Chapter 33 - Chapter 34：Secrets of the Silver Key

The air in the chamber crackled with tension as Chen Jiuzhang stared down Yuki, the white crystal in his hand still radiating a steady, powerful light. Her wrist, ensnared by the tendril of light, was beginning to smoke, but her eyes remained filled with hatred and determination.​"Tell us what you know about the key," Shen Qingluan demanded, her voice firm as she maintained the golden shield around the group. The shadowy figures were gone, but the threat still lingered heavily in the air.​Yuki let out a bitter laugh. "You think you can force the truth out of me? That key is the key to unlocking the true power of the Gui Xu Secret Realm. For centuries, I've been waiting for the right moment, for the right pieces to fall into place. And now, you've almost handed it to me on a silver platter."​Zhang Chengying stepped forward, his broken peachwood sword pointed at Yuki. "What do you mean by the true power? And what's with the ancient language on the key?"​As if on cue, the silver key on the pedestal began to levitate, spinning slowly in mid - air. The strange, glowing characters seemed to shift and rearrange themselves, forming a pattern that none of them could decipher. Wu Laogou squinted at the key, his pipe hanging loosely from his lips. "I've studied ancient texts all my life, but I've never seen anything like this."​Suddenly, Yuki's expression changed from anger to a twisted smile. "Fools. You think you can understand the secrets of the ages? That language is from a civilization long forgotten, a civilization that created the Gui Xu Secret Realm as a prison for the most powerful, and most dangerous, beings in existence."​Su Nian's chains tensed. "Prison? What kind of beings?"​Yuki's eyes gleamed with madness. "Beings of pure chaos, of unfathomable power. The key doesn't just unlock power—it releases the guardians of that prison. And once they're free, the world as you know it will cease to exist."​Before anyone could react, the ground shook violently. Cracks spiderwebbed across the floor, and a dark, ominous energy began to seep through. The tendril of light binding Yuki snapped, and she lunged for the key. Chen Jiuzhang moved to intercept her, but a blast of dark energy sent him flying backward.​The silver key, now surrounded by a swirling vortex of black and purple, let out a deafening screech. The ancient characters on the key flared up, and a portal began to form in the center of the chamber. Yuki laughed maniacally, her hands reaching out towards the portal. "Finally! After all these years, the guardians will be free, and I will rule alongside them!"​As the portal grew larger, strange, otherworldly noises echoed from within. Chen Jiuzhang forced himself to his feet, his body aching but his resolve unshaken. "We can't let this happen. We have to stop the portal and get that key."​The group launched themselves into action. Shen Qingluan sent a beam of golden light towards the portal, trying to close it. Zhang Chengying and Su Nian charged at Yuki, their weapons ready. Wu Laogou threw out his remaining talismans, hoping to disrupt the dark energy.​But the power emanating from the portal was overwhelming. The guardians of the prison were on the verge of being released, and it seemed that nothing the group did could stop it. With the fate of the Gui Xu Secret Realm and the world hanging in the balance, Chen Jiuzhang knew that they needed to find a way to use the power of the white crystal, and fast.