In the fierce stalemate with the black Qilin, the atmosphere within the Spirit Ruins Market reached a fever pitch. Each attack from the black Qilin put immense pressure on the spiritual energy shield, its light flickering erratically, as if it might shatter at any moment. Lin Yang knew that such passive defense was not a long-term solution; he had to take the initiative and find a way to break the stalemate.

While maintaining his spiritual energy shield, he quickly observed the black Qilin's attack patterns and weaknesses. After several attacks, Lin Yang discovered that although the black Qilin's eyes emitted a captivating light, the flow of dark energy in its eyes would become briefly disordered whenever it launched a powerful attack. This might be its weakness.

Lin Yang immediately used a special communication artifact to inform the powerful figures of various forces of this discovery: "Everyone, pay attention to the abnormality in the black Qilin's eyes. Let's concentrate our efforts on attacking its eyes; perhaps we can find a breakthrough!" After receiving the message, everyone nodded to indicate that they understood.

As the black Qilin roared again and raised its hooves, preparing to attack, Lin Yang shouted, "Now!" The powerful figures from various factions quickly adjusted their spiritual energy output. The spiritual energy that was originally evenly distributed on the shield instantly converged into sharp beams of light, shooting towards the black Qilin's eyes like blazing suns.

The black Qilin seemed to sense the danger and tried to dodge, but the attack came too suddenly and swiftly. The light struck its eyes precisely, and the black Qilin let out a shrill scream as its massive body began to tremble violently. Black blood gushed from its eyes, and its dark aura became chaotic and disordered.

Taking advantage of the black Qilin's brief moment of confusion, Lin Yang decisively ordered, "Attack with all your might! Don't give it a chance to breathe!" The sword cultivators of the Spirit Sword Sect flew swiftly on their swords, unleashing fierce sword techniques. Streams of sword energy, like dragons emerging from the sea, slashed towards the black Qilin. The disciples of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, on the other hand, manipulated various powerful magical treasures, such as pagodas radiating multicolored light and cauldrons capable of spewing flames, launching attacks on the black Qilin. The members of the Spirit Harmony Chamber of Commerce were not to be outdone. Some threw incredibly powerful pills that exploded around the black Qilin, while others cast various auxiliary spells to enhance the effectiveness of their attacks.

Under the combined attack of the group, deep wounds appeared on the black Qilin's body, and black blood flowed down like a waterfall. Its aura gradually weakened, and the power of its attacks diminished considerably. However, the black-robed elder in the mysterious group had no intention of giving up. Seeing the black Qilin in trouble, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, and he swung his staff once more.

The black crystal at the tip of the staff shone brightly, and an even more powerful dark force surged from it, flowing into the black Qilin's body. The black Qilin's previously weakened aura instantly returned; it roared to the sky, and its wounds healed at a visible speed. Then, it opened its maw and spewed out a stream of black flames, which surged towards the spiritual energy shield like a raging tide.

This black flame was extremely hot and contained a powerful, corrosive force of darkness. The spiritual energy shield hissed under the impact of the flame, its multicolored light gradually being swallowed by the black flame. Lin Yang and the powerful figures from various factions felt unprecedented pressure; their spiritual energy was being depleted, but they still gritted their teeth and persevered.

Lin Yang understood that the black-robed elder was the key to everything. If he could defeat him, the black Qilin would lose control, and the mysterious man's team would crumble without a fight. He looked around and saw that the mysterious man's team had already suffered considerable casualties under the attacks of various forces, and the group was somewhat disorganized. Therefore, he decided to take the risk.

Lin Yang said to the elders of the Spirit Sword Sect and Zhao Wanbao, "I'll deal with that old man in black robes. You two lead everyone to continue to hold back the black Qilin." The elders of the Spirit Sword Sect and Zhao Wanbao nodded in agreement. They knew that this was a gamble of life and death, but they had no other choice at the moment.

Lin Yang took a deep breath, maximizing the power of the mysterious light and his own spiritual energy. A mysterious light surrounded his body, as if he had merged with heaven and earth. Then, he transformed into a streak of light and rushed towards the black-robed elder.

