Chapter 391 A Shocking Change to the Restrictions on the Black Wind Mountain Stronghold's Treasure Vault!!

Eclipsing Moon Rank!

Jiang Yun's pupils constricted sharply.

He hadn't expected that He Yuanming, who was merely a Meteorite Level 3 mercenary group leader,

would actually be hiding a Eclipsing Moon Rank treasure?!

Blood Flame Dragon Beast Core, Low Grade Eclipsing Moon Rank, containing pure fire attribute spiritual power, can be used for the Breakthrough of fire attribute beasts.

His Little Fire had now reached Peak Gold Rank 8.

With the Heaven And Earth Treasures and Spirit Pills obtained in the Secret Realm, it was only a matter of time before Little Fire reached Peak Gold Rank 9.

When the time came to break through to the Amethyst Rank, this item might be of great use.

Using a Eclipsing Moon Rank beast core to break through to the Amethyst Rank—if word of this got out, people would probably curse him for wasting such a god-given treasure.

But Jiang Yun didn't care; Little Fire was his beast, and no matter how precious the resource, it was worth using on it.

Jiang Yun suppressed the excitement in his heart and looked at the second treasure.

Abyss Magic Dragon Scale, High Grade Falling Star Rank, containing dense dark attribute spiritual power.

It could be used to forge defensive treasures or as evolution material for beasts.

Containing dark attribute spiritual power and being High Grade Falling Star Rank—this was good stuff.

Nether Abyss had a dark attribute Physique; this dragon scale might come in handy for him in the future.

Jiang Yun nodded and looked at the third treasure.

It was a yellowed animal-hide scroll.

Ancient Beast Taming Secret Technique Incomplete Manual, Medium Grade Falling Star Rank; it recorded a fragment of an ancient beast taming secret technique that could greatly increase the compatibility between a beast and its Beast Tamer, but the manual was incomplete and required other fragments for full cultivation.

An ancient beast taming secret technique? Jiang Yun's eyebrows twitched slightly. Although he didn't lack such techniques—the Beast Taming Space itself contained many legacies—he might still gain some unexpected insights from this ancient fragment.

Three treasures: one Low Grade Eclipsing Moon Rank, and two Medium to High Grade Falling Star Rank.

This harvest far exceeded Jiang Yun's expectations!

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"It seems this trip wasn't in vain."

Jiang Yun put the three items into his storage ring and then scanned the other items in the treasury.

Gold Rank and Purple Gold Rank spirit crystals and Heaven And Earth Treasures were piled high, with a few Diamond Rank treasures scattered among them.

Jiang Yun picked and chose, taking everything useful and precious, while leaving behind the lower-quality items that didn't look as good.

He looked down on these low-quality items, but for ordinary people, they were still a significant fortune.

Rather than taking everything, it was better to do them a favor.

Having finished his looting, Jiang Yun turned and walked out of the treasury.

Outside the treasury, Blood Lady and Iron Mountain Liu were waiting respectfully.

The former members of the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group around them were all as quiet as cicadas in winter, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Seeing Jiang Yun emerge, everyone cupped their hands and addressed him respectfully.

"Lord City Lord!"

Jiang Yun nodded and said indifferently,

"There are still many treasures in this treasury. I have taken the useful parts; you two can handle the rest as you see fit."

Hearing this, Blood Lady and Iron Mountain Liu were immediately overwhelmed by the unexpected favor.

They had thought Jiang Yun would empty the treasury, but they didn't expect him to leave some leftovers for them!

Although what remained certainly wasn't the best batch...

...for Loose Cultivators of the Falling Star Rank like them, even those inferior products were rare riches!

"Thank you, Lord City Lord!"

Blood Lady hurriedly bowed, her voice trembling slightly.

"Your Lordship's great kindness will never be forgotten by this subordinate!"

Iron Mountain Liu was also flushed with excitement, kneeling on one knee and cupping his fists.

"Since the City Lord treats us so generously, I can only repay you with my life and eternal loyalty!"

Their gratitude and loyalty to Jiang Yun deepened even further.

Following this City Lord meant not just survival, but prosperity—it was truly a blessing from the heavens!

The old man on the side watched this scene, his eyes full of envy.

Was this the benefit of following the City Lord?

