Rebirth of the Scumbag and the Retribution of the White Lotus

Under the intense impact, the shadow gradually regained its original form. The intense dark force swept over the surroundings like a flood, instantly distorting the surrounding space. A heavy sense of oppression filled the air, as if it would be swallowed by this force at any moment.

Zhao Shufang gripped the whisk tightly in her hand, her eyes determined, but a hint of worry lingered in her heart: "Yunxiao, can we really break it? This power... is too strong."

Yunxiao's brow furrowed, his gaze fixed on the shadow. "If we don't destroy it, the entire continent will be plunged into endless darkness. We have no choice." His voice was low and firm, as if he had made some kind of decision.

"I know." Zhao Shufang nodded. Although she was still a little afraid, she understood that determination at this moment was more important than ever.

Lu Lingyuan stood beside them, his sword trembling slightly, his eyes gleaming with fighting spirit. "As long as the three of us work together, we can definitely break it!"

Yun Xiao looked at Lu Lingyuan deeply, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes, but he didn't speak immediately. Instead, he whispered, "We must be more careful in the next battle. This shadow is different from the previous enemies. It's not only powerful, but also a creature that has been strengthened by the formation. The source of its energy is almost impossible to destroy."

Lu Lingyuan and Zhao Shufang's hearts sank upon hearing this, but they didn't retreat. The shadow gradually grew more solid, and the air around it began to stagnate, as if being firmly bound by some invisible force.

"Then we must not retreat!" Zhao Shufang said word by word, then she nodded at Yunxiao, signaling him to continue.

Yunxiao's gaze sharpened once more, and he suddenly cast a spell. The spell spun rapidly, forming a white circle of light in the air. Within the circle of light, a huge shadow could be vaguely seen, seemingly a mysterious phoenix spreading its wings, ready to take flight.

"What is this...?" Zhao Shufang was stunned for a moment and quickly turned to look at Yunxiao.

"This is a formation I used to protect myself, the Phoenix Fire Divine Formation," Yunxiao explained. "It can utilize the vital energy in my body to form a powerful attack force, and it can also resist the invasion of dark energy."

Seeing this, Lu Lingyuan showed a hint of admiration in his eyes: "I didn't expect that Yunxiao you actually have such a trump card."

Yunxiao didn't respond, but silently adjusted his state, further converging the surrounding spiritual energy into the talisman. The power of the talisman grew stronger, and the edge of the light circle began to shimmer with golden light. A mysterious aura spread, gradually surrounding the black shadow.

"Now, start!" Yunxiao gave the order.

"Phoenix Fire Divine Formation!" As he shouted, the circle of light instantly expanded and turned into a huge pillar of flame, blasting straight towards the black shadow.

However, the black shadow seemed to be prepared. In an instant, an extremely strong counterattack force emanated from the surrounding black fog. The black light surged out like a tide, swallowing up the flame beam without a trace.

"Its defense is too strong!" Zhao Shufang exclaimed, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. Although her magic was also extremely powerful, it seemed unable to withstand the force of darkness.

"It's okay," Yun Xiao said calmly. "Although its defense is strong, it's not invulnerable. As long as we can find its weakness, we can break through it in one fell swoop."

While resisting the counterattack of the dark power, Lu Lingyuan frowned and said, "Weakness? It seems that it doesn't need weaknesses. It just needs to keep devouring our strength. If we continue like this, I'm afraid it will consume us completely sooner or later!"

Yunxiao took a deep breath and stared at the shadow's movements, a cold glint in his eyes. "If we can't find its weakness, then we can only force it to reveal its true form. The power of darkness is constantly devouring, but it also has a limit. If we can force its core strength to be released, it will be vulnerable."

Zhao Shufang nodded: "You are right, we can't passively defend, we must take the initiative to attack!"

"Alright!" Lu Lingyuan roared, instantly swinging his sword with lightning speed. Sword energy surged, and streaks of cold light fiercely slashed at the shadow. His attack didn't directly strike the shadow, but rather deliberately forced it to react, creating more openings for attack.

Yunxiao's eyes lit up, and he quickly coordinated with Lu Lingyuan's attack, casting another spell—the "Sky-Breaking Talisman." The spell spun rapidly in the air, instantly transforming into a sharp beam of light that fiercely pierced the core of the black shadow.

The black shadow felt threatened and suddenly let out an earth-shaking roar. His whole body suddenly swelled up, black mist scattered, and the strong black energy fluctuations caused the surrounding space to begin to collapse.

"Everyone be careful!" Zhao Shufang shouted hurriedly, holding Yunxiao and Lu Lingyuan tightly, preparing to cast a protective formation.

But at this moment, the black shadow's body suddenly shook violently, and a black light began to flicker violently, as if responding to Yun Xiao and Lu Lingyuan's attacks. This was followed by an even more violent energy surge than before, instantly suffocating the three of them.

"It... it is increasing its power!" Yunxiao's eyes showed a hint of surprise, and he quickly adjusted the spiritual power in his body, trying to block the gradually expanding dark power.

"If we continue like this, I'm afraid we won't even have a chance to resist!" Lu Lingyuan's voice was filled with anxiety. "We must find a breakthrough!"

"Breakthrough?" Yun Xiao was stunned, and suddenly seemed to think of something. He looked up suddenly, and a look of determination flashed in his eyes. "I know!"

Zhao Shufang looked at Yunxiao in confusion: "What did you know?"

"This dark power is not without a source, but rather originates from a black crystal core within its body. We must destroy that crystal core as soon as possible to completely eliminate this dark power!"

A glint flashed in Lu Lingyuan's eyes: "Crystal core... I understand! Yunxiao, guide us, quickly!"

Yunxiao took a deep breath, his eyes focused. "I need you to disperse your attacks and try to hold it back. I need to concentrate all my strength to find the location of that crystal core!"

"Okay!" Zhao Shufang and Lu Lingyuan agreed without hesitation, and then each cast a spell, launching a fierce attack on the black shadow. At the same time, Yunxiao quickly gathered his strength, looking for that crucial blow.

The shadow let out a deafening roar, and a fierce black light shot up into the sky again, nearly engulfing the entire space. But at this moment, Yunxiao finally aimed at the location of the black crystal core.