The exploration team, aboard the "Wave-Breaking Boat" meticulously prepared by Wanbaoge, braved the wind and waves, speeding towards the shores of the East China Sea. The "Wave-Breaking Boat" moved as if on flat ground on the turbulent sea, and the wave-breaking talisman at the bow flashed with blue light, splitting the oncoming giant waves in two.

Lin Yang stood at the bow of the ship, his gaze fixed firmly ahead. The sea breeze whipped at his clothes. Behind him, elite disciples from various sects stood ready. The sword cultivators of the Spirit Sword Sect wore light yet sturdy spirit armor, their swords gleaming coldly in the sunlight; the disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect held their magical artifacts, their expressions focused, poised to unleash their spells at any moment; the disciples of the Purple Cloud Palace carried various talismans, their eyes filled with vigilance.

Several days later, they finally arrived at the coast of the East China Sea. Looking out into the distance, they found no trace of the mysterious island. "Based on the clues from the Ice Abyss Palace, the island should be nearby. Everyone, split up and search, and stay in touch," Lin Yang ordered.

Everyone used their movement techniques to fly low over the sea, searching carefully. Suddenly, a disciple of Zixiao Palace shouted, "Young Master Lin, I sense a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy ahead, which may be related to the mysterious island."

Lin Yang immediately led everyone towards the direction of the spiritual energy fluctuations. Sure enough, in a sea shrouded in mist, a small island gradually emerged. The island was surrounded by a faint halo, and the trees on it were lush and green, yet it exuded a mysterious aura.

"Everyone be careful. The fog around this island seems strange and may be hiding danger," an elder from the Qingyun Sect warned.

As the group slowly approached the island, the scenery instantly transformed the moment they stepped into the mist. The once calm sea turned into a barren desert, with the blazing sun baking them until they were burning hot.

"This is an illusion! Everyone, stay calm and don't be fooled by it!" Lin Yang shouted. He quickly circulated his spiritual power and cast the "Starlight Protection Technique," a layer of golden light enveloping his entire body to resist the influence of the illusion.

The sword cultivators of the Spirit Sword Sect unleashed the "Sword Heart Clarity" technique to maintain their clarity with unwavering sword intent. The disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect used the "Heart-Cleansing Mantra" to stabilize their minds. The disciples of the Purple Cloud Palace threw out "Illusion-Breaking Talismans" in an attempt to break the illusion.

However, the illusion was extremely powerful; the light of the "Illusion-Breaking Talisman" was swallowed up the moment it touched the illusion. "It seems this illusion is not simple. We must find its core to break it," said a disciple of Zixiao Palace who was skilled in talismans and illusion techniques.

The group cautiously made their way through the illusion when suddenly, a herd of sand beasts burst forth from the desert. The sand beasts resembled lions, their bodies covered in golden scales, and they lunged at the group with bared teeth and claws.

"Prepare for battle!" Lin Yang shouted. The sword cultivators of the Spirit Sword Sect quickly formed a sword formation, activating the "Spirit Shadow Sand Shattering Sword Formation." Sword energy swept out like a whirlwind, cutting down the sand beasts charging at the forefront. The disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect cast the "Azure Cloud Flowing Sand Curse," attempting to trap the sand beasts in quicksand. The disciples of the Purple Cloud Palace threw out "Spirit Binding Talismans" to restrict the sand beasts' movements.

The sand beasts were formidable; their scales were incredibly hard, making them difficult to kill with ordinary sword energy and magic. One sand beast dodged the sword formation's attack and pounced on a Qingyun Sect disciple. The disciple quickly cast a defensive spell, creating a cyan light barrier in front of him. However, the sand beast's impact was immense; the light barrier shattered instantly, and the disciple was sent flying, coughing up blood.

"Senior Brother!" Upon seeing this, the Qingyun Sect disciple immediately unleashed the "Qingyun Wrathful Flame Spell," sending raging flames towards the sand beast. The sand beast roared in agony amidst the flames, but it only fueled its frenzied attack on the group.

Wielding the "Starry Golden Sword," Lin Yang unleashed the "Starry Sky-Splitting Slash," a golden sword aura carrying powerful stellar energy that cleaved the sand beast in two. "Everyone, concentrate your attacks! Don't scatter!" Lin Yang shouted.

