The elite team dispatched by Lingxu Market sped through the mountains and forests, rapidly advancing towards the mysterious valley. Along the way, everyone wore solemn expressions, each employing their movement techniques to minimize the noise. The sword cultivators of the Lingjian Sect flew on their swords with agile movements; the disciples of the Wanbao Pavilion used the power of their magical treasures to leave behind dazzling streaks of light in the air; and the intelligence experts of the Linghe Chamber of Commerce silently moved through the woods using exquisite concealment techniques.
As they approached the mysterious valley, a sinister and eerie atmosphere enveloped them. The valley was shrouded in thick fog, from which a stench of decay emanated, making one want to vomit.
"Be careful, this fog is strange; it might contain poisonous miasma," a skilled intelligence officer from the Linghe Merchant Guild whispered a warning. Everyone circulated their spiritual energy, forming a protective shield in front of them to resist the fog's corrosive effects.
Upon entering the valley, an eerie silence descended, broken only by the occasional strange bird calls. The team members proceeded cautiously, constantly alert to any movement around them. Suddenly, one of the swordsmen stopped and pointed to the ground ahead, saying, "Look, there are fresh footprints here. They must have been left by that group of men in black."
The group gathered around, carefully observing the direction of the footprints. The footprints were haphazard, but generally led deeper into the valley. "Follow them, let's see what they're up to," the team leader, a senior swordsman from the Spirit Sword Sect, whispered.
Following the footprints, the team continued deeper into the valley. After walking for a while, a dilapidated temple appeared ahead. The temple's doors were ajar, and a faint, eerie light shone through.
"This temple has an eerie aura, everyone be careful," a disciple of Wanbaoge said warily, gripping his magical artifact tightly.
The team members slowly approached the temple, peering through the crack in the door. Inside, they saw a massive black statue with a ferocious face, radiating a strong aura of evil. In front of the statue, a group of men in black were sitting together, seemingly performing some kind of ritual.
"What are they doing?" a sword cultivator asked in a low voice.
"I don't know, but judging from this situation, it's definitely not good news," the intelligence expert replied.
Just then, a man in black suddenly stood up and said loudly, "Gentlemen, our mission is of utmost importance. The leader of the 'Dark Alliance' has ordered us to gather enough evil spiritual power here to activate an ancient artifact. Once the artifact appears, the Spirit Ruins Market will be utterly vulnerable!"
"What? An ancient artifact?" The team members were shocked. They knew that ancient artifacts were incredibly powerful, and if the "Dark Alliance" obtained them, the consequences would be unimaginable.
“We must stop them,” the squad leader whispered. The others nodded, preparing for a surprise attack.
However, just as they were preparing to act, they suddenly heard a slight noise behind them. A sense of foreboding washed over them, and they quickly turned around to see a group of men in black surrounding them from all sides. It turned out that they had been spotted by the enemy as they approached the temple.
"Hmph, you think you can sneak in unnoticed? Today is your death day!" a man dressed as the leader of the men in black shouted.
After saying this, the men in black unleashed their evil spells, and black smoke and flames swept towards the team members. The team members from the Spirit Ruins Market reacted quickly, and the sword cultivators of the Spirit Sword Sect immediately formed a sword formation. The "Spirit Concealing Demon-Suppressing Sword Formation" was instantly deployed, with numerous sword shadows and crisscrossing sword energy, which blocked the incoming evil spells.
The disciples of Wanbaoge manipulated their magical artifacts to launch a counterattack against the men in black. The "Eroding Yin Demon-Slaying Pestle" released powerful yang energy, its light flashing and dispelling the black smoke; the "Spirit Shadow Tracking Crossbow" continuously fired bolts, accurately targeting the men in black.
The Linghe Chamber of Commerce's intelligence experts used stealth techniques to quietly circle behind the men in black, attempting to find an opportunity to disrupt their ritual.
The battle erupted instantly, with magical light flashing before the temple and shouts of battle deafening. The black-clad figures were numerous and each possessed considerable strength; their malevolent spells were endless, putting immense pressure on the team members.
"Everyone stay calm! Don't panic! We can definitely defeat them!" the squad leader shouted as he fended off the enemy's attacks.
The team members from the Spirit Ruins Market coordinated their attacks, their sword formations and magical artifacts working in unison. The sword energy of the sword cultivators intertwined with the attacks of their magical artifacts, forming a powerful defensive line. However, the men in black seemed to have no intention of lingering in the fight; after launching an attack, they suddenly retreated into the temple.
"Oh no, they want to continue the ritual!" The intelligence expert realized the enemy's intentions and immediately shouted.
Without hesitation, the team members chased into the temple. Inside, the man in black quickly stood around the black statue, chanting incantations. The evil aura emanating from the black statue grew stronger, and a powerful surge of malevolent spiritual energy emanated from it.
"We can't let them succeed!" The squad leader led the sword cultivators to charge at the men in black, attempting to disrupt their ritual. Meanwhile, the disciples of Wanbao Pavilion manipulated magical artifacts to attack the black statue, trying to sabotage its absorption of evil spiritual energy.
Seeing this, the men in black fought back desperately. They unleashed various evil spells to prevent the team members from getting closer. For a moment, spells clashed within the temple, and spiritual energy overflowed.
In the midst of the fierce battle, a swordsman was accidentally struck by an evil spell and fell to the ground injured. "I'm fine, don't worry about me, keep stopping them!" the swordsman said through gritted teeth.
Filled with grief and rage, the squad members intensified their attacks. The sword formation was unleashed to its fullest potential, with streaks of sword energy slashing towards the man in black like sharp blades; the magical weapons also became even more ferocious, the masculine power of the "Eroding Yin Demon-Slaying Pestle" clashing with the evil spiritual energy, its light shining brightly.
Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, the intelligence expert finally found an opportunity. Taking advantage of the black-clad man's full-force resistance against the swordsman and magical artifacts, he quietly approached the black statue and took out a specially crafted magical artifact—the "Spiritual Energy Disruption Bead." He embedded the bead into a crack in the statue and then quickly withdrew.
The "Spiritual Energy Disruption Bead" instantly released a powerful surge of spiritual energy, disrupting the black statue's rhythm of absorbing evil spiritual energy. The black statue let out a painful roar, and the evil spiritual energy surge became chaotic.
"Success!" the intelligence expert shouted excitedly.
Seeing the ritual disrupted, the men in black became alarmed. They abandoned the fight and fled towards the temple's exit. The team members considered giving chase, but considering the possibility of other traps in the valley, they refrained from acting rashly.
"Let's find out what this black statue is all about," the squad leader said.
The crowd gathered around the black statue, examining it closely. They saw that the statue was covered in ancient runes, which shimmered with an eerie light. A disciple from the Wanbao Pavilion took out an ancient book and began studying the runes.
"This statue seems to be related to an ancient and evil sacrificial ritual, which aims to awaken a dormant ancient artifact by gathering evil spiritual energy. Fortunately, we stopped it in time, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable," said the Wanbaoge disciple.
"It seems the 'Dark Alliance' is truly ruthless in its pursuit of us. We must report the situation here to the Spirit Ruins Market as soon as possible so everyone can prepare for the worst," the squad leader said.
The team members, carrying crucial intelligence, swiftly returned to the Spirit Ruins Market. Having learned of the Dark Alliance's plot to awaken an ancient artifact, how will the Spirit Ruins Market respond? Will the Dark Alliance abandon their plan after the ritual was disrupted, or will they devise even more insane revenge? The Spirit Ruins Market faces another severe test, and an even greater crisis seems to be quietly approaching.
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