224: Ice Cave Spring

The water mirror in the core hall of Beyond Heaven was split into two sides; the left side reflected the mist-filled Xuan Ice Cave, while the right side showed the brightly lit Prince of Zhenbeis Estate.

Jun Xiaoyao held a white jade chess piece between his fingertips, tapping it gently on the 'Northern Territory' position of the chessboard. His gaze drifted between the two water mirrors, as if he were at the center of both battlefields.

I. Xuan Ice Cave · Sword Breaks the Seven Stars

Inside the Xuan Ice Cave, the cold was bone-piercing, and visibility was less than three feet. Qingxuzi stood beside the Dragon Saliva Spring, where a faint golden halo emanated from the spring's eye—this was the escaping Dragon Qi.

The Seven-Star Evil Qi Formation before him had been activated, with seven Grandmaster Realm death soldiers occupying their respective positions, each radiating Evil Qi corresponding to the Big Dipper, guarding the spring's eye impenetrably.

"Qiao Feng, although your Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms are strong, they cannot break my Formation!" Qingxuzi's voice carried a hint of madness. Dragon Qi was already wrapped around his body, his hair and beard bristling. "Once I refine the Dragon Qi and achieve a Breakthrough to the Land Immortal stage, even Beyond Heaven will have to submit to me!"

Qiao Feng stood outside the Formation, his palms condensing Internal Energy. The palm wind swept away the ice mist but could not penetrate deep inside. "Delusional! How could someone with a crooked heart like yours refine the Dragon Qi?"

Just then, a white shadow streaked across the top of the ice cave like a meteor, and West Gate Blows Snow's voice was as cold as a sword: "Formation? Under my sword, everything is a delusion."

Before the words faded, the Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens sword technique was unleashed. The sword light poured down like the Milky Way, striking precisely at the death soldier in the "Tian Shu" position of the Seven-Star Evil Qi Formation.

The death soldier raised his sword to block, but was instantly overwhelmed by the sword light, his entire body and weapon turning into ice dust. A corner of the Formation was broken, and the Evil Qi immediately became chaotic.

"What a fast sword!" Qingxuzi was shocked and hurriedly activated the Formation eye, causing the remaining six death soldiers to simultaneously attack West Gate Blows Snow.

Qiao Feng seized the opportunity, unleashing his Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms with full force. The palm wind of "Vast Dragon Regrets" carried the sound of a dragon's roar as it slammed into the death soldier at the "Tian Xuan" position. The death soldier was blasted away by the palm wind, vomiting blood, and another corner of the Formation was broken.

A soft chuckle suddenly came from the ice mist, and Fragrant Bat's figure shuttled through the Formation like a ghost: "Qingxuzi, it seems your death soldiers are not enough." He extended his orchid-fingered acupoint-striking hand, pointing his fingertip at the nerve point of the death soldier in the "Tian Ji" position. The death soldier froze instantly and was subdued by the members of the Xuan Group who arrived shortly after.

The Seven-Star Evil Qi Formation was broken in three corners, and the Evil Qi completely dissipated. Seeing this, Qingxuzi actually tried to pounce toward the Dragon Saliva Spring, intending to forcibly swallow the Dragon Qi. "Court death!" West Gate Blows Snow's sword light flashed again, pointing directly at Qingxuzi's back heart.

Qingxuzi turned to defend, the whisk in his hand turning into thousands of silver threads, but they were cut off by the sword light. He retreated in embarrassment, his eyes still filled with greed as he looked at the Dragon Saliva Spring: "The Dragon Saliva Spring is mine! No one can take it away!"

Qiao Feng moved in close and pressed a palm onto Qingxuzi's chest. Qingxuzi spat out blood, and the Dragon Qi within his body began to backfire due to this palm strike. His skin was instantly covered with golden patterns, and he roared in pain: "No—"

"He is being backfired by the Dragon Qi." Fragrant Bat gently waved his folding fan. "If we let him go on like this, the entire ice cave will collapse."

West Gate Blows Snow's sword light flashed, ending Qingxuzi's suffering. Qiao Feng walked to the Dragon Saliva Spring, looking at the golden Dragon Qi continuously gushing from the spring's eye, and said to the members of the Xuan Group: "Get the jade bottle and collect the Dragon Qi."

The members of the Xuan Group immediately took out a specially made warm jade bottle and carefully collected the Dragon Qi. Fragrant Bat searched around the ice cave and quickly found a hidden compartment: "There is a 'Qingyun Secret Manual' here; it seems to be the sect-protecting Cultivation Technique of the Qingyun Sect."

West Gate Blows Snow glanced at it: "A useless object."

Fragrant Bat smiled and put away the manual: "Maybe the Young Lord will find it useful."

Jun Xiaoyao, standing before the water mirror, watched this scene and said to Zhao Gao: "Have them leave a team to guard the ice cave, and have the others return with the Dragon Qi and the prisoners. As for the remaining forces of the Qingyun Sect, leave it to The Net's 'Wind' Group to clean up; leave no one alive."

"Yes, Young Lord."

II. Prince of Zhenbeis Estate · Night Raid on the Treasury

Outside the treasure pavilion of the Prince of Zhenbeis Estate, the Marshal of the Unruly and the members of the Earth Group clung to the wall like geckos. Although the estate had many guards, no one discovered these shadows—the Marshal of the Unruly's bone-shrinking technique, combined with The Net's stealth techniques, was enough to evade detection by anyone below the Heavenly Human Realm.

"The lock on the treasure pavilion is a 'Nine-Turn Exquisite Lock,' which requires a special key." The Marshal of the Unruly said in a low voice, pointing to the window on the third floor of the pavilion, "But the window bars are cast from mysterious iron, and ordinary weapons cannot cut them."

