As they ran out of the castle into the outside world, a loud noise came from behind them. They turned to look back and saw the castle burst out with a loud noise, then transformed into a cloud of smoke, disappearing into the air. The smoke lingered in the air, refusing to dissipate, like the castle's final sigh.

The three of them stood in place, looking in the direction of the castle's disappearance, with mixed feelings in their hearts. Shen Jingqi's eyes revealed a trace of loss and reflection: "We completed the mission but also lost this mysterious castle."

Xu An patted his shoulder, saying, "But we saved a kingdom."

Lin Yu also nodded, saying, "That's right."

However, just as they were immersed in their reflections, suddenly, the sky was filled with dark clouds, lightning, and thunder. A huge bolt of lightning tore across the sky, illuminating the entire land. Immediately after, a powerful aura came from afar, as if something terrifying was approaching.

"What is this?" Lin Yu asked.

Shen Jingqi and Xu An also looked around cautiously, their eyes full of tension and confusion. At that moment, a giant shadow emerged from the dark clouds, that shadow as huge as a mountain, emanating a suffocating sense of oppression.

"Could it be... another new danger?" Shen Jingqi muttered to himself, clenching his fists tightly, preparing to face the coming challenge.

The shadow grew closer and closer, finally, they could see it clearly. It turned out to be a giant Black Dragon, its body as hard as steel, with scales shimmering with a cold light. Its eyes were like burning flames, exuding a fierce and cruel glow.

"Did you think that breaking the curse and saving the kingdom would be the end?" The Black Dragon let out a roar, its voice like the crashing of Thunder, shaking the earth. "The disappearance of the castle was just a part of my plan. Now, I will plunge this kingdom into darkness and fear once again!"

The three were shocked, they did not expect that breaking the curse would bring about an even greater disaster. Shen Jingqi took a deep breath and said firmly, "We won't let you succeed! No matter how powerful you are, we will fight to the end!"

The Black Dragon let out a mocking laugh: "Just the three of you? Simply overestimating your abilities!" As it spoke, it opened its bloody mouth and spewed a stream of intense flames, lunging towards them.

Shen Jingqi, Xu An, and Lin Yu quickly dispersed, dodging the flame attack. The flames burned on the ground, forming a sea of fire, igniting the surrounding trees and grassland. The fire grew more intense, as if to engulf the entire world.

"We need to find a way to deal with it quickly!" Shen Jingqi shouted loudly, a hint of urgency in his eyes.

Xu An looked around, searching for something they could use. Suddenly, he saw a small stream nearby, the water crystal clear. "We can use the water to deal with the flames!" he shouted excitedly.

The three quickly ran to the stream, scooping up water with their hands and throwing it onto the flames. The water sizzled on the flames, gradually extinguishing them. However, the Black Dragon did not give them a chance to breathe, it waved its giant wings, creating a gust of wind that blew them off balance.

Seizing the gap as the Black Dragon spewed flames again, Shen Jingqi, Xu An, and Lin Yu rushed toward it. Shen Jingqi wielded a dagger, while Xu An picked up a large stone and hurled it at the Black Dragon.

The Black Dragon sensed their attack, it swiftly closed its eyes, at the same time swinging its tail towards them. The tail was like a giant whip, with immense power, knocking them flying.

The three fell to the ground, struggling to stand up, and charged at the Black Dragon once more. This time, they were more cautious, looking for the best moment to attack.

Just as the Black Dragon opened its mouth again to spray flames, Shen Jingqi suddenly felt the surge of a mysterious power within him. He concentrated, utilizing this power, and shot a golden beam of light towards the Black Dragon's eyes. The light, like lightning, instantly penetrated the Black Dragon.

The Black Dragon let out a roar of pain, thrashing its wings and tail in madness, rolling on the ground. Shen Jingqi, Xu An, and Lin Yu took the opportunity to launch another attack, putting all their strength into stabbing at the Black Dragon's wound.

Finally, the Black Dragon fell to the ground, no longer moving. Its body gradually turned into a mass of black smoke, disappearing into the air. The three collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, their faces showing tired yet relieved smiles.

"We... did it..." Shen Jingqi said weakly.

The three stood up, supporting each other, and walked into the distance.

However, shortly after they left, on the land once ravaged by the Black Dragon, which seemed calm, a strange black mist suddenly rose. The black mist writhed, gathering slowly, gradually forming a blurred humanoid silhouette.

"Hmph, you think it's that easy to believe the Black Dragon was destroyed, the crisis averted?" A hoarse and eerie voice came from the black mist, as if it were a whisper from Hell, "This is just the beginning..."

Shen Jingqi, Xu An, and Lin Yu, dragging their exhausted bodies, trudged forward. The sky gradually darkened, the chill of the night creeping in, making them shiver.

"We must find a place to rest, everyone's strength is overextended," Lin Yu said weakly, his steps faltering as if each step required all his strength.

Shen Jingqi looked around, pointing at a small hill ahead, saying, "Over there seems more secluded, let's check if there's a suitable place to spend the night."

The three climbed the hill with difficulty, finding a small cave on the back side. The entrance was obscured by some vines, hard to notice without careful observation.

"We'll rest here, let's go inside," Shen Jingqi said, leading the way by pushing aside the vines and entering the cave.

The cave was filled with a scent, the ground somewhat uneven. They found some dry stones in a corner of the cave and sat down.

"I really hope all this is over, and we can get a good night's sleep," Xu An murmured to himself, leaning against the cave wall with his eyes closed.

Shen Jingqi, however, was not as relaxed as them, his brow still furrowed, a vague sense of unease in his heart. "I always feel things aren't that simple, the Black Dragon appeared too suddenly, and its power seemed strange..." he said softly, his eyes showing a hint of worry.

Lin Yu opened his eyes, looking at Shen Jingqi, and asked, "Are you saying there might be a bigger conspiracy behind this?"

Shen Jingqi nodded: "Very likely. We unraveled the castle's curse, saved the kingdom, it should be peaceful, yet the Black Dragon suddenly appeared and said the disappearance of the castle was only part of its plan. There must be some secret behind it that we don't know about."

As they talked, a strange sound suddenly came from outside the cave, like someone whispering, or some kind of beast growling. Their nerves immediately tensed, Shen Jingqi stood up cautiously, walked to the entrance, and peeked outside through the gaps in the vines.

"What do you see?" Xu An asked softly, a hint of tension in his voice.

Shen Jingqi shook his head, lowering his voice, saying, "I see nothing, but the sound is getting closer."

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, making the vines rustle. Immediately, a swarm of shadows flew past before the cave, so fast it was dizzying.

"Bats! A huge swarm of bats!" Lin Yu shouted in terror, involuntarily shrinking back.

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