Su Ran and the others rushed back to the Spirit Ruins Market to inform Lin Yang and the heads of various sects that the leader of the mysterious force was planning to gather even stronger forces to launch an attack. The atmosphere in the Spirit Ruins Market instantly became tense. A great battle concerning the survival of the cultivation world was imminent, and no one dared to slack off in the slightest. They immediately began intensive preparations.
Lin Yang quickly convened an emergency meeting with representatives from various sects. Inside the hall, everyone sat together, their faces serious. Lin Yang spoke first: "Although the mysterious force has suffered a temporary setback, their leader has not given up. On the contrary, he is secretly gathering even stronger forces. We must be fully prepared."
The head of Wanbaoge Pavilion said, "Our Wanbaoge Pavilion will increase the production of magical artifacts, especially those designed to counter the special techniques and traps of mysterious forces, and strive to distribute them to everyone as soon as possible." After speaking, he unfolded the blueprints in his hand and introduced the newly developed magical artifacts in detail, such as the "Clear Breeze Purifying Banner" that can dispel dark mist and the "Mysterious Ice Heart-Protecting Armor" that can resist black flames.
The elder of the Spirit Sword Sect said with a resolute expression: "All sword cultivators of the Spirit Sword Sect are ready for battle. We will further strengthen our sword formation training and conduct drills targeting the tactical characteristics of the mysterious forces, so as to maximize our power on the battlefield." He mentioned combining sword formations with movement techniques to enhance the mobility and attack power of sword cultivators in complex environments.
The sect leader of Qingyun Sect stroked his beard and said, "Qingyun Sect will strengthen the cultivation and improvement of spells, especially group attack and defense spells. At the same time, we will arrange for our disciples to prepare sufficient spiritual energy recovery pills to ensure the supply of spiritual energy during battle." He also mentioned that he planned to use the feng shui techniques that Qingyun Sect was good at to arrange favorable terrain on the battlefield.
The Palace Master of Zixiao Palace also spoke, saying, "Zixiao Palace will send disciples skilled in talismanic arts to create a large number of attack, defense, and support talismans, which will be distributed to the alliance members to aid in the battle." She demonstrated several powerful talismans, such as the "Spirit Gathering Talisman" which can instantly boost spiritual power, and the "Heavenly Guardian Talisman" which can create a shield at critical moments.
After the meeting, all sects immediately sprang into action. Inside the Wanbao Pavilion, furnaces blazed brightly as the weapon refiners worked day and night, manipulating complex refining arrays to produce magical treasures with all their might. They poured precious spiritual materials into the furnaces, using spiritual power to meticulously forge the treasures, the air filled with intense fluctuations of spiritual energy.
The sword cultivators of the Spirit Sword Sect were sweating profusely on the training ground, constantly practicing their sword formations. Su Ran personally instructed them, loudly shouting the commands for changing the sword formations: "Sword shadows intertwine, illusions and reality coexist, change formations!" The sword cultivators moved nimbly, their sword energy crisscrossing, and the sword formations changed like flowing clouds and water, striving for perfect coordination.
The disciples of the Qingyun Sect practiced their spells in the valley, and a massive pillar of spiritual energy shot into the sky, illuminating the entire valley. The elders provided guidance, correcting minor flaws in the disciples' spellcasting and enhancing its power.
The talisman masters of Zixiao Palace focused intently on drawing talismans. Using spiritual energy as ink and special paper as a medium, they inscribed runes upon them. When a talisman was successfully drawn, it shimmered with light, radiating a mysterious power.
Meanwhile, the Linghe Chamber of Commerce's intelligence agents were even busier, moving like ghosts through every corner of the cultivation world, gathering the latest intelligence on the mysterious force. They met with informants in various locations, leaving no clue unchecked. One agent met with an informant in a secluded cave, who whispered, "I heard that the leader of the mysterious force found a powerful artifact in an ancient ruin, which seems to be able to compensate for the loss of his strength after losing the spiritual power amplification array." The agent was startled and immediately relayed this news back to the Lingxu Market.
