I dominated the game from the start with cards.

Bai Yao's fingers gently brushed against Li Xuan's cheek, her eyes hazy, her voice even softer and more alluring: "Do you know, the meaning of this flower is... eternal love." Her breath softly brushed against Li Xuan's ear, carrying a sweet fragrance, making his heart beat faster involuntarily. Li Xuan subtly took a half step back, creating distance between himself and Bai Yao, forcing a smile: "This flower is beautiful, thank you." He reached out and took the flower from his hair, examining it closely. The fluorescence on the petals was particularly dazzling in the dim environment, radiating a strange energy fluctuation. Li Xuan calmly put the flower into his backpack, secretly thinking: This flower is definitely not simple. Mu Yang watched the interaction between the two, a barely perceptible worry flashing in his eyes. He coughed lightly, breaking the slightly ambiguous atmosphere: "Let's continue on our way, finding the energy vortex as soon as possible is the most important thing." Bai Yao gave Mu Yang a charming glance, said nothing, and turned to continue leading the way. Her light steps and graceful figure were especially alluring in the dim light. Li Xuan took a deep breath, suppressing his distracting thoughts, and followed closely behind Bai Yao. After passing through a misty swamp, Bai Yao suddenly stopped. "We're here," she smiled mysteriously, pointing to a hidden stone wall ahead, "The entrance is here." She gently pressed her slender finger on the stone wall, and it slowly opened, revealing a narrow passage leading underground. At the end of the passage was a hidden small space, filled with a rich aura of energy. Colorful energy ores were scattered throughout the space, shimmering like stars in the night sky. Lin Yu and Ling Feng couldn't help but exclaim in amazement upon seeing this, and rushed in eagerly to collect the ores. "This is truly a treasure trove!" Lin Yu exclaimed excitedly, holding a fist-sized red ore in his hands. Li Xuan also joined in collecting, noticing that Bai Yao always seemed to intentionally or unintentionally give him the best ores, making him feel particularly favored. “These ores will greatly help improve your spiritual perception,” Bai Yao said softly. “I hope you can become stronger as soon as possible.” Li Xuan took the ores that Bai Yao handed him, which emitted a faint blue light, and a warmth welled up in his heart. However, when his gaze swept over the surface of some of the ores, he noticed some strange markings engraved on them. These markings resembled some kind of ancient script that he had never seen before. He was about to ask Bai Yao about the meaning of these markings when he noticed that Bai Yao’s eyes were somewhat evasive. She seemed to be deliberately avoiding Li Xuan’s gaze and instead started talking about other topics with Mu Yang. Li Xuan looked at Bai Yao’s back, and the ores in his hand suddenly felt somewhat heavy… He slowly tightened his grip on the ores. “Bai Yao…” “Bai Yao…” Li Xuan’s voice was low, with a hint of doubt. Bai Yao turned around, her face still bearing a charming smile, but deep in her eyes, there seemed to be a trace of barely perceptible panic. “What’s wrong, darling?” she asked softly, deliberately emphasizing the word “darling,” as if trying to hide something. “Do you recognize the markings on these ores?” Li Xuan opened his palm, revealing a piece of dark blue ore. The strange symbols engraved on it looked particularly eerie under the shimmering energy light. Bai Yao’s gaze fell on the ore, her smile freezing for a moment before returning to normal. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about. It’s just ordinary ore.” She said casually, but her tone was slightly hurried. “Is that so?” Li Xuan looked at her with a half-smile, his eyes sharp enough to see through any pretense. “But I feel like I’ve seen these markings somewhere before…” Bai Yao didn’t answer, but simply turned her head away, pretending to tidy her disheveled hair to conceal her expression. At this moment, Lin Yu walked over, also holding a piece of ore with the same markings. “I also find these markings strange,” he said, looking directly at Bai Yao, his tone serious. “Miss Bai Yao, do you really not recognize these markings?” Bai Yao’s expression changed slightly, but she forced herself to remain calm and said, “Lin Yu, what do you mean? Are you doubting me?” “I just find something odd,” Lin Yu said unyieldingly. “You seem very familiar with this place, and you always seem to intentionally or unintentionally give the best ores to Li Xuan. Isn’t that too much of a coincidence?” “You…” Bai Yao’s face turned pale with anger, but she couldn’t find a suitable reason to refute him. Seeing this, Li Xuan quickly smoothed things over: “Lin Yu, you’re overthinking it. Bai Yao just wants to help me improve my strength.” He turned to Bai Yao and smiled gently. “Don’t mind what he says. I believe you.” Lin Yu snorted coldly, said nothing more, and turned to walk away. His suspicions about Bai Yao hadn’t disappeared; instead, they had become even stronger. Li Xuan watched Lin Yu’s retreating figure, a ripple of emotion stirring within him. He knew Lin Yu was straightforward and wouldn’t doubt others without reason. Could it be that Bai Yao was really hiding something from him? He looked at Bai Yao again, only to find her looking at him with a complex expression, a mixture of grievance and… a hint of barely perceptible smugness. Li Xuan's heart skipped a beat, a sense of unease washing over him. He suddenly realized he seemed to have fallen into a meticulously woven trap, and Bai Yao was the one who created it. He took a deep breath, suppressing his unease, and pretended to continue collecting ore as if nothing was amiss. However, his gaze remained fixed on the marked stones, trying to find some clues. Ling Feng silently observed everything. He said nothing, but quietly retreated to a corner, beginning a careful search of this hidden space. He had a feeling that something more important was hidden here besides the ore. Mu Yang had also been silently observing his surroundings. He noticed a pile of scattered stones in the corner, seemingly deliberately placed there. He went over, moved the stones aside, and discovered an ancient notebook hidden beneath…

