The genius who counterattacked the mainland

Xu Tiancai and his companions advanced along the path leading to the misty peaks. The surrounding mist grew thicker, swirling around them like cotton wool. Every step they took felt like entering an unknown and mysterious realm. Faint lights flickered within the mist, like stars moving through it, adding a touch of dreamlike charm to this hazy world.

As they reached the mountainside, they discovered an ancient stone gate ahead. It was engraved with strange runes, which shimmered faintly, as if telling an ancient story. Xu Tiancai stepped forward and touched the stone gate. As his fingertips touched it, a surge of power coursed through his arm, sending a tremor through his body. "This stone gate is unusual; it seems to hold some kind of restriction," Xu Tiancai said, frowning.

Ah Gang stepped forward and pushed hard at the stone door, but it didn't budge. "Hmph, this broken door is quite stubborn." He swung his battle axe and struck the stone door. The axe collided with the stone door, sending up a shower of sparks, but not a single mark remained. Lin carefully examined the runes on the stone door and whispered, "These runes seem to be connected to elemental power. I'll see if I can unlock them." As she spoke, she mobilized the elemental power within her body, dancing her hands. The elements gathered at her fingertips, transforming into rays of light that shot towards the runes on the stone door. When the elemental rays came into contact with the runes, they began to flicker more violently, as if responding to Lin's probing.

A mysterious figure stepped forward, his black robe swaying slightly. Dark power flowed from his hands, intertwining with the runes on the stone gate. The Ice Princess waved her wand, and icy power spread around the stone gate, attempting to cool the energy within. With everyone's combined efforts, the runes on the stone gate glowed brightly, then slowly opened. A powerful energy surged from within, enveloping everyone.

After entering the stone gate, they found themselves in a vast cavern. The walls were inlaid with countless glowing gems, illuminating the cavern as brightly as day. In the center of the cavern stood a stone platform, upon which rested a treasure box radiating a multicolored light. Waves of energy rippled around the box, as if protected by an invisible force.

Xu Tiancai cautiously approached the stone platform. As he approached, the air around him seemed to grow more solemn. He reached out, attempting to open the treasure box. Just as his hand was about to touch it, a phantom flew out of the box, transforming into the form of an old man. The old man's eyes shone deeply as he surveyed Xu Tiancai and the others. He slowly spoke, "Your presence here demonstrates a certain affinity, but to claim the treasure within, you must pass my test."

"What test?" Xu Tiancai asked. The old man smiled faintly and waved his hand. Numerous phantom figures appeared in the cave, weapons in hand, charging towards the group. "Defeat these phantoms to prove your strength," the old man said before disappearing.

Agang roared and rushed towards the phantoms. Each time he swung his battle axe, he could chop off a phantom, but the phantoms kept coming, as if endless. Lin cast elemental magic, summoning a huge firestorm, which swept a group of phantoms into it, but the phantoms struggled in the flames for a moment before regrouping. The mysterious figure and the Ice Princess also exerted their powers and engaged in a fierce battle with the phantoms. Xu Tiancai grasped the artifact tightly, and the artifact shone brightly. He rushed into the group of phantoms, swung the artifact, and colorful light flashed, each ray of light could destroy a phantom.

In the fierce battle, Xu Tiancai discovered that the phantoms seemed to change their defensive strategies based on their attack methods. Realizing he couldn't attack blindly, he shouted, "Everyone, be careful! These phantoms are learning our attacks. We need to change our tactics." Upon hearing this, everyone began to adapt their attacks. Lin fused elemental magic to form a new attack form, interweaving water and fire to create a powerful steam shock that shattered the phantoms. A mysterious figure combined dark power with mystical light, transforming it into penetrating beams that pierced through the phantoms. The Ice Princess unleashed an upgraded version of her Ice Domain, lowering the temperature to an extreme, slowing the phantoms' movements, and then shattering them with her ice weapons. A Gang, instead of relying solely on physical attacks, chose opportune moments to strike the phantoms' vital points with subtle force.

After a bitter battle, the phantoms were finally eliminated. The old man reappeared, nodding with satisfaction. "Very well, you have passed the first test. Next, it is a test of your character." Then, a series of images appeared in the cave, depicting various temptations and predicaments: mountains of treasure, supreme power, and scenes of friends and family in dire straits.

Xu Tiancai's heart shifted as he watched these images. When he saw images of treasure, he remembered his mission to protect the world and remained unmoved. When he saw images of power, he considered the disasters that would result from its abuse, yet remained unwavering. And when he saw images of his friends and family in distress, although he was distraught, he knew this was a test and couldn't be deceived by appearances, so he remained calm.

