I dominated the game from the start with cards.

A blinding light erupted from the artifact in Stardust's hand, instantly engulfing the entire battlefield.

Ye Ling subconsciously closed his eyes, and a sharp scream came to his ears, as if something was being torn apart.

When he opened his eyes again, the scene before him shocked him.

The once raging blood demon stood frozen in place, as if under a spell, its blood-red eyes losing their luster, and its surging demonic energy gradually subsiding.

Not only the Blood Demon, but even the shadowy figure that had been watching from the sidelines froze as if it were a ghost, and its chilling aura dissipated.

A strange energy fluctuation permeated the air, making it difficult to breathe.

Ye Ling felt the card in his hand tremble slightly, as if it was afraid of this power.

He stared warily at Stardust, trying to discern what the object in his hand was, only to find it shrouded in a hazy light, making it impossible to see its true form.

"What happened?" Ye Ling asked in a low voice, his voice a little hoarse.

Stardust slowly retracted the object in his hand, and the light disappeared as well, leaving a mysterious smile on his face.

"I've only temporarily stopped this farce," he said casually, as if everything that had just happened was insignificant.

Ye Ling's doubts deepened. Xingchen's appearance was too sudden, and his power was unfathomable. Who exactly was he? What was his purpose?

Shu Yao helped the injured Qingyue and Yingfeng to Ye Ling's side. Looking at the wounds on her companions, she felt a pang of self-reproach.

She felt that if she were more capable, she could have prevented everyone from suffering so much harm.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back. She knew this wasn't the time for sadness; they still had many challenges to face.

Elder Ling walked up to Stardust and gazed at him intently.

"Just who are you?" Xingchen smiled slightly, not answering Elder Ling's question directly, but instead turning his gaze to Ye Ling.

“Young man, your abilities are quite unique, and I’m very interested.” Ye Ling felt a chill run down his spine; Xingchen’s words made him uneasy.

He gripped the cards tightly in his hand, ready to respond to any unexpected situation.

Although Blood Demon and Shadow have temporarily ceased their attack, their hostility towards Ye Ling and the others has not disappeared.

Both sides were wary of each other, and also suspicious of the appearance of Stardust. A tense atmosphere filled the air, and the slightest carelessness could lead to another conflict.

“My goal is simple,” Stardust suddenly spoke, breaking the deadlock, “I want to cooperate with you.” Ye Ling frowned, his heart filled with vigilance.

Cooperation?

Why would he want to cooperate with him? Stardust didn't explain, but just smiled meaningfully.

"You'll understand soon enough," he said, then turned and left, his figure gradually disappearing into the night.

"Wait!" Ye Ling tried to call out to him, but Xingchen had already vanished without a trace.

Stardust's departure did not ease the tense atmosphere; on the contrary, it made it even more solemn.

Blood Demon and Shadow Demon also took the opportunity to leave, leaving behind a mess. Elder Ling looked in the direction Stardust had disappeared, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes. "It seems an even greater storm is about to arrive..." Ye Ling gripped the card in his hand, his gaze resolute.

"No matter what kind of storm it is, I will face it!" He turned to look at Shu Yao, his eyes filled with tenderness and determination. "I will protect you, and protect everyone."

Shu Yao smiled slightly at him and nodded. Qing Yue walked to Ye Ling's side, patted his shoulder, and said, "We'll all help you!"

Yingfeng nodded in agreement. Ye Ling looked at his companions, his heart filled with strength.

He knew that no matter how difficult the road ahead might be, he would not be alone.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from afar... Stardust's departure was like a stone thrown into the ground, creating ripples, but it did not break the eerie calm.

The Blood Demon's crimson eyes swept over Ye Ling and the others, and intense demonic energy churned around him, as if it were about to erupt again at any moment.

The shadowy figure remained hidden in the shadows, its cold gaze fixed on Ye Ling like a venomous snake, searching for the next opportunity to attack.

Ye Ling held the card in his hand, feeling the energy fluctuations emanating from it, and was extremely vigilant.

He knew this battle was far from over; Stardust's appearance was merely a brief interlude, and the real crisis lay ahead. He shielded Shu Yao behind him, his gaze unwavering as he confronted the Blood Demon.

