I dominated the game from the start with cards.

The dark power following the self-destruction of the Shadow swept in like a surging tide, icy cold and carrying a suffocating sense of oppression. Ye Ling felt everything go black, as if he had fallen into an abyss. In the darkness, he tightly gripped Shu Yao and Qing Yue's hands, his knuckles white, his palms sweating. This dark power, unfamiliar and powerful, felt like countless tiny needles piercing his skin, invading his marrow, and devouring his strength. "Ye Ling..." Shu Yao's voice trembled in the darkness, tinged with fear, "What is this..." "Don't be afraid, I'm here." Ye Ling tried to make his voice sound calm, though his heart was filled with unease. He frantically flipped the cards in his hand, trying to find a way to counter it. However, this dark power was too strange; his cards seemed frozen, losing their former brilliance and becoming useless. A painful groan came from beside him, and Ye Ling's heart tightened. He knew it was Qing Yue. Qing Yue's body, which had just begun to recover, was once again impacted by the dark power, as fragile as a candle in the wind. "Qingyue!" Shu Yao cried out in alarm, wanting to check on Qingyue's condition, but was blocked by an invisible force, forced to watch helplessly as Qingyue curled up in agony. Tears streamed silently down Shu Yao's face in the darkness as she gripped Ye Ling's hand tightly, as if grasping at a last straw. "Ye Ling, save Qingyue..." Shu Yao's voice choked with despair, a desperate plea. Ye Ling's heart ached as if being torn apart. He desperately wanted to save Qingyue, but in this boundless darkness, he could barely protect himself, let alone others. He felt a profound sense of powerlessness, as if an invisible hand was choking him, making even breathing difficult. In the darkness, a cold hand grasped Ye Ling's arm. That hand wasn't Shu Yao's or Qingyue's, but... a stranger's, possessing a strange power. "Who is it?!" Ye Ling asked warily, trying to break free from the hand's grasp. However, the hand held him tightly, a warm current flowing through his body, dispelling some of the dark power that had invaded him. Ye Ling felt the stiffness in his body ease, and the card in his hand began to tremble slightly, seemingly responding to this strange power. "Don't be afraid," a deep and mysterious voice echoed in the darkness, "I am Stardust." "Stardust?" Ye Ling wondered, he had never heard of this name before. In the darkness, the hand slowly released Ye Ling's arm.

Immediately afterward, a faint light appeared in the darkness, like a twinkling star in the night sky. The light gradually expanded, illuminating a small area around it, and also illuminating Stardust's face. It was a… Stardust suddenly reached out and covered Ye Ling's mouth, whispering in his ear, "Shh, be careful…" It was a handsome man dressed in black, his eyes sparkling with starlight, mysterious and profound. Stardust lightly touched his finger, and a ray of starlight merged into Ye Ling's body. Ye Ling felt a powerful force surge into his body, his previously stiff body instantly regaining its vitality, and the card in his hand emitted a dazzling light. In this critical moment, Ye Ling suddenly felt a warmth emanating from a legendary card in his hand. He had always thought this card only had attack skills, but he had never imagined it had a hidden ability. In desperation, he poured his mental energy into the card, and the card suddenly burst forth with brilliant golden light, a semi-transparent golden light shield instantly enveloping Ye Ling, Shu Yao, and Qing Yue. This was the hidden defensive skill of the legendary card – "Guardian Light." "This is…" Shu Yao looked at the golden light shield around her in surprise, feeling the powerful force contained within it. Hope rekindled in her previously despairing eyes. "It's the card's hidden skill," Ye Ling explained, a hint of surprise in his voice. "I didn't expect it to have such an ability." The appearance of the golden light shield temporarily blocked the invasion of the dark power, giving them a chance to breathe. However, the dark power seemed to conceal the lingering will of a shadowy figure, unwilling to dissipate, constantly condensing into various forms of dark attacks, like ferocious beasts, frantically pouncing on the light shield. Ye Ling launched the first counterattack. He quickly flipped the cards in his hand, summoning various supernatural powers to fight against the dark power. Fire dragons roared, frost condensed, lightning raged… However, each defense consumed a large amount of his stamina, and his face gradually turned pale. Shu Yao closely monitored Ye Ling's condition, continuously replenishing his strength using her healing abilities. A soft green light surrounded him, providing a constant source of life force. Qing Yue, meanwhile, observed the surroundings within the golden light barrier, trying to find a weak point in the dark power. Her brows were furrowed, her eyes filled with worry. The dark power grew stronger and its attacks more ferocious. Cracks began to appear in the golden light barrier, and it teetered on the brink of collapse. Ye Ling's strength was also gradually depleting; his movements became sluggish, and his breathing grew increasingly rapid. "Bang!" With a loud crash, the golden light barrier finally shattered, and the dark power surged in like a burst dam, engulfing Ye Ling and the others. Ye Ling fought back with all his might, but ultimately he was outnumbered and struck by a powerful dark force. He coughed up blood and collapsed heavily to the ground. Stardust watched all this, a complex light flashing in his eyes. He murmured, "It seems we need even greater power..." A wave of darkness swept in, and the golden light shield shattered like a crystal chandelier exploding, fragments scattering in all directions, the brilliance vanishing in an instant. Ye Ling's figure was swallowed by the darkness, crashing heavily to the ground, a mouthful of blood staining the earth. Shu Yao's heart clenched, her eyes filled with terror and heartache. She desperately broke through the barrier of darkness, rushing to Ye Ling's side and embracing him tightly. Warm tears dripped onto Ye Ling's face, mingling with the cold blood. "Ye Ling! Ye Ling!" Shu Yao's voice trembled, choked with sobs, as she called Ye Ling's name again and again, as if that could awaken him from his unconsciousness. Ye Ling vaguely heard Shu Yao's voice. He struggled to open his eyes and saw Shu Yao's tear-streaked, worried face. He wanted to comfort her, but found he didn't even have the strength to speak. The power of darkness not only attacked their bodies but also attempted to erode their minds. In Ye Ling's mind, seductive voices kept appearing, coiling around his thoughts like venomous snakes. "Give up, resistance is meaningless..." "Surrender to the darkness, and you will gain greater power..." These voices grew clearer and more alluring, violently clashing with his will to survive. Ye Ling gritted his teeth, desperately resisting the erosion of these voices. He couldn't give up; he still had Shu Yao, Qing Yue, and everything he had to protect. He remembered Xing Chen's words when he appeared, "We need even greater power..." This ignited a glimmer of hope within him. Where was this greater power? Qing Yue was also knocked to the ground by the dark power, but she still struggled to support herself, protecting Shu Yao and Ye Ling. She brandished her spiritual weapon, dispelling the surrounding darkness, but her strength alone was ultimately limited, barely enough to sustain her. Xing Chen stood at a distance, silently watching everything. His eyes flickered with complex light, as if he were pondering something. He raised his hand, and a beam of starlight pierced the darkness, landing on Ye Ling. The starlight flowed gently into Ye Ling's body like a trickle, replenishing his depleted strength. Ye Ling felt a warm power surge into his body, and his previously weak body gradually regained some strength. He struggled to sit up, looking at Shu Yao who was holding him tightly, his heart filled with warmth and gratitude. "I'm fine..." Ye Ling said weakly, trying to comfort Shu Yao.

