I dominated the game from the start with cards.

The black mist churned, thick and viscous like boiling asphalt, impossible to dissolve. The stench was even more pungent, assaulting everyone's senses. The figures of the Poison Scorpion and the Ice Maiden appeared and disappeared within the mist, shifting like ghosts. Their sinister grins were particularly chilling in the dim light, foreshadowing an impending nightmare. "What the hell is this…" Lin Yu gasped, his voice trembling as he covered his mouth and nose. Sister Wu, pale-faced, gripped her medical instruments tightly, her hands clicking. She forced herself to remain calm, reassuring them, "Don't panic, everyone be careful!" Old Zhou frowned, slamming his cane heavily on the ground. "This black mist… seems to possess some kind of mental interference…" Before he could finish speaking, several figures, identical to the Poison Scorpion and the Ice Maiden, suddenly appeared from the mist, moving with lightning speed, lunging towards them. "Watch out!" Mu Yang shouted, brandishing his longsword, a sharp blade slicing through the black mist. However, the blade seemed to strike thin air, offering no resistance whatsoever. "Illusions!" Li Xuan's heart sank; his mental perception screamed, a tidal wave of danger washing over him. He retreated swiftly, warning the others, "Don't attack! These are illusions!" However, the number of illusions increased, their speed growing ever faster, dazzling the eye. They moved like ghosts through the black mist, each attack carrying a chilling killing intent. Caught off guard, Lin Yu was struck in the chest by an illusion, letting out a muffled groan and staggering backward. Sister Wu rushed to support him, anxiously checking his injury. "Cough cough..." Lin Yu coughed up blood, his face growing even paler. Li Xuan and Mu Yang stood back to back, warily watching the surrounding illusions, their weapons flashing, yet unable to strike their targets. "Damn it!" Mu Yang gritted his teeth, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Calm down!" Li Xuan said in a deep voice. "Their goal is to confuse our vision and wear us down. We must find the real Scorpion and Ice Maiden!" He concentrated, trying to use his mental perception to distinguish the illusions from the real ones. However, the mental interference in the black mist was too strong, greatly limiting his perception. He could only vaguely sense the locations of the Scorpion and Ice Maiden, but couldn't pinpoint their exact locations. The illusions' attacks grew increasingly fierce, and Li Xuan and Mu Yang gradually felt overwhelmed. Several wounds had appeared on their bodies, blood flowing continuously, staining their clothes red. "This won't do..." Li Xuan panted heavily, feeling his strength rapidly draining away. "We must find a way to break through..." Mu Yang's voice also carried a hint of exhaustion. Li Xuan's gaze swept around, trying to find a breakthrough. Suddenly, a bold idea surged into his mind. "Mu Yang, listen to my command!" Li Xuan said in a deep voice, "Let's concentrate our attack on one direction; perhaps we can find a glimmer of hope!" Mu Yang nodded without hesitation: "Okay!" "Prepare..." Li Xuan took a deep breath, his gaze locking onto a direction, "Three, two, one, attack!" The two simultaneously unleashed powerful energy, launching a fierce attack in the chosen direction... "This way! They're trying to break through!" From within the black mist, Poison Scorpion's voice rang out coldly. Li Xuan and Mu Yang shot like arrows released from a bow, their swords flashing and slashing, drawing two pale arcs in the thick black mist. The direction they chose was not random; it was the weakest link in Li Xuan's spiritual perception. Although it was only a very slight difference, at this moment it became their only hope. "Charge out!" Li Xuan roared, his longsword flashing like a venomous snake, each move deadly. Mu Yang followed closely behind, his longsword forming an impenetrable barrier, blocking the attacking phantoms one by one. However, the number of phantoms was simply too great, surging forward like a tide, wave after wave, fearless and relentless. They appeared to be without physical form, yet their attacks were as sharp as real swords, each collision causing Li Xuan and Mu Yang excruciating pain. "Damn it! There are too many!" Mu Yang gritted his teeth, his sword swings slowing considerably. Just then, a dark shadow attacked from the side, aiming straight for Sister Wu. Sister Wu cried out in alarm, but it was too late to dodge. "Watch out!" Mu Yang roared, forcefully pushing Sister Wu away, but exposing himself to the phantoms' attack. Several phantoms struck Mu Yang simultaneously; he groaned, his body flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground. "Mu Yang!" Li Xuan cried out, trying to rush to his aid, but he was entangled by even more phantoms and couldn't escape. Sister Wu quickly crawled to Mu Yang's side, anxiously checking his injuries. Mu Yang had multiple wounds, his clothes stained crimson with blood, his face as pale as paper, and his breathing weak. "Mu Yang, how are you?" Sister Wu's voice trembled, tears blurring her vision. Mu Yang struggled to open his eyes, a bitter smile appearing on his lips: "I'm fine... cough cough..." He coughed up a mouthful of blood, his breath growing even weaker. "Don't talk, I'll treat you..." Sister Wu's hands trembled as she took out medical tools, only to find that her hands were also shaking uncontrollably, making it impossible for her to perform any delicate procedures.

