I dominated the game from the start with cards.

The colossal figure stood motionless, like frozen night, but the oppressive silence was more chilling than the preceding storm. Ye Ling felt his breathing become difficult, as if an invisible hand was gripping his throat. The new card combination, "Black Tortoise Shield" and "Azure Dragon Power," had temporarily blocked the attack, but the shield's light had dimmed, and spiderweb-like cracks were clearly visible, threatening to shatter at any moment. "Ling..." Shu Yao's voice trembled slightly. Ye Ling turned sharply and saw Ying Feng kneeling on the ground, his face pale and covered in cold sweat. His left ankle was twisted at an unnatural angle, clearly sprained while dodging the previous attack. "Ying Feng!" Qing Yue exclaimed, rushing to his side to support him. "How are you?" Ying Feng gritted his teeth and shook his head. "I'm fine, it's just... I can't move for now." This was undoubtedly bad news, adding insult to injury. As a Spirit Clan assassin, Yingfeng was agile and a vital defensive force in the team. His injury made the already precarious defense line even more vulnerable. Ye Ling's heart sank as the massive figure moved again. In the darkness, the suffocating pressure grew stronger, as if foreshadowing the next wave of attack. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Now was not the time to panic; he had to find a way, a breakthrough. He quickly scanned the cards in his hand, his gaze landing on several cards he had never combined before. "Let's take a gamble!" Ye Ling thought to himself. He retrieved "Black Tortoise Shield" and "Azure Dragon Power," then swiftly drew three cards of different levels: "Earthly Fiend Talisman," "Heavenly Gang Sword," and "Phantom Trail." These three cards were a common card, a rare card, and an epic card; no one had ever tried to combine them. "Ye Ling, what are you doing?" Shu Yao asked worriedly. Ye Ling didn't answer; he poured all his spiritual power into the three cards. The cards emitted a dazzling light, intertwining to form a complex pattern. A powerful energy fluctuation emanated from the pattern, distorting the surrounding air. "What is this?" Qingyue exclaimed in surprise. Even the mysterious powerhouse, who had remained silent, glanced at her, a hint of astonishment flashing in his eyes. The enormous figure seemed to sense a threat; a deep roar echoed from the darkness, and its pent-up power finally erupted. A black beam of light, even thicker than before, descended from the sky with a world-destroying force, heading straight for Ye Ling and the others. "Get out of the way!" Yingfeng shouted hoarsely. However, it was too late. The black beam of light was too fast, arriving in an instant. Just at this critical moment, the cards in Ye Ling's hand completed their combination. The light suddenly intensified, and a huge, semi-transparent array appeared out of thin air, enveloping Ye Ling and the others. The black beam of light slammed into the formation, producing a deafening roar… “This…” The mysterious expert murmured to himself, watching the scene before him, “Could it be…” The black beam of light struck the formation, but instead of the expected explosion and impact, it was absorbed silently, like a clay ox sinking into the sea. The formation emitted a soft light, alternating between light and darkness like breathing, converting the energy of the attack into its own energy, becoming stable and powerful. The enormous figure seemed surprised by this sudden change, a low, questioning growl coming from the darkness. It gathered its power again, black energy churning around it, even more violent than before, with streaks of black lightning crackling in the air. “He… he actually combined cards of different levels to create a completely new defensive formation!” Qingyue stared at the incredible scene before her, speechless with astonishment. “This kid…” Even the usually composed mysterious expert couldn’t help but exclaim, “He’s a genius!” Ye Ling was also filled with joy; he hadn’t expected this seemingly risky attempt to succeed. The stability of the Earthly Fiend Talisman, the sharpness of the Heavenly Gang Sword, and the unpredictable nature of the Phantom Steps—the power of the three cards perfectly merged, forming a powerful array that combined offense and defense. "Ling, Yingfeng…" Shu Yao's voice carried a hint of anxiety. She wanted to check on Yingfeng's injuries but found herself trapped within the array, unable to move. "Don't move!" Ye Ling sternly stopped her. "This array is the only barrier maintaining our safety. If you move, it will collapse!" Shu Yao froze, looking at Ye Ling with eyes full of grievance. "But Yingfeng…" "I know you're worried about him, but now is not the time to act rashly!" Ye Ling's tone was also somewhat stern. "Trust me, I can protect everyone!" Shu Yao bit her lip and ultimately retreated silently. She knew Ye Ling was right, but seeing Yingfeng's pained expression, her heart was still filled with worry and unease. The enormous figure launched another attack. This time, several black beams of light fell simultaneously, raining down on the array like dense raindrops. The array flickered with light, enduring immense pressure, yet remaining unbreakable. "How long can this array hold?" Qingyue asked worriedly. "I don't know," Ye Ling said in a deep voice, his eyes fixed on the array's light, "but I will do my best to hold on until the very end!" He continuously adjusted his spiritual energy output to maintain the array's stability. He knew that this was not only protecting himself, but also protecting his companions behind him.