Shu Yao hugged Ye Ling tightly, feeling his warmth, tears streaming down her face. She knew Ye Ling was comforting her, but she also knew how weak he was. Just then, images flashed through Ye Ling's mind. He saw his initial confusion and weakness upon entering the supernatural world, his battles with supernatural beings, and his gradual growth and strengthening. He also saw Shu Yao, Qing Yue, and his other companions. These images flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern, reminding him of his original intentions and why he had embarked on this dangerous path. He was unwilling to be defeated by the dark forces; he wanted to become stronger, he wanted to protect everything he wanted to safeguard. Ye Ling's eyes hardened, and he gripped the card in his hand, feeling the power within. Xing Chen watched Ye Ling's transformation, a slight smile playing on his lips, and whispered, "It seems he's about to awaken..." He stretched out his hand, palm up, as if welcoming something. A faint glimmer of light emanated from Ye Ling… The tide of darkness, like a greedy beast, attempted to devour all light. Images of his first encounter with the supernatural world flashed through Ye Ling's mind: back then, he was utterly powerless, trembling before even the lowest-ranking vengeful spirit. Now, he could stand alone, confronting powerful ghosts. This stark contrast ignited an indomitable fighting spirit within him. He had teetered on the brink of death countless times, each time miraculously escaping danger through wit and courage. This time, he would not give up! "I will not lose!" Ye Ling abruptly pushed Shu Yao away, struggling to his feet. His body was still weak; every movement felt like a thousand needles piercing his heart, yet he stood there resolutely, like a towering mountain, resisting the encroaching darkness. Shu Yao looked at Ye Ling with worry, wanting to stop him, but was overwhelmed by the determination in his eyes. She knew Ye Ling had made his decision, and no one could change it. Qing Yue also struggled to her feet, standing beside Ye Ling, fighting alongside him. Although she trembled with fear, she knew she couldn't back down now. "Ye Ling, you…" Shu Yao's voice choked, tears blurring her vision again. "I'm fine, trust me." Ye Ling gave Shu Yao a reassuring look, then turned his gaze to the churning darkness, gripping his card tightly. The dark power unleashed by the self-destruction of the Shadow was far stronger than he had imagined; even his strongest card couldn't completely withstand it. Just as the dark power was about to completely engulf them, Xing Chen intervened. He formed hand seals, chanting incantations that echoed in the air, seemingly carrying power from antiquity. A complex golden magic circle appeared beneath his feet, radiating dazzling light and temporarily repelling the surrounding darkness. The light of the magic circle acted as a barrier, protecting Ye Ling and the others. The dark power relentlessly battered the barrier, producing a piercing grinding sound, as if it would shatter at any moment. Xing Chen's face was pale, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Maintaining this magic circle required a tremendous amount of his spiritual power, but he gritted his teeth and persevered, knowing it was their only hope. "I can only suppress it temporarily," Stardust's voice was weak, "but it could retaliate at any moment." Ye Ling looked at Stardust, his heart filled with gratitude. He knew Stardust was protecting them with his own life. "Thank you, Stardust." Ye Ling's voice was hoarse, yet full of strength. He looked around at the world shrouded in darkness, a raging fire burning in his heart. He wouldn't give up; he would find a way to defeat this dark force! He took a deep breath and raised the card in his hand high… "Come forth, my companions!" Stardust watched Ye Ling's actions, his eyes flickering, a barely perceptible smile appearing on his lips. He slowly lowered his hand, and the light of the magic circle gradually dimmed…