The surrounding phantoms continued their frenzied attacks, and Li Xuan struggled alone, sustaining several wounds. He was filled with anxiety, yet utterly powerless. "At this rate…we'll all die here…" A wave of despair flashed through Li Xuan's mind. Suddenly, he felt a sharp chill, his mental senses screaming warnings. He whirled around, only to see a swirling black mist, unable to discern the source of the danger. "Watch out!" Old Zhou's voice suddenly rang out, his cane slamming down behind Li Xuan. With a muffled thud, a dark figure emerged from the mist, knocked back by Old Zhou's cane. "Poison Scorpion!" Li Xuan recognized the newcomer, his heart tightening. Poison Scorpion's figure flashed through the mist, disappearing again. "Damn it! He ambushed us from the shadows!" Li Xuan gritted his teeth, his heart filled with rage. The black mist thickened, and the surrounding phantoms multiplied, their situation growing increasingly perilous. Li Xuan's mental perception was severely limited by the thick black fog. He could only vaguely sense the approaching danger, but couldn't accurately determine its source or direction. "If this continues...we..." Before Li Xuan could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a chilling killing intent lock onto him... "Found you..." A cold voice echoed from within the black fog. "Found you..." The icy voice seemed to emanate from the deepest hell, accompanied by a bone-chilling cold, causing the hairs on Li Xuan's back to stand on end. His mental perception screamed a warning: danger was imminent! He instinctively rolled to the side, an ice spike narrowly missing his cheek before embedding itself deeply in the ground. From the swirling black fog, a woman clad in an ice-blue bodysuit slowly emerged, as if sculpted from ice and snow, her face cold and stern, her eyes filled with a chilling killing intent. It was none other than the Ice Maiden, the partner of the Poison Scorpion. "Ice Maiden!" Li Xuan gritted his teeth, gripping his longsword tightly. Besieged on all sides, the situation was even more critical. The Ice Maiden didn't speak, but simply raised her right hand slightly. The temperature in the air plummeted, and a thin layer of ice quickly formed on the ground. With a flick of her slender fingers, countless tiny ice blades rained down on Li Xuan. Li Xuan parried with his sword, the ice blades colliding with the blade producing a crisp sound and sparks flying. Although he blocked most of the attacks, several ice blades still tore through his clothes, leaving a few small wounds. "Cough cough..." Mu Yang struggled to stand up, but collapsed weakly to the ground. Sister Wu anxiously tended to his wounds, tears streaming down her face. "This won't do..." Old Zhou's face was grave, his cane tapping the ground repeatedly as if he were deep in thought. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, as if he had thought of something. "I remember now, there's an ancient dispelling spell that might be able to dispel this damned black mist!" Old Zhou immediately sat cross-legged, chanting incantations and forming complex hand seals. A faint golden light emanated from him, dispelling a small patch of black mist around him. "It will take some time..." Old Zhou's voice trembled slightly; clearly, casting this spell had taken a heavy toll on him. Li Xuan, while fending off the Ice Maiden's attacks, kept a close eye on Old Zhou's condition. He knew that Old Zhou's dispelling spell was their only hope. However, the Poison Scorpion and the Ice Maiden clearly wouldn't give them that chance. The Poison Scorpion's figure reappeared in the black mist, a poisoned dagger in hand, waiting for its chance to strike. Lin Yu charged left and right in the chaos, his broadsword wielding with ferocious power. Although his strength was inferior to Li Xuan and Mu Yang, his courage and fearlessness were his greatest asset, and for a time he managed to block many of the phantoms' attacks. Suddenly, Lin Yu noticed a detail: when he struck a phantom with his broadsword, the phantom would pause briefly, as if affected by something. "Li