The genius who counterattacked the mainland

The smoke gradually cleared, and a mysterious figure gradually became clearer. It was a tall humanoid creature, clad in black metal armor, engraved with complex and sinister runes. The runes glowed a dark red, as if blood were flowing through them. Its helmet completely obscured its face, revealing only two pinpricks of faint green light, burning in the darkness like will-o'-the-wisp.

"You ants, how dare you resist." The mysterious figure made a low and hoarse voice, as if it came from the Nine Nether Hell. Every word was filled with endless chill, making the surrounding air seem to condense a little.

Xu Tiancai and the others stared at the enemy warily. They could sense a terrifying power emanating from him, a sense of oppression far exceeding any foe they had ever encountered. Ah Gang gripped the axe tightly, his arm muscles bulging, his eyes brimming with determination and fearlessness. "No matter who you are, we will not fall easily today."

Lin also cast a spell, and the surrounding water vapor quickly condensed, forming countless sharp ice spikes that hovered around them, emitting a biting chill. "Let's go together!" she shouted.

Xu Tiancai took a deep breath, channeling the power of the stars, the power of the phoenix, and the mysterious energy he'd grasped from the black crystal to its fullest potential. A multicolored light shone around him, flowing like a substance, like a sacred shield. "Charge!" Xu Tiancai shouted, charging towards the mysterious figure.

Ah Gang followed closely behind, running like a rhino, each step leaving deep footprints on the ground. He raised his axe high, and the moment he approached the mysterious figure, he swung it down with all his might. The axe sliced ​​through the air, emitting a sharp whistling sound, and with tremendous force, it struck the mysterious figure's neck.

The mysterious figure remained motionless. It raised a hand and easily caught Agang's axe. Agang felt a tremendous force radiating from the axe, causing his palms to go numb and his body to fly backward uncontrollably. He slammed heavily into a large tree, which shook violently, rustling its leaves and breaking off branches.

Seeing Agang injured, Lin shifted her magic spell, and the ice spikes hovering around him shot towards the mysterious figure like arrows. The ice spikes flew at an incredible speed, slicing through the air with a hissing sound. A dark aura surged around the mysterious figure, forming a black vortex. Once inside, the ice spikes were instantly shattered into icy shards that drifted through the air.

Xu Tiancai seized the opportunity to launch his attack. He formed hand seals and chanted aloud. A massive beam of light emanated from his hands, radiant with the power of stars and fiery with the heat of the phoenix. It shot directly toward the mysterious figure, colliding with the black vortex. For a moment, light and darkness intertwined, erupting in a powerful wave of energy. The wave of energy spread outward, knocking surrounding trees toppling and even uprooting some.

The mysterious figure swayed slightly, but quickly regained its composure. It let out a deep, mocking laugh. "Is that all you're capable of?" With that, it waved its other hand, and a bolt of black lightning shot out from its fingertips. Like a giant black python, it pounced towards Xu Tiancai. Xu Tiancai quickly dodged as the lightning struck the ground behind him, creating a massive crater. The surrounding ground was scorched, emitting a pungent odor.

Just as they were locked in a bitter battle, something strange suddenly occurred in the forest. Ancient patterns began to emerge from the trunks of the towering trees. These patterns shimmered with a faint light, which gradually converged to form streaks of golden light. The golden light weaved through the forest, interweaving into a complex pattern, like an ancient magic circle.

The mysterious figure seemed a little apprehensive when it saw the magic circle. It stopped attacking and looked around warily. "Hmph, it looks like there's something interesting here."

Xu Tiancai and the others also took the opportunity to breathe. They looked at the magic circle around them, their hearts filled with confusion. "What is this?" Lin asked.

Xu Tiancai shook his head, "I don't know, but it looks like it has a certain effect on this guy. Maybe we can take advantage of this opportunity."

Just as they were thinking, the magic circle emitted a strong light, and an illusory figure appeared in the light. It was the image of an old man, wearing an ancient robe, with a kind face but wise eyes.

"Young adventurers, you have come to this cursed forest, which hides a great secret." The old man's voice sounded in their minds, as if speaking directly to their souls.

"Who are you? What is this secret?" Xu Tiancai asked.

The old man smiled faintly. "I am the guardian of this forest. Although my body is gone, my soul still protects it. This forest was once the site of an ancient civilization, and this dark creature is an evil force sealed here. It intends to break the seal and release an even more powerful darkness."

"Then how can we stop it?" A Gang asked. He stood up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

The old man looked at the black crystal in Xu Tiancai's hand and said, "That black crystal is the key. It contains the power to open and close the seal. You need to find the five sacred trees in the forest. Each sacred tree has a guardian bead. Once you collect all five guardian beads, you can use the power of the black crystal to reseal this evil creature."