Treasures could be bestowed so generously?

This was simply too good!

He secretly resolved to perform well in the future and strive to earn the City Lord's appreciation.

Even if he couldn't become a confidant like an Elder, just getting a share of the leftovers would be enough to last him a lifetime.

Afterward, Blood Lady and Iron Mountain Liu quickly entered the treasury.

Jiang Yun, Fox Immortal, and the old man waited outside.

During this gap, Jiang Yun used a voice transmission to say to Fox Immortal, "Fox Immortal, was there anything in the treasury that caught your eye?"

Fox Immortal shook her head and replied via transmission, "No. The quality of the treasures in there is too low; they have little meaning or benefit for this Empress."

Jiang Yun nodded and said nothing more.

Fox Immortal was now at the Peak Third Stage of Meteor Rank, had fused with the Five Elements Origin Law, and her Aptitude had reached the Legendary rank.

Ordinary Heaven And Earth Treasures indeed held no attraction for her; to help her progress further, she would likely need even more Heaven-Defying opportunities.

Before long, Blood Lady and Iron Mountain Liu emerged from the treasury.

Both of them had expressions of unconcealable joy on their faces.

Clearly, the things Jiang Yun had left behind were still of great help to them.

"Thank you for the reward, Lord City Lord!"

The two bowed to Jiang Yun again, their voices full of gratitude.

This time, their tone was several degrees more sincere than before.

If before they had been forced to submit due to his strength and background,

then now, they truly and sincerely wanted to follow Jiang Yun.

The old man on the side watched the joy on their faces as they left the treasury, the envy in his eyes almost overflowing.

Jiang Yun nodded and said nothing more.

"In that case, let's head to the Black Wind Stronghold."

Blood Lady and Iron Mountain Liu responded in unison, "As you command!"

Just as they were about to leave, Iron Mountain Liu suddenly called out to Jiang Yun.

"Lord City Lord, please wait a moment."

Jiang Yun stopped and turned to look at him.

Iron Mountain Liu cupped his hands and said, "Lord City Lord, the former members of the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group need to have their destination arranged. I will settle them first before accompanying you to the Black Wind Stronghold."

Jiang Yun nodded. "Go ahead."

Iron Mountain Liu took his orders and soared into the air atop his beast, hovering in mid-air as he looked down at the dozens of former Blood Thorn members.

"Listen up, all of you!"

His voice boomed across the square like thunder.

"The Blood Thorn Mercenary Group no longer exists! Since you have submitted to the City Lord, you are now his people! Wait here for the time being; once I have made the arrangements, I will notify you of your future!"

The hundreds of people below all knelt down and shouted in unison.

"We obey the City Lord's command! We obey the Elder's command!"

Their voices were uniform, carrying the relief of survivors and awe for their new master.

Iron Mountain Liu nodded with satisfaction and turned to land back beside Jiang Yun.

"Lord City Lord, the arrangements have been made."

Jiang Yun nodded.

He didn't care about these matters; he only wanted to quickly loot the Black Wind Stronghold's treasury.

After all, even the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group, a recently established power, yielded a Eclipsing Moon Rank treasure. He was curious if an old established power like the Black Wind Stronghold would have even more dazzling treasures in its vault.

"Let's go."

At Jiang Yun's command, Little Skylark spread its wings and carried him into the sky.

Fox Immortal hovered in the air, her white clothes fluttering like a goddess from the Nine Heavens.

Blood Lady and Iron Mountain Liu followed closely behind, the four figures turning into streaks of light as they sped toward the Black Wind Stronghold.

Black Wind Stronghold was located on Black Wind Mountain, fifty miles north of Black Rock City.

This mountain was less than a thousand meters high, but the terrain was steep and difficult to attack.

The stockade was built against the mountain, with high stone walls on the periphery and numerous arrow towers along the walls; it was once the most feared bandit's nest in Black Rock City.

But now, this once bustling stockade appeared exceptionally cold and desolate.

Jiang Yun and the others landed in the central square of the stockade.

The surrounding buildings were still there, but people were sparse, and signs of decay were everywhere.

Since the First and Second Leaders had been instantly killed by Fox Immortal, and the Third Leader Li Fengxing had died at the hands of the Huang Family Elder along with a group of elites, the Black Wind Stronghold had completely fallen apart.

