Chapter 261

The black light condensed and expanded in the Shadow Thief's hand, like a dark star about to burst.

"All must die!"

His hoarse, wild laughter echoed in the space, carrying chilling malice.

Everyone's heart tightened, watching the thief vigilantly; the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

The Starry Wanderer gripped the light sword in his hand and looked at Zhang Cheng uneasily.

"What other trump cards does this thief have?"

His voice carried a hint of trembling; this wanderer, who had upheld justice across the stars, now felt unprecedented pressure.

"I don't know..."

Zhang Cheng's expression was grave; the light of the stabilizer in his hand flickered, and the core remained restless, which made him even more anxious.

The Mysterious Elf hid behind the Nebula Sage, poked out a small head, looked at Zhang Cheng with worry, and muttered:

"He looks so weak..."

"Shut up!"

The Nebula Sage scolded, and the elf retracted her head, feeling wronged.

The Shadow Thief laughed wildly, and the black light shot toward the group suddenly.

At the critical moment, the Blue Star Guardian stepped forward, and a golden barrier blocked the attack.

"Hurry and repair the core! Leave this to me!"

The black light constantly impacted the golden barrier, and the Blue Star Guardian's body began to tremble, his face gradually turning pale.

"Guardian!"

Zhang Cheng's heart tightened; he felt the Guardian's power draining away rapidly.

"Hurry! I can't hold on for long!"

The Blue Star Guardian gritted his teeth and persisted, and cracks began to appear in the golden barrier.

"A humble guardian dares to block me?"

The Shadow Thief sneered disdainfully, and the black light became even more violent.

With a crack, the golden barrier shattered, and the Blue Star Guardian was struck by the dark power, falling heavily to the ground, life or death unknown.

"Guardian!"

The Starry Wanderer exclaimed, his eyes splitting.

A feeling of grief and indignation spread among the group, but it also ignited their fighting spirit.

"Damn thief!"

The Messenger of Light swung the scepter in his hand in anger, and a holy light shot toward the Shadow Thief, but was easily dodged by the thief.

Zhang Cheng looked at the fallen Guardian, feeling the despair and anger permeating the surroundings; his gaze gradually became firm.

He gripped the stabilizer in his hand and took a deep breath... A powerful energy surged from the stabilizer, enveloping him.

"Ah!"

Zhang Cheng roared, and the stabilizer erupted with unprecedented light; a powerful energy enveloped him, like a god descending.

His figure flashed, his speed so fast it was hard for the naked eye to capture, and he appeared in front of the Shadow Thief instantly.

Before the Shadow Thief could react, he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen; he looked down and saw Zhang Cheng's fist already deeply embedded in his abdomen.

"Ho... how is this possible..."

The Shadow Thief stared at Zhang Cheng in disbelief; his speed and strength, which he was so proud of, were actually so vulnerable in front of Zhang Cheng.

Zhang Cheng didn't speak and threw another punch, hitting the thief squarely in the face.

The thief screamed, his body flying backward, hitting the space barrier heavily, and sliding to the ground.

"Now, it's my turn!"

Zhang Cheng's voice was cold, without a hint of emotion. He walked toward the thief step by step, each step feeling as if it were stepping on the thief's heart.

Seeing this, the Starry Wanderer and the Messenger of Light immediately joined the battle.

The Starry Wanderer's light sword turned into streams of light, constantly attacking the thief's vital points, while the Messenger of Light's holy light constantly weakened the thief's power.

The thief was beaten until he had no power to fight back, only able to barely parry.

He looked at Zhang Cheng in terror, his eyes full of fear and despair.

"You... what kind of monster are you..."

Zhang Cheng ignored his question, his attacks becoming even more violent. New wounds constantly appeared on the thief's body, and blood stained the ground red.

At the same time, Kelinda and the Mysterious Elf, under the guidance of the Nebula Sage, began to repair the space core.

They injected their own power into the core, and the cracks on the core began to heal slowly, and the dangerous aura in the space gradually weakened... Kelinda wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked at the Mysterious Elf.

