A magical journey of a sharp-tongued woman and a goofy man

The warm, smooth feel of the artifact fragment in his hand had vanished, replaced by a chilling coldness.

Ye Shuli's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition surged into her mind.

On the fragments, the originally dull black patterns now seemed to come alive, writhing wildly and emitting a nauseating, fishy stench.

"Holy crap, what's going on?!" Jiang Ye exaggeratedly took a step back, covering his nose and exclaiming, "Is this thing going to explode? Li'er, let's get out of here first. As long as we're alive, we can always make a comeback!"

Ye Shuli ignored Jiang Ye's rambling; her brows were furrowed, and her gaze was fixed on the fragment in her hand.

She could clearly feel a powerful dark force surging wildly inside the fragment, like a caged beast desperately trying to break free.

This dark force is more powerful and more dangerous than any we've encountered before.

Ye Shuli tried to suppress it with her own spiritual power, but it was like throwing a mud ox into the sea, having no effect whatsoever.

The dark forces were not suppressed; instead, they surged even more fiercely, as if mocking her overestimation of her abilities.

"This..." Ye Shuli gritted her teeth, feeling utterly powerless.

Is all that hard-won progress just going to go down the drain?

Fate really likes to play tricks on her!

The surrounding air became restless, and the originally calm psionic energy churned violently like boiling water.

A suffocating sense of oppression enveloped everyone, making it almost impossible for them to breathe.

"Li'er, are you alright?" Jiang Ye asked with concern, as he could sense the pressure Ye Shuli was under.

Ye Shuli took a deep breath, trying her best to stay calm.

She tried different methods time and time again to suppress this dark power, but all her attempts ended in failure.

Her face grew paler and paler, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Seeing Ye Shuli's predicament, the people around her could only worry helplessly. They couldn't do anything to help and could only silently pray for a miracle.

"Is... there really no way?" Ye Shuli murmured to herself.

Just then, Jiang Ye suddenly reached out and gently grasped Ye Shuli's hand.

He didn't speak, but looked at her with a firm gaze, as if to tell her: Don't be afraid, I'm here for you.

Ye Shuli was stunned for a moment, then felt a warm energy coming from Jiang Ye's palm and slowly flowing into her body.

Although the energy was weak, it made her feel incredibly at ease.

Jiang Ye's lips curled up slightly, revealing a mysterious smile. "Li'er, don't forget, I am..."

Jiang Ye was not intimidated by the predicament before him. He scratched his head with a grin, as if he wasn't the one who had just been complaining.

He squinted, carefully sensing the chaotic psionic fluctuations around him, scanning them like a sophisticated radar.

Suddenly, a confident smile appeared on his lips. "Hey, Li'er, I think I've found a loophole in this thing!"

Ye Shuli was stunned and hadn't reacted yet when Jiang Ye pointed to an inconspicuous corner of the fragment, "Look here, the dark energy here is a bit weak, like it hasn't eaten enough."

Ye Shuli looked in the direction Jiang Ye pointed, and sure enough, the dark power fluctuations in that corner were indeed somewhat weaker compared to other places.

A thought struck her, as if she had grasped a lifeline. She immediately adjusted her spiritual energy output and tried to attack that weak point.

Like a precise scalpel, Ye Shuli's spiritual power focused its attack on that weak point, and the expansion of the dark power was visibly contained, no longer as arrogant and domineering as before.

The raging psionic energy around them began to calm down slowly, becoming as docile as a tamed beast.

"Wow, this works?!" Jiang Ye jumped up excitedly, like a silly boy who had discovered a new continent. "Li'er, you're amazing! This move was incredible!"

Ye Shuli ignored Jiang Ye's exaggerated praise; her expression was solemn, and she dared not relax in the slightest.

She could sense that although the expansion of dark forces had been temporarily contained, this was only a temporary measure, and a greater crisis might be yet to come.

"careful!"

Just as Ye Shuli was slightly distracted, a burst of black energy suddenly exploded, lashing out at Jiang Ye like a venomous snake.

Jiang Ye reacted quickly, dodging the fatal blow with a sidestep, but he was still hit by the aftershock of the energy, and a deep gash was cut on his arm, instantly staining his sleeve with blood.

"Jiang Ye!" Ye Shuli exclaimed and rushed to Jiang Ye's side, checking his injuries with heartache.

Her brows were furrowed, and the worry in her eyes was palpable, as if she were the one who was hurt.

"It's nothing, just a minor injury, nothing serious." Jiang Ye grinned, trying to appear relaxed, but his face was pale from blood loss.

Ye Shuli didn't speak. She took out clean strips of cloth and medicine powder from her storage space and carefully bandaged Jiang Ye's wound.

Her movements were gentle and delicate, as if she were handling a precious work of art.

Jiang Ye felt a warmth in his heart when he saw Ye Shuli's serious expression.

