew in all directions, and the giant wolf was forced back several steps, but it became even more irritable, as if it wanted to tear Kale apart.
Cangzhua and Dailin quickly joined the battle, while Yize lurked in the darkness, looking for weaknesses.
However, the giant wolf seemed to have endless vitality. Every time it fell, it would re-condense, as if it couldn't be truly killed.
"It won't die," Dailin shouted in a hurry, with cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. "We must destroy the core of the altar, or the trial will never end."
Kale suddenly stepped back, his gaze focused, and rushed towards the depths of the fissure.
"Cangzhua, follow me!"
Cangzhua quickly followed suit. Seeing this, Yize no longer lingered in the battle and duck into the shadows.
The giant wolf roared and chased after them. The fissure gradually collapsed during the battle, and the runes around them continued to shatter under the vibrations.
Kale rushed to the deepest part of the altar and finally saw the core of the altar—a black wolf head crystal.
Above the crystal, Lorne's figure loomed faintly. His gaze was as calm as water, as if everything
was under his control.
"Destroy it," Cangzhua growled, already blocking the claw strike of the chasing giant wolf.
Kale didn't hesitate and stabbed the crystal with his sword.
The moment the blade touched the crystal, a powerful shockwave erupted, sending Kale flying several feet away.
Lorne's voice sounded again. "Only the one who truly inherits the bloodline of the Wolf Soul King can destroy the crystal. Otherwise, you will be imprisoned in the fissure forever."
Kale gritted his teeth and slowly stood up. His sword was wrapped in the power of the wolf soul, and the silver light became even more dazzling.
"I am the inheritor of the Wolf Soul King," Kale said in a deep voice, and the blade swung down again, stabbing deeply into the core of the crystal.
"Boom—"
With a loud bang, the crystal shattered into pieces, and Lorne's figure turned into specks of light and dissipated in the air.
The fissure returned to calm, and the illusion of the giant wolf also disappeared.
Kale stood in front of the altar, his long sword slowly lowering, his eyes shining with complex emotions.
"The trial is over," Dailin said slowly as she walked forward. Her gaze fell on the shattered crystal, and there was a hint of awe in her expression.
Yize shook the dust off his sleeves and chuckled. "We're still alive. It seems we're lucky."
Cangzhua said in a deep voice, "This is the first trial. There is deeper darkness waiting for us."
Kale tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword and looked up towards the deeper part of the fissure. There was a determined light in his eyes.
"No matter what lies ahead, I will keep going."
In the depths of the fissure, the sleeping darkness was gradually awakening.