Under the full force of the Spirit Sword Sect's combat squad leader's attack, the black spiritual energy barrier of the new leader of the "Dark Alliance" shattered like glass. The multicolored sword energy, carrying a world-destroying force, sent the new leader flying dozens of feet, crashing heavily into the stone wall at the edge of the altar. His body smashed into the stone wall, creating a deep crater, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with resentment and despair.

“No…it’s impossible…” the new leader murmured weakly. He struggled to stand up, but found that all the bones in his body seemed to be shattered, and he could not move at all.

The captain of the Spirit Sword Sect, holding a blood-stained sword, slowly walked up to the new leader, the tip of the sword pressed against his throat: "Your ambitions end here."

Seeing their leader severely wounded and fallen, the morale of the "Dark Alliance" collapsed instantly. The Bloodblade Sect expert and the "Netherworld Palace" elder exchanged a glance, a resolute glint in their eyes. They knew there was no chance of victory today; they had to retreat.

"Retreat!" the Bloodblade Sect expert shouted, turning and fleeing first. The other members followed suit, running wildly out of the valley. The Spirit Sword Sect sword cultivators wanted to give chase, but were stopped by their captain.

"Don't pursue a cornered enemy. Our primary task is to ensure that the altar seal is not broken," the captain said.

At this moment, the disciples of Wanbaoge also ceased their attack. They manipulated the "Rune Breaking Shuttle," shooting the last beam of spiritual energy towards the altar's sealing runes. The runes flashed with light, finally shattering with a loud bang.

The seal on the altar was completely broken, and a powerful storm of spiritual energy surged forth from it. This storm swept across the entire valley, knocking everyone to the ground. The captain of the Spirit Sword Sect quickly circulated his spiritual energy, forming a shield around everyone, barely managing to withstand the storm's impact.

"What... kind of power is this?" a Wanbaoge disciple asked in horror.

On the altar, a massive pillar of light shot into the sky, reaching straight to the heavens. Within the pillar, a blurry figure slowly emerged. The figure exuded a powerful pressure that made it difficult to breathe.

"Who woke me up?" A deep voice echoed in everyone's minds.

The captain of the Spirit Sword Sect, enduring the oppressive aura, said loudly, "Senior, we are from the Spirit Ruins Market, and we have come to stop the 'Dark Alliance' from breaking the seal on the altar."

The figure remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "I see. The 'Dark Alliance' attempted to use my power to wreak havoc on the cultivation world, but fortunately you stopped them in time."

The captain was overjoyed: "Senior, are you the guardian of the altar?"

The figure nodded slightly: "Indeed, I am the guardian of the Western Wilderness Altar, guarding this place for a thousand years to prevent the seal from being broken by those with ill intentions. Now that the seal has been broken, I will regain my freedom."

The captain hurriedly said, "Senior, although the 'Dark Alliance' has been temporarily defeated, they will not give up. Please help us to completely eliminate this hidden danger."

After a moment of contemplation, the figure said, "I can help you, but the future of the cultivation world ultimately depends on yourselves."

With that, the figure waved his hand, and a beam of light enveloped everyone in the Spirit Ruins Market. Everyone felt a warm sensation throughout their bodies; their previous injuries vanished instantly, and their spiritual energy was restored to its original state.

"This is a gift I'm giving you; it can save your lives in a critical moment," the figure said.

The captain said gratefully, "Thank you very much, senior. May I ask your honorable name?"

The figure smiled faintly: "I am the Lord of the Western Wilderness, named Cangming. If you are in danger, you can summon me with this jade talisman."

Having said that, Cang Ming tossed out a jade talisman, which hovered in front of the captain. The captain reached out and caught it; the talisman was engraved with a lifelike phoenix spreading its wings as if about to take flight.

"Alright, you can go back now. The peace of the cultivation world is in your hands," Cang Ming said.

The people from Lingxu Market thanked Cang Ming, then packed their belongings and embarked on their journey back to Lingxu Market.

Upon returning to the Lingxu Market, Lin Yang and the others were overjoyed to learn that the altar seal had been broken and that Cang Ming, the Lord of the Western Wilderness, had provided assistance. They immediately summoned the leaders of various factions to discuss their next steps.