Xuan! I've noticed that these phantoms pause briefly after being attacked!" Lin Yu shouted. Li Xuan's heart skipped a beat; he immediately understood Lin Yu's meaning. He quickly directed everyone to exploit this opening and launch a counterattack, concentrating their attacks on the same phantom before swiftly shifting targets. This strategy proved effective; the phantom's attack rhythm was disrupted, and Li Xuan and the others temporarily stabilized the situation. However, the Poison Scorpion and the Ice Maiden vanished at this moment, and an eerie silence permeated the black mist… The Poison Scorpion's chilling voice echoed from within the black mist: "The game has only just begun…" The black mist churned, and ghostly figures appeared one after another. Following Lin Yu's observation, Li Xuan and the others concentrated their firepower on the same phantom. Each attack was powerful and heavy, aiming to inflict maximum damage in the shortest amount of time. The phantom under concentrated fire indeed experienced a brief pause, its form flickering erratically, like an old movie pausing. Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Li Xuan's longsword, like a viper's tongue, pierced straight into the core of the phantom. With a "bang!", the phantom exploded, dissipating into a wisp of black smoke. "Effective!" Lin Yu shouted excitedly, his broadsword wielding even more fiercely. The others also perked up, their fighting spirit rekindled. Like well-trained soldiers, they coordinated perfectly, shattering the illusions before them one by one. The sound of illusions breaking apart echoed from within the black mist, crackling like firecrackers, a brief victory that ignited a glimmer of hope in their hearts. Mu Yang's injuries had improved under Sister Wu's treatment; he struggled to his feet and rejoined the battle. Old Zhou's dispelling spell was also beginning to take effect; the surrounding black mist gradually thinned, revealing glimpses of the distant landscape. "Everyone, give it your all! We're about to break through!" Li Xuan shouted, boosting morale. His longsword danced like a dragon, shattering the approaching illusions one by one. He was highly focused, sensing every movement around him; his cunning nature made him calm and decisive in battle. However, just when they thought victory was assured, a chilling whisper emanated from the depths of the black mist, like some ancient incantation, carrying a terrifying magic. The air suddenly thickened, an ominous premonition gripping everyone's hearts. Li Xuan's mental senses screamed a warning: Danger! Extreme danger! "Watch out!" Li Xuan shouted, but it was too late. The phantoms they had shattered had reformed, not only in greater numbers but also with more solid forms. They were no longer ethereal and illusory, but rather tangible, radiating a suffocating sense of oppression. Their attacks had become even more ferocious, faster, and more powerful. Li Xuan and the others were once again plunged into a fierce battle, their previous advantage completely gone. They fought back desperately, but felt powerless, as if trapped in an invisible giant net, the more they struggled, the tighter it became. Meanwhile, deep within the black mist, Poison Scorpion and Ice Maiden were performing a mysterious ritual. Their hands formed hand seals, and they chanted incantations, a strange energy flowing between them. The black smoke churned like boiling water, emitting bursts of ear-piercing shrieks. "Power... even greater power..." Poison Scorpion's eyes flashed with fanatical light.

The Ice Maiden remained expressionless, but the hand seals on her hands grew increasingly complex. The surrounding temperature plummeted, as if the air itself had frozen. "Soon... they will understand what true fear is..."

The Ice Maiden's voice was like a chilling wind from hell, carrying a coldness that sent shivers down one's spine.

A cruel smile curled at the corner of the scorpion's lips as he reached out and gently stroked the swirling black mist beside him, as if he were caressing his most beloved pet.

"Go... my children..."