Agang, looking at the treasure image, a flicker of desire flashed in his eyes, but he quickly gripped his battle axe, mindful that wealth wouldn't let him lose himself. Lin, faced with temptation, remembered the purity of elemental power, which couldn't be tainted by worldly things. A mysterious figure, in a scene of power, recalled the consequences of the misuse of dark power and remained steadfast in his heart. The Ice Princess, watching her loved ones suffer, though tears welled in her eyes, knew it was false and couldn't be deceived.

The old man, watching everyone pass the test of character, smiled with satisfaction. "Your determination is commendable. This final stage is a test of your wisdom." A vast maze appeared within the cave, its walls engraved with puzzles and traps. "You must complete the maze within the allotted time, solving the puzzles along the way and triggering all the traps," the old man said, handing them an hourglass, the sand of which began to slowly trickle down.

Xu Tiancai and the others entered the maze without hesitation. A mysterious mist filled the maze, making it difficult to discern their direction. They followed a passage and soon encountered their first puzzle. It was a complex pattern, with various symbols and lines, seemingly concealing a pattern. Lin examined the pattern closely, noting that the lines resembled the flow of elemental forces. She tried to interpret the pattern according to the principles of mutual generation and mutual restraint of elemental forces. After some thought, she found the answer and triggered a nearby mechanism, opening a new path in the passage ahead.

Continuing forward, they encountered a trap. There were many movable stone slabs on the ground, each etched with different numbers. On the wall nearby was a note: "Only step on the slab with the correct number to pass safely. Stepping on the wrong one will trigger an attack." A mysterious figure carefully studied the instructions and discovered a correlation between the numbers and the rune code of the dark power. After calculations, he found the correct number and led everyone safely through the stone slab area.

Deep within the maze, they encountered another puzzle that required collaboration. The puzzle consisted of a large circular platform with five recesses, each surrounded by a different pattern and symbol. A-Gang discovered that these patterns and symbols corresponded to the weapons and powers of the five of them. They each stood in front of their corresponding recess and injected their own power into it. Xu Tiancai injected the light of the artifact, A-Gang used the power of his battle axe, Lin mobilized the power of the elements, the mysterious figure unleashed the power of darkness, and the Ice Princess unleashed the magic of ice. When the five forces were injected simultaneously, the platform emitted a dazzling light, the entire maze began to vibrate violently, all the passages illuminated, and a path to the exit appeared before them.

They quickly ran towards the exit, and just as the sand in the hourglass was about to run out, they successfully walked out of the maze. The old man reappeared, smiling and saying, "You have passed all the tests. The treasure in the treasure box is yours." Xu Tiancai stepped onto the stone platform and opened the treasure box. Inside was a crystal-clear bead, imbued with powerful energy, as if it was one of the sources of this world's power.

Just as they were about to examine the beads, the cave suddenly began to shake violently, and cracks began to appear in the surrounding walls. "Oh no! This place is going to collapse! We have to leave!" Xu Tiancai shouted. They ran towards the stone gate, but it began to close in the shaking. They sped up, rushing out just as the gate was about to close completely.

As they emerged from the stone gate, they discovered that the entire Cloudy Mountain was in turmoil. Clouds and mist swirled, thunder roared, as if a greater force was awakening. "It seems the appearance of this bead has caused quite a stir. We need to find a safe place to study it," Lin said.

They raced down the mountain path, encountering numerous dangers posed by the unrest: tumbling boulders, collapsing mountainsides, and mysterious currents of energy surging from the ground. A-Gang led the way, smashing boulders with his battle axe; Lin channeled elemental power to stabilize the mountain; the mysterious figure and the Ice Princess assisted in avoiding the energy currents. Xu Tiancai clutched the bead tightly, sensing its energy fluctuations and trying to find a way to stabilize it.

After finally reaching the foot of the mountain, they discovered that the once peaceful base had become fraught with danger. Numerous ferocious beasts appeared from the surrounding woods, seemingly affected by the turbulence of the mountain, becoming incredibly violent. The beasts charged towards them, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

Xu Tiancai and the others immediately took up their positions, preparing for a new battle. Agang swung his battle axe, slashing at a massive bear-like monster. The axe clashed with the monster's fur, making a dull sound. Lin cast elemental magic, summoning vines to bind some smaller monsters, then attacking them with fireballs. A mysterious figure channeled dark power into black tentacles, entangling some flying monsters and pulling them to the ground. The Ice Princess swung her wand, creating an ice cage that trapped a group of monsters before blasting them with ice spikes.

During the battle with the monsters, Xu Tiancai discovered that they seemed to be moving around a central point. He suspected that a more powerful monster might be commanding them. He urged everyone to observe carefully and search for the leader. After a fierce battle, they discovered a massive black panther-like monster hidden deep in the woods. It exuded a powerful aura, and its eyes were full of...