Inside the Lingxu Market, the atmosphere was tense due to the appearance of the "Netherworld Palace." Various forces acted quickly, trying to uncover the mystery of this organization and find out their conspiracy with the Blood Blade Sect.

The Linghe Chamber of Commerce's intelligence network spread out in all directions like an invisible net. Intelligence agents penetrated every town and village, making contact with people on various routes, leaving no stone unturned in their search for any clue related to the "Netherworld Palace." They roamed through city streets, alleyways, restaurants, and inns, using their keen insight and skillful conversation to extract information from all sorts of people.

An experienced intelligence agent, disguised as a traveling merchant, arrived at a small town nestled deep in the mountains. Rumors circulated about strange occurrences in the mountains, which he suspected were related to the "Netherworld Palace." In the town's tavern, he struck up a conversation with a group of local hunters.

"Brothers, I've heard that there's something strange about the mountains around here. Strange lights and sounds often come out. I wonder what's going on?" the intelligence officer asked with a face full of curiosity.

An older hunter took a sip of his drink, frowned, and said, “Brother, you’d better not ask about these things. Those mountains are very strange. A few days ago, a young man went in without believing in the supernatural and never came out again. The older generation says that there might be some evil thing hiding in those mountains.”

The intelligence officer's heart skipped a beat, and he continued to press, "Could it be some kind of monster causing trouble? Or is there some mysterious organization operating within it?"

The hunters looked at each other, and one of the young hunters lowered his voice and said, "To tell you the truth, I once saw shadowy figures moving in the mountains from afar. Those people were dressed in black, and their movements were strange. They didn't look like good people."

The intelligence officer was secretly delighted, believing this was very likely the trail of the "Netherworld Palace." He thanked the hunters and, under the cover of night, cautiously made his way into the deep mountains. The further he went into the mountains, the more eerie the atmosphere grew, and the surrounding trees seemed to be corrupted by some evil force, displaying a twisted and contorted appearance.

Suddenly, he heard a low, chanting sound coming from ahead. He crept closer and, through the dense forest, saw a group of people dressed in black robes gathered around a huge black magic circle, chanting incantations. The magic circle flickered with an eerie light and emitted a nauseating stench of decay.

"It seems this is one of the 'Netherworld Palace' strongholds," the intelligence officer thought to himself, while carefully observing their every move, trying to remember the features of the magic array and the appearance of the black-robed men. However, just as he was about to leave quietly, he accidentally stepped on a tree branch and broke it.

"Who?" one of the men in black robes shouted, instantly lunging towards the intelligence officer. The intelligence officer knew he was in trouble and turned to run. The men in black robes gave chase, their speed incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, they were about to catch up.

In that critical moment, the intelligence officer used a concealment spell specially made by the merchant guild, disappearing from the spot in an instant. The man in black searched the surrounding area for a while but found no trace, so he could only return to his base, cursing all the while.

The intelligence agent, having finally escaped capture, rushed back to the Lingxu Market and reported his findings in detail to the Chamber of Commerce president. Upon learning of this, the president immediately summoned Lin Yang and the heads of various factions.

"According to the intelligence report, the 'Netherworld Palace' seems to be conducting some kind of evil ritual, the specific purpose of which is still unclear. But what is certain is that they are colluding with the Blood Blade Sect and are definitely plotting against the Spirit Ruins Market," the Chamber of Commerce president said solemnly.

After listening, Lin Yang pondered for a moment and said, "We cannot sit idly by and wait for our doom. On the one hand, we must continue to strengthen intelligence gathering and try to figure out the purpose and complete plan of their ritual; on the other hand, we must speed up defense preparations. Wanbaoge, how is the research and development of magical artifacts to counter the sinister magic of the 'Netherworld Palace' progressing?"

The Pavilion Master of Wanbaoge replied with a serious expression, "We already have some ideas and are urgently developing several magical artifacts that can suppress the power of Yin and evil, such as the 'Pure Yang Evil-Slaying Mirror' and the 'Soul-Purifying Bell.' However, the refining of these magical artifacts requires some rare spiritual materials, which are quite difficult to collect."

The elder of the Spirit Sword Sect continued, "The sword cultivators have intensified their training and are constantly exploring techniques for defending against and countering Yin and evil spells. We will set up more warning sword formations around the Spirit Ruins Market so that we can detect any enemies that approach in time."