The genius who counterattacked the mainland

After bidding farewell to the ancient deity, Xu Tiancai and his companions embarked on a journey to discover the source of the dark power. Following the direction indicated by the ancient deity, they journeyed towards the depths of the universe. Along the way, the stars shone brightly, like pearls in the vast ocean, but the group had no time to appreciate the magnificent scenery, instead they were filled with caution for the unknown challenges.

They were aboard an airship powered by a mysterious force. Its hull radiated a gentle glow, tracing a brilliant path through the darkness of the universe. Inside, intricate magic arrays and runes shimmered, these ancient symbols providing the craft with a constant supply of power and protection. Agang stood at the bow, gazing at the endless darkness ahead, his great axe gripped tightly in his hand, his eyes determined: "No matter how deeply hidden the dark power may be, we will unleash it."

Lin, at the airship's controls, carefully adjusted the flight path. Her fingers danced rapidly across the rune buttons, as if playing a mysterious melody. "According to the guidance of the ancient gods, we must first pass through a nebula region. There may be clues we need," Lin said, her voice echoing throughout the airship.

As the airship advanced, they gradually approached the nebula. The nebula resembled a vast, multicolored cloud, composed of various gases and dust, a dazzling array of colors, like a dream. Brilliant purples, fiery reds, and mysterious blues intertwined. Within the nebula, light refracted and scattered, forming strange bands of light.

However, as they approached the nebula, they felt a powerful resistance, as if an invisible hand were blocking their progress. The airship's light began to flicker, and the operation of the magic circle became somewhat unstable. "There's something strange about this nebula. Everyone, be careful," Xu Tiancai warned loudly.

Suddenly, from the depths of the nebula, a swarm of jellyfish-like creatures emerged. These creatures were enormous, their transparent bodies shimmering with a myriad of colors, like flowing gemstones. Their tentacles, slender and flexible, covered in tiny luminescent organs, looked eerie in the darkness of space. The jellyfish swam toward the airship, their movements seemingly slow, yet each swing of their tentacles could span vast distances.

Xu Tiancai immediately unleashed his star power, forming a light shield around the airship. The shield emanated a soft glow, enveloping the airship like a giant bubble. The tentacles of the jellyfish creatures touched the shield, creating a sizzling sound and rippling the surface. The jellyfish creatures seemed to be releasing some kind of energy through their tentacles, attempting to break through the shield.

Agang swung his massive axe, its blade gleaming with lightning. "Let me take on these guys!" He leaped, charging towards a jellyfish creature nearing the airship. As he neared the jellyfish, Agang brought his massive axe down hard on its body. The axe struck the jellyfish's transparent form, sending a burst of multicolored light. However, the jellyfish sustained no significant damage; its body only dented slightly before quickly recovering. The jellyfish's tentacles spun towards Agang, but Agang nimbly dodged, weaving between them.

Lin and the other teammates cast spells on the airship. Lin cast an ice spell, sending icy arrows blasting from the airship at the jellyfish. The arrows struck the jellyfish, condensing a layer of frost on their bodies. However, the jellyfish only paused briefly before continuing their swim toward the airship. The other teammates' fire and wind spells also had little effect on the jellyfish; the flames burned briefly before extinguishing, and wind spells were unable to blow them away.

Xu Tiancai frowned as he watched these troublesome jellyfish. He merged the power of the stars with the power of the phoenix, and the Galaxy Key in his hand shone brightly. He fired beams of light at the jellyfish outside the light shield. The beams struck the jellyfish, leaving burn marks on their bodies. The jellyfish felt the pain, and their attacks became even more frantic.

As everyone was locked in a fierce battle with the jellyfish, cracks began to appear on the airship's light shield. "Oh no! The light shield is about to break!" Lin shouted anxiously.

Xu Tiancai's heart tightened. He knew that if the light shield was breached, the airship would be in grave danger. He took a deep breath and channeled all his strength into the Galaxy Key. The Galaxy Key shone brightly, transforming into a massive lightsaber. Holding the lightsaber, Xu Tiancai charged towards the crack in the light shield. The moment he broke free, he swung the lightsaber, slicing a jellyfish near the crack in half. After being severed, the jellyfish's body transformed into a ball of multicolored light that dissipated into the universe.

Seeing Xu Tiancai's actions, the other teammates also rushed out of their light shields and engaged the jellyfish in close combat. Agang swung his great axe with great force. He aimed at the core of a jellyfish and struck it with all his might. This time, the axe successfully destroyed the jellyfish's core, causing it to collapse instantly. Lin used ice magic to form a layer of ice armor around herself. She rushed into the jellyfish, formed hand seals, and cast a large-scale freezing spell. With Lin as the center, the temperature around her plummeted, the jellyfish's movements became sluggish, and their bodies began to be covered in frost.

Under the combined attack of everyone, the jellyfish began to retreat. They gradually retreated into the depths of the nebula and disappeared. Xu Tiancai and the others breathed a sigh of relief, but they knew that this was just a small warning from the nebula.

They returned to the airship and continued their journey into the nebula. As they delved deeper into the nebula, the surroundings grew more complex. The light grew more brilliant and colorful, and strange energy fluctuations surged around them. They discovered enormous crystals floating within the nebula. These crystals took on various shapes: some resembled flowers, some swords, and some mysterious runes. These crystals radiated a powerful energy, seemingly resonating with the power of the nebula.

