Chapter 285

"Prepare..." Before Zhang Cheng's words could finish, the Dark Lord let out a cold laugh, like a sharp knife cutting through glass, harsh and unpleasant.

"One minute? Do you think I will give you this opportunity?"

The Shadow Assassin's figure instantly disappeared into the darkness, and everyone's hearts tightened, as if their throats were gripped by an invisible giant hand.

The holy light in the Messenger of Light's hands became brighter, but also appeared increasingly fragile, swaying under the erosion of the darkness.

"He's coming!" The Blue Star Guardian roared, blocking forward with his great shield.

With a loud "clang," the Shadow Assassin's figure emerged from the darkness, his blade hacking onto the great shield, sparking a series of flames.

The Blue Star Guardian's figure swayed, nearly being pushed back; he gritted his teeth, feeling the immense power coming from his arm, his heart filled with fear.

The Shadow Assassin's power was several times stronger than before; he simply couldn't hold out for too long.

"Damn it, this power..." The Starry Knight rushed forward wielding his energy sword, only to find his attacks were like hitting cotton, unable to cause any substantial damage to the Shadow Assassin.

The Dark Lord's dark power began to erode everyone's will; Kelinda felt her mind filled with negative thoughts—despair, fear, giving up... all kinds of negative emotions surged like a tide; she struggled to resist, her body trembling slightly.

"Hold on, Kelinda!" Zhang Cheng noticed Kelinda's abnormality and shouted loudly.

He knew that if Kelinda's special ability failed, they would truly have no hope.

"I... I'll try my best..." Kelinda's voice trembled; she felt her consciousness gradually blurring.

The holy light in the Messenger of Light's hands grew weaker; fine sweat beads oozed from her forehead, her face pale. "I... I'm almost..."

The atmosphere was suffocating, and the shadow of death loomed over everyone's hearts. Even the usually steady Nebula Sage showed a worried expression at this moment.

Suddenly, a flash of brilliance crossed the Nebula Sage's eyes... He reached out, and a gemstone emitting a mysterious light appeared in his palm.

The light of the gemstone in the Nebula Sage's hand became intense, and a powerful energy fluctuation spread out, forming a translucent barrier that enveloped everyone.

The dark power released by the Dark Lord hit the barrier, making a sizzling sound, but it couldn't penetrate it at all.

Everyone suddenly felt the pressure lighten, and their consciousness, which was about to be swallowed by the dark power, gradually returned to clarity.

"This is... the power of the Star Core?!" Kelinda looked at the gemstone in surprise, her eyes full of disbelief.

The power of the Star Core is one of the purest energies in the universe, possessing powerful purification and protective capabilities, extremely rare and precious.

"You actually hid such a treasure all this time!" The Starry Knight couldn't help but exclaim, his tone carrying a hint of admiration.

Previously, they all thought the Nebula Sage was just a knowledgeable sage; they didn't expect him to have such a powerful trump card.

The Nebula Sage smiled slightly, said nothing more, and just injected more power into the gemstone, strengthening the barrier's defense.

He knew that the energy of this Star Core was limited and could only buy a short amount of time.

However, the Shadow Assassin seemed to have sensed the appearance of the barrier and its restraint on the dark power.

A flash of cunning light crossed his scarlet eyes; he suddenly changed his attack target, no longer entangling with the Blue Star Guardian, but rushed toward the Messenger of Light at an astonishing speed!

The Messenger of Light was in her weakest state at this moment, and the holy light had dimmed a lot; in the Shadow Assassin's eyes, she was undoubtedly the easiest link to break.

Seeing this, the group was startled.

Seeing this, the Dark Lord let out a cold laugh: "Stupid mortals, do you think this can stop me? As long as the Messenger of Light is killed, your barrier will collapse on its own!"

The Dark Lord's words were like a thunderclap, making everyone realize the urgency of the situation.

Everyone's gaze was focused on the Messenger of Light and the Shadow Assassin, and a tense atmosphere permeated the air.

"The Messenger of Light is in danger!" The Blue Star Guardian shouted, wanting to rush over to rescue her, but was blocked by the Dark Lord.

At the critical moment, the Starry Knight's figure flashed, blocking in front of the Messenger of Light, the energy sword in his hand emitting a dazzling light... "Get lost!"

The Starry Knight roared, the energy sword in his hand turning into a silver lightning bolt, meeting the Shadow Assassin's blade.

