101: Luo Wang Chu Yang Wei

Jun Xiaoyao sat quietly in the secret chamber of the Tianwaitian Headquarters, his fingertips lightly tapping the zitan wood table in front of him. The four walls of the secret chamber were inlaid with luminous pearls, casting the space in alternating light and shadow. Only the system panel on the table glowed coldly, displaying the summoning interface.

"System, begin summoning." His voice was flat, devoid of emotion. Since establishing Beyond Heaven, he had always remained behind the scenes. The operations of The Net and the deployment of The Unruly were all handled by Zhao Gao and Marshal of the Unruly. He never inquired about the details, only the results.

System Prompt: This summoning range is locked to the Wuxia world. Randomly selecting character... Summoning successful!

A flash of light appeared on the panel, and lines of information emerged:

Name: No Fate

From: Gu Long's sentimental swordsman, ruthless sword

Realm: Late Stage Great Grandmaster

Martial Skill: Thirteen Swords of Life Taking (Sword moves are vicious and lethal, drawing the sword is as fast as lightning, sword wind carries bone-chilling coldness), Ghost Step (Footwork is strange, body is elusive, skilled in stealth attacks)

Loyalty: 100% (Absolute obedience to Young Lord)

Jun Xiaoyao scanned the information, his fingertips lingering slightly on the words "Late Stage Great Grandmaster." Although The Net already had Marshal of the Unruly, a Heavenly Human Realm expert, stationed there, Great Grandmaster-level assassins were still insufficient. No Fate's addition perfectly filled The Net's gap in Fast Sword assassination.

"Quite useful." He nodded faintly, then lightly tapped the panel. "Have Zhao Gao arrange for him to join The Net, under Marshal of the Unruly's command."

System Prompt: Character has been transported to The Net training camp.

The door to the secret chamber was gently pushed open, and Zhao Gao bowed as he entered, holding a parchment map. He whispered, "Young Lord, Marshal of the Unruly sent word that the exact location of the deep sea cold iron in the East Sea has been found. It's deep within a trench in the Black Wind Reef sea area, where the currents are turbulent and Yao Beasts lurk. Ordinary ships would be shattered upon approach."

Jun Xiaoyao's gaze fell on the Black Wind Reef location marked on the map. A blood-red triangle was drawn there, with the note "Three thousand zhang deep, dense undercurrents." He drew a circle next to the triangle: "Marshal of the Unruly's intention?"

"Marshal of the Unruly suggests that No Fate accompany them," Zhao Gao added. "His Ghost Step can evade the Yao Beasts' perception, and his Thirteen Swords of Life Taking can cut through underwater currents. Coupled with The Unruly's naval warships, the chances of success are greater. Additionally, the water-repelling pearl sent by the Shangguan Family has been given to Marshal of the Unruly, which is enough to withstand the deep-sea pressure."

Jun Xiaoyao remained noncommittal, simply pushing the map back to Zhao Gao: "Proceed as planned. Remember, the cold iron must be brought back intact. As for the Yao Beasts... show no mercy."

"Yes." Zhao Gao responded and withdrew.

Three days later, in the Black Wind Reef sea area of the East Sea.

Marshal of the Unruly stood at the bow of the naval flagship, his silver spear pointing diagonally at the sea, its tip reflecting shimmering light. Beside him, No Fate, in a black robe, stood as if nailed to the deck, his arms embracing a long, narrow iron sword. The sword's body was pitch black, reflecting no light, with only an occasional flash of cold gleam revealing his killing intent.

"Prepare to dive." Marshal of the Unruly ordered in a deep voice. The sailors immediately turned the winches, lowering a specially made diving bell into the sea. The bell's body was forged from profound iron, its surface inscribed with waterproof runes, and the water-repelling pearl was embedded in its top, emitting a faint blue light that pushed the surrounding seawater three feet away.

No Fate was the first to step into the diving bell, his black robe merging with the gloom inside. Marshal of the Unruly followed, twirling his silver spear: "Sea Yao Beasts fear pure Yang power the most. My Tiangang Art can suppress them; you just clear the way."

The diving bell slowly descended, seawater rushing past its sides. At first, one could still see pillars of sunlight penetrating the water, but after several hundred zhang down, only darkness remained, with only the blue light of the water-repelling pearl and the faint glow of the luminous pearls inside the bell. Suddenly, the bell shook violently, and a sharp shriek came from outside—a group of half-man-long Sea Yao Beasts were gnawing at the bell with their sharp teeth. Their skin was covered in greenish-grey scales, and their eyes glowed crimson.

