The genius who counterattacked the mainland

Xu Tiancai stared at the crystal ball in his hand, which glowed even brighter, and a bold idea came to his mind. Since this crystal ball was the key to sealing the dark forces, perhaps it itself had the ability to restrain these dark creatures.

"Everyone, come closer to me! This crystal ball might be able to help us," Xu Tiancai shouted. Gang, Lin, the mysterious figure, and the Ice Princess quickly moved toward him, forming a tight defensive circle.

The light from the crystal ball was like a miniature sun, illuminating the entire cave. The dark creatures that had been charging forward let out painful howls the moment the light touched them. Their bodies seemed to be burning, emitting black smoke and their movements becoming sluggish.

"It really works!" Lin said in surprise.

"But this isn't a long-term solution. We need to find a way to completely eliminate them as soon as possible." Xu Tiancai frowned. He could sense that while the crystal ball's power could restrain the dark creatures, it also consumed them immensely. If the battle wasn't ended quickly, and the crystal ball's power was depleted, they would be in dire straits once again.

The mysterious figure gazed at the holes still gushing out dark creatures, his gaze deep and calm beneath his black robe. "These holes appear to be emitting some kind of energy, supporting the emergence of dark creatures. We must find and destroy this energy source."

The Ice Princess waved her wand, and a beam of ice shot toward a cave entrance, freezing the dark creatures surrounding it. "I'll try to use the power of ice to probe the inside of the cave." She concentrated, attempting to connect with the cave entrance through the ice beam and sense the energy fluctuations within.

Ah Gang stood in front of the group, his axe ablaze with flames, ready to repel any approaching dark creatures. "Hurry up and find a way, these guys are getting more and more!" He swung his axe, slicing several dark bats in half.

Lin closed her eyes and, using the enhanced perception of her helmet, carefully felt the flow of energy within the cave. She discovered that the energy surrounding the cave entrances was distorted, intertwined with the aura of the dark creatures. "I sense that each cave entrance has a dark energy node. Destroying these nodes might prevent the dark creatures from appearing."

Xu Tiancai stared at the crystal ball and came up with a plan. "I'll use the crystal ball's light to temporarily suppress the dark creatures. You guys take this opportunity to attack the energy node at the cave entrance."

As he spoke, Xu Tiancai raised the crystal ball high. It released an even more powerful light, a beam that shot towards the top of the cave before scattering and enveloping the entire space. Under the light, the dark creatures struggled in agony, and some even began to dissipate.

Agang, Lin, the mysterious figure, and the Ice Princess seized the opportunity and rushed towards their respective cave entrances. Agang swung his battle axe, its power resonating with the runes on his armor. He slashed at the cave entrance with all his might, sending a powerful wave of force crashing through it, cracking the surrounding rock. Lin unleashed elemental magic, merging the four elements of wind, fire, water, and earth into a multicolored beam of energy, which she fired towards the energy node at the cave entrance. The moment the beam made contact with the node, a violent energy explosion erupted, sending the dark creatures at the entrance flying in the aftermath.

The mysterious figure formed hand seals, and the dark force gathered in his hands into a black sphere. He muttered something, then threw the black sphere toward the cave entrance. As it flew, the sphere continuously absorbed the surrounding dark energy. As it approached the cave entrance, it suddenly exploded, and the powerful dark force attacked the energy nodes at the cave entrance, attempting to destroy them. The Ice Princess used her wand to draw a complex ice magic circle on the ground, then injected her magic power into it. The magic circle emitted a dazzling blue light, and a huge ice spire rose from the magic circle. The ice spire flew toward the cave entrance, and the tip of the spire fiercely pierced the energy node, freezing the dark energy around it.

Under the crowd's attack, some of the energy nodes at the cave entrance began to loosen. But the dark creatures seemed to sense their intentions and began to attack more frantically. The larger dark wolves and dark snakes pounced on the people attacking the energy nodes, trying to stop them from continuing.

Surrounded by several dark wolves, Agang roared, his armor gleaming brightly. He swung his axe, engaging the wolves in a fierce battle. Each swing of his axe inflicted deep wounds, but the wolves' attacks were equally ferocious, their claws streaking sparks across his armor. Lin, besieged by a swarm of dark bats and snakes, cast an elemental shield, summoning vines and flames to attack. However, the dark creatures were too numerous, and the shield, under constant attack, began to crack.

The mysterious figure was distracted by the dark creatures' attacks, and the effectiveness of his dark power against the energy node at the cave entrance was greatly reduced. With a wave of his black robe, the dark power transformed into a black blade, slaying the approaching dark creatures, but more dark creatures surged forward. The Ice Princess's ice spire was struck by the dark creatures while attacking the energy node, cracks appearing on the spire and the ice power was steadily depleted.

Xu Tiancai saw his companions trapped, his heart aching. He knew that if he couldn't quickly defeat these dark creatures, they would all perish. He concentrated, channeling his soul power into the crystal ball, attempting to amplify its light. The crystal ball sensed his power, its light becoming even brighter, and the previously suppressed dark creatures were once again severely damaged.

"Everyone, hold on!" Xu Tiancai shouted. He held the crystal ball in one hand, his sword in the other, and charged towards his companions, who were surrounded by the dark creatures. He swung his sword, the power of the artifact blending with the sword's. Each strike slew a swath of dark creatures. Colorful lights and arcs of silver light flickered among the swarm of dark creatures, clearing a path for his companions.

