I dominated the game from the start with cards.

Chapter 12 A Deep Mist and a Confused Heart

The mutated card vanished without a trace the instant it touched the black dot. The expected explosion or other reaction didn't occur. Ye Ling's heart sank. Had he misjudged the situation?

Dark Soul let out a piercing shriek, as if mocking his overestimation of his abilities.

The surrounding black mist churned even more violently, as if a giant beast had opened its blood-red maw, ready to devour Ye Ling completely. Ye Ling continued to move around the Dark Soul, trying to find that elusive entrance again.

He was like a trapped beast, struggling left and right in the thick darkness, but he could never find a way out.

A seed of doubt quietly sprouted in Ye Ling's heart. Could it be that Elder Ling's information was wrong? Could it be that this so-called entrance did not exist at all?

He gritted his teeth and tried to dispel these negative emotions.

Now is not the time to give up. Shu Yao and Qing Yue are still waiting for him. He must find a breakthrough! Dark Soul seemed to sense Ye Ling's confusion and increased the attack power of the soul illusion.

Countless menacing phantom souls surged out of the black mist like a tidal wave, overwhelming Ye Ling.

These phantoms carried a chilling aura and emitted terrifying shrieks, as if they wanted to tear Ye Ling's soul apart.

"Ye Ling, be careful!" Shu Yao's voice came from afar, tinged with anxiety.

She fought alongside Qingyue, wielding her magical artifacts to create protective barriers against the surging tide of phantom souls.

However, there were simply too many phantoms, and they gradually found it difficult to cope.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Qingyue's forehead, and the sword in her hand began to feel heavy.

Ye Ling attempted to retaliate with cards, throwing out several attack cards in succession. However, the power of these cards was greatly reduced in the face of the soul phantoms. They only managed to dispel a few phantoms before disappearing without a trace, like a mud ox sinking into the sea.

He was extremely anxious; if things continued like this, they would eventually be overwhelmed by these phantom souls.

He had to find a way to break the deadlock! Ye Ling tried again to find an entrance, staring intently at every movement and detail of the Dark Soul, trying to find a flaw.

"Ye Ling, over here!" Qingyue suddenly called out. Ye Ling looked in the direction of the voice and saw Qingyue pointing to the abdomen of the Dark Soul, where there seemed to be a spot where the black mist was slightly thinner. Could it be... that's the entrance?

Ye Ling was overjoyed and was about to rush over when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back. He turned around abruptly and saw a phantom of a soul that had somehow circled behind him, its sharp claws piercing deep into his back.

He groaned, staggered a few steps, and nearly fell to the ground. Before he could react, even more phantom souls swarmed in, surrounding him completely…

"Ye Ling!" Shu Yao exclaimed, trying to rush over to help, but was blocked by even more phantoms.

She watched helplessly as Ye Ling was engulfed by the phantoms. Qingyue's face was pale, and she gripped her sword even tighter.

She took a deep breath, preparing to rush forward again, but suddenly felt a cold aura penetrate her body... She slowly lowered her head, looking at the black marks that were gradually spreading on her chest... Qingyue felt a cold, yin energy penetrate her body, as if her soul had been frozen.

She groaned in pain as the sword slipped from her hand, the sharp clang of it piercing the chaos. She collapsed to the ground, curled up in a ball, trembling, the black mark on her chest spreading rapidly like venom.

"Qingyue!" Ye Ling's eyes were bloodshot as he struggled to break free from the illusion of souls and save Qingyue.

But with each step he took forward, he was attacked by more phantoms, their sharp claws leaving wounds all over his body. He watched helplessly as Qingyue struggled in agony on the ground, his heart aching as if being torn apart.

Shu Yao was also extremely anxious, but she was also trapped by the illusions and could only keep waving her magical artifacts to barely resist the tidal wave of attacks. She looked at Qingyue through teary eyes, her heart filled with a sense of helplessness.

Qingyue's breathing grew weaker and weaker, her face grew paler and paler, and black marks had spread to her neck. She reached out with difficulty, trying to grasp something, but ultimately her hand fell limply to her side.

"No...no..." Ye Ling screamed desperately, his eyes bloodshot. He frantically waved the cards in his hand, but it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot; he couldn't stop these ubiquitous phantom souls at all.

Just when he was about to give up hope, he suddenly felt a strange power surging out of his body.

He looked down and found that the ordinary cards on his body had begun to combine automatically, emitting a faint golden light.

These cards, as if manipulated by an invisible hand, were rapidly arranged into a complex array pattern.

The moment the formation was completed, a dazzling light burst forth from the center of the formation, like a golden barrier that forced back all the surrounding phantom souls.

This sudden turn of events stunned Ye Ling; he had never seen anything like it before.

The light dispelled the surrounding darkness and temporarily blocked the attack of the soul phantom, giving Ye Ling a chance to catch his breath.

He staggered to Qingyue's side and helped her up.

Qingyue's breath was faint, but she was still breathing. Ye Ling gently held Qingyue in his arms, his gaze complex as he looked at the card array in his hand that was still emitting light.

What exactly is this power? Why do these ordinary cards automatically combine into an array?

He was filled with doubts, but now was clearly not the time to ponder these questions.

Upon seeing Ye Ling's new technique, Dark Soul let out a sharp screech, and the churning black mist suddenly stopped surging, as if it were brewing something.

"You think this will stop me? Foolish human!" Dark Soul's voice was icy cold, tinged with sarcasm.

Ye Ling raised his head, his gaze fixed firmly on An Hun, and said in a deep voice, "I will not let you hurt them!"

