I dominated the game from the start with cards.

The core of the dark power, like the gaping maw of a monstrous beast, devoured all light and hope. Within the thick darkness, eerie red lights flickered intermittently, like the eyes of a demon, watching any creature that dared to approach. Ye Ling gripped Shu Yao's hand tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand. Time seemed to stand still, each second feeling like an eternity. He tried to remain calm, but his heart was churning like a stormy sea. Qingyue's journey was fraught with danger; a single misstep could lead to annihilation. He constantly told himself to trust Qingyue, to believe she could overcome the peril, but the lingering worry still coiled around his heart like a venomous snake. Shu Yao's palms were icy cold, sweat soaking Ye Ling's hands. She didn't speak, only held Ye Ling's hand tightly, as if this could give him strength and comfort herself. She understood Ye Ling's anxiety; she was equally worried about Qingyue's safety, but she knew even more that what was needed most now was calm and patience. Xingchen stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed intently on the core of the darkness. A faint starlight surrounded him, seemingly out of place in the darkness. His brows were furrowed, as if he were sensing something. Occasionally, he would shake his head slightly or sigh softly, adding to his mystery and unpredictability. Elder Ling's expression was solemn, his cane tapping lightly on the ground, producing a dull thud that resonated in everyone's hearts. He would sometimes close his eyes in thought, sometimes look up at the core of the darkness, muttering incantations, as if in prayer or communicating with some mysterious force. Suddenly, Elder Ling snapped his eyes open, a glint of light flashing in his cloudy eyes. "Not good! The fluctuations of the dark power have intensified!" His voice was low and hoarse, with a barely perceptible tremor. Ye Ling and Shu Yao's hearts sank, a sense of foreboding washing over them. They both looked towards the core of the darkness, as if trying to pierce through the thick gloom to see Qingyue's figure. “Qingyue…” Shu Yao murmured softly, her voice filled with worry and prayer. Stardust’s starlight suddenly brightened, like a star about to explode. He stepped forward, blocking Ye Ling and Shu Yao, and said firmly, “I will protect you.” Just then, a deafening roar erupted from the core of the darkness, followed by a dazzling white light that shot into the sky, tearing through the thick darkness… Elder Ling’s hand, gripping his cane, trembled slightly, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something, but nothing came out. Stardust’s gaze was fixed on the white light, and he said in a deep voice, “It’s here…” The white light dissipated, and the core of the darkness returned to calm, but an unsettling restlessness lingered in the air. Ye Ling and the others held their breath, watching the scene ahead with tense eyes. Suddenly, a slender figure leaped out of the darkness with astonishing speed. It was Qingyue! In her hand, she tightly gripped a crystal that shimmered with a pale blue light—the very essence of the array! "We succeeded!" Shu Yao shouted excitedly, her heart finally at ease. However, before they could celebrate, the core area of ​​the darkness changed again. The thick darkness churned like boiling water, and a powerful force surged forth, heading straight for Qingyue. "Oh no! It's discovered us!" Elder Ling exclaimed in alarm.

Qingyue's expression changed. She felt the powerful pressure behind her and dared not linger. She immediately accelerated and rushed towards Ye Ling and the others. The dark power was even faster, catching up with Qingyue almost in the blink of an eye. Beams of black energy shot out from the darkness, coiling around Qingyue like venomous snakes, trying to devour her. Qingyue was agile, weaving between the energy beams, narrowly avoiding attack after attack. But she was, after all, alone, and faced with such a dense barrage of attacks, she was eventually overwhelmed. "Qingyue!" Ye Ling was anxious upon seeing this. Without hesitation, he pulled out a card from his pocket and shouted, "Heavenly Thunder Card, activate!" The card transformed into a golden light, flew into the air, and then exploded, turning into countless bolts of lightning that struck the dark power chasing Qingyue. "Boom boom boom!" Deafening explosions resounded through the heavens and earth. The power of lightning collided with the dark power, erupting with dazzling light. A powerful shockwave swept outwards, uprooting surrounding trees and blasting deep craters into the ground. Under Ye Ling's cover, Qingyue temporarily escaped the pursuit of the dark forces and continued running towards Ye Ling and the others. At the same time, Xingchen also made his move. He formed hand seals and chanted incantations, and the starlight around him suddenly became even more dazzling, as if it had materialized, forming a huge starlight barrier that blocked the dark forces. "Star River Guardian!" Xingchen shouted. The starlight barrier collided with the dark forces, producing a piercing friction sound. The dark forces continuously impacted the starlight barrier, trying to break it, but the starlight barrier was indestructible, firmly protecting Ye Ling and the others. Ye Ling drew another card, held it high above his head, and shouted, "Vulcan Card, activate!" The card transformed into a blazing fire, flying towards the dark forces and instantly engulfing them. Under the combined attack of Ye Ling and Xingchen, the speed of the dark forces was significantly slowed down, giving Qingyue a chance to catch her breath. Seeing Ye Ling and the others desperately clearing a path for her, Qingyue was deeply moved. She gritted her teeth and ran towards them faster. Ye Ling opened his arms, his gaze fixed on Qingyue, whispering, "Come quickly..." Qingyue's eyes reddened, a warm feeling welling up inside her. Ye Ling, Shu Yao, Elder Ling, and even the mysterious Star Dust were all doing their utmost to buy her this moment of life. She held back no more strength, pushing her speed to the limit, transforming into a streak of light, breaking through the barriers of darkness. "Ye Ling!" Qingyue called his name, her voice choked with emotion. Ye Ling opened his arms and caught the rushing Qingyue steadily. "Are you alright?" he asked anxiously, his hands unconsciously tightening around her, holding her tightly in his embrace. Qingyue shook her head, handing the key to the array to Ye Ling, "Quick, give it to Elder Ling!" The pale blue crystal emitted a faint light in the darkness, like a spark of hope. However, after this brief reunion, the dark power seemed enraged, unleashing a deafening roar. It no longer dispersed its attacks, but instead concentrated all its power into a massive black pillar of light, aimed directly at Ye Ling and Qing Yue. "Be careful!" Xing Chen shouted, pushing his hands forward. Starlight coalesced into a massive shield, blocking the black pillar of light. "Boom!" A deafening roar echoed as the starlight shield trembled violently, its light dimming considerably, but it ultimately withstood the fatal blow. "It's going all out!" Elder Ling's expression turned grave. "We must return to the formation as soon as possible!" Shu Yao immediately stepped forward, channeling healing energy into Xing Chen to help him stabilize the starlight shield. "Xing Chen, hold on!" Ye Ling, protecting Qing Yue, his gaze resolute, "Let's go!" He drew two cards, "Swift Wind Card! Lightness Card! Activate!" Two beams of light flashed, and Ye Ling and Qing Yue's figures instantly became incredibly light, their speed increasing dramatically as they raced towards the formation. The dark force's attack intensified. It seemed to sense that the array's core was about to be used against it, and thus, in a desperate gamble, it tried to stop them at all costs. The black pillar of light condensed again, this time targeting Shu Yao and Elder Ling! "Not good!" Ye Ling's heart sank. He was still some distance from Shu Yao and Elder Ling, and there was no time to rescue them. Just at this critical moment, Xing Chen's figure suddenly appeared in front of Shu Yao and Elder Ling. His face was pale, clearly the previous attack had greatly exhausted him, but he still unhesitatingly spread his arms, using his body to block the black pillar of light. "Xing Chen!" Shu Yao cried out in alarm. "Go..." Xing Chen's voice was weak, but full of determination, "Don't... worry about me..." A dazzling light engulfed Xing Chen's figure, and a shrill scream echoed through the heavens and earth. Ye Ling's steps faltered. He turned sharply, looking at Xing Chen swallowed by the light, his heart filled with grief and anger. He gripped the array's core tightly in his hand, his knuckles white. Qing Yue gently grasped his hand, her eyes filled with worry. "Ye Ling..."

