Reborn in a cultivation world with my Ex girlfriends-Chapter 50: Whispers of the Abyss

The masked man's words lingered in Wang Li's mind long after he vanished.

"The world is much larger than you think, Wang Li. When you're ready to see it for yourself, seek me out."

Wang Li scoffed under his breath. "That guy really knows how to mess with people's heads."

Lan Yue didn't reply right away. She was already inspecting the altar, running her fingers over the cracked remnants of the sealing runes. Her brows furrowed in thought.

"This wasn't just a spirit wraith," she murmured. "Something else was bound here. Something older."

Wang Li frowned. "Older? You mean like an ancient beast?"

Lan Yue shook her head. "No. More like... a forgotten force. Whatever was originally sealed here, it wasn't just some mindless entity." She glanced at him. "And that masked man—he knew it."

Wang Li groaned. "Great. More mysterious forces at play. I was hoping we'd be done with that for a while."

A sudden gust of cold wind swept through the chamber, sending a chill down Wang Li's spine. He turned sharply. The air felt thick with something unseen, something lurking just beyond the veil of perception.

Lan Yue tensed. "We need to leave."

"Yeah, no argument there."

They wasted no time exiting the underground tomb, retracing their steps through the winding corridors. The flickering torches cast long shadows, making Wang Li feel like something was constantly watching them.

When they finally emerged into the moonlit forest, he exhaled in relief. "That place sucked."

Lan Yue didn't argue. Instead, she kept scanning their surroundings. "Let's not celebrate yet. I don't think we got out unnoticed."

Wang Li followed her gaze—and his blood ran cold.

Across the clearing, standing just at the edge of the tree line, a lone figure watched them.

Unlike the masked man, this one wore a tattered black robe, their face hidden beneath a hood. But their presence was wrong—as if the very space around them was warping, shifting unnaturally.

Wang Li instinctively reached for his dagger. "Friend of yours?"

Lan Yue's grip on her sword tightened. "No. And if we're lucky, we won't have to find out what they want."

The figure took a step forward.

And then... they simply disappeared.

One moment they were there—the next, gone. No trace, no sound, nothing.

Wang Li cursed. "Okay, that's a new one."

Lan Yue exhaled. "That wasn't teleportation. That was something else. Something far worse."

Wang Li shook his head. "You're gonna have to start explaining, because I am really tired of all these ominous, shadowy figures showing up uninvited."

Lan Yue hesitated before finally speaking. "That wasn't a person. At least, not anymore."

Wang Li narrowed his eyes. "You're saying..."

"That was an Abyssal Wraith," she confirmed. "A remnant of something that once lived but was consumed by the Abyss."

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Wang Li's jaw clenched. The Abyss. That was a name he had only ever heard in whispers—a place beyond mortal comprehension, where the laws of reality broke down, and things far older than this world stirred.

"...So why was it watching us?" he asked, voice tight.

Lan Yue's gaze darkened. "Because something in that tomb was connected to it."

Wang Li felt his stomach twist. "You think that masked guy knew?"

"I'd bet my life on it."

Silence settled between them, heavy with unspoken implications.

Then, Lan Yue turned to him. "We need to return to the sect. Now."

The journey back was tense. Every rustling leaf, every distant howl of a spirit beast made Wang Li's nerves tighten. The feeling of being watched never left him.

When they finally reached the sect's outer gates, they were met by a familiar—and unwelcome—face.

Mu Qingling stood there, arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently. "You two sure took your sweet time."

Wang Li groaned. "Not now, Qingling."

But she wasn't looking at him—her sharp eyes were fixed on Lan Yue. "You disappeared without a word, Yue. Do you know how many people have been looking for you?"

Lan Yue exhaled. "It's a long story."

"Good. You can tell it to the elders."

Wang Li and Lan Yue exchanged a glance. That wasn't a request—it was an order.

And from the look in Mu Qingling's eyes, this wasn't just about their little tomb exploration.

Something else had happened while they were gone.

Something big.

The air around the sect was thick with tension. As Wang Li and Lan Yue followed Mu Qingling past the outer gates, they noticed an unusual number of disciples gathered in hushed clusters, whispering among themselves. Some stole cautious glances at them, while others wore expressions of barely concealed anxiety.

"Okay, this is weird," Wang Li muttered under his breath. "Did something happen while we were gone?"

Mu Qingling didn't slow her pace. "You'll find out soon enough."

They made their way toward the main hall, where a group of core disciples and inner elders were already assembled. At the center of the gathering stood Lin Ruoyan, arms crossed, an unreadable expression on her face.

Wang Li barely had time to take it all in before a powerful voice rang through the hall.

"Wang Li. Lan Yue. Step forward."

The command came from Elder Xu, one of the sect's highest-ranking figures. His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, bore into them as they approached.

Wang Li resisted the urge to fidget. Beside him, Lan Yue kept her usual composed expression, but he could sense the tension radiating from her.

Elder Xu didn't waste time. "Where have you two been?"

Wang Li blinked. "We—"

"In the Blackmist Valley," Lan Yue answered before he could fumble an excuse. "Investigating an anomaly."

The elder's expression darkened. "An anomaly." He glanced at the assembled disciples, then back at them. "Tell me, then—does this 'anomaly' have anything to do with the Abyssal Wraith that appeared at our sect's borders last night?"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

Wang Li felt his blood run cold. "Wait. What?"

The murmurs among the disciples grew louder. A wraith, here? That was no small matter. Abyssal creatures weren't just rare—they were practically unheard of outside forbidden zones.

Lan Yue's voice remained steady. "What happened?"

Lin Ruoyan stepped forward. "Last night, a distortion was detected near the sect's outer formation. When the elders investigated, they found traces of Abyssal energy. Whatever it was, it had already vanished before they could track it."

Wang Li cursed under his breath. He didn't believe in coincidences. That thing they saw in the forest—it must have followed them back.

Elder Xu's gaze hardened. "And now, I hear you two were exploring an ancient tomb on the same night this occurred." His voice was like a blade. "Tell me the truth. What did you find?"

Lan Yue took a deep breath. "The tomb was not what we expected. It contained remnants of an old seal—one that was barely holding back... something."

Wang Li hesitated, then added, "And we weren't the only ones there."

A ripple went through the disciples. Elder Xu's expression didn't change, but his eyes sharpened. "Explain."

Wang Li recounted the encounter with the masked man—his cryptic words, his effortless departure. As he spoke, he noticed several elders exchanging glances.

When he finished, Elder Xu was silent for a long moment. Then, he turned to Lin Ruoyan.

"Summon the Grand Elders. We may have a larger problem on our hands."

Lin Ruoyan bowed and left immediately.

Mu Qingling, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke up. "If what you're saying is true... then we might not just be dealing with a simple Abyssal entity."

Lan Yue nodded. "That's what I'm afraid of."

Wang Li sighed. "Great. So what now?"

Elder Xu regarded him carefully. "Now? We prepare. If the Abyss is stirring... this sect must be ready for war."