Cherreads

Chapter 9 - CHAPTER 9 : Abyss.

[LOCATION: CONTINENT CHAIA – SAME DAY]

The sky, once ruptured by celestial chaos, slowly began to calm.

The swirling rift that had cracked open reality like a god's wound faded into strands of shimmering energy, vanishing like silk threads pulled into nothingness.

The skies returned to blue.

The winds grew still.

But no one moved.

The people of Chaia stood in silent awe. Their world had changed—no, their entire existence had been redrawn. 

What once was a planet was now merely a continent among thousands. What once was their universe… now a corner of another being's creation.

And just as the silence began to settle—

A low, vibrating hum rolled across the sky like thunder made of metal and mana.

Then—

VROOOOMMMMMMMMM—

Dozens of ripples tore across the upper atmosphere, opening like inverted whirlpools of light and Qi. 

From these ruptures in the heavens descended… ships.

Not just any ships.

Floating behemoths of obsidian steel and glowing arcane etchings.

Their hulls crackled with mana conduits and Qi. Some resembled titanic spaceships, others looked like Planes twisted into ship-form.

Trailing behind them were sleek fighter planes—Sky Blades, Void Wings, and Astral Koi gliders, leaving neon trails of ethereal essence across the atmosphere.

The Flock of spaceships not only appeared on Chaia. but, on almost every continent(Planet) of the absorbed universe.

From every continent of the MASTER's world, they came—natives of the Multiverse Planet, cloaked in foreign clothes, or battle armor fused with runes never before seen in Chaia.

Their presence sent ripples across the ley lines. The gravity trembled. Qi stilled in the bodies of onlookers.

A loudspeaker echoed from one of the largest ships—its voice deep, ceremonial, and thick with authority.

"We greet you, Natives of the New Universe."

"We are here to participate in the Grand Opening of the Abyss."

As the ships appeared more like guests than invaders, countless high-class cultivators of Chaia soared into the skies to welcome the natives of the MASTER's world.

The one leading the Chaian cultivators stepped forward and greeted the arrivals.

"I, Min Sung, welcome the esteemed guests."

The skies above Chaia shimmered like broken glass as the hull of the colossal main ship began to open. 

The humming of ethereal engines gave way to silence, and from within the shadowed core of the vessel, radiant figures stepped forth—beings of another world.

Leading them was a woman who made even the high cultivators of Chaia pause in awe. 

Graceful and commanding, she walked forward, dressed in red robes. Her aura bent the atmosphere without effort, and her presence silenced the clouds themselves.

She stepped onto the floating platform conjured by her own mana and spoke with a voice like clear bells over distant thunder.

"I am Hana Meilin, Vice-Leader of the Bing Guild. We are not here for leisure… but to participate in the Opening of the Abyss."

The word Abyss echoed unnaturally across the sky, as though the very heavens repeated it. Murmurs erupted among the cultivators of Chaia. 

Confused glances, tightened grips on weapons, suppressed curiosity, and fear.

Whispers :

??? : "The Abyss?"

??? : "Did she say Abyss is opening here? In Chaia?"

??? : "What does that even mean…?"

Before answers could form, another figure emerged from the ship—taller, younger, and with a face sculpted by arrogance. 

His smirk came first, sharp and disdainful. His silver hair fluttered in the wind, untouched by gravity.

With a casual flick of his coat, he stepped beside Hana Meilin and scanned the floating cultivators of Chaia with eyes that glinted like mockery.

Man : "Tch, tch… would you look at that. Such primitive control over Qi and Mana."

He scoffed and extended his hand lazily, forming a small orb of condensed Divine Energy that radiated oppressive heat and pressure. 

The Chaian cultivators instinctively stepped back.

Man : "I doubt any of you even had Divine Energy before Master absorbed your universe. And now you're going to participate in the Abyss?"

He chuckled, shaking his head.

Man : "I'll be surprised if you can even survive the first layer."

[Note : There are 3 type of Energies Qi | Mana | Divine | Most people can only learn one type of energy cultivation. some rare cases have two type of energies cultivation]

[But only One in a Quintillion people have all 3 type of energy cultivation]

As the cocky youth's arrogant voice drifted into the air, laced with mockery and superiority, the atmosphere shifted. 

