216: The Misty Rain Pavilion was destroyed

In the Core Hall of Beyond Heaven, sandalwood incense curled upward. Jun Xiaoyao gently twisted a piece of raw blood-red jade between his fingertips; its texture was warm and smooth, casting a faint red glow under the candlelight.

The water mirror before him was divided into three sections, each reflecting scenes from the Southern Chu border, the Misty Rain Tower headquarters, and the Beyond Heaven treasury.

In the water mirror on the left, Marshal of the Unruly was directing The Unruly to count the blood-red jade. Twenty black chests were neatly arranged in a makeshift tent.

Each chest was lined with moisture-proof silk. The blood-red jade inside was uniform in size, with the largest piece being the size of a fist, and faint blood-like veins could be seen flowing within the jade's core—it was the core ingredient for refining the realm-breaking pill.

"Marshal, can this jade really allow a Breakthrough in the Grandmaster Realm?" A scarred member of The Unruly picked up a piece and held it up to the sunlight. "It doesn't look any different from ordinary jade."

Marshal of the Unruly slapped him on the back of the head. "Stop talking nonsense. If the Young Lord says it's useful, then it's useful. Seal the chests well and transport them in the specially made carriages. Wrap the wheels with three layers of cotton padding; don't damage them—this one piece of jade is enough to feed you for three lifetimes."

He turned to bow toward the water mirror. "Young Lord, there are three hundred and seventy-two pieces of blood-red jade in total, including forty-five of the highest quality. They have all been counted and are ready for transport at any time."

Jun Xiaoyao's voice came through the water mirror, calm and ripple-free. "Have the Shadow Group escort them. Take the secret path back to Beyond Heaven and avoid the Southern Chu Rebel Army patrols. Also, where are Wang Lin and Ghost Shadow?"

"They are locked in a special prison carriage, secured with black iron chains, and their mouths are gagged. They won't be able to escape." Marshal of the Unruly pointed to the black prison carriage outside the tent. "Does the Young Lord wish to interrogate them personally?"

"No need," Jun Xiaoyao said. "Hand them over to Zhao Gao. Have him extract all the transaction records between Misty Rain Tower and the Southern Chu Rebel Army, especially clues regarding the formula for the 'realm-breaking pill'. Once the interrogation is finished, deal with them according to The Net's rules."

"Understood!" Marshal of the Unruly replied, a flash of realization in his eyes—The Net's rules meant that useless living captives were never kept until the next day.

The middle water mirror lit up, reflecting the chaotic scene at the Misty Rain Tower headquarters. "Shadow," the leader of the Shadow Group, was leading twenty Shadow Group members to clear out the remaining enemies.

The aura of a Late Stage Great Grandmaster pressed down like dark clouds; the assassins of Misty Rain Tower were simply unable to withstand a single blow. Shadow's Martial Skill was ruthless and precise. With every palm strike, an assassin fell, and wherever the palm wind swept, doors, windows, tables, and chairs were shattered into pieces.

In a secret chamber at the Misty Rain Tower headquarters, Zhao Gao was flipping through the files on the bookshelf. His finger stopped on a blue-covered ledger—it was the record of transactions between Misty Rain Tower and various forces.

He opened the ledger and a cold smile curled his lips. It not only contained records of the blood-red jade trade with the Southern Chu Rebel Army, but also arms dealings with the Northern border barbarians, and even... three years ago, they had helped the Wang family of Qingzhou assassinate the manager of a Beyond Heaven medicinal herb shop in the black market.

"No wonder the Young Lord insisted on destroying Misty Rain Tower." Zhao Gao tucked the ledger into his clothes and found a sandalwood box in a hidden compartment.

Upon opening it, he saw half a tattered sheepskin scroll inside, depicting some medicinal herb diagrams and Alchemy steps. It was the Incomplete Manual for the "realm-breaking pill". "At least it wasn't a wasted effort."

As he walked out of the secret chamber, Shadow happened to finish off the last resisting assassin.

Shadow removed the black cloth from his face, revealing an expressionless face. "Chief Steward Zhao, all the living captives in the tower have been dealt with. The ledger and this half of the Incomplete Manual..."

"Keep the Incomplete Manual safe; I will take the ledger back to the Young Lord." Zhao Gao handed the sandalwood box to Shadow. "Take the Shadow Group to the Southern Chu border to meet Marshal of the Unruly and ensure the blood-red jade is safely transported to Beyond Heaven."

"Yes." Shadow bowed and replied, then turned and disappeared into the night with his men.

The water mirror on the right was the quietest, reflecting the entrance to the Beyond Heaven treasury.

The treasury was located inside the mountain belly of the main peak of Beyond Heaven, guarded by three black iron gates engraved with complex runes, which could only be opened with Jun Xiaoyao's essence blood.

