Chapter 260

Purple light surged forth like a tide, and a suffocating sense of oppression permeated the air.

Even a battle-hardened warrior like the Starry Wanderer could not help but retreat half a step, his expression grave.

He cursed under his breath:

"The power of this ghost thing is even more terrifying than I imagined!"

Zhang Cheng felt a tightness in his chest, as if a giant boulder were pressing down on his heart.

He tried to circulate the energy within his body to resist this pressure, only to find it was like a clay ox entering the sea—completely ineffective.

He turned his head to look at Kelinda and found her face pale, her breathing rapid; clearly, she was also being greatly affected.

"Are you okay?"

Zhang Cheng asked with concern.

Kelinda managed to squeeze out a faint smile:

"I'm fine, it's just... this power is too strange."

Mo Yi, standing behind her, wore a look of terror, clutching the corner of Kelinda's clothes tightly, his body trembling slightly.

The situation for the Messenger of Light was even worse.

He had already exhausted a massive amount of power, and facing this intense pressure now was like adding frost to snow.

He stumbled, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, his face as pale as paper.

Yet he still gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to collapse.

"I... I can still hold on..."

He said in a weak voice, though his eyes were filled with an unyielding will.

The Mysterious Elf looked at the Messenger of Light with worry, then cast her gaze toward the crystal in the thief's hand, a flash of gravity in her eyes.

"This power... seems to be constantly increasing."

She said in a low voice, her tone carrying a hint of unease.

The Nebula Sage nodded silently, his eyes fixed on the crystal as if trying to see through its secrets.

He spoke slowly, his tone deep:

"Chaos Power... it truly lives up to its reputation. Even just a fragment possesses such terrifying strength..."

The thief looked at the terrified expressions of the group, a smug smile appearing on his face.

He held the crystal high and laughed arrogantly:

"Tremble! Submit! In the face of Chaos Power, you are all but ants!"

As soon as his voice fell, the crystal's light surged again, and an even more powerful energy fluctuation swept out... Zhang Cheng's gaze suddenly sharpened; he noticed that while the thief's attack was powerful, its range did not seem wide, and his attention was entirely focused on the crystal, leaving his vigilance toward his surroundings slack.

A bold idea emerged in his mind... He took a deep breath and said in a low voice:

"Wanderer, Star Spirit, get ready..."

"Wanderer, Star Spirit, prepare a feint attack! Everyone else, scatter!"

Zhang Cheng shouted in a low voice, his figure flashing as he moved to the left first.

The Starry Wanderer and the Star Spirit understood instantly, approaching the thief from the left and right respectively.

The light sword in the Wanderer's hand hummed, sword Qi crisscrossing, while the Star Spirit summoned points of starlight that streaked across the night sky like meteors, aimed directly at the thief.

The thief was startled by this sudden attack; his arrogant laughter stopped abruptly, and he was forced to divert part of his energy to deal with the attacks from the Wanderer and the Star Spirit.

The light of the crystal flickered slightly, appearing somewhat unstable.

He roared:

"Overconfident ants!"

"Now!"

Zhang Cheng seized the opportunity and shouted to Kelinda.

Kelinda had long been ready; hearing Zhang Cheng's command, a flash of determination crossed her eyes, and black demonic power condensed into a blade in her hand, stabbing straight at the crystal in the thief's hand.

"No!"

The thief discovered Kelinda's attack in horror, wanting to dodge but it was already too late.

The black blade struck the crystal precisely, emitting a crisp sound.

The crystal's light dimmed instantly, and the thief's aura plummeted; he stumbled backward, his face full of disbelief.

"How is this possible... my Chaos Power..."

The thief muttered to himself, his eyes filled with fear. Cracks had actually appeared on the crystal in his hand.

Seeing this, a flash of brilliance crossed Zhang Cheng's eyes; he lunged at the thief, his speed as fast as lightning.

The thief tried to stop him in terror but was powerless to resist, being kicked away by Zhang Cheng and falling heavily to the ground.

Zhang Cheng grabbed the crystal fragment that was about to fall, and a strange energy surged into his body... He looked up at the group, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

"This thing belongs to me now."

The moment the crystal fragment was in his hand, a powerful energy surged into Zhang Cheng's body, making him feel a tingling sensation.

He gripped the fragment tightly; it emitted a faint warmth, as if resonating with him.

"Don't even think about it!"

The thief struggled to climb up, greed flashing in his eyes. He tried to snatch the crystal fragment again but was forced back by a sword strike from the Starry Wanderer.

"Your era is over!"

The Starry Wanderer pointed his sword tip directly at the thief, his tone cold. The Star Spirit also manipulated the starlight to form a barrier, trapping the thief within.

Zhang Cheng ignored the thief's clamoring and handed the crystal fragment to the Nebula Sage.

"Sage, see what exactly this thing is."

The Nebula Sage took the fragment and observed it carefully, his brows locked in a frown.

He placed the fragment in his palm, closed his eyes, and felt the energy contained within.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, a flash of surprise in them.

"This fragment seems to have a close relationship with the formation of this space."