"Need more energy..."

The Mysterious Elf's slender fingers pointed at the core, and a strange energy surged in like a trickling stream, echoing with Kelinda's demonic power.

Strange light flickered at the core cracks, healing slowly.

"At this rate, it will be repaired soon!"

Kelinda said happily, feeling the chaotic energy in the space gradually calming down.

At the same time, Zhang Cheng's offensive became even sharper.

The Shadow Thief's screams echoed in the space; he had more and more wounds on his body, and blood stained his clothes red.

The Starry Wanderer's light sword danced like a spirit snake, each strike landing precisely on the thief's vital points.

The Messenger of Light chanted ancient spells, holy light enveloping the thief, constantly weakening his power.

Feeling the threat of death, a flash of madness crossed the Shadow Thief's eyes.

"Since I can't have it, then no one can!"

He roared, and the energy in his body began to expand rapidly, a destructive aura permeating the air.

"He's going to self-destruct!"

The Starry Wanderer exclaimed.

"I expected you to do this."

Zhang Cheng sneered, and an ancient rune stone appeared in his hand.

The rune stone emitted strange light, instantly enveloping the Shadow Thief.

The thief's expanding body paused abruptly, and the energy of the self-destruction was forcibly suppressed.

He widened his eyes in terror, feeling the sealed power in his body, and despair surged like a tide.

Zhang Cheng didn't hesitate at all; the light of the rune stone in his hand shone brightly, and a powerful suction force absorbed all the energy in the Shadow Thief's body into it.

The thief's body shriveled rapidly, eventually turning into fly ash and disappearing into the space.

With the disappearance of the Shadow Thief, the last crack on the space core healed completely, and the entire space returned to calm.

A powerful energy surged from the core, nourishing the entire space.

Everyone bathed in this energy, feeling their own power greatly enhanced.

The Starry Wanderer walked to Zhang Cheng and patted him heavily on the shoulder.

"Good kid, you really are full of surprises!"

Zhang Cheng smiled slightly, his gaze looking at Kelinda and the Mysterious Elf.

"We succeeded."

The Mysterious Elf flew to Zhang Cheng, circled him, and looked at him curiously, strange light flashing in her eyes.

"You... are very special."

She said softly, her tone carrying a hint of inquiry.

The core emitted a soft light, the chaotic energy in the space completely calmed down, replaced by a vitality full of life.

The Starry Wanderer walked to Zhang Cheng, patted his shoulder hard, and laughed heartily:

"Good kid! I knew you could do it! Where did you get this rune stone? It actually managed to suppress that guy's self-destruction!"

The Messenger of Light also walked over and nodded in approval:

"Your performance today is enough to be recorded in interstellar history. So young, yet possessing such strength and wisdom, your future is limitless."

Even the usually mysterious Nebula Sage rarely spoke, his deep voice carrying a hint of praise:

"Young man, you are very good."

Zhang Cheng, surrounded by everyone, smiled modestly:

"I just did what I should have done. Being able to succeed this time is thanks to everyone's joint efforts."

He looked at Kelinda and the Mysterious Elf, his eyes full of tenderness.

"Especially you two."

Kelinda returned a sweet smile, walked to his side, and held his hand gently.

The Mysterious Elf circled Zhang Cheng, emitting laughter like silver bells:

"You are really special! I'm getting more and more curious about you!"

The Star Spirit appeared slowly, his originally guarded eyes also softening a lot.

"Thank you for saving this space. As a reward, I can grant you one wish."

Everyone cheered, and the Starry Wanderer rubbed his hands excitedly:

"Great! I want the most powerful light sword!"

However, Zhang Cheng frowned, looked around, and an inexplicable unease surged in his heart.

He always felt that something was not right.

Although this space had returned to calm, it was a bit too quiet.

He let go of Kelinda's hand, walked to the edge of the space, and reached out to touch the seemingly void boundary.

An invisible resistance blocked him back.

"What's going on?"

Zhang Cheng muttered to himself, tried again, and the result was the same.

"Want to leave?"

