I dominated the game from the start with cards.

Night fell over the wasteland, and the dilapidated buildings stood like ghosts in the dim light. Li Xuan and his group moved silently among the ruins, a tense atmosphere filling the air. Several days of training had greatly improved their strength; the power of stardust flowed through their bodies, bringing an unprecedented sense of power. However, the abnormal fluctuations in the surrounding energy cast a shadow over their hearts. "This feeling…isn't right." Li Xuan stopped, his brow furrowed. His keen spiritual senses detected something amiss; a powerful aura was approaching, like a beast lurking in the shadows, waiting for its chance to strike. Bai Yao walked to his side, her alluring face also showing a hint of seriousness. "What's wrong?" Li Xuan shook his head. "I can't quite put my finger on it, I just feel…something is getting closer to us." His gaze swept around, trying to find the source of the aura, but to no avail. "Everyone be careful." Mu Yang's voice was low and calm, the longsword in his hand gleaming coldly. Lin Yu stretched his limbs, but showed no fear on his face. "What's there to be afraid of! Kill one if one comes, kill two if two come!" Only Ling Feng remained silent, his deep gaze fixed on the distance, seemingly able to see through everything in the darkness. They continued forward, each step taken with extreme caution. The surrounding energy fluctuations grew stronger, and a faint smell of blood filled the air. Li Xuan's spiritual perception also became clearer; he sensed that powerful aura rapidly approaching. Suddenly, Mu Yang groaned, his face instantly turning pale. He clutched his chest, his body trembling slightly. "Mu Yang, what's wrong?" Li Xuan quickly supported him. "N-nothing..." Mu Yang gritted his teeth, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

While the Stardust Tempering Technique was powerful, it also placed an immense burden on the body. His old injury flared up, and the intense pain made it almost impossible for him to breathe. "Don't push yourself," Li Xuan immediately noticed his condition. "Your old injury has flared up again." Mu Yang wanted to say something, but Li Xuan interrupted him. "Now is not the time to push yourself. Take a breather." Li Xuan helped Mu Yang sit down, and Bai Yao also came forward to help. Lin Yu vigilantly observed their surroundings, wary of a surprise attack. Just then, Ling Feng suddenly spoke, "They're here." His voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable certainty. Almost simultaneously, Li Xuan's spiritual perception also pinpointed the exact location of that aura. He abruptly looked up into the distance. In the darkness, a blurry figure slowly emerged, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression. Li Xuan's pupils contracted sharply, a strong sense of unease rising within him. "Prepare for battle," he whispered, his tone resolute. He gripped his weapon even tighter. In the darkness, the figure gradually became clearer, like a demon crawling out of hell, exuding a chilling aura. Li Xuan took a deep breath, handed Mu Yang over to Bai Yao's care, and stood up to face the unknown threat. Stardust power surged within him, as if about to break through some kind of shackle. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Li Xuan's body. He groaned, his body trembling involuntarily. This pain was different from before; it seemed more like a sign of a breakthrough. Li Xuan gritted his teeth, guiding the power to circulate within his body. He felt a powerful energy awakening, as if a sleeping dragon had finally opened its eyes. "Boom!" A loud explosion erupted within Li Xuan's body. He felt the power within him surge and surge, pouring out like a flood bursting its banks. He had broken through! He had broken through the cultivation bottleneck that had plagued him for so long! A glint flashed in Li Xuan's eyes. He slowly raised his right hand, stardust power gathering in his palm to form a dazzling sphere of light. He attempted to unleash a new skill—Stardust Burst. "Go!" Li Xuan shouted, and the ball of light in his hand transformed into a dazzling beam of light, streaking across the night sky like a meteor, shooting straight towards a distant boulder. A deafening roar followed, and a huge crater was blasted into the distant rock, sending debris flying and dust billowing. Li Xuan watched this scene with a satisfied smile. The power of this new skill far exceeded his expectations. "Li Xuan, you…" Bai Yao watched this scene, her eyes filled with shock and joy. However, Bai Yao encountered a problem while practicing the Stardust Tempering Technique. The Stardust Power within her body seemed somewhat disordered, unable to circulate smoothly, instead causing her to feel waves of stinging pain. "What's wrong?" Li Xuan noticed Bai Yao's unusual behavior and quickly went to her side. Bai Yao bit her lip and shook her head, "I… I seem unable to control the Stardust Power within my body…" Li Xuan frowned slightly, reaching out to grasp Bai Yao's wrist, probing her internal condition. A warm stream of Stardust Power flowed from Li Xuan's body into Bai Yao's, helping her to regulate the disordered energy. "Relax, follow my guidance..." Li Xuan's voice was deep and gentle. His stardust power flowed like a gentle stream through Bai Yao's meridians, helping her regain control of her internal energy. Their bodies made slight contact, Bai Yao's cheeks flushed slightly, and her heart raced. Li Xuan focused on guiding the stardust power and didn't notice Bai Yao's unusual behavior. With Li Xuan's guidance, the stardust power within Bai Yao gradually calmed down and returned to normal. She felt much lighter, a warm current flowing through her body, making her feel incredibly comfortable. "Alright," Li Xuan said, withdrawing his hand and looking at Bai Yao. Bai Yao nodded gently, a grateful smile on her face. Just then, Lin Yu and Ling Feng finished their respective cultivation. "Come on, try my new move!" Lin Yu shouted excitedly, brandishing his long sword and charging towards Ling Feng. Ling Feng's lips curled slightly, and he easily dodged Lin Yu's attack. The two exchanged blows, their various skills colliding and creating dazzling sparks that illuminated the ruins. Lin Yu's attacks grew increasingly fierce, gradually gaining the upper hand. Ling Feng, on the other hand, appeared completely at ease, maintaining his composure throughout. Suddenly, Ling Feng formed a strange hand seal, and a powerful energy fluctuation emanated from his body. "What is this?" Lin Yu was startled, feeling an inexplicable pressure bearing down on him. A glint flashed in Ling Feng's eyes, "Stardust Illusion!"... A glint flashed in Ling Feng's eyes, "Stardust Illusion!" As soon as he finished speaking, his figure instantly became illusory, dissipating like a wisp of smoke, transforming into several afterimages that surrounded Lin Yu. Lin Yu was startled and hurriedly swung his sword at one of the afterimages, only to find that the blade passed right through it, as if striking thin air. The real Ling Feng had appeared behind him at some point, condensing a ball of stardust power in his hand and gently touching Lin Yu's back. "I lost." Lin Yu smiled helplessly; this Stardust Illusion was indeed elusive, and he couldn't distinguish between the real and the fake at all. "Your swordsmanship has improved significantly, but your practical experience is still lacking," Ling Feng encouraged, withdrawing his Stardust Power. Meanwhile, with Li Xuan's help, Bai Yao finally broke through her bottleneck, the Stardust Power within her flowing smoothly like a surging river. She excitedly opened her eyes, her gaze sparkling with joy. She suddenly threw herself into Li Xuan's arms, hugging him tightly, and exclaimed excitedly, "I did it! Thank you, Li Xuan!" Li Xuan was caught off guard by the sudden embrace, but he gently patted Bai Yao's back and softly said, "Congratulations, Bai Yao." Bai Yao looked up, her eyes filled with fervent emotion. Her cheeks flushed slightly with excitement, a few strands of hair falling beside her face, adding to her allure. She said emotionally, "You're so good to me." Her lips parted slightly, her breath carrying a sweet fragrance, gently brushing against Li Xuan's ear. Li Xuan's heart raced uncontrollably. He lowered his head involuntarily, their lips almost touching. Bai Yao's eyes were hazy, as if she were immersed in the ambiguous atmosphere. Time seemed to stand still at that moment, with only their breathing clearly audible. Memories of their time together flashed through Bai Yao's mind. From their initial encounter to fighting side-by-side, and now to their inseparable bond, scenes played out before her like a movie. The past arguments and sweet moments only made her cherish this man even more.

