Heaven’s Forsaken System

Chapter 18: Abyssborn's Reckoning

Shen Liang stood at the epicenter of the abyss's fury, his form no longer that of a mere mortal. The darkness pulsed with recognition, coiling around him like a living entity, waiting for his command. Across from him, the celestial envoy's golden aura flickered—diminished, but unyielding.

The battle had shattered the boundaries of their realms. This was no longer a clash between man and divinity; it was a war of wills, of forces that could not coexist.

[System Notification: Abyssborn State Achieved – New Authority Unlocked]

The envoy's gaze sharpened. "You have crossed the threshold. There is no turning back now."

Shen Liang exhaled, feeling the abyss resonate in his bones. He had always walked a path of defiance. Now, he would carve his own destiny.

"No," he said, lifting his hand. The abyss responded, forming a jagged, black spear in his grasp. "I was never meant to turn back."

The final clash was inevitable.

The very fabric of the abyss trembled as the two forces prepared to collide. Shen Liang's grip on the abyssal spear tightened, the void shifting and reshaping at his command. Every breath he took was laced with power—wild, unchained, his to wield or to be consumed by.

The celestial envoy, despite their frayed golden aura, radiated unwavering purpose. They raised their hands, and in an instant, the abyss was alight with divine sigils. Blazing glyphs wove through the darkness, forging celestial chains that anchored themselves into the fabric of reality. The abyss recoiled against their presence, its freedom threatened.

[System Alert: Celestial Binding Sequence Detected – Warning: Restrictions Imminent]

Shen Liang's expression darkened. "You still believe you can shackle me?"

The envoy's eyes burned with conviction. "This is not a battle of strength. It is a battle for existence."

The chains lunged toward him, streaks of golden fire illuminating the abyss. Shen Liang reacted instantly, the abyss answering his call. Shadowed tendrils erupted from the void, intercepting the divine bindings, coiling around them like serpents suffocating their prey. The moment divine light met abyssal darkness, the space between them shattered.

A rupture tore through the battlefield, sucking in fragmented remnants of space and time. Shen Liang barely avoided being drawn into the vortex, but the celestial envoy did not flinch. Instead, they stepped into it—and emerged behind him, their sword of pure radiance descending.

He twisted, raising his spear just in time. The impact sent shockwaves through the abyss, warping everything in its path. Shen Liang skidded back, his feet leaving trails of fire across the broken void.

[System Alert: Abyssal Integrity 74% – Structural Collapse Approaching]

For the first time, he felt the abyss itself struggling under the weight of the battle. He had never considered the possibility that his domain could break.

The envoy advanced, unwavering. "You fight with borrowed power, but it will not sustain you forever."

Shen Liang clenched his jaw. Borrowed? The abyss did not own him. He owned it.

A new force surged through him, something different than before—not just the abyss, not just raw defiance, but a realization. The envoy sought to unmake him by forcing him to rely on something external.

But he was not external to the abyss.

He was the abyss.

[System Notification: Abyssborn Authority Ascension – New Command Accessed]

A deep, guttural resonance filled the air. The envoy hesitated.

Shen Liang lowered his weapon. He did not need to strike first.

The abyss itself would move at his command.

The shadows recoiled and then exploded outward, consuming the battlefield in an all-encompassing storm. It was not tendrils of darkness or chaotic void—it was absolute. The abyss no longer lashed out wildly but instead curved and shaped itself with intent.

The envoy lifted their sword, but this time, they did not swing. They understood.

"This… this is not possible," they murmured. "You have done what should be beyond any mortal."

Shen Liang inhaled deeply, eyes glowing with abyssal fire. "I told you. I was never meant to turn back."

The void bent to his will, swallowing the envoy whole.

For a moment, everything was silent. Then, from within the void's depths, a flicker of golden light pulsed.

The envoy was not gone.

Shen Liang narrowed his eyes as the abyss twisted violently, rejecting what it had consumed. The golden light did not fade. It expanded, growing brighter, stronger.

Then, the envoy stepped out of the abyss.

Shen Liang exhaled sharply. He had been prepared for this battle, but not for what he saw next.

The envoy was no longer just celestial. Their golden aura had become tinged with darkness. The abyss had touched them—and they had survived.

They lifted their gaze, and for the first time, their expression was not one of divine certainty.

It was of understanding.

"You were never meant to be shackled," the envoy admitted. "Nor was I."

Shen Liang smirked. "Then let's see what we can build instead."

The abyss and the heavens had warred for eons.

Perhaps, it was time for something new.

End of Chapter 18.