"Where are the five sacred trees?" Lin asked.

The old man raised his hand and pointed in five different directions of the forest. "Search along these directions, but be careful, there are still many dangers in the forest, and this evil creature will not let you succeed easily."

With that, the old man gradually vanished, and the magic circle's light gradually dimmed. The mysterious figure roared angrily, "Trying to seal me? That won't be easy!" It attacked again, charging towards Xu Tiancai and the others.

Xu Tiancai and the others immediately prepared for battle. They knew they had to fend off this enemy's attacks before they could even hope to find the Sacred Tree and the Guardian Pearl. Xu Tiancai gathered his strength in his feet and, with a flash of his body, rushed towards the mysterious figure. He shifted his form mid-air, dodging the mysterious figure's attacks while searching for weaknesses.

Agang and Lin also cooperated tacitly. Agang attacked from the side to attract the attention of the mysterious figure, while Lin cast spells from a distance to provide support for Agang. Ice arrows, fireballs and other spells were continuously fired at the mysterious figure. Although they could not cause much damage to it, they did effectively disrupt its attacks.

During the battle, Xu Tiancai discovered that the mysterious figure's attacks were mainly concentrated in the front and sides, with a relatively weak point on its back. A plan came to his mind, and he winked at Agang and Lin, who immediately understood what he meant.

Agang feigned an all-out attack on the mysterious figure's front, drawing most of its attention. Lin then cast a massive ice spell, creating a thick layer of ice around the figure, restricting its movement. Seizing the opportunity, Xu Tiancai circled behind it, gathering all his strength in his hands, forming a long sword shimmering with multicolored light. Leaping high, he stabbed the figure in the back.

The mysterious figure sensed the attack from behind and tried to turn to defend, but the ice and Ah Gang's attack slowed it down slightly. Xu Tiancai's sword successfully pierced the mysterious figure's back, and a multicolored light instantly erupted, causing the figure to let out a painful scream.

Seizing this opportunity, Xu Tiancai and the others quickly fled in one direction. A mysterious figure broke free from the ice, roaring angrily as it chased them. Its speed was incredibly fast, quickly closing the distance between them.

Xu Tiancai and the others ran wildly through the forest, the surrounding trees quickly passing by like a green barrier. Suddenly, a dense thorn bush appeared in front of them. The thorns on the bush were long and sharp, flashing coldly, like a natural trap.

"What should we do?" A Gang shouted.

Xu Tiancai looked at the thorn bush and made up his mind, "Charge!" They mustered their courage and rushed towards the thorn bush. The thorns scratched their clothes and skin, and blood oozed out, but they did not stop. The mysterious figure was chasing them relentlessly, seemingly unconcerned with the thorns blocking their way and rushed directly towards the thorn bush.

After passing through the thorn bushes, they discovered a massive ancient tree. Its trunk was so thick it required dozens of people to embrace it. Its lush branches and leaves nearly obscured the sky. On the trunk, nestled in an ancient groove, sat a bead emitting a soft glow. This must be the Protective Bead.

"Found it!" Lin shouted excitedly.

However, as they approached the ancient tree, the ground around it began to shake. Huge roots emerged from the ground and swung toward them. These roots were covered in spikes, like giant whips.

Xu Tiancai and his companions were once again caught in a battle, dodging the pursuit of a mysterious figure while also dealing with the attacks of the ancient tree. A-Gang swung his massive axe, severing some of the attacking roots. Lin cast an ice spell, condensing a layer of ice on the roots of the ancient tree, slowing their attack.

Xu Tiancai rushed towards the Guardian Pearl on the trunk of the ancient tree, dodging the attacks of the tree roots and leaping forward on the branches. Just as he was about to reach the Guardian Pearl, a mysterious figure broke through the thorn bushes and tree roots and pounced towards him.

Xu Tiancai's heart tightened. He knew that if they were stopped by the mysterious figure now, all their previous efforts would be in vain. Desperately, he reached out towards the Guardian Pearl, and just as the mysterious figure's attack was about to hit him, he successfully took off the Guardian Pearl.

A dazzling beam of light emanated from the Guardian Pearl, enveloping Xu Tiancai and the others. The light held a powerful force, temporarily repelling the mysterious figure. Xu Tiancai and the others breathed a sigh of relief, but they knew this was only the beginning. There were still four more Guardian Pearls to be found, and the mysterious figure wouldn't give up easily.

After a short rest, they set out in another direction to continue their adventure. The forest was still filled with a dangerous atmosphere, and every step was full of unknowns, but they had a firm belief in their hearts and were determined to stop the spread of the dark power.