I dominated the game from the start with cards.

Under the dim sky, the ruined city appeared even more desolate. The air was thick with the nauseating stench of dust and blood. Li Xuan and the others lay helplessly on the cold ground like scattered chess pieces, surrounded by a cloud of defeat. The words Shadow Fiend uttered as he left—"This is just the beginning..."—echoed in Li Xuan's mind like a curse.

He struggled to open his heavy eyelids, scanning his surroundings warily, trying to find a clue in the ruins and uncover the conspiracy hidden behind them.

"Li Xuan..." Bai Yao's voice was so weak it was like a mosquito's buzz. She moved her body with difficulty, trying to get closer to Li Xuan.

Her trembling hand touched Li Xuan's shoulder, pierced by the Shadow Fiend, tears streaming down her face, leaving clear streaks on her dirty cheeks. Li Xuan struggled to turn to Bai Yao, a weak smile forcing a smile on his pale face: "Don't cry... I'm alright..." "What kind of time is this to be so stubborn!" Bai Yao choked back tears, her voice filled with heartache and worry. Mu Yang struggled to stand up to check on Ling Feng's injuries, but his wounds reopened, causing him to break out in a cold sweat. He gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, and tried to stand again, but to no avail. Lin Yu stared intently in the direction where the Shadow Fiend had disappeared, his eyes flashing with resentment and anger. He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his flesh, blood slowly trickling from between his fingers. Ling Feng lay quietly on the ground, eyes closed, her breath faint, her fate uncertain. Li Xuan watched his companions, one by one, severely wounded, a feeling of helplessness filling his heart. He felt his consciousness growing increasingly blurred, everything before him becoming indistinct. He struggled to stay awake. He knew he couldn't fall; he was the core of the team. What would happen to the others if he fell? Suddenly, he felt a slight tremor in the ground, which grew stronger and stronger, as if something was approaching. He strained to see the source of the tremor. "What's that sound?" Lin Yu also noticed the anomaly. He cautiously looked around, trying to find the source of the sound. The tremor intensified, and cracks began to appear in the ground. Suddenly, a figure shot out from the ground with astonishing speed. "Watch out!" Li Xuan shouted, trying to warn his companions, but found he couldn't make a sound. The figure drew an arc in the air and landed steadily in front of everyone. Everyone was stunned when they saw the figure. "It's you..." Li Xuan used his last bit of strength to utter these two words. The person was... the person was Ling Feng's friend, the mysterious helper—Ye. He was dressed in black, appearing like a ghost, with a hint of worry on his face. Seeing everyone's wounded appearance, Ye's brows furrowed even more. "Ye... why are you here..." Li Xuan's voice was hoarse and weak, as if squeezed from the depths of his throat. Ye didn't answer, but quickly walked to the group and began to check their injuries. He took out a bottle of potion with a faint fragrance from his pocket and carefully fed it to Ling Feng. After doing all this, he raised his head and looked at the others. "Heal your injuries first." Ye's voice was deep and powerful, carrying an unquestionable authority. Bai Yao took out some precious healing pills from her storage space. These pills were pale gold, emitting a soft light, like stars twinkling in the night sky. The fragrance of the pills spread, carrying a refreshing aroma. The group had never seen such precious pills before and were all stunned for a moment. "This is...?" Li Xuan asked in surprise. "This is a sacred healing medicine I obtained from a secret realm. It can quickly restore injuries and replenish strength," Bai Yao explained, a hint of heartache in her eyes. These pills were hard-won for her, originally intended for emergencies, but now they were going to be used in this situation. She distributed the pills to everyone, one for each person. Everyone took the pills and swallowed them without hesitation. The pills melted instantly in their mouths, transforming into a warm current flowing through their bodies. A powerful life force surged within them, the previously excruciating wounds began to heal slowly, and their exhausted bodies gradually regained their vitality. Li Xuan felt a powerful energy flowing through his body, repairing his damaged meridians and muscles. He was surprised to find that the pills were even more effective than he had imagined. Injuries that would normally take several days to heal were mostly restored within minutes. "These pills are truly miraculous!" Lin Yu exclaimed, feeling his body brimming with power, as if he had returned to his peak condition. Mu Yang also felt the miraculous effects of the pills; his previously pale complexion gradually regained its rosy hue, and his breathing became steady. He looked at Bai Yao gratefully, his eyes filled with thanks. Just as everyone was immersed in the miraculous effects of the elixir, Lin Yu suddenly exclaimed, "Wait, did you all sense something?" The others looked at Lin Yu in confusion, wondering what he had discovered. "There... there's an energy fluctuation here!" Lin Yu pointed to the ground, his tone tinged with excitement. "This energy is very weak, but extremely pure, and it seems to be of great help to cultivation!" Hearing this, everyone immediately released their senses, carefully sensing the surrounding energy fluctuations. Sure enough, they discovered a faint energy aura permeating the ruins. Although weak, this aura was exceptionally pure, as if it were the purest energy in the world. "What... what's going on?" Li Xuan asked疑惑地, he had never seen such peculiar energy before. "I don't know, but this energy might be a huge opportunity for us!" Lin Yu's eyes gleamed with excitement. He had a premonition that if they could absorb this energy, their strength would be greatly enhanced. Li Xuan took a deep breath, his gaze fixed firmly on the source of the energy, and slowly reached out his hand... Li Xuan slowly reached out his hand, attempting to guide this weak yet pure energy into his body. At first, the energy flowed gently, like a trickle nourishing parched land, slightly repairing his damaged meridians and bringing a tingling, comfortable sensation. However, this didn't last long. As he absorbed more and more energy, it began to become violent, rampaging through his body like a wild horse. Li Xuan groaned, his face instantly turning pale, large beads of sweat seeping from his forehead. He felt as if his meridians were being pricked by countless fine needles, and waves of intense spasms made it almost impossible for him to control his body. "Li Xuan!" Bai Yao exclaimed, quickly supporting the swaying Li Xuan. She gently wiped the sweat from Li Xuan's forehead with a handkerchief, her eyes full of concern. Her hair gently fell onto Li Xuan's face, tickling him, yet giving him a strange sense of peace. "I'm fine..." Li Xuan gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain, trying to control the violent energy within him. He knew that if he gave up now, all his previous efforts would be in vain, and he might even suffer serious aftereffects. He took a deep breath, summoning all his willpower, and slowly guided the raging energy, trying to tame it. The process was incredibly difficult, like fighting a ferocious beast. Li Xuan's consciousness gradually blurred, but he never gave up. He felt as if he were in a chaotic void, surrounded by turbulent energy currents; he was like a small boat, constantly threatened by this energy storm.

