102: A net is spread, undercurrents surge, and a new cry breaks the long night.

Deep within Beyond Heaven, in a secret room enveloped by a Formation, Jun Xiaoyao sat quietly on a Cold Jade Bed, a faint Spiritual Qi swirling around him. The System panel floating before him glowed with a dim blue light; the countdown for "Summon Cooldown" had just reached zero. He tapped his fingertips lightly on the edge of the bed, his gaze falling on the "Random Summon" button in the center of the panel, a faint, indifferent arc curling at the corners of his lips.

"Continue," he whispered, pointing a finger into the void.

The panel suddenly erupted with a blinding white light. Within the light, sword shadows flickered, accompanied by a clear, resonant sword chime. After a moment, the light receded, and a figure dressed in green appeared in the center of the secret room. An ancient longsword hung at his waist; his face was handsome, with a touch of free-spiritedness in his brows, yet hiding a trace of imperceptible loneliness.

The System panel automatically popped up the character information:

[Name: West Gate Blows Snow

From: Gu Long's legend of lu xiaofeng

Realm: Peak Grandmaster Realm

Martial Skills: Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens (The sword technique is exquisite and peerless, fast as lightning; when the sword is drawn, it is like an Immortal descending to the mortal world, containing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, capable of breaking all things), Flowing Cloud Flying Sleeve (The movement technique is agile, dodging attacks while shifting positions, as elusive as flowing clouds)

Loyalty: 100%]

West Gate Blows Snow nodded slightly, his voice as cold and clear as an icy spring hitting stone: "Subordinate West Gate Blows Snow greets the Young Lord."

Jun Xiaoyao's gaze lingered on him for a moment, especially on that sword—the scabbard was ancient, yet it faintly emitted a sharp Aura; it was clearly a divine weapon. "Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens, it truly is you." His tone was flat, yet it couldn't hide a hint of approval. "The Net is currently lacking top-tier swordsmen; you have come at the perfect time."

At this moment, the door to the secret room was pushed open gently. Zhao Gao walked in with a bow, holding a roll of records: "Young Lord, we just received a new mission from the black market. The employer is offering fifty thousand taels of gold. The target is Gongsun Tu, the master of the 'Red Leaf Tower' in the south. This man is skilled in using poison and has twelve death warriors under his command. It is said to be related to the ambush and killing of our Net's silver-rank assassins three days ago."

Jun Xiaoyao took the records and flipped through them quickly. Gongsun Tu's information was clearly listed: Innate Realm, exquisite poison skills, his 'bone melting powder' is colorless and odorless, killing anyone who is hit within three quarters of an hour. Recently, he has been entrenched in the 'Drunken Immortal Tower' in the South City, seemingly in secret talks with a certain Sect.

"Red Leaf Tower and we have minded our own business. If they dare to touch the people of The Net, they must pay the price." Jun Xiaoyao threw the records back to Zhao Gao. "Let West Gate Blows Snow go."

Hearing this, a cold light flashed in West Gate Blows Snow's eyes, and the longsword at his waist chimed softly as if in response: "This subordinate will not fail the mission."

Zhao Gao hesitated for a moment and added: "Young Lord, many eyes have been placed around the Drunken Immortal Tower, and Gongsun Tu is often accompanied by two Grandmaster Realm guards. Should we have the Marshal of the Unruly send some people to assist?"

"No need," Jun Xiaoyao said indifferently. "Peak Grandmaster Realm is enough."

When West Gate Blows Snow turned to leave, his steps were light and slow, yet they carried an invisible Aura, as if every step was treading on one's heart. Looking at his back, Zhao Gao sighed inwardly—the Young Lord's summoning technique was truly miraculous, to even be able to summon such a legendary swordsman. No wonder he was so full of confidence.

Two days later, South City, Drunken Immortal Tower.

The afternoon sunlight filtered through the carved wooden windows, casting mottled shadows on the floor. Gongsun Tu was sitting in a private room on the second floor, playing with a pitch-black poison needle. Opposite him sat a grey-robed old man, who was an Elder of the Green Wood Sect.

"As long as the Elder is willing to help my Red Leaf Tower annex that medicinal field in the west, I will share thirty percent of the secret recipe for this 'heart-eroding gu' with you." Gongsun Tu smiled sinisterly, the poison needle at his fingertips gleaming with a dark light.

The grey-robed old man stroked his beard, greed flashing in his eyes: "Tower Master Gongsun certainly knows how to do business, but... I heard you recently provoked The Net?"

"Just some clowns, nothing to fear." Gongsun Tu sneered. "The ambush and killing of one of their silver-rank assassins the other day was just to test their weight. It seems they don't have much real ability."

Just as he finished speaking, the door to the private room opened with a "creak."

West Gate Blows Snow stood at the doorway, his green robe moving slightly. The longsword at his waist was not yet drawn, yet it caused the air in the room to freeze instantly. "Gongsun Tu?" His voice was not loud, but it was like an ice pick piercing through the hypocrisy in the room.

Gongsun Tu's expression changed abruptly, and he slammed the table as he stood up: "Who are you?!"

"The one who will take your life." Before West Gate Blows Snow's voice could fade, his figure had already moved. He did not draw his sword, but simply flicked his sleeve, and a sharp blast of Qi pressed directly towards Gongsun Tu's face. This was exactly the movement technique of the "Flowing Cloud Flying Sleeve," seemingly soft but actually hiding sharp edges.

Gongsun Tu's reaction was not slow; he raised his hand and shot a poison needle at West Gate Blows Snow, while simultaneously flipping over, trying to escape from the back window. His two Grandmaster Realm guards immediately stepped forward to block him, and the light of blades and swords instantly enveloped West Gate Blows Snow.

