I dominated the game from the start with cards.

Ye Ling was still pondering Elder Ling's words and the strange card in his hand when suddenly, the surrounding air became bitterly cold, as if he were in an ice cellar.

In the darkness, a pair of blood-red eyes slowly emerged, like two ghostly flames flickering with a chilling light.

Ye Ling knew this was an evil spirit. In this world, evil spirits were extremely dangerous beings; they fed on human fear and souls, like predators in the night, lurking in the shadows, waiting for their chance to strike. He gripped the card tightly, his palms sweating. The ghostly hand pattern on the card seemed to sense this evil aura, trembling slightly. The cold grew increasingly biting, and Ye Ling felt his breathing becoming difficult. The blood-red eyes drew closer, and in the darkness, a blurry figure gradually appeared.

The figure was tall and twisted, exuding a strong stench of decay and a nauseating stench of blood. "Hehehe..." A piercing laugh tore through the night sky, like a sharp knife scraping against glass, sending chills down one's spine. The demon had appeared. He had bluish-gray skin, like dried tree bark, covered with hideous scars.

His eyes, like burning coals, gleamed with a bloodthirsty light. He grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, like a wild beast, sending chills down one's spine. Ye Ling felt his very soul tremble. He knew he was no match for Ghost Fiend. Ghost Fiend was a notorious evil spirit, infamous for its cruelty and bloodthirstiness; countless lives had been lost at its hands. He had never imagined he would face such a terrifying being so close.

But he didn't want to sit idly by and wait for his doom. He gripped the card tightly in his hand, a glimmer of hope igniting in his heart.

This card was his only hope; perhaps it could help him escape this calamity. He took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. He channeled his spiritual power into the card, and the runes on it immediately shone with golden light. A powerful force surged from the card, enveloping him.

Ghost Fiend stared at the card in Ye Ling's hand, a greedy glint in his eyes. "Oh? Looks like you've got something good." He stretched out his withered claws, reaching for Ye Ling. "Give it to me, and I might consider giving you a quick death!" Ye Ling didn't speak, concentrating all his spiritual power on the card. The ghostly hand pattern on the card seemed to come alive, letting out a shrill roar, and a powerful force surged towards Ghost Fiend.

Ghost Fiend was forced back a few steps by the force, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected the card in Ye Ling's hand to possess such power. He licked his lips, his greedy gaze intensifying.

"Looks like I need to get serious." Ye Ling's face was pale. He knew he had only managed to repel the ghost by sheer luck, and he had to find a way to escape. He looked around, searching for an escape route.

Suddenly, a gentle voice rang in his ear: "Ye Ling, hold on!" Shu Yao appeared. She held a white jade staff, her body emitting a faint glow, like a star in the night sky illuminating the darkness. "Shu Yao..." Ye Ling's heart leaped with joy, yet was also filled with worry.

He didn't want to drag her into this danger. Shu Yao walked to Ye Ling's side, gave him an encouraging look, then turned to face Gui Sha, raised her white jade staff, and softly shouted, "Evil spirits, begone!" A dazzling white light shot out from the jade staff, striking Gui Sha. Gui Sha let out a scream, his body knocked back by the white light, black smoke billowing from his body. "Run!" Shu Yao shouted to Ye Ling. Ye Ling knew this was their only chance to escape, and he turned and ran without hesitation. Gui Sha roared angrily, trying to give chase, but was blocked by Shu Yao's white light.

"You can't escape!" Ghost Fiend's voice echoed in the night sky... The piercing laughter was like a demonic chant piercing his brain, and Ye Ling felt his soul tremble. Ghost Fiend, this infamous evil spirit, stood before him now, like a messenger from hell, bringing the aura of death.

His bluish-gray skin, like dried tree bark, was covered with hideous scars. His eyes, burning with bloodlust, and the sharp teeth protruding from his gaping mouth filled Ye Ling with intense fear. He knew he was no match for Gui Sha.

Ghost Fiend was a seasoned hunter, while he, Ye Ling, was merely a novice who had just entered the supernatural world. This sense of resentment and powerlessness clashed violently within him, like boiling magma about to erupt. Escape? He found even moving difficult; the powerful pressure emanating from Ghost Fiend was like invisible shackles, binding him firmly. Was he to simply surrender and become this monster's next Zeptva? No!

