Shen Jingqi's heart tightened. He sensed that these bats were somewhat different from those he had encountered earlier in the castle. Their eyes glowed with an eerie blue light, as if controlled by some evil power.

"Everyone, be careful, these bats could be dangerous!" Shen Jingqi shouted, drawing the dagger from his waist and preparing for defense.

The swarm of bats circled overhead a few times before suddenly rushing toward the cave entrance. They surged into the cave like a black tide.

"Ah!" Lin Yu screamed in fright, swinging a branch in his hand to try and ward off the approaching bats.

Xu An picked up a stone and hurled it at the bats. Shen Jingqi swung his dagger, slashing left and right, each swing knocking down several bats. But there were too many bats; they were gradually becoming overwhelmed.

"This is not a good situation; we need to find a way to break through!" Shen Jingqi shouted. Beads of sweat covered his forehead, and his breathing became rapid.

At that moment, he suddenly remembered the mysterious power he had felt during the confrontation with the Black Dragon. He closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to summon that power again. Gradually, he felt a warm flow within him, as if an invisible force was supporting him.

He opened his eyes, which were now glowing with a golden light. He shouted fiercely, waving his dagger while releasing that mysterious power. A golden light emanated from him, illuminating the entire cave. The bats, frightened by the light, fled in all directions, disappearing in no time.

"Did you... use that power again?" Lin Yu asked in astonishment, his eyes full of admiration and confusion.

Shen Jingqi nodded: "I don't know why, but every time I encounter danger, this power appears automatically."

Xu An frowned and said, "This power is strong, but it's also mysterious. We don't know its origin or if using it has any side effects. We should be careful in the future."

Shen Jingqi nodded: "You're right, but the situation is urgent now, and we have no other options."

After the bat attack, the three of them were exhausted. They tended to their wounds briefly and leaned against the cave wall to rest for a while. However, their hearts were filled with confusion and unease. The mysterious black smoke, the sudden appearance of the Black Dragon, and this group of eerie bats were like puzzles, troubling them.

"Who do you think is behind all of this?" Lin Yu broke the silence and asked softly.

Shen Jingqi shook his head: "I don't know, but it's certainly someone very powerful. We broke the curse of the castle, which may have threatened their interests, so they sent the Black Dragon and bats to deal with us."

Xu An pondered for a moment and said, "We can't just sit here and take hits. We must take the offensive and find out the truth."

Shen Jingqi nodded: "You're right, but we know nothing about the enemy. How do we take the offensive?"

At that moment, footsteps suddenly sounded from outside the cave. The three of them tensed up immediately, gripping their weapons tightly and watching the cave entrance vigilantly.

The footsteps drew nearer, and soon a figure appeared at the entrance. It was a person clad in black robes, their face obscured by a hood, making it impossible to see their features.

"So, you are here," the black-robed figure let out a hoarse laugh, a sound that sent chills down their spines.

"Who are you? How did you find this place?" Shen Jingqi asked loudly, his eyes full of vigilance and anger.

The black-robed figure slowly walked into the cave, each step carrying an invisible pressure. "Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is, you've disrupted my plan, and you must pay the price."

"Your plan? What are you plotting?" Xu An questioned, his voice trembling slightly but still firm.

The black-robed figure sneered: "You'll find out soon. However, I'll give you a chance. As long as you hand over the mysterious power you obtained in the castle, I can spare your lives."

"Mysterious power?" The three glanced at each other, their hearts filled with doubt. They didn't know if the black-robed figure was referring to the unknown power within Shen Jingqi.

"We don't know what you're talking about. We haven't obtained any mysterious power," Shen Jingqi said, his eyes revealing a hint of determination.

The black-robed figure shook his head: "Stop playing dumb. I can sense the presence of that power. It originally belonged to me, and you must return it."

"Even if we did have that power, we wouldn't give it to someone as evil as you!" Lin Yu shouted, his eyes full of anger and disdain.

The black-robed figure let out an angry roar: "If you choose the hard way, don't blame me for being rude!" With that, he waved his hands, and a black smoke surged from his hands, rushing toward the three of them.

Shen Jingqi, Xu An, and Lin Yu quickly scattered to evade the black smoke's attack. Wherever the smoke touched, the ground corroded into pits, emitting an acrid odor.

"The smoke is poisonous; be careful!" Shen Jingqi shouted, his eyes revealing a hint of urgency.

The black-robed figure continued waving his hands, producing more and more black smoke until the entire cave was shrouded. The three struggled to dodge in the smoke, their vision severely obstructed.

"This is not going to work; we need to break through the smoke and attack him!" Xu An shouted, his voice sounding somewhat muffled in the smoke.

Shen Jingqi nodded, closing his eyes and concentrating to once again summon the mysterious power within him. A golden light emitted from him, piercing through the black smoke. He opened his eyes and charged toward the black-robed figure.

The black-robed figure, surprised by the golden light, quickly regained his composure. Clasping his hands, a black barrier appeared in front of him, blocking Shen Jingqi's attack.

Shen Jingqi's dagger struck the black barrier with a loud "clang," sparks flying everywhere. He felt a numbing sensation in his arm but didn't give up, continuing to chop with force.

Seizing this opportunity, Xu An and Lin Yu charged at the black-robed figure from both sides. Xu An picked up a large stone and hurled it at the black-robed figure; Lin Yu swung the branch in his hand, trying to distract the black-robed figure's attention.

The black-robed figure sneered, lightly flicking his sleeve, sending a powerful force that knocked Xu An and Lin Yu away. They fell to the ground, coughing up blood, momentarily unable to stand.

Seeing his companions injured, Shen Jingqi was filled with rage. Shouting, he concentrated all his power into the dagger, striking the black barrier fiercely. Finally, the black barrier revealed a fissure, which grew larger and eventually shattered.

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