With everyone's combined attack, the sand beast was gradually destroyed. However, the illusion remained, and the surrounding scenery changed again. The desert turned into a dense forest, with trees towering into the clouds and branches laden with all sorts of strange fruits.

“This illusion is constantly changing; we need to speed up our search for the core,” Lin Yang said.

The group continued their exploration of the Illusionary Forest when suddenly, a melodious song drifted over. The song, like an invisible force, disturbed their minds. "Oh no! There's something wrong with this song! Everyone cover your ears and circulate your spiritual energy to resist!" shouted an elder of the Spirit Sword Sect.

However, the song seemed to penetrate the spiritual energy defenses, directly affecting everyone's souls. Some disciples began to hallucinate, as if they saw what they longed for most, and involuntarily walked towards the direction of the song.

"Wake them up quickly!" Lin Yang was frantic. He unleashed "Starlight Requiem," and the "Golden Star Sword" emitted a melodious sword cry, counteracting the eerie song. The sword cry flowed like a clear spring into everyone's souls, gradually awakening the disciples who were trapped in the illusion.

"Thank you, Young Master Lin!" the disciples said gratefully as they regained consciousness.

"Everyone stay close to me and don't get separated. This illusion is getting more and more dangerous, and we must find the core as soon as possible," Lin Yang said.

The group cautiously made their way towards the source of the song, and finally, deep within the forest, they discovered a crystal ball radiating multicolored light. The crystal ball floated in the air, constantly emitting an eerie power—the very power that maintained the illusion.

"This must be the crystal ball! Everyone, let's break it together!" Lin Yang shouted.

Everyone unleashed their strongest spells and sword energies, bombarding the crystal ball. In an instant, light flashed, and spells and sword energies intertwined, surging towards the crystal ball like a torrent.

"Boom!" Under everyone's attacks, the crystal ball finally shattered. As the crystal ball shattered, the illusion vanished instantly, and the real scene of the mysterious island reappeared before everyone's eyes.

They successfully broke free of the illusion, but are there other dangers lurking on the island? Will they be able to find clues to the artifact on the island? The exploration team set foot on the mysterious island, and an even more thrilling adventure has just begun.

Stepping onto the mysterious island, a rich spiritual energy immediately envelops you. The trees on the island are of various shapes and sizes; some have trunks twisted like dragons, while others have branches that stretch out like wings. The ground beneath your feet emits a faint glow, seemingly containing some kind of mysterious power.

"The spiritual energy on this island is so abundant, it must be extraordinary. Everyone, continue searching for clues about the artifact, while being careful of your surroundings to avoid danger," Lin Yang said.

The group dispersed and carefully explored the island. The sword cultivators of the Spirit Sword Sect used their keen senses to search for anything unusual in the mountains and forests; the disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect used magic to probe underground for hidden passages or secret chambers; and the disciples of the Purple Cloud Palace paid close attention to any clues in their surroundings, trying to find runes or markings related to the artifact.

Suddenly, a sword cultivator from the Spirit Sword Sect discovered an ancient stone tablet in a valley. The tablet was covered with densely packed runes, which shimmered with a faint light. "Young Master Lin, there's a stone tablet here, and the runes on it seem strange," the sword cultivator exclaimed.

Lin Yang and the others arrived quickly. The disciple from Zixiao Palace, skilled in rune techniques, stepped forward and carefully studied the runes on the stone tablet. "These runes are very ancient; I need some time to decipher them," the disciple said.

Just then, a deep roar suddenly echoed through the valley. The sound was like an invisible force, causing the ground to tremble slightly. Immediately afterward, a gigantic monster slowly emerged from the depths of the valley. The monster resembled a Qilin, but its entire body was covered in a layer of black scales, its eyes flashed with blood-red light, and it exuded a powerful aura.

"This is... a Black-Scaled Qilin Beast! Everyone be careful, this beast is incredibly powerful!" The Qingyun Sect elder's expression changed, and he shouted a warning.

