I dominated the game from the start with cards.

The banner pole of the Soul-Sacrificing Banner was carved with intricate patterns, like tiny blood vessels, intertwined and extending to the banner surface. Li Xuan's gaze followed these patterns intently, a feeling that the key to deciphering the Soul-Sacrificing Banner might lie hidden within them. He stretched out his fingers and gently stroked the cold banner pole, feeling the undulations of the patterns at his fingertips. These patterns were not mere decorations; they seemed to contain some kind of peculiar energy fluctuation. Li Xuan closed his eyes, concentrating his mental energy on his fingertips, trying to sense the flow of this energy. A slight stinging sensation came from his fingertips, and Li Xuan abruptly opened his eyes to see a drop of blood seeping from them. The blood dripped onto the banner pole, flowing slowly along the patterns, eventually converging at the black hole in the center of the banner surface. Just then, a sudden change occurred. The patterns on the banner pole suddenly lit up, emitting a dazzling light. A powerful suction force emanated from the black hole, as if trying to pull Li Xuan in entirely. "Li Xuan!" Mu Yang exclaimed, trying to grab him, but was blocked by an invisible force. A hint of worry flashed in Bai Yao's eyes, but she didn't act rashly. She knew that any reckless action at this moment could backfire. She stared intently at Li Xuan, waiting for his next move. Lin Yu, unable to contain himself, roared and charged towards Ying Sha, brandishing his giant axe. "You despicable villain, don't even think about harming Li Xuan!" Although severely injured, Ying Sha still retained some strength. He sneered, waving his Soul-Sacrificing Banner, sending a surge of black energy towards Lin Yu. Lin Yu swung his giant axe, dispersing the black energy. However, just as he approached Ying Sha, a powerful energy surge suddenly erupted from the Soul-Sacrificing Banner, blasting him away. Lin Yu crashed heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He struggled to stand, but found his strength weakened, his steps heavy. The aftershocks of the Soul-Sacrificing Banner had clearly caused him considerable damage. Li Xuan felt the suction growing stronger. He gritted his teeth, desperately resisting. He knew that if he were sucked in, the consequences would be unimaginable. He had to find a way to break free as soon as possible. He concentrated his mental energy on his fingertips again, carefully sensing the flow of energy within the patterns. Gradually, he discovered that these patterns were not chaotic, but arranged according to a specific rule. "Could it be..." A flash of inspiration struck Li Xuan, "...a kind of formation?" He tried to recall the formation knowledge he had learned, attempting to find a formation corresponding to these patterns. Time passed second by second, and the suction grew stronger. Li Xuan felt his consciousness beginning to blur. Just when he was about to give up, Bai Yao suddenly spoke, "Li Xuan, try reversing the energy flow!" Li Xuan's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately followed Bai Yao's instructions, trying to reverse the flow of energy at his fingertips. "Wait..." Ling Feng's voice suddenly rang out, low and with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor. His gaze was fixed on the Soul-Sacrificing Banner, as if he had seen something terrifying. Ling Feng's words made everyone's hearts tighten. Bai Yao's movements also paused slightly, and she turned to look at him. Ling Feng took a deep breath and slowly said, "This Soul-Sacrificing Banner is more dangerous than we imagined. It absorbs not only life force, but also... souls." His tone was solemn, carrying an indescribable fear. Bai Yao's expression changed. She had seen similar records in ancient books, a kind of evil art called "Soul Devouring," which could devour souls to strengthen itself. If the Soul-Sacrificing Banner really possessed this ability, the consequences would be unimaginable. "We can't wait any longer," Bai Yao said decisively, raising her hand slightly, and a dazzling white light condensed at her fingertips. "Star River Illuminates the World!" With a soft shout from Bai Yao, the white light instantly spread out, forming a brilliant star river that enveloped Shadow Fiend and the Soul-Sacrificing Banner. Within the star river, countless stars twinkled, releasing powerful purifying energy. Under the illumination of the star river, the Soul-Sacrificing Banner seemed to lose its concealment, and the previously hidden energy flow trajectory was clearly revealed, like luminous threads intertwining and winding on the banner's surface. "I see it!" Lin Yu shouted excitedly, pointing to the black hole in the center of the banner, which was the core where the energy converged. "Break that, and we can break the Soul-Sacrificing Banner!" Ying Sha's face darkened. He hadn't expected Bai Yao to possess such powerful magic, capable of discerning the secrets of the Soul-Sacrificing Banner. He gritted his teeth, attempting to alter the energy flow of the magical artifact and conceal its energy core. The Soul-Sacrificing Banner hummed, the patterns on its surface began to twist and deform, and the energy flow trajectory changed accordingly, becoming even more complex and chaotic. However, Ying Sha's actions only exposed his weakness. In the instant the energy flow changed, a faint sliver of black light leaked from the black hole, flashing and disappearing in an instant. Li Xuan keenly caught this sliver of black light, his eyes lighting up, a plan forming in his mind. He knew that was where the Soul-Sacrificing Banner's energy core was located! "Now!" Li Xuan shouted, his figure flashing as he rushed towards the Soul-Sacrificing Banner. "Trying to get close to the Soul-Sacrificing Banner?"

