### Exploration and Discoveries in the Ruins
After learning about the Dragon Clan's history and the origin of the Star Eye Power recorded on the Shadow Abyss Gate stele, Fa and her companions decided to search the ruins for any opportunities or treasures that could aid them. They knew well that this ancient Dragon Clan ruin was not only a witness to history but might also hide precious artifacts capable of enhancing their strength. The group spread out, carefully exploring the ruins, attempting to uncover clues from this wasteland fused with magic and technology.
The interior of the ruins was filled with an aura of mystery and solemnity. The walls were embedded with magic crystals emitting a faint blue glow, illuminating the scattered Dragon Clan relics on the ground. Fa led the team deeper into the ruins, her right eye's Star Eye flickering with silver light, sensing the residual magical fluctuations around her. Tisk's gaze was quickly drawn to a pile of shimmering dragon scales. He stepped forward, squatted down to examine them closely, his eyes gleaming with a craftsman's passion.
"These dragon scales are preserved so well!" Tisk exclaimed in awe, his beard trembling slightly with excitement. "This material is incredibly tough and carries natural magical properties. I can use them to reinforce everyone's weapons and equipment, boosting our combat power!" He immediately began collecting the dragon scales, already sketching blueprints for weapon enhancements in his mind.
Meanwhile, Rex's eyes fell on a half-destroyed ancient console. The surface was covered in magical runes, and though severely damaged, it still flickered with faint data streams. He adjusted his goggles, his mechanical eye scanning rapidly as data flashed across the lenses. "This is ancient Dragon Clan technology, far surpassing our current level," Rex said in his usual calm tone. "I'm downloading its data; perhaps I can integrate these technologies into my systems." His fingers danced across a virtual keyboard, while several nano-drones hovered around him, recording every detail.
Salsa's soul form floated in the depths of the ruins, her dark attribute magic allowing her to sense hidden spaces. She stopped in front of a seemingly ordinary wall and said softly, "There's something here." Kayla, hearing this, stepped forward immediately. Her thunder claws swung out, intertwining lightning and frost, as she punched the wall. The wall shattered with a resounding crack, revealing a hidden chamber filled with dragon bones and ancient artifacts emitting faint glows.
"Good eye, Salsa!" Kayla grinned, her leopard tail swishing to show her inner excitement. The group entered the secret room and found the dragon bones equally well-preserved, emanating thick magical energy. Tisk excitedly stroked a dragon bone, murmuring, "These dragon bones can be used to reinforce my Earthshaker Warhammer, even doubling the power of its ice-fire blasts!"
Yuyuer picked up a shattered dragon scale nearby, his eyes flashing with curiosity. "Can these things really make us stronger?" His fish tail lightly tapped the ground, showing both anticipation and nervousness.
Fa nodded, saying gently, "The Dragon Clan's relics contain powerful forces; we must make good use of them." She turned to Rex. "What discoveries have you made from the downloaded technology?"
Rex paused his actions and responded, "This data includes the design principles of Dragon Clan magical devices. I can develop new mechanical weapons and possibly enhance my drone swarm." His tone carried a hint of excitement, clearly eager about these technologies.
After a thorough search, the group collected enough dragon scales and bones, with Tisk responsible for the subsequent reinforcements. Rex successfully downloaded the ancient tech data from the ruins, adding new possibilities for future battles. They decided to leave the ruins and return to the ship, preparing to bring these gains back to the Salto Islands.
### The Closing of the Stone Gate and Departure
As the group exited the ruins and prepared to leave, the Shadow Abyss Gate behind them suddenly emitted a low rumbling sound. The massive stone gate slowly closed, the black mist seeping from the cracks gradually dissipating, restoring the island to its original desolate appearance. The mysterious key in Fa's hand began to tremble at that moment, then turned into a cloud of ashes, scattering with the wind as if fulfilling its mission.
"It seems this key's purpose ends here," Fa said, gazing at the ashes in her hand, her right eye's Star Eye flickering with silver light, her tone carrying a touch of sentiment.
