I dominated the game from the start with cards.

In this forbidden northern land, ancient trees reach for the sky, their canopies blocking out the sun. Thick fog swirls through the forest, shrouding everything in a hazy mist, adding to the eerie atmosphere. As Ye Ling and his group stepped into the forest, they felt a bone-chilling cold, as if the air itself was thick with a suffocating oppression. "This place…it feels so uncomfortable…" Qingyue gripped Shu Yao's arm tightly, her face pale, even her voice trembling slightly. Shu Yao gently patted her hand, softly comforting her, "Don't be afraid, we're here." Ye Ling's sharp gaze swept over the surroundings, his sword trembling slightly, as if sensing something. "The spiritual energy fluctuations here are very unstable, and…it carries a strong evil aura." Elder Ling nodded, his expression grave. "The forbidden lands of the North have been a place of frequent supernatural events since ancient times, and legend has it that many powerful evil spirits are sealed here. It seems that the dark figure Qingyue dreamed of was probably not just a figment of her imagination." Yingfeng, a friend of Qingyue's spirit clan, a cold and agile assassin, volunteered to walk at the front of the group to scout ahead. He moved nimbly through the forest like a ghost, his dagger gleaming coldly as he remained vigilant for any movement around him. Suddenly, Yingfeng stopped, turned sharply, and his expression changed drastically. "Watch out!" Before he finished speaking, a dark figure darted out from the thick fog, moving with lightning speed, and lunged at Yingfeng. Yingfeng reacted quickly, swinging his dagger to block, but the figure's strength was unexpectedly powerful, sending him flying and crashing heavily to the ground. "Yingfeng!" Qingyue cried out in alarm and rushed over. Yingfeng struggled to his feet, but found that his body was out of control. A chilling aura invaded his body, leaving him powerless. His face was pale, and a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth. "Damn it..." he gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with resentment. Qingyue knelt beside Yingfeng, tears streaming down her face. "It's all my fault... If it weren't for my dream... you wouldn't have..." Shuyao also rushed over and quickly examined Yingfeng's injuries. Her brows were furrowed, her expression grave. "He's been corrupted by a powerful evil energy. It must be expelled as soon as possible, or his life will be in danger." Ye Ling's face also darkened. He walked to Yingfeng's side, knelt down, and placed his hand on his chest. A stream of pure spiritual energy slowly flowed into his body, attempting to dispel the evil energy. However, the evil energy was exceptionally stubborn, like a bone-deep infection, tightly binding Yingfeng's body, difficult to remove.

Ye Ling raised his head, his gaze icy as he stared into the depths of the thick fog. He knew the mastermind was lurking in the shadows, waiting for the opportune moment to deliver a fatal blow. "It seems we must take the initiative." Ye Ling slowly stood up, a card emitting a faint golden light appearing in his hand. On the card, a majestic Qilin roared to the sky. His eyes were resolute, a cold smile playing on his lips. "I'll see just who you are." He tossed the card lightly… A flash of golden light, and the Qilin card transformed into a majestic golden divine beast, roaring to the sky. A powerful surge of spiritual energy spread out, dispersing the surrounding fog. The Qilin sniffed the air, then galloped off in one direction. "Follow it!" Ye Ling shouted, taking the lead. Shu Yao, Qing Yue, and Elder Ling followed closely behind, even the injured Ying Feng, struggling to stay afloat. The Qilin moved with incredible speed, darting through the dense forest with ease. It seemed to sense the presence of enemies lurking in the shadows, skillfully avoiding all traps and ambushes. Along the way, they encountered many hidden mechanisms and poisonous miasma; without the Qilin's guidance, they would likely have been in grave danger. "Ye Ling, your cards... are truly amazing!" Qingyue exclaimed, her eyes filled with amazement as she looked at the