The Black-Scaled Flame Lion, like a ball of black flame, charged towards the group, accompanied by rolling heat waves. Its speed was so great that no one had time to react. Lin Yang shouted, "Scatter! Don't confront it head-on!" The group quickly scattered in all directions. The Black-Scaled Flame Lion missed its target, its massive paws slamming heavily into the ground, sending dust flying and creating a deep crater.

Seeing this, a disciple of the Flame God Sect launched the first attack. He formed hand seals and chanted, "Flame Dragon Break!" A giant dragon formed from flames flew from his hands, roaring as it charged towards the Black-Scaled Flame Lion. The Black-Scaled Flame Lion, undaunted, opened its blood-red maw and spewed out an even more intense stream of flames, colliding with the flame dragon. In an instant, flames soared into the sky, heatwaves rolled in, and the powerful impact snapped surrounding trees in mid-air.

The disciples of the Xuanfeng Sect then cast the "Gentle Wind Binding Spell," attempting to use the power of the gentle wind to restrain the Black Scale Flame Lion's movements. Azure wind ropes surged from all directions, wrapping around the Black Scale Flame Lion's limbs and body. However, the Black Scale Flame Lion possessed astonishing strength; it struggled fiercely, its black scales shimmering with an eerie light, and the wind ropes gradually loosened.

Seizing the opportunity, Lin Yang wielded the Starry Sky Golden Sword and unleashed the "Starry Sky-Splitting Slash." A sword aura imbued with the power of stars shot towards the Black Scale Flame Lion like lightning, leaving a dazzling trail in the air. Sensing the threat of the sword aura, the Black Scale Flame Lion dodged to the side, the sword aura grazing its body and striking a nearby boulder, instantly cleaving it in two.

Su Ran cast ice magic from behind, attempting to lower the temperature around the Blackscale Flame Lion and weaken its combat power. "Ice Spirit Frost," Su Ran waved his hands, and crystalline snowflakes fell, forming a thick layer of ice around the Blackscale Flame Lion. The Blackscale Flame Lion's movements became sluggish; it roared angrily, its flames trying to melt the ice, but for the time being, it couldn't quite succeed.

Disciples from other sects also unleashed their spells, various lights flashing and the roar of their magic echoing through the valley. However, the Black-Scaled Flame Lion was indeed powerful, and despite everyone's combined efforts, they were unable to subdue it for the time being. It kept breaking free of its restraints and launched a frenzied attack on the group.

Lin Yang knew this couldn't go on; he had to find the Black Scale Flame Lion's weakness and deliver a fatal blow. While dodging the Black Scale Flame Lion's attacks, he carefully observed its movements. Suddenly, he noticed that before each powerful attack, a scale on the Black Scale Flame Lion's forehead would flash red, seemingly the place where its power gathered.

"Listen up, everyone! Focus your attacks on the scales on its forehead! That might be its weak point!" Lin Yang shouted. Hearing this, everyone adjusted their attack direction, unleashing various spells towards the Black Scale Flame Lion's forehead.

The Xuanfeng Sect disciples unleashed the "Gentle Breeze Shattering Rock Technique," condensing the power of the gentle breeze into sharp blades, slashing towards the Black Scale Flame Lion's forehead. Meanwhile, the Yanshen Sect disciples maximized the power of their "Flame Burst Technique," unleashing massive fireballs towards the Black Scale Flame Lion's forehead.

Lin Yang unleashed the "Starfall Impact" technique from the "Star Sword Manual," causing a massive meteorite to condense on the Starry Golden Sword and slam into the Black Scale Flame Lion's forehead with tremendous force. The Black Scale Flame Lion seemed to sense the danger and attempted to dodge, but its body was restricted by the ice and the attacks from the group, making its movements difficult.

"Boom!" Various attacks struck the Blackscale Flame Lion's forehead, and the scale that shimmered with red light finally couldn't withstand the pressure and cracked. The Blackscale Flame Lion let out a painful roar, and the flames on its body dimmed instantly, its power also weakening significantly.

