Chapter 33 - Chapter 33 Desperate Struggles and Fateful Sacrifices

The Abyssal Lord, enraged by the attack, let out a deafening roar that seemed to split the very sky in two. Its massive claws swiped at Jack and Su Yao, creating gusts of wind so powerful that they sent debris flying through the air like lethal projectiles. Jack and Su Yao's combined blast of light and dark energy had only momentarily stunned the beast, and now, it was more furious than ever.​Elder Li, seeing the dire situation, channeled every ounce of his remaining spiritual energy into his staff. A golden pillar of light shot towards the Abyssal Lord, striking it on one of its colossal horns. The creature let out a pained bellow and turned its attention to the old man. "Run!" Elder Li shouted at Jack and Su Yao, his face contorted with the strain of maintaining the attack. "I'll hold it off as long as I can!"​The Keeper, not one to stand by, leaped onto the Abyssal Lord's back, her short sword stabbing at the creature's thick, scaly hide. Icy - blue energy seeped into the wounds, slowing the beast down ever so slightly. But the Abyssal Lord was not so easily subdued. With a violent shake of its body, it sent the Keeper flying through the air. She crashed onto the ground with a sickening thud, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.​Jack and Su Yao exchanged a worried glance. They knew they couldn't let their allies sacrifice themselves in vain. "We have to find a way to reach the artifact," Jack said, his eyes fixed on the Blood Fiend Sect leader, who was still chanting incantations, fueling the Abyssal Lord with dark energy.​Su Yao nodded, her amethyst eyes glowing with determination. "I can create a distraction. Use that chance to get close to the leader." Without waiting for a response, she raised her hands high, and the crescent moon pendant around her neck began to spin rapidly. A blinding shower of silver stars rained down on the battlefield, disorienting the abyssal creatures and even the Abyssal Lord for a moment.​Taking advantage of the chaos, Jack charged towards the Blood Fiend Sect leader. But as he got closer, a barrier of dark energy suddenly materialized, blocking his path. The leader laughed maniacally. "You think it will be that easy? The power of the Abyssal Realm is beyond your comprehension!"​Just as Jack was about to launch an attack on the barrier, he felt a surge of energy from the Chaos Orb. The orb began to glow with an intense, multicolored light, and the runes on its surface started to shift and change. Jack closed his eyes, focusing all his concentration on the orb. He could feel a new power emerging, a power that seemed to be a perfect balance between the chaos and the order.​With a shout, Jack unleashed this new - found power at the barrier. The multicolored energy collided with the dark barrier, creating a deafening explosion. The force of the blast sent Jack flying backward, but it also shattered the barrier. Seizing the opportunity, he leaped forward, his sword aimed at the leader.​The leader, caught off guard, tried to defend himself. But Jack was determined. Their weapons clashed, and Jack could feel the leader's power waning. However, the leader was not willing to give up. With a final act of desperation, he channeled all the remaining energy from the artifact into a massive, dark blast, aiming it directly at Jack.​Su Yao, who had been watching the battle closely, saw the danger. Without hesitation, she threw herself in front of Jack. The dark blast hit her square in the chest, and she let out a cry of pain. The crescent moon pendant around her neck cracked, and a wave of silver energy washed over the battlefield.​"Su Yao!" Jack shouted, his voice filled with horror and grief. He caught her as she fell, her body limp in his arms.​"Don't... don't give up," Su Yao whispered, her voice weak. "Destroy... the artifact..." With those final words, her eyes closed, and her body went limp.​Jack felt a surge of anger and determination. He gently laid Su Yao's body on the ground and turned towards the Blood Fiend Sect leader. The leader, now weakened and shocked by what had just happened, tried to flee. But Jack was too fast. In a single, powerful strike, he cut through the leader's defenses and struck him down.​The black artifact, now free from the leader's grasp, fell to the ground. Jack picked it up, feeling the dark energy still coursing through it. Remembering Su Yao's words, he channeled the power of the Chaos Orb into the artifact. The two powerful forces clashed, and for a moment, it seemed as if the world itself would be torn apart.​But Jack held on. He focused all his willpower on destroying the artifact. With a final, blinding flash of light, the artifact shattered into a million pieces. The Abyssal Lord let out a roar of despair as the portal behind it began to close. Without the artifact to sustain it, the connection to the Abyssal Realm was broken.​As the portal closed, the remaining abyssal creatures disappeared, and the battlefield fell silent. Jack stood there, exhausted and grief - stricken, looking at the broken pieces of the artifact and the lifeless body of Su Yao. The victory had come at a great cost, but he knew that it was up to him to ensure that Su Yao's sacrifice was not in vain. And he also knew that this was not the end. There were still many mysteries left to uncover, and new threats were sure to emerge in the cultivation world.