Qilin leading the way. Previously, she had been somewhat skeptical of Ye Ling's abilities, but now, witnessing the Qilin's power firsthand, her admiration for him grew immensely. Shu Yao also cast an appreciative glance; Ye Ling's rapid growth pleased her. About half an hour later, the Qilin stopped before a secluded cave, letting out a low growl. The cave entrance was concealed by dense vines; without careful observation, it was difficult to discover the hidden world within. "It seems this is the enemy's lair." A glint of light flashed in Ye Ling's eyes. He took out several cards and distributed them to Shu Yao and Elder Ling. "Be careful, let's go in." The group stealthily sneaked into the cave. The cave was dark and damp, filled with a nauseating stench of decay. They moved forward cautiously, trying not to make a sound. However, their presence was still discovered. "Hehehe... I didn't expect you to find this place." A cold voice echoed from the depths of the cave. Immediately afterward, a group of ferocious-looking henchmen surged out of the darkness, brandishing their weapons and rushing towards Ye Ling and his companions. "Hmph, child's play!" Ye Ling sneered, his cards flashing, and a giant fire phoenix soared into the sky, spewing forth raging flames that instantly incinerated the leading henchmen. The other henchmen, seeing this, retreated in terror. "Ye Ling, be careful!" Shu Yao suddenly cried out in warning. A dark figure appeared from the depths of the cave—it was You Ying. She held a dagger emitting a ghostly glow, and lunged at Ye Ling. Ye Ling quickly dodged, but the shadowy figure was incredibly fast; the dagger tore through his sleeve, leaving a shallow bloodstain. "Your abilities are indeed unique, but ultimately you are no match for me," the shadowy figure sneered, brandishing its dagger once more, unleashing a series of sharp, ghostly beams towards Ye Ling. Ye Ling parried while searching for an opportunity to counterattack. The shadowy figure's ghostly magic was unpredictable and difficult for him to handle. Just when the shadowy figure thought victory was assured, Shu Yao suddenly intervened. She chanted incantations, and a soft white light enveloped Ye Ling, dispelling his negative status effects and enhancing his power. "Shu Yao!" Ye Ling felt a warmth in his heart, sensing the abundant spiritual energy within him, and his fighting spirit was rekindled. Cards flew in his hand, and a gigantic thunder beast descended from the sky, carrying a world-destroying aura, fiercely striking down at the shadowy figure. Youying's expression changed drastically, and she hurriedly dodged, but the thunder beast was too fast. She was still hit by the lightning and let out a scream, her figure becoming much more ethereal. "You...you..." Youying pointed at Ye Ling and Shu Yao, her eyes filled with resentment. Ye Ling pressed his advantage, and another card flew out of his hand... Shu Yao looked at Ye Ling worriedly, and Ye Ling gave her a reassuring look... Another card flew out of his hand, a frost dragon card radiating cold air. The dragon roared and soared into the air from the card, its huge ice wings flapping, the temperature in the cave plummeting, and even the air filled with ice crystals. After being hit by the thunder beast, Youying's figure was already ethereal, and now facing the frost dragon's attack, she seemed even more powerless. She barely dodged the dragon's head-on impact, but one of her legs was frozen by the frost dragon's cold breath. "Damn it!" Youying gritted her teeth. She hadn't expected Ye Ling and Shu Yao to be so powerful when they joined forces. During a lull in the battle, Shu Yao looked at Ye Ling with concern. He also had some wounds, shallow but painful to see. Ye Ling caught her gaze and gave her a reassuring look, his eyes filled with determination and confidence. This look filled Shu Yao with strength; she knew Ye Ling would definitely defeat You Ying. "Overestimating yourselves!" You Ying looked at Ye Ling and Shu Yao, her eyes filled with disdain. "You think you can defeat me? What wishful thinking! My goal is to rule the entire supernatural world. Your abilities will be mine sooner or later!"

