I dominated the game from the start with cards.

Li Xuan and his group returned to the battlefield, the air thick with the lingering smell of gunpowder from the battle. The ruins of buildings and twisted metal spoke volumes of the fierce conflict that had just taken place. They meticulously searched every inch of the surrounding land, hoping to find some clues left by the shadowy figures, even the slightest hint, to help them track down this mysterious enemy. Sunlight streamed through the dilapidated rooftops, illuminating the scattered rubble and dust on the ground. Suddenly, Li Xuan's gaze was drawn to a rune on the ground that shimmered with an eerie light. The rune, about the size of a palm, was carved into a broken stone slab, emitting a faint green glow that stood out starkly in the dim light. It seemed to pulsate slightly, as if alive, emanating an unsettling aura. Li Xuan slowly crouched down, squinting as he carefully examined the rune. The lines of the rune were complex and twisted, resembling some ancient script or some mysterious pattern. A strong sense of unease rose within him; an inexplicable premonition told him that this thing was dangerous. He reached out to touch the rune, his fingertips almost touching the shimmering light. "Don't touch it!" Ling Feng's voice was low and urgent, carrying a barely perceptible tension. He grabbed Li Xuan's wrist, stopping him. "This thing is dangerous..." Li Xuan's hand froze in mid-air. He turned to look at Ling Feng, his eyes filled with questions. Ling Feng's expression was grave, his brows furrowed, his gaze fixed on the rune, as if wary of something. "This rune looks strange," Mu Yang stepped forward, carefully examining it. "Perhaps we can take it back and study it; maybe we can find some clues." "No!" Old Zhou immediately objected. "This is very likely a trap deliberately left by Shadow to lure us in. We can't take the risk." Mu Yang frowned: "But if we give up like this, wouldn't we miss an important clue?" "It's always better to be cautious," Sister Wu agreed with Old Zhou. "Shadow is cunning; we can't let our guard down." For a moment, everyone was at a stalemate. Mu Yang insisted on taking the rune for research, while Elder Zhou firmly opposed it. The two sides argued endlessly, each holding their own ground. A tense atmosphere filled the air; everyone realized that this small rune might conceal immense danger. Li Xuan, watching the arguing crowd, fell into deep thought. He understood Mu Yang's desire to find clues quickly and also understood Elder Zhou's caution. He stared at the rune, which shimmered with an eerie light, and suddenly an idea came to him… He raised his head and slowly began to speak… “I have…” “I have an idea…” Li Xuan spoke slowly, his tone calm and confident, drawing everyone's attention. “We want to study the runes, but we don’t want to take any risks. So, we can try a compromise.” His gaze turned to Lingfeng. “Lingfeng, your spiritual power can envelop objects, right?” Lingfeng nodded slightly, a glint of light flashing in his deep eyes: “Yes.” Li Xuan’s lips curled into a sly smile: “That makes things easier. You can use your spiritual power to completely envelop the rune. This will both isolate it from any potential dangers and allow us to take it back for careful study. What do you think?” Everyone’s eyes lit up. This method could satisfy Mu Yang’s desire to study the runes while avoiding the risks of direct contact with them—a win-win situation. "Great idea!" Mu Yang patted Li Xuan's shoulder approvingly. "I knew you were full of clever ideas." Old Zhou stroked his beard and nodded. "It's indeed a good method, cautious yet enterprising." Sister Wu smiled gently. "Li Xuan, you're always so smart." Even the usually taciturn Lin Yu couldn't help but give a thumbs up. "Impressive!" Without a word, Ling Feng stretched out his hands, a faint silver light emanating from his palms. He carefully approached the rune, his spiritual power flowing like water, slowly enveloping it and forming a thin protective barrier. The eerie green light emanating from the rune was gradually covered by the silver light, finally disappearing completely. Just then, a piercing metallic scraping sound broke the brief silence. The ground began to tremble slightly, and alarm bells rang in everyone's hearts. "Be careful!" Li Xuan shouted. As soon as he finished speaking, a group of mechanical puppets suddenly surged out from the surrounding ruins. These puppets were made entirely of metal, with various shapes, but all exuded a cold killing intent. Their eyes flashed red, like a pack of bloodthirsty beasts, approaching the group step by step. "Not good, they're mechanical puppets!" Lin Yu's expression changed. He was the first to draw his weapon and charge towards the nearest puppet. He leaped high, his longsword whistling through the air, slashing fiercely at the puppet's head. However, the puppet's defense far exceeded Lin Yu's expectations. The longsword struck the puppet's metal shell, leaving only a shallow scratch, barely even sending sparks flying. The puppet was unharmed, instead swinging its massive metal arms, sending Lin Yu flying. "These puppets are incredibly strong!" Lin Yu scrambled to his feet, his face grave. "Everyone be careful, these puppets are tough!" Mu Yang warned, drawing his twin swords to meet the charging puppets. The clash of blades and the clang of metal echoed through the ruins. Li Xuan dodged the puppets' attacks while observing the surrounding situation. His spiritual perception allowed him to predict the puppets' next moves, enabling him to skillfully dodge their attacks. His gaze swept over the crowd, and a sudden, ominous premonition rose within him… Sister Wu… “Sister Wu, watch out!” Sister Wu was dodging an attack from a puppet when she tripped over some gravel on the ground, letting out a cry as she fell. Her arm was scraped by the gravel, and blood seeped out. Seeing this, Mu Yang's heart tightened, and he immediately tried to rush over to protect Sister Wu. However, in that moment of distraction, a puppet's metal fist struck him hard in the back. Mu Yang groaned, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and his body crashed heavily to the ground.