He would never admit defeat! Even with a vast disparity in strength, even with slim hope, he would never give up! Ye Ling's gaze fell upon the card in his hand. This card was his only reliance at the moment. He recalled Elder Ling's words, and the card's magical power. A bold idea surfaced in his mind: what if he could also transform the surrounding supernatural aura into cards? This idea, like a bolt of lightning, pierced through the despair in Ye Ling's heart. He began to concentrate, sensing the pervasive fear and cold around him, as well as the intense evil aura emanating from the Ghost Fiend. He tried to guide these auras into his body, and then, through the card in his hand, transform them into new power. This process was extremely difficult.

The surrounding supernatural energy was chaotic and violent, like a wild horse that had broken free of its reins, impossible to control. Ye Ling felt as if his body was being torn apart, his meridians throbbing with pain, and his head spinning. But he gritted his teeth and persevered; he knew this was his only hope. Finally, he successfully captured a faint trace of supernatural energy and transformed it into a new card.

On the card, a hideous demon image flickered, emanating a chilling aura. Then, a second, a third… more and more supernatural energy was transformed into cards. Although these cards weren't high-level, their number kept increasing. Ye Ling felt a new power surging within him, rekindling the flame of hope. He looked at the cards in his hand, his eyes gleaming with unwavering determination.

These cards were his weapons against the Ghostly Fiend, his hope for survival! The Ghostly Fiend seemed to sense Ye Ling's change; it stopped its piercing laughter, a hint of doubt flashing in its eyes. It slowly raised its withered claws, pointing at Ye Ling, its voice low and threatening: "What... are you doing?" Ye Ling didn't answer. He arranged the cards in his hand one by one, preparing for the upcoming battle.

Shu Yao stood anxiously to the side. She could sense Ye Ling gathering his strength, but she also understood that even with the new cards, it would be difficult for him to defeat the powerful Ghost Fiend. She gripped her white jade staff tightly, silently praying for a miracle. Just then, the Ghost Fiend moved. It let out a deafening roar and pounced on Ye Ling like an arrow released from a bow… “It’s over!” the Ghost Fiend roared. The Ghost Fiend roared as it charged towards Ye Ling like a black whirlwind.

Ye Ling took a deep breath and flung out several cards from his hand. The cards spun and danced in the air, instantly forming a barrier shimmering with a ghostly blue light, blocking his path. "Bang!" With a loud crash, the Ghostly Fiend slammed heavily into the barrier. The barrier trembled violently, and spiderweb-like cracks rapidly spread outwards.

Ye Ling gritted his teeth, channeling more spiritual energy into the barrier in an attempt to stabilize the precarious defense. The demonic creature let out a deafening roar, its eyes, burning with bloodlust, fixed on Ye Ling as if to tear him to shreds. It swung its claws again, viciously striking the barrier. "Crack!" With a crisp sound, the barrier finally succumbed to the demonic creature's attack and shattered completely. Ye Ling was thrown back by the powerful impact, crashing heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth, his eyes flashing with unyielding determination. He knew he couldn't fall; he still had people he had to protect.

Ye Ling threw out all the remaining cards, which transformed into various spirits that roared and pounced on the Ghost Fiend. There were fire spirits breathing flames, ghost claws wielding sharp claws, and thunder beasts crackling with lightning... However, the Ghost Fiend seemed unusually relaxed in the face of these attacks. It swung its claws, tearing the pounced spirits to shreds one by one, without even pausing for a moment.

"Overestimating yourself!" Ghost Fiend let out a mocking sneer, its scarlet eyes flashing with an even more ferocious light. Ghost Fiend's power suddenly surged at this moment, and a suffocating pressure enveloped the entire battlefield.

Ye Ling felt his breathing become labored, his body as if crushed by a thousand-pound boulder, unable to move. The shadow of death loomed over him, and Shu Yao's gentle smile, her voice, her figure flashed through his mind—everything so clear, yet so unattainable. He regretted it, regretted not going to find her sooner, not expressing his feelings to her. If he could return alive, he would definitely tell her how much he cared for her… “It’s over!” Ghost Fiend roared, its sharp claws piercing towards Ye Ling’s chest, about to devour his soul. At this critical moment, a soft light suddenly enveloped the entire battlefield. Ghost Fiend’s movements abruptly stopped; it let out a painful roar, as if burned by the light.

