Douluo Dalu - First Slash

The Endless Abyss

Surrounded by jagged rocks and sheer cliffs, resembling the gaping maw of a demon eager to devour the sky itself.

The silence of the abyss was frightening; not even the faintest whisper of wind or the distant chirp of a bird disturbed it. This was a land of the dead, an expanse so hauntingly still that the eerie quiet sent shivers.

It was not until dawn, when weak light shone in that the eerie and terrifying atmosphere receded like the tide. The scenery in the abyss gradually revealed itself.

In the light of day, the abyss transformed entirely, shedding the eerie silence of the night. The abyss was not a barren land. Instead, it was a paradise with birds and flowers.

Ancient trees stood in great numbers, hundreds of flowers were in full bloom, and the greenery was exuberant. A clear stream gurgled, and the grass beside the stream was verdant.

The surroundings were filled with the fragrance of fresh flowers and weeds, and they were full of vitality, beauty, and harmony.

On the bank of the clear stream, there was a black-haired young man covered in wounds. His lower body was lying in the stream, and his upper body was lying on the bank. His cheeks were covered in mud, and his black hair was stained with blood. His eyes were tightly shut, as if he was in a coma.

In his coma, the young man was still frowning. His expression was severe, as if he had just experienced a life-and-death battle. Even though he had fainted, his nerves were still tense, and he did not dare to relax.

After an unknown period, his fingers suddenly trembled. His face, which was buried in the mud, gradually lifted. His confused and chaotic eyes looked around in a daze.

Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

After a series of questions, the young man slapped his forehead and said in realization, "That's right, I remember now. My name is … Li Changshou, the Golden Star. I am the founder of the Steady Immortal Cultivation School."

After a while, the young man was confused again. He quickly shook his head. "No! No! No! I am not Li Changshou. My real name is … Lin Wanrong. When I am awake, I control the world. When I am drunk, I lie on the knees of beauties. I started as a servant and went to the peak of my life."

"Wrong. My name is Xiao Yan. I am the Flame Emperor who created the Endless Fire Territory and dominated Higher Worlds."

"Wrong again. I am the Celestial Emperor, Ye Fan. I am invincible in the world and have suppressed all enemies. I am the awesome person who led my entire family to become immortals … I have no regrets in this life!"

…

"Alright, everything above is just a fantasy!"

The young man sighed, his head drooping as he said, "Actually, I'm Fang Xuan, the little bitch whose head was almost smashed by someone…"

Fang Xuan was indulging in his fantasies when he was cruelly pulled back to reality by a sharp pain in his head. He clutched his head and cried out in pain. He thought that he was probably the only transmigrator with his head almost smashed.

"Ouch, it hurts. It hurts so much. Speaking of which, where am I …"

Fang Xuan grimaced in pain. He felt that his skull had been damaged. Of course, it was also possible that it had been smashed. Anyway, this head needed some clarification now. It couldn't figure out north, south, east, or west. It didn't even know if it was dead or alive. However, it could feel pain. It should still be alive!

Good people don't live long, but scourges live for thousands of years. Fang Xuan felt that he had the potential to become a scourge.

He remembered that during the life-and-death battle with Qian Renxue, he had sacrificed his blood and Soul Power to the Demon Blade to unleash the ultimate attack. He had pierced Qian Renxue's abdomen, and Qian Renxue had also stabbed him in the chest.

In the end, the two of them had perished together. Although he was severely injured, Fang Xuan was still alive and well. He lowered his head to look at the hideous sword wound on his chest. His expression gradually turned severe.

This was the wound caused by the Angelic Sacred Sword. His chest had been charred black by the True Fire and emitted a thick, burnt smell. Fang Xuan felt it was a miracle that he was still alive after being hit by a Divine Weapon.

However, thanks to Qian Renxue, he was now frail. He couldn't summon any Soul Power and didn't even know where he had lost the Demon Blade. Sighing helplessly, Fang Xuan washed his face with clear water from the stream. He instantly felt much more energetic. Those negative emotions had dissipated, and he gradually pulled himself together.

Then, he calmed his mind and entered the System Space to check on his condition.

However, the System … was gone!

Was it stuck? Loading?

System, come out!

Fang Xuan was going crazy. He roared in his heart. However, no matter how he called and cursed, the damn System did not come out. The System Space was blank. F*ck! Could it be that the system was broken? Was it a pirated version? Who made it? It was so unreliable! Fang Xuan was speechless.

Eh? At this moment, the System Interface suddenly appeared. Fang Xuan finally heaved a sigh of relief. Could it be that it was stuck just now? Was the signal terrible here? Speaking of which, this seemed to be a bottomless abyss. It was customary for the signal to be wrong, so there was no need to make a fuss.

The next moment, his consciousness sank into the System Space. Fang Xuan began to check his current attributes.