Seeing Lin Yang charging towards him, the old man in black robes sneered, "You fool, daring to throw your life away!" With that, he swung his staff, unleashing a beam of black light towards Lin Yang. Lin Yang dodged the beam with ease, then unleashed a set of exquisite sword techniques. His sword moved like a nimble dragon, his moves a blend of feints and real strikes, attacking the old man in black robes.

The black-robed elder was equally resolute. While using his staff to parry Lin Yang's attacks, he chanted incantations, preparing to unleash an even more powerful spell. Lin Yang knew he had to finish the fight quickly; otherwise, if the elder completed his spell, the situation would become even more dangerous. He increased the speed of his swordplay, each strike imbued with immense power, attempting to disrupt the elder's rhythm.

While the two were locked in fierce combat, elsewhere in the Lingxu Market, battles between various factions and the mysterious figure's group also reached a fever pitch. Members of the Linghe Merchant Guild engaged the mysterious figure in close combat, using their agility and powerful magical artifacts to fight to a standstill. The sword cultivators of the Lingjian Sect continuously changed sword formations in the air, suppressing the mysterious figure with powerful sword energy. Disciples of the Wanbao Pavilion used the power of their magical artifacts to launch ranged attacks on the mysterious figure, providing support for their melee members.

However, despite being at a disadvantage, the mysterious group seemed to have received a death order, fighting desperately without flinching. The entire Lingxu market was filled with shouts of battle and the clash of spells, thick with the smoke of war.

During the battle with the black-robed elder, Lin Yang gradually discovered that although the elder's spells were powerful, each spell required a certain amount of preparation time. He decided to seize this weakness and launch a fatal blow.

Just as the black-robed elder prepared to cast another spell, Lin Yang seized the opportunity and concentrated the power of the mysterious light into his sword. The sword shone brightly, transforming into a dazzling star. He unleashed his strongest sword technique, a massive sword aura slashing towards the black-robed elder. This sword aura contained powerful spatial force and the power of the mysterious light, tearing cracks in space wherever it passed.

The black-robed elder sensed the immense power of the sword energy. His expression changed drastically, and he attempted to interrupt his spellcasting to defend himself. However, Lin Yang's attack was too fast; he only had time to form a thin black shield in front of him. The sword energy struck the shield fiercely, shattering it instantly. The remaining force of the sword energy did not diminish, continuing to slash towards the black-robed elder.

The old man in black robes couldn't dodge in time and was struck by the sword energy. He let out a scream, his body flying backward and crashing heavily to the ground. The staff in his hand also slipped from his grasp, its light dimming.

Upon seeing the black-robed elder defeated, the black Qilin immediately lost control. Its form began to become ethereal, and its dark aura rapidly dissipated. Then, it transformed into a wisp of black smoke and vanished into the air.

Seeing the black qilin disappear and the black-robed elder defeated, the mysterious group's morale plummeted. They began to flee in all directions, and were quickly wiped out by various forces in pursuit.

Cheers erupted once more within the Lingxu Market as members of various factions embraced each other, celebrating their hard-won victory. However, Lin Yang remained vigilant. He knew that the appearance of this mysterious force was no accident; a far greater conspiracy must be lurking behind it.

Lin Yang approached the black-robed elder and found him on the verge of death. Lin Yang knelt down and asked, "Who exactly are you? Why did you attack the Spirit Ruins Market?" The black-robed elder looked at Lin Yang, his eyes filled with resentment, but he did not answer.

Lin Yang frowned; he knew it would be difficult to obtain useful information from the black-robed elder. Just then, he suddenly noticed a strange mark on the elder's body, shaped like a black butterfly and emitting a faint aura of darkness. A thought struck Lin Yang; he felt this mark might hold the key to solving the mystery.

Lin Yang carefully recorded the marks on the black-robed elder's body, then arranged for someone to properly dispose of the elder's corpse. Afterwards, he summoned the leaders of various factions for another meeting.

The atmosphere inside the meeting room was heavy. Lin Yang showed everyone the mark on the black-robed elder's body and said, "Everyone, the appearance of this mysterious force must be part of a larger conspiracy. This mark may be a key clue, and we must find out its origin as soon as possible."

Looking at the mark, Zhao Wanbao, the head of Wanbaoge Pavilion, pondered for a moment and then said, "I once saw a similar mark in an ancient book, but the specific details are now unclear. Perhaps we can look for relevant clues in Wanbaoge's library."