The Star Spirit's voice sounded behind him, his tone carrying a hint of imperceptible coldness.

"I'm afraid it's not that easy..."

"Want to leave?"

The Star Spirit's voice sounded behind him, his tone carrying a hint of imperceptible coldness.

"I'm afraid it's not that easy..."

Zhang Cheng withdrew his hand, turned to face the Star Spirit, his brows locked in a frown.

"What do you mean?"

The Star Spirit floated in mid-air, his eyes flickering:

"The exit of this space is not always open; it needs specific conditions to be activated."

The Starry Wanderer dropped his shoulders in disappointment, muttering:

"What conditions? Don't tell me it's defeating some guardian beast again? My energy is almost exhausted."

The Messenger of Light patted him on the shoulder and comforted him:

"Don't be discouraged, there will always be a way."

He turned to look at Zhang Cheng, his eyes carrying a hint of reliance.

"Zhang Cheng, what are your thoughts?"

The usually forthright man actually had a hint of imperceptible weakness in his tone at this moment.

Zhang Cheng looked around; the Mysterious Elf was still curiously circling him, the Blue Star Guardian was standing beside Kelinda, whispering comfort to her worried expression.

The Nebula Sage was meditating with his eyes closed, as if he were an outsider.

An invisible pressure enveloped Zhang Cheng's heart; he felt as if he had been pushed to the center of the stage, with everyone's hopes pinned on him.

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

"We need to figure out what the conditions for leaving are first."

He walked to the Star Spirit.

"Since you know of the exit's existence, you should know the method to open it, right?"

The Star Spirit didn't answer directly but looked at him meaningfully.

"There is a method, naturally, but..."

"But what?"

Zhang Cheng pressed.

"But opening the exit requires consuming a massive amount of energy,"

The Star Spirit paused, his gaze sweeping over the group.

"And you all seem to have very little left."

Hearing this, everyone checked their energy reserves one after another.

Sure enough, after the previous battles, there was very little food and energy supplements left.

The Starry Wanderer's expression became even uglier, and he sat on the ground in frustration.

The Mysterious Elf also stopped flying, landed on Zhang Cheng's shoulder, and looked at him with worry.

The Blue Star Guardian walked to Zhang Cheng's side, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a deep voice:

"Zhang Cheng, don't worry, we'll think of a way together."

Zhang Cheng nodded, his gaze sweeping over the group firmly, and then walked toward the edge of the space again.

He closed his eyes, concentrated, and tried to perceive the surrounding energy fluctuations.

A faint energy fluctuation, different from before, caught his attention.

It seemed to be guiding in a certain direction... Zhang Cheng opened his eyes suddenly and walked in that direction.

"Zhang Cheng, where are you going?"

Kelinda asked with worry.

Zhang Cheng didn't look back, just waved his hand.

"I'll go take a look."

Zhang Cheng moved forward along the direction of the energy fluctuation, his figure firm and decisive.

He would stop from time to time, close his eyes to feel the changes in energy strength, and sometimes speed up his pace, chasing the trajectory of that elusive fluctuation.

Kelinda followed closely behind him, her eyes full of worry, yet carrying a hint of inexplicable trust.

Seeing this, although the others were confused, the confidence radiating from Zhang Cheng gradually infected them, and a spark of hope reignited in everyone's hearts.

The Blue Star Guardian patted the Starry Wanderer on the shoulder and encouraged him:

"Believe in him, this kid Zhang Cheng can always create miracles."

The Mysterious Elf circled Zhang Cheng, curiously observing his every move.

The Nebula Sage opened his eyes, his deep gaze looking in the direction Zhang Cheng was heading, a hint of an imperceptible smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

As the energy fluctuations became stronger, the surrounding environment also began to change.

The originally gray space gradually became bright, and a strange energy fluctuation permeated the air.

The scene ahead gradually became clear, and a huge energy barrier appeared before everyone.

This barrier was different from any barrier they had encountered before.

It was not composed of pure energy, but flickered with complex runes, like an ancient prohibition, emitting a heart-palpitating aura.

