I dominated the game from the start with cards.

Golden light flowed around Qingyue, dispelling the surrounding darkness and gradually clearing Ye Ling and Shu Yao's previously blurry vision.

The golden light did not come from Qingyue herself, but from the sword she was holding tightly in her hand.

The sword was long and slender, pure white, with intricate spirit race totems carved on the hilt, exuding an ancient and sacred aura. "Qingyue..." Ye Ling uttered her name with difficulty, his heart filled with doubt.

This usually lively and cheerful spirit girl was now solemn, her gaze piercing, as if she were a completely different person. How did she end up here? And why did she possess such immense power? Qingyue didn't answer Ye Ling's questions, but quickly glanced at the two of them before her gaze finally settled on Ye Ling, her tone carrying a barely perceptible worry: "Are you alright?" Ye Ling tried to speak, but found his throat dry, unable to utter a sound, and could only shake his head weakly. He asked Qingyue with his eyes what was going on, but Qingyue didn't answer. Instead, she gazed into the distance, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. "He's here..." she whispered, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly.

"Who...is he?" Ye Ling strained with all his might, but only managed a weak hiss. Qingyue still didn't answer, only gripping her sword even tighter, her gaze fixed on the distance. A powerful pressure slowly descended from the sky, making it hard to breathe. Almost simultaneously, Qingyue moved.

Without the slightest hesitation, she flashed forward like a golden lightning bolt, charging towards Gui Sha. Her sword whistled through the air, aiming straight for Gui Sha's chest. Gui Sha was clearly caught off guard by Qing Yue's appearance, and even more so by her decisive attack.

In his haste, he raised the black blade in his hand to defend himself. The two forces collided, emitting a dazzling light and a deafening roar that echoed throughout the valley.

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Gui Sha staggered back a few steps. Just then, Ye Ling seized the opportunity, enduring the excruciating pain in his body, and mobilized the remaining spiritual power within him. He quickly pulled out several cards from his pocket, combined them together to form a huge energy ball, and hurled it fiercely at Gui Sha.

Ghost Fiend couldn't dodge in time and was struck head-on by the energy ball. He let out an angry roar, his body thrown back by the immense impact, crashing heavily to the ground. "Elder Ling..." Qingyue turned to look at the void, calling softly. A soft sigh came from the air, and a figure slowly emerged. It was none other than the mysterious old man who had previously instructed Ye Ling—Elder Ling. His gaze was profound as he looked at Ghost Fiend lying on the ground, and he slowly said, "It seems that this battle has only just begun..." Ghost Fiend, struck by the energy ball, roared in pain, struggling to get up from the ground.

Its eyes gleamed with even greater ferocity as it stared intently at Ye Ling, as if it wanted to tear him to shreds. At that moment, Ye Ling felt his power flowing even more smoothly in coordination with Qingyue. Qingyue's swordsmanship was fierce, each swing carrying a golden light, forcing the ghost to retreat repeatedly.

Ye Ling seized the opportunity, unleashing a series of card combination skills. He combined the cards "Blazing Inferno" and "Frost Freeze" to create an energy vortex of ice and fire, striking Gui Sha squarely in the chest. Gui Sha let out a scream as his body was frozen within a massive block of ice. Immediately afterward, Ye Ling combined the cards "Howling Gale" and "Thunderous Roar," summoning gusts of wind and lightning that relentlessly bombarded the ice block.

The ice gradually shattered, and the ghostly figure reappeared, but its aura was noticeably weaker, and it bore several more wounds. Shu Yao had also recovered some of her strength. She took out her treasured spiritual object—a luminous pearl emitting a soft glow—and levitated it in the air. The pearl's light shone on Qingyue and Ye Ling, creating a protective shield for them and simultaneously enhancing their attack power.

The sword in Qingyue's hand shone even brighter, its sword energy crisscrossing, forcing the Ghost Fiend to retreat steadily. Her movements were agile, like a butterfly fluttering in the air, darting around the Ghost Fiend, each attack precise and deadly. However, the Ghost Fiend was, after all, a powerful evil spirit. Enraged, it began to unleash its ultimate move—"Devour Darkness."

It opened its gaping maw and absorbed all the surrounding dark energy, its body rapidly expanding to the size of a small mountain. Its power also increased several times over, each attack carrying a devastating force.

The enormous demon wielded its sharp claws, its attack range expanding dramatically, making it difficult for Qingyue, Ye Ling, and Shu Yao to defend themselves. They could only dodge continuously, searching for an opportunity to counterattack. "This won't do; we'll be worn down by it!" Shu Yao said anxiously.

Ye Ling frowned, his mind racing as he considered a countermeasure. He glanced at the cards in his hand, and a bold idea suddenly came to him. The Ghostly Fiend attacked again, its massive claws whipping around with a sharp wind as it reached for Qingyue. Qingyue couldn't dodge in time and was about to be struck. At that critical moment, Ye Ling suddenly stepped in front of Qingyue. He threw out all the cards in his hand, forming a massive barrier that blocked the Ghostly Fiend's attack.

"Brother Ye Ling!" Qingyue exclaimed in alarm. Although the barrier had blocked the ghost's attack, it had also consumed a large amount of Ye Ling's spiritual energy. His face was pale, and his body swayed precariously. The ghost let out a mocking sneer and once again swung its claws, reaching out to grab Ye Ling.

Just then, a resolute glint flashed in Qingyue's eyes. She took a deep breath, and the sword in her hand emitted a dazzling light… “Trust me,” Qingyue said to Ye Ling. The sword in Qingyue's hand shone brightly, its blade humming as if responding to its master's determination. With a delicate shout, she poured all her spiritual power into the sword and slashed at the ghost's claws. “Clang!” A loud clang of metal rang out, sparks flying everywhere.

