Chapter 50 - Chapter 51: The Ominous Passage

The air hung thick with the acrid stench of Kael'thar's ashes as the group stared at the newly revealed passageway. The crumbling wall of fire had given way to a tunnel that seemed to stretch into an endless abyss, its walls pulsating with a sickly, purple - black glow. Wu Laogou, still wincing from the blow to his back, took a long drag from his pipe, the smoke curling up into the strange light. "Well, I ain't one to back down from a fight, but this here passage looks like trouble with a capital 'T'."​Luna stepped forward, her starlight - woven gown casting a faint shimmer that struggled to penetrate the surrounding darkness. Her violet eyes were wide with a mix of fear and determination. "This is the final stretch before we reach the chamber of the Heart of the Realm. But I sense that the followers of the old ways have set powerful traps along the path. We must be on our guard at all times."​Chen Jiuzhang tightened his grip on the crystal - key. The artifact had returned to a steady, white glow, but he could feel a subtle humming within it, as if it was trying to warn him of the dangers ahead. "We've come too far to turn back now. Let's stick together and keep moving."​As they entered the passageway, the ground beneath their feet began to shift and ripple, like the surface of a boiling lake. Shen Qingluan stumbled, reaching out to grab Su Nian's arm for support. "What's happening? It's like the very ground is alive!"​Before anyone could answer, a deafening screech echoed through the tunnel. From the shadows, strange, winged creatures emerged. Their bodies were a mass of writhing tentacles, and their heads were like something out of a nightmare, with multiple rows of jagged teeth and glowing, yellow eyes.​"Attack!" Chen Jiuzhang shouted, raising the crystal - key high. A beam of white light shot out, striking one of the creatures. But instead of being destroyed, the creature let out a pained shriek and split into two smaller versions of itself.​Zhang Chengying's eyes widened in horror. "Great, just what we need. Monsters that multiply when you hit them!" He brandished his broken peachwood sword, electricity crackling along its blade, and charged at another creature.​Su Nian's chains lashed out, wrapping around the tentacles of one of the beasts. She pulled with all her might, trying to drag it to the ground, but the creature fought back, pulling her towards its gaping maw.​Luna launched a flurry of starlight - infused energy bolts, but they seemed to have little effect on the creatures. "We can't keep fighting them like this! We need to find a way to neutralize them without causing them to split!"​As the battle raged on, Chen Jiuzhang noticed something strange. The crystal - key was reacting to the creatures in a unique way. The light it emitted was not only illuminating the beasts but also causing their tentacles to slow down slightly. "I think I've got it! The key's light can stun them! If we can coordinate our attacks, we might be able to take them down without making them multiply!"​Taking his lead, the group began to work together. Chen Jiuzhang used the crystal - key to stun the creatures, while Shen Qingluan, Zhang Chengying, and Su Nian launched their attacks. Wu Laogou threw his talismans, creating distractions.​Slowly but surely, they began to gain the upper hand. The winged creatures were defeated one by one, and the passageway fell silent once again. But just as they thought they had overcome the first obstacle, the walls of the tunnel began to shift and transform.​The purple - black glow intensified, and the passageway seemed to stretch and twist, creating a maze of endless corridors. Luna's face paled. "This is a trap! A spatial maze. We could wander in here for eternity if we're not careful."​Chen Jiuzhang closed his eyes and focused on the crystal - key. He could feel a faint pull in one direction, as if the artifact was guiding him. "This way. I think the key can lead us through."​With hope in their hearts, the group followed Chen Jiuzhang, praying that they would find their way to the Heart of the Realm before it was too late. But as they delved deeper into the maze, they couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, and that something far more dangerous than the winged creatures awaited them around the next corner.​