Possessed by my father, I was reborn and became the supreme ruler.

A sense of despair spread through everyone's hearts. The air in the cave seemed to freeze, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe. Just then, a series of "clicking" sounds broke the silence.

From the depths of the cave, a group of completely black puppets slowly emerged. Their eyes gleamed with an eerie red light, and they held sharp blades in their hands, exuding a chilling murderous aura.

"Oh no, it's a puppet!" Nie Hanshan exclaimed, drawing his long sword and standing in front of everyone.

These puppets moved with incredible speed and their attack methods were bizarre and unpredictable, leaving everyone struggling to defend themselves and engaged in a fierce battle.

Amidst the clashing of swords and the clanging of metal, the cave echoed with the ear-piercing sounds of metal colliding, sparks flying and illuminating the terrified faces of the crowd.

Nie Hanshan was locked in combat with a puppet. He noticed that although the puppets moved swiftly, they lacked variety, as if they were acting according to a predetermined program.

Moreover, he vaguely sensed that there seemed to be some kind of connection between these puppets, and their attacks were always coordinated, making them impossible to defend against.

A bold idea flashed through Nie Hanshan's mind.

He seized the opportunity and slashed at the head of a puppet, but instead of attacking its vital organs, he severed a thin red thread on its head.

The moment the thread snapped, the puppet's movements suddenly stopped, and then it began wildly swinging its blades, attacking its companions.

"So that's how it is!" Nie Hanshan was overjoyed, and he immediately understood the weakness of these puppets.

He swung his sword again, severing the red threads above the heads of the other puppets.

As the red threads broke one by one, the puppets became increasingly chaotic, attacking and killing each other.

Inside the cave, the puppet's severed limbs were flying everywhere, creating a chaotic scene.

"Brother Ye, how are you?"

Lin Yao's anxious voice rang in Ye Yunjian's ears.

He tried to open his eyes, but could only see Lin Yao's blurry figure.

"I...I'm fine..." he managed to utter a few words, his voice so weak it was almost inaudible.

Suddenly, he grabbed Lin Yao's hand, his gaze fixed intently on her, "Quick...go quickly..."

Fairy Qingyu gently helped Ye Yunjian up and let him lean against her.

Her slender fingers radiated a faint warmth, and spiritual energy flowed slowly into Ye Yunjian's body like a gentle stream, repairing his damaged meridians.

Ye Yunjian felt a warm current flow through his body, and the pain gradually lessened.

He slightly opened his eyes and saw Fairy Qingyu's face so close to his. Her eyes were gentle and tender, with a hint of heartache and concern.

A faint, pleasant fragrance lingered around his nose, giving him a sense of inexplicable peace.

At the same time, Ling Xuzi sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, seemingly sensing something.

He frowned, his fingers gesturing in the air as he muttered to himself.

A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them: "I understand! These restrictions are not random, but arranged according to the principle of mutual generation and restraint of the five elements. As long as we find the core of the array, we can break all the restrictions."

Upon hearing this, Mo Chen's spirits lifted, and he immediately began to break the restriction following Ling Xuzi's instructions.

His hands flew, forming complex hand seals, while he chanted obscure incantations.

Golden rays shot out from his fingertips, striking every corner of the cave.

With a series of crisp sounds, the light of the barrier gradually dimmed and eventually disappeared completely.

"We succeeded!" Everyone cheered with joy upon seeing this.

They followed the path opened up by Mo Chen, heading deeper into the cave.

Along the way, they carefully avoided the remaining puppets, passed through the dark passages, and finally reached the deepest part of the cave.

Deep inside the cave is a spacious stone chamber.

In the center of the stone chamber, a mysterious figure dressed in black robes stood with his back to the crowd. A powerful force surrounded him, as if it were about to devour the entire space.

"You've finally arrived." The mysterious man slowly turned around, a mocking smile on his face. "I've been waiting for you for a long time."

"Who are you?" Ye Yunjian endured the pain, stood up, and asked coldly.

The mysterious man laughed loudly, "Who am I? I am the truth you have been searching for!" He stretched out his right hand, and a powerful force instantly erupted, enveloping everyone. "Since you're here, stay!"

Upon hearing this, the man in black robes threw his head back and laughed loudly, his laughter filled with disdain and mockery.

"The truth? You ants dare to know the truth? Since you're here, then become part of my power!" His laughter abruptly stopped, and with a wave of his right hand, a black light shot towards the crowd like a venomous snake, its speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

A suffocating sense of oppression filled the air, and the chilling energy fluctuations made everyone's hair stand on end.

Ye Yunjian was the first to be hit. Feeling the powerful force, he dared not be careless and quickly drew his longsword. The blade was covered with a blue light, like a blue dragon coiling around it.

"Azure Dragon Sword Technique, break!" Ye Yunjian roared, his sword gleaming with azure light, and a sharp sword aura rushed towards the black light.

With a deafening roar, the two forces collided, unleashing a dazzling light.

The powerful impact forced Ye Yunjian back several steps, his hands going numb, but his eyes remained firm, showing no sign of backing down.

Seeing this, Lin Yao quickly summoned an ancient bronze mirror. Runes flowed on the mirror's surface, emitting a soft light that enveloped everyone and protected them from the scattered energy impact.

Nie Hanshan, wielding a giant axe, roared and charged towards the man in black robes. With each swing, he created gusts of wind, as if he wanted to tear the man in black robes to shreds.

Although Gu Ling was timid, she mustered her courage at this moment, waved her staff, and released talismans that turned into starlight, interfering with the black-robed man's movements.

"A mere trick!" The man in black sneered. With a flash, he passed right through Nie Hanshan's attack and appeared in front of Ye Yunjian.

He stretched out his withered hand and grabbed at Ye Yunjian's throat.

"You overconfident brat, die!"

Ye Yunjian's pupils contracted sharply as he sensed the threat of death. Instinctively, he raised his sword to parry...

Ye Yunjian raised his sword to parry, only to feel a great force coming from the sword, which made his arm ache and go numb.

The mysterious man's attacks came like a tidal wave, and the black light, like a black storm, swept towards everyone.

The crowd was overwhelmed and could only defend themselves.

Seeing that Gu Ling was about to be struck by the mysterious man's power, Elder Xuanfeng shouted and flew to block Gu Ling's path.

The dark power struck his chest, and Elder Xuanfeng coughed up blood, his face turning ashen.

Hearing Elder Xuanfeng's painful groan and seeing his injured appearance, everyone was filled with worry.