"Mu Yang!" Li Xuan exclaimed in surprise, his expression changing drastically.

Li Xuan's heart clenched, a chill running from his feet to his head. He watched helplessly as Mu Yang fell, his bright red blood a stark contrast to the gray ruins. A fire of rage burned in his chest, threatening to consume him. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to calm down. This wasn't the time for grief; he had to find a way to protect everyone. Sister Wu struggled to her feet, her face pale, blood still flowing from the wound on her arm. She looked at Mu Yang lying on the ground with worry, her eyes filled with self-reproach and fear. "Mu Yang!" she choked out, trying to rush over, but Li Xuan grabbed her arm. "Don't go, it's too dangerous!" Li Xuan's voice was low and urgent. "These puppets are after all of us. Going over there will only put you in danger." Li Xuan's gaze swept quickly across the surroundings, trying to find a way in. His mental perception was at its peak, capturing every movement around him. Suddenly, he noticed a detail—whenever the runes flashed green, the puppets' attacks became even more ferocious. A bold conjecture surfaced in his mind. Could it be… that these puppets are controlled by runes? “Lingfeng!” Li Xuan suddenly turned to Lingfeng. “Could you try to disrupt the connection between the runes and the puppets?” Lingfeng was slightly taken aback, then understood Li Xuan’s meaning. He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “I’ll try.” He stretched out his hands again, the silver light in his palms even more dazzling than before. He concentrated his spiritual power on the silver spheres enveloping the runes, attempting to penetrate the protective barrier and disrupt the connection between the runes and the puppets. At the same time, Li Xuan and Lin Yu were desperately trying to fend off the puppets’ attacks. Lin Yu already had several wounds, but he still gritted his teeth and persevered, wielding his longsword and forcing the puppets back one by one. Li Xuan, on the other hand, used his mental perception to predict the puppets’ attack trajectories, maneuvering and searching for an opportunity to counterattack in the confined space. Although Sister Wu was injured, she wasn’t idle either. She took out medical supplies from her backpack, quickly bandaged her own wounds, and then began treating Mu Yang’s injuries. With Lingfeng's efforts, the silver sphere enveloping the runes began to vibrate violently, and the green light emanating from the runes flickered erratically. The puppets' attacks slowed down, their movements no longer as fluid as before. "It's working!" A glimmer of hope flashed in Li Xuan's eyes. "Everyone, give it your all!" The group's spirits lifted, and their morale soared. They seized the opportunity and began to counterattack. Lin Yu's longsword, carrying a sharp gust of wind, severed the metal arm of a puppet. Li Xuan, taking advantage of another puppet's momentary lapse in attention, kicked it in the joint, sending it crashing to the ground. However, just when they thought victory was in sight, the runes suddenly released a powerful force, enveloping everyone. Li Xuan felt a darkness engulf him, and he heard Lingfeng's anxious voice: "Not good! The runes..." Lingfeng's hands trembled, the silver light flickering in his palms like a candle flame swaying in the wind. The green light emanating from the runes grew stronger, like a beating heart, pulsating with eerie energy. Although the puppets moved slowly, they relentlessly pressed forward, their metal joints scraping together with a piercing sound, like the whisper of death. "Damn it!" Lin Yu roared, brandishing his longsword, the blade slicing through the air and creating a gust of wind. He seized the opportunity, slashing at the nearest puppet; its metal body shattered, sparks flying. Li Xuan's eyes were sharp, his mental energy highly focused, capturing every change in his surroundings. He moved nimbly among the puppets, as elusive as a ghost. He spotted an opening in one of the puppets, delivering a flying kick that struck it squarely in the chest. The puppet staggered backward, knocking over its companions. Sister Wu quickly bandaged Mu Yang's wounds, tearing off a piece of cloth to tightly bind his arm. She looked worriedly at the people engaged in fierce combat, silently praying. Ling Feng gritted his teeth, pouring all his spiritual power into the silver orb. The sphere of light suddenly expanded, emitting a dazzling glow. The green light on the runes began to flicker erratically, and the puppets' movements became even slower, as if they had lost control. "Now!" Li Xuan shouted, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. The group seized the opportunity and launched a fierce counterattack. Lin Yu's longsword fell like a storm, slicing the puppets into pieces. Li Xuan used his mental perception to precisely attack the puppets' weaknesses, each strike clean and swift. Just when victory seemed within reach, the runes suddenly erupted with a blinding light, and a powerful force enveloped everyone. Li Xuan's vision went black, and he lost consciousness. When he awoke, Li Xuan found himself in an unfamiliar space. All around was a vast expanse of white, the ground beneath his feet smooth, and the end seemed in sight. Lin Yu, Sister Wu, and the unconscious Mu Yang were all beside him, but Ling Feng was nowhere to be seen. "Where is this?" Lin Yu cautiously surveyed his surroundings, a hint of unease in his voice. Sister Wu shook her head, her face pale. "I don't know, what just happened?" Li Xuan helped Mu Yang up, trying to wake him, but there was no response. A sense of foreboding rose in his heart. He looked around and found that the white light around him was not still, but flowing slowly like ripples. Suddenly, the white light began to flicker, emitting a crackling sound of electricity. Li Xuan looked up sharply and found that they were trapped in a space composed of walls of light, which flickered with dangerous currents, as if touching them would result in being swallowed up. "Ling Feng..." Li Xuan murmured softly, his eyes filled with worry. He reached out and slowly approached the flickering walls of light...