Arya stood beside her and said softly, "At least we've uncovered the secrets of the Shadow Abyss Gate and obtained these treasures." Her hand lightly rested on the Storm Bow, the five-element crystals emitting a faint glow, offering Fa warm support.
Zhamisi nodded, her snake tail swaying gently. "The secrets of this island far exceed our imagination, but now we should head back." Her tone revealed a hint of fatigue, yet also satisfaction.
The group followed the path they came from back to the ship, their steps light and hearts filled with anticipation for the future. However, as they reached the shore and prepared to board, a chilling laughter echoed from all around, shattering the brief tranquility.
### The Avengers' Encirclement
Suddenly, a group of figures emerged from the poisonous mist, surrounding Fa and her companions. Leading them were Biqi and Huanshao, their faces bearing sinister smiles, eyes flashing with vengeful fury. Behind Biqi followed hundreds of fierce reptilian people, each emanating a dangerous aura, armed with various weapons, clearly harboring ill intentions.
Biqi stepped forward, the scales under his robe glistening coldly in the sunlight. He sneered, "Did you think you could easily escape my control? You self-righteous fools ruined my grand plan. Today is your doom!"
Huanshao stood beside him, his figure flickering in and out of visibility, his tone icy. "Your actions on the main island have cost us our face. Now, we've brought the most dangerous forces from the islands. Enjoy it well." His invisibility technique made him hard to pin down, as if he could launch a fatal strike from the shadows at any moment.
Zhamisi's gaze swept over these people, her pupils suddenly contracting in surprise. "These people... I recognize them! These are the death-row inmates sentenced during Biqi's rule! Weren't they executed long ago?"
Biqi, hearing this, let out a piercing laugh, cunning light flashing in his eyes. "Executed? How naive! How could I let such talents die in vain? I used others to substitute for them, letting these death-row inmates serve me in exchange for their freedom. Now, they are my most loyal subordinates and will help me reclaim everything!"
Yuyuer stepped forward, his fish tail slapping the ground in anger. "Biqi, your tyranny has ended! The people of the islands won't tolerate your schemes anymore!"
Biqi snorted coldly, ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. "The people are just ignorant sheep. Once I regain power, they'll obediently submit. You obstacles must die today!"
Fa gripped her short blade tightly, her right eye's Star Eye flickering with silver light. She said calmly, "Biqi, your era is over. We won't let you harm the islands again." Her voice was firm, exuding unquestionable authority.
Murderous intent surged in Biqi's eyes. He waved his hand fiercely and commanded, "Kill them! Leave none alive!" His voice was filled with madness, as if unleashing all his rage.
### The Outbreak of the Great Battle
Upon hearing the command, the group of death-row inmates pounced like beasts toward Fa and her companions, surrounding them tightly. These criminals were all battle-hardened, their eyes gleaming with ferocity, their weapons and magic each unique, plunging the battlefield into instant chaos. A giant man swung a spiked iron club, his steps heavy as mountains; a slender assassin moved like a ghost, his dagger flashing coldly; and a tattooed sorcerer summoned dark purple flames, scorching the ground.
Fa reacted swiftly, her short blade shimmering with earth and water magic lights. Her form was agile as the wind, weaving through the enemies, her right eye's Star Eye emitting silver light, predicting every enemy move. She locked onto a dagger-wielding assassin attempting a lightning-fast sneak attack, but Fa had already foreseen his trajectory. She dodged sideways, her short blade drawing a water-blue arc, water magic forming sharp spikes that instantly pierced the assassin's legs. The assassin struggled in terror, but Fa showed no mercy, earth magic summoning a stone pillar from the ground that slammed him down, blood staining the rubble.
Arya stood at the rear, drawing the Storm Bow, the strings intertwining with five elements in brilliance. She took a deep breath and shot an arrow infused with wind element, the arrowhead splitting in mid-air into a small tornado, sweeping a group of inmates into the air. They screamed in vain attempts to escape. Following up, she shot a light element arrow, its glow bursting like the sun, dispelling Huanshao's invisibility and exposing his figure in the poisonous mist. Arya snorted coldly, her arrows streaking like meteors across the sky, precisely disrupting the enemy formation and forcing the inmates to scatter and hide.