The previously restless psionic energy around them seemed to sense the warmth flowing between the two, softening like a ray of warm sunshine gently caressing them.

After carefully bandaging Jiang Ye's wound, Ye Shuli looked up.

"This is the only way," the artifact spirit said firmly. "Only by finding the source of the dark power can it be completely purified." It paused, then added, "Don't worry, although I am weak, I still have ways to protect myself."

Seeing the artifact spirit's determination, Ye Shuli and Jiang Ye stopped trying to dissuade it.

They knew that time was of the essence and there was no room for hesitation.

"Okay, we support you." Ye Shuli nodded solemnly.

The artifact spirit transformed into a streak of light and plunged headlong into the center of the vortex of dark power.

The surrounding dark forces were like a boiling pot of oil, churning violently as if trying to devour it completely.

Ye Shuli and Jiang Ye's hearts were in their throats as they nervously watched everything unfold before them.

Time passed by minute by minute, and every second seemed as long as a century.

Just when they were about to despair, a dazzling light suddenly burst forth from the center of the vortex of dark power.

The artifact spirit reappeared, looking even weaker, but its eyes were filled with excitement.

"I've found it!" it shouted excitedly. "The source of the dark power is a special energy crystal. As long as we destroy it, we can completely purify the artifact!"

After the artifact spirit transmitted the key information to Ye Shuli, it fell into a deep sleep.

Ye Shuli immediately adjusted the purification spell based on this information, injecting spiritual power into the artifact fragment.

At the same time, the Light Priest arrived in time and joined the team purifying the artifact.

A powerful purifying force surged into the artifact once more, melting away the dark power like ice and snow. The artifact's light grew brighter and brighter, and the surrounding air became fresher.

Ye Shuli felt the pure energy surging within the artifact, and a confident smile appeared on her lips.

She knew that she had overcome another huge obstacle and was one step closer to her ultimate goal.

"It seems some people are starting to get restless..." Jiang Ye suddenly said meaningfully, gazing into the distance.

Upon learning that the dark power had been suppressed, the Dark Demon General's blood pressure soared, and he flew into a rage, like a child whose candy had been stolen.

His already sinister face was now twisted even more, like a flattened eggplant, his eyes bulging like copper bells, as if he wanted to grind Ye Shuli and Jiang Ye to dust!

"Damn it, how dare you ruin my plans! This time, I'll make you pay with your blood!" he roared, leading his men forward like a tidal wave once more.

This attack was even more ferocious than the last. The Dark Demon General was as if he had been injected with chicken blood, his whole body exuding a more intense black aura, and the demonic blade in his hand was even sharper, with each swing accompanied by a heart-palpitating sound of air being torn apart.

His men were like they'd been given a shot of adrenaline, becoming exceptionally ruthless as if they wanted to vent all the pent-up frustration they'd suffered.

Seeing this, Jiang Ye curled his lip and scoffed, "Oh ho, did you take some kind of superpower or get a shot of adrenaline? So fierce? Too bad, you're destined to fail when you meet your master, Ye!" He skillfully dodged the enemy's attacks while cleverly using the surrounding environment to restrain them.

He would hide behind trees for a moment, then leap onto rooftops, like a nimble monkey, keeping the enemy in suspense and occasionally launching a surprise attack.

Ye Shuli was not idle either. Holding the artifact fragment, she silently recited the newly learned spell. Dazzling rays of light burst forth from her hand, piercing towards the enemy like sharp swords.

She moved like an elegant dancer across the battlefield, each strike carrying immense power that terrified her enemies.

Jiang Ye and Ye Shuli worked together seamlessly, one responsible for restraining and the other for attacking, causing the Dark Demon General's subordinates to retreat in defeat.

Jiang Ye's tactics left the Dark Demon General's subordinates completely bewildered. They ran around like headless flies, unable to attack the enemy and constantly bumping into each other. The scene was utterly comical, and the onlookers watched with great interest, praising Jiang Ye's ingenuity and exclaiming "666!"

The Dark Demon General was furious. He hadn't expected these two young people to be so troublesome, like cockroaches that could never be killed!

He launched another attack, unwilling to give up, but each time Ye Shuli and Jiang Ye skillfully thwarted it.

In the end, he had no choice but to retreat again, fleeing in disarray with his remaining troops like stray dogs.

Although much of the dark power has been purified, some remains, like a stubborn tumor that is difficult to eradicate.

The artifact spirit, having consumed too much energy, has fallen into a deep sleep, like a fragile infant, needing to rest.

Ye Shuli frowned as she looked at the fragments of the divine artifact in her hand. She didn't know how to completely eliminate the dark power, and her heart was filled with confusion.

She could sense that an even greater crisis was yet to come, and she had to find a solution as soon as possible.

“Interesting…” Ye Shuli suddenly murmured to herself, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible excitement. She seemed to have realized something, and her eyes became even more determined.