The genius who counterattacked the mainland

Chapter 104

The aura of darkness surged like a surging tide, assaulting Xu Tiancai and his teammates in wave after wave. The black-robed figures' attacks grew increasingly ferocious. Those cosmic creatures controlled by the dark forces were like tireless war machines, each attack carrying the power of destruction. Xu Tiancai gripped the Key of the Galaxy tightly, feeling the warm power emanating from it. This was their only ray of hope.

"Everyone, form a circle and look out for each other!" Xu Tiancai shouted, his voice clearly audible amid the clamor of intense battle. His teammates quickly gathered, back-to-back, forming a defensive formation. Each unleashed their skills to resist the enemy's overwhelming attack. Rays of light flickered around them, stellar and elemental forces intertwined to form a multicolored shield. But the attacks of the black-robed men and cosmic creatures constantly assaulted this defensive line, and the light on the shield flickered like a candle in the wind.

Lin's hands condensed into icy spikes, which shot like sharp arrows at the approaching enemies. As they flew, the spikes grew larger and stronger, each one imbued with a chilling force powerful enough to freeze the stars. Upon striking the cosmic creatures, they left a thick layer of frost on their surfaces, temporarily slowing their movement. However, with a wave of the dark wand in the black-robed figure's hand, the frost quickly melted, and the cosmic creatures regained their ability to move.

Elsewhere, his powerful teammate, A-Gang, wielded his massive axe, its tip gleaming with the force of lightning. Each swing unleashed a gust of wind, sending lightning careening down the axe blade toward the enemy. When the axelight collided with the cosmic creatures, a deafening roar erupted. The powerful impact sent some smaller creatures flying, but the larger ones merely retreated slightly before continuing their charge.

Xu Tiancai took a deep breath and channeled even more stellar power and the power of the universe into the Galaxy Key. The Galaxy Key's light grew ever brighter, like a newborn sun. He swung the Galaxy Key, and a brilliant arc of light swept toward the black-robed figure. Seeing this, the black-robed figure quickly joined forces to cast a dark shield. The arc of light struck the shield, emitting a blinding burst of light, punctuated by the faint roar of an energy explosion.

"Hmph, you think you can defeat us with this? How naive!" The black-robed leader sneered, the dark crystal ball in his hand once again flickering with an eerie light. Although its suction power was temporarily suppressed by the Galaxy Key, it seemed to possess other abilities. Streams of black smoke gushed from the crystal ball, spreading rapidly, corroding everything in its path, even the temple stone slabs on the ground were eroded into large pits.

"Hold your breath! Don't let the smoke get any closer!" Xu Tiancai warned. His teammates unleashed their skills, attempting to disperse the smoke. Lin conjured an ice storm, sending a chilly current toward the smoke. The cold condensed the smoke slightly, but it quickly spread again. Agang used his giant axe to create a powerful airflow, attempting to dispel the smoke, but it seemed to possess a life force, constantly dodging the impact of the current.

Just as they were in trouble, a strange light suddenly appeared in the sky. It was a rainbow of colors, like a brilliant ribbon streaking across the dark sky. A gigantic figure loomed faintly within the light, gradually becoming clearer. It was a giant phoenix. Its entire body was ablaze with rainbow-colored flames, and each of its feathers seemed composed of the purest energy, emitting a sacred and powerful aura.

The phoenix let out a resounding cry, a voice like a mighty bell, echoing throughout the temple of the Eye of the Galaxy. This cry seemed to possess a mysterious power. Upon hearing it, the cosmic creatures controlled by the forces of darkness noticeably slowed their movements, and the dark light in their eyes flickered. The black-robed figures' expressions changed drastically, sensing the overwhelming pressure emanating from the phoenix.

"What kind of monster is this? How did it suddenly appear here?" the black-robed leader exclaimed.

The phoenix ignored the black-robed man's cries of alarm. It flapped its massive wings, raining down multicolored flames upon the enemy. The flames landed on the cosmic creatures, instantly igniting them. They roared in agony and struggled within the flames. The black-robed man attempted to resist the flames with dark power, but the multicolored flames were too powerful, and their dark shields quickly crumbled under the blaze.

"Now's the chance! Counterattack!" Xu Tiancai seized the opportunity and led his teammates in an attack. They charged at the enemy like arrows, their various abilities exploding among the foes. Xu Tiancai swung the Galaxy Key once more, and a massive lightsaber blasted out from it, slashing directly at the black-robed leader. Terrified, the black-robed leader quickly used Dark Teleport to narrowly avoid the fatal blow.