Just as the two were about to succumb to their deep affection, a powerful and familiar aura suddenly descended, shattering the tranquility.

The aura was cold and malevolent, like a demon from the depths of hell, sending a chill down the spines of everyone present. Li Xuan and Bai Yao simultaneously looked up, a flicker of wariness in their eyes. They exchanged a glance, a bad premonition rising within them. "This aura..." Lin Yu said gravely, "It's Shadow Fiend!" Ling Feng frowned, saying in a deep voice, "It seems we're about to have another fierce battle." The Stardust Power in his hand began to surge, preparing for combat. Li Xuan gripped Bai Yao's hand tightly, whispering, "Be careful." Bai Yao returned the grip, nodding firmly. A tense atmosphere filled the air, like the calm before a storm. In the distance, a dark shadow slowly emerged, radiating a suffocating pressure, approaching step by step... "It's here," Li Xuan said softly. Bai Yao's fingers gently traced the lines on Li Xuan's palm, a warm current spreading from her fingertips throughout her body. These hands had given her strength in her most helpless moments, and guided her in her most confused times. She remembered the first time she met Li Xuan. It was in an abandoned city, where she was besieged by a group of mutated creatures and almost in despair. It was Li Xuan, like a god descending to earth, who swiftly repelled the monsters and pulled her back from the brink of death. Afterwards, they went through countless life-or-death trials together, their initial wariness transforming into mutual trust, their feelings deepening with each battle. She remembered one time when they were trapped in a cave filled with poisonous gas. As the oxygen thinned, Li Xuan put the only gas mask on her face, but he himself inhaled too much gas and fell unconscious. At that moment, she felt her heart clench, enveloped by an unprecedented fear and worry. And then there was the time they ventured deep into a treacherous swamp in search of a rare medicinal herb. To protect her, Li Xuan was bitten on the leg by a giant swamp monster, the wound so deep it exposed bone. She did her utmost to stop the bleeding and bandage him, tears streaming down her face. She was afraid—afraid of losing him, afraid of never seeing his warm smile again. Those past arguments seemed so insignificant now. Those past sweet moments, recalled now, seemed so precious. She was grateful to have met Li Xuan, grateful to have this sincere love. "Cough cough..." Lin Yu's cough interrupted Bai Yao's thoughts. She snapped back to reality, finding the surrounding air unusually heavy. A powerful and familiar aura was gradually approaching, pressing down on everyone's nerves. "This aura..." Mu Yang's expression turned serious, his hand unconsciously tightening its grip on his weapon. "It's Shadow Fiend..." Ling Feng's voice was low and hoarse, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes. Li Xuan also felt this suffocating pressure; his heart sank. Shadow Fiend, the enemy who had once posed a great threat to them, was it about to return? Just as everyone was immersed in the joy of their increased strength, this sudden change caught them off guard. A tense atmosphere hung in the air, like the calm before a storm. In the distance, a blurry black shadow gradually appeared, like a demon from hell, approaching step by step with a chilling murderous aura… “Prepare for battle!” Li Xuan’s voice was firm and powerful, his eyes flashing with unwavering determination.