The Black-Scaled Qilin Beast stared at the crowd, let out a roar, and then, with a powerful leap, charged towards them like a black lightning bolt. It was incredibly fast, arriving before them in an instant, its massive claws reaching for Lin Yang.

Lin Yang swiftly dodged using his movement technique, simultaneously unleashing the "Starburst Sky-Splitting Slash," a golden sword aura shooting towards the Black-Scaled Qilin Beast. The scales on the Black-Scaled Qilin Beast flashed, easily deflecting the sword aura.

"These scales are extremely strong defensively, everyone attack its eyes and abdomen!" Lin Yang shouted.

The sword cultivators of the Spirit Sword Sect swiftly formed a sword formation, unleashing the "Sword Controlling Stars Sword Formation." The formation shone brilliantly, countless sword energies shooting towards the Black-Scaled Qilin Beast like stars, attempting to draw its attention and create an opportunity to attack its weaknesses. The disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect cast the "Azure Cloud Thunderclap Spell," thick bolts of lightning descending from the sky, striking the Black-Scaled Qilin Beast. The disciples of the Purple Cloud Palace threw out various offensive talismans, "Exploding Flame Talismans" and "Stone-Splitting Talismans" flying towards the Black-Scaled Qilin Beast.

Despite the group's attacks, the Black-Scaled Qilin Beast remained unfazed. It opened its massive maw and spewed forth a torrent of black flames that swept towards the group. Wherever the flames passed, trees instantly turned to ash, and the ground glowed a fiery red.

"Defend!" Lin Yang shouted. Everyone quickly cast defensive spells. The sword formation of the Spirit Sword Sect sword cultivators formed a five-colored light screen, and the azure shields of the Azure Cloud Sect disciples combined with the defensive talismans thrown out by the Purple Cloud Palace disciples to jointly resist the attack of the black flames.

The black flames had immense impact, causing the defensive light barrier and shield to tremble violently and threatening to shatter at any moment. "Hold on, everyone! We can't let the flames break through the defenses!" Lin Yang shouted, once again using the "Starlight Protection Technique" to enhance the defensive power.

With everyone's combined efforts, the black flames finally began to dissipate. But the Black-Scaled Qilin Beast launched another attack. It flashed to the side of a swordsman, its tail sweeping towards him like a black iron rod. The swordsman couldn't dodge in time and was struck by the tail, flying backward and crashing heavily to the ground.

"Senior brother!" Seeing this, the other sword cultivators intensified their attacks, attempting to avenge their injured brother. However, the Black-Scaled Qilin Beast was far too powerful, and their combined attacks caused it limited damage.

Just when everyone was in trouble, the disciple from Zixiao Palace who was deciphering the runes suddenly shouted, "I've deciphered the meaning of the runes! They record the weakness of the Black Scale Qilin Beast. Its defense is weak in the gaps between its scales. We can attack there!"

Having learned of the Black-Scaled Qilin Beast's weakness, will the group be able to defeat it and continue their search for clues to the divine artifact? What other unknown dangers lurk on this mysterious island? On this perilous island, every step forward for the exploration team is fraught with challenges, and the fate of the cultivation world remains firmly in their hands.

Upon hearing that the disciples of Zixiao Palace had deciphered the weakness of the Black-Scaled Qilin Beast, Lin Yang was overjoyed and immediately shouted, "Listen up, everyone! Focus your attacks on the gaps in the Black-Scaled Qilin Beast's scales!"

Upon hearing this, the sword cultivators of the Spirit Sword Sect quickly adjusted their sword formation. Su Ran unleashed the enhanced version of "Thousandfold Sword Shadows," "Ten Thousandfold Sword Shadows," sending countless sword energies raining down on the Black-Scaled Qilin Beast, aiming directly at the gaps in its scales. The sword energies sliced ​​through like sharp blades, and the Black-Scaled Qilin Beast roared in pain.

The disciples of the Qingyun Sect unleashed the "Qingyun Rifting Wind Spell," creating a howling gale that formed wind blades that swept towards the black-scaled Qilin beast. The wind blades were incredibly sharp, attempting to penetrate the gaps in its scales and inflict damage.

