Chapter 57 - Chapter 58: Unveiling the Shadows

The horde of shadow - like creatures swarmed towards the group, their forms shifting and blending into the darkness. Their eyes glowed a malevolent crimson, and as they moved, a hissing sound filled the air, like a thousand serpents whispering secrets of doom.​Su Nian was the first to react. She twirled her chains, the metal links whistling through the air as she lashed out at the nearest creature. The chain wrapped around its torso, but instead of subduing it, the shadow - being simply melted into a puddle of darkness and reformed behind her. "They're intangible again!" she shouted, spinning around to face the new threat.​Zhang Chengying, still wielding Su Nian's chain, leaped into the fray. He channeled the last of his remaining energy into the weapon, causing it to crackle with purple electricity. The electrical arcs reached out, searing the creatures as he swung, and for a moment, their forms solidified, allowing him to land a few powerful blows. But the effort was taking its toll, and his movements grew sluggish with each passing second.​Wu Laogou, his hands trembling, managed to find a few more talismans in the depths of his pockets. He threw them with all his might, and they exploded in bursts of colorful light, temporarily blinding the shadow - horde. "This won't hold them for long!" he yelled, his voice hoarse from exhaustion.​Shen Qingluan, her face pale and sweat - drenched, struggled to maintain her grip on the Imperial Jade Seal fragment. The golden light it emitted flickered weakly, but she refused to give up. She focused all her remaining strength, and a dome of light expanded around the group, providing a momentary shield against the onslaught.​Chen Jiuzhang, his eyes locked on the shadowy figure atop the platform, could feel the crystal - key resonating with a strange frequency. The visions within the key were growing clearer, and he saw glimpses of a past where the Heart of the Realm was a source of pure, untainted power, and guardians stood tall, protecting it with their lives. But he also saw the shadowy figure, lurking in the background, slowly corrupting the balance.​"I know who you are!" Chen Jiuzhang suddenly shouted, his voice booming through the chaos. "You're not just a guardian gone rogue. You're the one who started all this! You're the reason the Gui Xu Secret Realm is in chaos!"​The shadowy figure let out a laugh, a cold and mocking sound that sent shivers down everyone's spines. "Took you long enough to figure it out, boy. Yes, I am the one who set this all in motion. The Heart of the Realm was meant to be mine, to give me the power to reshape the world in my image. And you won't stop me!"​With that, the figure raised its cracked staff high, and a dark portal opened behind it. From the portal emerged a massive, shadowy dragon, its eyes glowing with a hunger that seemed to consume the very light around it. The dragon let out a roar that shook the ground, and then it lunged towards the group.​Luna, her starlight - woven gown barely hanging together, stepped forward. Her face was determined, but there was a hint of sorrow in her eyes. "I should have known. I should have seen the signs. But I won't let you succeed this time!" She raised her hands, and a stream of starlight - infused energy shot towards the dragon, but it merely shrugged off the attack.​As the dragon closed in, Chen Jiuzhang could feel the crystal - key reaching its limit. But he also felt a new power rising within him, a power that came not just from the artifact, but from the unwavering support of his companions. "Together!" he shouted, and the group linked hands once more, pouring every ounce of their remaining strength into a final, desperate attack.