I dominated the game from the start with cards.

The Night Owl card silently pierced the night sky, its sharp eyes like two searchlights, scanning every inch of land and every tree around it.

However, apart from the rustling of leaves in the wind, there was no other unusual noise.

The chilling howling sound seemed to be nothing more than a hallucination for everyone.

Ye Ling's unease grew stronger. He gripped the card tightly in his hand, his fingertips turning slightly white. This eerie calm was more terrifying than any commotion.

He looked back at Shu Yao and Qing Yue, whose faces were also filled with worry.

"What's going on?" Ye Ling muttered to himself, his brows furrowed. Could it be his imagination? But the whistling sound was so real; it couldn't possibly be fake.

Just then, the mysterious and powerful figure who had been silent suddenly spoke. His voice was deep and hoarse, as if it came from the depths of hell.

“This feeling…I’ve experienced it before…” A flicker of fear crossed his eyes, a fear from the depths of his soul, as if he were recalling an extremely terrifying experience. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil within him.

“A long time ago, I encountered a similar situation in an ancient ruin.”

At that time, after a strange howling sound, the surroundings fell into dead silence.

I thought everything was alright, but I never expected..." He paused, as if unwilling to recall that painful past. "What happened next is something I never want to experience again in my life."

"I almost lost my life back then..." His words sent a chill down everyone's spine, a cold shiver running from their feet to their heads. Ye Ling realized that they might have encountered an extremely dangerous enemy, an enemy lurking in the shadows, waiting for their chance to strike.

"And then what happened?" Ye Ling pressed. "How did you escape?" The mysterious expert shook his head, his eyes filled with helplessness and fear.

"I didn't escape; someone saved me. A powerful figure I've never seen or heard of before."

He appeared very suddenly, as if... as if he had walked out of the void.

He easily resolved the danger and then vanished without a trace.

“That person…” Ye Ling’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be… He suddenly remembered a mysterious organization that Elder Ling had once mentioned, an organization that specialized in dealing with paranormal events.

Could this mysterious expert be a member of that organization?

Just as Ye Ling was pondering, Elder Ling's expression suddenly changed drastically. He looked up sharply at the sky and cried out in horror, "Not good! It's the Shadow!"

At the same time, a chilling aura spread out, and the surrounding temperature plummeted, as if one had instantly entered an ice cellar. Ye Ling felt a powerful sense of oppression wash over him, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

"Shadow?" Ye Ling's heart sank; he knew this name.

The Shadow is a powerful evil spirit that has recently risen to prominence, known for its cunning, treachery, and cruelty.

She has always remained hidden in the shadows, and few people have ever seen her true face.

"How did she get here?" Qingyue asked in horror, her voice trembling.

Elder Ling did not answer; his gaze was fixed on the sky, his expression solemn.

Suddenly, a chilling voice rang out in the air, as elusive as a ghost.

"Hehehe... I didn't expect you guys to be able to discover my existence."

However, it's too late to discover this now..." As the voice fell, a dark figure descended from the sky and slowly landed in front of everyone.

It was a woman dressed in a long black robe, her face hidden under a hood, making her features impossible to see, but the chilling aura emanating from her revealed her immense power.

Shadow!

Ye Ling's heart tightened, and he gripped the card in his hand. He knew that a fierce battle was inevitable.

Shu Yao nestled in Ye Ling's arms, her body trembling slightly, fear gripping her heart like vines. Ye Ling held her hand tightly, the warmth of his palm conveying strength and silently comforting her.

She looked up at Ye Ling's resolute profile, her eyes filled with trust.

In this perilous moment, Ye Ling was her only support and the source of all her courage.

Ye Ling sensed Shu Yao's unease and felt a strong desire to protect her.

He looked around; the thick darkness seemed to devour everything, oppressively suffocating him.

He subconsciously touched the card hidden in his sleeve, and suddenly, a strange feeling welled up inside him. After the shadow appeared, he discovered that his card seemed to have gained a new ability to sense the abnormal environment around him.

He tried to infuse a wisp of spiritual energy into the "Night Owl" card in his hand. The card trembled slightly and emitted a faint glow, illuminating a small area.

In the dim light, everyone's tense nerves relaxed slightly.

This faint light was like a lamp lit on a lone boat adrift on a vast ocean, bringing a glimmer of hope and comfort.

