I dominated the game from the start with cards.

Ye Ling's consciousness wavered amidst the excruciating pain, and Elder Ling's words pierced his mind like lightning: "Dark spirits are difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion. Their defenses are closely related to their energy source. Only by finding the source can their defenses be broken..." Energy source!

Ye Ling suddenly awoke, his gaze fixed on the pulsating dark red gem on Dark Soul's chest. The eerie pulse beat rhythmically like a heart, radiating a chilling energy.

Could it be... that's the energy source of the Dark Soul? "Shu Yao, Qing Yue..." Ye Ling's voice was hoarse and weak, but it carried an undeniable firmness, "Attract her attention to that gem..." Although Shu Yao and Qing Yue didn't understand, they knew that this was not the time to hesitate.

Qingyue took a deep breath, and a card crackling with electricity appeared in her hand. "Thunder Flash!" A blinding bolt of lightning shot straight at Dark Soul, forcing her to dodge to the side.

Shu Yao followed closely behind, her card transforming into a healing green light, but instead of using it for healing, she transformed it into sharp energy blades that attacked Dark Soul.

Disrupted by the sudden attack from the two, Dark Soul let out a sharp shriek. Dark energy surged around her, forming a barrier that blocked Qingyue's lightning and Shuyao's light blade. However, this was exactly what Ye Ling wanted.

While dodging Dark Soul's occasional counterattacks, he stealthily circled behind Dark Soul. His steps were light, as silent as a ghost. Closer! Ye Ling's heart pounded violently. He gripped a treasured card tightly in his hand, feeling the powerful force contained within it.

When he finally reached Dark Soul's back, only a step away from the dark red gem, he threw the card without hesitation! The card spun in the air, transforming into a gleaming spirit blade that pierced straight at Dark Soul's chest! However, just as the spirit blade was about to touch the gem, Dark Soul's body suddenly became illusory, dissipating like mist.

The spirit blade pierced right through her body, causing no harm. Dark Soul's cold laughter rang in Ye Ling's ears, like a ghostly whisper: "Foolish human, did you think I would let you succeed so easily?" Ye Ling's heart sank; he knew he'd been tricked.

Just as his attack missed due to distraction, Dark Soul's figure solidified again, appearing behind him. She extended her sharp claws and struck Ye Ling hard in the abdomen.

"Ugh..." Ye Ling groaned and bent over in pain. He felt as if his internal organs were being churned up, and a sharp pain struck him so hard that he could barely stand.

A cruel smile curled at the corner of Dark Soul's lips. "It's over..." A wave of excruciating pain washed over Ye Ling, who groaned and curled up uncontrollably. Dark Soul's claws, like branding irons, left a deep, bone-revealing wound on his abdomen.

A burning, tearing sensation mixed with a burning feeling made his vision go black for a moment, almost causing him to faint. His stomach churned with acidic liquid, and he clenched his teeth to keep from vomiting. Cold sweat soaked his clothes, clinging to his skin and bringing a chilling sensation.

"It's over..." Dark Soul's voice was like a death knell from hell. In her eyes, Ye Ling was at his last gasp. She slowly raised her hand, her jet-black nails gleaming with a cold light, preparing to deliver the final blow to Ye Ling.

At this critical moment, a flash of silver light appeared. Qingyue pounced from the side, her sword imbued with the purifying power unique to the Spirit Clan, and slashed fiercely at Anhun. Anhun's defense had been impenetrable before, but now, due to being distracted by attacking Ye Ling, a slight opening appeared in his defense.

Qingyue's sword tip precisely sliced ​​through Anhun's arm, leaving a deep wound that exposed bone.

"Ah!" Dark Soul let out a shrill scream as dark green blood gushed from her wound, emitting a nauseating stench. A look of disbelief flashed in her eyes; she never imagined that this seemingly frail spirit girl could actually injure her. This sudden turn of events gave Ye Ling a chance to catch his breath.

He clutched his stomach and struggled to his feet. Through his blurred vision, he saw Shu Yao standing beside him, a card emitting a soft green light in her hand continuously healing his wounds.

The warm energy flowed into his body, relieving his pain and gradually restoring some of his strength.

Dark Soul clutched her wound, her eyes filled with anger and resentment. She never imagined she would be hurt by these ant-like humans.

"You... all deserve to die!" she roared hysterically, and the dark energy around her began to fluctuate violently, like a volcano about to erupt.

The dissipated black mist coalesced once more. This time, instead of drifting aimlessly, it surged madly towards Dark Soul as if summoned by some unseen force. Dark Soul's body began to swell, her skin turning an eerie deep purple, covered with twisted patterns.

Her eyes turned blood red, radiating a chilling, menacing light.

A powerful pressure emanated from Dark Soul, making it almost impossible for Ye Ling and the others to breathe.

To their horror, they discovered that Dark Soul's power was growing at an astonishing rate. Their previous attacks were like scratching an itch through a boot, but now, the aura she exuded was several times stronger than before.

Ye Ling swallowed hard, knowing they were about to face an even more brutal battle. He looked at Shu Yao and Qing Yue, his eyes filled with determination, "Prepare..." He paused, gripping the card in his hand tightly, "Let's fight!" After being injured, Dark Soul's rage poured out like a flood.

