Chapter 84: Last - Ditch Efforts

Dust filled the air, choking the group as they struggled to their feet amidst the rubble. The fleshy abomination let out a victorious roar, its body undulating with malevolent energy as it prepared to launch another attack. Chen Jiuzhang coughed violently, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes remained fixed on the creature's pulsating abdomen where the core lay hidden.​"We can't give up!" he rasped, his voice barely audible over the din of the collapsing passageway. The crystal - key in his hand felt colder than ever, its blue light dimming with each passing second.​Su Nian, her chains now bent and battered, nodded determinedly. She wiped the sweat and grime from her face, her eyes blazing with resolve. "We've come too far to let this thing beat us." With that, she charged forward once again, her chains swinging wildly as she tried to fend off the incoming tendrils.​Wu Laogou, his body aching from head to toe, rummaged through his pockets one last time. He pulled out a small, vial filled with a glowing, green liquid. "This is it," he muttered to himself. "The last of my family's secret elixir." He uncorked the vial and drank the contents in one gulp. A surge of energy coursed through his body, and his eyes glowed with a newfound strength. He started chanting ancient incantations, his hands moving in intricate patterns. The air around him began to shimmer, and a powerful gust of wind blew towards the creature, temporarily slowing its advance.​On the other side of the debris - filled passageway, Zhang Chengying struggled to free his broken peachwood sword from the creature's flesh. His muscles strained, and his face turned red with exertion. Finally, with a mighty heave, he pulled the sword out, but in the process, a large chunk of the creature's flesh came with it. The abomination let out a pained screech, and its tendrils lashed out even more violently.​Luna, her strength almost completely drained, looked up at the sky. She could feel the stars above, their light faint but still there. Summoning every last bit of her willpower, she raised her hands and began to sing a haunting, celestial song. The notes filled the air, and the remaining stars in the sky seemed to respond, their light growing brighter. A shower of stardust rained down on the group, healing their wounds and giving them a brief boost of energy.​Shen Qingluan, seeing the opportunity, focused all her remaining energy on the fragment of the Imperial Jade Seal. The golden light it emitted grew stronger, forming a large, golden arrow. She aimed it at the creature's abdomen, hoping to pierce through to the core. But as the arrow flew towards its target, the creature's flesh regenerated once again, blocking the attack.​Lyra, her silver staff now crackling with unstable energy, knew they needed a different approach. "We need to synchronize our attacks!" she shouted. "All at once, on my signal!"​The group nodded, each preparing for one last, desperate attempt. Chen Jiuzhang held the crystal - key tightly, feeling a strange connection forming between it and the creature's core. He could sense that if they could just break through the outer layer of flesh, they might have a chance.​As Lyra raised her staff high, a bright, silver light emanated from its tip. "Now!" she cried.​Su Nian's chains, Wu Laogou's magical gusts, Luna's stardust, Zhang Chengying's electric sword, Shen Qingluan's golden arrows, and Lyra's silver blasts all converged on the creature's abdomen at the same time. The air crackled with energy as the combined attacks hit their mark. But would it be enough to finally reach the core and destroy the abomination before the passageway collapsed completely?