Chapter 83: Desperate Pursuit of the Core

The ground buckled beneath their feet like a sea of churning waves as the passageway crumbled. Large chunks of the ceiling crashed down, narrowly missing the group. Su Nian yanked Wu Laogou out of the way of a falling boulder, her chains wrapping around his waist and pulling him to safety just in the nick of time. "Keep your wits about you, old man!" she shouted over the din of destruction.​Chen Jiuzhang tightened his grip on the crystal - key, its blue light flickering wildly as if sensing the chaos. The visions in his mind grew more vivid, showing glimpses of the creature's core—a pulsating, crimson - hued orb nestled deep within its grotesque body. "I know where the core is!" he yelled, pointing towards the creature's bloated abdomen.​Zhang Chengying, on the other side of the rift, leaped over a growing crevice. His broken peachwood sword sparked as he parried a tendril attack. "We'll never get close enough to strike!" he shouted back, his voice strained. The creature's flesh seemed to regenerate faster than they could damage it, and the falling debris only made their situation more perilous.​Luna, her starlight - woven gown now almost completely tattered, closed her eyes and summoned every ounce of her remaining strength. A massive constellation of stars formed above, but instead of raining down, she condensed them into a single, piercing beam. "Cover me!" she cried, aiming the beam at the creature's abdomen.​Shen Qingluan, her face still pale from the mind - clouding effects, raised the fragment of the Imperial Jade Seal. A golden shield expanded around Luna, protecting her from the creature's flailing tendrils. The shield shimmered and wavered under the assault, but she gritted her teeth and held on.​Lyra, her silver - staff crackling with energy, launched a series of attacks to distract the creature. Each blast of cold light hit its mark, causing the abomination to roar in anger and turn its attention away from the group. "Now's your chance!" she shouted.​Chen Jiuzhang and Su Nian exchanged a glance, then charged forward. Su Nian's chains lashed out, wrapping around the creature's tendrils and yanking them aside. Chen Jiuzhang, following the path cleared by her, ran as fast as he could, the crystal - key held high. Just as he was about to reach the creature's abdomen, a massive tendril shot out from its side, slamming into him. He went flying, crashing into the wall with a sickening thud.​"Jiuzhang!" Su Nian screamed, but she was immediately surrounded by a swarm of tendrils. Wu Laogou rushed to her aid, throwing a series of talismans that exploded on impact, creating a momentary distraction.​Zhang Chengying took advantage of the chaos. He sprinted towards the creature, his broken sword ablaze with electricity. With a mighty leap, he drove the sword into the creature's abdomen. But instead of hitting the core, he found himself stuck in the creature's thick, fleshy mass. The abomination let out a deafening roar and began to thrash violently, sending everyone flying.​As the dust settled, the group lay battered and bruised. The creature, though damaged, still loomed over them, its core yet to be reached. And with the passageway continuing to collapse around them, time was running out.