“Now that the Dark Alliance is severely weakened, it is the perfect time for us to completely eliminate them,” said the elder of the Spirit Sword Sect.

The Pavilion Master of Wanbaoge nodded in agreement: "That's right, we can unite with other cultivation forces to launch a full-scale siege against the 'Dark Alliance'."

After a moment of contemplation, Lin Yang said, "We must not be too hasty. Although the 'Dark Alliance' has been greatly weakened, it still has remnants. We need to first strengthen our defenses to prevent them from resorting to desperate measures. At the same time, we should join forces with other forces to formulate a meticulous encirclement and annihilation plan."

Everyone agreed. Thus, the Lingxu Market joined forces with other cultivation factions to form the "Evil Extermination Alliance" to fight against the "Dark Alliance."

While the Lingxu Market was actively preparing for war, the remnants of the "Dark Alliance" were barely surviving in a secluded cave. They suffered heavy losses; their new leader died from his injuries, and the Bloodblade Sect experts and the "Netherworld Palace" elders were also seriously wounded.

“What…what should we do?” one member asked desperately.

The Bloodblade Sect expert gritted his teeth and said, "We cannot give up now! As long as we have a breath left, we will fight the Spirit Ruins Market to the very end!"

After a moment of contemplation, the elder of the Netherworld Palace said, "Our strength has been greatly reduced, and it is no longer possible to confront them head-on. It would be better to temporarily hide our identities and wait for an opportunity."

After a moment's hesitation, the Bloodblade Sect experts finally nodded in agreement. Thus, the remaining forces of the "Dark Alliance" dispersed, disappearing into various corners of the cultivation world, waiting for their chance to strike.

Upon learning of the dispersed remnants of the "Dark Alliance," the people of Lingxu Market immediately intensified their intelligence gathering and defenses. The Linghe Chamber of Commerce's intelligence agents scoured the area, searching for any trace of the "Dark Alliance." Meanwhile, the sword cultivators of the Lingjian Sect increased patrols to ensure the safety of Lingxu Market.

In the following months, the cultivation world temporarily returned to peace. Under Lin Yang's leadership, the Lingxu Market continued to grow and become a significant force in the cultivation world. The Wanbao Pavilion developed more powerful magical artifacts, the Lingjian Sect's sword formations became even more sophisticated, and the Linghe Chamber of Commerce's intelligence network spread throughout the land.

However, Lin Yang knew that the threat posed by the "Dark Alliance" had not been completely eliminated. He remained vigilant, preparing to meet any new challenges that might arise.

One day, Lin Yang was handling business at the Linghe Chamber of Commerce when an intelligence agent rushed over.

"Young Master Lin, something terrible has happened!" the intelligence officer gasped. "We've discovered traces of the 'Dark Alliance' in the far north. They seem to be plotting something much bigger!"

Lin Yang's heart skipped a beat: "What exactly is the conspiracy?"

The intelligence officer shook his head and said, "It's not clear yet, but they've been active in the far north, seemingly looking for something."

After a moment of contemplation, Lin Yang said, "Immediately summon the leaders of all factions to discuss countermeasures."

The crowd from Lingxu Market gathered once again to discuss the movements of the "Dark Alliance" in the far north.

"The far north is a land of ice and snow, with a harsh environment. What exactly is the 'Dark Alliance' plotting there?" the Pavilion Master of Wanbaoge asked with a puzzled look.

The elder of the Spirit Sword Sect stroked his beard: "Legend has it that there is an Ice Crystal Temple in the far north, which contains powerful ice-type magical treasures. The Dark Alliance may be trying to seize these treasures and make a comeback."

Lin Yang nodded in agreement: "Very likely. We must take action as soon as possible to stop their plot."

Therefore, the Lingxu Market once again assembled an exploration team to investigate the situation in the far north. Will they be able to thwart the Dark Alliance's new conspiracy? How will the battle between the Lingxu Market and the Dark Alliance unfold? The situation in the cultivation world is becoming increasingly complex, and a new storm is brewing.

In the far north, the remnants of the Dark Alliance were indeed searching for the Ice Crystal Temple. They trekked through the icy wilderness, enduring the biting winds and harsh environment.

