239: The Bad Commander secretly investigates the source of the blood sacrifice

Deep within the underground palace of Beyond Heaven, the flames of twelve bronze lamps flickered, illuminating the jade pendant at Jun Xiaoyao's fingertips—it was a beast-patterned jade pendant rubbed from the stone tablet of the Black Stone Tribe.

It was cold to the touch, as if it were still stained with the chill of the Northern Territory.

He placed the jade pendant into the groove in the center of the altar; the groove instantly lit up with blood-colored runes, fitting perfectly with the beast pattern on the pendant.

"Zhao Gao." Jun Xiaoyao's voice echoed in the empty underground palace, carrying a metallic coldness, "Is the employer of the 'Blood Jade Buddha' mission that The Net accepted in the black market a remnant of the Black Stone Tribe?"

In the shadows, Zhao Gao bowed and walked forward, carrying the dossier from the hidden compartment, the parchment scroll rustling in his hands: "Reporting to the Young Lord, it has been investigated."

"The employer used an encrypted channel, with the IP located at the 'Soul Severing Cliff' in the Western Regions, but the payment account is linked to the 'Bone Rune Hall' that we wiped out three years ago—that evil Sect specializing in human organ trafficking."

Jun Xiaoyao traced the edge of the altar, the runes lighting up and extinguishing with his movements: "Bone Rune Hall? Wasn't it said to have been uprooted back then? It seems a fish slipped through The Net."

He suddenly turned his head, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's, "Is there any news from the Marshal of the Unruly? Tell him to stop staring at the remnant troops of the Black Stone Tribe; go to the Soul Severing Cliff and overturn the lair of the Bone Rune Hall."

"Yes." Zhao Gao was about to turn around, but was stopped by Jun Xiaoyao.

"Wait." Jun Xiaoyao pulled out a hidden compartment from under the altar, inside lay a rusty copper token with the characters "Unruly" engraved on it, "Give this to the Marshal of the Unruly and tell him that the Hall Master of the Bone Rune Hall, 'Blood Hand', is skilled in refining bone talismans using living people. Have him take thirty Heaven Rank Assassins; don't worry about the manpower, I want him alive."

I. The Net Secret Order, Marshal of the Unruly Night Visits Soul Severing Cliff

Three days later, the miasma of the Soul Severing Cliff was thicker than in the Northern Territory.

The Marshal of the Unruly wore black night-traveling clothes, with half a skull embroidered in silver thread on the collar. He twirled the copper token in his hand, followed by thirty Heaven Rank Assassins—all masked in black, wearing poisoned short blades at their waists, the most skilled death soldiers in The Net at concealment.

"Infiltrate separately." The Marshal of the Unruly's voice was pressed in his throat, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, "Remember, the Young Lord only wants him alive, especially that 'Blood Hand'. If you trigger a mechanism, use the 'Ghost Shadow Tracking Step', do not engage head-on."

The assassins nodded and dispersed, their figures instantly merging into the shadows of the cliff wall.

The Marshal of the Unruly crept alone to the cave at the top of the cliff, where a string of dried human hand bones hung at the entrance, making a "clatter" sound when the wind blew, as if counting the footsteps of intruders.

He took out a small compass from his bosom, the needle spinning wildly, pointing to the depths of the cave—the Yin Qi there was thick and unmelting.

Suddenly, the compass needle stopped.

The Marshal of the Unruly pressed himself tightly against the rock wall, only to see three Cultists dressed in Bone Rune Hall attire carrying an iron cage past, with a disheveled woman locked inside, chains wrapped around her neck, her skin glowing with an eerie cyan-black color.

"The Hall Master said this is the last 'sacrifice', and by midnight tonight, the 'Thousand Bone Talisman' will be refined!" The Cultists' voices were filled with excitement, "By then, not to mention Beyond Heaven, the entire Western Regions will have to listen to us!"

The Marshal of the Unruly's fingertips rubbed against his short blade, his knuckles turning white—Thousand Bone Talisman, a legendary evil talisman refined from the skeletons of a hundred living people.

Those struck by it would have their muscles and bones forcibly extracted to become new talisman materials.

He whispered into the headset: "Group Three, intercept the iron cage; everyone else follow me to the main hall, move fast!"

II. Bloody Battle in the Cave, Heaven Rank Assassins Go to Battle

The three groups of assassins pounced on the iron cage like civet cats; the moment their short blades cut through the air, the Cultists fell to the ground before they could even react.

The Marshal of the Unruly led the remaining people to kick open the main hall gate; the scene inside the hall was hair-raising: dozens of white bones were embedded in the walls, and on the altar in the center, a burly man with a scarred face was chanting while holding a bone staff; it was Blood Hand.

