Chapter 36 - Chapter 37：Awakening of the Ancients

The chamber quaked as the crystal sarcophaguses shuddered violently, the mist within churning like a tempest - tossed sea. Chen Jiuzhang tightened his grip on the crystal - key, feeling its vibrations intensify in sync with the growing chaos. The strange runes on its surface flared brightly, casting an otherworldly glow that danced across the faces of his companions.​The silver - haired woman glided closer, her violet eyes fixed on the key. "Foolish mortals," she hissed, her voice carrying a venomous edge. "You think you can waltz in here and restore balance with a trinket? The forces slumbering in these sarcophaguses were imprisoned for a reason—they are the very personification of chaos and destruction."​Shen Qingluan stepped forward, her fragment of the Imperial Jade Seal held out protectively. "We've faced chaos before and emerged victorious. Whatever lies within those sarcophaguses, we won't back down." Her words, though brave, were punctuated by a slight tremor in her voice.​As if in response to the challenge, the lids of the crystal sarcophaguses began to slide open with a deafening screech. One by one, figures emerged, their forms wreathed in a dark, smoky aura. The first to fully awaken was a towering being with six arms, each hand clutching a different weapon—a sword that dripped with an oily black substance, a spiked mace, a whip made of what appeared to be living tendrils, and more. Its eyes glowed a malevolent red, and as it let out a roar, the very air seemed to shatter.​Zhang Chengying scrambled to his feet, grabbing his broken peachwood sword. "Well, if they wanna fight, we'll give 'em a fight!" he shouted, though his bravado was betrayed by the beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.​Su Nian's chains whipped through the air, creating a defensive barrier around the group. "Jiuzhang, we need a plan!" she called out, her gaze constantly shifting to keep an eye on the awakening ancients.​Chen Jiuzhang nodded, his mind racing. The crystal - key was now pulsating so rapidly that it was almost too hot to hold. Suddenly, he noticed that the runes on the key were aligning with symbols carved into the floor of the chamber. "The key... it's a map of sorts. There's a pattern here!" he exclaimed.​Wu Laogou squinted at the floor, puffing furiously on his pipe. "Aye, but what good is a map when we're surrounded by these beasts?"​Before Chen Jiuzhang could respond, the six - armed being lunged forward, its multiple weapons swinging in a deadly arc. Shen Qingluan quickly raised her shield, but the impact sent her skidding backward. The shield flickered, on the verge of shattering under the onslaught.​At that moment, the crystal - key emitted a blinding flash of light. The light shot towards the ceiling, where it revealed a hidden mechanism—a large, circular disk covered in the same strange symbols as the key and the floor. The disk began to spin slowly, and a beam of energy shot down, striking one of the other awakened ancients. To everyone's surprise, the ancient let out a pained scream and crumbled to the ground, its body dissolving into a pile of ash.​The silver - haired woman's eyes widened in shock. "How... how do you possess the knowledge to use the key's true power?" she demanded, her voice losing some of its earlier arrogance.​Chen Jiuzhang didn't have time to answer. More of the ancients were fully awake now, and they were closing in from all sides. The battle had truly begun, and with the fate of the Gui Xu Secret Realm hanging in the balance, every move they made could be their last. The crystal - key held the key to victory, but unlocking its full potential might require sacrifices none of them were prepared to make.