Seeing this, Qingyue also tried to activate her spiritual power, but her card did not react at all. "Ye Ling, your card..." Qingyue looked at him in surprise, her eyes full of questions.

Ye Ling didn't explain; he focused intently on sensing the card's fluctuations, trying to glean more information. As spiritual energy continued to flow in, the "Night Owl" card's light grew brighter and brighter, illuminating an increasingly larger area, even faintly revealing some blurry shadows around it.

“Those are…” Qingyue pointed at the shadows, her voice trembling slightly.

The shadows twisted and distorted, flickering like ghosts, sending chills down one's spine. Ye Ling's heart tightened; he sensed a powerful, evil force approaching.

"Everyone be careful!" Ye Ling shouted in a low voice, shielding Shu Yao behind him.

Just then, Elder Ling, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "Youying's target is Ye Ling, everyone protect him!"

No sooner had Elder Ling finished speaking than a dark figure darted out from the darkness and pounced straight at Ye Ling.

Ye Ling was prepared and quickly drew his "Guardian Spirit" card. A golden light flashed, and a huge Guardian Spirit appeared before him, blocking the shadow's attack. "Ying Feng, go protect Shu Yao and Qing Yue!" Ye Ling said to Ying Feng, who was waiting nearby.

Yingfeng nodded, and in a flash, he appeared beside Shu Yao and Qingyue, warily observing the surrounding movements. The mysterious expert stood aside, coldly watching everything unfold.

He didn't offer any assistance, but instead quietly observed the shadow's movements, seemingly searching for something. A fierce battle was about to erupt, and Ye Ling, relying on the power of his cards, maneuvered against the shadow's attacks. He discovered that, guided by the "Night Owl" card, he could predict the shadow's attack direction, thus enabling him to defend and counterattack more effectively.

However, the Shadow's strength should not be underestimated; her attacks are unpredictable and difficult to defend against. Ye Ling gradually felt overwhelmed, and his card consumption increased significantly.

Just then, Shadow Wind suddenly said, "We can't continue to defend passively like this. We must take the initiative and find Shadow's hiding place!"

The mysterious expert shook his head and said, "No, we know nothing about the Shadow's strength right now. If we attack rashly, we will only be in greater danger."

"We should stay put and wait for a turning point." "Wait for a turning point? When?" Shadowwind asked impatiently. "Are we just going to hide here and let Shadow do as we please?"

The mysterious expert snorted coldly: "What do you know? Youying's target is Ye Ling. As long as we protect him, she won't make any rash moves."

What we need to do now is preserve our strength and wait for the right opportunity…” “The right opportunity?”

What do you mean by "timing"? Yingfeng's eyes sharpened, the dagger in his hand gleaming coldly.

"What do you mean by 'opportunity'? By passively taking hits, we'll only embolden her!" The mysterious powerhouse's tone was icy. "Young man, you're too impulsive. The Shadow is cunning and treacherous; we must proceed with caution. Preserving our strength is crucial to delivering a fatal blow at the critical moment."

"cautious?

"We've already suffered enough losses!" Yingfeng's voice trembled slightly, clearly recalling their previous ordeal.

He gripped the dagger tightly, his knuckles turning white. "Rather than sit and wait to die, we might as well take the initiative and perhaps find a glimmer of hope!"

"You're being reckless!"

The mysterious expert's tone hardened, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes, "You have no idea about the power of the Shadow. Acting rashly will only lead to your death!"

The two were on the verge of exchanging blows, the atmosphere extremely tense. Seeing this, Ye Ling quickly stepped forward to mediate: "Seniors, now is not the time to argue. We should unite and fight the enemy together."

Shu Yao gently tugged at Ying Feng's sleeve and said softly, "Ying Feng, let's listen to our senior and wait and see."

Yingfeng took a deep breath, trying to calm his anger, and finally nodded reluctantly.

Just then, Elder Ling spoke slowly, his voice low and hoarse, carrying a hint of vicissitude.

"The Ghost Clan is adept at concealing their presence and prefers to manipulate situations from the shadows."

They are like ghosts, elusive and unpredictable. Their most terrifying aspect is not their powerful attacks, but their ability to silently infiltrate your surroundings and devour you without your knowledge..." Elder Ling's words sent a chill down everyone's spine, a coldness rising from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads.

Could it be that the Ghost Clan is manipulating all of this behind the scenes?

"Shadow... could it be a member of the Ghost Clan?" Qingyue's voice trembled slightly.

