Chapter 859: Advancing in the Abyss

859. Advancing in the Abyss

"So we're just leaving like this?"

Von stood on the Deck, watching the isolated island gradually recede into the distance. He never expected the mastermind behind this incident to be dealt with so easily.

"With their base lost, they're finished."

Besides, that isolated island had already become Lin Ye's base. With that cruise ship lodged there, all the chaotic information received by the Parasitism Network would henceforth be funneled into that stronghold.

Lin Ye himself wouldn't dare linger in a place like that. If those Abyss followers had run just a little faster, they might have held out here for a while longer.

"Where are we heading now? To find that Golden Staircase?"

When they left the isolated island, they took one of the ships anchored nearby. Only the three of them were on board.

Now that the mastermind was dealt with, Von just wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible.

"I'm searching for the Exit, but it'll take some time."

Lin Ye returned to the lounge chair. His body had completed its reinforcement, and he was considering whether to advance right here.

He shouldn't have entered this merging Abyss region in the first place. Although the Spiritual Energy Concentration here was extremely high, he hadn't read any of the books about the Abyss. He suspected this Exploration Mission had been influenced by that deity.

The other party likely wanted him to advance here.

'Would there be any consequences?'

Lin Ye didn't overthink it. He simply took out a bottle of Consolidation Potion and poured it into his mouth.

Such an obvious issue wasn't lost on Lin Ye. It suggested the possibility that the other party actually didn't want him to complete his advancement during this Exploration Mission.

Both possibilities were on the table, but the system hadn't stopped him from entering this Plane, so he decided to proceed with his original plan.

A massive surge of spiritual energy flooded into Lin Ye's body. Through that flower, the Seed of Spirit connected to many different mental worlds, taking root within each one. At the same time, he sensed that as the Seed of Spirit continued to grow, he would connect to even more mental worlds, until he established a link with the very depths of the mental world itself.

Just then, Lin Ye suddenly felt an irresistible force. It originated from the Abyss, pulling him down toward its deepest point.

This was a descent that acted on his spirit, spiritual energy, and physical body alike. He couldn't stop it, couldn't resist it.

At that moment, a gray-white silk strand appeared above Lin Ye. At the very last second before falling, he activated the Falling Rule Fragment with all his might to counter that descending force, reaching out to grab hold of the strand.

Clutching the silk strand, suspended at the critical threshold of plummeting into the Abyss, he completed his advancement.

"...Are you alright?"

A voice from a distant Plane roused Lin Ye. He opened his eyes. He was still lying on that lounge chair, and Von was looking at him with a worried expression.

"I'm fine."

Lin Ye looked around. The ship drifted on the surface, and not far from it, a Golden Staircase stretched toward the horizon.

Little Guardian was sitting at the very bottom of that staircase, seemingly unable to leave it.

Von and Rex couldn't see the staircase at all. They were still discussing how to get out of here.

Lin Ye steered the ship closer to the staircase. Little Guardian was staring down at the sea surface, seemingly unaware of the approaching vessel.

"What's over there?"

Lin Ye suddenly spoke up.

"There are blood-red metal chains falling from the sky over there, with a corpse hanging from the end of each one."

Von immediately answered, looking in the direction Lin Ye indicated.

"I see a blood-red high platform with a corpse lying on top of it."

Rex described what he saw as well.

They had already witnessed so many bizarre things that nothing seemed strange anymore.

"I see that Golden Staircase. Which side do you think is real?"

Lin Ye couldn't be certain either. After all, the Abyssal Eye was a product of the Abyss. He didn't know whether he should trust what he was seeing.

"Of course what you see is real. If we weren't with you, we'd have become part of the Abyss long ago."

Von answered without hesitation.

"I don't know. If even you can't be sure, I certainly can't."

Rex voiced his thoughts.

"...I want to take a look somewhere else first."

Lin Ye gazed at Little Guardian with her head bowed. Considering that Von and Rex could both see the Golden Staircase as well, this place felt far too much like a trap.

"Your call."

Von didn't object.

"...Yeah, I guess it is my call."

Lin Ye steered the ship to a stop right beside the Golden Staircase.

Even if this was a trap, he should step onto it and take a look.

Little Guardian was his mental defense system. If something was wrong with her, his mind was likely compromised as well. So at a moment like this, when a choice needed to be made, his judgment could very well be flawed.

Lin Ye jumped onto the Golden Staircase. Little Guardian was still sitting there staring at the sea, her light orange dress swaying in the sea breeze, her black short hair obscuring her cheeks.

"What are you looking at?"

Lin Ye sat down beside Little Guardian, also gazing at the sea surface.

"I was wondering whether you'd come up."

Little Guardian didn't raise her head, but her light orange dress and her hair all gradually shifted into a bright red.

Amid those bright red strands, a few wisps of deep, profound black were interwoven.

"...You win."

Lin Ye let out a sigh. He honestly had no certainty. After all, the other party was an Abyssal Evil God. He could only pick one based on instinct.

"No, you chose correctly. If you'd chosen to leave, she would have become mine, and I would have become your mental defense system from now on."

Little Guardian shifted her position slightly, resting her head against Lin Ye's shoulder. Her hair trembled faintly, like some living creature.

"My honor. Now, would you kindly return her to me?"

Lin Ye didn't make a move. Right now, the other party might still be restricted by the system, but if he struck first, the situation would be different.

"Don't worry. As long as you can escape from here, I'll give her back.

If you can't escape, then there's no need to return her at all."

Little Guardian let out a soft laugh.

"...Fine. Can I bring them along?"

Lin Ye stood up and looked toward the ship. He'd promised to take Rex back, and Von was just tagging along.

"That's a trivial matter. But this path isn't easy to traverse. Bringing them along will only make it harder for you to climb."

Little Guardian rose to her feet, smiling as she met Lin Ye's gaze.

"You said it yourself. It's a trivial matter."

Lin Ye looked at her deep crimson eyeballs and answered calmly.

"Then let's begin. Time is limited, so you'd better move quickly."

Behind Little Guardian, the ship turned to dust. Von and Rex landed on the staircase.

They seemed unable to see Little Guardian at all, only staring at Lin Ye.

"Can you see the staircase beneath your feet?"

If he had to lead two blind men, Lin Ye needed to figure out how to ascend.

"Yes. I couldn't see it before, but now that I'm standing on it, I can see it."

Von stared excitedly at the top of the staircase.

"I can see it too, but I probably can't climb up..."

Rex looked at Lin Ye with a troubled expression.