On the battlefield outside the Lingxu Market, the situation grew increasingly tense. The "Thousandfold Sword Shadow Kill" unleashed by the Lingjian Sect sword cultivators was incredibly powerful. Countless sword energies swept across the battlefield like locusts, engulfing the mysterious experts who were blocking their way. The sword energies crisscrossed, weaving an impenetrable net of death in the air, hissing as they cut through the air.

The mysterious experts' expressions changed drastically. They knew the power of this attack and dared not be careless in the slightest. They quickly formed a defensive formation, each unleashing their signature skills. Some experts condensed their spiritual energy, forming a sturdy spiritual shield, like a transparent suit of armor, attempting to withstand the impact of the sword energy; others manipulated magical artifacts, releasing various defensive spells. For a moment, light shone brightly, and defensive light curtains of various colors intertwined.

The sword energy of "Thousandfold Sword Shadow Kill" slammed into the defenses of the mysterious masters, unleashing a series of deafening roars. The powerful impact caused the ground to tremble violently, as if an earthquake had occurred, tearing deep trenches into the surrounding land. The defensive light barrier flickered violently under the impact of the sword energy, its light dimming and fading like a candle in the wind, teetering on the verge of shattering.

In the fierce collision, cracks appeared in the spiritual energy shields of some of the mysterious masters. The cracks then spread rapidly, finally shattering with a loud "bang." These masters were struck by the aftershocks of the sword energy, their bodies flying backward like kites with broken strings, spitting out large amounts of blood as they crashed heavily to the ground.

However, some powerful and mysterious experts gritted their teeth and persevered, continuously channeling their spiritual energy to maintain the defensive light barrier. Their faces, however, turned deathly pale, and their foreheads were covered in large beads of sweat, clearly indicating they were under immense pressure.

"We can't let them get past!" a mysterious expert shouted, enduring his physical discomfort as he manipulated a magical artifact, attempting to counterattack the sword cultivators. This artifact resembled a black phoenix, wings outstretched as if about to take flight, radiating a dense dark spiritual energy.

Under the control of a mysterious master, the black phoenix swooped down towards the sword cultivators, distorting space in its wake. Seeing this, the Spirit Sword Sect sword cultivators quickly adjusted their sword techniques, redirecting some of their sword energy towards the black phoenix. The sword energy collided with the black phoenix, unleashing a dazzling light. The black phoenix paused slightly, but continued its relentless charge towards the sword cultivators.

At this critical moment, the disciples of Wanbaoge seized the opportunity and, under the cover of the sword cultivators, charged towards the "Chaotic Spirit Array" with all their might. Their figures weaved through the interplay of sword energy and magical treasure light, like agile cheetahs sprinting towards their target.

At this moment, the "Chaotic Spirit Array" was nearly fully activated, and evil spiritual energy surged wildly, turning the originally bright moon in the sky a dark red. Within the Spirit Ruins Market, the spiritual energy was in extreme chaos, and some houses began to collapse under the impact of the spiritual energy. Cultivators fled in all directions, and screams and shouts rose and fell.

The disciples of Wanbaoge were getting closer and closer to the "Chaotic Spirit Array." They could clearly feel the oppressive aura of the evil spiritual power, as if countless invisible hands were pulling at their bodies, trying to stop them from advancing. But they did not flinch in the slightest, with only one firm belief in their hearts—to destroy the array's core and save the Spirit Ruins Market.

Finally, the disciples broke through the formation and reached the edge of the "Chaotic Spirit Fiend Formation." The spiritual energy within the formation was like a raging beast, rampaging wildly and making it difficult to approach. The disciples took out specially crafted magical artifacts from the Myriad Treasures Pavilion; these artifacts shimmered with strange light, resisting the evil spiritual energy within the formation.

"Everyone be careful, locate the array's core!" The disciples, while resisting the impact of the spiritual energy within the array, carefully observed its operation. They knew that once the opportunity was missed and the array was fully activated, it would be too late.

After observing carefully for a while, one of the disciples who broke the formation discovered an anomaly in the flow of spiritual energy within the formation. "Look quickly, the spiritual energy fluctuations are strongest there; the formation's core is very likely located there!" he shouted, pointing to a spot in the center of the formation.

Upon hearing this, the other disciples breaking through the formation quickly moved in that direction. However, just as they approached the formation's core, the black-robed man seemed to sense the danger. He abandoned his entanglement with the experts from the Linghe Chamber of Commerce, and with a flash, he charged towards the disciples breaking through the formation like a black lightning bolt.

"You ants, how dare you ruin my plans!" the black-robed man roared, brandishing his staff and unleashing a black beam of spiritual energy towards the disciples breaking through the formation. This beam of spiritual energy contained powerful dark energy, corroding the air wherever it passed, turning it pitch black.

The experts of the Linghe Merchant Guild wouldn't let the black-robed man succeed. They immediately gave chase, unleashing various powerful spells in an attempt to stop him. Brilliant beams of magical light bloomed in the air, hurtling towards the black-robed man. "Frozen Ten Thousand Miles" instantly froze the surrounding air, attempting to freeze him in place; "Blazing Dragon Scorching the Heavens" summoned a gigantic fire dragon, roaring as it pounced on the black-robed man.

The man in black robes had no choice but to stop and deal with the attacks from the experts of the Linghe Merchant Guild. He waved his staff repeatedly, and black spiritual energy barriers rose in front of him, blocking the spells of the guild experts. However, the attacks from the guild experts were like a relentless tide, making it difficult for the man in black robes to escape for the time being.

Meanwhile, the disciples of Wanbaoge seized this precious opportunity and moved with all their might towards the array's core. They unleashed the full power of their specially crafted magical artifacts, attempting to break through the defenses surrounding the core. Working together, the disciples channeled their spiritual energy into the artifacts, causing them to shine brightly as they engaged in a fierce battle with the malevolent spiritual energy surrounding the core.

After a period of arduous effort, the disciples finally succeeded in breaking through the defenses around the array's core. Without hesitation, they inserted their magical artifacts into the core, and a burst of intense light erupted from it, causing the "Chaotic Spirit Array" to tremble violently.

As the light flashed, the evil spiritual energy within the "Chaotic Spirit Array" rapidly dissipated, and the previously surging spiritual energy gradually returned to calm. The dark red light in the sky also gradually faded, and the bright moon regained its radiance.

Seeing the formation destroyed, the man in black roared in fury. He knew his meticulously planned conspiracy had completely failed. At this moment, the attacks from the experts of the Linghe Merchant Guild intensified. The man in black, having lost the will to fight, flashed and vanished into the night as a wisp of black smoke. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the other mysterious figures scattered and fled.

The crisis at the Lingxu Market was finally averted, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The experts from the Linghe Chamber of Commerce, the sword cultivators from the Lingjian Sect, and the formation-breaking disciples from the Wanbao Pavilion exchanged glances, their eyes filled with the joy of surviving a calamity.

Through this battle, the people of Lingxu Market became even more united. They deeply understood that only by working together could they cope with the endless crises in the cultivation world. Lingxu Market, too, ushered in a new era of peace and development after this life-or-death struggle. However, they also understood that the cultivation world was ever-changing, and many more challenges awaited them in the future, but they were fully prepared.