The genius who counterattacked the mainland

They shuttled through the forest, destroying the runes on the trees. Every time they destroyed a rune, the surrounding vines would collapse, and the forest seemed to tremble slightly, like an enraged beast struggling in pain.

Agang swung his axe with a surge of power, slashing at the tree trunk. Wood chips flew like frightened butterflies in the thick mist. The flames from the axe seared the tree trunk, causing the runes' light to flicker. "See what you can do!" Agang roared, veins bulging on his forehead. His armor shone with a golden light in the battle, a symbol of courage that dispelled the surrounding haze.

Lin unleashed elemental magic, her figure shimmering like an elf amidst a riot of vibrant light. Under her command, the wind elemental formed sharp blades, whistling and slicing at the branches, snapping those that attempted to strike. Earth elemental surged from the ground, transforming into massive stone fists that slammed into the roots of the trees. Each impact shook the earth, and the roots gradually loosened under the impact, revealing the intricate web of roots entwined beneath the ground. Beads of sweat covered Lin's forehead, but her gaze remained resolute, fixed on the runes, searching for the perfect moment to strike.

A mysterious figure, his black robes fluttering, moved through the trees like a shadowy ghost. Dark power transformed into black threads in his hands, seemingly alive, climbing along the tree trunks and entwining around the runes. The mysterious figure muttered an ancient incantation, echoing through the forest. As the incantation continued, the light of the runes began to be eroded by the dark power, gradually dimming. His figure was barely visible beneath his black robes, only his eyes gleaming sharply in the darkness, ever alert to any new dangers around him.

The Ice Princess waved her wand, and the power of ice spread outward from her center. Wherever she touched, mist instantly condensed into ice crystals, and branches were covered with shimmering icicles. Vines near her were frozen into ice sculptures, shattered into powder at the slightest touch. She cast her Ice Domain, transforming an area into a world of ice and snow, a world where she reigned supreme. An ice castle rose from the snow, its spires shooting out countless icicles like sharp arrows at the tree trunk where the rune was located. Each icicle contained immense force, shattering the trunk with holes.

Xu Tiancai wielded a longsword and a gem, the power of the artifact and the sword fused together as he streaked through the forest like a meteor. Each swing of his sword landed precisely on the rune, its multicolored light intertwining with arcs of silver, leaving deep scars on the tree trunks. The gem's iridescent light enveloped him, guiding him to the rune's location and keeping him from getting lost in the misty forest. His gaze was focused and calm, constantly alert to changes in his surroundings, reacting swiftly to any anomaly.

As more and more runes were destroyed, the fog in the forest began to dissipate, revealing the dangers that had been hidden within. Besides vines and attacking trees, they discovered hidden traps within the forest. In some places, the ground appeared flat, but in reality, it was a soft swamp that would quickly devour anyone trapped. In others, there were hidden spike traps, spikes coated with an unknown venom that emitted a pungent smell. In others, there were massive traps resembling animal traps, their sharp teeth gleaming coldly, as if they could easily crush anything.

"Everyone, be careful! There are traps everywhere," Xu Tiancai warned. He used the power of the artifact to probe the ground ahead. The light from the artifact swept across the ground, revealing any hidden traps.

Agang walked ahead, tapping the ground with his tomahawk, judging by the sound to detect traps. He took each step cautiously, the flame from his tomahawk illuminating a small area around him. When he reached what looked like grass, the sound of the tomahawk hitting the ground became muffled. "There's something wrong here!" He stopped and looked closely, noticing slight ripples beneath the grass, as if something was moving.

Lin cast earth magic, causing a small patch of ground to rise, revealing the trap below. It turned out to be a massive swamp, its black mud churning and emitting a foul stench. There were also some bones in the swamp, clearly left behind by creatures that had fallen into it before. "That was a close call. If I hadn't fallen in, I'd be in trouble," Lin frowned.

The mysterious figure used his cloak's spatial ability to traverse the forest, searching for other traps. He discovered a spike trap, densely packed with spikes jutting from the ground. The venom on these spikes shimmered eerily in the sunlight, as if proclaiming their deadly power. Using dark power, the mysterious figure placed a warning sign around the spikes, alerting everyone to its presence.

The Ice Princess used her ice power to create a layer of ice on the ground, covering some suspicious areas and temporarily freezing the traps. Her ice perception ability allowed her to detect the dangers hidden under the ground, and in this way, she opened a relatively safe path for everyone.

However, the dangers in the forest did not stop there. As they continued to move forward, they suddenly heard a low roar. This roar seemed to come from the depths of the forest, with a majesty and anger that made the entire forest tremble.

"What is this thing again?" A Gang gripped his battle axe tightly and looked vigilantly in the direction where the sound came from.

As the roar grew closer, they saw a massive beast burst out of the woods. It was enormous, tens of meters tall, a cross between a lion and a tiger. Its fur was a dazzling array of colors, each hair as hard as steel needles. Its eyes, like two enormous lanterns, gleamed with a fierce gleam. Its bloody mouth bared sharp fangs, and saliva dripped from them, making a sizzling sound as if it could corrode the very ground.