Although Qingyue's sword failed to sever the ghost's claws, it successfully blocked its attack. During a lull in the battle, Qingyue looked at Ye Ling, her eyes filled with admiration. She exclaimed, "Brother Ye Ling, you're amazing! I believe we can definitely defeat it!" Hearing Qingyue's words, Ye Ling felt a surge of fighting spirit.

He looked at Shu Yao, and Shu Yao gave him an encouraging look, gentle yet firm. A warm feeling welled up in his heart. Ye Ling recalled the first time he awakened his abilities; he was surrounded by darkness, enveloped only by a chilling fear. At that time, he felt like a lone boat adrift on a vast ocean, not knowing where to go.

Now, he was no longer alone. He had Shu Yao and Qing Yue by his side; they were his companions and his unwavering support. "Let's attack together!" Ye Ling shouted, his fighting spirit rekindled. Shu Yao nodded, the luminous pearl in her hand shining even brighter, its soft light enveloping the three of them, forming an unbreakable barrier. Qing Yue moved like lightning, her sword flashing, golden sword energy like a dragon, relentlessly attacking the ghostly demon. Each attack carried her full strength and conviction.

Ye Ling took a deep breath, mobilizing all the remaining spiritual energy within his body. He rapidly flipped through the cards in his hand, searching for the best combination. He had to find the Ghost Fiend's weakness as quickly as possible and deliver a fatal blow. The Ghost Fiend was forced to retreat repeatedly by the combined attack of Qingyue and Shuyao. It roared angrily, its eyes flashing with ferocity. It knew that if this continued, it might be defeated by these three ants.

"I will kill you all!" Ghost Fiend roared, its entire body churning with black energy, and a powerful pressure swept over. It was preparing to unleash its strongest attack—"Dark Devouring." Just as Ghost Fiend was about to launch its attack, Ye Ling suddenly noticed a faint red light flickering within the churning black energy of Ghost Fiend.

The red light flickered, seemingly the energy core of the ghostly demon. "Found it!" Ye Ling exclaimed with delight, concentrating all his card power on that single point of red light. "Qingyue, Shuyao, it's there!" Ye Ling shouted, pointing to the red light on the ghostly demon. Qingyue and Shuyao immediately understood Ye Ling's meaning, concentrating their own power on that point of red light as well. Together, the three unleashed a powerful beam of energy directly at the ghostly demon's weak point.

After being struck in its weak point, the ghostly demon let out a shrill scream, its massive body began to tremble violently, and the churning black energy gradually dissipated. "Did it succeed?" Qingyue asked uncertainly, watching the ghostly demon gradually vanish. Ye Ling shook his head, his expression grave.

“No, this is just the beginning…” He looked into the distance, his eyes deep. “The supernatural world is far more dangerous than we imagine…” He gripped the last card in his hand, feeling the faint energy fluctuations emanating from it… When will it appear? The ghostly demon let out a shrill roar, black energy surging like boiling ink, and a suffocating pressure swept over.

"Darkness Devours!" Ghost Fiend's final attack was about to be unleashed, and the surrounding trees were blown about by the gale, emitting mournful cries. At this critical moment, Ye Ling's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, caught a glimpse of crimson light within Ghost Fiend's churning black aura.

The red light flickered, like the pulsating heart of a demon, yet it was deeply hidden and fleeting. "Found it!" Ye Ling's heart skipped a beat; that was the demon's weakness! Without time to think, Ye Ling immediately concentrated the power of all his cards onto this crimson point.

The card in his hand emitted a dazzling light, and a powerful energy wave radiated outwards from him. "Qingyue, Shuyao, attack there!" Ye Ling pointed to the red light on Gui Sha's body, his tone urgent and firm. Qingyue and Shuyao understood immediately. Qingyue's sword shone brightly, emitting a clear dragon's roar. She poured all her spiritual power into the sword, and a golden sword aura shot towards Gui Sha's weak point like lightning. Shuyao, meanwhile, raised the luminous pearl high above her head, and soft moonlight poured down, forming a protective light barrier around the golden sword aura, enhancing its power and guiding it to accurately strike its target.

The three forces converged at a single point, piercing the darkness like the light of dawn, and struck the Ghost Fiend's weak point. The Ghost Fiend let out a deafening scream, its massive body trembling violently, and the swirling black energy dissipated rapidly like a punctured balloon. The Ghost Fiend's form gradually faded, finally turning into a wisp of black smoke and disappearing into the air. Qingyue sheathed her sword, let out a long sigh, and a joyful smile appeared on her face. "We won!" Shuyao also gently put down the luminous pearl, walked to Ye Ling's side, and asked with concern, "Ye Ling, are you alright?" Ye Ling shook his head, his expression still grave.

"No, this is just the beginning..." He gazed into the distance, his eyes deep and wary. Although the Ghost Fiend had been eliminated, he felt no relief, only a heavier weight in his heart. He knew that the supernatural world was far more dangerous than they had imagined, and the Ghost Fiend's appearance was only the beginning; even greater challenges lay ahead.

He gripped the last card in his hand, feeling the faint energy fluctuations emanating from it. This card was his last trump card, and his greatest hope.

What is it? And when will it appear? The ghost's body had just dissipated, and the surrounding air was still filled with a nauseating dark aura.

Suddenly, a chilling voice rang out behind them, like a whisper from hell: "You think this is the end?"

Ye Ling suddenly turned around, the card in his hand flashing with light...