With the help of the Phoenix, Xu Tiancai and his men gradually gained the upper hand. But the black-robed men didn't give up. A flicker of determination flashed in the leader's eyes as he produced a black horn. The horn was engraved with mysterious runes, which shimmered with an eerie black light. He placed the horn to his lips and blew it with all his might.

As the horn sounded, an even more powerful dark force surged from the ground. The ground began to tremble violently, and huge cracks appeared. From these cracks, giant dark beetles crawled out. These beetles had shells as hard as steel and covered with spikes. Their eyes flashed blood-red, emitting a thick aura of death.

As soon as the dark beetles appeared, they rushed towards Xu Tiancai and his men. They were extremely fast, like black lightning. Seeing this, the Phoenix spewed a huge column of flame from its mouth, sweeping towards the beetles, but the beetles used their hard shells to resist the flames and continued to charge.

"These guys are tough!" Xu Tiancai frowned. He channeled star power into his feet and, like a phantom, charged towards the beetle swarm. He wielded the Key of the Galaxy, weaving through the swarm, sending one flying with each swing. But the beetles were too numerous, and he gradually began to feel overwhelmed.

Lin and Agang also joined the battle. Lin created ice walls to try to stop the beetles, but the beetles easily tore through the ice walls with their sharp claws. Agang fought the beetles in close combat, and each swing of his giant axe could cut a beetle in half, but more beetles came from all directions.

At this moment, the phoenix once again displayed its miraculous power. Its body suddenly expanded, and with a flap of its enormous wings, a powerful storm of energy swept out. This storm, brimming with multicolored flames and divine power, swept the beetle swarm directly into it. Under the raging storm, the beetles' shells began to crack, their bodies burned by the flames, and they fell to the ground one by one.

The black-robed men watched the beetle swarm being easily dismantled by the phoenix, their hearts filled with anger and fear. The black-robed leader gritted his teeth, placed the dark crystal ball and the black horn together, and muttered something. The dark crystal ball and the black horn began to fuse, and the resulting object emanated an extremely terrifying dark force that seemed to be able to engulf the entire universe.

"Oh no! They're going all out!" Xu Tiancai sensed the threat and hurried back to his teammates. Phoenix also flew back over them, ready to face the imminent powerful attack.

The fused dark object released a massive beam of darkness, shooting towards Xu Tiancai and his companions. Wherever the beam passed, space distorted, and everything was swallowed by darkness. Xu Tiancai raised the Galaxy Key and, along with his teammates, poured their power into it. The Galaxy Key emitted a countervailing light. The phoenix also released a multicolored flame, merging with the Galaxy Key's light.

Light and beams collided, emitting a deafening roar. The entire Galaxy Eye Temple trembled, as if it would collapse at any moment. The shockwaves generated by the energy collision spread outward, razing everything around them to the ground. Xu Tiancai and his companions felt a tremendous pressure, as if a mountain were bearing down on them.

At this crucial moment, the phoenix's light suddenly intensified. It let out a high-pitched cry, and then its entire body transformed into a rainbow of light, merging into the Galaxy Key. Enriched by the phoenix's power, the Galaxy Key's light grew even stronger, instantly repelling the dark beam. The black-robed figure was flung back by the beam's recoil, blood gushing from his mouth.

"Damn it! Let's go!" the black-robed leader roared unwillingly. The black-robed man fled the battlefield in a panic, leading the remaining cosmic creatures and dark beetles.

Xu Tiancai and the others breathed a sigh of relief, but they knew the black-robed man wouldn't give up. Furthermore, they didn't know why this suddenly appearing phoenix wanted to help them, or what changes would occur after the phoenix merged with the Galaxy Key.

"Everyone, take a break and recover your strength," Xu Tiancai said. His teammates sat down and began to heal their wounds and regain their energy. Xu Tiancai stared at the Galaxy Key in his hand, lost in thought. This key now held even greater power, but it also seemed to conceal even more secrets.

During their rest, they discovered that the temple had sustained significant damage in the recent battle. The original passageways were largely buried, and the mysterious light on the walls had dimmed. But in the center of the temple, a new teleportation array had appeared. Ancient runes were engraved on it, and they shimmered faintly, as if waiting to be activated.

"Where does this teleportation array lead to?" Lin asked curiously.

"I don't know, but we don't have any other clues now. Maybe through this teleportation array we can find some methods on how to completely seal the dark power." Xu Tiancai said.

After some discussion, they decided to activate the teleportation array. Xu Tiancai infused the array's runes with the power of the stars, and his teammates transferred their own power. As the power was infused, the array's light grew brighter and brighter, eventually forming a massive pillar of light. Xu Tiancai took a deep breath and led his teammates into the pillar of light.