Tisk roared and charged into the enemy horde with his Earthshaker Warhammer. The hammer's surface, embedded with dragon scales, shimmered with ice-blue and crimson lights, each swing releasing ice-fire intertwined blasts. He targeted the giant man, who swung his spiked iron club head-on, but Tisk didn't flinch. The warhammer clashed with the club, producing a deafening metallic boom. Frost spread from the hammerhead, freezing the giant's weapon, followed by a flame explosion that knocked him back several steps. Tisk pressed the advantage, smashing down with his hammer, cracking the ground into fissures, the shockwave flipping several nearby inmates, their wails rising one after another.
Salsa's soul form floated above the battlefield, calmly directing skeleton soldiers and shadow demon wolves to flank the enemies. Her dark wolf knights charged like shadows in the night, sword lights flashing, unstoppable. With a light wave of her hand, dark attribute magic formed a dense black mist enveloping the enemy camp, weakening their vision and strength. An inmate tried to break through but was impaled by a dark wolf knight's sword, blood splattering in the black mist, a horrifying scene.
Rex stood at the rear, his hands rapidly operating control devices, releasing dozens of nano-drones and mechanical insect swarms. The drones hummed low in the air, firing red lasers that precisely struck enemy vitals, scorching their armor and skin. The mechanical insects swarmed like locusts toward the enemies, self-detonating in the crowd and blasting open mists of blood. He calmly analyzed the battlefield and suddenly spotted an inmate attempting a rear sneak attack. He adjusted tactics immediately, a drone diving down and exploding in front of the target, the blast wave hurling him several meters, his screams echoing across the field.
Kayla let out a roar, entering her third-stage transformation into giant leopard form and pouncing on the enemies. Her thunder claws flashed with lightning and frost, each strike carrying destructive power. She targeted a spear-wielding inmate who tried to pierce her abdomen, but Kayla flashed aside agilely, evading the attack, then pounced forward, pinning him down. Lightning surged from her claws, instantly paralyzing him, while frost froze his limbs, leaving him powerless.
Yuyuer raised his staff, water magic condensing into a water curtain that protected his teammates from enemy ranged attacks. He uttered a low chant, summoning a group of ferocious sea serpents that opened their bloody maws, biting at the enemies and dragging them into the water curtain. In a flash of inspiration, he infused the island's poisonous mist into his magic, turning the water curtain dark green and emitting deadly toxins, causing approaching inmates immense pain as they fell one by one.
Zhamisi's snake tail slithered agilely across the battlefield, her water and poison magic intertwining to create a deadly poisonous mist enveloping the enemies. Her gaze turned cold, her snake tail whipping out to wrap around an inmate's ankle, dragging him down, followed by a water whip striking like lightning, hurling him several meters. Her movements were swift as the wind, seamlessly coordinating with Yuyuer, the water curtain and poisonous mist complementing each other, leaving the enemies overwhelmed.
Despite the enemies' superior numbers, Fa and her companions, with their reinforced equipment and unparalleled teamwork, gradually turned the tide. The inmates, though fiercely savage, began to falter under this team's combined assault, their formation collapsing.
### Biqi and Huanshao Join the Fray
As the battle reached a fever pitch, Biqi and Huanshao could no longer hold back and personally joined the fray. Biqi gathered dark green magic in his hands, the air humming low, and with a fierce wave, the ground cracked open, several shadow beasts emerging from the fissures. These shadow beasts resembled nightmares, pitch-black with crimson-glowing eyes, roaring as they pounced on the group. Huanshao stood at the rear, his figure flickering, chuckling lightly as he cast illusions. The battlefield suddenly filled with countless phantoms—some resembling Fa's group, others duplicates of the inmates—making it hard to distinguish real from fake.
Fa, relying on her Star Eye power, saw through Huanshao's tricks. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then snapped them open, her right eye blazing with silver light. She shouted to her teammates, "The phantoms are fake! Focus on attacking Biqi and Huanshao!" Before her words faded, she swung her short blade, earth magic summoning a thick stone wall to block the shadow beasts' pounce. The wall echoed with impact sounds, rubble flying, but she stood firm, her gaze locked on Biqi.