She roared to the sky, her voice sharp and piercing, shaking the surrounding trees.

The black mist churned like boiling asphalt, from which countless menacing dark spirits emerged, emitting silent roars that carried a suffocating sense of oppression. These spirits surged towards Dark Soul like moths to a flame, merging into her body.

Dark Soul's body swelled at a visible speed, her skin turning a nauseating deep purple, covered with pulsating black lines, as if countless venomous snakes were writhing inside her.

Her power was rapidly increasing, the oppressive aura emanating from her like a mountain crashing down, making it almost impossible for Ye Ling and the others to breathe. "Damn it! Her power has increased several times over!" Qingyue gritted her teeth, her sword humming, a faint silver light swirling around its blade—the purifying power of the Spirit Clan. Ye Ling clutched his abdomen, a sharp pain shooting through his wound. He tried using cards, but found the effect negligible, like water sinking into the sea. His previous attacks were like a tickle to the current Dark Soul. Despair washed over him, but he knew he couldn't give up. Shu Yao looked at the injured Ye Ling, her heart filled with heartache.

She rushed to Ye Ling's side despite the danger and hugged him tightly. Her body was soft and warm, and Ye Ling could smell the faint herbal scent on her, the smell of her usual healing medicine.

"Ye Ling, let's think of a solution together. I won't let anything happen to you," Shu Yao whispered in Ye Ling's ear. Her voice was full of firmness and affection, giving Ye Ling great comfort and courage.

Ye Ling hugged Shu Yao back, feeling her warm body temperature, and a warm current surged in his heart.

He recalled the dangers he had faced with Qingyue and Shuyao, from their initial fear and helplessness to their current camaraderie; a deep bond had formed between them. He knew they couldn't give up, for each other and for this precarious world.

He silently vowed to find the Dark Soul's weakness and protect his companions. The Dark Soul's attacks grew increasingly fierce, the black mist sweeping in like a giant wave, carrying the power to destroy everything. Ye Ling and the others struggled to hold on, but gradually felt their strength waning.

At this critical moment, Elder Ling's voice suddenly rang in Ye Ling's mind: "The Dark Soul's weakness lies deep within her soul. Only by finding the entrance to her soul can you truly defeat her." Ye Ling's heart trembled. The entrance to her soul? How could they find it? And before that, how could they withstand the Dark Soul's increasingly fierce attacks? He looked up at the Dark Soul's ferocious face and those blood-red eyes filled with murderous intent, his heart filled with a sense of powerlessness... "Concentrate your mind, sense..." Elder Ling's voice rang out again, but then abruptly stopped.

The thick black fog almost completely blocked out all light, and the chilling aura clung to Ye Ling like a bone-deep infection.

He felt waves of throbbing pain in his abdominal wound, and Shu Yao's warm embrace seemed like a thin film, impossible to truly touch. The shadow of death loomed over him, but he felt no fear. He remembered the first time he met Shu Yao, how she gently healed his wounds and dispelled the fear in his heart; he remembered fighting side by side with Qing Yue, her cheerful laughter dispelling the tension of battle; he remembered the joy of escaping danger and surviving each ordeal.

These precious memories, like twinkling stars in the night sky, illuminated his path forward. He couldn't fall; he still had to protect them. "The entrance to the soul..." Ye Ling silently repeated Elder Ling's words, his mind racing. He recalled his previous battles with Ghost Fiend, Shadow Demon, and Blood Demon, each one fraught with danger, but ultimately he had escaped unscathed thanks to the cards and the help of his companions.

This time, facing the Dark Soul's surging power, ordinary card attacks seemed to have lost their effectiveness. He had to find a new method, to find the Dark Soul's weakness.

The Dark Soul's attacks grew increasingly fierce, the black mist transforming into countless sharp blades that swept in from all directions. Qingyue wielded her sword, the silver light emanating from its blade barely managing to deflect the attacks, but she was gradually losing her strength. Shuyao, on the other hand, focused all her efforts on healing Ye Ling; her face was pale, and fine beads of sweat glistened on her forehead.

"This won't do!" Ye Ling gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain, and tried to use the card again. He poured all his spiritual power into a card called "Binding Spirit," hoping to restrict the Dark Soul's movements.

However, the card's light had barely appeared when it was swallowed up by the black mist surrounding the Dark Soul, like a firefly's light being extinguished in the darkness.

Despair welled up in Ye Ling's heart again. She felt like prey trapped in a spider web, unable to escape no matter how hard she struggled.

Just then, Elder Ling's voice rang in his mind again: "Dark Soul's weakness lies deep within her soul. Only by finding the entrance to her soul can you truly defeat her."

"The entrance to the soul? How do I find it?" Ye Ling cried out in his heart. He felt like he had grasped a lifeline, but he didn't know how to use it.

Before that, how could they withstand the increasingly fierce attacks of the Dark Soul? "Concentrate, sense..." Elder Ling's voice rang out again, but abruptly stopped. Hearing Elder Ling's words, Ye Ling began to carefully observe the Dark Soul. He noticed faint, flickering lights around the Dark Soul's body, and he guessed...