I dominated the game from the start with cards.

Li Xuan's finger hovered over a spiral-shaped symbol, the cold touch of the stone surface making him highly focused. This spiral symbol wasn't isolated; it was cleverly connected to other patterns, as intricate as a star map. "These patterns..." Li Xuan murmured, his fingertips tracing the lines, "...like they're telling a story..." "An ancient story," Mu Yang continued, his deep gaze seeming to pierce through the stone door, seeing into that sealed history. "But it's encrypted, obscure and difficult to understand." Lin Yu scratched his head, pacing back and forth.

"If only we could find an old scholar who understands ancient writing! Or... blow it up?" he said, clenching his fist, looking eager to try.

"Explode?" Bai Yao chuckled, her allure captivating. "Aren't you afraid of blowing up all the treasures inside?" She raised her jade-like hand, her fingertips shimmering with a pale blue light, and gently touched the stone door. "Perhaps, I can try." A surge of energy emanated from Bai Yao's fingertips, rippling across the surface of the stone door like water. The patterns on the stone door seemed to sense this energy, beginning to flicker and emit a faint glow. However, this light vanished in an instant, followed by a powerful recoil that sent Bai Yao flying backward like a kite with a broken string. "Yao'er!" Li Xuan reacted swiftly, rushing forward and catching Bai Yao in his arms. Bai Yao's face was pale, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of her mouth, but she endured the pain and shook her head. "I'm fine..." Li Xuan helped Bai Yao sit down, examining her injuries with concern. "Don't push yourself. The restrictions on this stone door are far more complex than we imagined." Ling Feng had been quietly observing everything from the side. He walked to the stone gate, reached out, and gently stroked the patterns. He didn't use any magic, simply sensing the ancient aura emanating from the stone gate. After a moment, he withdrew his hand, a profound look flashing in his eyes. "This stone gate... is not simple," he said slowly. "It connects to perhaps not just another space, but a... forgotten world." Li Xuan frowned, Ling Feng's words deepening his doubts. A forgotten world? What kind of existence was that? He looked at the patterns on the stone gate again; the seemingly chaotic lines gradually became clearer in his eyes. He recalled the rune fragments he had found on Shadow Fiend; the patterns on those fragments bore a striking resemblance to those on the stone gate... "Wait..." Li Xuan suddenly stood up, a glint of light in his eyes, "I think I know how to open this stone gate..." Li Xuan carefully took out several broken rune fragments from his backpack, collected after killing Shadow Fiend. The fragments had jagged edges, their surfaces covered with strange patterns, bearing a striking resemblance to the patterns on the stone gate. “I noticed that the patterns on these fragments are almost identical to certain parts of the stone gate,” Li Xuan said, placing the fragments one by one on the ground and pointing to one of them. “Especially this spiral symbol; it’s in a crucial position on both the fragment and the stone gate.” Mu Yang bent down, carefully observing the patterns on the fragment and the stone gate, and pondered, “You mean, these fragments are the keys to opening the stone gate?” “Not entirely,” Li Xuan shook his head. “I think these fragments are clues; they point to the truly crucial part of the stone gate’s pattern.” He placed a fragment on the stone gate and moved it along the trajectory of the spiral symbol until the patterns on the fragment perfectly matched those on the stone gate. “See, like this.” As the fragments aligned, the spiral symbol on the stone gate emitted a dazzling light, which spread along the patterns, illuminating the other patterns. The originally obscure patterns seemed to come alive, beginning to slowly rotate, forming a complex star map. “I see,” Bai Yao exclaimed in sudden realization, “These patterns aren’t static; they need to be arranged in a specific order to activate.” Li Xuan’s eyes gleamed with excitement. He quickly placed the other fragments one by one on the stone door, searching for the corresponding patterns. Each time a fragment matched, the light on the stone door brightened, and the star map rotated faster. When the last fragment embedded itself in the stone door, the entire door was bathed in dazzling light, and the star map reached its maximum rotation speed, emitting a buzzing sound. A powerful energy fluctuation emanated from the center of the stone door. Everyone held their breath, anticipating the opening of the stone door. However, just as the stone door was about to open, a sudden change occurred. The ground began to shake, the walls around the stone door cracked, and dozens of mechanical puppets emerged. These puppets were made entirely of metal, gleaming with a cold light, wielding sharp blades, and exuding a chilling killing intent. "What's going on?" Lin Yu exclaimed, drawing his weapon. "What are these things?" "Watch out!" Li Xuan pulled Lin Yu behind him. "These mechanical puppets look tough." The mechanical puppets emitted a piercing mechanical sound, brandishing their blades as they charged towards the group. A tense atmosphere filled the air; a major battle was about to erupt. Lin Yu roared and charged towards the mechanical puppets first, swinging his giant axe and creating gusts of wind. However, the mechanical puppets were incredibly agile, easily dodging Lin Yu's attacks and counterattacking with lightning speed. Caught off guard, Lin Yu was knocked back several steps by the puppets' powerful attacks. "Lin Yu!" Mu Yang saw this and immediately rushed to his aid. He moved nimbly among the puppets, his dagger precisely aimed at their weak points. Ling Feng stood behind, chanting incantations and forming hand seals. Beams of pale blue light shot from his hands, interfering with the puppets' movements. “There are too many of these puppets,” Bai Yao frowned. “We must find their weaknesses as soon as possible, otherwise…” Li Xuan’s eyes were fixed on the mechanical puppets, his mind racing. He noticed that each puppet had a red crystal on its chest, shimmering faintly. “Perhaps that crystal is their weakness…” Li Xuan said in a deep voice, turning his gaze to Mu Yang, “Mu Yang, attack their chests!” Mu Yang understood immediately and changed his attack strategy, focusing his attack on the crystals on the puppets’ chests… Li Xuan gripped his dagger tightly, his eyes sharp, and said in a low voice, “Ready?” Lin Yu roared, his giant axe whistling down, aimed straight at the foremost mechanical puppet. The axe blade clashed with metal, producing a piercing clang and sparks flying. However, this powerful blow failed to cause any real damage to the puppet, instead being blocked by its powerful mechanical arm. The puppet retaliated with a punch, striking Lin Yu squarely in the chest, sending him flying. He crashed heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "Lin Yu!" Mu Yang's heart tightened at the sight. A flash of cold light appeared in his dagger as he moved like a ghost towards the puppet beside Lin Yu. He knew a direct confrontation was futile, so he adopted a hit-and-run strategy, constantly moving around the puppet, searching for weaknesses in its defenses. Ling Feng stood behind, his hands constantly changing hand seals, chanting incantations. Streams of pale blue light, like threads, wrapped around the puppets, interfering with their movements and creating opportunities for Mu Yang. Bai Yao, hiding behind Li Xuan, watched the fierce battle with a heart full of worry. She gripped Li Xuan's arm tightly, her body trembling slightly. Li Xuan sensed her tension and pulled her into his arms, whispering comfortingly, "Don't be afraid, I'm here." Bai Yao looked up, her eyes sparkling, her fingers gently tracing Li Xuan's cheek, her eyes alluring as she said, "You must protect me, okay?"

