The air in the abyss was still dull and oppressive, as if every step was forcing their souls towards an irreversible abyss. Lucas's mood became increasingly heavy. Recalling the trial of the inner demons just now, he knew very well that this trial was far from over. The darkness in front of him had not completely dissipated because of his slash. On the contrary, it seemed that everything had just begun. With every step he took, he was getting closer to the unknown truth.
He looked back at the team behind him. Different emotions were showing on everyone's faces - some were silent, some were confused, and some even had indescribable fear in their eyes. Although they had each experienced different trials and their hearts were surely filled with complex emotions, they did not shrink back. Instead, they stepped forward more firmly.
Alton stood at the front of the team. His eyes were calm and deep, as if he had already seen through everything. "Next, will be the greatest test for each of you," he said in a low voice, as if announcing some terrible truth to all the members. "What we are facing is not just the inner demons but also some kind of conspiracy hidden in this darkness. Each of you must always stay alert until the truth emerges."
Lucas didn't answer but silently followed at the back of the team. His heart was still unable to calm down. The illusions of Alyce and the image of Herman kept emerging in his mind. He knew that what he had to face was not only the fear and guilt in his heart but, more importantly, uncovering the conspiracy hidden behind all this - his father's death, Alyce's departure. All the mysteries were closely related to that indescribable dark power.
The team's pace gradually quickened. They passed through a pitch - black forest. A rotten smell filled the forest, as if countless tragedies had once been carried here. With every step, the land under their feet seemed to be telling of past sins and pains. The wind blew gently, carrying some unknown whispering sounds, making everyone's mood even heavier.
After walking for a long time, finally, the team arrived at the entrance of a huge underground cave. It was an extremely gloomy place. The cave entrance was like a huge mouth, devouring all the light. The sense of oppression in the air became even more obvious, as if a huge force was peeping at their every move.
"This is the place that leads to the source of the abyss," Alton's voice sounded again. "This is not just a cave. It is the starting point of the whole conspiracy and the source of all the mysteries."
Lucas's heart rate accelerated again. He felt an indescribable sense of crisis. The source of the abyss meant that the root of everything was here. Perhaps, this place buried the truth he had been longing to know.
The team carefully entered the cave. The dim light made everything seem blurred. The walls of the cave were covered with ancient runes. Many of the runes had faded, but one could still see the huge power they had once carried. Lucas stared closely at these runes, and a sense of unease rose in his heart.
Suddenly, a deep laugh came from the darkness ahead, breaking the silence around. The laugh was full of sarcasm and coldness, as if it came from the depths of hell. Everyone immediately stopped and nervously watched their surroundings.
"Finally, you're here," a cold voice came from the darkness. The voice was devoid of any emotion, as if it echoed from ancient times. "You stupid fellows, daring to break in here. Your arrival is exactly the moment I've been waiting for."
Lucas's eyes suddenly shrank, and the unease in his heart reached its peak. He was no stranger to this voice. It seemed to have echoed in his dreams, accompanied by every painful memory of his. This voice... He didn't want to recall anymore, but all the clues pointed to one name.
"Mo Lingchen," Lucas murmured in a low voice, hardly daring to believe his ears.
Sure enough, a blurred figure appeared in the darkness and gradually emerged from the shadows. It was a man in a black robe with a blurred face, but Lucas could still feel the sense of oppression, that innate evil aura.
"So, you still remember me," Mo Lingchen's voice was low and mocking. "However, don't be too surprised. Everything about you is under my control. All your tragedies are inseparable from my hand."
Lucas's mind went blank. All the clues instantly intertwined into a net in his mind. Mo Lingchen... Wasn't he the mastermind who had plotted everything with his father, Herman Deland, back then? From Alyce's disappearance to his father's death, everything seemed to be his layout. And now, he was here again, as if all the tragedies were just tools for him to achieve his goals. "What on earth do you want?" Lucas's voice was low and angry. "You killed my father and harmed Alyce. What do you want?"
Mo Lingchen sneered, a cold light flashing in his eyes. "Do you really think you know everything? What you see and know is just the appearance I gave you. You thought you were avenging your father, but in fact, you were just completing a bigger plan for me. All your tragedies were carefully designed by me. All the power you have and all the goals you pursue will eventually belong to me."
"What are you talking about?" Lucas was stunned, completely unable to understand Mo Lingchen's meaning.
"Ha ha ha ha," Mo Lingchen's laughter echoed in the cave. "All of you, all your efforts, will eventually come to nothing. Do you think you can change something? Do you think you can break the shackles of fate? Ridiculous. Fate is already doomed."
Mo Lingchen's words were like a sharp knife, stabbing deeply into Lucas's heart. He gradually realized that everything behind it might not be as simple as he thought. He had once thought that he was related to his father's death and Alyce's disappearance, but now, hearing Mo Lingchen's words, he understood that he had been deceived and used all along.
"Do you really think you can escape from my hands?" Mo Lingchen's smile gradually disappeared, and cold light flickered in his eyes. "You're just a pawn in my hand."
A sharp pain shot through Lucas's mind. He finally understood that everything he had experienced, all the tragedies and pains, had been premeditated. And behind this premeditation was the conspiracy of his once - trusted father, Herman, and Mo Lingchen.