Despite the relentless onslaught of shadowy figures, the team members fought a fierce battle, their fighting spirit undiminished. The experts from the Linghe Merchant Guild, while casting spells, shouted, "This can't go on! We need to find the source of the shadowy figures and solve the problem at its root!"

The elder of the Spirit Sword Sect nodded, his gaze resolute, and said, "Everyone, maintain the sword formation and advance slowly. At the same time, pay attention to the surrounding spiritual energy fluctuations and find the source of the dark shadow." The sword cultivators held fast to the sword formation, resisting the attacks of the dark shadow, and moved forward steadily.

The disciples of Wanbaoge manipulated their magical artifacts, releasing even more powerful spiritual energy fluctuations in an attempt to dispel the surrounding mist and gain a clearer view of the situation. The "Flaming Dragon Cauldron" operated at full power, its blazing flames illuminating the surrounding darkness and temporarily repelling some of the shadowy figures. The lightning released by the "Nine Heavens Thunder Pearl" darted through the mist like silver snakes, striking and dissipating any approaching shadowy figures.

As the group struggled forward, a master from the Linghe Merchant Guild, skilled in tracking spiritual energy fluctuations, sensed something amiss. Following the direction of the energy fluctuations, he carefully searched through the mist and finally discovered a black stone emitting an eerie light. The stone's surface was covered with mysterious runes, and as the runes flickered, shadowy figures continuously emerged from them.

"It's this stone that's causing the trouble!" the expert shouted.

The sword cultivators of the Spirit Sword Sect immediately diverted some of their strength to rush towards the black stone. However, the shadowy figures seemed to sense the danger and attacked the sword cultivators even more frantically, trying to stop them from getting closer to the stone. The sword cultivators unleashed their fierce sword skills, engaging the shadowy figures in close combat. Sword energy crisscrossed, shattering the approaching shadowy figures, but there were simply too many of them, making each step forward extremely difficult for the sword cultivators.

Seeing this, the disciples of Wanbaoge used their magical artifacts to support the sword cultivators. The flames of the "Flaming Dragon Cauldron" formed a wall of fire around the sword cultivators, blocking the attacks of the dark figures; the lightning released by the "Nine Heavens Thunder Pearl" cleared a path in front of the sword cultivators.

With everyone working together, the sword cultivators finally approached the black stone. The expert from the Linghe Merchant Guild quickly stepped forward to study the runes on the stone. After some effort, he discovered how to decipher them. He then channeled spiritual energy into the runes in a specific order. As the energy flowed, the runes shimmered, and the speed at which the black shadows emerged gradually slowed.

Finally, with a flash of light, the runes on the black stone all went out, and the shadows vanished. The mist began to dissipate, and the entrance to the Dark Abyss clearly appeared before everyone's eyes.

The entrance was a huge cave, filled with a pungent, putrid stench. The cave walls were covered with all sorts of evil patterns and runes, which emitted a dark red glow, as if telling ancient, sinister secrets.

The team members cautiously entered the cave. The passages inside were winding and twisting. As they moved forward, the surrounding temperature dropped lower and lower, as if it could freeze their souls.

As they continued their journey, they discovered traces left by members of the Shadow Society, including discarded black robes and rudimentary maps. These traces indicated that the Shadow Society was indeed planning something in this area.

Continuing deeper, they arrived at a vast underground space. In the center of the space, a dark altar exuded a chilling aura. Various malevolent offerings were placed on the altar, surrounded by a ring of black crystal pillars. The crystal pillars were inscribed with runes, which flickered with an eerie light, echoing the altar's power.

The experts of the Linghe Merchant Guild carefully studied the runes on the altar and crystal pillars, attempting to decipher the Shadow Society's conspiracy. After much effort, they finally uncovered part of the secret. It turned out that the Shadow Society planned to use the power of the Dark Abyss on the night of the full moon to summon an ancient dark demon god through this altar. Once summoned, this demon god would possess world-destroying power, enough to destroy the Lingxu Market and even the entire cultivation world.

"We must stop them!" Lin Yang said firmly through a communication talisman after receiving the news. The team members knew the mission was arduous, but they showed no sign of backing down. They began searching for a way to destroy the altar. A final battle against the "Shadow Society" was about to begin, and whether they could successfully stop the summoning of the Dark God and save the Spirit Ruins Market and the cultivation world was shrouded in suspense.