A Western Kid’s Journey into the Eastern Cultivation World

Chapter 99 Desperate Odds and Reserves​The wave of dark energy rushed towards the group like a tidal wave of despair, corroding the air in its path. Jack thrust his sword forward, the multicolored light from the blade straining against the onslaught. The clash sent shockwaves through the passageway, making the closing walls tremble even more violently.​Lyra ducked under the swing of a skeletal warrior's rusted axe, then rolled forward, slashing at its legs with her dagger. The bone shattered, but another creature immediately took its place. "There's too many!" she shouted, her voice barely audible over the din of battle.​The Keeper, her crystal shard glinting in the eerie blue light, leaped onto a raised section of the floor. Ice formed beneath her feet as she used her remaining magic to create a barrier, slowing down the horde. But the skeletal creatures simply smashed through it with their weapons, undeterred.​Elder Li, his body pressed against the wall, squinted at the glowing symbols. His charred staff shook in his hand as he traced the ancient inscriptions. "The sequence... it's based on the rhythm of the tremors," he gasped. "But we need time to decipher it!"​Elias, still weak but determined, pushed away from Jack and stumbled towards the symbols. "I can help," he said. His eyes, once clouded by the Abyssal Eclipse's influence, now shone with a newfound clarity. "I studied these scripts in my captivity. There's a pattern in the way the symbols pulse."​Jack nodded, then turned to face the massive, shadowy figure that was drawing closer. Its presence alone made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. "Keeper, Lyra, hold them off for as long as you can!"​The two warriors nodded and charged back into the fray. The Keeper's crystal shard flashed as she parried attacks, while Lyra used her speed to dodge and strike. Elder Li and Elias huddled over the symbols, their fingers flying across the inscriptions.​As the shadowy figure let out another earth - shattering roar, Jack could feel the merged orb in his chest burning hot. The tome, which had been floating near him, suddenly flew open, its pages fluttering madly. Symbols from the book began to project into the air, overlaying the ones on the wall.​"Look!" Elias exclaimed. "The tome is showing us the way!"​Jack focused his energy, channeling the power of the orb into the symbols. The first one flared brightly, then the second. With each correct activation, the walls' closing speed seemed to slow. But the shadowy figure was not going to let them succeed easily.​It unleashed a blast of dark energy that sent Jack flying. He crashed into the wall, his sword skidding out of reach. The skeletal horde took advantage of the distraction and surged forward, overwhelming the Keeper and Lyra.​Just when all seemed lost, a new, unfamiliar power welled up within Jack. It was a force that he had never tapped into before, a combination of the orb's energy and the resolve of his companions. He pushed himself up, his eyes glowing with a fierce determination.​"I won't let this end here," he growled.​With a mighty roar, Jack charged towards the shadowy figure, ready to face it head - on and give his friends the time they needed to 破解 the ancient puzzle. The fate of their escape now depended on whether he could hold out long enough against the overwhelming odds.