Inside the Lingxu Market, the atmosphere instantly turned tense when Lin Yang and the heads of various factions heard the news of a mysterious force appearing in the Southern Wilderness and colluding with the "Dark Alliance." The president of the Linghe Chamber of Commerce immediately gave a detailed report on the intelligence they currently possessed.
"This mysterious force has been operating in secrecy since its emergence. However, our intelligence network has still managed to glean some crucial information. They have lured numerous independent cultivators and small factions with substantial sums of money and cultivation techniques, quickly building a sizable army within just a few months. It is estimated that their numbers are at least a thousand. Moreover, their training is extremely rigorous, and judging from the spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from the valley, their strength should not be underestimated." The Chamber of Commerce president frowned, his expression serious.
The Pavilion Master of Wanbaoge stroked his beard and pondered, "Such a large-scale mobilization and secret training of people suggests that their goal is probably not just targeting the Lingxu market, but perhaps they are attempting to dominate the entire cultivation world."
The elder of the Spirit Sword Sect nodded in agreement: "That is indeed possible. We currently know nothing about their techniques, magical treasures, or equipment, so this battle will likely be difficult. The most urgent task is to send elite troops to investigate thoroughly and find out their true strength."
After a moment of contemplation, Lin Yang said with a firm gaze, "That's right, gathering intelligence is crucial. But since this force is so cautious, the scouts we send out must be highly skilled and operate discreetly, without alerting them."
After some discussion, the Lingxu Market decided to send a joint reconnaissance team composed of elites from the Lingjian Sect, Wanbao Pavilion, and Linghe Chamber of Commerce. The Lingjian Sect dispatched five top sword cultivators, led by Su Ran, who possessed a clear sword heart; they were agile and had superb swordsmanship. Wanbao Pavilion sent Chen Feng, a weapon refiner skilled in concealment and deciphering mechanisms, and Zhao Yu, who was proficient in the properties of various magical treasures. The Linghe Chamber of Commerce selected Li Yue, who had extensive experience in intelligence gathering, and Wang Hu, who was highly skilled in tracking.
The joint exploration team quickly set off, traveling day and night towards the Southern Wilderness. Upon entering the Southern Wilderness, they clearly sensed something was amiss. In the once tranquil mountains and forests, they occasionally saw cultivators hurrying about, emanating an unfamiliar aura, clearly summoned by a mysterious force.
"Everyone be careful, we're probably getting close to their territory," Su Ran whispered a warning. The group then used their stealth techniques to proceed cautiously.
Before long, they arrived at the outer edge of the training valley of the mysterious force. The valley was shrouded in a faint spiritual energy barrier, with strange runes flashing on it, clearly intended to prevent spying and surprise attacks.
Chen Feng carefully observed the spiritual energy barrier, took out some specially made tools and talismans, and began to study how to break it. "This barrier is a bit tricky. The arrangement of the runes is very ingenious. It should be the work of a master of formations." As Chen Feng spoke, he injected spiritual energy into the talismans, trying to interfere with the operation of the barrier's spiritual energy.
Meanwhile, Li Yue and Wang Hu searched the surrounding area for patrolling guards. "Strange, we didn't see any patrolling people around here. Are they overconfident in the barrier's defenses?" Wang Hu wondered.
Li Yue frowned: "It might not be that simple. Be careful, there might be a trap."
Just then, Chen Feng excitedly said, "Found it! This rune node is the key. As long as we break through here, we can temporarily open a gap." After saying that, he affixed a specially made talisman to the rune node, and then he and Zhao Yu poured spiritual power into it. The talisman shone brightly, and the light on the rune node began to flicker, and a gap as tall as a person appeared in the barrier.
"Quick, now's the time!" Su Ran whispered, and the group quickly passed through the gap and entered the valley. Inside the valley, rows of simple tents were scattered in an orderly fashion, and many cultivators were engaged in intense training. Some were practicing sword formations, while others were cultivating spells, with shouts of battle and fluctuations of spiritual energy rising and falling.
"Look at their sword formation; it integrates multiple different techniques, yet they manage to coordinate and unify them. It's clearly been meticulously designed." Su Ran observed the training scene, secretly on guard.
Zhao Yu, meanwhile, paid attention to the magical treasures used by the cultivators: "Although these magical treasures are not top-tier, their strength lies in their large number and their coordination, making them formidable in actual combat."
