A Narrow Escape

Chapter 17: A Narrow Escape

The alliance's retreat was a desperate scramble. The Blazing Forge disciples, despite their fiery spirits, were no match for the overwhelming power of Zhao Rui's Abyssal forces. His enforcers cut through their ranks like scythes through wheat, leaving destruction in their wake.

"Form a perimeter!" Li Qing shouted, her voice laced with urgency. Her eyes locked onto Zhao Rui, whose presence seemed to distort the very air around him. His shadowy aura rippled like an ocean, suffocating their every move.

Han Tie, though battered, gritted his teeth and pushed forward, his war hammer crackling with flames. "We're not backing down! We'll burn this place to the ground before we let you win!"

Zhao Rui's smile was cold and devoid of amusement. "Your flames are no match for the Abyss. It is eternal. And so, too, is my reign."

With a gesture, shadows shot forward, lashing out at Han Tie and forcing him back. The intensity of the attack caused cracks to form in the stone floor, and the once-proud disciple of the Blazing Forge was nearly consumed by the force.

"Retreat!" Elder Fang's voice cut through the chaos, and she pulled out a rare, glowing talisman from her robes. "This is the last of my power. We must escape now, or we will be lost to the Abyss forever."

The talisman flared brightly, casting a temporary barrier of light that pushed back the shadowy tendrils, but the effect was brief. The alliance knew they could not stay and fight; the weight of Zhao Rui's power had become unbearable.

Fleeing into the Depths

Li Qing's heart raced as she gathered the remaining cultivators, pushing them toward an exit that was barely visible through the shifting darkness. Their path was uncertain, and every step was a gamble.

The Ruins of Evernight seemed to shift in response to Zhao Rui's presence, the walls and floor warping as if alive, determined to trap them. The Abyss itself had become a sentient force, closing in on the alliance from all sides.

"We can't outrun him forever!" Han Tie barked as he stumbled to keep up. His fiery aura flickered weakly, drained by the ongoing battle. "We need to find a way out of this place. There has to be—"

Suddenly, a low rumble echoed through the Ruins. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and the air grew even colder, if that were possible.

"What's happening?" one of the younger disciples cried, her voice filled with panic.

Elder Fang's face paled. "We've triggered something. The Abyss is reacting. This place is a trap—it's not just a ruin, it's a prison!"

Li Qing's mind raced. If they didn't escape soon, they would be sealed within the Ruins, trapped by its malevolent energies forever. They had no choice but to push forward.

"There!" Li Qing shouted, pointing to a distant doorway that flickered in the shadows. "That leads to the surface. Hurry!"

They sprinted toward the doorway, the air growing thick with malevolent pressure as the Ruins seemed to collapse around them. Zhao Rui's laugh echoed through the chamber, a chilling sound that reverberated through their bones.

"You cannot escape," Zhao Rui's voice rang out, as though the very Ruins themselves were speaking. "The Abyss has you now."

A Final Gambit

The exit was just ahead. Their goal was in sight, but the ground continued to crack and warp beneath them, as though the Ruins were trying to swallow them whole.

Han Tie, barely able to keep his balance, turned back to face the advancing shadows. "I won't let you take us down so easily!" His voice roared with defiance as he swung his war hammer one last time. The flames erupted, attempting to break through the endless tide of Abyssal energy.

Zhao Rui's eyes gleamed with amusement, and a single gesture caused the shadows to surge forward with terrifying speed. But before they could reach Han Tie, a powerful explosion of energy erupted from within the Ruins, sending shockwaves throughout the entire structure.

Li Qing instinctively shielded her face, but she knew the blast wasn't from Han Tie. It was something far greater.

"What was that?" Elder Fang whispered, her face drawn with dread.

Li Qing could feel it—an overwhelming, ancient power stirring in the heart of the Ruins. For a brief moment, even Zhao Rui seemed taken aback. His expression shifted from cold amusement to cautious calculation.

"The heart of the Ruins," Zhao Rui murmured. "It was dormant… until now."

At that instant, the ground beneath them cracked wide open, and an enormous maw of darkness appeared—an abyss within an abyss, pulling everything toward it.

"We have no time!" Li Qing shouted. "Move, now!"

With a final burst of energy, the alliance surged forward toward the opening. The very earth seemed to conspire against them, but they made it through, tumbling out of the Ruins just as the structure began to collapse, consumed by the very Abyss it had harbored.

The Aftermath

The alliance found themselves standing in a barren wasteland, the twisted silhouette of the Ruins now a distant, crumbling ruin behind them. The air was thick with dust, and the horizon was blanketed in the shadow of the coming storm.

Li Qing's breath came in ragged gasps. They had escaped, but at what cost?

Han Tie collapsed to his knees, his fiery aura sputtering. "We survived… but what now?"

Elder Fang stared back at the Ruins, her eyes clouded with uncertainty. "The Abyss is not done with us. The heart of the Ruins—it has awakened something. We need to prepare for what's to come."

Li Qing's gaze hardened. "We may have escaped this time, but Zhao Rui is still out there. We need to regroup and find a way to strike back."

She turned to the others, her voice steely with resolve. "We're not done yet. Not by a long shot."

And so, with the looming threat of Zhao Rui and the Abyss still hanging over them, the alliance's journey continued. They had glimpsed the true horror of the Abyss, but their fight was far from over. The road ahead was dark, but one thing was certain: they would not surrender.

The Ruins of Evernight had been a test. And they had passed, for now. But the true battle was just beginning.