Chapter 25 - Chapter 25：The Abyssal Wrath

The tentacled behemoth loomed over the group, its massive form blotting out the meager light from the torches. Its foul - smelling breath washed over them like a wave of sewage, making their eyes water and throats burn. One of its thick, sinewy tentacles whipped towards Zhang Chengying and Su Nian, sending them crashing into the cold, stone wall with a sickening thud.​"Zhang! Su!" Shen Qingluan cried out, her voice echoing through the chamber. She tried to rush towards them, but Chen Jiuzhang held her back.​"Stay here! I'll cover you," he said, his knuckles white from gripping the Broken Snake Saber. The Celestial Master Order and the jade pendant on his chest pulsed with a blinding light, creating a shield of golden energy around him. He charged forward, leaping high into the air and bringing down his blade on one of the creature's tentacles. The blade bit into the tough, rubbery flesh, but the monster let out a deafening roar and retaliated by slamming another tentacle onto the ground. The impact sent shockwaves through the passageway, knocking everyone off their feet.​Wu Laogou took advantage of the creature's momentary distraction. He pulled out a tattered scroll from his pocket, the last remnants of his Tui Bei Tu. "Heaven and earth, spirits of the past! Lend me your power!" he chanted, his voice booming. The scroll burst into flames, and a swarm of fiery symbols shot towards the monster. The symbols latched onto the creature's body, burning its skin and causing it to thrash about in pain.​Su Nian, despite her injuries, managed to get back on her feet. She raised her damaged bell, her hands shaking. The bell let out a weak, but still menacing, chime. Her chains slithered through the air like serpents, wrapping around another tentacle and pulling it taut. "Now, Zhang!" she shouted.​Zhang Chengying, blood trickling down his forehead, gritted his teeth and charged. His broken peachwood sword glowed with a faint, purple light as he stabbed it into the joint where the tentacle met the creature's body. Black, viscous blood gushed out, splattering across the ground and corroding the stone.​The monster, enraged, let out a series of ear - splitting screeches. Its remaining tentacles flailed wildly, and it began to emit a thick, black mist. The mist quickly filled the chamber, obscuring their vision and making it difficult to breathe. "It's a trap!" Chen Jiuzhang shouted. "The mist is sapping our strength!"​Amidst the chaos, Shen Qingluan closed her eyes and concentrated. The fragment of the Imperial Jade Seal in her hand began to glow brightly. "Light of the heavens, dispel this darkness!" she cried. A brilliant beam of golden light shot out from the seal, cutting through the black mist like a hot knife through butter. The light revealed the creature's weak point—a large, pulsating sac on its underbelly, covered in the same strange runes as the rest of its body.​"Look!" Chen Jiuzhang pointed. "That's our target!" Without hesitation, he leaped onto one of the monster's thrashing tentacles and began to climb towards the sac. The creature tried to shake him off, but Chen Jiuzhang held on tightly, using the Celestial Master Order's power to keep himself steady.​Just as he was about to reach the weak point, a shadowy figure emerged from behind the monster. It was Watanabe Miyuki, her eyes glowing with a malevolent light. "You think you can defeat it so easily?" she sneered. "This creature is but a pawn in my grand plan. The true power of the Gui Xu Secret Realm will soon be mine!" With a wave of her hand, she sent a blast of dark energy towards Chen Jiuzhang.​Shen Qingluan saw the danger and quickly sent another beam of light to intercept the attack. The two forces collided in mid - air, creating a powerful shockwave. Wu Laogou, Zhang Chengying, and Su Nian took the opportunity to launch another assault on the monster. Their combined attacks distracted the creature long enough for Chen Jiuzhang to reach the pulsating sac.​With a final, mighty swing of his Broken Snake Saber, Chen Jiuzhang pierced the sac. The creature let out a final, ear - shattering scream and collapsed to the ground, shaking the entire passageway. But before they could celebrate their victory, the ground began to shake violently once again, and a new, even more ominous rumble echoed through the depths.​Watanabe Miyuki's laughter filled the air. "You've only delayed the inevitable. The true horror of the Gui Xu Secret Realm is yet to come," she said, her voice fading as she disappeared into the shadows once more.​Chen Jiuzhang looked at his companions, their faces battered but determined. "We've faced every challenge so far," he said. "And we'll face whatever comes next. Together." With that, they continued their descent into the unknown depths of the secret realm, ready for whatever horrors awaited them.