Seizing the opportunity, the group launched another attack. Lin Yang unleashed a simplified version of "Starry Sky Annihilation Judgment," a golden sword aura slashing towards the Black Scale Flame Lion. This sword aura contained Lin Yang's exquisite control over the power of the stars, its power not to be underestimated. The sword aura struck the Black Scale Flame Lion, leaving a deep wound on its body, from which blood gushed out.

The other disciples also unleashed their strongest spells, and in an instant, the Black-Scaled Flame Lion was engulfed by various spells. Under the combined attack of everyone, the Black-Scaled Flame Lion finally could not withstand it, and its massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The group breathed a sigh of relief, but remained vigilant. This battle had made them even more acutely aware of the perilous journey to the ruins. After a short rest and restoring some of their spiritual energy, they continued their ascent towards the mysterious ruins.

As they ventured deeper into the Spirit Illusion Mountains, the surrounding environment grew increasingly eerie. The once relatively clear path gradually vanished, replaced by a dense fog. From within the fog, various strange sounds could be faintly heard, as if countless eyes were secretly watching them.

Lin Yang channeled his Star Power, attempting to penetrate the mist and see his surroundings, but the mist seemed to possess some mysterious power, and his Star Power could only barely perceive a radius of a few meters around him. "Everyone stay close together, this mist is strange, don't get separated," Lin Yang said.

The group huddled together, forming a tight formation, and slowly made their way through the mist. Suddenly, a massive stone gate appeared ahead. The gate was covered in mysterious runes, which shimmered faintly, as if telling ancient tales.

"It seems this stone gate is related to the mysterious ruins," Lin Yang said. The group gathered around the stone gate, carefully examining the runes on it. Qin Yue stepped forward; she was quite knowledgeable about runes and began attempting to decipher their meaning.

After some effort, Qin Yue finally deciphered the meaning of some of the runes. "These runes seem to be telling us that to open the stone door, we need to find specific items and trigger the runes in a certain order," Qin Yue said.

"Specific items? Where should we look in this vast mountain range?" a disciple asked anxiously.

After pondering for a moment, Lin Yang said, "Let's search around here first; we might find some clues." So, everyone began to search carefully around the stone gate.

During the search, Su Ran discovered a crystal fragment emitting a faint glow beneath a boulder. The crystal fragment was engraved with strange symbols, seemingly connected to the runes on the stone gate.

"Lin Yang, look at this." Su Ran handed the crystal fragment to Lin Yang. Lin Yang took the crystal fragment, examined it carefully, and said, "This is very likely one of the key items to open the stone door. Let's look around some more; maybe there are other fragments."

The group continued their search and, sure enough, found another crystal shard under a large tree not far away. After some searching, they found a total of three crystal shards. Piecing the three shards together, they formed a complete crystal disc, the symbols on which echoed the runes on the stone gate.

“It seems to be this one. But we still don’t know how to trigger the runes in the correct order,” Lin Yang said.

Qin Yue carefully examined the runes on the stone gate and the crystal disc again. She discovered that the arrangement of the symbols on the crystal disc and the runes on the stone gate seemed to follow a certain pattern. After some thought, Qin Yue finally figured out the order in which the runes were triggered.

Following the order she found, Qin Yue placed the crystal discs in specific locations on the stone door, then triggered the runes one by one. As the runes were triggered, the light on the stone door grew brighter and brighter, and then the stone door slowly opened, releasing an ancient and mysterious aura.

As the stone door slowly opened, everyone felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness. Behind the door was a long passageway, filled with soft light. Lin Yang stepped into the passageway first, followed closely by the others.

The walls of the passageway were covered with murals depicting ancient cultivators battling powerful monsters and casting magical spells. The group walked on, observing the murals and trying to glean more information about the ruins.

