The scene inside the crystal ball unfolded slowly before everyone like a long-forgotten scroll of history. The ancient sect sat nestled amidst a majestic mountain range, shrouded in mist and crisscrossed by spiritual veins. Its pavilions and halls stood in rows, showcasing its former glory. However, beneath this tranquil surface, a catastrophe was quietly approaching.

In the scene, the sky suddenly turned pitch black, and eerie black lightning streaked across the heavens. From all directions of the sect, countless mysterious figures clad in black robes surged forth, their aura sinister, wielding weapons that radiated malevolent light. Although the sect disciples fought back valiantly, these mysterious figures were incredibly powerful, their spells unpredictable and bizarre, each strike easily tearing through defenses. Many disciples fell, their blood staining the sect's grounds.

Lin Feng and the others stared intently at the crystal ball, their hearts filled with both shock and confusion. Su Ran bit her lip and whispered, "What is the origin of these black-robed men? Why are they trying to wipe out this sect?" Xuan Feng's expression was solemn as he shook his head and said, "Judging from their magic, it's unlike any sect we know. It exudes an eerie aura."

The woman in white looked at the tragic fate of the sect members in the scene, a trace of pity flashing in her eyes: "This sect seems to have a deep foundation, but it is difficult to resist such a sudden attack." The female general clenched her fists and said hatefully: "If I encounter these black-robed men, I will make them pay for their blood debt!" The woman from the Blood Shadow Sect remained expressionless, but a trace of thought flashed in her eyes.

As the scene unfolds, the sect's defenses gradually crumble. Just as the sect is about to be destroyed, an elderly man in a magnificent robe, exuding a powerful aura, steps forward. He wields a radiant sword, its blade shimmering with runes and radiating powerful spiritual energy. The old man wields the sword, unleashing a set of exquisite sword techniques, countless sword energies crisscrossing and instantly slaying dozens of black-robed figures.

The black-robed men seemed wary of the old man and temporarily halted their attack. The leader of the black-robed men slowly stepped forward. He was tall and wore a ferocious mask, revealing only a pair of eyes that gleamed with an eerie red light. He raised his hand, pointed at the old man, and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Sect Leader Lingxiao, hand over that item, and I will spare the lives of everyone in your sect."

The old man glared angrily and shouted, "You scoundrels of the Shadow Cult, don't even think about it! Even if my Lingxiao Sect fights to the last man, we will not let you succeed!" Hearing the words "Shadow Cult," Lin Feng and the others were startled. In the ancient legends of the continent, the Shadow Cult was an extremely evil organization, skilled in various evil spells, taking pleasure in killing and plundering. A thousand years ago, they had unleashed a bloody storm, after which they disappeared without a trace. Unexpectedly, today, in this mysterious place, they had uncovered a past connected to them.

The black-robed leader sneered, "Since that's the case, then don't blame me for being ruthless!" With that, he formed strange hand seals and chanted incantations. The surrounding air instantly became frigid, and streams of black energy surged from the ground, condensing into enormous demonic phantoms that lunged at the old man with bared fangs and claws.

The old man showed no fear. He raised his spiritual power to its limit, his sword gleaming brightly, and engaged in a fierce battle with the demonic phantom. For a moment, light and darkness intertwined, and the roar was deafening. However, the black-robed figures were numerous and powerful, and the old man gradually became exhausted, sustaining multiple injuries.

Finally, after slaying numerous demonic phantoms and black-robed figures, the old man succumbed to exhaustion and died. The Lingxiao Sect was also completely annihilated in this catastrophe, leaving only ruins. The scene abruptly ends here, and the light from the crystal ball gradually dims.

Lin Feng and the others were deeply moved. Xuan Feng sighed, "I never imagined that such a tragic history was hidden behind this. The reappearance of the Shadow Demon Sect will probably stir up another bloodbath." Su Ran said worriedly, "What should we do now? The Shadow Demon Sect is so powerful, and its purpose is unclear."

Lin Feng pondered for a moment and said, "Judging from the scene just now, the Shadow Demon Cult seems to be searching for something. This thing is likely hidden nearby, and perhaps it's the key to solving a series of mysteries. Let's continue searching here and see if there are any other clues." Everyone nodded and began searching the vast space.

A woman from the Blood Shadow Sect discovered a tattered ancient book in a corner. She opened it, the text obscure and difficult to understand, but thanks to the Blood Shadow Sect's unique lineage of knowledge, she managed to decipher some of the contents. The book recorded some of the hidden history of the Spirit Cloud Sect, mentioning a treasure called the "Spirit Cloud Sacred Scripture," said to possess immense power, capable of controlling the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, even reversing the course of fate. A thought struck the Blood Shadow Sect woman: could this be what the Shadow Demon Sect was searching for?