"Dream on!" Shadow Fiend roared, brandishing the Soul-Sacrificing Banner, as streaks of black energy, like venomous snakes, attacked Li Xuan. Just then, Mu Yang and Ling Feng attacked simultaneously.

Mu Yang brandished his longsword, its sword energy like a rainbow, slicing through the incoming black energy. Ling Feng formed hand seals, chanting incantations, and a massive golden talisman appeared out of thin air, pressing down on Ying Sha. "You..." Ying Sha's expression changed drastically; he hadn't expected Mu Yang and Ling Feng to attack at this moment. Although their attacks weren't enough to fatally harm him, they successfully distracted him... Li Xuan's figure had already approached the Soul-Sacrificing Banner, a dagger gleaming coldly appearing in his hand... "Break!" Li Xuan's figure moved like a whirlwind, directly approaching the Soul-Sacrificing Banner under the cover of Mu Yang and Ling Feng. Caught between two attacks, Ying Sha was momentarily overwhelmed and could only watch helplessly as Li Xuan closed in. The Soul-Sacrificing Banner trembled violently in his hand, seemingly sensing the approaching danger, emitting a series of mournful hums. In the instant he rushed towards the magical weapon, Li Xuan glanced back at Bai Yao. Bathed in the dazzling light of the starry river, her figure was graceful, her white robes as pure as snow, like a celestial maiden descending to earth. Her gaze was firm yet gentle, filled with encouragement and trust, giving Li Xuan boundless strength. He knew that no matter how dangerous the road ahead, she would be his strongest support. Bai Yao's lips curled up slightly, an encouraging smile that, amidst the chaos of the battlefield, melted away the tension in Li Xuan's heart like the warm spring sun. "Don't even think about succeeding!" Ying Sha roared, struggling to break free from Mu Yang and Ling Feng's entanglement, trying to stop Li Xuan. The black energy of the Soul-Sacrificing Banner in his hand surged, transforming into countless hideous ghost faces that rushed towards Li Xuan. Li Xuan's eyes sharpened, and the cold light of his dagger flashed as he drew a sharp arc, annihilating all the ghost faces that rushed towards him. He didn't stop, his speed undiminished, like a bolt of lightning, instantly arriving before the Soul-Sacrificing Banner. "Break!" Li Xuan shouted, his dagger stabbing fiercely into the black hole in the center of the Soul-Sacrificing Banner. The moment the dagger made contact with the black hole, a powerful energy wave erupted, causing the surrounding space to slightly distort. The Soul-Sacrificing Banner let out a shrill scream, its patterns twisting violently as if enduring immense pain. Shadow Fiend's expression changed drastically; he felt the connection between himself and the banner weakening, his heart filled with terror and rage. "You deserve to die!" he roared, urging the banner again to try and stop Li Xuan. However, it was too late. Li Xuan's dagger had already pierced the depths of the black hole, a powerful suction force emanating from it, frantically devouring the banner's energy. "Ahhh!" Shadow Fiend howled in agony, his body becoming ethereal, as if he might vanish at any moment. The black aura on the banner gradually dissipated, revealing its original dark red surface. Just then, Ling Feng suddenly spoke, "Wait! I think I remember something..." A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, as if he were trying to recall something. "I once saw a record of a similar magical artifact in an ancient book..." he murmured, "It mentioned a special kind of counter-rune..." Li Xuan paused slightly, turning to look at Ling Feng, his eyes filled with questions. Ling Feng took a deep breath and continued, "If I remember correctly, that rune should..." He suddenly stopped, his gaze falling on the dagger in Li Xuan's hand, his pupils shrinking sharply, "Your dagger..." Li Xuan looked down at the dagger in his hand. A complex rune was clearly engraved on the blade. He had never seen this rune before, yet for some reason, he felt a strange sense of familiarity. "This...this is..." Li Xuan murmured to himself, an indescribable feeling welling up inside him. "The Heavenly Profound Demon-Slaying Rune!" Ling Feng's voice trembled, his eyes filled with shock. Li Xuan suddenly looked up at Ling Feng, his eyes filled with doubt. "This...how