As the spiritual energy amplification array shattered, the leader of the mysterious force suffered a sharp decline in strength, and the members of the Qingyun Sect and the Lingjian Sect seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack. The Qingyun Sect Master changed his hand seals and unleashed the Qingyun Sect's supreme martial art, the "Qingyun Vast Expanse Technique." The sky shifted and the clouds changed, and a huge azure pillar of light descended from the sky, like a giant sword, slashing towards the leader of the mysterious force.
The remaining sword cultivators of the Spirit Sword Sect were not to be outdone. They quickly formed a sword formation and unleashed the advanced sword formation "Sword Soaring Through the Nine Heavens," a variation of "Sword Piercing the Sky." The sword formation shone brightly, and countless sword energies soared into the sky, echoing the azure pillar of light as they swept towards the leader of the mysterious force and his elite troops.
The leader of the mysterious force's expression changed drastically; he sensed an unprecedented crisis. But as the leader, how could he easily back down? He forcefully circulated the remaining spiritual energy within his body, rapidly forming hand seals to unleash the "Dark Sky-Eroding Shield." A dense black spiritual energy shield appeared before him, attempting to withstand the attacks from the crowd.
"Boom!" The cyan beam of light and the storm of sword energy slammed into the black shield, unleashing a deafening roar. The powerful impact of spiritual energy seemed to ignite the surrounding air, creating a terrifying storm of spiritual energy. The black shield trembled violently under this fierce attack, and countless fine cracks appeared on its surface.
The elite troops of the mysterious force suffered heavy casualties in the impact, with many being swept away by the spiritual energy storm and crashing to the ground, their fates unknown. The man in the blood-red robe was also affected; he coughed up blood, his eyes filled with terror. "Leader, we must retreat!" he shouted, his voice trembling.
The leader of the mysterious force was furious, but he knew that if they didn't retreat now, their entire army would be wiped out. He gritted his teeth, waved his hand, and cast the "Dark Mist Technique." Instantly, a thick black mist filled the surroundings, obscuring their figures. The mysterious force seized the opportunity to begin their retreat.
"Trying to run? Not so easy!" Su Ran and the others returned just in time after destroying the formation. Seeing the mysterious force trying to escape, Su Ran, sword in hand, gave chase without hesitation. The other sword cultivators and Qingyun Sect disciples also followed into the mist.
However, this black mist was extremely eerie. Upon entering it, the group found themselves trapped in a hallucinatory space. They completely lost their sense of direction, and various sinister sounds constantly emanated from their surroundings, disturbing their minds.
"Everyone be careful! This fog is strange. Don't scatter, maintain the sword formation!" Su Ran shouted. The sword cultivators quickly gathered together, forming a sword formation to resist the fog's influence. The Qingyun Sect disciples also cast mind-clearing spells to maintain their focus.
During their retreat, the leader of the mysterious force was filled with hatred and rage. "I never expected they could find and destroy the spiritual energy amplification array, ruining my plans! But do they think they can win like this? Hmph!" A sinister glint flashed in his eyes as he said to the man in the blood-red robe, "Pass on my order: activate the 'Dark Trap,' so they won't return alive!"
The man in the blood-red robe accepted the order and departed. Soon, along the mysterious force's inevitable retreat route, hidden dark traps were triggered one after another. The ground suddenly cracked open, revealing bottomless black holes from which black flames and eerie runes surged, rushing towards the pursuing group.
"Not good, a trap!" a sword cultivator shouted. Su Ran quickly unleashed his sword energy, attempting to block the black flames and runes. However, the trap's power exceeded their expectations; the sword energy was devoured the moment it touched the black flames.
"Everyone, be careful and dodge!" Su Ran shouted, pulling a sword cultivator beside her to narrowly avoid an attack by a rune. However, some Qingyun Sect disciples and sword cultivators were still unable to dodge in time and were struck by the black flames and runes. The black flames clung to their bodies and burned rapidly, while the runes invaded their bodies, disrupting their spiritual energy circulation.
"Help me..." a Qingyun Sect disciple who had been hit cried out in pain. But in the chaos, no one could help him for the time being.
Meanwhile, the leader of the mysterious force, having led his remaining troops some distance, stopped. He turned and looked at the chaotic scene in the mist behind him, sneering, "Let you struggle slowly in this trap. After I've dealt with you, I'll go and take care of the Spirit Ruins Market and the other sects." With that, he began to gather members of the nearby mysterious forces, preparing to regroup his strength.