The disciples of Zixiao Palace then threw out specially made "armor-piercing talismans," which shimmered with silver light and shot towards the black-scaled Qilin beast like sharp arrows. Once the "armor-piercing talisman" struck a gap in the scales, it would release a powerful penetrating force, causing damage to its interior.

The black-scaled Qilin beast sensed the threat and roared angrily, its scales standing on end in an attempt to block the attacks. But the attacks came like a tidal wave, and it couldn't withstand them all.

"Keep attacking, don't give it a chance to breathe!" Lin Yang shouted. He wielded the "Starry Golden Sword" and unleashed the advanced move "Starry Sky Shattering Slash"—"Starry Sky Annihilation." A thicker sword aura, imbued with powerful stellar energy, slashed towards the Black-Scaled Qilin Beast.

The sword energy struck the scales of the Black-Scaled Qilin Beast, the powerful force causing the scales to slightly open, allowing other attacks to slip through the gaps. The Black-Scaled Qilin Beast let out a painful roar, its body swaying a few times.

Seizing the opportunity, the group intensified their attack. In an instant, magical light flashed and sword energy crisscrossed, all aimed at the gaps in the black-scaled Qilin beast's scales.

Under the combined attack of everyone, the Black-Scaled Qilin Beast finally succumbed. Its body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but still dared not let their guard down.

"Is everyone alright?" Lin Yang asked. Everyone replied that they were fine, only that they had used up a lot of spiritual energy.

"Now that we know the contents of the inscriptions on the stone tablet, let's see if there are any further clues about the artifact," Lin Yang said.

The disciple of Zixiao Palace continued to decipher the runes on the stone tablet. After a moment, he said, "The runes indicate that the clues to the artifact are hidden in the center of the island, where there is an ancient ruin. However, the ruin is surrounded by various traps and restrictions, making it extremely dangerous."

"It seems our next target is the ruins in the center of the island. Everyone, recover your spiritual energy and replenish your pills, then we'll set off immediately," Lin Yang said.

Everyone took out pills and ate them, circulating their spiritual energy to restore their strength. A moment later, they set off towards the center of the island. Along the way, they proceeded cautiously, constantly on guard against any potential dangers.

As they approached the center of the island, the surrounding spiritual energy became increasingly dense, and at the same time, some strange phenomena began to appear. Occasionally, shimmering spiritual springs would emerge from the ground, containing powerful spiritual energy but also emanating a dangerous aura. Strange streaks of light would occasionally flash across the sky, as if warnings of some powerful force.

Suddenly, a narrow passage appeared ahead, its walls covered with runes. The runes shimmered, seemingly maintaining some kind of restriction.

"This passage looks extremely dangerous, everyone proceed with caution," Lin Yang said.

As the group slowly entered the passage, the runes shone brightly, and chains of spiritual energy shot out from the walls, wrapping around them.

"Watch out for these spiritual energy chains!" Su Ran shouted. The sword cultivators of the Spirit Sword Sect quickly unleashed their sword energy, attempting to sever the spiritual energy chains. However, the spiritual energy chains were incredibly tough; when the sword energy struck them, it only sparked a shower of sparks.

The disciples of the Qingyun Sect unleashed the "Qingyun Restriction-Breaking Spell," attempting to break the rune restrictions and weaken the power of the spiritual energy chains. The disciples of the Zixiao Palace, on the other hand, threw out the "Chain-Severing Talisman," hoping to directly destroy the spiritual energy chains.

With everyone's efforts, the power of the spiritual energy chains gradually weakened, but many chains still managed to wrap around them. One sword cultivator was unable to dodge in time and was caught in the chains. The chains tightened rapidly, and the sword cultivator felt difficulty breathing and his spiritual energy circulation was hindered.

"Save me!" the swordsman cried out.

Lin Yang swiftly used his movement technique to arrive beside the sword cultivator. He inserted the "Starry Golden Sword" into the spiritual energy chain and unleashed the "Starlight Chain-Splitting Technique." Golden starlight power surged into the spiritual energy chain, melting it bit by bit.

"Everyone, speed up the process of breaking the rune restrictions! No one else can be trapped!" Lin Yang shouted.

With everyone's combined efforts, they finally succeeded in breaking the rune restriction, and the spiritual energy chains dissipated.