[Strongest Sword-Drawing System] 

[Host: Fang Xuan] 

[Level: None] 

[Title: None] 

[Soul Power: None] 

[Weapon: Shadowless Sword, Void Shattering Sword] 

[Proficiency: Ultimate Sword-Drawing Technique (MAX)] 

[Mind Comprehension: Reincarnation Sword Intent] 

[Sword Bestowed by God: 1] 

[Martial Souls: Seraph (Sealed), Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon (Sealed), Ice Phoenix (Sealed), Immortal Begonia(Sealed), Clear Sky Hammer (Sealed), Bluesilver Emperor (Sealed), Fire Qilin (Sealed)] 

[Talent: Sealed] 

[Sword Skill: Sealed] 

[Soul Skill: Sealed] 

[Self-created Sword Skill: Sealed] 

[Number of Sword Draws available: 12,000,000] 

His Soul Power and rank were sealed?! Seeing this scene, the corner of Fang Xuan's mouth twitched violently. When it rains, it pours. He originally wanted to consume the Spirit Gathering Liquid to recover his Soul Power and then use the Immortal Begonia to heal his injuries, but his Soul Power had disappeared …

After calming down and thinking about it, he was lucky enough to escape from Qian Renxue. Compared to losing his Soul Power, the latter was more important. As long as he was still alive, Fang Xuan could always find a way to recover his former strength.

Thinking of this, he sighed slightly and felt a little relieved in his heart. However, he was still unwilling to give up and tried to consume the Spirit Gathering Liquid to recover his Soul Power. Now that he had lost all his Soul Power and his Martial Soul was sealed, he could not use his Soul Skills or talents. He could only use the number of Sword Draws in the System Space. He spent another 10,000,000 Sword Draws to purchase two bottles of Spirit Gathering Liquid that could recover his Soul Power. He swallowed them all in one go to regain his Soul Power.

However, he failed. After consuming two bottles of Spirit Gathering Liquid, his body had no changes. Not even a trace of Soul Power appeared.

"Sigh, do I have to start all over again …" Fang Xuan sighed. He finally recognized the cruel reality of losing all his Soul Power. However, he was not too depressed or disappointed. What he needed to think about now was how to get out of this damned place.

…

Unknowingly, a month passed by quickly. Fang Xuan satisfied his hunger with wild fruits and quenched his thirst with spring water. He had already stayed in this nameless abyss for a whole month. His body had been fortified by numerous immortal medicines. Even without the Immortal Begonia, he still had a strong recovery ability.

During this period, his injuries were recovering rapidly. Many of his wounds had scabbed and fallen off, and new skin had grown. They no longer hurt as much. Although he had not recovered to his peak state, he could now move and walk freely like an average person.

The bottom of this bottomless abyss was huge. It was like a paradise isolated from the rest of the world. The scenery was beautiful, and the climate was suitable. However, it was completely isolated from the outside world!

Fang Xuan tried many times but could not find a way out. The outer wall of the abyss was very smooth and steep. It was so high that he could not see the end. It was impossible to climb up the cliff. In the end, Fang Xuan concluded. Unless he recovered his Soul Power, climbing up from the bottom of this nameless abyss was impossible. However, he was still unwilling to give up. Every day, he explored this mysterious abyss, trying to find a way out.

Just like that, another three days passed. Fang Xuan found a mysterious cave behind a waterfall. It was huge and had a different world inside. Moreover, it was very well-lit. It was similar to the Water Curtain Cave in Journey to the West. The source of this light did not come from the sun but from the countless gemstones embedded in the cave ceiling. They were sparkling and bright, illuminating the originally dark cave.

Fang Xuan clicked his tongue in wonder. He felt as if he had discovered a new world. He looked around and explored the depths of the cave. Unknowingly, he had walked to the end of the cave. This was a very spacious stone room. Stone tables, stone chairs, and stone beds were neatly placed around. There were also simple murals carved around. It was like a stone palace. It was simple and unadorned but filled with the aura of nature.

In the stone palace's center was a rare hot spring. It was bubbling and steaming. It was as beautiful as a fairyland. Within the dense steam, a peerlessly beautiful figure was faintly discernible. She had golden hair, blue eyes, a graceful figure, and a peerlessly beautiful face. Along with the gradual rise of the steam, numerous alluring scenes were gradually exposed before Fang Xuan's eyes, causing the latter's lips to become dry and an indescribable heat to rise from his heart.

A beautiful girl was bathing in the hot spring. Who could resist this infinite temptation? At this moment, the girl seemed to have sensed movement. She suddenly turned around and looked at the entrance of the cave. Fang Xuan, who was standing at the entrance of the cave, was slightly stunned. He met the girl's gaze. Then, Fang Xuan's expression changed. His heart gradually sank to the bottom. The blonde girl bathing in the hot spring was none other than … Qian Renxue!

Fang Xuan saw Qian Renxue, and Qian Renxue also saw Fang Xuan. Their gazes intertwined in the air. Fang Xuan was stunned. Qian Renxue was stunned. Qian Renxue discovered her number one enemy. Her long, shapely eyebrows immediately furrowed. Her phoenix eyes turned cold. With a wave of her lily-white hand, she quickly wrapped a white bath towel around her beautiful body. Then, she jumped out of the hot spring. Barefoot, she raised her jade-like fist and ran toward Fang Xuan murderously.

"Fang Xuan!"

That shout made Fang Xuan's heart tremble. A sense of despair welled up in his heart. He had lost all of his soul power. How could he be Qian Renxue's opponent? He sighed helplessly as he stared at the beautiful figure charging towards him. He felt that he was unlucky. He never thought that he would meet Qian Renxue here. He did not even think of fighting back. In front of a Demigod, based on his current state, how could he possibly fight back?

He was already prepared to surrender. He quietly waited for death to descend.

"Fang Xuan! Give me your life!"

Qian Renxue was charging forward aggressively when she suddenly tripped over a rock. With a "plop," she fell in front of Fang Xuan. She covered her head and rolled on the ground in pain.

"It hurts!"

Fang Xuan: "…"