Chapter 86: Desperate Breakthrough

The ground split wider, swallowing chunks of debris as the abomination's crimson core pulsed with a malevolent rhythm, its glow casting an eerie red light over the collapsing passageway. Chen Jiuzhang fell to one knee, the crystal - key vibrating so violently in his grasp that it threatened to slip from his fingers. Images of ancient battles and forgotten heroes flashed through his mind, accompanied by a voice that seemed to come from the depths of the key itself.​"Embrace the balance..." the voice whispered.​Su Nian, her chains now pitted and weakened from near - misses with the corrosive mucus, leaped over a yawning crevice and landed beside him. "Jiuzhang! We need a plan, and we need it now!" Her usually steady voice wavered with desperation.​Chen Jiuzhang looked up at her, his eyes ablaze with a newfound determination. "The key... it's showing me something. The core feeds on imbalance. If we can create a surge of pure, harmonious energy..."​Before he could finish, Wu Laogou let out a pained groan. The old man was slumped against a rapidly crumbling wall, his face ashen. "I... I can channel the last of my spiritual energy into a seal," he gasped. "But it'll take everything I have."​Luna, her starlight - woven gown now little more than rags, crawled towards them. Her hands trembled as she reached out and placed them on Chen Jiuzhang's shoulders. "I'll lend you my remaining strength. The stars... they're still with us."​Zhang Chengying, who had managed to retrieve his broken sword, charged at the creature once more, using himself as a distraction. "Hurry up!" he shouted, deflecting tendrils left and right. "This thing's getting angrier by the second!"​Shen Qingluan clutched the fragment of the Imperial Jade Seal, her brow furrowed in concentration. "I'll try to create a barrier to hold back the collapsing walls," she said, her voice strained. "But I can't hold it for long."​Lyra, her silver staff sparking erratically, nodded. "I'll target the core directly. It might not do much damage, but it should keep it occupied."​As the group readied themselves, Chen Jiuzhang closed his eyes and focused on the crystal - key. He could feel the conflicting forces within it - the light and the dark - and he pushed himself to find the middle ground. Wu Laogou began chanting, his voice weak but resolute, as he drew a complex seal in the air with his trembling hand. Luna's starlight flared around them, a faint but determined glow.​With a final, ear - splitting roar, the abomination lunged at the group. But at that moment, Chen Jiuzhang opened his eyes, and the crystal - key emitted a blinding, white light. The light collided with the creature's crimson core, creating a shockwave that sent everyone flying.​As the dust settled, the core crackled and sputtered, its glow dimming. But it wasn't defeated yet. Tendrils of darkness shot out from the core, wrapping around the group and squeezing tightly. The battle for the core had reached its most perilous moment, and the fate of the Gui Xu Secret Realm hung in the balance.​