The genius who counterattacked the mainland

Xu Tiancai and his group trudged through the scorching heat of the Gobi Desert, each step sending up scorching sand. Burning and thirst were inseparable. Even Agang's sturdy frame was drenched in sweat, while Lin continuously cast small moisturizing spells to soothe everyone's chapped lips.

Suddenly, a blur of green appeared in the distance, swaying like a mirage amidst the heatwave. As they approached, the green gradually became clearer, revealing a lush oasis. A thin layer of water vapor enveloped the oasis, creating a multicolored halo of light as it refracted the sunlight, creating a dreamlike scene.

"Look, it's the oasis! We're saved!" Lin shouted excitedly, quickening her pace. Agang also cheered up, gripping his battle axe tightly and striding even harder.

As they stepped into the oasis, cool, refreshing air washed over them, like nature's gentlest caress. Tall date palms surrounded them, their emerald green branches interwoven. Sunlight filtered through the gaps, creating patches of golden light. Beneath the trees grew a variety of delicate, vibrant flowers. The gentle breeze swayed the blossoms, emitting a captivating fragrance. At the center of the oasis lay a spring, its water so clear that the colorful pebbles and small fish swimming beneath the surface were clearly visible.

"Let's drink some water first," Xu Tiancai said, and he took the lead in walking towards the spring. They bent down and took a sip of the spring water. The cool and sweet feeling instantly moistened their dry throats, as if the fountain of life was flowing through their bodies.

After rehydrating, they began searching for food in the oasis. Not far away stood several fruit trees laden with fruit. The fruits were plump and round, some shimmering purple, others golden with a hint of red. Xu Tiancai plucked one and took a bite. The juice burst in his mouth, and the sweet flavor filled the air. "This fruit is delicious! Everyone, eat more," he said.

Just as they were immersed in this rare comfort, a melodious flute note emanated from the depths of the oasis. The sound was ethereal and melodious, like a plaintive lament, and seemed to possess a magical power, instantly calming the soul. However, Xu Tiancai frowned slightly, sensing a subtle eeriness hidden within the flute's sound.

"Everyone be careful, there's something wrong with the sound of the flute." Xu Tiancai reminded in a low voice.

They followed the sound of the flute, parting the dense grass to reveal a woman in an emerald green robe. Her face was breathtakingly beautiful, her eyes glittering like stars. She held a jade flute, engraved with mysterious runes that shimmered as she played. Around her, many small, adorable mythical beasts leaped happily. These creatures, in various shapes, resembled winged rabbits and transparent fawns. They seemed completely captivated by the flute's music.

"Who are you? Why did you break into my oasis?" The woman stopped playing, her voice like a clear mountain spring, but with a hint of questioning.

"We are travelers who got lost in the Gobi Desert. We just want to rest here for a while. No offense intended." Xu Tiancai replied, his eyes fixed on the woman, alert to her every move.

The woman frowned slightly. "This oasis is my territory, and outsiders rarely come here. However, since you are here, you can be considered as people with a destiny."

Xu Tiancai and others did not relax, as they knew very well that in this mysterious fantasy world, appearances were often deceptive.

As night fell, the oasis was shrouded in moonlight, its silvery light casting a shimmering glow on the spring water. Xu Tiancai and the others sat around the campfire, seemingly enjoying the tranquility of the night, but in reality, they were constantly aware of their surroundings.

Suddenly, the cheerful beasts became restless, their eyes gleaming with fear as they began to flee. Xu Tiancai and the others immediately stood up. A Gang gripped his battle axe, and Lin prepared to cast a spell.

"Something's happening!" Xu Tiancai said in a low voice.

Before he had finished speaking, the palm trees surrounding the oasis began to shake violently, their leaves rustling as if a powerful force were surging in the dark. The spring water was no longer calm, and huge ripples appeared on the surface, as if something was stirring underwater.

Countless black shadows emerged from all directions of the oasis. Like demons crawling from the dark abyss, their forms shifted constantly, sometimes resembling snarling demons, sometimes like spiky monsters. A dark aura emanated from them, filling the entire oasis and making it feel suffocating.

"It's a dark monster, everyone be careful!" Lin shouted, a bright ball of magic light condensed in her hand.

Ah Gang swung his battle axe and chopped at the black shadow that rushed in front. The battle axe made a whistling sound, but it passed through the black shadow directly without causing any damage to it, as if it was chopping at a ball of air.

"These monsters are spirits. Physical attacks are ineffective against them!" Xu Tiancai warned loudly. He quickly mobilized the star power and phoenix power within his body, waving his hands. A series of brilliant blades of light shot towards the dark monsters. Wherever the blades struck, the dark monsters screamed miserably. Their bodies began to smoke under the illumination and gradually dissipated.

Lin also cast a light-based purification spell. A huge light curtain unfolded from her hand, enveloping the dark monster. The dark monster that came into contact with the light curtain was like being burned by a fierce fire, struggling and disappearing into thin air.

However, the dark monsters were numerous, and as soon as one wave was eliminated, another wave surged in. Furthermore, as the battle progressed, they discovered that these monsters seemed to be gradually adapting to the power of light. Although some monsters were injured by the attacks of light blades and light curtains, they still stubbornly rushed towards them.

"This is not a solution. We have to find their source and eliminate them completely!" Xu Tiancai shouted.

During the fierce battle, Xu Tiancai keenly observed the movements of the dark monsters. He discovered that these monsters were all pouring in from the northwest corner of the oasis, where there stood an ancient, enormous banyan tree. Its lush branches and leaves almost covered half the oasis. At that moment, the banyan tree was surrounded by a thick, dark aura, as if it were a den of darkness.