Suddenly, a group of phantoms appeared ahead of the passage. The phantoms resembled cultivators, wielding weapons, and charged towards the group. Lin Yang and the others immediately assumed fighting stances, preparing to engage in battle.

"These phantoms look like some kind of guardian spirit, everyone be careful," Lin Yang said.

The phantoms instantly rushed in front of the group and engaged in a fierce battle. Although these phantoms had no physical form, their attacks were extremely fierce, with each move containing immense power.

Lin Yang unleashed sword techniques from the "Starry Sky Sword Manual," engaging the phantoms in battle. The Starry Sky Golden Sword danced in his hand, its sword energy crisscrossing, colliding with the phantoms' weapons and producing crisp sounds.

Su Ran cast an ice spell, attempting to freeze the phantoms. "Ice Prison!" Su Ran shouted, and the surrounding ground instantly froze. Some phantoms were trapped by the ice, but they quickly broke free and continued their attack.

The disciples of the Xuanfeng Sect used the "Gentle Breeze Illusionary Steps" to weave through the swarm of phantoms, searching for an opportunity to attack. They unleashed the "Gentle Breeze Blade," sending cyan wind blades towards the phantoms. The phantoms were struck by the wind blades, their bodies flickering slightly, but they did not suffer much damage.

The disciples of the Flame God Sect unleashed "Flame Dragon Dance," sending several giant fire dragons weaving through the phantoms, illuminating the entire passage. However, the phantoms seemed to have a strong resistance to fire; while the fire dragons caused some disruption, they failed to inflict any real damage.

During the battle, Lin Yang discovered that these phantoms seemed to be connected by some kind of energy, and their power could be transferred to each other. Without severing this energy connection, it would be difficult to defeat them.

"Listen up, everyone! We're going to focus our attack on one phantom, break it first, and sever the energy connection between them," Lin Yang shouted.

Upon hearing this, everyone focused their attacks on a single phantom. Lin Yang unleashed "Star Shattering the Void," a massive golden sword aura slashing towards the chosen phantom. The other disciples also unleashed their strongest spells, attacking the phantom as well.

Under the combined attack of everyone, the phantom finally succumbed and vanished in a burst of light. As this phantom disappeared, the power of the other phantoms noticeably weakened, and the energy connection between them seemed to have been severed.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the group launched an attack. Under their assault, the phantoms were gradually defeated and vanished into the passage as light.

The group continued along the passage, at which point a massive bronze door appeared. Engraved on the door was a huge mythical beast, its eyes gleaming as if watching them.

Lin Yang stepped forward and tried to push open the bronze door, but it remained unmoved. He channeled his stellar power, attempting to perceive the secrets of the bronze door, but discovered that it seemed to be protected by a powerful restriction, which his stellar power could not penetrate.

Just when everyone was at a loss, Qin Yue discovered a groove below the bronze door, the shape of which was very similar to the crystal disc they had found earlier.

“Perhaps this crystal disc can open this door,” Qin Yue said. She placed the crystal disc into the groove, and the disc fit perfectly. Immediately afterward, the mythical beast pattern on the bronze door shone brightly, and the bronze door slowly opened.

Behind the door was a vast hall, in the center of which floated a magical artifact radiating multicolored light. Mysterious runes surrounded the artifact, shimmering with an eerie glow, as if sustaining its power.

"This must be the magical artifact that the mysterious force wants to seize," Lin Yang said. Everyone looked at the floating artifact, their hearts filled with vigilance. They knew that more dangers were surely lurking here.

Just then, a group of black-robed figures suddenly emerged from around the hall. The leader of the black-robed figures was a companion of the mysterious expert who had fought with Lin Yang and the others earlier. He looked at Lin Yang and the others with resentment in his eyes.

"You bastards, how dare you find the magic treasure before us! Today, you will all die here!" the leader of the black-robed men shouted. With that, he waved his hand, and the black-robed men charged towards Lin Yang and the others.