Li Yue and Wang Hu secretly infiltrated the camp area, attempting to find clues about the leader of the mysterious force and their plans. In a large tent, they discovered a map marking the locations of the Lingxu Market and several other major cultivation sects, marked with red crosses and arrows—clearly a battle plan.
"It seems they really are after the Lingxu Market and the other major sects." Li Yue carefully put away the map, preparing to take it back for further study.
Just as they were preparing to evacuate, a sharp alarm suddenly blared through the valley. "Oh no, we've been discovered!" Wang Hu's expression changed.
It turned out that they had triggered a hidden, small spiritual energy trap when they entered the valley. Although the trap wasn't very powerful, it was enough to sound an alarm. Instantly, the cultivators in the valley stopped training and rushed towards their location.
"Everyone, stand back to back and prepare for battle!" Su Ran quickly drew his sword, and the other team members also got ready for battle.
A group of cultivators surrounded them in a fan shape. One of them, a man in a black robe, stepped forward and sneered, "Hmph, spies from the Spirit Ruins Market, you've got some nerve, daring to infiltrate our camp. Now that you're here, don't even think about leaving alive!"
With that, the black-robed man waved his hand, and the surrounding cultivators immediately unleashed various spells, attacking the joint reconnaissance team. In an instant, spiritual energy flashed, and spells rained down upon them.
Undeterred, Su Ran and the others unleashed the Spirit Sword Sect's "Spirit Shadow Illusion Sword," their figures weaving through the spells like phantoms. With a flourish of his sword, beams of sword energy shot forth, shattering any approaching spells. The other sword cultivators swiftly formed a sword array, its gleaming light repelling wave after wave of attacks.
Chen Feng and Zhao Yu weren't idle either. Chen Feng quickly set up several small defensive mechanisms, temporarily halting the enemy's attack. Zhao Yu then took out the "Spirit Rhinoceros Thunder Pearl," a magical artifact specially made by the Wanbao Pavilion, and threw it towards the densely packed enemy area. "Boom!" The Thunder Pearl exploded, and powerful lightning instantly spread out, numbing the surrounding cultivators and temporarily rendering them unable to fight.
Under the protection of the sword formation, Li Yue and Wang Hu searched for an opportunity to break through. "This can't go on. The enemy keeps coming. We must break through as soon as possible," Li Yue said.
Wang Hu nodded: "I observed that the defense over there is relatively weak, so we'll break through from there."
Hearing their conversation, Su Ran shouted, "Alright, everyone listen to my command, concentrate your forces and launch an attack over there, charge out!"
Upon hearing this, everyone channeled their spiritual energy to its maximum, unleashing their strongest spells in the direction Wang Hu had indicated. Under the powerful impact of their spiritual energy, a gap appeared in the enemy's encirclement.
"Go!" Su Ran ordered, and the group rushed towards the gap. However, just as they were about to break through the encirclement, the man in black robes suddenly cast a strange spell. He chanted incantations, his hands rapidly forming hand seals, and black stone pillars suddenly rose from the ground, blocking their path.
"Want to leave? Not so easy!" the man in black robes sneered.
Can the joint reconnaissance team break through the black-robed man's obstruction and successfully escape? What role will the intelligence they bring back play in the Lingxu Market's response to the mysterious forces? The situation becomes increasingly critical, and a life-or-death struggle unfolds fiercely in the mysterious forces' training valley.
At this critical moment, Su Ran's eyes sharpened, knowing that a swift victory was imperative. He concentrated all his spiritual power into his sword, unleashing the Spirit Sword Sect's top-tier sword technique, "Sword Controlling Heaven and Earth." The sword shone brightly, and a massive, five-colored sword aura soared into the sky, slashing towards the black stone pillar with earth-shattering force.
"Boom!" The sword energy collided with the stone pillar, unleashing a deafening roar. The black stone pillar shattered instantly under the impact of the sword energy, turning into countless black powder particles that scattered in the air.
"Hurry up!" Su Ran shouted. Before the man in black robes could recover from his shock, the group quickly passed through the gap and rushed out of the valley.
Upon seeing this, the man in black robes roared, "Don't let them get away! Chase them!" The cultivators behind him immediately gave chase.