Most people had fled this place of trouble under the cover of night; only a few old men loyal to the stockade still guarded the place, hoping the Third Leader would return to lead them back to glory.

Now, sensing the several suffocatingly powerful auras in the sky, those who remained ran out from various places and gathered in the square, filled with trepidation, fear, and anticipation.

However, when they saw clearly who had arrived, fear completely overwhelmed their anticipation.

Because they saw Jiang Yun.

The youth who had once come to the stockade and taken the lives of the First and Second Leaders.

What made them even more desperate was that no matter where they looked, they couldn't find any sign of the Third Leader, Li Fengxing.

Where was the Third Leader?

Where had the Third Leader gone?

Could he... also have been killed by this Master Jiang?

It was over; the Black Wind Stronghold was truly finished.

Fear spread through the crowd like a plague; some people's legs went weak, some trembled all over, and others simply slumped to the ground.

Just then, an old man stepped out from the crowd.

His hair was gray, his face covered in wrinkles, and he wore a faded gray robe. His steps were somewhat stumbling, but he forced himself to walk up to Jiang Yun.

This man was a Diamond Rank One Beast Tamer, the most senior member of the Black Wind Stronghold and once a confidant of the First Chief.

However, at this moment, this Diamond Rank Six powerhouse was clearly not enough in the face of these Falling Star Rank figures.

The old man's voice was trembling.

"Mas... Master Jiang, may I ask... may I ask about our Third Leader..."

He didn't finish, but his meaning was already clear.

Where was the Third Leader, Li Fengxing?

Jiang Yun did not speak.

Beside him, Iron Mountain Liu stepped forward and said coldly, "Your Black Wind Stronghold harbored ill intentions. Your Third Leader, Li Fengxing, attempted to harm our Lord City Lord and has already been executed by him! From this day forth, the Black Wind Stronghold shall cease to exist!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, his tone as cold as ice.

"Now, I give you two paths—surrender, or die!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the square erupted into chaos.

"What?! The Third Leader is dead?!"

"The Black Wind Stronghold... is going to cease to exist?!"

"Surrender or die... this..."

Everyone was terrified; some turned pale with fright, some couldn't stop trembling, and others' legs gave way as they knelt directly on the ground.

They finally understood.

Black Rock City was about to undergo a drastic change.

Iron Mountain Liu, the Vice Leader of the Red Fire Mercenary Group, and the Blood Lady, the Sect Leader of the Blood Fiend Pavilion, had both surrendered at Master Jiang's feet.

Now that the Third Leader of the Black Wind Stronghold had been killed, it was likely that Leader He Yuanming of the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group had also met a grim fate.

The four major forces would become a thing of the past.

From now on, the entire Black Rock City would follow Master Jiang's lead.

"Thud—thud—thud—"

One person after another knelt, their foreheads touching the ground, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

"Master Jiang, have mercy! We are willing to surrender!"

"We didn't know anything! What the Third Leader did has nothing to do with us!"

"We beg Master Jiang for mercy! We are willing to pledge our loyalty!"

Pleas for mercy and cries echoed one after another.

Jiang Yun scanned the crowd.

With a calm expression, he said indifferently, "Very well. I am not a bloodthirsty person. Since you are willing to surrender, as long as you do not betray me, I will not kill you."

"Thank you, Lord City Lord! Thank you, Lord City Lord!"

Everyone was deeply grateful, kowtowing repeatedly like pounding garlic.

"We will definitely be loyal and never dare to betray the Lord City Lord!"

"If the Lord City Lord tells us to go east, we will never go west!"

Jiang Yun nodded and then asked, "Who among you is the most senior? Lead me to the Black Wind Stronghold's treasury."

Hearing this, everyone looked at each other in dismay.

The treasury? The Lord City Lord wants to go to the treasury?

This was... going to be a plunder of the stockade's savings!

But on second thought, now that the stockade no longer existed, the items in the treasury naturally belonged to the Lord City Lord.

They were lucky just to keep their lives; how could they dare have any thoughts about the treasury?

After a few seconds of silence.

A middle-aged man stood up.

He was in his forties, with a sturdy build, a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, appearing quite steady.