The cultivators of Chaia—proud warriors forged through centuries of survival—felt their blood boil.

Murderous intent surged like a wave behind the lead cultivator, Min Sung. 

Dozens of high-level cultivators clenched their fists, their Qi flaring with hostility.

"Is that kid mocking us…?"

"Who the hell do they think they are…?"

Energy began to swirl dangerously, and sparks of battle qi danced on the wind.

But before it could escalate into chaos, Min Sung raised a single hand.

A resonant command echoed in their minds—not spoken aloud, but carried by Sound Telepathy.

"Silence. Stand down."

"We don't know the nature of this new world. These people—foreign as they may be—might be the only ones who understand how to operate within it. Don't be reckless."

Though their expressions twisted in sour frustration, the Chaian cultivators gradually calmed.

Their energies dimmed, leaving behind only a cold edge in their gazes.

Min Sung stepped forward with measured poise. Despite the tension, he bowed his head slightly toward the guests.

"I apologize… if my people caused offense. Emotions are running high. We mean no disrespect."

The woman—Hana Meilin—softened her posture slightly and gave a diplomatic smile, her voice calm and reassuring.

"No, no… it's quite alright. I understand."

But behind her,—the cocky youth—barely suppressed a smirk. 

His arms folded casually, his head tilting with theatrical mockery as if Min Sung's apology amused him.

"How cute."

His voice was low, but just loud enough for a few to hear—and just enough to reignite tension in the hearts of the Chaian warriors.

Min Sung's eyes narrowed for the briefest second.

This isn't just arrogance, he thought. It's provocation. Intentional.

But he had to endure.

As the tension ebbed, Hana Meilin took a graceful step forward. 

Her eyes, clear as mountain spring water yet sharp as a drawn blade, scanned the horizon of the reborn Chaia.

"The Abyss will open in seventeen hours," she said, voice steady. 

"Until then, could we trouble you to provide a suitable location to stay… and a place to dock our ships?"

Her request, though polite, carried the weight of authority. It wasn't a question—it was an expectation.

Min Sung nodded, hiding the slight heaviness in his chest. He gestured with a respectful motion.

"Of course. Follow me—I'll guide you to the Northern Sky Landing Fields. 

It's the most fortified region on Chaia, and your ships will be safe there."

With a wave of his hand, Min Sung turned and began flying eastward across the skies, his figure radiating calm despite the brewing storm beneath the surface. T

he foreign vessels slowly followed behind, glowing like stars cutting through mist.

Meanwhile, Behind Them…

Back where the rest of Chaia's cultivators remained, the tension snapped the moment the ships faded into the distance. 

Whispers turned into growls. Reverence turned to fury.

A veteran cultivator clenched his jaw, his white beard trembling as his Qi flared lightly around him.

"Who do those people think they are? Mocking us not once… but twice?"

Another, younger man snarled, his eyes burning.

"If it weren't for Elder Min holding us back, we would've taught them a lesson right then and there."

An older voice, sharp with indignation, echoed out.

"Primitive, they called us. As if our ancestors didn't forge civilizations with their bare hands while theirs floated in luxury above stolen universes."

Another veteran cultivator.

"The audacity... stepping onto our land and looking down on us like that!"

Grumbles and low growls rippled through the cultivator ranks, their spiritual energy subtly rising again. 

But no one dared act on their anger—not yet.

Because the truth was undeniable:

Their ships sailed through dimensions. And the very Abyss they spoke of… was something no one here truly understood.

[Meanwhile]

Perched atop a lush green mountain, bathed in the light of a setting sun, Jin Wei sat cross-legged. 

The air was still, broken only by the rustling of leaves and the occasional whisper of wind.

He had just bid farewell to Elias and his granddaughter—two mortals whose kindness lingered in his heart more than he expected. 

A faint shimmer flickered before him, and from the air emerged a translucent figure—Gu Cheng, floating in a meditative pose.

Jin Wei glanced up calmly.

"Master... what do you think those flying creatures were?"

Gu Cheng gave a light chuckle, his form pulsing faintly like moonlight on water.

"Those weren't creatures, Boy. They're called spaceships—machines, or vehicles, used to travel across the stars. Through space."

