I dominated the game from the start with cards.

The golden light of the magic circle gradually dimmed, like a candle flame flickering in the wind, threatening to go out at any moment. The dark forces outside the barrier stirred restlessly, emitting low growls, like wild beasts lurking about their prey. Ye Ling forced himself to stand, his wounds still throbbing. The power of the Shadow's self-destruction far exceeded his expectations; if Xingchen hadn't intervened in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable. He gripped the card tightly, his knuckles turning white, a sense of powerlessness filling him. He knew that Xingchen's help was only temporary; they had to find a solution as soon as possible. "Xingchen, how much longer can you hold on?" Ye Ling's voice was low and hoarse. Xingchen shook his head, his face as pale as paper. "I don't know, but this power is too strong, I'm afraid..." He paused, not finishing his sentence, but the meaning was clear. Shu Yao looked at Ye Ling with worry; his complexion wasn't much better than Xingchen's. She gently stroked Ye Ling's wound, softly asking, "How are you? Does it still hurt?" Ye Ling forced a smile, "It's nothing, just a minor injury." He knew Shu Yao was worried about him, but he didn't want to cause her more anxiety. His injury was indeed severe. Although Shu Yao's healing abilities were miraculous, she couldn't fully heal him in a short time with such a serious injury. Qing Yue paced anxiously beside him, "What to do? What to do? Are we all going to die here?" Ye Ling took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "No, there must be a way." He looked around, trying to find a glimmer of hope. However, there was nothing but endless darkness. Shu Yao watched Ye Ling's pained expression, her heart filled with anxiety. How she wished she had greater power to help him share his pain and protect him from harm. Just then, a ripple suddenly appeared in the air. An aged yet familiar voice rang in their ears. "Children, don't worry, this old man is here." Ye Ling abruptly looked up and saw a figure slowly emerging from the darkness. It was Elder Ling! Elder Ling approached them, a grave expression on his face. “This dark power is extraordinary; it must be purified as soon as possible.” He took out an ancient scroll from his robes and slowly unfurled it. A complex array was drawn on the scroll, emitting a faint golden light. “This is the ‘Purifying Spirit Array,’ capable of purifying all impurities in the world,” Elder Ling said, pointing to the scroll. “We need to set up this array as quickly as possible.” Ye Ling and the others immediately gathered around, carefully examining the array diagram. “Time is of the essence; let’s begin now,” Elder Ling said. Following Elder Ling’s instructions, Ye Ling and the others began setting up the array. During the process, Ye Ling was surprised to find that his control over spiritual power had become more proficient. He could manipulate spiritual energy more precisely, infusing it into the array. Elder Ling watched Ye Ling’s movements, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. “It seems you have begun to master your power.” Ye Ling remained silent, simply continuing to set up the array. He felt a powerful force surging within him, a force that filled him with confidence. Suddenly, Xingchen groaned, his body swaying, and the light of the magic array flickered violently… “Xingchen!” Xingchen swayed, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. The spiritual energy barrier maintaining the golden magic array flickered violently, almost collapsing. The roars of the dark power grew even more intense, as if sensing the prey's weakness, and it attacked the crumbling barrier even more frantically. “Xingchen!” Ye Ling exclaimed, rushing forward to support him. Elder Ling's expression was solemn, and he said in a deep voice, “Quick, the array is only one step away!” The scroll in his hand shone brightly, projecting complex array patterns onto the ground, forming golden trails. Ye Ling dared not delay, enduring the excruciating pain, and poured spiritual energy into the nodes of the array. He was surprised to find that under the pressure of life and death, his control over spiritual energy had reached an unprecedented level of exquisite precision. The spiritual energy flowed smoothly through the array as if it were his own arm, and the originally obscure array patterns became clear and understandable to him. The dark forces seemed to sense their intentions, unleashing a deafening roar. Black mist churned, transforming into countless ferocious claws that frantically tore at the golden barrier. The barrier teetered on the brink of collapse. "Qingyue, cover us!" Ye Ling shouted. Qingyue cried out in response, the bell in her hand ringing crisply. The melodious sound transformed into invisible sound waves, disrupting the rhythm of the dark forces' attacks and buying Ye Ling precious time. Xingchen gritted his teeth, his hands forming a seal. Mysterious runes flew from his hands, colliding head-on with the dark forces. Each collision erupted with dazzling light, the deafening roar echoing through the heavens and earth. Xingchen's figure flickered in and out of existence in the light, as if he might be swallowed by the darkness at any moment. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Ye Ling's forehead, but his movements didn't falter. He channeled the last wisp of spiritual energy into the core of the array, and the golden array patterns suddenly lit up, emitting a dazzling light. The entire space trembled. "It's done!" Elder Ling breathed a sigh of relief. The golden array shone brightly, forming a massive light shield that enveloped everyone. The attacks of the dark power struck the shield, vanishing without a trace, like mud sinking into the sea. The array activated, and purifying power surged forth like a tide, gradually dispelling the surrounding dark power. The black mist emitted a shrill scream, twisting and dissipating as if burned by raging fire. Ye Ling watched the darkness gradually recede, finally letting out a sigh of relief. He turned to look at Xing Chen, only to find that he had already fainted, his face frighteningly pale.