Inside the treasury, rows of jade shelves were neatly arranged, displaying various Heaven And Earth Treasure collected by Beyond Heaven—thousand-year snow lotus, deep-sea pearls, black iron ore... The most eye-catching was the crystal cabinet in the center, which held the original piece of blood-red jade that Jun Xiaoyao possessed. Although not as high-quality as the newly acquired ones, it was still warm and smooth.

The guard of the treasury was an old man dressed in gray robes. A status panel appeared on the side of the mirror:

[Name: Old Urchin, Origin: the legend of the condor heroes world, Realm: Late Stage Great Grandmaster, Martial Skill: Empty Bright Fist (Perfection), Ambidextrous Combat Technique (Major Achievement), Status: Guarding the treasury, playing with pebbles behind the jade shelves]

"Hehe, these pebbles are much more fun than the ones on Peach Blossom Island." Old Urchin squatted on the ground, grabbing a handful of pebbles in each hand, playing a "fighting" game by himself. Suddenly, he heard footsteps.

He immediately jumped up and assumed a defensive stance. Seeing Jun Xiaoyao's figure appear in the water mirror, he scratched his head. "Young Lord, are there new treasures to be put in?"

Jun Xiaoyao said to the water mirror, "Old Zhou, a batch of blood-red jade will be delivered to the treasury later. After you count it, place it on the west jade shelf and use the Spiritual Qi gathering array to protect it. Don't let the Spiritual Qi dissipate."

"Don't worry, don't worry!" Old Urchin patted his chest. "With Old Urchin here, let alone blood-red jade, not even a mosquito can fly into the treasury!" He rolled his eyes and added, "Young Lord, has the Incomplete Manual for the realm-breaking pill been found? Old Urchin also wants to try and Breakthrough to the Heavenly Human Realm. Then I can have another fight with that old thing, Yellow Pharmacist!"

Jun Xiaoyao's lips curled slightly. "The Incomplete Manual is still missing a few medicinal ingredients. Once they are gathered, I will refine the pill for Old Zhou first."

Old Urchin beamed with joy and squatted down again to play with his pebbles. Jun Xiaoyao withdrew his gaze and looked at the middle water mirror—Zhao Gao had already left the Misty Rain Tower headquarters with the ledger and the Incomplete Manual.

The Shadow Group had also joined up with Marshal of the Unruly. The blood-red jade caravan was slowly moving along the secret path, the wheels pressing against the gravel road, making a dull sound.

"Zhao Gao," Jun Xiaoyao said to the water mirror, "Find out where the 'dragon blood grass' and 'ice marrow flower' missing from the Incomplete Manual are. The Net's next target is these two medicinal ingredients."

"Yes, Young Lord." Zhao Gao's voice came from the water mirror, carrying a hint of excitement. "According to the ledger, the dragon blood grass is in the 'Burning Fire Mountain' of the Western Regions, and the ice marrow flower is in the 'Cold Ice Valley' of the Far North. Both are lands of barbarians; it's perfect for the Shadow Group to practice."

Jun Xiaoyao didn't speak again. The raw blood-red jade at his fingertips gradually began to exude a chill.

The fall of Misty Rain Tower not only avenged last year's grudge but also secured the blood-red jade and the realm-breaking pill Incomplete Manual, which were enough to strengthen Beyond Heaven. This deal was not a loss.

He looked out the window. The peaks of Beyond Heaven were looming in the morning mist, like a dormant giant beast waiting for the day to fully bare its fangs.

At this moment, the caravan of The Unruly in the left water mirror had already entered the territory of Beyond Heaven. After the Luowang Assassins guarding the boundary verified their tokens, they allowed them to pass.

Looking at the familiar mountain gate, Marshal of the Unruly breathed a sigh of relief and said to Xiao Si beside him, "Tell the brothers that once we reach the headquarters, everyone will be rewarded with ten taels of silver to go to the Drunken Immortal Tower for a good drink."

Xiao Si cheered and ran to pass on the message. A wave of jubilation instantly erupted within the ranks of The Unruly.

Only Marshal of the Unruly looked toward the main peak of Beyond Heaven with a serious expression—he knew that this was only the beginning. The Young Lord's ambition was definitely not limited to these resources before them.

In the central water mirror, Zhao Gao had returned to The Net headquarters and sent the ledger and the Incomplete Manual to the Core Hall via a teleportation array.

The files landed on the desk in front of Jun Xiaoyao. He opened the ledger, his gaze lingering for a moment on the marks for "Burning Fire Mountain" and "Cold Ice Valley," his fingertips tapping lightly on the tabletop.

"Western Regions... Far North..." He muttered to himself, a flash of sharpness in his eyes. "Perfect, let The Net extend its reach a little further."

The morning mist outside the window gradually dissipated, and sunlight spilled into the Core Hall, illuminating the raw blood-red jade on the desk, as well as Jun Xiaoyao's calm yet unfathomable eyes.

The territory of Beyond Heaven was expanding at a visible rate, and the storm on this continent had only just begun.