With Xu Tiancai's support, the pressure on everyone eased slightly. They regrouped and continued their attack on the energy node at the cave entrance. Agang broke free from the dark wolves' encirclement and rushed toward the cave entrance, the flames on his battle axe burning even more fiercely. He leaped high and slashed down fiercely at the energy node. This time, the axe's attack caused noticeable cracks in the energy node. Lin also unleashed her strongest elemental magic, converging all elemental forces into a massive energy ball. She threw the energy ball at the energy node at the cave entrance, and the moment it made contact with the node, it exploded. The powerful force blew up the cave entrance and collapsed the energy node.

The mysterious figure and the Ice Princess also launched attacks at the same time, their forces coordinating with each other to successfully destroy the energy nodes at the cave entrances they were responsible for. As the energy nodes were destroyed one by one, the number of dark creatures gradually decreased, and their attacks became weaker and weaker.

Finally, the energy node at the last cave entrance was destroyed, and the remaining dark creatures completely dissipated under the light of the crystal ball. Peace returned to the cave, with only the heavy breathing of the crowd echoing in the cave.

"Finally got rid of these guys." A Gang wiped the sweat from his forehead and said tiredly.

"But we can't take it lightly. There are still many unknown dangers in this place." Xu Tiancai looked at the dim crystal ball in his hand, his heart full of worry.

After a brief rest, they continued their journey deeper into the cave. The passageway grew narrower and narrower, and the surrounding walls grew damper. Water dripped from the walls, forming small puddles on the ground. A mysterious aura permeated the passage, as if something was watching them.

Suddenly, a melodious song emanated from the front. The sound was ethereal and beautiful, drawing people in. However, Xu Tiancai and the others immediately became alert, knowing that in such a dangerous place, such beautiful singing could be a trap.

"Everyone, be careful, there's something wrong with this singing." Xu Tiancai reminded.

They cautiously walked toward the source of the singing. After turning a corner, they discovered a vast underground lake ahead. The lake's surface was as calm as a mirror, reflecting the surrounding cave walls. In the lake's center, a small island radiated a soft glow. On this island, a woman in a white gauze dress danced gracefully. Her singing emanated from this island.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" The woman stopped dancing, looked at Xu Tiancai and others, her voice as sweet as a yellow oriole.

"We are here to find a way to purify the dark forces. Who are you?" Xu Tiancai asked.

The woman smiled, her smile as bright as a spring flower. "I am the guardian of this lake, and I have guarded it for a long, long time. You must purify the dark forces, which is no easy task."

"Do you know how to purify the dark power?" Lin asked.

The woman nodded. "I know, but you'll have to pay the price."

"What's the price?" asked the mysterious figure.

"Each of you must hand over your most precious thing to me." A cunning glint flashed in the woman's eyes.

"How do we know if you are lying to us?" The Ice Princess looked at the woman suspiciously.

The woman waved her hand gently, and images appeared on the lake's surface. They showed the crystal ball purifying the dark forces, and a mysterious place that seemed to hold the key to purification. "I'm not lying to you, but if you're not willing to pay the price, you'll never be able to complete the purification."

Xu Tiancai and the others fell into deep thought. They knew they couldn't trust this woman easily, but if she really knew how to purify herself, it would be a shame to give up this opportunity.

"We can't trust her. This could be another trap." Agang whispered.

"But if we miss this opportunity, we may never find a way to purify the dark power." Lin hesitated.

"We can test her first to see what her real purpose is," suggested the mysterious figure.

Xu Tiancai nodded. "Okay, let's talk to her first and see if we can find some clues."

They walked towards the lake. As they approached the edge, the woman's smile grew even brighter. "Have you thought about it?"

"You want our most precious thing, so tell me first, how do we know whether what you want can really be exchanged for a purification method?" Xu Tiancai asked.

The woman smiled softly, and a glowing box appeared in her hand. "This box contains the key to purifying the dark forces, but I will only open it if you pay a price."

Xu Tiancai carefully observed the woman and the box in her hand, trying to find any flaws. He found that although the woman looked beautiful, her figure was somewhat illusory, as if it were not real. Moreover, there was a faint energy fluctuation around the box, which was somewhat inconsistent with the surrounding environment.

"You don't really exist, what are you?" Xu Tiancai suddenly asked.

The woman's expression changed slightly, but she quickly regained her smile. "I am the guardian of the lake. Of course I exist. Do not doubt me, or you will never complete the purification."

"Hmph, we won't be fooled by you." A Gang waved his battle axe and protested towards the woman.

A flash of anger flashed in the woman's eyes. With a wave of her hand, the water in the lake began to churn. Huge waves surged towards the crowd, and dark shadows seemed to be hidden in the waves. These shadows shuttled through the waves, emitting a dangerous aura.

"If you don't accept my toast, don't blame me for being rude!" The woman's voice became sharp.

Xu Tiancai and others quickly retreated to avoid the attack of the waves. A Gang stood in the front, he used his battle axe to split the waves, but the waves kept coming, and his strength was gradually consumed. Lin cast elemental magic, trying to use earth elements to build an earth wall to block the waves, but the earth wall was quickly washed away by the impact of the waves. The mysterious figure used the space-travel ability of his cloak to avoid the attack of the black shadow in the waves, but the black shadow was very fast and he was a little overwhelmed. The Ice Princess used the power of ice to create a layer of ice around her, but the ice began to melt under the high temperature of the waves.