The system is the proficiency panel - 265. Nexus

"Ningxue, something happened in the southern continent!"

Luo Youran's voice was low, with a hint of urgency in his tone.

"Daoyan disappeared while investigating the monster, and Jiang Yuan disappeared with her!"

Luo Youran and Xiao Ningxue looked at each other, and saw shock in each other's eyes. Daoyan and Jiang Yuan were the best in the second realm of foundation building, and they were very powerful. How could they suddenly disappear?

Luo Youran said in a deep voice, turning his gaze to Xiao Ningxue, and seeing that she seemed to be thinking about something, he asked.

"Ningxue, have you thought of something?"

Xiao Ningxue frowned slightly and spoke slowly.

"I suspect this matter is related to the black round bead brought out from the Tianhai Secret Realm. That thing has an evil aura, and I felt it was inappropriate at the beginning, so I did not choose it."

"Now that two Daoists are missing at the same time, the two True Lords will definitely not sit idly by. In addition, those monsters that suddenly appeared are also quite strange. We must be prepared in advance."

"I see."

Luo Youran nodded, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.

……

Daoyan restrained her breath, hid her figure, and quietly followed Jiang Yuan through a barren mountain with no grass. Her movements were as light as the wind, and every step was extremely cautious. She stopped from time to time, as if to confirm something.

With the ability to "predict the future", she was able to avoid Jiang Yuan's possible investigation, but even so, she still felt a little uneasy in her heart.

Jiang Yuan finally stopped in front of a deep canyon. The rocks on both sides of the canyon were as black as ink and as sharp as fangs, like a huge mouth that was ready to devour anyone. He raised his hand and waved it, and a dark red rune appeared in the air, slowly rotating and turning into a twisted portal. A low roar came from inside the door, as if some ancient existence was peeping at the outside world through the crack in the door.

Daoyan's pupils shrank slightly, and alarm bells rang in his heart. The rune structure of this portal was strange and evil, and it was definitely not the work of the Kaiyang Star cultivator. Jiang Yuan stepped into it without hesitation, and his figure was instantly swallowed by the darkness.

Daoyan gritted his teeth, flashed, and followed closely behind him through the portal.

The moment I stepped into the portal, the world spun around me.

When Daoyan regained her balance, the sight before her made her breath stagnate—

This is a desolate and twisted land. A blood-red sun hangs in the sky, and the dazzling light dyes the whole world dark red. The air is filled with scorching heat. Dark clouds hang low, as if they are within reach, and huge pits are scattered across the plain, with no bottom in sight.

"Where exactly is this place?"

Daoyan murmured in a low voice, a chill rising in his heart.

Suddenly, the ground shook slightly.

She turned her head sharply and saw a huge creature flying towards her from a distance. The monster's body was made of burning flames and flesh, and the red lines on its body were like flowing magma, emitting a suffocating high temperature. It had a pair of spiral horns on its head, a pair of flaming wings spread out behind it, and in its left hand was a beheading giant sword wrapped in abyssal fire, looking hideous and terrifying.

Daoyan's heart trembled, and her body moved like lightning, dodging in an instant. At the same time, she gathered spiritual power at her fingertips, and a green vine broke out of the ground and wrapped around the monster's limbs. However, as soon as the vine touched its skin, it showed signs of being melted by the high temperature.

"The temperature is extremely high, and the strength is comparable to that of a single state of mind foundation building."

She quickly judged and changed her spell, and a water-blue barrier unfolded in front of her. The monster roared and slashed the barrier with its giant sword, but it was easily blocked.

"Feng Shui Huan!"

When the fog cleared, the monster's body had been torn into pieces by the waterspout.

The air was filled with the pungent smell of blood. Dao Yan frowned slightly and retracted her spiritual power. However, before she could relax——

boom!

When the monster died, its body suddenly exploded, and the flame shock wave swept around. Dao Yan was knocked back several steps, but fortunately she was protected by the aqua-blue barrier and was not injured. But her face became more solemn.

"Pah, pah, pah."

A slow round of applause came from the darkness.

Daoyan turned around suddenly and saw Jiang Yuan walking out of the shadows with a strange smile on his face. His eyes were no longer clear, but glowed with a dark red light. A faint black aura lingered around him, and the whole person exuded an evil aura.

"As expected of Dao Yan, he can even easily deal with the Balor Flame Demon."

Daoyan stared at him coldly and questioned.

"Jiang Yuan, what are you doing? Where is this place?"

Jiang Yuan chuckled and opened his arms, as if showing this desolate world.

"Welcome to the Abyss. This is the first level - 'The Plains of Ten Thousand Abysses'."

"Daoyan, join me. Here, we can gain power beyond the Nascent Soul, and even... control the entire Kaiyang Galaxy."

"who are you?"

Daoyan's eyes were sharp and his whole body was tense.

"What is the bottomless abyss? Jiang Yuan would never say such a thing!"

"'Jiang Yuan'? That poor creature has already been devoured by me. I am Nexus the Shadow Devourer, the darling of the abyss, the lord of shadows."

Daoyan's pupils suddenly shrank, and he quietly formed a spell with his fingertips, and a faint shadow of the Eight Diagrams appeared around him. She said in a cold voice.

"I see... There is indeed something wrong with the black energy in Tianhai Secret Realm. Did you bewitch Jiang Yuan just to occupy his body?"

Nexus smiled contemptuously, raised his hand, and black gas surged, transforming into countless sharp shadow spikes floating beside him.

Before he finished speaking, shadow spears shot towards Daoyan like a rainstorm!

Daoyan clasped her hands together, and the shadow of the Eight Diagrams suddenly solidified, turning into a rotating wall of light, which deflected all the shadow thorns. She tapped the ground with her toes, and her figure approached Nexus like a phantom, and a dazzling Tai Chi seal appeared on her palm.

"Thunder!"

Boom! Dazzling lightning burst out from the Tai Chi Seal and struck Nexus in the face. Nexus hastily turned into a ball of black mist and dispersed. The lightning pierced through his shadow and blasted a deep pit on the ground.

The black fog re-condensed not far away. Nexus's left arm had been burned by the lightning, and the dark red flesh was wriggling to heal. He suddenly laughed grimly and thrust his hands into the ground.

"Servants of the Abyss, come out!"

The earth shook violently, and distorted Tanar'ri demons crawled out from countless cracks - some had locust-like limbs, and some were covered with pus. After smelling the breath of Nexus, they let out roars of awe, and their scarlet eyes stared at Daoyan.

? ? The Abyss is based on the DND settings, and there will be some adjustments, please don't mind too much