The genius who counterattacked the mainland

Stepping through the stone gate, Xu Tiancai felt a soft force envelop his entire body. When the light faded, they found themselves in a dreamlike place. The surrounding mist resembled materialized milk, thick and ethereal. Wisps of celestial music seemed to drift from the depths of his soul, stirring the spiritual energy within him to a subtle tremor.

Underfoot lay a jade floor radiating a warm glow. Each piece of jade was carved with intricate, ancient patterns, as if telling the vicissitudes of the past. A faint glow flowed through the patterns, winding along with the people's footsteps, as if guiding them. Ah Gang leaned over to take a closer look and exclaimed, "This jade seems to contain endless spiritual essence. Just touching it like this makes my fighting spirit more active!"

They followed the lines, and soon the mist dissipated, revealing a grand, ancient temple. Constructed entirely of dark black stone, the stone was dotted with stars, as if reflecting the vast night sky. The temple's gates towered, flanked by majestic carvings of the mythical Qilin. Its eyes, seemingly alive, flickered with a subtle light, exuding an ancient, imposing presence, as if scrutinizing those who came.

Xu Tiancai stepped forward, attempting to push open the hall's doors. As his hands touched the panel, the runes illuminated instantly, the light spreading like ripples. The door slowly swung open, and a powerful spiritual pressure washed over them. Everyone hurriedly channeled their spiritual energy to resist it. Inside, the hall was empty, save for a central stone platform. A crystal-clear spiritual pearl hovered on top of it. Within it, a galaxy swirled, its radiant light slightly distorting the surrounding space.

"Could this be the legendary Spiritual Pearl, capable of helping practitioners break through bottlenecks and refine their spiritual foundations?" Su Yao exclaimed, her eyes filled with surprise and excitement. But before anyone could approach, several ghostly shadows suddenly emerged from the ground, shrouded in a black mist, revealing sharp fangs and claws. "Hmph, intruders, don't even think about getting your hands on the Spiritual Pearl!" The leading shadow roared sinisterly and pounced on the group like lightning.

Xu Tiancai charged forward, his Star Sword slicing through the shadow, only to seem mired in a quagmire, its blade entangled in a strange mist, its spiritual energy stunted. Lin swung his staff, sending wind blades whistling out, only to be ripped apart by the shadow's bare hands, disintegrating into scattered fragments. Seeing this, Agang roared, channeling his fighting spirit into his axe, swinging it in a circle towards the shadow. The shadow dodged sideways, then clawed at Agang's shoulder, leaving several bloody marks.

The Ice Princess tapped her jade hand, and icy spikes rose from the ground, trapping the black figure's legs. However, the surrounding black mist rippled, instantly shattering the spikes. Su Yao's piano notes swiftly played, the sound waves transforming into sharp blades to slice through the black figure. Though hampered, the figure struggled to reach the stone platform. Seeing this, Xu Tiancai closed his eyes and focused, channeling the power of the stars. In an instant, the sword's starlight shone brightly, freeing it from the mist. He shouted, "Shine the stars!" Several sword shadows streaked across like meteors, slicing through the black figure's body. The figure let out a shrill scream before dissipating in smoke.

However, just as the shadows dissipated, light flickered at the four corners of the temple, and four ancient statues slowly revived. The statues resembled humans, with three heads and six arms, and each arm held a different magic weapon, either a flaming whip, an ice blade, or a giant thunder pestle. They exuded a powerful aura and attacked everyone together. A more difficult battle began in this mysterious temple. Everyone stood back to back, with their spiritual power running to the extreme, ready to meet the surging offensive and explore the secret opportunities and unknown crises hidden behind the spirit beads.