She was just about to tell Lin Feng about this discovery

Just as the woman from the Blood Shadow Sect was about to tell Lin Feng about the discovery of the ancient book, the entire space suddenly trembled violently. A muffled rumbling sound came from all directions, as if some enormous creature was approaching.

"Oh no, danger!" Lin Feng shouted. Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing, quickly gathered together, and warily watched their surroundings. The stone door, which had been tightly closed, slowly shut, and wisps of black mist rose from the cracks in the ground, instantly filling the entire space.

In the mist, some blurry figures appeared indistinctly. These figures were twisted and reeked of a nauseating stench. Lin Feng gripped his Ice Halberd tightly and whispered, "Everyone be careful, these things don't look easy to deal with." Xuan Feng circulated his wind-elemental spiritual power, forming a defensive barrier around them to prevent a sudden attack from the unknown monsters.

Su Ran and the woman in white stood together. Su Ran cast "Ice Guardian," forming a thick ice shield beneath their feet, while the woman in white gathered flames in her hands, ready to attack at any moment. The female general, holding a long spear, watched the movements within the mist with unwavering eyes. The Blood Shadow Sect woman quickly hid the ancient book, and two blood-red daggers appeared in her hands, their blades gleaming with an eerie light.

As the fog thickened, the figures gradually became clearer. They were a group of enormous, rotting corpse monsters, their flesh decaying to reveal stark white bones, their empty eye sockets gleaming with an eerie green light. These rotting corpse monsters opened their blood-red maws, letting out chilling roars, and pounced towards the group.

Lin Feng launched the first attack, channeling his ice-elemental spiritual power into his ice halberd and hurling it at the foremost corpse monster. The ice halberd transformed into a streak of cold light, instantly piercing the monster's body and pinning it to the ground. However, the other corpse monsters showed no fear, continuing their mad charge.

Xuanfeng unleashed "Wind Blade Storm," countless sharp wind blades weaving through the mist, slashing at the rotting corpse monsters. Although the wind blades could damage the monsters, they seemed oblivious to pain, continuing their relentless assault. Su Ran and the woman in white coordinated perfectly; Su Ran attacked distant monsters with ice spikes, while the woman in white burned the approaching corpses with flames. For a moment, ice and fire intertwined in the air.

The female general led her men into a tight battle formation, their spears forming a forest that relentlessly pierced the approaching rotting corpse monsters. The Blood Shadow Sect women moved like ghosts around the formation, delivering a fatal blow with their daggers whenever a rotting corpse monster breached the defenses.

The battle intensified, with hordes of rotting corpse monsters surging forth, and the group gradually began to feel the strain. Lin Feng fought a large rotting corpse monster while pondering a countermeasure. He discovered that these monsters seemed extremely sensitive to fluctuations in spiritual energy; whenever someone unleashed a powerful spiritual spell, they would attack even more frantically.

"Everyone, try to conserve your spiritual energy and avoid casting overly powerful spells to prevent attracting more monsters!" Lin Feng shouted. Upon hearing this, everyone adjusted their fighting style, employing more skillful techniques to deal with the attacks of the rotting corpse monsters.

Just as the group was locked in a stalemate with the rotting corpse monsters, the Blood Shadow Sect woman suddenly noticed something unusual. Behind the horde of rotting corpse monsters, there was a short figure emanating an aura different from the others, seemingly controlling them. The Blood Shadow Sect woman's eyes narrowed; she decided to quietly circle around and find the mastermind behind it all.

She vanished into the mist in a flash. Using her exceptional stealth skills, she evaded the senses of the rotting monster and silently approached the small figure. As she drew near, she discovered it was a dwarf-like monster holding a staff radiating black light, chanting incantations and directing the rotting monster's actions.

Without hesitation, the Blood Shadow Sect woman lunged at the dwarf monster with a flash of cold light. The dwarf monster seemed to sense the danger; it turned around, a hint of surprise in its eyes. It swiftly swung its staff, unleashing a black energy wave towards the Blood Shadow Sect woman. The Blood Shadow Sect woman dodged the attack, then continued her assault on the dwarf monster.

However, the dwarf monster's strength should not be underestimated. It unleashed a series of spells, sending streaks of black flame and poisonous mist towards the Blood Shadow Sect woman. The Blood Shadow Sect woman weaved through the flames and poisonous mist, gradually sustaining minor injuries. But she did not give up, and with her tenacious will and superb combat skills, she gradually gained the upper hand.

Just as the Blood Shadow Sect woman was preparing to deliver the final blow to the dwarf monster, a rotting corpse monster suddenly attacked from behind. Unable to dodge in time, the Blood Shadow Sect woman was struck hard by the rotting corpse monster and fell to the ground. Seeing this, the dwarf monster let out a sharp laugh, raised its staff, and prepared to deliver the fatal blow to the Blood Shadow Sect woman.

At this critical moment