Suddenly, the airship's detection array sounded an alarm. "There's a powerful energy fluctuation ahead, like some ancient relic," Lin said, looking at the detection results.

Xu Tiancai and the others immediately became alert. They maneuvered their airship toward the energy fluctuations. Soon after, they spotted a massive ruin suspended in the nebula. The architecture was simple and mysterious, with massive stone pillars and arches forming the main structure. The structure was engraved with intricate patterns and runes, which shimmered faintly, as if telling ancient stories.

The airship slowly landed in the ruins' square. Everyone disembarked, feeling a strong sense of history. The square's floor was paved with huge stone slabs, each etched with vague patterns. As they walked deeper into the ruins, the air around them seemed to grow heavier, an invisible pressure enveloping them.

Deep within the ruins, they discovered a vast hall. In the center of the hall stood a stone platform, upon which rested a crystal ball emitting a mysterious glow. Images seemed to flow within the crystal ball, blurry but containing a sense of vital information.

Xu Tiancai stepped forward, attempting to touch the crystal ball. Just as his hand was about to touch the crystal ball, the surrounding air suddenly froze, and a swarm of mechanical puppets emerged from the perimeter of the hall. These puppets varied in appearance, some humanoid, others beastlike. Their bodies were crafted from metal, their joints gleaming with a mysterious light. Blue flames burned in the puppets' eyes, and they wielded various weapons as they charged towards Xu Tiancai and his companions.

Agang was the first to meet the enemy, charging at a humanoid mechanical puppet. The giant axe collided with the puppet's weapon, making a resounding metallic clang. The puppet's strength was immense, and Agang was thrown back a few steps. He steadied himself and charged at the puppet again, this time deftly dodging its attack. The giant axe struck the puppet's leg, sparks flying, but leaving only a shallow scratch on the metal leg.

Lin cast an ice spell, attempting to freeze the mechanical golem's movements. Ice arrows and chains shot towards the golem, but it seemed to have an energy shield covering its body, making ice spells less effective against it. The fire and wind spells cast by her teammates only caused ripples on the golem's energy shield.

Xu Tiancai looked at these powerful mechanical puppets, knowing he had to find their weaknesses to defeat them. He concentrated, using the power of the stars to sense the energy flow of these mechanical puppets. His perception revealed that the mechanical puppets' energy cores were on their backs, where a glimmering device seemed to be the key to controlling their movements.

"Attack their backs, that's where the energy core is!" Xu Tiancai shouted.

Upon hearing his shout, his teammates immediately adjusted their tactics. Gang drew the mechanical puppets' attention, nimbly weaving through them and dodging their attacks with his speed and agility. Lin and the other teammates, skilled in magic, watched for opportunities to strike the puppets from behind.

Xu Tiancai charged towards a beast-shaped mechanical puppet, merging the power of the stars with the power of the phoenix, his entire body enveloped in light. As he approached the beast-shaped mechanical puppet, he leaped high and stabbed it in the back. The lightsaber pierced the mechanical puppet's energy core, causing it to tremble and then cease movement.

The other teammates followed suit, seizing the opportunity to attack the mechanical puppets from behind. With their combined strength, the mechanical puppets were destroyed one after another, their bodies falling to the ground with a heavy metallic crash.

After the last mechanical puppet was destroyed, the hall returned to peace. Xu Tiancai walked over to the crystal ball and gently touched it. The image within it became clearer. It showed a map of the universe, with a red marker flashing on it. It seemed to be at the edge of the universe.

"This should be the clue to the source of the dark power." Xu Tiancai said.

The teammates gathered around and looked at the map in the crystal ball. "It looks like we're heading towards the edge of the universe," said Agang.

Just as they were about to leave the ruins, the crystal ball suddenly released a beam of light, enveloping the entire hall. Within the light, they saw an ancient figure gradually emerge. The ancient figure's face was blurry, but a powerful aura could be sensed emanating from him.

"You are warriors who are looking for the source of dark power. I am the guardian of this relic. You have found clues, but the road ahead is even more dangerous. At the edge of the universe, there is a galaxy shrouded by dark power. It is the nest of dark power, but it is also the key to the balance of the universe. You must be careful, because once the dark power is fully released, the entire universe will be destroyed." The voice of the ancient figure echoed in the hall, and his tone was full of solemnity.

"We will be careful. For the peace of the universe, we will not back down." Xu Tiancai said firmly.

The ancient figure nodded. "Your courage is commendable, but courage alone is not enough. On your journey to the edge of the universe, you will encounter various dangers. These dangers may come from other forces in the universe, or from traps set by dark forces. Here is a divine artifact that can help you escape danger at a critical moment."

As he spoke, a glowing bracelet appeared in the ancient figure's hand. It was inlaid with various gemstones, each engraved with mysterious runes. Xu Tiancai stepped forward and took the bracelet. The moment he touched it, he could sense the powerful power it held.

"This bracelet is called 'Galaxy Guard'. It can absorb and transform energy, and can also form a powerful shield when you encounter danger. I hope it can help you complete your mission." said the ancient figure.

Xu Tiancai and the others thanked the ancient figure and left the ruins. They boarded the airship and headed towards the edge of the universe. During the flight, they constantly studied the map in the crystal ball, planning the best route.