Legend of the Divine Archer

Yan Jin's voice cut through the chaos like a blade. "Catch!" he called, hurling the ornate box through the air toward Nie Li. The box spun rapidly, catching the corrupted light in flashes of gold and red, and for a split second, all eyes followed its trajectory. Nie Li's instincts kicked in as he reached up, snatching the box mid-air, his expression a mix of surprise and confusion.

But Yan Jin's next move was even more shocking. Without hesitation, he turned and leaped directly into the maelstrom of corrupted energy, vanishing into the seething darkness below. The swirling vortex of corrupted plasma and dark energy enveloped him, distorting the air around it, and swallowing Yan Jin whole.

"What are you doing?" Nie Li shouted after him, but Yan Jin was already gone, lost in the churning sea of corruption.

The Bloodwitch Matriarch's eyes widened, and with a swift motion, she and her corrupted entourage charged forward, their forms blurring as they dove into the maelstrom after Yan Jin, desperate to intercept him. She could not let Yan Jin gain whatever power lay hidden within the core, not after all her years of careful planning.

With Yan Jin and the Bloodwitches now deep within the corrupted abyss, Nie Li found himself suddenly the focal point of the battlefield. Holding the coveted box, he became a glaring target amid the chaos. The energies within the box called to everyone present, their whispers like a siren's song, promising unimaginable power.

Nie Li's expression twisted into a snarl. He spun around to find himself surrounded on all sides. Corrupted plasma cells were converging, writhing masses of dark energy that pulsed and spat volatile bursts of destructive force. Their presence was suffocating, and each one buzzed with a hunger that spoke of madness and decay.

The City Lord, seeing the devastation spreading throughout Pine City, could no longer afford to remain in the fight. His heart heavy, he turned away from the escalating confrontation. "Protect the city!" he shouted to his guards, his voice filled with a mix of urgency and despair. He leapt into the air, leaving the core room behind, his form streaking across the burning cityscape below.

He knew he had to act quickly to organize a defense and save what remained of his people.

Nearby, Purple Spear Meng and Patriarch Yan clashed violently, their auras colliding with explosive force. Meng's amethyst armor glimmered darkly as he swung his spear, its tip crackling with energy, while Patriarch Yan parried with brutal efficiency, his intent clear—to keep Meng occupied and away from Nie Li.

Every strike between them sent shockwaves through the room, fracturing the already unstable ground further and sending rubble tumbling into the corrupted depths.

As Nie Li fought to keep the corrupted plasma cells at bay, he could feel the box in his grasp vibrating with a strange, almost sentient energy. He barely had a moment to react when a sudden gust of wind tore through the room, and the ground beneath him seemed to darken as if overshadowed by some colossal force.

A roar, deep and guttural, echoed through the chamber, rattling the very foundations. It was as if the world itself trembled at the presence that now descended upon them. A shadow stretched long and wide, and when Nie Li looked up, his blood ran cold.

Hovering above him was Sacha, the corrupted Garuda, a colossal figure with wings that blotted out the already darkened sky. His form was twisted and monstrous, feathers replaced with jagged scales that shimmered with a sickly, iridescent sheen. Veins of corrupted energy pulsed across his muscular form, and his eyes burned with a frenzied, malevolent light.

Sacha's presence was an overwhelming force, the sheer scale of his body dwarfing everything else in the room. His once majestic aura was now a chaotic storm of corrupted energy, swirling around him like a hurricane. Each beat of his massive wings sent shockwaves of toxic wind cascading through the chamber, knocking aside debris and threatening to tear the ground itself apart.

Nie Li braced himself, his golden armor glinting as he raised his spear, the tip glowing with fierce, radiant light. But even he, with all his training and power, could feel the disparity. Sacha was no ordinary opponent; he was a living nightmare, twisted by the core's corruption and driven mad by his own unrelenting thirst for power.

With a shriek that shook the very walls, Sacha dove down, talons outstretched, aiming directly for Nie Li and the box in his grasp. The impact was cataclysmic, as the Garuda's weight slammed into the ground, creating a shockwave that sent chunks of rock and corrupted plasma flying in all directions.

Nie Li barely managed to dodge, rolling away just in time as Sacha's talons gouged deep furrows into the stone floor.

Sacha's attacks were relentless. He swung his massive wings with the force of a hurricane, sending razor-sharp feathers hurtling through the air like deadly projectiles. Each feather was charged with corrupted energy, and when they struck the ground, they exploded in bursts of dark fire, scorching the stone and filling the air with acrid smoke.

Nie Li spun his spear, deflecting the oncoming attacks with rapid, precise movements, but each impact sent shocks of pain rippling through his arms. The corrupted Garuda was stronger, faster, and more vicious than anything he had faced before. Sacha's attacks were wild and frenzied, fueled by a rage that bordered on insanity.

The ground beneath them quaked as Sacha landed blow after blow, his claws rending the stone, and his beak snapping with a deafening clack that echoed through the chamber. Nie Li struggled to maintain his footing, each step feeling heavier as the corrupted energy weighed down on him, sapping his strength.

"You think you can stand against me?" Sacha roared, his voice distorted, almost unrecognizable as it echoed with the corruption that had consumed him. "Give me the box, and I'll make your death quick!"

Nie Li's grip tightened on his spear. "You'll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands!" he spat back, lunging forward with a burst of golden light. His spear pierced the air, striking toward Sacha's chest with the precision of a lightning bolt.

But the Garuda twisted, his scales deflecting the blow as he countered with a sweeping strike of his wing, sending Nie Li skidding back, his armor dented and smoking.

The battle raged on, each exchange more brutal than the last. Sacha's corrupted energy lashed out in waves, twisting the air and warping the space around them. Dark tendrils sprouted from the ground, grasping at Nie Li's legs and slowing his movements. He slashed at them with his spear, but more kept coming, and with each passing second, the corrupted energy seemed to grow stronger.

Nie Li's breaths came ragged as he locked eyes with the monstrous Garuda. It was clear that this was no ordinary battle; Sacha's corrupted form was a force of nature, one that Nie Li knew he couldn't overpower alone. Desperation gripped him as the realization dawned that if he didn't act quickly, the entire city would be destroyed.

With a swift motion, he hurled the box containing the stem cell toward Patriarch Yan. The ornate container spun through the air, glinting ominously in the corrupted light, before the terrified patriarch snatched it with trembling hands.

"Run! Get out of here!" Nie Li shouted, his voice cracking with urgency. He watched as the patriarch, fear etched into every line of his face, didn't hesitate. In a blur of movement, Patriarch Yan bolted out of the core room, his feet barely touching the ground as he flew upward into Pine City.

The corrupted Garuda's eyes narrowed with a predatory gleam as it fixed on its new target, then let out a shriek that reverberated through the crumbling cave. With a powerful flap of its massive wings, the Garuda took off after the patriarch, its monstrous form cutting through the air with terrifying speed.

Nie Li's heart sank as he watched the corrupted Garuda ascend toward the city. "You idiot, you're going to get everybody killed!" Purple Spear Meng roared at Nie Li, his voice dripping with fury and frustration. Without another word, Meng took off after the Garuda, his spear crackling with energy as he desperately tried to minimize the inevitable carnage that was about to befall Pine City.