Within the mist, Su Ran and her companions found themselves in dire straits. Black flames and runes relentlessly attacked them; they had to dodge traps while simultaneously trying to heal their wounded comrades. "This can't go on. We must find a way out of the mist as soon as possible," Su Ran thought anxiously.
Just then, a sword cultivator noticed something amiss. "Captain Su, I've discovered that these black flames and runes seem to be controlled by a peculiar spiritual energy fluctuation. If we can find the source of this fluctuation, we might be able to break through the fog and the trap."
Upon hearing this, Su Ran was delighted: "Alright, everyone, spread out and search for the source of the spiritual energy fluctuations, but stay in touch and be careful."
The sword cultivators and Qingyun Sect disciples nodded in agreement, cautiously searching through the mist. Would they be able to find the source of the spiritual energy fluctuations, break through the mist and traps, and escape their predicament? How would the leader of the mysterious force plot his new scheme? The situation in the cultivation world remained complex and fraught with danger; an even more intense contest seemed to be quietly brewing.
Su Ran was paired with an elder from the Qingyun Sect, carefully searching for traces of spiritual energy fluctuations within the mist. Suddenly, Su Ran sensed a faint anomaly in the spiritual energy ahead. "Elder, something seems amiss here," Su Ran said softly, and the two slowly approached the direction of the disturbance.
Upon closer inspection, they discovered a black crystal ball hovering in the air, constantly emitting eerie fluctuations of spiritual energy, with black flames and runes swirling around it. "This must be the thing controlling everything," said the Qingyun Sect elder.
However, just as they were about to destroy the crystal ball, a group of cultivators from a mysterious force suddenly emerged from all around. "Hmph, you think you can find the source so easily? This is all a trap set by our leader!" the leading cultivator sneered.
Su Ran and the Qingyun Sect elder's expressions changed, and they immediately assumed fighting stances. "Trying to stop us? Not so easy!" Su Ran brandished his sword, unleashing "Sword Shadow Assault," and charged towards the enemy like lightning. The Qingyun Sect elder also swiftly cast a spell, beams of azure light shooting from his hand towards the enemy.
The cultivators from the mysterious force unleashed their respective spells to defend themselves. For a moment, flashes of light and the sounds of clashing spells filled the air. Su Ran charged left and right through the enemy ranks, his sword felling wherever it struck. However, the enemy's numbers were vast, and new enemies continued to join the battle, gradually plunging the two into a fierce struggle.
Meanwhile, other sword cultivators and Qingyun Sect disciples encountered similar situations. While searching for the source of the spiritual energy fluctuations, they were ambushed by a mysterious force. Throughout the misty space, fierce battles raged, with shouts of killing and screams echoing everywhere.
In the chaos, a swordsman was accidentally struck by an enemy's spell and seriously injured. "Senior brother!" A nearby swordsman rushed to his aid. Just then, the enemy seized the opportunity to launch an even more ferocious attack.
"No, we'll all die here if this continues. We must find a way to break through and concentrate our efforts to destroy the crystal ball!" shouted a Qingyun Sect disciple. Everyone nodded in agreement. They began attempting to break through the enemy's encirclement, moving towards the location of Su Ran and the Qingyun Sect elders.
After a grueling battle, the group finally broke through the enemy's encirclement and regrouped. Everyone was severely wounded, but their eyes remained resolute. "Now let's attack together and destroy this crystal ball!" Su Ran shouted.
Everyone channeled their spiritual energy to its limit, unleashing their strongest spells. Su Ran unleashed the ultimate form of "Sword Overlord," "Sword Shattering the Primordial Chaos," sending a sword aura imbued with the power to split the heavens and earth towards the crystal ball. The Qingyun Sect Master cast the "Qingyun Unity Curse," gathering the spiritual energy of all Qingyun Sect disciples into a massive azure pillar of light, which, along with the sword aura, attacked the crystal ball.
The other sword cultivators and Qingyun Sect disciples followed suit with their spells, and in an instant, various lights intertwined and bombarded the crystal ball. The cultivators from the mysterious force tried to stop it, but they were simply no match for this powerful attack.
"Boom!" The crystal ball shattered instantly under the onslaught, turning into countless fragments. As the crystal ball shattered, the black mist rapidly dissipated, and the black flames and runes vanished as well. The group was finally out of their predicament.
However, before they could even catch their breath, they sensed an even more powerful surge of spiritual energy coming from afar. "This is bad. The leader of the mysterious force seems to be gathering an even stronger power. We must return as soon as possible to inform the Spirit Ruins Market and other sects to prepare for a countermeasure," Su Ran said.
Everyone nodded in agreement, and they quickly headed towards the Spirit Ruins Market, carrying their injured companion.
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