"Over there, that banyan tree! Let's go there!" Xu Tiancai shouted, pointing in the direction of the banyan tree.

They rushed towards the banyan tree, constantly confronted by dark monsters. Agang wielded his battle axe, clearing the way. Each of his strikes unleashed a gust of wind, blowing away the approaching monsters. Lin cast magic from behind to support Agang, firing arrows of magical light at the surrounding monsters, driving them back. Xu Tiancai stood in the middle, using the power of the stars and the power of the phoenix to create a protective shield, preventing monsters from attacking from the sides and above.

When they arrived at the banyan tree, they were stunned by the sight. At its roots lay a massive black vortex, emanating a chilling dark power. Dark demons continuously poured out of the vortex like a black tide. At its center lay a black crystal ball, its surface covered in intricate runes that shimmered with an eerie light. That was the source of the dark power.

"We must destroy that crystal ball!" Lin shouted.

Xu Tiancai tried to attack the crystal ball with his strength, but as his attack approached the crystal ball, a black shield appeared, easily blocking his attack. A Gang also rushed forward and slashed the shield with his battle axe, only to splash a burst of black sparks on the shield. The battle axe was repelled and A Gang's arm was numb.

"This shield is too powerful, we have to work together to find a solution!" Xu Tiancai shouted.

The three of them gathered together to discuss countermeasures. Xu Tiancai looked at the crystal ball and the shield, pondering a way to break it. Suddenly, he remembered that during a previous adventure, they had found a mysterious stone in an ancient ruin. This stone had been emitting a special kind of vibration that might have an effect on the shield.

He pulled the mysterious stone from his storage bag. As it appeared, it emitted a soft glow. He threw it toward the black shield. As it approached, the glow grew stronger. When the stone made contact with the shield, a tiny crack appeared, and the surrounding dark aura began to distort.

"Now, let's attack together!" Xu Tiancai shouted.

The three of them simultaneously unleashed their full might. Xu Tiancai fused the power of the stars, the phoenix, and the guardian pearl, creating a dazzling beam of multicolored light. Agang channeled all his strength into his battle axe, and the runes on it shimmered, radiating immense power. Lin cast a forbidden spell she had never used before. This spell consumed a significant amount of her magical energy, but was immensely powerful.

Three attacks simultaneously struck the black crystal ball's shield, colliding with it with a deafening roar. The entire oasis trembled, date palms uprooted by the powerful energy surge, and spring water splashed upward. The dark monsters dissipated under the impact of this energy surge, but although more cracks appeared in the black crystal ball's shield, it remained intact.

"Do it again!" Xu Tiancai shouted, their eyes full of determination.

They attacked again, and this time, their combined might finally shattered the shield. The black crystal ball was exposed before their eyes, and the dark power within it began to surge violently.

Agang raised his battle axe and chopped at the crystal ball. The axe struck the crystal, splashing black liquid and cracking the surface. Lin cast a purification spell, sending its purifying power through the cracks into the crystal ball, attempting to cleanse it of the darkness. Xu Tiancai then gathered all his strength in his hands and unleashed a powerful blow at the crystal ball.

Under their continuous attacks, the black crystal ball could no longer withstand it, emitting a dazzling black light before shattering. As the crystal ball shattered, the dark monsters completely vanished, and the dark aura in the oasis gradually dissipated.

"You did a great job." A voice came from behind them. It was the woman in the emerald green robe. She walked slowly towards them, with gratitude and a hint of surprise in her eyes.

"What's going on with these dark monsters?" Xu Tiancai asked.

The woman sighed softly. "This banyan tree is the sacred tree of the oasis. It was once cursed by an evil dark wizard. I have been using my power to suppress the outbreak of the dark power, but recently, for some reason, the dark power has become increasingly powerful, and I can no longer control it. Thanks to you, this crisis has been resolved."

"So that's how it is. Now that the crisis is over, we should continue on our journey." Xu Tiancai said.

They rested in the oasis for a night, and the next morning, they said goodbye to the woman and set out again on their journey across the Gobi Desert. The Gobi Desert was still scorching hot, but their steps were even more determined.

However, they hadn't walked for long when the sky suddenly darkened and a howling wind swept in. The wind whipped up the yellow sand, forming a massive sandstorm. Like a giant beast at the end of the world, the sandstorm obscured the sky and the sun, and the entire world was submerged in the sand.

Xu Tiancai and the others quickly gathered together, casting various defensive spells, but the sandstorm was too powerful. The sand particles, like sharp blades, continuously attacked their defenses, their bodies being swept away by the sandstorm.

After an unknown amount of time, the sandstorm gradually subsided. Xu Tiancai and the others crawled out of the sand and found themselves in a strange and unfamiliar place. They were surrounded by strangely shaped rocks. Some resembled giant mushrooms, their tops adorned with multicolored patterns, like mysterious totems. Others resembled twisted braids, their veins shimmering with strange lights that flickered, sometimes brighter and sometimes darker, as if conveying some kind of message.

"Where is this place? We seem to have deviated from our original route." Lin looked around with a confused look on her face.

"No matter where this is, we have to figure out the situation first, and then find a way to get back to the original route." Xu Tiancai said, and began to observe the surrounding environment.

They carefully moved among the rocks, each step filled with caution. Xu Tiancai discovered that these rocks seemed to contain some special energy. When he approached a large mushroom-shaped rock, he could feel the power in his body surge slightly, as if resonating with the energy in the rock.