"What do you mean?"

Zhang Cheng asked in confusion.

"This space was not formed naturally, but created by some powerful force. And this fragment is the crystallization of that power."

The Nebula Sage explained.

"Moreover, I feel that it also hides the clue to leaving this space."

Hearing this, the group was filled with excitement. They had been trapped in this space for a long time, unable to find a way out. Now, hope was right before their eyes.

"Great! We can finally leave here!"

The Messenger of Light said excitedly.

"Don't be happy too soon,"

The Nebula Sage interrupted him.

"The power of this fragment hasn't been fully unlocked; we need more time to study it."

Just as everyone thought the crisis was temporarily resolved, a gust of cold wind swept by, and the starlight barrier trapping the thief shattered instantly.

The thief's figure also disappeared along with it.

The crystal fragment in the Nebula Sage's hand suddenly flickered, its light dimming significantly... He looked up at the group, his tone grave.

"Not good..."

"Damn it! Where did he escape to?"

The Starry Wanderer looked around, cold light flashing on his sword tip.

A strange silence permeated the space, with only the dim light of the crystal fragment still pulsing faintly.

"He didn't escape far,"

The Nebula Sage's expression was grave as he pointed to the crystal fragment.

"He can absorb the energy here and can even briefly merge into the space itself. The weakening of the fragment's power means he is secretly drawing energy, preparing for a bigger conspiracy."

As soon as he finished speaking, the edges of the space began to flicker with strange red light, spreading like blood vessels.

"Not good, the stability of the space is declining!"

The Star Spirit exclaimed, feeling a powerful force tearing at the structure of this strange space.

The Mysterious Elf flew to Zhang Cheng's side, tugged at his sleeve, and pointed to a distorted space in the distance.

"Over there... it feels very uncomfortable."

Zhang Cheng looked in the direction the elf pointed, only to see the space beginning to twist and deform, forming a huge vortex that emitted heart-palpitating energy fluctuations.

Immediately after, a second and third vortex appeared one after another, and the entire space began to churn like boiling water.

"He wants to destroy this place!"

Kelinda clenched her fists, anger flashing in her eyes.

The Blue Star Guardian walked to Zhang Cheng's side and patted him on the shoulder.

"Little guy, it seems we need to join forces. This energy is no small matter; we must stop him."

Zhang Cheng took a deep breath, feeling the increasingly violent energy fluctuations around him; he knew a more difficult battle was coming.

He clenched his fists, his gaze firm.

"I will definitely stop him!"

Suddenly, the crystal fragment in the Nebula Sage's hand completely lost its light... He slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with fear.

"It's too late..."

The crystal fragment in the Nebula Sage's hand dimmed completely, like an extinguished star; he trembled his lips and uttered a desperate prophecy:

"It's too late..."

The distortion of the space became more intense, and the huge energy vortexes were like greedy giant beasts, devouring everything around them.

The Starry Wanderer cursed, narrowly avoiding an incoming energy wave; he looked back at Zhang Cheng, his eyes full of worry.

"Kid, hold on!"

The Messenger of Light was surrounded by holy light, resisting the energy's invasion, but his expression was grave; clearly, he also felt immense pressure.

"This power... is even more powerful than we imagined."

Zhang Cheng gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain his stance; the surrounding energy turbulence made him feel suffocated.

He felt like a lone leaf, swaying in a storm, likely to be torn apart at any moment.

While dodging an energy vortex, the Mysterious Elf was unfortunately struck by a burst of energy.

She groaned, her figure swaying, her face turning pale instantly.

"Elf!"

Kelinda exclaimed, wanting to step forward to support her, but was forced back by a sudden stream of energy.

The elf smiled weakly.

"I'm fine..."

But her trembling body and gradually dimming light exposed her current weakness.

Even the powerful Blue Star Guardian appeared somewhat overwhelmed at this moment; while resisting the energy impact, he looked at Zhang Cheng anxiously.

"This can't go on, we must find a way to break the situation!"

The Shadow Thief's figure flashed by in the chaos, his greedy gaze fixed on the depths of the space, seemingly searching for something.

He laughed coldly.

"What a heaven-sent opportunity; once they are both defeated, I can reap the rewards..."

Zhang Cheng's gaze swept over the group; everyone's face was written with anxiety and unease.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

Suddenly, he remembered the secrets of the nebula that the Nebula Sage had told him before... He closed his eyes, and the trajectory of the nebula's operation appeared in his mind.

"Wait..."

Zhang Cheng opened his eyes suddenly, a flash of light in them.

"Wait!"

Zhang Cheng opened his eyes suddenly, brilliance flashing in them.

"I think I found it."

Everyone immediately focused their gaze on him, hope and doubt intertwined.

Zhang Cheng explained his speculation on the operating laws of the nebula's energy concisely and pointed out a key energy node.

"If we can concentrate our energy there, perhaps we can stabilize this space."

The Blue Star Guardian chose to believe Zhang Cheng without hesitation.

"I believe in you, kid! Tell us what to do!"

