The flames in the fissure gradually died down. Kale stood silently on the throne, surrounded by the blazing fire of the Wolf Soul. The firelight danced in his pupils, just like a huge wolf that had been sleeping for a long time and had just awakened.
The Shadow Messenger stood at the edge of the stone platform, his figure hunched, his eyes filled with gloom and unwillingness. The flames controlled by Kale not only severely injured him but also shattered the last bit of his arrogance.
But the Shadow Messenger did not back down.
"You think that by winning this trial, you can truly control the power of the Wolf Soul?" The Shadow Messenger raised his head and sneered. "Kale, you've underestimated the darkness, and you've underestimated me even more."
Before the words were finished, he suddenly clenched the dagger in his hand. Blood trickled down through his fingers and dripped onto the stone platform. A deep roar suddenly came from the depths of the fissure. The sound seemed to pierce through the soul, carrying endless madness and pain.
Kale's heart tightened, and he gripped his long knife. "What did you do?"
"The Abyss won't tolerate a new throne." The Shadow Messenger licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, and a trace of madness appeared in his eyes. "You've inherited the fire of the Wolf Soul King, but you don't know that the true power has long been sleeping beneath the fissure. You've taken the position that belongs to me, and the Abyss will repay you with destruction."
Kale's brows were tightly furrowed. The stone walls around the fissure began to tremble. Countless black cracks spread beneath the stone platform, slithering like venomous snakes. Each crack exuded a suffocating black aura.
Deep within the fissure, a pitch-black stone door slowly emerged.
"What is this?" Cangzhao growled in a low voice, and the wolf pack behind him was restless.
"The Gate of the Abyss." Yize appeared quietly at some point, standing in the shadows of the fissure wearing a cloak, his gaze solemn. "According to legend, at the bottom of the Wolf Soul Mountains, the darkest power of the wolf clan is sealed... That power is enough to devour the entire mountain range."
Kale turned his head to look at Yize and asked in a deep voice, "You knew about this?"
Yize nodded slightly and stepped forward slowly. "This fissure is not complete. Although the Wolf Soul King has been sleeping here, what it guards is not just a throne but also this Gate of the Abyss. The Shadow Messenger has awakened the being behind the door."
The Shadow Messenger sneered. "You will never understand the true darkness."
As soon as the words were spoken, the Gate of the Abyss suddenly shook violently. Several pitch-black tentacles stretched out from the cracks and slapped heavily inside the fissure, as if the monster that had broken free from the seal was gradually awakening.
The temperature in the fissure dropped sharply. Kale could feel the fire of the Wolf Soul in his body trembling slightly in the darkness.
"Kale!" Cangzhao growled and rushed to his side. "We can't let this door open completely, or the entire Wolf Soul Mountains will be devoured by darkness!"
Kale was well aware of the seriousness of the situation. He gripped his long knife tightly, and blazing flames burned on the blade as he approached the Gate of the Abyss step by step. However, those tentacles were as flexible as snakes. Each wave could shatter the hard stone walls, blocking Kale's way forward.
The Shadow Messenger stood aside with his hands open, a black mist surrounding his body, as if he had turned into a bridge connecting his body to the Abyss.
"Kale, if you try to stop the descent of the Abyss, you'll be my enemy." The voice of the Shadow Messenger echoed in a low tone within the black mist, as if carrying endless temptation. "Give up. The power of the Abyss is stronger than you can imagine. You can't win."
Kale looked at him coldly, and the flames burning in his eyes grew more intense. "The true power is not about destruction but protection."
The next moment, Kale suddenly swung his knife, and a blade of fire shot out, directly cutting off several tentacles. The darkness let out a scream and retreated in the face of the flames.
The face of the Shadow Messenger gradually distorted. "Kale! How dare you destroy the power of the Abyss!"
"If the darkness swallows up the light, then the Wolf Soul Mountains will cease to exist." Kale said in a deep voice. "I won't let you succeed."
The Shadow Messenger gritted his teeth, and the black mist in his eyes grew thicker. He suddenly stabbed his chest, and a pitch-black beam of light rushed out from the Gate of the Fissure and into his body.
In the black mist, the body of the Shadow Messenger began to expand, his muscles twisted, and his eyes completely turned into a deep black, just like a monster that had just awakened.
"Since that's the case..." The Shadow Messenger slowly raised his head, a sinister smile appearing on his lips. "Then I'll tear you apart with my own hands!"
He suddenly leaped up, and the black mist condensed into huge sharp claws in the air and slammed down fiercely towards Kale!
Kale stepped forward to meet the attack. The fire of the Wolf Soul burst forth on the long knife. The flames collided with the black mist, and a violent rumble sounded inside the fissure. Countless pieces of rubble fell from the ceiling, and the entire fissure swayed precariously under this impact.
Cangzhao led the wolf pack roaring onto the stone platform and engaged in a fierce battle with the dark tentacles. Yize stood in the distance, his gaze profound as he watched this life-and-death battle.
The firelight and the darkness interlaced, and the battle lasted for a long time. The air in the fissure was filled with a scorched smell.
Finally, the body of the Shadow Messenger gradually weakened. The black mist surged wildly within him, but it was difficult to maintain a complete form.
Kale seized the opportunity and slashed down with his knife, knocking the dagger out of the Shadow Messenger's hand. The dagger rolled on the stone platform, making a clear sound.
The Shadow Messenger staggered backward and fell to the edge of the fissure. Gasping for breath, he looked at Kale. "Do you... really think you've won?"
Kale stood in front of him, the blade of the knife pointing at the Shadow Messenger's throat, his gaze cold. "This battle for the throne is over."
The Gate of the Fissure slowly closed, and the darkness fell silent again.
The Shadow Messenger looked at Kale with hatred and murmured in a low voice, "Even though the Abyss has retreated today, the darkness will surely return one day."
Kale did not respond. The flames burned brightly behind him, dispelling the gloom in the fissure.