"They're here." Marshal of the Unruly sneered, pressing his palm against the bell wall. As the Tiangang Art circulated, the tip of his silver spear burst forth with dazzling golden light, shining through the bell body to the outside. The Sea Yao Beasts shrieked and retreated, black smoke rising from their scales under the golden light.

No Fate's eyes narrowed. Taking advantage of the Sea Yao Beasts' retreat, he drew his sword! The first form of the Thirteen Swords of Life Taking, "Wind Breaker," was suddenly unleashed. A black sword light pierced through a gap in the bell body, precisely striking a lone Sea Yao Beast's vital spot. The sword wind, imbued with coldness, actually cleaved the seawater, creating a brief vacuum zone.

"Well done." Marshal of the Unruly praised, controlling the diving bell to continue its descent. The deeper they went, the greater the water pressure. The bell body made creaking sounds under the strain, and the blue light of the water-repelling pearl grew more intense, barely stabilizing the situation.

After an unknown duration of descent, the bell finally touched the soft mud at the bottom of the trench. Marshal of the Unruly opened the bell door, and a bone-chilling coldness assailed them—ten-thousand-year-old profound ice had formed deep within the trench. The cold iron was embedded in the center of the ice layer, emitting a dark purple luster. Scattered around it were several skeletons of Sea Yao Beasts, clearly the failures of previous attempts to seize the cold iron.

"Be careful, there's Ice Soul Qi around the cold iron, it will freeze your Internal Energy." Marshal of the Unruly warned, circulating his Tiangang Art to resist the cold. No Fate, however, was unfazed. His Ghost Step moved across the ice as if on flat ground, and his Thirteen Swords of Life Taking were continuously unleashed, severing all the sharp ice stalactites around the ice layer.

Just as he reached out to retrieve the cold iron, the ice layer suddenly shattered, and a giant Sea Yao Beast, the size of a small mountain, burst out from beneath the ice. Its enormous mouth opened, revealing two rows of sharp fangs, and a foul stench instantly filled the entire space!

"Vile beast!" Marshal of the Unruly thrust his silver spear forward. The spear tip, carrying golden light, collided with the Yao Beast's fangs, producing a metallic clang. The beast cried out in pain and swept its massive tail, shattering the diving bell.

No Fate advanced instead of retreating, his Ghost Step treading on the beast's massive scales. The Thirteen Swords of Life Taking were unleashed in a continuous barrage, sword lights raining down on the beast's vulnerable spots like its eyes and abdomen. The beast roared in frantic pain, stirring the seawater into a huge vortex that even caused Marshal of the Unruly to lose his balance.

"Use your sword to strike its reverse scale!" Marshal of the Unruly stabilized himself in the vortex, pointing his silver spear at a pale scale beneath the beast's neck. "That's its weakness!"

No Fate's eyes sharpened, and his figure suddenly accelerated. His Ghost Step, combined with his sword moves, was like a black lightning bolt streaking through the vortex. The final form of the Thirteen Swords of Life Taking, "Absolute Kill," condensed all his cultivation, and he thrust his sword towards the reverse scale—

With a "puchi" sound, the black sword plunged in up to its hilt. The Yao Beast let out a deafening wail, its massive body thrashing wildly in the trench before slowly sinking into the soft mud, no longer moving.

No Fate pulled out his sword, retrieved the cold iron from the ice layer, and tossed it to Marshal of the Unruly. Marshal of the Unruly caught the cold iron; it was chilling to the touch but several times heavier than ordinary refined iron. It was indeed excellent material for forging swords.

"Recall the team." Marshal of the Unruly weighed the cold iron and said to No Fate, "Your sword is fast. When we return, have the blacksmith reforge your sword body with this cold iron; it will be put to good use."

No Fate held his black iron sword, glanced at the cold iron, and a flicker of interest crossed his eyes, but he said nothing, simply following silently behind Marshal of the Unruly, swimming towards the surface.

Far away in the secret chamber of the Tianwaitian Headquarters, Jun Xiaoyao watched the images transmitted back on the system panel, his fingertips lightly tapping the table. On the panel, the cold iron's information had been updated to "Recovered," with an accompanying video of No Fate slaying the Sea Yao Beast.

"Quite efficient." He murmured, closing the panel. The secret chamber fell silent once more, with only the faint glow of the luminous pearls reflecting in his placid eyes. The territory of Beyond Heaven was, with the sharp edge of The Net, slowly extending into the broader Jianghu.