Arya reacted quickly, light magic bursting from her Storm Bow, a blinding light pillar shooting toward the shadow beasts, dispersing them into black mist. She then aimed at Huanshao, a light arrow firing straight out, forcing him to reveal himself. Huanshao's face darkened, attempting to hide again, but Arya's arrows followed like shadows, leaving him nowhere to run.
Tisk and Kayla teamed up against the shadow beasts, warhammer and thunder claws coordinating flawlessly. Tisk smashed his hammer into one shadow beast, the ice-fire blast shattering it into fragments, while Kayla pounced on another, her thunder claws tearing its body apart amid crackling lightning. After clearing the shadow beasts, they turned to surround Biqi. Tisk roared, "Biqi, your end is here!" His warhammer descended with thunderous force, Biqi barely summoning a dark green shield to block, but the shield cracked inch by inch under the immense power.
Salsa and Rex focused on controlling the battlefield, shadow demon wolves and drone swarms constantly harassing the enemies, preventing them from mounting a counterattack. A shadow beast tried to sneak attack Salsa, but her dark wolf knight appeared instantly, cleaving it in two with a sword. Rex controlled drones to fire dense lasers, forcing Huanshao back step by step. He sneered coldly, "Your illusions are mere tricks before my technology!"
Yuyuer and Zhamisi coordinated seamlessly, water magic and poisonous mist intertwining to create a massive water vortex. The vortex spun like a tornado, emitting deadly toxins, sweeping a group of inmates inside. They struggled within, the poison eroding their lungs, their screams growing faint. Yuyuer shouted, "Zhamisi, increase the toxicity!" Zhamisi nodded, her snake tail whipping to inject more poison, making the vortex even more lethal instantly.
### Climax and Conclusion
On the battlefield, the inmates were either defeated or fleeing in panic, leaving Biqi and Huanshao isolated and helpless. Seeing the situation turn dire, madness flashed in Biqi's eyes. He roared, "You think this is over? I'll bury you all here!" He raised his hands high, releasing a dark green energy wave that surged like a tsunami with destructive momentum.
Fa's eyes narrowed, instantly activating her time-stop ability. In an instant, the world seemed to freeze, the energy wave halted in mid-air, even the dust in the air suspended motionless. She calmly traversed the frozen battlefield, her short blade shimmering with light, approaching Biqi. As time resumed, she thrust her blade into Biqi's shield, earth and water magic erupting simultaneously, shattering the shield completely.
Arya seized this rare opportunity, charging her Storm Bow with full five-element power. With a low shout, she shot a five-element arrow that spun in mid-air, gathering wind, fire, water, earth, and light into a brilliant beam. The arrow streaked across the sky, striking Biqi's chest with a deafening explosion. Biqi was blasted several meters away, crashing to the ground, his robe stained with blood. He struggled to rise but was powerless.
Huanshao, seeing this, attempted to use illusions to escape, his figure splitting into several clones scattering in all directions. But Salsa's shadow demon wolves pursued relentlessly, locking onto his true form with keen senses, while Rex's drones fired heat-tracking missiles from above, sealing all his escape routes. Huanshao was finally cornered, kneeling in reluctance.
After the battle, the group used magical chains to bind Biqi and Huanshao securely. Fa looked at them, her right eye's Star Eye flickering with silver light. She said gravely, "Biqi, your tyranny ends here. The future of the islands will be decided by the people themselves." Her voice was firm, carrying unquestionable authority.
Arya stowed her Storm Bow and said softly, "This is just the beginning; we have more challenges ahead." Tisk shouldered his warhammer and nodded, "But as long as we're united, there's nothing we can't overcome."
As the ship sailed away from Shadow Abyss Gate Island, the poisonous mist gradually cleared, sunlight once again bathing the sea. Fa and her companions reflected on this fierce battle, their hearts filled with faith in the future. They knew this victory was just one step in a long journey, but with their mutual trust and strength, they would fear no storms.