He slowly picked up the notebook and turned to the first page...

Mu Yang carefully opened the notebook. On the yellowed pages, the secrets of the energy vortex were recorded in an ancient script.

The notes mention that the energy vortex was not formed naturally, but was artificially created by a mysterious organization called "Eclipse".

They use energy vortexes to absorb spatial energy in order to open a passage to higher dimensions.

The notebook also recorded some symbols and activity locations of the "Eclipse" organization, strikingly similar to the markings on the ore Li Xuan had found. A chill ran from the soles of Mu Yang's feet to the top of his head; he realized they might be caught up in a huge conspiracy. He quickly closed the notebook and hid it in his pocket. Just then, a piercing metallic scraping sound suddenly rang out in the space, and several strangely shaped mechanical puppets rushed out of the shadows, brandishing sharp metal claws and attacking the group. "Watch out!" Mu Yang shouted, drawing his long sword from his back and meeting the lead puppet head-on. "Li Xuan, let's fight side by side!" Bai Yao cried out, her two short swords transforming into streaks of silver light as she weaved through the puppet horde. Her figure was graceful, her moves ruthless, like an elegant grim reaper, reaping the lives of the mechanical puppets. Li Xuan was not to be outdone; he wielded his energy sword, each swing accompanied by a surge of energy, knocking away any approaching puppets. During the battle, Bai Yao frequently glanced at Li Xuan, her eyes filled with trust and reliance. Li Xuan, infected by her trust, fought even more fiercely, as if possessed boundless power. Lin Yu and Ling Feng also joined the fray. Lin Yu's giant axe cleaved through the puppets' shells with unstoppable force, while Ling Feng moved like the wind across the battlefield, his dagger silently reaping the lives of puppets. The battle raged for a long time, leaving everyone exhausted. Finally, the last puppet was destroyed, and the space returned to calm. Bai Yao nestled gently in Li Xuan's arms, a weary smile on her face. "Thank you, Li Xuan. Without you, I don't know what I would have done." Li Xuan gently stroked her hair. "We're a team; we should help each other." In a lull in the fighting, Bai Yao recalled her difficult experiences alone in the Infinite Flow Space. Back then, she was all alone, facing various dangers, often feeling despair and helplessness. It wasn't until she met Li Xuan that she felt a glimmer of warmth and hope. He was like a light in the darkness, illuminating her life. Looking into Li Xuan's gentle eyes, Bai Yao felt a sweet warmth welling up inside her. She became even more convinced that Li Xuan was the most important person in her life. The group successfully repelled the mechanical puppets, and Bai Yao and Li Xuan's relationship grew even closer. However, Mu Yang remained preoccupied, secretly glancing at the notebook in his robes, his eyes filled with worry. "Li Xuan," Mu Yang walked to Li Xuan's side and whispered, "I've discovered something..." He paused, then pulled out the ancient notebook from his robes, "Take a look at this." Li Xuan took the notebook, opened the first page, and his expression instantly turned grave. "Eclipse..." Li Xuan murmured, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. Seeing this, Bai Yao also leaned over to look at the contents of the notebook. Her face instantly turned pale, and her body trembled slightly. "This...this is impossible..." Bai Yao's voice trembled, her eyes filled with fear. Li Xuan gripped the notebook tightly, his gaze resolute and cold. “We must find out everything…” He looked up