10: Unveiling historical sites: a new opportunity

After defeating the combined forces of the Blood Demon Hall and the Star Pavilion, Beyond Heaven entered a relatively stable period of development. However, Jun Xiaoyao knew well that on this ever-changing continent, peace was only temporary; only by continuously improving one's strength could one stand firm against future storms.

"System, how many Summoning Points have I accumulated so far?" Jun Xiaoyao asked inside a secret chamber in Beyond Heaven. After this period of development, The Net had completed many tasks, and combined with the rewards gained from defeating enemies, he looked forward to a new round of summoning bringing greater aid to Beyond Heaven.

"The Host currently possesses 800 Summoning Points." the System replied.

"Consume these points to perform a summon." Jun Xiaoyao ordered decisively.

A brilliant light burst forth in the secret chamber, and space violently twisted like boiling water. The light filled the entire chamber with a magnificent Aura, as if intending to incorporate all things in the world. In the center of the light, a figure gradually condensed into shape.

Summoned Character: Li Xunhuan

Origin World: Little Lis Flying Dagger

Realm: Peak Grandmaster Realm

Martial Skills and Cultivation Techniques: Little Lis Flying Dagger—never missing, striking like lightning. His Flying Dagger secret skill has reached the Transcendent and Saintly Realm, capable of taking an enemy's life instantly. He is also proficient in various hidden weapon techniques, possesses profound Internal Energy, and is skilled in medicine and discerning human hearts.

The light dissipated, and a man wearing a gray robe, tall and slender, with a handsome but slightly weathered face, appeared before Jun Xiaoyao. The man held an exquisite Flying Dagger, knelt on one knee, and said in a gentle yet firm voice, "Greetings, Master."

"Li Xunhuan, since you have joined Beyond Heaven, and we are currently planning further development, what are your insights?" Jun Xiaoyao looked at this famous figure before him, his heart filled with anticipation.

Li Xunhuan rose, cupped his hands slightly, and his gaze was steady: "Master, in my humble opinion, although Beyond Heaven is emerging now, various forces are watching covetously. We can leverage The Net's intelligence advantage to search for undiscovered resources. At the same time, relying on the strength of our experts, we should explore ancient ruins to obtain the Opportunities within and strengthen ourselves."

Jun Xiaoyao nodded; Li Xunhuan's idea perfectly matched his own. At this moment, Zhao Gao came to report: "Master, The Net has uncovered clues to an Advanced ruin. This ruin is located deep within the Far North Ice Plain. Legend says it is the place where an ancient Land Immortal passed away, and it might hide the secret to breaking through to the Land Immortal Realm. However, the environment of the ice plain is harsh, and it is guarded by many powerful Yao Beasts, making it extremely dangerous."

"The ruins on the Far North Ice Plain? This seems like an excellent Opportunity to increase our strength." Jun Xiaoyao's eyes flickered as he pondered countermeasures.

Xu Ziling also spoke from the side: "Master, this trip to the ruins is highly significant, but the risks are also extremely high. We must prepare meticulously and select suitable personnel to go."

After some discussion, Jun Xiaoyao decided to have the Marshal of the Unruly, Fu Hongxue, West Gate Blows Snow, Ye Gucheng, Thirteen Swallows, and Li Xunhuan lead an elite team together to the Far North Ice Plain to explore the ruins. At the same time, Zhao Gao and Xu Ziling were left behind in Beyond Heaven to handle daily affairs and respond to potential emergencies.

After everyone was prepared, they embarked on the journey toward the Far North Ice Plain. Along the way, cold winds howled and heavy snow fell. The temperature was extremely low; ordinary Martial Artists, without enough Internal Energy to ward off the cold, would likely instantly be frozen into ice sculptures.

When they stepped into the depths of the ice plain, the surrounding environment became increasingly harsh. The gale winds wrapped around the ice and snow, cutting at their faces like sharp blades. Suddenly, a low roar was heard, and a massive Ice Bear rushed out from the snow. This Ice Bear was three zhang tall, covered in thick white fur that subtly emitted a blue light beneath the surface. Its eyes flickered with cold killing intent, and with one swipe of its paw, several deep cracks instantly appeared in the ground.

"Be careful, this is an Ice Plain Snow Bear, its strength is equivalent to the Mid-stage Grandmaster." the Marshal of the Unruly reminded them.