Li Xuan's heart raced as he felt the soft body in his arms, holding her tightly and whispering in her ear, "Don't worry, I will never let you get hurt." Mu Yang seized a moment when a puppet's movements faltered, his dagger flashing like a venomous snake, precisely piercing the red crystal in its chest. The crystal shattered instantly, and the puppet stopped moving, collapsing to the ground with a thud. "Just as I thought!" Mu Yang was overjoyed; it seemed Li Xuan's judgment was correct. However, before he could rejoice for long, more mechanical puppets surged out from the cracks, surrounding them completely. "Damn it, how come these things never stop!" Lin Yu struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth, and charged back into the battle. The fierce battle continued, and everyone gradually felt their strength waning. Although the mechanical puppets lacked intelligence, they possessed immense power and a formidable defense, and their sheer numbers made them difficult to defend against. While dodging an attack from a puppet, Mu Yang suddenly had a flashback in his mind: there was once a senior in his sect who was skilled in mechanical arts; the mechanical beasts he created were ingenious and incredibly powerful. If his senior were still alive, perhaps he could have cracked the secrets of these mechanical puppets… Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow. Just as everyone was locked in a fierce battle, Li Xuan suddenly noticed a detail: the mechanical puppets' attack patterns didn't seem random; every punch and slash was subtly connected to the rotating star map on the stone door. Could it be… the key to opening the stone door? His gaze was fixed on the pattern on the stone door, and a bold idea gradually took shape in his mind. "Mu Yang, Lin Yu, Ling Feng, cover me!" Li Xuan's shout echoed in the stone chamber, his eyes resolute, as if he had grasped some profound mystery. He ignored Bai Yao's worried cries; at this moment, he had only one thought in his mind: opening this stone door might lead to clues to the destruction of his sect. Although Mu Yang didn't understand Li Xuan's intentions, their years of tacit understanding allowed him to carry out the order without hesitation. He flashed, blocking the attack path of a mechanical puppet, his dagger dancing like a serpent, clashing fiercely with the puppet's metal arm, sparks flying everywhere. Lin Yu roared and swung his giant axe, clearing a path to the stone gate for Li Xuan. Ling Feng continued casting spells, pale blue light weaving into a net to restrict the puppet's movements as much as possible. While dodging the mechanical puppet's attacks, Li Xuan carefully observed the intricate patterns on the stone gate. These patterns, like stars in the night sky, shimmered with mysterious light and slowly rotated. He suddenly recalled the details of the previous battle; each attack from the mechanical puppet seemed to correspond to the flashing of a certain symbol on the stone gate. Could this be the key to opening the stone gate? The scene of his sect's destruction flashed through his mind—raging flames engulfing everything, the screams of his fellow disciples still echoing in his ears. The flames of hatred burned in his heart, further strengthening his resolve. In the midst of the fierce battle, Mu Yang once again thought of the senior in his sect who was skilled in mechanical arts. That senior not only possessed superb mechanical skills but also had in-depth knowledge of various ancient formations and runes. If that senior were still alive, perhaps he could see the mystery of the stone gate at a glance and unravel its secrets. Sadly, he was now gone, leaving him alone to struggle in this perilous, infinite space. Thinking of this, Mu Yang was overcome with grief, his dagger sharpening as if to unleash all his sorrow and anger upon the cold, mechanical puppets. Li Xuan's mind was highly focused; his ability to "predict danger" was at its peak. He could sense each puppet's attack in advance and skillfully dodge it. He discovered that each puppet's attack trajectory corresponded to a lit symbol on the stone gate. The order in which these symbols flashed seemed chaotic, yet subtly followed a certain pattern. "Three to the left, two to the top, one to the right..." Li Xuan silently recited the flashing order, his brain racing, trying to find the pattern. He felt himself getting closer and closer to the truth, his heart pounding faster and faster. Just then, the pattern on the stone gate suddenly stopped rotating, and all the symbols lit up simultaneously, emitting a dazzling light. Li Xuan's heart skipped a beat; a strange premonition surged within him.

He reached out and slowly pressed his hand against the symbol at the very center of the stone gate...