The various factions from the Lingxu Market cautiously entered the mysterious valley. Inside, jagged rocks and twisted trees created a gloomy and eerie atmosphere. Strange lights occasionally flickered on the ground, seemingly concealing countless unknown dangers.

The vanguard of the Linghe Merchant Guild scouted ahead, their spirit discs spinning rapidly, emitting a faint light as they scanned for traps. Suddenly, the ground beneath one of the vanguard members began to shift. His expression changed drastically, and he shouted, "Trap!" Before his words even finished, dozens of sharp stone spikes erupted from the ground, hurtling towards the group. The vanguard members swiftly used their movement techniques to dodge in all directions. One member reacted a little slower, and his arm was cut by a stone spike, blood instantly staining his sleeve.

Upon seeing this, Lin Yang immediately shouted, "Everyone, be careful, stay alert, and don't panic!" The other members of the Linghe Chamber of Commerce quickly stepped forward to bandage the wounds of their injured companions, while simultaneously increasing their surveillance of the surrounding environment.

Continuing deeper into the valley, a narrow canyon appeared ahead. The mountain walls on both sides were steep and sheer, with vines intertwined above, forming a natural shelter. Zhao Wanbao, the head of Wanbao Pavilion, frowned as he looked at the canyon: "This place is too narrow, and we are very likely to be ambushed. Everyone, be on high alert."

Just as Zhao Wanbao had predicted, as the group entered the canyon, a group of dark figures suddenly emerged from the mountain walls on both sides. These figures were agile and wielded sharp blades, rushing towards the group like ghosts. The sword cultivators of the Spirit Sword Sect quickly formed a sword formation, their sword energy crisscrossing as they engaged the dark figures in fierce combat. The swordsmen's swords gleamed coldly in the sunlight, each strike containing powerful spiritual energy, repelling the approaching dark figures.

However, the shadowy figures seemed tireless, charging forward wave after wave. Lin Yang carefully observed their movements and discovered that while their attacks were fierce, they lacked a unified pattern, seemingly driven by some force. A thought struck him; he channeled his spiritual energy and unleashed a spell that fused with the power of the mysterious light. A beam of light shot from his hand, striking one of the shadowy figures. Enveloped in the light, the figure let out a scream, its body gradually dissipating, revealing the mechanical puppet it controlled within.

"These are mechanical puppets! Attack their cores!" Lin Yang shouted. Hearing this, everyone adjusted their attack methods. Members of the Linghe Chamber of Commerce used spiritual energy rays emitted from their magical artifacts to precisely target the puppets' cores; disciples of the Wanbao Pavilion manipulated their magical artifacts to launch wide-range attacks on the puppets. Under the combined attack of everyone, the number of shadowy puppets gradually decreased.

Just as everyone thought they had repelled the puppets, a muffled rumble suddenly came from the depths of the canyon. Immediately afterward, a massive boulder rolled down from above the canyon at incredible speed, heading straight for the group. The Spirit Sword Sect elder, his expression grave, shouted, "Sword cultivators, form a sword formation to block the boulder! The rest of you, take cover!"

The sword cultivators of the Spirit Sword Sect quickly formed a defensive sword formation, channeling their spiritual energy into their swords to create a sturdy spiritual energy barrier. The rolling boulder struck the barrier with a deafening crash, the powerful impact causing the sword cultivators' arms to go slightly numb. But they gritted their teeth, doing their utmost to maintain the barrier and prevent the boulder from breaching.

While the sword cultivators fended off the rolling boulders, members of the Linghe Chamber of Commerce quickly sought cover and led the others to safety. The disciples of the Wanbao Pavilion manipulated their magical artifacts to try and slow the boulders. For a time, everyone worked together, engaging in a thrilling battle against the rolling boulders.

After some effort, the rolling boulder finally slowed down and came to a stop. However, before everyone could even breathe a sigh of relief, countless small holes appeared on the mountain walls on both sides of the canyon. Black smoke billowed from these holes, quickly spreading and carrying a pungent odor that made everyone dizzy.

"Oh no! This smoke is poisonous! Everyone, quickly take the antidote!" Lin Yang shouted a warning. Everyone hurriedly took out the antidote pills that the Linghe Merchant Guild had prepared in advance from their storage rings. After taking them, a faint halo rose around their bodies, temporarily resisting the corrosive effects of the poisonous smoke.

Lin Yang knew that passively responding like this wasn't a solution; he had to find a way to break through the canyon as soon as possible. He once again used the power of the mysterious light to sense his surroundings. Under the influence of this power, he discovered that the source of the poisonous fog seemed to be a mechanism on the mountainside. Destroying this mechanism would stop the poisonous fog from erupting.

Lin Yang said to the Spirit Sword Sect elder beside him, "Elder, I'll go destroy the poison mist mechanism. You lead everyone to continue resisting any possible attacks." The Spirit Sword Sect elder nodded, "Don't worry, Manager Lin, leave this to us!"

Lin Yang's figure flashed, like a black lightning bolt, rushing towards the mountain wall where the mechanism was located. The mountain wall was steep, but with his superb agility and powerful spiritual energy, he moved across it as if it were flat ground. As he approached the mechanism, a group of shadowy puppets reappeared, attempting to block his way. A resolute glint flashed in Lin Yang's eyes. He unleashed a powerful sword technique, his sword gleaming brightly, and sword energy slashed towards the shadowy puppets like a surging wave. Under the impact of the sword energy, the shadowy puppets shattered one by one.

Finally, Lin Yang arrived at the mechanism. The mechanism was a black disc embedded in the mountainside, its surface covered with mysterious runes. Lin Yang circulated his spiritual energy, channeling the power of the mysterious light into the disc. The disc flickered, and the runes began to pulse violently. With a loud bang, the disc shattered, and the poisonous mist ceased its emission.

After successfully destroying the trap, Lin Yang returned to the group. The group continued their journey deeper into the canyon. They knew that even more powerful enemies and more dangerous traps might await them ahead, but they had no intention of retreating and resolutely advanced towards the core area of ​​the mysterious force.