Upon learning this, Lin Yang frowned. "It seems the mysterious force's strength is about to increase again. We must speed up our preparations and find a way to uncover the specific information and weaknesses of this artifact." He quickly arranged for more intelligence agents to conduct in-depth investigations into the artifact.
Meanwhile, in the mysterious force's camp, their leader sat grimly on his throne. "I never expected they could actually break the 'Dark Trap,' ruining my plans!" He slammed his hand on the armrest, his eyes flashing with venomous resentment.
The man in the blood-red robe knelt to the side and said cautiously, "Leader, please calm down. We are speeding up the gathering of our forces, and the artifact you obtained will surely help us turn the tide in the upcoming battle."
The leader of the mysterious force snorted coldly: "Hmph, I hope so. Pass on my orders to have all members accelerate their cultivation progress. At the same time, send a group of elites to infiltrate the vicinity of the Spirit Ruins Market to gather intelligence on their defensive deployments and troop distribution."
"Yes, leader!" The man in the blood-red robe accepted the order and left.
Soon after, a group of elites from a mysterious force quietly set off, using stealth techniques to sneak towards the Spirit Ruins Market. Like venomous snakes in the darkness, they prepared to deliver a fatal blow at the opportune moment.
At the Spirit Ruins Market, while preparations were proceeding smoothly and efficiently, danger was quietly approaching. With the mysterious force sending out spies, the market's defensive deployments risked being leaked. Furthermore, information regarding the mysterious force's artifact remained vague, a heavy cloud hanging over everyone's hearts. On the eve of the great battle, both sides were secretly vying for dominance; an unprecedented and intense clash was about to erupt. What would become of the cultivation world?
At the Lingxu Market, Lin Yang convened a meeting with the leaders of various sects to discuss countermeasures once again. "Now that the mysterious force has the aid of a divine artifact, and may send people to infiltrate and gather intelligence, our defensive deployment must be adjusted," Lin Yang said.
An elder from the Spirit Sword Sect suggested, "We can set up multiple concealed sword formations around the Spirit Ruins Market. Once an unidentified person approaches, the sword formations will be automatically triggered. At the same time, we should arrange for sword cultivators to patrol secretly and strengthen vigilance."
The sect leader of Qingyun Sect nodded in agreement: "In addition, we can use Qingyun Sect's 'Illusory Spirit Mist Technique' to create an illusionary area around the Spirit Ruins Market, disrupting the enemy's vision and making it difficult for them to figure out our true deployment."
The Palace Master of Zixiao Palace also suggested: "Zixiao Palace can provide a batch of tracking talismans to be placed around the Lingxu Market. If an enemy infiltrates, the talismans can track their movements, making it easier for us to capture them."
Everyone offered suggestions and quickly devised a new defense plan. Subsequently, each sect acted swiftly according to the plan. The sword cultivators of the Spirit Sword Sect set up a sword array around the Spirit Ruins Market, cleverly concealing the sword array runes among the rocks and trees, waiting for the enemy to take the bait.
The disciples of the Qingyun Sect cast the "Illusory Spirit Mist Technique," and a thin layer of colorful mist gradually enveloped the area surrounding the Spirit Ruins Market. Within the mist, phantoms appeared one after another, dazzling the eyes.
The disciples of Zixiao Palace placed tracking talismans at various key locations. The talismans emitted a faint light and remained invisible.
However, the elite spies of the mysterious force were cunning. As they approached the Spirit Ruins Market, they sensed something amiss. "Be careful, something strange seems off here; the spiritual energy fluctuations are somewhat disordered," one spies whispered to his companion.
They proceeded cautiously, using special magical artifacts to detect dangers in their surroundings. Suddenly, one of the scouts triggered a tracking talisman from the Purple Cloud Palace. The talisman flashed and quickly attached itself to him. "Damn it!" the scout thought to himself, realizing the situation was dire.
Seeing this, the other scouts immediately prepared to retreat. But at this moment, the concealed sword formation set up by the Spirit Sword Sect was triggered. Countless sword energies shot out from all directions, blocking their retreat. "Looks like we've been discovered, let's fight!" one of the scouts shouted, and everyone cast spells in an attempt to break through the sword formation.
The guards inside the Lingxu Market noticed the commotion and quickly rushed to provide support.
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