The leader of the Earth Group, "Shadow," handed over a black rope: "This is 'Iron-Eroding Thread,' which can corrode mysterious iron; it can break the bars in half an hour."

The Marshal of the Unruly nodded and personally took the Iron-Eroding Thread, wrapping it around the bars. The Iron-Eroding Thread made a "hissing" sound upon contact with the mysterious iron, and rust gradually appeared on the surface of the bars.

Half an hour later, the bars were corroded, leaving a gap. The Marshal of the Unruly snuck in first. The pavilion was piled with gold, silver, jewelry, ancient books, and calligraphy. On a jade platform in the center sat a brocade box, emitting a faint fluctuation of spiritual power.

"The ingredients for the 'Dragon Origin Pill' should be in that brocade box." The Marshal of the Unruly opened the brocade box, and inside were indeed several rare herbs—thousand-year snow lotus, blood ginseng, and dragon tendon grass, all of which were main ingredients for refining the Dragon Origin Pill.

Shadow found a hidden door behind the bookshelf. After opening it, it revealed rows of weapon racks, filled with mysterious iron swords, pear blossom spears, and other Treasure Artifacts, and there was even a long saber emitting the aura of the Heavenly Human Realm.

"Quite a haul." Shadow said in a low voice, "Should we take all these weapons?"

"No need." The Marshal of the Unruly put the medicinal herbs into his Storage Pouch, "Just take a few handy ones; making too much noise will easily expose us. Remember the Young Lord's instructions: we are here to 'borrow,' not to rob."

They were just about to withdraw when footsteps suddenly came from outside the pavilion. The Prince of Zhenbei walked over with guards, apparently having sensed something unusual. "Who is inside?" The Prince of Zhenbei's voice carried majesty; he was already at the Peak Grandmaster Realm, and his perception was far beyond that of ordinary people.

The Marshal of the Unruly's eyes sharpened, and he gestured to Shadow: "Retreat!"

The two jumped out of the window, but were surrounded by guards as soon as they landed. The Prince of Zhenbei looked at the Storage Pouch in their hands and roared: "Stealing treasures from my estate, you are courting death!" He unleashed a palm strike, carrying the ice power of the Northern Territory, aiming straight for the Marshal of the Unruly.

The Marshal of the Unruly activated the Tiangang Art, golden light rising around his body, and took the blow head-on. With a "bang," both retreated three steps. The Prince of Zhenbei looked at the Marshal of the Unruly in horror: "Heavenly Human Realm? Who are you?"

"The person who is taking your treasures." The Marshal of the Unruly did not want to get entangled in a fight, faked a move, and fled with Shadow under the cover of night. The Prince of Zhenbei was furious, but he could not catch up and could only watch them disappear over the outer wall of the estate.

Jun Xiaoyao, standing before the water mirror, watched the Prince of Zhenbei's furious appearance and curled his lips slightly: "The Marshal of the Unruly did well; he didn't reveal his identity."

Zhao Gao said: "The Prince of Zhenbei will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly. Should we have The Net's 'Dark' Group frame the Blazing Fire Sect? After all, the Blazing Fire Sect has long had a feud with the estate."

"That is acceptable." Jun Xiaoyao said lightly, "Tell them to do it cleanly and leave no traces."

III. Beyond Heaven · Resources Stockpiled

The next morning, Qiao Feng, West Gate Blows Snow, and Fragrant Bat returned to Beyond Heaven with the Dragon Qi and the prisoners. At the same time, the Marshal of the Unruly also returned the medicinal herbs and weapons "borrowed" from the Prince of Zhenbeis Estate to the treasury.

Old Urchin held the warm jade bottle containing the Dragon Qi, smiling like a child: "This Dragon Qi is so comfortable, even more useful than the Jade Bee Jelly from Peach Blossom Island! Young Lord, can you give me a bottle?"

Jun Xiaoyao looked at him: "If you can reach the Heavenly Human Realm within three months, not to mention a bottle, I will give you half a spring of Dragon Qi."

"Really?" Old Urchin was suddenly full of energy, holding the jade bottle and running to the cultivation room.

West Gate Blows Snow placed Qingxuzi's sword on the table: "This sword is named 'Qingyun' and is a High Grade Treasure Artifact; it can be used by The Net."

Fragrant Bat presented the "Qingyun Secret Manual": "This Secret Manual records the Qi-refining methods of the Qingyun Sect. Although it is not as good as our Beyond Heaven's Cultivation Technique, it can be used to improve basic martial arts."

The Marshal of the Unruly also presented the ingredients for the Dragon Origin Pill: "With these, plus the Dragon Qi from the Dragon Saliva Spring, it is enough to refine three Dragon Origin Pills to help three Great Grandmasters achieve a Breakthrough to the Heavenly Human Realm."

Jun Xiaoyao looked at these gains, his gaze falling on the map of the Northern Territory: "The resources in the Northern Territory are more than I imagined."

He said to Zhao Gao, "Have The Net establish three more strongholds in the Northern Territory, centering on the Dragon Saliva Spring, and radiating to the surrounding city-states. In addition, notify Yang Guo to withdraw some personnel from the Western Regions to support the Northern Territory."

"Yes, Young Lord."

Outside the hall, the sunlight was just right, spilling over the palace complex of Beyond Heaven through the clouds, and the golden glazed tiles reflected a dazzling light.

Jun Xiaoyao knew that with the storage of the Dragon Saliva Spring and the estate's resources, the strength of Beyond Heaven would step onto a new level.

And on this continent, there were more resources waiting for them—as long as anyone dared to block the way, the blade of The Net would never rust.