Lin Yang and the others quickly assumed fighting stances and engaged in fierce combat with the black-robed men. Lin Yang, wielding the Starry Golden Sword, charged into the group of black-robed men, unleashing sword techniques from the "Starry Sword Manual." His sword energy surged, repelling the approaching black-robed men.

Su Ran unleashed ice magic, creating patches of ice within the black-robed crowd. Those who stepped into the ice slowed their movements. The disciples of the Xuanfeng Sect unleashed their "Qingfeng Sword Technique," their swordplay sharp and fierce, engaging the black-robed figures in battle. The disciples of the Yanshen Sect unleashed their "Flame Burst Technique," sending fireballs exploding among the black-robed crowd, scattering flames everywhere.

However, the black-robed figures were numerous and their strength was not to be underestimated. They coordinated perfectly, launching continuous attacks on Lin Yang and his companions. Lin Yang and his group gradually found themselves overwhelmed, and the battle reached a stalemate.

During the battle, Lin Yang noticed that the leader of the black-robed figures seemed to be manipulating something in the shadows. His hands were constantly changing hand seals, and the surrounding air seemed to be affected by his magic. A thought struck Lin Yang, and he decided to eliminate the leader of the black-robed figures first, which might break the stalemate.

"Cover me, everyone! I'm going to deal with the leader!" Lin Yang shouted. Upon hearing this, the Xuanfeng Sect elders and Yanshen Sect protectors immediately intensified their attacks, drawing the attention of most of the black-robed men. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lin Yang used his "Starry Sky Instant Shadow Step," charging towards the leading black-robed man at incredible speed.

The leader of the black-robed men saw Lin Yang charging towards him and a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes. He waved his hands, and a black barrier appeared in front of him. At the same time, he chanted incantations and summoned several huge dark wolves that pounced on Lin Yang.

Lin Yang showed no hesitation. He concentrated the power of the stars into his sword and unleashed the "Starry Demon-Slaying Slash." A golden sword aura, imbued with the powerful purifying force of the stars, slashed towards the Dark Wolf and the black barrier. The sword aura struck the black barrier, causing it to tremble violently and crack. The Dark Wolf was also struck by the sword aura, letting out a series of miserable howls before turning into black smoke and dissipating.

Taking advantage of the black-robed man's surprise, Lin Yang flashed through the shattered barrier and appeared before him. The black-robed man's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly cast spells to defend himself. Lin Yang and the black-robed man engaged in close combat, their Starry Golden Sword clashing repeatedly with the black-robed man's dark magic, their lights flashing.

While Lin Yang fought the leading black-robed figure, the other black-robed figures launched an even fiercer attack on the allied team. The Xuanfeng Sect disciples' breezy spells intertwined with the black-robed figures' dark magic, filling the air with cyan and black light. The Flame God Sect disciples' flames roared in the hall, resisting the dark forces. Su Ran continuously cast ice spells, freezing the approaching black-robed figures.

However, the black-robed man's attacks grew increasingly fierce, and the allied forces began to suffer casualties. A disciple from the Tianji Sect, while defending against the black-robed man's attacks, was unfortunately entangled in dark chains and subsequently struck by the black-robed man's magic, collapsing into a pool of blood.

"We can't let them succeed!" Lin Yang was filled with grief and anger upon seeing his companion injured. He unleashed an even greater power, and the Starry Golden Sword in his hand shone brightly. "Starry Sky Shatters the Void!" Lin Yang unleashed his strongest move, a massive golden sword aura tearing through space and slashing towards the leading black-robed man.

The leader of the black-robed figures sensed the threat of death. He mustered all his strength, gathering all his dark power in front of him in an attempt to withstand the fatal blow. With a deafening roar, the sword energy collided with the dark power, generating a powerful shockwave. The black-robed figure was struck by the sword energy, his body flying backward and crashing heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

With the leader of the black-robed figures injured, the morale of the others was greatly affected. Their attack rhythm was disrupted, and the united team seized this opportunity, their morale soaring. They unleashed even stronger spells and charged towards the group of black-robed figures.