Fu Hongxue was the first to strike. The speed at which he drew his saber was as fast as lightning. The Saber Qi of the "Bright Moon Blade of the Horizon" transformed into a black stream of light, slashing towards the Ice Bear. The Ice Bear roared, swiped its paw, scattering Fu Hongxue's Saber Qi, and simultaneously lunged toward Fu Hongxue.

Seeing this, West Gate Blows Snow and Ye Gucheng simultaneously displayed their sword techniques. West Gate Blows Snow's sword was fierce and sharp, his Sword Qi crisscrossed like streaks of white lightning; Ye Gucheng's sword was graceful and nimble, the sword flowers flashing, stabbing toward the Ice Bear like meteors from beyond the heavens. Although the Ice Bear had thick skin and flesh, it was forced to temporarily retreat under the pair's sword Moves.

Thirteen Swallows seized the Opportunity and used the Thirteen Swords of Life Taking. Layer upon layer of sword shadows attacked the Ice Bear's vital points. Sensing the threat, the blue light on the Ice Bear's body intensified, and a thick ice shield appeared in front of it, blocking Thirteen Swallows' attack.

Li Xunhuan, meanwhile, observed the Ice Bear for flaws, the Flying Dagger in his hand flickering with cold light. Just as the Ice Bear was fiercely fighting the others, Li Xunhuan seized the moment, raised his hand, and the Little Lis Flying Dagger shot out like a golden bolt of lightning, accurately piercing the Ice Bear's eye.

"Roar!" The Ice Bear roared in agony, the injury to its eye driving it into a frenzy. Ignoring the attacks of the others, it charged madly towards Li Xunhuan.

"Watch out, Li Xunhuan!" West Gate Blows Snow shouted, attempting to rush forward to assist.

Li Xunhuan remained composed. His body flickered, cleverly evading the Ice Bear's attack. At the same time, he threw another Flying Dagger. This time, the Flying Dagger pierced the Ice Bear's throat. The Ice Bear's body swayed a few times before finally collapsing with a crash.

After dealing with the Ice Bear, the group continued forward. Before long, they discovered an ancient palace hidden in the ice and snow. The palace gates were tightly shut, covered in mysterious runes that radiated an ancient and powerful Aura.

"It seems this is the entrance to the ruins." the Marshal of the Unruly said.

The group gathered around the palace gate to study it, trying to find a way to open it. Li Xunhuan, relying on his knowledge of mechanisms and hidden weapons, carefully observed the arrangement and changes of the runes. After some probing, he finally found the method to crack it.

Following Li Xunhuan's actions, the massive door slowly opened, and a stale yet powerful Aura rushed out. Inside the door was a long passage, the walls on both sides inlaid with faintly glowing gems, illuminating the path ahead.

The group cautiously proceeded along the passage, constantly alert to potential dangers around them. Suddenly, the temperature inside the passage dropped sharply, and a thick layer of frost quickly spread. Simultaneously, countless ice arrows shot out from the walls, attacking the group.

"Careful!" Fu Hongxue shouted, rapidly swinging the long saber in his hand, severing the ice arrows flying towards him. The others also used their respective means to defend against the ice arrows' attacks.

However, the ice arrows kept increasing, and the group gradually became overwhelmed. Just then, West Gate Blows Snow unleashed an Advanced Move of "Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens." His sword light burst forth, shattering all the surrounding ice arrows.

The group continued forward and finally reached the main hall of the palace. Inside the main hall was a massive stone platform. Placed on the platform was a Secret Manual emitting a golden light, and next to the Secret Manual was a Medicinal Pill radiating a five-colored light.

"This Secret Manual and Medicinal Pill are likely extraordinary items." Ye Gucheng said.

Just as the group prepared to step forward to examine the items, a figure suddenly appeared in the corner of the main hall. This person was completely shrouded in black mist, their face obscured, revealing only a pair of eyes flickering with strange red light.

"Outsiders, how dare you trespass here! You shall all die!" The Mysterious Person's voice was low and hoarse, as if coming from the Nine Nether Hell.

"Who are you? Why are you guarding this place?" the Marshal of the Unruly asked loudly.

