The Lingxu Market steadily progressed in its post-war reconstruction and development; however, the lingering threat of the "Shadow Society" continued to loom over everyone's minds. Just as the Lingxu Market's cooperation with various cultivation sects was becoming increasingly close, a mysterious clue quietly surfaced, opening up a new path of exploration for everyone.

During a mission, a senior intelligence agent of the Linghe Merchant Guild encountered a mysterious rogue cultivator. This cultivator kept a low profile but seemed to know many secrets. In their conversation, he inadvertently revealed a startling clue about the "Shadow Society"—in the far west, there was a forgotten ancient ruin, said to hold the key to restraining the dark power of the "Shadow Society."

The intelligence officer keenly recognized the importance of this lead and immediately brought it back to the Lingxu Market, presenting it to Lin Yang. Upon learning of it, Lin Yang dared not delay and quickly summoned the heads of various factions. Inside the council hall of the Linghe Chamber of Commerce, the atmosphere was heavy yet filled with anticipation.

Lin Yang explained the clues provided by the mysterious rogue cultivator to everyone in detail, saying, "Everyone, this clue may be the key to our complete defeat of the 'Shadow Society.' However, the far west is a long way away and full of unknown dangers, so we must proceed with caution."

Zhao Wanbao, the head of Wanbaoge Pavilion, stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before saying, "If we can truly find a way to restrain the dark power of the 'Shadow Society,' it's worth trying no matter the cost. But we need to be fully prepared, as the far west may have all sorts of strange formations and powerful guardian beasts."

The elder of the Spirit Sword Sect nodded in agreement: "That's right. On this trip to the far west, we sword cultivators can act as the vanguard and pave the way for everyone. However, we also need to unite the strength of various forces and cooperate with each other in order to deal with various emergencies."

After a heated discussion, the group decided to form an elite exploration team to travel to the far west in search of ancient ruins. The team consisted of elite sword cultivators from the Spirit Sword Sect, disciples from the Myriad Treasures Pavilion skilled in magical artifacts and runes, and experts from the Spirit Harmony Merchant Guild proficient in divination and tracking techniques.

Before their departure, each faction prepared ample supplies and powerful magical artifacts for the exploration team. The Wanbao Pavilion equipped its members with specially made "Ten Thousand Mile Transmission Talismans" to maintain contact in emergencies, and "Spiritual Detection Mirrors" capable of detecting hidden dangers and spiritual energy fluctuations in the surroundings. The Linghe Merchant Guild provided a large quantity of healing pills, fasting pills, and various rune items for breaking formations. The sword cultivators of the Lingjian Sect honed their sword techniques and sword formations to their peak, ready to face any potential battles.

The exploration team set off one early morning. Flying on their swords, they traversed towering mountains and sped towards the far west. Along the way, they vigilantly observed their surroundings, not daring to let their guard down for a moment. As they ventured deeper into the far west, the weather gradually worsened; howling winds, dense clouds, and eerie flashes of lightning occasionally streaked across the sky.

Upon arriving at a vast desert, they encountered their first challenge. A mysterious mist permeated the desert, seemingly concealing some powerful force that interfered with their senses. The experts from the Linghe Merchant Guild retrieved their detection artifacts, carefully studying the source and characteristics of the mist.

After some investigation, they discovered that the fog was created by an ancient formation designed to prevent outsiders from entering the depths of the desert. The guild's experts used their esoteric skills to try and break the formation. They searched the desert for the formation's core, and after a difficult search, finally found it beneath a sand dune.

The core of the formation was a black stone emitting an eerie light, surrounded by mysterious runes. The guild's experts carefully triggered the runes in a specific order, attempting to deactivate the formation. However, just as the formation was about to break, a horde of sand beasts surged from the ground. These lion-like beasts, covered in hard sand armor, opened their gaping maws and pounced towards the group.

The sword cultivators of the Spirit Sword Sect quickly formed a sword formation, their sword energy crisscrossing as they engaged in a fierce battle with the sand beasts. The swords struck the sand beasts' armor, sending up clouds of sand. The sand beasts were incredibly strong and numerous, putting considerable pressure on the sword cultivators.

The disciples of Wanbaoge manipulated their magical artifacts to launch ranged attacks on the sand beasts. The flames spewed from the "Flame Dragon Cauldron" engulfed a group of sand beasts, causing them to roar in agony. The lightning released by the "Nine Heavens Thunder Pearl" also exploded within the sand beast horde, plunging them into chaos.

With everyone's combined attack, the number of sand beasts gradually decreased. Taking advantage of this, the experts from the Linghe Merchant Guild accelerated their efforts to break the formation, finally succeeding in shutting it down. The mist gradually dissipated, revealing a road deep in the desert.

The exploration team continued their journey, and at the edge of the desert, a towering mountain range appeared, shrouded in a dense layer of spiritual energy, faintly exuding a mysterious and powerful aura. The group knew that ancient ruins might lie within this mountain range, but what unknown challenges awaited them ahead?