Youying's words ignited the anger of Ye Ling and the others. Qingyue gripped her spiritual weapon tightly, and Yingfeng, enduring her injuries, prepared to join the battle at any moment. "Youying, your ambition is doomed to fail!" Ye Ling said coldly, "Today, we will completely eliminate you!" Cards flew in Ye Ling's hand, transforming into various spiritual beasts that pounced on Youying. Although Youying was powerful, she gradually felt the strain in the face of such a fierce attack. "Hahahaha..." Youying suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, "You think you can defeat me like this? How naive! I have even greater power!" Youying's body suddenly erupted with a powerful ghostly light, enveloping everything around her in darkness. In this darkness, Ye Ling and the others' attacks lost their effectiveness. "Not good!" Ye Ling cried out inwardly, feeling a powerful sense of oppression approaching. In the darkness, Youying's voice became even more sinister and terrifying: "Feel my power! I will absorb all your abilities and become the ruler of the supernatural world!" Ye Ling felt as if his body was being gripped by an invisible hand, unable to move. He struggled desperately, but to no avail. Just then, Shu Yao's voice rang in his ears: "Ye Ling, don't give up!" Shu Yao's voice was like a ray of dawn, illuminating the darkness in Ye Ling's heart. He recalled his past battles with You Ying, and his heart was filled with fighting spirit. "I won't lose to you!" Ye Ling roared in his heart, his spiritual power surging wildly, trying to break free from You Ying's control. You Ying seemed to sense Ye Ling's resistance, and her voice became even sharper: "Useless! You can't escape my grasp!" At this critical moment, Ye Ling suddenly felt a powerful force surge from within him... He opened his eyes abruptly, clutching a card tightly in his hand, his deep voice echoing in the cave: "It's not over yet..." You Ying's dark power surged like a tidal wave, almost swallowing Ye Ling whole. In this life-or-death moment, Ye Ling's mind flashed back to his numerous encounters with Youying: his initial underestimation of her, nearly losing his life; the pain of being ambushed and severely injured; and his gradual growth and escape from danger. These fragmented memories flashed by like a revolving lantern, igniting the anger in his heart and strengthening his resolve to defeat Youying. "I will never lose to you again!" Ye Ling roared, the card he tightly gripped radiating a dazzling light. This was a card he had never used before, depicting a phoenix reborn from the ashes, radiating a fiery aura. He felt an unprecedented power within him, the powerful energy originating from the phoenix card. At the same time, Shu Yao also fully activated her spiritual power to support Ye Ling. A shimmering green light surrounded Ye Ling, protecting him from Youying's dark encroachment while continuously healing his wounds. Qingyue and Yingfeng also exerted all their strength, unleashing various spiritual weapons and spells in an attempt to interfere with Youying and buy time for Ye Ling. Just as the two sides were locked in fierce combat, the Shadow suddenly let out a shrill cry, her body churning with black energy that coalesced into a massive dark shield. Strange runes flowed across the shield's surface, radiating a chilling power. Ye Ling's Phoenix Flame struck the shield, creating ripples, but it couldn't budge it an inch. Qingyue and Yingfeng's attacks were also blocked by the shield, unable to get close to the Shadow. "Useless! You'll all die!" The Shadow's chilling voice came from behind the shield, tinged with smugness. She formed hand seals and chanted incantations, the dark power within the shield intensifying, as if brewing some terrifying spell. Ye Ling's heart sank; he knew he couldn't delay any longer. He quickly flipped through his cards, searching for one that could counter the Shadow's dark power. However, the Shadow's shield was simply too powerful; even with all his efforts, he couldn't find a way to break through. Shu Yao's expression also turned serious. She could sense that the spell You Ying was preparing was extraordinary; once released, the consequences would be unimaginable. "Ye Ling, we must think of something quickly!" Ye Ling gritted his teeth, his gaze rapidly sweeping over the cards in his hand. Suddenly, his eyes fixed on an inconspicuous card. He had obtained this card from an ancient ruin, but he had never understood its purpose and had never used it. "Perhaps, this is our only hope..." Ye Ling took a deep breath and slowly raised the card. The image drawn on the card was an ancient key, radiating a mysterious aura... "What is this?" Shu Yao noticed the card in Ye Ling's hand and asked疑惑地问道. "I don't know either..." Ye Ling's voice was low and firm, "But now, we can only take a gamble!" He channeled his spiritual energy into the card, and the ancient key image emitted a dazzling light... "Click—" A faint sound echoed in the cave...