"I am the Guardian of this place, commanded by my Master to protect the treasures within the ruins and forbid outsiders from touching them." the Mysterious Person said coldly.

With that, the Mysterious Person waved both hands, and black mist rapidly spread, enveloping the group. Inside the mist, they could only see pairs of flickering red lights but could not discern the Mysterious Person's form.

"Everyone be careful, don't spread out!" Although Jun Xiaoyao was not present, he was monitoring the situation through special means, and he warned them via sound transmission.

Fu Hongxue, West Gate Blows Snow, and the others stood back-to-back in a circle, warily observing the surrounding movements. Suddenly, the Mysterious Person launched an attack from the mist; a black beam of light shot toward Fu Hongxue. Fu Hongxue reacted quickly, swinging his long saber to block the attack, but the powerful impact still forced him back a few steps.

Thirteen Swallows located the direction of the Mysterious Person's attack and unleashed a killing Move from the Thirteen Swords of Life Taking, stabbing toward where the Mysterious Person was located. The Mysterious Person's figure flickered, avoiding Thirteen Swallows' attack, and simultaneously launched another attack—this time, several black Sword Qi beams shot toward West Gate Blows Snow, Ye Gucheng, and Li Xunhuan, respectively.

West Gate Blows Snow and Ye Gucheng simultaneously used their sword techniques to block the Sword Qi. Li Xunhuan threw out Flying Daggers, attempting to force the Mysterious Person's figure out. However, the Mysterious Person moved freely within the mist, and the Flying Daggers failed to cause him substantial damage.

Seeing this, the Marshal of the Unruly quickly formed hand seals, chanting incantations. A powerful stream of Qi surged from his body, dispersing some of the surrounding mist. The group finally saw the Mysterious Person's figure: it was an old man in a black robe with a withered face.

"Hmph, you juniors, trying to snatch treasure from my hands—wishful thinking!" the old man snorted coldly and launched another attack.

This time, the old man's attack was even fiercer, and black light enveloped the entire main hall. Fu Hongxue, West Gate Blows Snow, and the others resisted with all their strength, but still felt immense pressure.

During the fight, Li Xunhuan discovered that a brief flaw would appear on the old man's body before every powerful attack. He conveyed this finding to the group via sound transmission.

"Wait until he launches his next attack, then we'll strike together and hit his flaw!" Fu Hongxue said.

Everyone nodded silently, waiting for the right moment. Sure enough, the old man charged up power again, preparing to launch an even stronger attack. The instant the flaw appeared on his body, Fu Hongxue, West Gate Blows Snow, Ye Gucheng, Thirteen Swallows, and Li Xunhuan struck simultaneously. Fu Hongxue's "Bright Moon Blade of the Horizon," the sword techniques of West Gate Blows Snow and Ye Gucheng, Thirteen Swallows' Thirteen Swords of Life Taking, and Li Xunhuan's Little Lis Flying Dagger all attacked the old man's flaw at once.

The old man had not expected the group to discover his flaw, unable to dodge, he was struck by the combined attacks. He let out a miserable scream, and his body staggered precariously.

"Now!" The Marshal of the Unruly seized the chance, condensing a powerful black stream of Qi in his hands and blasting it toward the old man. The old man was no longer able to resist, was hit by the black Qi stream, and collapsed onto the ground.

Having successfully defeated the Guardian, the group approached the stone platform. Jun Xiaoyao used special means to examine the Secret Manual and the Medicinal Pill. He found that the Secret Manual was a Cultivation Technique called the "Lingxu Creation Art." Cultivating it to Major Achievement offered hope of breaking through to the Land Immortal Realm. The Medicinal Pill was a "five-colored creation pill," which could enhance the strength of Martial Artists in the Great Grandmaster Realm upon consumption.

"It seems the harvest from this trip to the ruins is immense." Jun Xiaoyao said via sound transmission.

Carrying the treasures, the group embarked on the journey back to Beyond Heaven. They knew well that these treasures would bring new opportunities for Beyond Heaven's development, and Jun Xiaoyao was contemplating how to rationally utilize these resources to further enhance Beyond Heaven's strength and cope with the increasingly complex situation ahead. Elsewhere on the continent, various forces had subtly detected the unusual activity on the Far North Ice Plain, and a storm centered around the new treasures acquired by Beyond Heaven might be quietly brewing...