"Courting death." A trace of coldness flashed in West Gate Blows Snow's eyes, and the longsword at his waist finally left its scabbard!

With a clear "clink," the sword light surged like a bolt of silk; it was indeed the "Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens"!

The first strike was so fast that its trajectory couldn't be seen. Only two "puchi" sounds were heard as the blades of the two guards were simultaneously broken into two pieces. A fine line appeared on each of their throats, their bodies frozen in place, their eyes full of disbelief.

The second strike, the sword momentum was like a rainbow piercing the sun, chasing directly after Gongsun Tu who had flipped out of the window. Gongsun Tu was about to use his light-body technique to flee when a bone-chilling cold suddenly came from behind him. He turned his head sharply, only to see a brilliant sword light, as if an Immortal from the Nine Heavens was swinging a sword, so brilliant that it made him forget to dodge.

"No—"

The scream stopped abruptly.

West Gate Blows Snow returned his sword to its scabbard, not a single drop of blood on the blade. Inside the private room, the grey-robed old man had already collapsed to the ground in fear, his whole body shaking like a sieve.

"Red Leaf Tower is hereby erased." West Gate Blows Snow left behind a sentence and turned to leave, his green robe fluttering slightly in the wind, as if he had never appeared.

When the news reached the secret room in Beyond Heaven, Jun Xiaoyao was inspecting a new batch of Ore. Zhao Gao stood to the side, unable to hide the excitement on his face: "Young Lord, Mr. Ximen was clean and efficient. Not only did he deal with Gongsun Tu, but he also followed the clues to wipe out the Red Leaf Tower's nest, uncovering nearly ten thousand taels of gold and many poison recipes. Now the underground forces in South City are all saying that a sword Immortal-like figure has come to The Net."

Jun Xiaoyao picked up a piece of Ore with a dim blue luster; it was cold to the touch, the extremely rare "profound ice iron." "It's good that they know fear," he said indifferently. "Have the finance department put the gold into the warehouse and give the poison recipes to the alchemists to see if they can be improved into antidotes."

"Yes," Zhao Gao replied, and handed over a list. "This is a batch of newly recruited assassins. After screening, five have reached the Innate Realm. Do you want to arrange an assessment for them?"

Jun Xiaoyao glanced at the list and casually crossed out two names: "These two have unsteady eyes and insufficient Heart-Nature; remove them. For the rest, have them go to the North Ridge to hunt snow wolves. Those who return alive will be incorporated into the C-rank."

Zhao Gao noted the instructions and said: "News came from the Marshal of the Unruly's side. He and No Fate found cold iron in the East Sea and are on their way back. He also said they discovered a natural hot spring mineral vein, where the spring water has the effect of nourishing the Meridians. He asked if we should send people to develop it."

"Hot spring mineral vein?" Jun Xiaoyao's fingertips paused, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes. "Tell the Marshal of the Unruly to first enclose the land and set up defenses, marking the range. When he returns, bring some spring water samples."

After Zhao Gao bowed and withdrew, the secret room returned to silence. Jun Xiaoyao placed the profound ice iron on the table, and the System panel suddenly popped up a prompt: [Detected that the host's resource accumulation has met the standard, unlocking a new summon slot—can specify the summoning of "Weapon Class" characters]

He raised an eyebrow and slid his finger across the panel. Weapon class... just right. He was currently lacking a skilled craftsman who could forge the profound ice iron into a divine weapon.

"Specified summon, target: Ouyezi."

The panel's light rose again, this time mixed with the red light of a furnace fire. The light dissipated, and an old man dressed in short clothes with calloused hands appeared in the secret room, carrying an iron hammer on his shoulder and an iron smith's tongs at his waist, his eyes bright and spirited.

The System panel updated simultaneously:

[Name: Ouyezi

From: Ancient Chinese Myths and Legends

Realm: Peak Grandmaster Realm (Forging Realm)

skill: Sword-casting art is superb, capable of forging divine weapons and Sharp Weapons. Representative works include the "Dragon Abyss Sword," "Tai'e Sword," etc. Can refine ordinary iron into divine weapons, endowing weapons with spirituality]

Ouyezi put down the iron hammer and cupped his hands: "This old man is Ouyezi, greetings to the Young Lord."

Jun Xiaoyao looked at the profound ice iron on the table and then at Ouyezi, a faint smile finally appearing at the corner of his mouth: "Old Mr. Ou, with this piece of profound ice iron, can you forge a sword for me?"

Ouyezi picked up the profound ice iron, weighed it, and then used his fingernail to scrape a bit of debris to taste on the tip of his tongue. His eyes burst with a brilliant light: "Good material! This iron contains the essence of extreme yin and cold, which can perfectly restrain masculine power. How about this old man forges a 'profound ice sword' for you? I guarantee it will cut through iron like mud and be sharp enough to blow hair and break it!"

"Very well."

The furnace in the corner of the secret room was already prepared. Ouyezi rolled up his sleeves, picked up the iron hammer, and began to strike. The "Ding— Dang—" sound of iron striking rang out in the secret room, intertwining with the faint sound of the wind coming from outside the window, like an overture belonging to the strong, playing louder and louder in the territory of Beyond Heaven.

Jun Xiaoyao leaned against the Cold Jade Bed, closing his eyes to rest. The reputation of The Net was growing louder, the summoned helpers were becoming stronger, and resources were constantly accumulating. He knew that the day he would truly stand at the peak of the continent was not far away. And those forces that once looked down upon Beyond Heaven would eventually surrender one by one under his sharp edge.