The clashing sound was endless, and sparks flew everywhere.

The Shadow Assassin's speed was like a ghost, his attacks tricky and ruthless, every strike aimed at the Starry Knight's vital points.

Although the knight was brave, he gradually felt the strain under such fierce offensives.

He was wounded in many places, blood staining his armor, but he still gritted his teeth and persisted, every counterattack carrying the force of thunder, forcing the Shadow Assassin to be cautious.

The hearts of those around them were in their throats; they were trapped within the barrier formed by the Star Core's power and could not directly support the Starry Knight.

Zhang Cheng clenched his fists, staring fixedly at the battle, his heart anxious.

The Nebula Sage continuously injected energy into the Star Core gemstone to maintain the stability of the barrier, fine sweat beads oozing from his forehead.

The Messenger of Light looked at the Starry Knight fighting in blood with heartache, her eyes full of concern and affection.

She gently touched a wound on the knight's arm, holy light swirling at her fingertips, healing the knight's wounds and stopping the bleeding.

"You must be careful..." she said in a low voice, her tone trembling.

The Starry Knight felt the Messenger of Light's gentle touch and concerned gaze, and a warm current surged in his heart.

He grinned, revealing a confident smile.

"Don't worry, I'm fine! These small wounds are nothing!" He backhanded his sword to force back the Shadow Assassin, his tone full of firmness.

Seeing that he couldn't win after a long time, a flash of annoyance crossed the Shadow Assassin's eyes.

He let out a sharp roar, his figure surged again, and his speed and power also increased accordingly.

The blade in his hand turned into black phantoms, surrounding the Starry Knight.

The knight's situation became increasingly dangerous, with several new wounds added to his body.

Just then, the Red-Robed Mage's voice suddenly sounded: "We can't drag this out any longer! We must take the initiative!" His tone carried a hint of anxiety.

The Green-Clothed Elf immediately retorted: "No! The Dark Lord's power hasn't been fully revealed yet; it's too risky to attack now!"

The Red-Robed Mage snorted coldly: "Risky? Do you want to watch the Starry Knight get killed?"

"I..." The Green-Clothed Elf was speechless; of course, she didn't want to see the Starry Knight sacrifice himself, but she was more worried that acting rashly would put the entire team in greater danger.

The Red-Robed Mage ignored the Green-Clothed Elf, waved his staff, and a fireball headed straight for the Dark Lord... The fireball tore through the air, flying toward the Dark Lord with a scorching tail flame.

The Dark Lord snorted disdainfully, just waved his hand casually, and dispersed the fireball, which dissipated into sparks in the air.

"Arrogant," his low voice was full of mockery. "Do you think you can challenge my authority?"

The Red-Robed Mage's expression sank: "So what if you are the Dark Lord? We are not lambs waiting to be slaughtered!"

The Green-Clothed Elf grabbed the Red-Robed Mage's sleeve and whispered anxiously: "Calm down! Now is not the time to go head-to-head with him!"

"When is the time? Wait for him to fully recover his power and wipe us all out?" The Red-Robed Mage shook off the Green-Clothed Elf's hand, his tone carrying a hint of anger. "You are always hesitant and timid; when will we ever defeat the Dark Lord like this?"

"I'm not being timid," the Green-Clothed Elf's voice raised a bit. "I just don't want everyone to die in vain! Acting impulsively like this will only harm everyone!"

The two's argument became more and more intense, their voices getting louder, almost drowning out the sounds of the battle.

Zhang Cheng frowned; he knew this wouldn't work, their arguing would only distract everyone and give the Dark Lord an opportunity.

Just as he was about to dissuade them, he suddenly felt a powerful dark energy rapidly condensing.

The black mist around the Dark Lord rolled more violently, and a suffocating sense of pressure shrouded the entire space.

His scarlet eyes stared fixedly at the arguing Red-Robed Mage and Green-Clothed Elf, a cruel sneer curling the corners of his mouth.

"Since you are so eager to die, I will grant your wish!"

A black beam of light erupted from the Dark Lord's hand, heading straight for the Red-Robed Mage and the Green-Clothed Elf.

The beam was extremely fast, reaching them in the blink of an eye.

The Red-Robed Mage and the Green-Clothed Elf were still arguing and didn't notice the arrival of danger at all.

"Careful!" Zhang Cheng shouted.

At the critical moment, a figure flashed...