Jin Wei's brows lifted slightly, as though trying to picture the vastness of such travel.

"I see... No wonder there were people inside them."

He looked down at his open palm, curling his fingers slowly as if testing his own strength.

"But to think… there are so many powerful beings out there."

"We once believed the God Realm of Legends was the peak—where cultivators could destroy nations with just a thought."

He paused, voice quieter now, awe creeping into his words.

"Yet now… there are beings who could erase entire universes with the same ease."

A silence followed, not empty but heavy—with the weight of truth, revelation, and an unfamiliar sense of insignificance.

Gu Cheng's tone turned more solemn.

"This is the true face of the wider existence, kid. The world you knew... was only a pond. And now, you've glimpsed the ocean."

Jin Wei's eyes didn't flinch—but deep inside, a fire flickered. Not fear. Not despair.

But resolve.

Jin Wei's gaze lingered on the horizon, where the last traces of the foreign ships had vanished into the clouds. 

The wind swept through the mountain grasses, carrying with it a strange unease… and curiosity.

He turned his head slightly.

"Master… what is this Abyss they spoke of?"

Gu Cheng's form hovered quietly for a moment, as if pondering how best to phrase something that defied simple explanation.

"The Abyss…" he began, voice calm but edged with mystery,

"It's his world."

Jin Wei narrowed his eyes slightly.

"His?"

Gu Cheng nodded.

"The one they all follow. The Master. The being who devoured your universe and rewove it as part of his dominion." 

"If the Abyss is his creation… then it could be anything he wills it to be."

He paused, then added thoughtfully:

"Judging by the excitement on the faces of those foreigners, it's likely something… significant."

Jin Wei exhaled slowly, his fingers brushing the grass beneath him.

"So... We'll have to see it ourselves."

Gu Cheng smirked faintly.

"Hmm..."

A long silence stretched between them. The sun dipped below the clouds, casting the land in shades of gold and violet.

[Note : Even tho. there is no sun there is sun, it's a law of physics. And time of day and night of each continent(planet) is same as before absorption.]

Jin Wei's voice was soft, but resolute.

"Whatever it is... I need to be ready."

[17 Hours Later – 656,000 km East of Jin Wei's Location]

(≈ 468,571 Nongs)

The earth began to howl.

Not tremble. Not shiver.

But howl.

It started with a low rumble—deep and unnatural, like a sleeping god grinding its teeth. Then it exploded.

BOOOOOOOM—!!!

Massive earthquakes erupted across the eastern skies of Chaia, tearing through land like divine claws ripping open parchment. 

Entire forests buckled, mountain ranges crumbled, and once-silent valleys shattered into deep scars.

The tectonic crust itself was reshaping—terraforming at speeds no mortal world could withstand.

From this chaos, a singular phenomenon emerged.

A circular chasm—over 100 kilometers in radius (≈ 71.42 Nongs)—split open like the eye of the world itself. 

Jagged black ridges framed the edges like twisted obsidian teeth. The abyss spiraled downward endlessly… into void. Into madness.

There was no bottom.

Only darkness—and a whisper of something waiting far below.

And then…

DING—!

Across the entire continent of Chaia, every panel—whether held by a cultivator, a mortal, or a outsider—flashed simultaneously.

[Meanwhile : Jin Wei's Panel]

📜 [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION] 📜

📜 [Abyss Entrances : 4,112 | Throughout the Continent Chaia]

 🔹 [Abyss Available]

 📌 Nearest Location : Abyss #118 | Continent Chaia |

 📌 Realm Access: Unlocked – Level 1 - 5 (Local Only) 

 🎯 Entry Fee : None 

 🎁 First Clear Reward: ??? | Tier : Heroic !!! 

 📛 Warning : Once Started Descending, Can't return to the surface. 

 📌 Note : Don't Descend without preparing throughly. 

Panic swept the lands.

Armies gathered.

Clans debated.

Sects trembled.

From kingdoms to isolated cultivation villages, the same question echoed:

"Is this the trial?"

"Is this what they meant by Abyss?"

But no answer came.

Only the silent pull of the chasm.

And the system that now governed all.

TO BE CONTINUED.----------

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