Zhang Cheng quickly directed the group to guide their own energy to that node according to the energy model he had constructed.

Although the Starry Wanderer was rough, his actions were exceptionally agile, and his energy output was precise and powerful.

The Messenger of Light's holy light became even more dazzling, and the surging energy poured toward the node like a tide.

Even the weak elf forced herself to inject a faint but crucial bit of energy.

Kelinda held the elf's hand tightly, providing her support, her eyes full of worry and encouragement.

With the injection of energy, the originally violent energy vortex began to rotate slowly, as if controlled by an invisible hand.

The distortion of the space gradually slowed, and the surrounding energy turbulence gradually calmed down.

The light of hope reignited in everyone's eyes.

Just then, a black shadow darted out from the chaos; it was the Shadow Thief, who had been waiting for an opportunity.

He laughed sinisterly and reached out to grab a substance emitting strange light in the depths of the space.

He thought everyone was too busy to care during the energy disorder, but he didn't expect the situation to have been stabilized.

"Court death!"

The Starry Wanderer roared, and the energy cannon, which had long been ready, fired with a boom, hitting the Shadow Thief squarely in the chest.

The Messenger of Light followed closely, his holy light turning into a blade, forcing the Shadow Thief back.

The Shadow Thief dodged in a sorry state, a look of shock and annoyance appearing on his face.

He didn't expect that he would actually fall here...

The Shadow Thief's figure emerged from the distorted space again, a cold smile hanging on the corner of his mouth.

He was certain that everyone was too busy to care during the energy storm, making it the best time for him to fish in troubled waters.

However, when he actually appeared, what greeted him was not the chaos he expected, but the Starry Wanderer's ready energy cannon and the Messenger of Light's sharp holy light blade.

"Damn it! I was actually set up!"

The Shadow Thief cursed, dodging the attacks in a sorry state.

He didn't expect this group to stabilize the space so quickly, nor did he expect to fall into such an awkward situation.

"Still want to use the same trick? Not that easy!"

The Starry Wanderer's energy cannon fired in succession, forcing the Shadow Thief to retreat step by step.

The Messenger of Light followed closely, his holy light turning into a cage, sealing off all the thief's escape routes.

The Shadow Thief knew things were bad and tried to activate the mysterious prop in his hand in a panic.

However, when he looked at his hand, he found that the prop he had been holding had long since vanished.

"Are you looking for this?"

Zhang Cheng's voice sounded not far away, and he was playing with the prop emitting strange light in his hand.

Seeing this scene, the Shadow Thief was burning with rage; he roared and rushed toward Zhang Cheng, his eyes full of greed and killing intent.

"Kid, give it back to me!"

Zhang Cheng's expression was calm; facing the aggressive thief, he just smiled slightly.

The next moment, the prop in his hand shone brightly, and a powerful energy fluctuation swept out, rebounding all of the Shadow Thief's attacks.

"Ah!"

The Shadow Thief let out a miserable scream, hit by his own attack, and fell heavily to the ground. Black smoke rose from his body; clearly, he had been severely injured.

"You..."

The Shadow Thief struggled to get up, only to find he was powerless to fight again. He stared at Zhang Cheng with resentment, his eyes full of unwillingness.

Just then, the Nebula Sage suddenly spoke, his tone grave.

"The situation is not right; the core of this space seems to have a problem..."

The Nebula Sage's words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up layers of ripples.

Everyone's expression tightened, their gazes fixed on the center of the space.

There, the originally stable energy core was now flickering with unstable light, dimming and brightening, as if it could go out at any moment.

"The core is unstable, this space could collapse at any time!"

The Star Spirit's tone was urgent; as the space guardian, he knew the consequences of a core collapse better than anyone.

"Must repair it as soon as possible!"

Kelinda looked at Zhang Cheng anxiously, a hint of worry in her eyes.

Zhang Cheng held the mysterious prop in his hand, feeling the energy fluctuations coming from it, his brows locked in a frown.

"This thing seems to be related to the core..."

"That's right,"

The Nebula Sage stepped forward, observing the prop in Zhang Cheng's hand carefully.

"This is the space stabilizer; it can be used to repair the core, but the operation is extremely complex, and the slightest carelessness could trigger a greater disaster."

"I'll try."

Zhang Cheng took a deep breath; he knew now was not the time for hesitation.

He aimed the stabilizer at the core, and a stream of pure energy was slowly injected.

The flickering light of the core seemed to stabilize a bit, but soon became even more frantic.

"No, the energy output is unstable!"

The Blue Star Guardian reminded from the side.

"I'll assist you."

The Messenger of Light extended his hand, and a holy light enveloped Zhang Cheng, helping him stabilize the energy output.

With everyone working together, the flickering light of the core gradually tended to stabilize.

Just when everyone thought the crisis was about to be resolved, an unexpected change occurred.

The Shadow Thief, who had been lying on the ground, actually stood up again, his eyes filled with hatred and madness.

He said in a hoarse voice, like an evil ghost from hell:

"You... all must die!"

He slowly raised his hand, and a heart-palpitating black light flickered in his hand...