The colossal figure's attacks grew increasingly fierce, and the light on the array dimmed more and more, seemingly on the verge of collapse. Just then, a cold voice suddenly rang out: "Stop!" A figure clad in a long black robe, her face hidden beneath a hood, appeared before everyone. She held a long sword radiating a chilling aura, its blade pointed directly at the colossal figure. "Shuanghua?" Qingyue exclaimed in surprise. Shuanghua ignored her, instead staring coldly at the colossal figure, her tone filled with warning: "If you dare take another step forward, don't blame me for being impolite!" The colossal figure seemed to fear Shuanghua; it ceased its attack, letting out a low roar, then slowly retreated, disappearing into the darkness. "Shuanghua, what are you doing here?" Qingyue asked. Shuanghua didn't answer, but instead turned her gaze to Ye Ling, a complex light flashing in her eyes. "Your cards..." she began slowly, "are very special..." Ye Ling was about to reply when suddenly a voice came from afar: "Ye Ling, need any help?" Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a handsome man in a starlight robe descending from the sky, landing gently in front of them. "Stardust?" Ye Ling looked at the newcomer in surprise. Stardust smiled slightly and said, "It seems you've run into some trouble..." Ye Ling looked at Shu Yao's aggrieved eyes and his heart softened. He gently pinched Shu Yao's cheek and said, "Baby, once this battle is over, I'll personally heal Ying Feng, and I guarantee he'll be lively and energetic again." Shu Yao blushed and nodded gently, the worry in her eyes lessening slightly, replaced by a hint of sweetness. The retreat of the giant figure did not make Ye Ling lower his guard; he knew this was only temporary. He pressed his advantage, manipulating the array formed by the cards to charge towards the giant figure. The earthen-yellow light barrier formed by the Earthly Fiend Talisman cleared a path, resisting the surrounding black energy; the golden sword energy manifested by the Heavenly Gang Sword swirled around, waiting for its chance to strike; the Phantom Illusion made the entire formation elusive and unpredictable. The colossal figure roared angrily, its massive arms lashing out at the formation with a gust of wind. However, the formation remained unmoved; the Earthly Fiend Talisman's defense was as solid as a mountain, and the Heavenly Gang Sword's sword energy even counterattacked, leaving deep wounds on the colossal figure's arms. "Roar!" The colossal figure, in pain, became even more ferocious. It swung its arms wildly, attacking the formation frantically, but to no avail. Under Ye Ling's control, the formation skillfully dodged the attacks and continuously counterattacked, inflicting increasing damage on the colossal figure. Seeing this, Qingyue and the mysterious expert both breathed a sigh of relief. Qingyue exclaimed excitedly, "Ye Ling, you're amazing!" The mysterious expert also nodded slightly, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected Ye Ling to be so adept at combining cards of different levels, creating such a powerful array. Ye Ling wasn't blinded by victory; he knew this was just the beginning. While manipulating the array, he recalled his journey, constantly exploring the abilities of the cards. Each attempt, each failure, deepened his understanding of the cards, making him stronger. He firmly believed he could defeat his current enemy and unlock the secrets of his own abilities. Just then, the enormous figure suddenly stopped attacking, letting out a deafening roar. Its body began to expand, and the surrounding black energy became even more violent. "Not good!" Ye Ling's heart sank; he sensed a powerful force brewing. The next moment, the enormous figure suddenly erupted with dazzling light, a powerful shockwave spreading outwards from it. The power of this shockwave was terrifying; even Ye Ling's array began to tremble violently. "Get out of the way!" Ye Ling shouted, desperately manipulating the array to try and withstand the shockwave. However, the shockwave was far too powerful. The array's light dimmed rapidly, on the verge of collapse… Xingchen's eyes narrowed, and a longsword shimmering with starlight suddenly appeared in his hand… The array's light flickered, like a candle in the wind, threatening to go out at any moment. Ye Ling gritted his teeth, sweat streaming down his face. The shockwave released by the enormous figure contained destructive power, far exceeding his previous estimates. In this critical moment, images flashed through Ye Ling's mind: the joy of transforming supernatural objects into cards for the first time, the frustrated roars after repeated failures, and the unwavering gaze of fighting alongside Shu Yao… These images flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern, finally settling on the scene of his first successful combination of different card abilities. At that time, he was facing a ferocious demon, which was impossible to defeat with the power of a single card. In despair, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he attempted to fuse the power of the Earthly Fiend Talisman and the Heavenly Gang Sword cards in his hand. Unexpectedly, the two forces combined perfectly, forming a new and more powerful force that decisively defeated the evil spirit. "I can do it!" Ye Ling shouted in his heart, concentrating all his mental energy on the card in his hand.

He swiftly fused the power of the three cards—Earthly Fiend Talisman, Heavenly Gang Sword, and Phantom Trail—into the crumbling formation. The formation's light surged instantly, its defenses stabilizing on the verge of collapse, radiating a dazzling brilliance to withstand the shockwave. "Boom!" The shockwave slammed into the formation, creating a deafening roar. The entire space seemed to tremble; surrounding trees were uprooted, sand and stones flew, blotting out the sun. Xingchen's eyes narrowed, and he swung his star-studded longsword forward, a brilliant sword aura slicing through the sky to meet the shockwave. The sword aura collided with the shockwave, erupting in a dazzling light that turned everything around silvery-white. "Hold on!" the mysterious expert shouted, releasing his own power to form a barrier protecting Qingyue and Shuyao. Although the shockwave was powerful, it gradually weakened under the combined resistance of Ye Ling, Xingchen, and the mysterious expert, eventually dissipating into nothingness. As the dust settled, Ye Ling and the others were in a sorry state, but all had miraculously survived. Ye Ling's face was pale, clearly indicating he had exhausted a great deal of spiritual energy. He looked at the space gradually returning to calm, secretly relieved. "Ye Ling, are you alright?" Shu Yao asked with concern. Ye Ling shook his head, forcing a smile: "I'm fine, just a little tired." Just then, the enormous figure roared again, its body beginning to change, an even more powerful force brewing… "It's attacking again!" Qing Yue exclaimed. Ye Ling's gaze was grave, fixed on the enormous figure, his hand gripping the card tightly, thinking to himself, "Come on, let me see what else you've got!" He took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes, and a brand new card appeared in his hand…