She gripped Shu Yao's hand tightly, her eyes filled with fear. Ye Ling frowned, carefully recalling his encounter with You Ying. Her attack methods were indeed unpredictable and strange, and she could always predict his actions, as if she could see through all his thoughts.

"If it really is the Ghost Clan, then we must be even more cautious."

The mysterious expert said in a deep voice, "They are best at using psychological tactics to undermine their opponents' will."

We must remain calm in order to find their weaknesses.

Ye Ling nodded, gripping the "Night Owl" card tightly in his hand, feeling the faint fluctuations emanating from it. He vaguely sensed that the card seemed to be able to detect the presence of the Ghost Clan.

Suddenly, the surrounding air turned eerily cold, and a sinister aura spread. On the ground, twisted shadows began to slowly writhe, like venomous snakes lurking in the darkness, ready to strike a fatal blow at any moment.

"Watch out!" Yingfeng shouted, his figure flashing like lightning as he weaved through the shadows. His dagger flashed, slicing the approaching shadows to shreds. However, the number of shadows increased, surging in like a tide and surrounding them.

Ye Ling also threw out a card, and beams of light flashed, dispersing some of the shadows.

However, the cards were consuming more and more, and he felt his spiritual energy rapidly draining away. "These shadows..." Ye Ling's expression turned grave, "...seem...impossible to kill!"

Elder Ling's face also turned extremely grim. He whispered, "Not good, we've fallen into the Shadow's trap..." He suddenly looked up at the mysterious expert, his eyes filled with doubt, "You..." Shadows surged in like a tide, twisting and writhing, carrying a suffocating chill. Ying Feng's figure weaved through them, as fast as lightning, his dagger flashing coldly.

Each swing shattered several shadows, yet these shadows seemed endless, rapidly reforming after being shattered and surging towards the crowd relentlessly.

Ye Ling swiftly threw out a "Blazing Inferno" card, unleashing a burst of flames that forced the surrounding shadows back several feet. However, the card's flames had limited effect on these shadows; they only retreated briefly before surging forward even more frantically.

Ye Ling threw out several more cards in succession: "Golden Light Protection," "Frosty Arrow Rain," and "Swift Wind Blade." Various lights flashed and intertwined, but they were still unable to completely eliminate these strange shadows.

"These shadows... seem impossible to kill!" Ye Ling's expression was grave, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He felt his spiritual energy rapidly depleting, yet with little effect. Just then, a painful groan rang out.

Ye Ling's heart sank. He turned his head and saw Shu Yao clutching her chest, her face pale, and a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.

She was struck by a shadow!

"Shu Yao!" Ye Ling was extremely anxious and wanted to rush over, but he was blocked by more shadows. He waved the cards in his hand, frantically attacking the surrounding shadows, but he could not break through their encirclement.

Shu Yao curled up on the ground in agony, the shadows sending waves of excruciating pain through her. She tried to stand up, but her body was too weak.

Qingyue called out anxiously, "Sister Shuyao!"

She wanted to rush over to help, but Yingfeng stopped her. "Protect yourself!"

Yingfeng said in a deep voice, his eyes filled with worry, but he had no choice but to focus on the battle in front of him.

He knew that if he fell too, no one would be able to protect Qingyue.

Elder Ling's expression also turned extremely grim. He whispered, "This is bad, we've fallen into the Shadow's trap..." He suddenly looked up at the mysterious expert, his eyes filled with doubt, "Who... exactly are you?"

Just as everyone was struggling to deal with the attacks from the shadows, a sinister female voice rang out in the air, like a whisper from hell, sending chills down their spines: "You can't escape..." The voice was elusive, as if it came from all directions, but no one could see the owner of the voice.

They looked around warily, but all they saw was boundless darkness and surging shadows.

The sinister female voice rang out again, tinged with a mocking sarcasm: "Struggle, despair, your fear will become my most delicious food..." Ye Ling's heart sank to the bottom. He felt like prey caught in a spider web, unable to escape the hunter's control no matter how much he struggled.

He gripped the card in his hand, forcing himself to calm down, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice, but he failed. The eerie female voice echoed continuously, like a death curse, lingering in everyone's ears.

Ye Ling felt like he was being watched like prey, and cold sweat slowly trickled down his forehead.

He turned his head sharply, looking into the darkness behind him, a resolute glint in his eyes...

"come out!"