"Hmph, kid, don't think you can escape my clutches just because someone is helping you!" The Blood Demon's voice was deep and hoarse, as if it came from the depths of hell.

Ye Ling sneered and retorted without fear, "Then let's try it!" The air was thick with tension, and the two sides were on the verge of exploding.

Yingfeng stood beside Qingyue, silently observing everything before him.

He recalled what Qingyue had once told him about the mission of the Spirit Race—to protect the balance of the world and resist the invasion of evil.

Now, with evil forces right before him, he had to fulfill his mission: protect Qingyue and the others, and not bring shame upon the Spirit Clan. His hand gripped the sword hilt tightly, his knuckles turning white, his eyes filled with unwavering resolve.

Just then, the Blood Demon suddenly moved. He transformed into a blood-red shadow and pounced towards Ye Ling.

Ye Ling was prepared. He quickly drew a card and shouted, "Golden Armor Talisman!" A golden light flashed, and a golden talisman appeared in front of Ye Ling, transforming into a golden shield that blocked the Blood Demon's attack.

With a loud bang, the golden shield trembled violently, but ultimately managed to block the blood demon's attack.

Ye Ling took the opportunity to retreat a few steps, increasing the distance between himself and the Blood Demon.

He took a deep breath and drew another card: "Fire Dragon Rune!" A fire dragon flew out of the card, roaring as it charged toward the Blood Demon.

The Blood Demon roared and swung its demonic claws, tearing the fire dragon to shreds.

"A mere trick!" the Blood Demon scoffed. Ye Ling ignored the Blood Demon's mockery and drew another card: "Ice Seal Rune!"

A burst of icy energy erupted from the card, freezing the Blood Demon's feet in place.

The Blood Demon struggled a few times, but could not break free from the icy restraints.

"Damn it!" the Blood Demon roared. Just then, a shadowy figure suddenly darted out from the shadows, wielding a sharp dagger, and lunged at Ye Ling.

"Watch out!" Shu Yao exclaimed.

Ye Ling had no time to dodge, and the dagger was about to pierce his chest. At the critical moment, a figure suddenly appeared in front of Ye Ling, blocking You Ying's attack.

"Clang!" A crisp metallic clang rang out as Shadow's dagger was blocked. The newcomer was none other than Qingyue's friend, the Spirit Clan assassin—Shadow Wind.

Yingfeng coldly looked at Youying and said, "Your opponent is me." A hint of surprise flashed in Youying's eyes, then he sneered, "Overestimating yourself!" Yingfeng didn't speak, but silently drew his longsword and pointed it at Youying.

A tense atmosphere filled the air once more; a new battle was about to erupt… “Yingfeng…” Qingyue called out worriedly. Yingfeng turned to look at Qingyue, gave her a reassuring look, and whispered, “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

Then, he suddenly rushed towards Youying... Yingfeng's figure was like a ghost, his longsword turning into a silver light, aiming straight for Youying's throat.

Not to be outdone, Shadow wielded his daggers and engaged in fierce close combat with Shadow Wind.

The two figures clashed, swords flashing, and for a moment it was impossible to determine a winner. The Blood Demon was trapped by the ice-sealing talisman, roaring repeatedly, but unable to break free.

His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Ye Ling, as if he wanted to tear him to pieces.

Ye Ling sensed the Blood Demon's rage, but he was not afraid at all. He gripped the card tightly in his hand and watched everything around him warily.

He knew this was just the calm before the storm; the real battle was yet to begin.

Shu Yao stood behind Ye Ling, looking at the tense situation before her, her heart filled with worry.

A tear slid down her cheek. Ye Ling noticed her unease and gently wiped away her tear. His eyes were full of determination, as if telling her that everything would be alright.

Shu Yao looked at him, her heart filled with reliance. She knew that no matter what happened, Ye Ling would protect her. Although there was no direct combat, both sides were secretly gathering their strength, preparing to deal with any unexpected situation.

The Blood Demon exuded a thick aura of darkness, while the Shadow lurked in the shadows like a venomous snake waiting for its chance.

There was a tense atmosphere in the air, like a taut string that could break at any time.