Shu Yao rushed forward to support Xing Chen and check his injuries. Her brows were furrowed, her eyes filled with worry. Ye Ling walked to Shu Yao's side and gently took her hand. "He'll be alright." Shu Yao looked up at Ye Ling, her eyes filled with trust and reliance. Ye Ling gave her a resolute look, then turned to Elder Ling. "What should we do next?" Elder Ling gazed at the fading darkness in the distance and slowly said, "This battle has only just begun..." He paused, his gaze falling on Ye Ling, and said meaningfully, "Child, your power is far greater than you imagine..." The golden array light gradually receded, dispelling the darkness surrounding everyone, and the world regained its clarity. Ye Ling helped Xing Chen sit down slowly, and Shu Yao immediately stepped forward, her slender fingers touching Xing Chen's pulse, her brows furrowed. Xing Chen's spiritual energy was excessively depleted, and he had forcibly activated a secret technique, resulting in severe injuries. Shu Yao took out several fragrant pills from her medicine pouch and fed them to Xing Chen. After doing this, she turned to Ye Ling, her eyes filled with worry. Ye Ling's body was also covered in wounds of varying sizes; although they had been treated simply, they were still a shocking sight. "Let me see your wounds," Shu Yao said softly, with a hint of heartache. Ye Ling obediently sat down in front of her. Shu Yao took out a clean cloth, moistened it with a special medicine, and carefully cleaned his wounds. Her movements were gentle and meticulous, as if handling a precious treasure. Their eyes met in the air, filled with trust and love. Ye Ling gently grasped Shu Yao's hand, giving her a resolute look, silently comforting her. Shu Yao's lips curved slightly upward, returning a gentle smile. This brief moment of warmth was like a ray of sunshine in winter, warming their hearts. "Next, we need to reset the formation to completely purify the dark power in this area," Elder Ling's voice broke the momentary silence. "What materials do we need?" Ye Ling asked. Elder Ling unfurled the scroll in his hand, pointing to a complex pattern, and said, "We need the 'Heart of the Netherworld' as the array's core. Only it can withstand the purifying power and completely eradicate the root of the dark power." "The Heart of the Netherworld?" Qingyue exclaimed, "That's a supernatural object that grows in the core area of ​​dark power; it's extremely dangerous. How can we obtain it?" Elder Ling's expression also turned solemn. "The Heart of the Netherworld is surrounded by a large number of dark spirits, and it itself is extremely corrosive. A slight mistake can erode one's mind, turning them into a walking corpse." Ye Ling's gaze hardened. "No matter what, we must obtain it." Xingchen slowly opened his eyes and weakly said, "I can help you." "Your injuries haven't healed yet; you can't push yourself any further," Shu Yao said worriedly. Stardust shook his head. "I have a secret technique that can temporarily suppress the influence of the dark power, buying you some time." Elder Ling pondered for a moment, then nodded. "There's no time to lose; let's set off now." The group resumed their journey, heading towards the core area of ​​the dark power. A suffocating sense of oppression filled the air, and the surrounding scenery became distorted and terrifying. As they traveled, they encountered more and more dark spirits, and the battles grew increasingly fierce. The cards in Ye Ling's hand flew out continuously, transforming into various forms of supernatural objects, engaging in a desperate struggle with the dark spirits. Looking at the increasingly dense dark spirits around him, Ye Ling couldn't help but recall the unity and courage he and his companions had shown when facing difficulties together. He believed that this time, they would definitely overcome the difficulties and achieve final victory. "Wait..." Ye Ling suddenly stopped. He sensed a familiar aura—it was Youying's! Could it be that she wasn't dead yet? Images flashed through Ye Ling's mind: their first encounter with Ghost Fiend, where everyone worked together to narrowly win; being ambushed by Shadow, with Shu Yao risking her own safety to heal him; the life-or-death struggle against Blood Demon, with Qingyue and Elder Ling intervening at crucial moments… Each crisis made them more united and resolute. A warm current surged through his heart, and Ye Ling's eyes hardened: "We will definitely find the Heart of the Netherworld and dispel this dark power!" "But how do we obtain the Heart of the Netherworld?" Shu Yao asked worriedly. The dark power surrounding the Heart of the Netherworld was extremely dense, and a slight mistake could lead to corruption. Elder Ling frowned, also pondering this problem. The Heart of the Netherworld was not only protected by powerful dark spirits, but it also emitted a strong corrosive force, making it unapproachable even for him. The atmosphere froze for a moment, everyone worried about how to obtain the key to the formation. After a moment of silence, Qingyue suddenly spoke: "Perhaps, I can try." Everyone's eyes turned to her. Qingyue took a deep breath and explained, "Our Spirit Clan has a secret technique that can temporarily conceal one's aura. If I can use it properly, I might be able to sneak into the core area of ​​the dark power and obtain the Heart of the Netherworld." Xingchen frowned slightly, "That's too dangerous. The core area of ​​the dark power is fraught with danger. A slight mistake could lead to being swallowed up. Even you might not be able to escape unscathed."

Qingyue understood the risks, but her tone was firm: "I know it's dangerous, but we have no other choice now. Rather than wait to die, we should take a gamble. I believe I can do it!" She looked at Ye Ling, her eyes filled with trust and expectation. Ye Ling looked at Qingyue's determined eyes, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He knew Qingyue's journey was extremely dangerous, but he also understood that this was their only hope. He nodded solemnly: "Qingyue, I believe in you. But you must be careful and protect yourself. We will meet you outside." After discussing it, Qingyue began to prepare. She sat cross-legged, silently reciting the Spirit Clan's secret technique, and a faint silver light gradually emanated from her body, perfectly concealing her aura. After doing all this, she got up and walked towards the core area of ​​the dark power, her figure gradually disappearing into the thick darkness. Ye Ling, Shu Yao, Xing Chen, and Elder Ling stood in place, waiting anxiously. Time passed second by second, and the surrounding air seemed to solidify, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe. They didn't know if Qingyue could successfully obtain the Heart of the Netherworld, nor whether the dark forces would discover Qingyue's infiltration. Suddenly, a violent energy fluctuation emanated from the core area of ​​the darkness… Elder Ling's expression changed drastically, "Not good, the dark forces are making unusual movements!"