"Scum of The Net?" Blood Hand sneered. The moment his bone staff hit the ground, the white bones embedded in the wall suddenly opened their eyes, ghostly fire igniting in their eye sockets, "Dare to break into my territory? Today, I will let you become new talisman materials!"

The white bones roared and pounced, the sound of joints rubbing against each other ear-piercing.

The Heaven Rank Assassins quickly formed a formation, their short blades dancing like silver flowers, every slash accurately hacking at the joints of the white bones—they were the elite of The Net, knowing the weaknesses of such evil things like the back of their hand.

The Marshal of the Unruly rushed straight at Blood Hand, his palm wind carrying Protective Aura, forcing Blood Hand to retreat repeatedly.

"Jun Xiaoyao sent you?" Blood Hand grinned as he threw several bone talismans, the talisman paper turning into venomous snakes in the air, "Does he think you can stop the Thousand Bone Talisman? Once I refine the talisman, the first thing I'll do is overturn Beyond Heaven!"

The Marshal of the Unruly dodged the venomous snakes and suddenly brought out the iron chain from his waist, the iron claw at the end of the chain accurately entangling Blood Hand's bone staff: "Enough nonsense, come back to Beyond Heaven with me to confess your crimes, perhaps you might still be left with an intact corpse."

Blood Hand pulled the bone staff violently, and a hidden door suddenly cracked open under the altar, a thick black fog gushing out, wrapped with countless fine bone fragments, stinging people's skin.

The Marshal of the Unruly inwardly thought it was bad and was just about to order a retreat when he saw several white lights suddenly flash in the black fog—it was the moonlight reflected by the Heaven Rank Assassins' short blades.

"The Young Lord said, keep him alive." An assassin roared, using his body to block the black fog, his short blade piercing through Blood Hand's shoulder.

Blood Hand screamed, actually biting through the poison tooth in his mouth, black blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth: "I will not... even in death..."

"Too late." The Marshal of the Unruly's iron chain suddenly tightened, the iron claw deeply embedded in Blood Hand's shoulder blades, "The 'Spirit Locking Chain' of The Net is specifically designed to counter evil arts; you cannot circulate your Qi anymore."

III. Beyond Heaven Trial, Blood Hand Spits Out Secrets

In the interrogation room of the underground palace, Blood Hand was locked on a black iron pillar, the runes on the iron chain constantly burning his skin, making a sizzling sound.

Jun Xiaoyao sat in the shadows opposite, toying with the beast-patterned jade pendant in his hand, never looking up.

"Speak." One word, carrying unquestionable pressure.

Blood Hand panted, his eyes resentful: "Do you think it's over just because you caught me? The Bone Rune Hall is just a branch of the 'Myriad Bone Grotto'; they... they have already found the 'star shattering stone'. Once they collect all three pieces, they can open the 'God Burying Abyss', and by then..."

Jun Xiaoyao finally looked up, slapping the jade pendant on the table with a "snap": "Myriad Bone Grotto? star shattering stone?"

"Heh, you don't know, do you?" Blood Hand suddenly laughed wildly, "Beyond Heaven destroyed the Young Lord of the Myriad Bone Grotto back then, and they have been looking for you for ten years! The star shattering stone can absorb all Internal Energy; by then, you 'honored guests' who were summoned will be lambs waiting to be slaughtered!"

Zhao Gao suddenly rushed in, the secret report in his hand still trembling: "Young Lord! An urgent report from the Northern Territory, the main force of the Myriad Bone Grotto has broken through the defense line and is seizing the second star shattering stone! The one leading the team is their Saintess, it is said... it is said that her Realm has already reached the Heavenly Human Realm!"

Jun Xiaoyao crushed the jade pendant in his hand, the shards piercing into his palm, blood beads oozing out.

He stood up, the shadows covering his expression, leaving only one cold command: "Marshal of the Unruly, take the elite of The Net to the Northern Territory."

"Yes." The Marshal of the Unruly bowed to accept the order, dragging Blood Hand out with the iron chain, Blood Hand's wild laughter gradually fading away.

Jun Xiaoyao walked to the altar and took out a new jade pendant again—this time the beast pattern was more complex, and the characters "West Gate" were engraved on the edge.

He embedded the jade pendant into the groove, and the System panel suddenly lit up:

[High-level summoning condition detected]

[Summonable character: West Gate Blows Snow (Initial Heaven Human Realm)]

[From: gu long wuxia world]

[Martial Skill: Aloof Sword Intent (Perfection), Flying Immortal Technique (Perfection), Realm of No Sword (Initial Glimpse)]

[Summon?]

Jun Xiaoyao's fingertips hovered over the "Yes" button, the bronze lamps in the underground palace suddenly all went out, leaving only the blue light of the panel reflecting the chill in his eyes.