"We must find the Ice Crystal Temple, obtain the magical treasures inside, and make the Spirit Ruins Market pay the price!" the Blood Blade Sect expert said through gritted teeth.

The elder of the Netherworld Palace nodded and said, "That's right. The 'Mysterious Ice Armor' and 'Ice Soul Divine Sword' in the Ice Crystal Temple are the perfect weapons to suppress the Spirit Ruins market. As long as we can obtain them, we will have a chance to make a comeback."

After several days of arduous searching, they finally discovered the entrance to the Ice Crystal Temple beneath a glacier. The entrance was covered by a thick layer of ice, emanating a chilling aura.

"This is it. Everyone be careful not to trigger any mechanisms," said the Bloodblade Sect expert.

The group cautiously approached the entrance, trying to find a way to open it. Just then, the exploration team from the Spirit Ruins Market arrived in the far north. They used stealth techniques to quietly approach the "Dark Alliance" members.

"It seems they've found the entrance to the Ice Crystal Temple. We must stop them," the reconnaissance team leader whispered.

The team members nodded in agreement, preparing to launch an attack. However, at that moment, the entrance to the Ice Crystal Temple suddenly opened by itself, and a powerful blast of cold air swept out, engulfing the members of the Dark Alliance.

"Oh no, they've gone in!" the reconnaissance team leader exclaimed.

The team members rushed into the entrance, trying to stop the "Dark Alliance." However, the entrance was riddled with traps, and as soon as they entered, they triggered an ice-based barrier. Countless ice shards shot out from all directions, forcing them into a desperate situation.

"Watch out, everyone!" the captain shouted. The team members quickly formed a sword formation to defend against the ice spikes. However, the ice spikes were numerous and extremely powerful, and the sword formation's light trembled under the impact.

"This can't go on. We must find a way to break the restriction as soon as possible," a team member said anxiously.

The captain carefully observed the surrounding environment and discovered that the ice shards seemed to be controlled by a special spiritual energy fluctuation. He took out the "Spiritual Detector" specially made by Wanbaoge, trying to find the source of the spiritual energy fluctuation.

After some investigation, the captain discovered that the spiritual energy fluctuations originated from an ice sculpture in the center of the temple. An ancient soul was sealed within the ice sculpture, and it was this soul that was controlling the ice shards.

"Attack that ice sculpture, maybe we can break the seal!" the captain shouted.

The team members immediately diverted some of their strength to attack the ice sculpture. Various spiritual spells were fired at the ice sculpture, and cracks appeared on its surface. As the cracks widened, the soul inside the ice sculpture let out a scream, and the attack from the icicles ceased.

"Hurry up, now's the time!" the captain shouted.

The team members quickly ran deeper into the temple. Inside, they discovered the members of the Dark Alliance, who were currently vying for the "Mystic Ice Armor" and the "Ice Soul Sword."

"We can't let them get the magic weapon!" the captain shouted.

The team members quickly launched an attack, engaging in a fierce struggle with the "Dark Alliance." During the battle, the reconnaissance team leader discovered that the "Mystic Ice Armor" and the "Ice Soul Sword" seemed to possess their own consciousness; they moved continuously amidst the struggle, attempting to find a suitable master.

"Everyone be careful, these magical treasures are sentient, don't try to take them by force!" the captain warned.

Upon hearing this, the team members changed their strategy, attempting to communicate with the magical artifact in a gentler way. However, the members of the "Dark Alliance" disregarded the danger and forcibly seized the artifact, only to be injured by its backlash.

"Ah!" The Bloodblade Sect expert let out a miserable cry, as he was frozen by the cold aura of the "Ice Soul Divine Sword".

The elder of the Netherworld Palace was also blasted away by the spiritual power of the Mystic Ice Armor, spitting out blood.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the exploration team leader communicated with the "Mystic Ice Armor" and the "Ice Soul Divine Sword" and took them for his own use.

The members of the "Dark Alliance" were filled with despair when they saw the magical artifacts snatched away by the people from the Spirit Ruins Market. They knew that this operation had failed completely, and there was no hope of recovery.

"We...we lost..." the Bloodblade Sect expert muttered to himself.