at Bai Yao, his gaze deep. “Bai Yao, is there anything you’re hiding from me?” The wreckage of the mechanical puppet lay scattered on the ground, the air thick with the smell of burning flesh. Bai Yao leaned against Li Xuan, the exhaustion of surviving the ordeal making her yearn for support. During a lull in the battle, her thoughts drifted back to the past. The fear and loneliness of first entering the Infinite Flow Space washed over her like a tidal wave. She was like a lone boat adrift on a vast ocean, directionless, without companions, only endless darkness and despair. Countless brushes with death had filled her with terror of the world. Until she met Li Xuan, his calm judgment, precise attacks, and the occasional tenderness he showed were like a ray of light, piercing the darkness in her heart and giving her the courage and hope to live. Watching Li Xuan intently studying the words in his notes, Bai Yao’s eyes softened even more. She gently rested her head on his shoulder, feeling his warmth, her heart filled with a sense of security. “Eclipse…” she murmured, repeating the name in the notebook, a strange unease rising within her. Li Xuan closed the notebook, his brow furrowed. “Eclipse, an organization I’ve never heard of before, actually controlling energy vortexes. What is their purpose?” His gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on Bai Yao’s face. “Do you recognize the writing in this notebook?” Bai Yao shook her head. “Never seen it before.” She lowered her eyes, concealing the complex emotions that flashed across them. “Eclipse…” Mu Yang chewed on the name repeatedly. “It doesn’t sound like anything good.” He looked at Li Xuan. “We must be careful. Since this organization can create energy vortexes, their strength is definitely not to be underestimated.” Lin Yu scratched his head. “Who cares about Eclipse or anything like that? We’ll deal with whatever comes our way! What’s there to be afraid of!” He patted his chest heartily. “Li Xuan, what do you say we do? I’ll follow you!” Ling Feng remained silent, simply nodding in agreement. He exuded a mysterious aura, making him difficult to fathom. Li Xuan pondered for a moment and said, "Let's rest and recover our strength before continuing our exploration. Since the Eclipse Organization left clues, they must have a purpose. We must find out." Over the next few days, the team continued their in-depth exploration. Li Xuan and Bai Yao's feelings for each other deepened. They fought side-by-side, supporting each other, becoming each other's strongest support in the dangerous infinite flow space. Bai Yao's gaze towards Li Xuan became increasingly tender, filled with love and dependence, and Li Xuan found it hard to resist Bai Yao's affection. However, the shadow of that ancient notebook always loomed over Li Xuan's heart. The secrets of the Eclipse Organization were like a huge mystery, waiting for them to unravel. And what role did Bai Yao play in this mystery? He always felt something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. One night, Li Xuan woke up with a start. He found that Bai Yao was gone. A nameless unease welled up in his heart. He got up and left the tent. By the faint moonlight, he saw a slender figure disappear into the darkness in the distance.

Li Xuan's heart sank, and he immediately followed quietly...

Bai Yao's figure finally stopped in front of a rusty iron gate. She gently pushed the door open and went inside.

Li Xuan held his breath and slowly approached. Through the crack in the door, he saw a tall man with his back to him in the dim light of the room, while Bai Yao was walking towards him... "You've come."

The man's deep voice echoed in the room.