Knowing they couldn't afford to linger, the joint reconnaissance team used their full mobility to traverse the mountains and forests. As Su Ran ran, he kept an eye on the pursuers behind him. He noticed that the man in black robes was leading a group of powerful cultivators in hot pursuit, while the other cultivators were gradually falling behind.
“We can’t get rid of them like this, we have to think of a way,” Su Ran said.
Chen Feng quickly took out some specially made talismans from his pocket and said, "I have 'Bewitching Talismans' and 'Spirit-Trapping Talismans' here, which may be able to delay them for a while."
After saying that, Chen Feng threw the "Bewitching Talisman" on the ground. The talisman instantly transformed into a cloud of mist, enveloping the mountains and forests behind him. At the same time, he also placed the "Spirit-Trapping Talisman" in the mist. Once someone entered the mist, it would trigger the power of the talisman and trap them for a period of time.
The man in black robes and his companions chased into the mist, immediately plunging into chaos. "What the hell is that? Everyone be careful, don't fall into a trap!" the man in black robes shouted.
However, several cultivators had already triggered the "Spirit-Binding Talisman," becoming bound by spiritual power and unable to move. The black-robed man was furious, but dared not advance rashly, and could only lead the remaining people forward cautiously.
Taking advantage of the situation, the joint reconnaissance team widened the distance with their pursuers and successfully escaped the pursuit of the man in black robes and his group. They rushed back to the Lingxu Market and handed over the intelligence and maps they had gathered to Lin Yang and the others.
Lin Yang looked at the markings and battle plan on the map with a solemn expression: "It seems that this mysterious force is ambitious. Not only does it want to deal with our Lingxu Market, but it also wants to annex other major cultivation sects and dominate the cultivation world."
Looking at the map, the Pavilion Master of Wanbaoge analyzed, "Judging from their plan, they intend to concentrate their forces to attack the Lingxu Market first, because we are located in the center of the cultivation world. If they can take us down, they can use this as a base to further expand their power."
The elder of the Spirit Sword Sect nodded and said, "Moreover, they are well prepared, and their cultivation techniques and magic treasures have been carefully arranged. We cannot let our guard down."
After a moment of contemplation, Lin Yang said, "We must unite with other major cultivation sects as soon as possible to jointly fight against this mysterious force. At the same time, we must also strengthen our own defenses and improve our strength. Wanbaoge should accelerate the development of targeted magic weapons, Lingjian Sect should strengthen sword cultivator training, and Linghe Chamber of Commerce should continue to collect intelligence on the mysterious force, especially information about their leader."
The leaders of each faction received their orders and departed, and the Lingxu Market immediately began intensive preparations for battle. Inside the Wanbao Pavilion, the weapon refiners worked day and night, developing a series of magical artifacts to counter the mysterious forces based on their techniques and the characteristics of their magical treasures. These included the "Spirit Disturbance Bead," which could interfere with the opponent's spiritual energy circulation, and the "Forbidden-Breaking Sword," which could break through the opponent's defensive barriers.
The Spirit Sword Sect organized high-intensity combat drills for its sword cultivators, developing various strategies to counter the mysterious force's sword formations and spells. The sword cultivators sweated profusely on the training grounds, continuously improving their strength and combat skills.
The Linghe Chamber of Commerce's intelligence agents are spread throughout the cultivation world, deeply investigating the mysterious forces' every move. They frequently meet with informants in various locations, collecting all sorts of intelligence in an attempt to uncover the true face of the mysterious forces' leader.
Meanwhile, in the southern wilderness, within the camp of a mysterious force, a man in black robes knelt before a massive throne, reporting the situation to the person on the throne.
"Chief, we've discovered the spies sent by the Spirit Ruins Market, but they still managed to escape." The man in black robes lowered his head, not daring to look directly at the person on the throne.
The person on the throne let out a sinister laugh: "Hmph, so what if they ran away? What can they do even if they find out? Our plan is ready. The Spirit Ruins Market and other major cultivation sects will become our stepping stones."
"Yes, the leader is wise!" the man in black robes replied hastily.
"Continue to intensify training without the slightest slackening. Once our strength is fully prepared, we will launch a general offensive against the Lingxu Market!" The person on the throne stood up, exuding a powerful and evil aura.
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