Dark Soul remained silent. Suddenly, countless enormous spikes emerged from the black mist, like black lightning, shooting towards Ye Ling and the others… Elder Ling's voice suddenly rang in Ye Ling's ears: “Child, concentrate your mind and feel the power of the cards…” Dark Soul's sharp shriek echoed in the air. The churning black mist, as if controlled by an invisible hand, abruptly stopped its surging and condensed into enormous black spikes, like arrows from hell, shooting towards Ye Ling and the others with a piercing whistling sound.

Ye Ling felt a chill run down his spine. Although the light of the card array had temporarily forced back the soul illusion, the attack of these spikes was more direct and fierce, and he dared not take it head-on.

He scooped Qingyue up in his arms, his feet moving nimbly as he weaved through the gaps in the spikes, dodging the attacks.

Shu Yao also realized what was happening. The magical artifact in her hand emitted a soft light, forming a protective barrier to block some of the stray spikes.

She came to Qingyue's side, helped the unconscious Qingyue up, her eyes filled with worry.

She watched Ye Ling struggling to dodge the spiky rain, and her heart clenched.

"Ye Ling, we can't go on like this. I don't want to lose you."

Her voice trembled with a sob, and her eyes were filled with deep affection. Hearing Shu Yao's voice, Ye Ling felt a warmth in his heart, but also a heavier weight settled over him.

He knew that Shu Yao had gotten involved in this danger because of him.

He recalled the leisurely times he and Shu Yao had spent in the small town, when there were no so many dangers and no such terrifying supernatural beings.

They strolled together through the streets of the town, fished together by the river, and chatted together under the starry night sky... How peaceful and beautiful those times were.

A wave of guilt washed over him; he felt he shouldn't have dragged Shu Yao into this danger.

He gritted his teeth, his eyes hardening. He was determined to protect Shu Yao, Qing Yue, and everyone he cared about.

While dodging the spiked attacks, Ye Ling did not give up searching for the soul entrance to the Dark Soul.

He knew that only by finding the entrance to the soul could he completely defeat the Dark Soul.

His eyes searched the churning black fog, trying to find a clue.

Suddenly, he noticed a faint flash of light on Dark Soul's chest, appearing and disappearing intermittently, like breathing.

A thought struck him: Could this be the entrance to the Dark Soul's soul? He tried to approach the glittering spot, but the Dark Soul seemed to sense his intention, and its spiked attacks intensified, almost blocking all his paths.

He tried to break through several times, but was forced back by the dense spikes.

"Elder Ling, is this flash of light a weakness of the Dark Soul?" Ye Ling murmured to himself.

The old man's voice rang in his ears: "Perhaps it is, or perhaps it isn't."

"Dark Soul is extremely cunning; we must not let our guard down." Ye Ling took a deep breath. He knew this was both an opportunity and a huge challenge.

He must seize this opportunity, or they will all be doomed.

He stared intently at the flashing light, the card in his hand beginning to glow... "Cover me!"

He shouted to Shu Yao, his eyes filled with determination. "Cover me!" Ye Ling's voice sounded particularly firm amidst the whistling black spikes and howling wind.

Without the slightest hesitation, Shu Yao's magical artifact shone brightly, and a golden barrier unfolded in front of her and Qing Yue, blocking all the incoming spikes.

Ripples spread across the barrier, a testament to the ferocity of the attack. Taking advantage of the brief opening created by Shu Yao, Ye Ling moved with lightning speed, weaving through the dense black spikes.

His mind kept flashing back to the moments he shared with Shu Yao in the small town: the leisurely strolls under the setting sun, the tranquility of fishing by the river, the romance of whispering under the starry sky... those scenes that were once so ordinary now seemed incredibly precious.

A strong sense of guilt welled up in his heart. He bit his lower lip and silently vowed: I will definitely take you away from here safely and back to the life we ​​used to live.

The Dark Soul's spiked attacks grew increasingly frenzied, as if sensing Ye Ling's determination to completely devour him.

Ye Ling's clothes were torn by the sharp spikes, and blood seeped out, but he seemed unaware, his gaze fixed on the flickering spot on Dark Soul's chest.

That glimmer of light represented both hope and unknown danger. The old man's voice echoed in his mind again: "Boy, be careful. That glimmer of light is too deliberate; it might be a trap." A trap?

Ye Ling felt a chill run down his spine.

He had already experienced Dark Soul's cunning firsthand; the timing and location of this flash of light were too coincidental, and it was indeed possible that it was bait. But he had no choice but to take the plunge.

He took a deep breath, and the "Swift Wind Talisman" card in his hand flashed, its speed suddenly increasing, turning into a blur as it headed straight for Dark Soul's chest.

Black spikes rained down on him, and he dodged left and right, narrowly avoiding one deadly attack after another.

Closer! The flash point was right in front of him, and Ye Ling could even feel the faint energy fluctuations emanating from it.

The "Golden Shield" card in his hand lit up, and a golden shield instantly appeared in front of him, blocking the last few incoming spikes.

Just as he was about to touch the flashing light, Dark Soul suddenly let out a sharp screech, and the flashing light on its chest vanished abruptly, replaced by a gigantic black ghost face that opened its blood-red maw and lunged to devour Ye Ling. Ye Ling was terrified and tried to retreat, but it was too late.

He watched helplessly as the ghostly face drew closer and closer... "Oh no!" Elder Ling's voice was filled with anxiety.

Ye Ling suddenly threw out the "Mystic Ice Talisman" card in his hand...