Ye Ling discovered that he could use this brief standoff to adjust the power of his cards and repair the damaged ones.

He took out a slightly damaged "Swift Wind Talisman" from his pocket, touched it lightly with his fingertips, and slowly injected a wisp of spiritual power into the talisman.

The damaged patterns gradually healed, and the talisman regained its luster. He then methodically organized the other cards, categorizing them by attributes and functions so that they could be used more quickly in battle.

He felt his strength slowly recovering, and his heart gradually calmed down.

Qingyue watched the battle between Yingfeng and Youying anxiously from the sidelines, her hands clenched tightly, silently praying that Yingfeng would be safe. Elder Ling stood aside, silently observing the situation, his eyes gleaming with wisdom, as if he understood everything.

Just then, Stardust, who had been silent all along, finally spoke. His voice was deep and mysterious: "Your fates are all controlled by a mysterious force, and I may be the only one who can break all of this."

His words were like thunder, exploding in everyone's ears.

Ye Ling, Shu Yao, Qing Yue, Elder Ling, and even Ying Feng and You Ying, who were engaged in fierce battle, stopped what they were doing and all turned their gazes toward Xing Chen.

They didn't know whether Stardust was telling the truth or not, nor did they know what his purpose was.

The Blood Demon's roar abruptly ceased. He stared intently at Stardust, his eyes flashing with doubt and apprehension. Stardust's gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on Ye Ling, and he slowly said, "You are the key..." Stardust's words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.

The tense atmosphere became strangely frozen due to this sudden turn of events.

Even the Blood Demon, trapped by the Ice Seal Talisman, abruptly stopped its furious roar, its crimson eyes fixed on Stardust, a mixture of doubt and apprehension in them.

Seizing this rare moment of respite, Ye Ling's mind raced.

He knew that the current calm was merely the calm before the storm, and the real crisis might have just begun.

He quickly took out several slightly damaged cards from his pocket, touched them lightly with his fingertips, and slowly infused them with pure spiritual energy.

The cracks on the card healed at a visible speed, and the previously dull runes regained their dazzling brilliance.

One "Swift Wind Talisman" had its original edge chipped back, and the wind runes on the talisman were now radiant, as if containing endless storm power; the other "Black Tortoise Shield" had its cracks gone, replaced by an indestructible and solid feel.

He then took out the other cards and organized them methodically, classifying them by attributes and functions so that they could be used more quickly in battle.

As Ye Ling repaired and organized the cards one by one, he felt a powerful force surging within his body, and the spiritual energy he had previously consumed gradually recovered.

A sense of complete confidence returned to him, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips. He knew he was ready for the next challenge.

Shu Yao stood behind Ye Ling, and her tense nerves relaxed slightly.

She watched Ye Ling intently arranging the cards, her eyes filled with trust and reliance.

Qingyue anxiously watched Yingfeng confront Youying, her hands clasped tightly together, silently praying for his safety.

Elder Ling stood to the side, his deep gaze sweeping over everyone as if he understood everything, yet he remained silent, making it impossible for anyone to fathom his thoughts.

The battle between Shadowwind and Shadow Shadow also stopped due to the appearance of Stardust.

The two stared at each other warily, then simultaneously turned their attention to Stardust, awaiting his explanation. "Your fates are controlled by a mysterious force, and I may be the only one who can break free from it all."

Stardust's voice rang out again, deep and mysterious, as if it possessed some kind of magic, making people want to explore its secrets.

His words were like a thunderclap, exploding in everyone's ears. Ye Ling, Shu Yao, Qing Yue, Elder Ling, and even Ying Feng and You Ying, who were facing off, stopped what they were doing and turned their gazes to Xing Chen.

They didn't know whether Stardust was telling the truth or not, nor did they know what his purpose was.

The Blood Demon's roar abruptly ceased. He stared intently at Stardust, his eyes flashing with doubt and apprehension.

Stardust's gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on Ye Ling, and he slowly said, "You are the key..."

He paused, his gaze deep, as if he could see through Ye Ling's soul, "The power within you is far greater than you imagine..."

Stardust reached out and pointed to Ye Ling's chest, "Unlock it, and you'll truly control your own destiny..."