Seizing the opportunity, the elders of the Xuanfeng Sect unleashed their sect's most powerful technique, the "Mysterious Wind Raging Waves Technique." A fierce wind arose, as if an invisible raging wave had swept through the hall, engulfing the black-robed figures. The black-robed figures struggled in the gale, many being lifted up and slammed to the ground.

The protector of the Flame God Sect was not to be outdone. He gathered all his fiery power and unleashed the "Flame God's Descent Spell." A gigantic phantom of the Flame God appeared behind him, wielding a flaming spear, and thrust it towards the black-robed man. Wherever the flaming spear struck, the black-robed man was scorched by the intense heat, letting out painful screams before his body instantly turned to ashes.

Su Ran then unleashed the ultimate ice magic skill, "Ice Extreme Meteor Shower." Countless enormous ice meteorites appeared in the sky, crashing down towards the black-robed man with a whooshing sound. The ice meteorites struck the ground, triggering violent explosions, and the powerful impact sent the black-robed man staggering from side to side.

Disciples from other sects also displayed their unique abilities, and in an instant, the black-robed men were trapped in a desperate situation. Under the combined attack of everyone, the black-robed men fell to the ground one after another, losing their ability to fight.

Lin Yang and his companions successfully repelled the man in black robes, but they knew the crisis was far from over. The mysterious force would undoubtedly have further actions, and the secrets of this magical artifact had not yet been fully revealed. Whether it could truly control the dark forces of the world, and how to deal with this artifact, were all problems facing them.

Lin Yang walked up to the floating magical artifact and examined it closely. The artifact emitted a soft, multicolored light, with runes appearing and disappearing within it. He tried to touch the artifact, but a powerful force repelled his hand.

“This magical artifact seems to have its own consciousness; we need to find a suitable way to subdue it,” Lin Yang said.

Qin Yue stepped forward and examined the runes around the magical artifact once more. After some study, she discovered that the runes seemed to be conveying a message: only those with pure hearts and no evil thoughts could approach the artifact and attempt to subdue it.

"Perhaps we can try having the person with the purest heart attempt to subdue the magical artifact," Qin Yue said.

The group exchanged glances, pondering who the most suitable candidate was. At that moment, a young disciple from the Jade Balance Sect stepped forward. His name was Mu Feng; though young, he possessed a pure and kind heart, and was highly praised within the sect.

“I’m willing to give it a try,” Mu Feng said.

Lin Yang looked at Mu Feng and nodded. "Alright, Mu Feng, try it carefully. We'll protect you from the side."

Mu Feng slowly approached the magical artifact, his eyes resolute and pure. As he drew near, the runes surrounding it flickered, but unlike before, they did not repel him. Mu Feng took a deep breath, stretched out his hands, and gently touched the artifact.

The moment Mu Feng's hand touched the magical artifact, it shone brightly, and a powerful force surged into Mu Feng's body. Mu Feng felt as if a torrent was washing over his meridians; he gritted his teeth, trying his best to withstand the force.

Lin Yang and the others watched Mu Feng nervously, ready to help at any moment. Time seemed to freeze as the light between Mu Feng and the magical artifact grew stronger. Suddenly, Mu Feng opened his eyes, which flashed with multicolored light. He had successfully established a connection with the magical artifact, which slowly fell into his hand.

"I did it!" Mu Feng exclaimed excitedly.

The crowd gathered around, staring at the magical artifact in Mu Feng's hand. At this moment, the artifact's light became soft and restrained, as if it had already acknowledged Mu Feng as its master.

"Mu Feng, try to see if you can control the power of the magic weapon," Lin Yang said.

Mu Feng nodded. He circulated his spiritual power, attempting to control the magic weapon. A flash of light appeared on the magic weapon, and a five-colored light screen emanated from it, enveloping the entire hall.