In Ye Ling's mind, fragments of memories since he met Qingyue flashed by... the spirit girl he encountered by chance in the mountains, her innocent and carefree smile, her figure that helped him without hesitation in his moment of crisis... "I... will definitely..." Ye Ling's voice was low and firm, "...protect you..." Xingchen's sacrifice struck Ye Ling's heart like a heavy hammer. He remembered when he first met Qingyue, she was still a girl naive about the supernatural world, with clear eyes and a bright smile. At that time, he had just stepped into this perilous world, wary of everything and keeping his distance from strangers. In a chance encounter, he was surrounded by a group of low-level evil spirits. Qingyue descended from the sky, her bell gently jingling, the clear sound scattering the evil spirits. She was like a light butterfly, arriving gracefully and then disappearing just as quickly, leaving him only a fleeting glimpse of her back. Later, during an exploration of an ancient tomb, they met again. At that time, Qingyue's face had lost some of its innocence and gained a touch of maturity. Without hesitation, she joined his team, using her unique spiritual power to help him escape danger time and time again. From their initial chance encounter to fighting side by side, Qingyue gradually became an indispensable part of his life. Her smile, her encouragement, her trust were like a ray of warm sunshine, illuminating his path in this dark world. Now, looking at her worried eyes and feeling the strength from her grip on his hand, Ye Ling felt an indescribable surge of emotion. Xingchen's sacrifice made him realize even more clearly that in this cruel supernatural world, he had to protect not only himself, but also those who cherished and trusted him. "I will definitely protect you." This was no longer just a promise, but the firmest belief deep within his heart. The lingering power of the black pillar of light continued to rage, distorting the surrounding air. Ye Ling took a deep breath, suppressing his grief and anger. He gripped the key to the array tightly; the pale blue crystal felt exceptionally heavy now, bearing the weight of Xingchen's sacrifice and their hopes. Just then, a figure rushed out of the darkness—it was Qingyue! Her face was pale, her breathing erratic, but her eyes were unusually determined. "Ye Ling! Elder Ling! I've obtained the key to the array!" Ye Ling's heart skipped a beat. Without thinking, he grabbed Qingyue and ran towards Elder Ling. Shu Yao also suppressed her grief and followed. "Quick! Activate the array!" Elder Ling's voice trembled slightly as he took the key to the array and placed it in its core position. The array was located in a hidden valley, surrounded by ancient runes. As the key to the array was placed in, the runes began to emit a dazzling light, and a powerful energy wave spread outwards. The dark power seemed to sense the threat and began to churn violently, emitting piercing roars. Everyone held their breath, watching the changes in the array. They didn't know if the array could truly destroy the dark power, but at this moment, they had no way out. Elder Ling chanted ancient incantations, his hands rapidly forming hand seals. The light from the formation grew increasingly dazzling, and the surrounding dark energy became more and more violent. "It has to succeed..." Shu Yao prayed softly. Ye Ling gripped Qingyue's hand tightly, his gaze fixed firmly on the center of the formation. He could feel a powerful force gathering, a force that would determine their life or death... Suddenly, Elder Ling stopped chanting. His expression turned extremely solemn, his eyes fixed on the center of the formation, and he said, word by word, "No... this power..."