The beast lunged at them, lightning-fast. Agang met it without hesitation, swinging his axe, the flames burning even more fiercely. "Flame Slash!" Agang roared, and with immense force, he slashed at the beast with his axe. The axe collided with the beast's claws, sending up a shower of dazzling sparks. Agang felt as if he had struck a massive mountain of steel. The powerful reaction sent him sliding back several meters, his feet leaving deep marks on the ground.

Lin cast elemental magic, summoning a massive waterspout. It swept toward the beast, its powerful impact attempting to trap it. But the beast simply flicked its claws, scattering the waterspout. Water droplets fell everywhere, like a torrential rain. Undeterred, Lin cast another spell, this time combining wind and earth. The gusts of wind carried huge rocks, which pelted the beast. The beast roared in anger, but sustained no significant damage.

The mysterious figure intensified his dark power to its fullest, his black robe bulging under its influence. With a wave of his hands, the dark power transformed into countless black bats, which flew towards the beast. These black bats swarmed around the beast, attacking its eyes and ears, attempting to disrupt its senses. The beast, irritated by the harassment, shook its head vigorously and swatted at the bats with its claws. However, the sheer number of black bats overwhelmed the beast.

The Ice Princess waved her wand, and the power of ice gathered around her. She unleashed an upgraded version of her Ice Domain, rapidly freezing everything around her. The trees, flowers, and even the very air in the forest were frozen solid. The beast's limbs were coated in ice, slowing its movements. Seizing the opportunity, the Ice Princess commanded the spires of her Ice Castle to fire even more powerful cones of ice. These cones shot towards the beast's body, attempting to pierce it.

Xu Tiancai seized the opportunity, longsword and gem in hand, and rushed towards the beast. The power of the artifact and the longsword merged, and his body radiated a brilliant multicolored light and silver arcs. The moment he approached the beast, he leaped high and stabbed it in the head. The tip of the longsword flashed with dazzling light, like the brightest star in the night sky. The beast sensed Xu Tiancai's attack and tried to block it with its claws. But Xu Tiancai was too fast, and his longsword pierced the beast's shoulder. Blood gushed from the wound, staining the surrounding ice red.

The beast, severely wounded, became even more ferocious. It struggled to break free from the ice and lunged at the group once more. Its attacks became even more ferocious, each swipe of its claws carrying immense force, making it difficult to resist.

"Everyone be careful, this beast has gone mad!" Xu Tiancai shouted. He and his companions once again took up their positions, ready to face the beast's even more frenzied attack.

Agang steadied himself, took a deep breath, and once again channeled all his strength into his battle axe. This time, not only was his battle axe ablaze with flames, but a mysterious power surged within it. This power, acquired from previous battles, combined with the power of his armor, boosted his offensive power to a new level. "Super Flame Slash!" Agang roared, charging at the beast. The battle axe collided with the beast once again, this time slicing through its fur, leaving a deep wound.

Lin concentrated her mind, merging all the elemental forces into a massive shield. The shield radiated a dazzling, multicolored light, enveloping everyone within. Simultaneously, she channeled some of the shield's power into a rain of elemental arrows, unleashing them towards the beast. The arrows rained down like a dense, continuous stream, pelting the beast. Although each arrow dealt little damage, the cumulative damage from the numerous arrows was overwhelming.

The mysterious figure merged the power of darkness with the surrounding shadows, his form becoming even more ethereal. Using his cloak's spatial ability, he moved around the beast, searching for its weaknesses. During one of his attempts, he discovered an unprotected area on the beast's belly. The skin there was a dark red, suggesting its weak spot. "Attack its belly!" the mysterious figure shouted.

After hearing the mysterious figure's words, the Ice Princess adjusted the direction of her ice power. She directed the spires of her ice castle to shoot icicles at the beast's belly. At the same time, she used her ice power to create more ice layers under the beast's feet, trying to restrict its movements and allow the icicles to hit the target more accurately.

Xu Tiancai charged at the beast again, this time aiming for its belly. He unleashed the full power of his artifact and sword, mingling multicolored light and silver arcs into a powerful wave of attack. He glided swiftly across the ice created by the Ice Princess, dashing toward the beast like lightning. As he neared the beast, he unleashed his attack wave into its belly.

The beast sensed danger and tried to protect its abdomen with its claws. However, its movements were already restrained by the Ice Princess, making them somewhat slow. Xu Tiancai's attack wave successfully struck the beast's abdomen, causing it to let out a shrill cry. The attack wave tore a large hole in its abdomen, and blood and internal organs flowed out of the wound.

The beast suffered a fatal blow, but it still struggled to its last. It used up its last bit of strength and lunged at Xu Tiancai. Xu Tiancai quickly dodged, but the beast's claws still scratched his arm. Seeing Xu Tiancai injured, Ah Gang swung his battle axe in anger and struck the beast's head. The battle axe chopped off the beast's head, and its massive body fell to the ground with a thud, shaking the ground slightly.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but they were all injured to varying degrees. Agang had some scratches on his body, Lin's magic power was over-depleted and his face was pale, the mysterious figure's black robe was also damaged in several places, the Ice Princess's magic power was also greatly depleted, and Xu Tiancai's arm was seriously injured and bleeding continuously.

"Everyone, take a break and treat your wounds," Xu Tiancai said. They found a relatively safe place in the forest and began to treat their injuries.