After they passed through the pillar of light, they found themselves in a completely new world. This world was desolate, the sky was blood-red, and the ground was covered with black rocks and huge cracks. The air was filled with a pungent smell, as if it was the breath of death and destruction.

"What is this place?" A Gang asked with a frown.

"I don't know, but the dark forces here seem even stronger than before." Xu Tiancai observed his surroundings warily. Suddenly, he spotted a massive black castle in the distance. A black mist surrounded the castle, and a faint figure swayed within it.

"Looks like that's where we're going," Xu Tiancai said. They cautiously made their way toward the castle, encountering various dangers along the way. Black rocks would suddenly extend tentacles to attack them, and black flames would erupt from cracks in the ground. But with their immense strength and mutual cooperation, they managed to overcome each danger.

When they approached the castle, they found that the gate was closed, with a huge pattern carved on the door. The pattern depicted the birth and destruction of the universe, and a dark figure seemed to be controlling everything.

"What does this pattern mean? Could it be related to the source of dark power?" Lin guessed.

Xu Tiancai carefully observed the pattern and discovered that there were subtle areas within it that seemed to be clickable. He tried pressing one of these points, and suddenly, the pattern on the door began to flicker, revealing a puzzle. Written in ancient script, the puzzle dealt with the balance of the universe and the relationship between darkness and light.

"Is this a test for us?" Xu Tiancai pondered the puzzle. He began to recall the various murals and clues he had seen in the Temple of the Eye of the Galaxy, trying to find the answer. His teammates also gathered around to ponder the puzzle together.

After much effort, they finally solved the puzzle. As the puzzle unfolded, the castle's gates slowly swung open. A dark force even more powerful than before loomed, but at the same time, they sensed a faint glimmer of hope flickering deep within the castle. They had no idea what awaited them, but for the fate of the universe, they bravely entered the castle without hesitation.

The passages within the castle were dark and damp, with strange portraits hanging on the walls. The figures in the portraits had ferocious expressions, as if they were enduring great pain. As they moved along the passages, black ghosts would occasionally emerge from the walls and attack them. These ghosts were invisible and intangible, making ordinary attacks ineffective against them.

"Attack with soul power!" Xu Tiancai shouted. He unleashed the power of his Star Soul, and a golden soul light shot out from his forehead. It struck the ghost, who screamed and vanished. His teammates also unleashed their own soul abilities, repelling the ghosts one by one.

As they continued forward, they came to a vast hall. In the center of the hall stood a stone platform, upon which sat a box emitting a dark glow. Surrounding the box were chains of energy, inscribed with runes that shone with a power that kept anyone from approaching.

"What's in this box?" Agang asked curiously.

"I don't know, but it's definitely related to the forces of darkness. We have to be careful," Xu Tiancai said. They slowly approached the stone platform. When they were close enough, the energy chains suddenly launched an attack. The chains flew towards them like spirit snakes, each chain imbued with immense power.

Xu Tiancai wielded the Key of the Galaxy, and a beam of light slashed at the chains. The light collided with the chains, sending sparks flying. But the chains didn't break. Instead, more and more chains surged toward them. Lin created ice shields, trying to block the chains, but they shattered quickly under the onslaught.

"Let's attack the source of the chains together!" Xu Tiancai shouted. They attacked the source of the energy chains, the four corners of the stone platform. Various skills exploded on the stone platform, and after a fierce battle, they finally destroyed the energy chains.

Xu Tiancai cautiously approached the stone platform. As he picked up the box, it suddenly opened, and a dark light shot towards him. Xu Tiancai quickly used the Galaxy Key to block the light. When the light came into contact with the Galaxy Key, Xu Tiancai saw a picture. The picture showed that the source of the dark power was a demon sealed deep in the universe, and the box contained one of the key items to unlock the demon's seal.

"So that's how it is. The men in black robes have been looking for these things and want to release the demons. We can't let them succeed." Xu Tiancai said.

Just then, a commotion erupted outside the castle. They walked out of the hall and discovered the black-robed leader, accompanied by more helpers, had caught up with them again. When the black-robed leader saw the box in Xu Tiancai's hand, a frenzied look appeared in his eyes.

"Hand over the box, or you will all die!" roared the black-robed leader.

Xu Tiancai held the box tightly and stood with his teammates. A new battle was about to break out in front of this dark castle. This time, they not only had to face the black-robed men, but also had to protect the box and prevent the demon from being released. The fate of the universe once again hung in the balance...