At Lin Yang's command, members of various forces, including the Linghe Chamber of Commerce, the Lingjian Sect, and the Wanbao Pavilion, reacted swiftly, surging towards the group of mysterious figures like a torrent. The sword cultivators of the Lingjian Sect were at the forefront, flying on their swords and forming streaks of silver light in the air. Their swords gleamed with cold light, and their sword energy crisscrossed, instantly scattering the group of mysterious figures.

Although the mysterious figures were numerous, they seemed somewhat overwhelmed by the well-trained and powerful forces of the Spirit Ruins Market. However, they appeared to be prepared, remaining calm and coordinating their attacks to manage a meager resistance. The leader of the mysterious figures, while fending off the sword cultivators' attacks, shouted commands to his men, attempting to break through the defenses.

Lin Yang observed the battle from the rear. He noticed that the techniques and moves of these mysterious figures were quite strange, different from ordinary cultivators and also different from the extraterrestrial demons he had encountered before. Their attacks faintly exuded a chilling aura, as if they could erode one's spiritual power. Lin Yang wondered to himself, what kind of mysterious force was this, and why they would target the Spirit Ruins Market at this time?

Just as Lin Yang was pondering, a tall, thin old man suddenly stepped out from the mysterious group. He was dressed in a black robe and wore a black bamboo hat, completely obscuring his face. In his hand, the old man held a black staff, the tip of which was inlaid with a black crystal that emitted a ghostly light. He chanted incantations, and the crystal shone brightly, with beams of black light shooting out from it, heading towards the sword cultivators.

The sword cultivators hurriedly unleashed their sword energy to defend themselves, but the black light was extremely strange; it could actually penetrate the sword energy and strike the sword cultivators. Those struck immediately felt a chilling force invade their bodies, their spiritual energy circulation was hindered, and their bodies became sluggish. Seeing this, Lin Yang knew he couldn't allow the old man to continue casting spells, otherwise the situation would become even more uncontrollable.

He channeled all his spiritual energy, perfectly fusing the power of the mysterious light with his own, and then charged towards the old man like a black lightning bolt. The old man sensed Lin Yang's attack, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. He waved his staff, and a black barrier appeared before him. Lin Yang's attack struck the barrier with a loud bang, but the barrier only trembled slightly.

Lin Yang was startled. The old man's strength was incredibly powerful; judging from the power he displayed, he had probably reached the late stage of the Void Refinement realm. Lin Yang knew he couldn't fight him head-on; he had to find an opening. He moved rapidly around the old man, unleashing a barrage of sword strikes like a storm, trying to disrupt his rhythm.

Meanwhile, members of the Linghe Chamber of Commerce unleashed various magical artifacts to assist the sword cultivators in attacking the mysterious figures. Zhao Wanbao, the head of the Wanbao Pavilion, personally controlled a magical artifact—a golden compass covered in mysterious runes. After Zhao Wanbao infused it with spiritual power, the compass began to spin, and beams of golden light shot out, enveloping parts of the mysterious figures. Those enveloped in the light became sluggish, as if stuck in quagmire.

Under the combined attack of various forces, the mysterious man's army gradually showed signs of collapse. However, the leader of the mysterious men had no intention of giving up. He suddenly pulled out a black token from his pocket, on which was engraved a hideous ghost face. He held the token high and chanted a strange incantation.

As the incantation began, dark clouds suddenly filled the sky, turning the once clear sky as black as ink. A black beam of light shot out from the token, heading straight for the dark clouds. The clouds began to churn wildly, emanating faint roars. Lin Yang inwardly cried out in alarm; he knew the mysterious leader was summoning an even more powerful force.

At this moment, the cultivators within the Spirit Ruins Market all felt a powerful sense of oppression, as if an invisible hand was pressing down on their hearts. Lin Yang quickly shouted to the members of each faction, "Everyone, stay calm! Don't panic! Prepare to fight with all your might!" The members of each faction focused their attention, gripped their weapons tightly, and stood ready for battle.

The black pillar of light continuously absorbed the power from the dark clouds, growing ever thicker. Suddenly, a gigantic figure appeared within the pillar. The figure resembled a massive black Qilin, emanating a dense aura of darkness, its eyes like two burning black flames, filled with murderous intent.

The black Qilin roared, its voice shaking the earth. It raised its massive hooves and stomped towards the Spirit Ruins Market. Lin Yang knew that if the black Qilin wasn't stopped, the Spirit Ruins Market would suffer devastating damage. He quickly consulted with elders of the Spirit Sword Sect, Zhao Wanbao, and other powerful figures from various factions, deciding to jointly unleash a powerful spell to combat the black Qilin.

The powerful figures from various factions quickly took their positions, forming hand seals and chanting incantations. Lin Yang, as the core, guided the spiritual energy of everyone to converge. A powerful torrent of spiritual energy surged among them, gradually forming a massive spiritual energy shield. The shield emitted a five-colored light, resisting the dark aura of the black Qilin.

The black Qilin's hooves slammed heavily onto the spiritual energy shield, producing a deafening roar. The shield trembled violently, its light flickering, but thanks to the combined efforts of the powerful figures from various factions, it remained unbroken. Lin Yang shouted, "Hold on, everyone! We can't let it break through the shield!" Everyone gritted their teeth, channeling their spiritual energy to the fullest, maintaining the stalemate with the black Qilin.

During the fierce battle, Lin Yang keenly noticed that although the black Qilin was powerful, its dark aura would fluctuate briefly before each attack. He quickly informed everyone of this discovery and instructed them to launch a counterattack during the lulls in the black Qilin's attacks.

As the black Qilin raised its hoof to attack again, the crowd seized the opportunity, unleashing beams of multicolored light from their spiritual energy shields, like sharp swords, piercing towards the black Qilin. Struck, the black Qilin roared in pain, wounds appearing on its body from which black blood flowed.

However, the black Qilin did not retreat; it attacked the spiritual energy shield even more frantically. The situation within the Spirit Ruins Market became increasingly tense, with members of each faction fighting with all their might. The outcome of this battle would determine the survival of the Spirit Ruins Market. Lin Yang understood that they had to quickly devise a more effective way to defeat the black Qilin and repel these mysterious figures; otherwise, the Spirit Ruins Market would face annihilation. As the battle deepened, the purpose of this mysterious force became increasingly elusive. Why were they attacking the Spirit Ruins Market? What conspiracy lay behind it? All of this shrouded Lin Yang in a fog, waiting for him to uncover the truth.