Time passed second by second, and Li Xuan's face alternated between pale and...

His face was flushed, and sweat soaked his clothes. Bai Yao watched him anxiously, her heart filled with worry, yet powerless to help. She could only hold Li Xuan's hand tightly, transferring her own strength to him, hoping to help him overcome this difficult time. Finally, with Li Xuan's persistent effort, the violent energy gradually calmed down, becoming docile, like an obedient little snake, flowing slowly through his meridians under his guidance, repairing the damaged tissue. Li Xuan felt a sense of relief, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted. He slowly opened his eyes, seeing Bai Yao's concerned gaze, a warm current welled up in his heart. "I succeeded..." Li Xuan said weakly, a slight smile appearing on his lips. Just then, Ling Feng, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "I remember now, I once saw an ancient cultivation method in an ancient book, which seems to be related to this energy." Hearing this, everyone immediately gathered around. Ling Feng described in detail the cultivation method he had seen in the ancient book, a method that used the pure energy of heaven and earth to temper the body and enhance strength. "This...this...could this be the legendary 'Stardust Body Refining Technique'?" Lin Yu exclaimed in surprise, his eyes filled with excitement. "Very likely!" Ling Feng nodded. "If it really is the Stardust Body Refining Technique, then we can use this energy to quickly improve our strength!" Following Ling Feng's instructions, everyone began to try cultivating the Stardust Body Refining Technique. Sure enough, they found that this energy was extremely helpful in cultivating the Stardust Body Refining Technique. Their strength began to increase rapidly, and their original injuries healed quickly. Li Xuan looked at everyone, his heart filled with hope. He felt a powerful force awakening within their bodies... "It seems we'll be able to challenge Shadow Fiend again soon..." Before Li Xuan could finish speaking, Ye suddenly reached out to stop him, looking into the distance, a barely perceptible hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes... Ling Feng's gaze flickered for a moment, as if lost in some distant memory. He slowly said, "I once traveled far and wide, and in a hidden ruin, I overheard an old man mention a unique cultivation method called 'Stardust Tempering.' It's said to absorb the power of stardust from the universe, tempering the body and increasing strength. This energy… is extremely similar to the stardust power the old man described." A glimmer of hope ignited in everyone's eyes. Lin Yu excitedly slapped his thigh, "Great! If it really is Stardust Tempering, we can recover quickly, and even become stronger!" Bai Yao also smiled, gripping Li Xuan's hand tightly, offering him silent encouragement. Mu Yang calmly analyzed, "Ling Feng, do you remember the specific cultivation method?" Ling Feng closed his eyes, trying hard to recall the old man's words, and haltingly recited the Stardust Tempering method. This method required sensing the power of stardust, guiding it into the body, circulating it along specific meridians, and ultimately integrating it into oneself. Everyone immediately began cultivating according to Ling Feng's method. Initially, progress was slow; they could only sense a faint energy fluctuation. But as time went on, they gradually mastered the knack, and the stardust power surging into their bodies grew stronger and stronger. Li Xuan's meridians, originally severely damaged, were visibly recovering under the nourishment of stardust power. He felt an unprecedented power surging within him, as if every cell was cheering. Bai Yao's cultivation was already higher than the others, and her perception of stardust power was even more acute. A faint silver light surrounded her, like a twinkling star in the night sky. Her aura also became stronger, and every move she made carried a terrifying pressure. Lin Yu, with his forthright personality, was equally uncompromising in his cultivation. He absorbed stardust power the fastest, his entire being seemingly transforming into a burning furnace, radiating a scorching aura. Mu Yang, on the other hand, remained as calm as ever, silently circulating the Stardust Tempering Technique, his internal energy steadily increasing. Several days passed in the blink of an eye, and everyone's strength had significantly improved. Li Xuan's injuries were completely healed, and he even felt stronger than before. He knew they now possessed the strength to challenge Shadow Fiend again. "It's time," Li Xuan's eyes flashed with the flames of revenge, "We should settle accounts with Shadow Fiend!" The group prepared for battle, a powerful fighting spirit filling the air. They didn't know if Shadow Fiend was also growing stronger, or what the outcome of their next encounter would be. But they held only one belief: revenge! Night fell, and the group set off. As they ventured deeper, the surrounding energy fluctuations began to become abnormal, a barely perceptible chill spreading through the air. Li Xuan's spiritual perception also sharpened; he sensed a powerful aura approaching, but couldn't pinpoint its source. He stopped, cautiously surveying his surroundings, and whispered, "Wait..."