The surface of the barrier was colorful, like an aurora in the night sky, beautiful yet full of danger.

The Starry Wanderer walked to the barrier, reached out to touch it, and was immediately bounced back by a powerful force, stumbling a few steps before stabilizing his stance.

"Hiss, this thing is a bit powerful!"

He rubbed his hand, which had been shaken numb, a grave expression appearing on his face.

The Messenger of Light also walked up, observing the runes on the barrier carefully, his brows locked in a frown.

"This seems to be a kind of ancient sealing prohibition; breaking through by force might trigger some dangerous mechanism."

The Nebula Sage walked to the barrier, extended his palm, and a stream of soft energy slowly probed into the barrier.

The runes on the barrier flickered, then returned to calm.

The Nebula Sage withdrew his palm and shook his head.

"This prohibition is no small matter; with our current strength, I'm afraid we cannot break it."

The Starry Wanderer waved the weapon in his hand impatiently.

"Forget what prohibition it is, I'll break all laws with one force!"

Having said that, he gathered all his energy and slashed fiercely at the barrier.

The powerful energy impact hit the barrier, erupting with dazzling light, yet the barrier only shook slightly, then returned to calm.

The Starry Wanderer was shaken back several steps by the rebounding force, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Seeing this, the Messenger of Light hurriedly stepped forward to support him.

"Don't be impulsive! This kind of brute force won't work!"

Saying this, he stood side by side with the Starry Wanderer, and both released powerful energy, attacking the barrier together... Zhang Cheng looked at the slightly shaking barrier, his eyes sharpening.

Zhang Cheng looked at the slightly shaking barrier, his eyes sharpening.

"Brute force doesn't seem to work."

He said in a low voice.

The Starry Wanderer wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and snorted unconvinced:

"I don't believe this broken thing is really that hard!"

He gathered energy again, the light of the weapon in his hand shone brightly, and sharp attacks poured onto the barrier like a storm.

The barrier shook violently, its light flickering, yet it stood stubbornly.

Each rebound of the attack made the Starry Wanderer retreat a step, and there were more and more wounds on his body.

Seeing this, the Messenger of Light knew that continuing like this would only result in mutual destruction, so he hurriedly shouted:

"Wanderer, stop! Continuing like this will only waste energy in vain!"

He stepped forward, condensed a ball of holy light in his hand, and shouted lightly:

"Light Protection!"

A huge light shield appeared in front of the barrier, blocking the aftermath of the Starry Wanderer's attack, and also slowing the barrier's vibration.

"We must find a way to crack this barrier, not just use brute force."

The Messenger of Light said in a deep voice.

The Starry Wanderer panted, putting away his weapon unwillingly; he knew the Messenger of Light was right, but the restlessness in his heart was hard to calm.

Kelinda looked at Zhang Cheng's locked brows with heartache; she walked to his side and tugged at his sleeve gently.

Zhang Cheng turned his head, saw the worry flashing in Kelinda's eyes, and felt a warmth in his heart.

Kelinda took out an energy stone emitting faint purple light from her bosom and handed it to Zhang Cheng.

"This is my last energy reserve, I hope it can help you."

Her voice was soft, yet carried a hint of firmness.

Zhang Cheng looked at the energy stone in his hand, felt the pure energy contained within, and a warm current surged in his heart.

He held Kelinda's hand tightly, took the energy stone from her, didn't say much, but there was a bit more firmness in his eyes.

He tucked the energy stone close to his body, looked up at the barrier flickering with mysterious runes, and took a deep breath.

The Nebula Sage had been observing the runes on the barrier silently; suddenly, as if thinking of something, he raised his head abruptly, staring at the barrier with burning eyes, muttering to himself:

"Wait..."

"These runes..."

The Nebula Sage pointed to the symbols on the barrier, his tone carrying a hint of disbelief.

"I seem to have seen them somewhere."

He locked his brows, trying to search in the depths of his memory.

Everyone held their breath, their gazes moving with his fingers; the runes on the barrier flickered with strange light in the dim light.

"Wait!"