He cupped his hands in greeting and said respectfully, "In response to the Lord City Lord, I was previously an Inner Gate Deacon of the Black Wind Stronghold and am very familiar with the layout. I am willing to lead the Lord City Lord to the treasury."

Jiang Yun glanced at him and nodded.

"Lead the way."

"Yes!"

The middle-aged man quickly turned around and led Jiang Yun's group across the square.

Bypassing the Discussion Hall, they followed a small path paved with bluestone toward the back of the mountain.

The back of the Black Wind Stronghold was a cliff.

Below the cliff was a bottomless abyss, shrouded in mist and clouds.

On the cliff, there was a naturally formed cave. The entrance was about three zhang wide and two zhang high, surrounded by vines and weeds; without someone leading the way, it would be difficult to discover a cave here.

At the cave entrance, there was a light blue light barrier sealing it tightly.

Complex runic patterns flowed across the light barrier, with faint spiritual light flickering; it was clearly no ordinary item.

Pointing at the cave entrance, the middle-aged man said respectfully, "Lord City Lord, this is the treasury of the Black Wind Stronghold. This cave was naturally formed and was later modified and reinforced by the three chiefs to be used as a treasure hoard."

He paused and added, "There is a Restriction on the treasury door that usually only the three chiefs can enter. Now that all three chiefs have fallen, opening this Restriction might not be easy."

Jiang Yun frowned slightly as he examined the light blue light barrier before him.

The feeling this Restriction gave him was indeed completely different from the one at the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group.

Although the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group's Restriction was also a runic Restriction, it felt like it was made of paper—easily pierced.

However, the Restriction in front of him was like a great mountain standing in the way—heavy, solid, and unfathomable.

He turned to look at Fox Immortal.

"Xian'er, can you break this Restriction with brute force like before?"

Hearing this, Fox Immortal shook her head.

Her gaze fell upon the light blue barrier, and her expression became uncharacteristically solemn.

"This Restriction is very different from the previous one."

Fox Immortal said slowly.

"It is a special Restriction where Restriction runes and Formations reinforce each other, forming a closed loop. Simply breaking the Formation with brute force is unlikely to work."

She paused and continued, "Furthermore, the Formations and runic Restrictions used here have already surpassed the level of ordinary Falling Star Rank; they have likely reached the Eclipsing Moon Rank."

Eclipsing Moon Rank?!

Hearing this, the Blood Lady and Iron Mountain Liu's expressions changed drastically.

A treasury Restriction for the Black Wind Stronghold was actually Eclipsing Moon Rank?!

What did this mean?

It meant that the three chiefs of the Black Wind Stronghold had spent a fortune to hire an Eighth-rank Formation Master corresponding to the Eclipsing Moon Rank to set it up!

In any case, it showed that the items in this treasury were definitely extraordinary!

Jiang Yun's brow furrowed even tighter.

A Eclipsing Moon Rank Restriction... this was indeed a bit tricky.

"A full-strength strike from this Empress could indeed break through this Restriction."

Fox Immortal continued, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness.

"But the consequence of doing so is that the energy shock generated when the Restriction is violently broken will instantly destroy everything inside the treasury. The treasures within would likely turn to ash under my skill."

Hearing this, Jiang Yun's brow was locked in a frown.

Violent destruction would destroy the treasures, but without breaking it, he couldn't get in... this was a problem.

However, a hint of anticipation and surprise also rose in his heart.

To have such a complex Restriction set up to protect this treasury, the treasures inside must be even more extraordinary and remarkable.

This instead made Jiang Yun even more curious.

What exactly was hidden in this treasury that was worth such high regard from the three chiefs?

A mere Meteorite Level 3 leader of the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group could hide a Eclipsing Moon Rank treasure; could the items in the treasury of the Black Wind Stronghold, which had been operating for so many years, be any worse than those of the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group?

Impossible.

Absolutely impossible.

Jiang Yun took a deep breath, suppressing his thoughts.

He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, a flash of gold passed through the depths of his pupils.

—Innate Talent Skill: Entry Manifestation, fully activated!

His gaze pierced through that light blue light barrier and fell upon the Restriction.

The composition of the Restriction, the structure of the runes, the core of the Formation, the path of energy flow...

All information was laid bare under his Innate Talent Skill.

As the talent activated, the information data entries for this Restriction manifested...