Shu Yao appeared before Ye Ling, holding a spiritual object that emitted a soft light. The light shone on the ghost demon, acting like an invisible shackle, restricting its movements. Shu Yao's appearance temporarily alleviated the crisis, but the ghost demon was not completely defeated; it continued to struggle, emitting low growls.

Ye Ling looked at Shu Yao, his heart filled with gratitude and worry. He could feel Shu Yao's power rapidly dwindling; how long could she hold on? Could they really survive the Ghost Fiend's attack? "Hold on..." Shu Yao's voice was weak but firm, the spiritual object in her hand shining even brighter, "I will..." "I will...seal you!" Shu Yao gritted her teeth, the light of the spiritual object in her hand growing ever more dazzling, like a small sun dispelling the surrounding darkness. The Ghost Fiend let out a painful roar, struggling frantically, trying to break free from the light's restraints, but it could not escape.

Ye Ling clutched his chest and staggered to his feet. Looking at Shu Yao's pale face, his heart was filled with worry. He knew Shu Yao's condition was extremely dangerous; she had poured almost all her spiritual energy into this magical artifact. "Shu Yao, you…" Ye Ling tried to say something, but Shu Yao interrupted him.

"Don't speak, conserve your energy." Shu Yao's voice was weak, yet carried an undeniable firmness. "Now is not the time to relax." The ghost's struggles grew more intense, and the surrounding air began to distort. Its blood-red eyes were fixed on the spiritual object in Shu Yao's hand, filled with greed and desire.

"This...this is the Spirit Rhinoceros Jade!" Ye Ling recognized the spiritual object in Shu Yao's hand and was shocked. The Spirit Rhinoceros Jade is a legendary sacred object with the power to purify evil spirits. It has an extremely strong restraining effect on evil spirits, but it also consumes a large amount of the user's spiritual power. No wonder Shu Yao was so weak. "Damn humans!"

Ghost Fiend's voice became sharp and piercing. It seemed to realize the threat of the Spirit Rhinoceros Jade, and a trace of fear flashed in its eyes. "Do you think you can stop me like this? I, Ghost Fiend, have roamed the Spirit Realm for hundreds of years. How could I be trapped by a mere spiritual object!" Ghost Fiend's roar was deafening. The black aura around its body suddenly surged, forming a black whirlwind that tried to devour Shu Yao and Ye Ling.

"Not good!" Ye Ling's heart sank. He knew that Shu Yao was no longer able to maintain the power of the Spirit Rhinoceros Jade. Just at this critical moment, an aged voice suddenly rang out: "You beast, cease your arrogance!" A figure descended from the sky, landing in front of Ye Ling and Shu Yao. The newcomer was none other than Elder Ling.

He held an ancient wooden staff in his hand, the top of which was inlaid with a gem that emitted a faint golden light. The appearance of Elder Ling rekindled a glimmer of hope in Ye Ling and Shu Yao's hearts. "Elder Ling..." Ye Ling whispered.

Elder Ling ignored Ye Ling, pointing his wooden staff at the Ghost Fiend and chanting incantations. The gemstone on the staff shone brightly, and a golden beam of light shot out from the tip, striking the Ghost Fiend directly. The Ghost Fiend let out a miserable scream, its black aura instantly dissipating, revealing its hideous true form. The light from the Spirit Jade and the golden beam of light acted simultaneously on the Ghost Fiend, causing it immense pain.

However, the ghostly demon was not completely destroyed. It let out a roar of resentment, and its body suddenly turned into a cloud of black mist and disappeared from the spot. "Not good, it escaped!" Ye Ling's expression changed. "It is seriously injured and cannot do evil for a while." Elder Ling put away his wooden staff, his tone calm, "However, this is only a temporary calm. It will definitely come back."

Shu Yao's face was pale, and she swayed precariously. The light of the Spirit Jade in her hand dimmed, almost extinguished. "Shu Yao!" Ye Ling quickly supported her. Shu Yao smiled weakly and said, "I'm fine..." She raised her head and looked at Elder Ling, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes, "Elder Ling, why are you..." Elder Ling's gaze fell into the distance, and he slowly said, "There are some things that it's time to tell you..." He paused, his eyes becoming deep and distant, "About this supernatural world, and... your origins..."