The genius who counterattacked the mainland

After Xu Tiancai and the others returned from the dark world, the air within the castle seemed to freeze. They sat in a circle in the hall, the black crystal emitting a mysterious, dark glow. Ancient books lay open beside them, their ancient texts seemingly revealing ominous secrets.

Xu Tiancai's brow furrowed, his mind reeling from the information he'd gleaned from the black crystal. The source of the dark power was like a fog; even with some clues, it remained elusive. The conspiracy hidden behind it was like an invisible hand, poised to crush them completely at any moment.

"We can't stay here for too long. We need to find a safe place to study this information carefully." Xu Tiancai broke the silence. His eyes swept over Agang and Lin. Both of them looked tired, but there was still determination in their eyes.

Agang nodded and said, "This castle looks peaceful, but it is actually full of dangers. Who knows what is watching us in the dark." As he spoke, he tightened his grip on the giant axe in his hand. There were still traces of the blood of dark creatures on the axe blade.

Lin cast a simple healing spell, and the wounds on her body began to heal slowly. She stood up and said, "Let's go, then. Hopefully, we can find safety before the enemy attacks again."

They cautiously made their way to a secluded corner of the castle, where a secret door lay. Xu Tiancai had stumbled upon it while exploring the castle. The secret door was hidden behind a large, ancient mural depicting a gruesome war. The figures in the painting wore painful expressions, as if enduring endless torture, and the dark tones made the scene even more eerie.

Xu Tiancai reached out and pressed a specific spot on the mural. The secret door slowly opened, and a stale smell filled the air. Inside the door was a narrow passage. The wall was inlaid with some faintly glowing crystals, barely illuminating the path ahead.

As they walked along the passage, they could hear eerie wind sounds from time to time, like ghosts crying. The ground in the passage was a little slippery, and the walls were covered with moss. It was obvious that no one had set foot here for a long time.

Suddenly, Ah Gang stopped, pricked up his ears, and whispered, "There's movement! Be careful!" Everyone immediately became alert. Xu Tiancai focused his star power into his eyes and looked forward. He saw some vague figures slowly approaching in the darkness. These figures moved quickly and silently, like ghosts.

As they drew closer, they could clearly see the figures. They were short, dwarf-like, but covered in black scales. Their eyes, like cats', shone a yellow-green light in the darkness. In their hands, they held sharp bone spurs coated with an unknown venom that emitted a pungent odor.

"They are dark dwarfs. These guys are good at sneak attacks, so everyone be careful." Xu Tiancai reminded.

Before he could finish his words, the dark dwarves launched their attack. Like ghosts, they charged towards Xu Tiancai and his companions at a breathtaking speed. A-Gang swung his massive axe, forming a defensive barrier before him. The dark dwarfs' bone spurs pierced the axe blade, sending up a shower of sparks. Lin quickly cast an ice spell, creating a layer of ice in the passage. Some of the dark dwarves slipped, but they quickly recovered and resumed their attack.

Xu Tiancai formed seals with his hands and chanted something. Flames, a fusion of star power and phoenix power, shot towards the dark dwarfs. The flames burned the dark dwarfs, causing them to scream in pain. However, this did not deter them, instead they attacked even more frantically.

During the battle, Xu Tiancai discovered that the dark dwarves seemed to be following a certain order. Their attacks had a certain pattern, as if they were trying to force them in a certain direction. With a sudden thought, he decided to follow their intentions and see what conspiracy was behind them.

"Let's go over there and see what they want to do." Xu Tiancai shouted to Agang and Lin.

So, they fought as they moved in the direction the dark dwarf had directed them. The passage gradually widened, and a huge cave appeared in front of them. The cave was filled with thick fog, which exuded a mysterious power that made people feel dizzy.

As they entered the cave, the dark dwarves suddenly ceased their attack and quickly vanished into the darkness. Xu Tiancai and the others looked around warily. The cave walls were covered in strange symbols and patterns, which seemed to tell an ancient story. In the center of the cave stood a large circular pool. The water in the pool was an eerie black color, and the surface was as calm as a mirror, without a single ripple.

"It feels very strange here. Everyone, don't go near the pool." Xu Tiancai said.

However, at that moment, ripples suddenly appeared in the pool. A gigantic figure slowly rose from the water. It was a monster with a human body and a fish tail. Its upper body was the image of a beautiful woman, but its eyes revealed an endless coldness and evil. Its fish tail was covered with sharp scales, each scale gleaming with a cold light.

"You stupid intruders, how dare you disturb my sleep." The monster opened its mouth and let out a sharp sound. The sound echoed in the cave, hurting everyone's eardrums.

Xu Tiancai frowned, "We have no intention of offending anyone. We were simply led here by those dark dwarves."

The monster sneered, "The dark dwarves are merely my servants. They brought you here to serve me. Your souls and strength will become my nourishment."

As the monster spoke, it waved its hands, and black water arrows shot out from the pool towards Xu Tiancai and the others. Xu Tiancai and the others quickly dodged. The water arrows hit the cave wall, splashing water, and deep pits appeared on the wall where the water arrows hit.

Agang roared and charged at the monster. He leaped high and swung his axe at the monster's head. The monster looked at Agang with disdain and swept his tail lightly, sending Agang flying with a powerful force. Agang fell heavily to the ground, a trace of blood oozing from the corner of his mouth.

Seeing this, Lin cast a powerful forbidden ice spell. A strong blue light emanated from her body, and the surrounding temperature plummeted. Countless giant ice spikes rose from the ground and pierced the monster. A water curtain shield appeared around the monster, and the ice spikes pierced the water curtain with a series of crackling sounds, but they were unable to penetrate the shield.

Xu Tiancai took a deep breath and gathered all his strength together, including his new strength and...