is this possible..." Ling Feng shook his head in disbelief, "The Heavenly Profound Demon-Slaying Rune...the legendary rune specifically used to counter evil and malevolent magical artifacts...it actually...it actually appeared here..." Li Xuan gripped the dagger tightly, feeling the powerful force emanating from it, and a sudden realization dawned on him. He looked up at Ying Sha, his eyes filled with determination. "Your end has come." Ling Feng took a deep breath, his thoughts drifting back to that dusty library from many years ago. In the dim light, he flipped through the yellowed ancient books, the obscure characters leaping like tadpoles, yet deeply imprinted in his mind. "The Heavenly Profound Demon-Slaying Talisman... Legend has it that it was created by ancient immortals, specifically to counter the evil magic weapons used by demons and heretics..." Ling Feng said slowly, his tone tinged with disbelief, "I never thought I would actually see it with my own eyes today..." Li Xuan gripped the dagger tightly in his hand, the complex runes on the blade seeming to come alive, emitting a faint golden light. A powerful force flowed from the dagger into his body, making him feel incredibly invigorated. "So, this dagger is the key to breaking the Soul-Sacrificing Banner?" "That's right." Ling Feng nodded firmly, "The Heavenly Profound Demon-Slaying Talisman possesses powerful purifying power, capable of disintegrating the evil energy of the Soul-Sacrificing Banner, rendering it ineffective." Hearing Ling Feng's words, Ying Sha's face turned even paler. He felt the power of the Soul-Sacrificing Banner steadily draining away, his heart filled with fear and despair. He knew that if the Soul-Sacrificing Banner were broken, he would lose his last resort. "No! Impossible!" Shadow Fiend roared hysterically, "The Soul-Sacrificing Banner is forged from the souls of thousands of people, how can it be broken by a mere rune!" He frantically urged the energy within his body, trying to regain control of the Soul-Sacrificing Banner. The Soul-Sacrificing Banner trembled violently, black energy surged, and it emitted a series of mournful cries. The hideous ghost faces on the banner surface twisted and deformed, as if enduring immense pain. Seeing this, Li Xuan's eyes sharpened. He knew this was his last chance. He took a deep breath and poured all the energy within his body into his dagger. The light of the Heavenly Profound Demon-Slaying Talisman shone even brighter, illuminating the entire battlefield. "Break!" Li Xuan roared, and the dagger in his hand plunged into the core of the Soul-Sacrificing Banner. With a deafening roar, the black energy on the Soul-Sacrificing Banner instantly dissipated, revealing the original dark red banner surface. The ghostly faces on the banner vanished, leaving only fragmented patterns. Shadow Fiend let out a piercing scream as his body began to disintegrate, turning into countless black fragments that dissipated into the air. The Soul-Sacrificing Banner, deprived of its malevolent energy, shattered as well, turning into starlight that drifted across the night sky. Li Xuan looked at the vanishing Shadow Fiend and the broken Soul-Sacrificing Banner, but felt no joy. He knew this was only the beginning. The mystery of his sect's destruction remained shrouded in mist. He turned to Bai Yao, Mu Yang, and Lin Yu; their faces all showed expressions of relief. Bai Yao walked to Li Xuan's side, gently took his hand, and softly said, "It's alright now, it's all over."

Li Xuan smiled slightly, took Bai Yao's hand in his own, and felt the warmth of her palm. He knew that no matter how arduous the road ahead, he would not be alone. Because he had his lover, his friends, and the unwavering belief in his heart. Ling Feng walked up to Li Xuan, patted his shoulder, and said meaningfully, "It seems your dagger has an extraordinary origin." Li Xuan looked down at the dagger in his hand, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. He had found this dagger among his master's belongings, and he had never known its origin. Now it seemed that this dagger hid many secrets. "Yes," Li Xuan murmured to himself, "what exactly is the origin of this dagger?" This question, like a seed, was deeply buried in Li Xuan's heart. He had a premonition that this dagger would play a crucial role in his future journey.