The elder of the Spirit Sword Sect nodded in agreement: "I also think this mark is not simple. Our Spirit Sword Sect also has some ancient books, perhaps we can find some clues in them."

Lin Yang said, "Alright, we'll split into two groups. Pavilion Master Zhao will lead the Wanbaoge people to search for clues in the library, while the Lingjian Sect elders will lead the Lingjian Sect disciples to search in the sect's records. I will have the Linghe Chamber of Commerce's intelligence personnel inquire about this mark inside and outside the Lingxu Market. Everyone must be careful, and notify me immediately if you make any discoveries."

Everyone accepted the order and departed. Lin Yang knew that this was only the first step in unraveling the mystery; the road ahead was long and fraught with unknown dangers. But he firmly believed that as long as all forces united, they would surely uncover the conspiracy behind this mysterious force and protect the Lingxu Market.

In the days that followed, intelligence agents from the Linghe Chamber of Commerce searched high and low within and around the Lingxu Market, but to no avail. The Wanbaoge Pavilion scoured countless ancient texts in its library, but found no definitive record of the mark. Disciples of the Lingjian Sect searched their sect's records, but similarly found nothing.

Just as everyone was feeling somewhat discouraged, an intelligence agent from the Linghe Chamber of Commerce suddenly brought news. He had encountered an old cultivator who had lived in seclusion for many years in a remote corner of the Lingxu Market. Upon seeing the mark, the old cultivator's expression changed drastically. He told the intelligence agent that the mark seemed to be related to an ancient dark organization.

Upon learning this news, Lin Yang immediately took the mark to the old cultivator. The old cultivator looked at the mark in Lin Yang's hand and slowly said, "This mark should be the symbol of the 'Dark Butterfly Alliance.' This organization has existed for a long time, always hiding in the shadows, engaging in all sorts of evil deeds. It is said that they are searching for a mysterious treasure, a treasure said to possess immense power capable of changing the entire landscape of the cultivation world."

Lin Yang was startled. He hadn't expected this mysterious force to be so ancient, and to be searching for a treasure that could change the landscape of the cultivation world. He asked, "Senior, do you know what treasure they are looking for?" The old cultivator shook his head and said, "I don't know exactly what treasure it is. I've only heard that it's related to an ancient legend in the Spirit Ruins Market."

A thought struck Lin Yang. He recalled that the attack by the extraterrestrial demons seemed to be related to an ancient legend from the Spirit Ruins Market. Could there be a connection between the two? Lin Yang decided to investigate this ancient legend further, believing it might hold the key to unraveling all the mysteries.

After thanking the old cultivator, Lin Yang returned to the Linghe Chamber of Commerce. He summoned the leaders of various factions again and told them the news he had received from the old cultivator. Everyone was shocked upon hearing it.

Lin Yang said, "Everyone, it seems that the situation we are facing is more complicated than we imagined. There may be some connection between this 'Dark Butterfly Alliance' and the extraterrestrial demonic shadows, and they are both related to the ancient legends of the Spirit Ruins Market. We must find out the truth of this ancient legend as soon as possible in order to find a solution."

Thus, the various factions sprang into action once more. They began searching both inside and outside the Spirit Ruins Market for clues related to the ancient legends. Members of the Spirit Union Merchant Guild inquired far and wide, speaking with elderly cultivators in an attempt to glean information about the ancient tales. The sword cultivators of the Spirit Sword Sect ventured deep into the mountains and ruins surrounding the Spirit Ruins Market, searching for possible connections to the legends. The Wanbao Pavilion, meanwhile, utilized its intelligence network to gather information on a much wider scale.

Thanks to everyone's efforts, some fragments of information about the ancient legend have finally been found. It is said that beneath the Lingxu Market lies an ancient ruin. This ruin was built by a powerful ancient being and contains a mysterious treasure. This treasure possesses immense power, but it also comes with great danger. Only by solving a series of puzzles and trials can the treasure be found.

Upon learning this news, Lin Yang decided to lead the various factions into the ruins to investigate. He knew this would be a dangerous adventure, but to unravel the mystery and protect the Spirit Ruins Market, he had no other choice. Therefore, Lin Yang discussed the plan to enter the ruins with the leaders of the various factions, preparing to face the upcoming challenge.