240: The Shattered Star Stone appears; the Bone Cave's army approaches the northern border.

The blue light of the underground palace reflected off the "Ximen" jade pendant at Jun Xiaoyao's fingertips. He hovered his finger over the summoning button, hesitating to press it.

When the bronze lamp lit up again, he had already tucked the jade pendant into a hidden compartment and turned toward the sand table in the depths of the underground palace—the terrain of the Northern Territory was clearly visible on the table.

The march route of the Myriad Bone Grotto was marked in scarlet, like a winding blood snake, closing in on "Hanyue Valley," the hiding place of the second star shattering stone.

"Zhao Gao." Jun Xiaoyao's voice echoed in the empty underground palace. "Investigate the background of the Saintess of the Myriad Bone Grotto—her Realm, Cultivation Technique, and preferred weapon. I want results within an hour."

From the shadows, Zhao Gao hurried out holding a dossier, the parchment flipping in his hands. "Replying to the Young Lord, the Saintess of the Myriad Bone Grotto is named 'Bone Yao.' Her Realm is the Middle Celestial Realm, and she practices the 'Myriad Bone Heart Sutra.' She can use white bones as weapons, and her preferred weapon is a 'bone umbrella.' The umbrella ribs are quenched with corpse poison, and the umbrella surface can transform into a bone net. Three years ago, she single-handedly wiped out the 'Wind Sand Sect' of the Western Regions; her methods are ruthless."

Jun Xiaoyao pointed at Hanyue Valley on the sand table. "Hanyue Valley has a natural ice barrier and is easy to defend but hard to attack. They chose to make their move here because they calculated that our reinforcements would have difficulty arriving in time."

He paused and looked at the "The Unruly Camp" marker on the edge of the sand table. "How many men did the Marshal of the Unruly bring?"

"Three hundred elites of The Net and fifty Heaven-ranked assassins. They are all experts capable of fighting in the icy snow."

Zhao Gao added, "But the Myriad Bone Grotto has sent nearly a thousand Disciples this time, and Bone Yao is leading the team herself. If we fight head-on, we won't gain any advantage."

Jun Xiaoyao picked up a white jade chess piece from beside the sand table and placed it outside the ice barrier of Hanyue Valley. "No need for a head-on fight. Send a message to the Marshal of the Unruly. Tell him to break The Net's forces into smaller units, scatter them into the snowfields on the outskirts of Hanyue Valley, and set up the 'Bone-Eroding Formation'—mix the 'Bone-Dissolving Powder' we prepared into the snow. As long as the people from the Myriad Bone Grotto step into it, their Internal Energy will be slowly eroded."

"Understood." Zhao Gao was about to withdraw when Jun Xiaoyao called him back.

"Wait." Jun Xiaoyao took out a token from the hidden compartment, with the black character "Shadow" engraved on it.

"Have Shadow One take this token to Hanyue Valley. His 'Shadow Killing Technique' is perfect for dealing with Bone Yao's bone umbrella. Tell Shadow One, capture Bone Yao alive. I want to know the specific use of the star shattering stone."

I. Outskirts of Hanyue Valley, The Bone-Eroding Formation Shows Its Power

The snow in the Northern Territory was falling heavily. The Marshal of the Unruly, wearing a dark cloak, stood at the windy point of the snowfield, watching his subordinates scatter bags of Bone-Dissolving Powder into the accumulated snow.

The powder dissolved upon contact with snow; it was colorless and odorless, emitting a very faint silver light only under the moonlight.

"Be sharp." The Marshal of the Unruly whispered into his earpiece. "Bone Yao's bone umbrella can block hidden weapons, so don't use darts when fighting. Engage in close-quarters combat. Her corpse poison fears fire, so use fire starters more often."

Thirty Heaven-ranked assassins nodded in acknowledgement and hid behind the ice ridges of the snowfield. They wore white clothing matching the snow, slowing their breathing intentionally, like a group of dormant snow leopards.

Half an hour later, the Myriad Bone Grotto's team appeared at the edge of the snowfield. Bone Yao walked at the very front, wearing armor inlaid with white bones, her bone umbrella half-open.

The umbrella surface reflected the moonlight. Behind her followed a hundred Disciples holding bone spears, their footsteps silent on the snow—all were experts who practiced the "Myriad Bone Heart Sutra," with hard bone bodies, unafraid of the bitter cold.

"Speed up. The ice cave of Hanyue Valley is just ahead." Bone Yao's voice sounded like cracking ice. "Retrieve the star shattering stone, and upon returning to the Grotto, everyone will be rewarded with ten 'bone materials'."

The Disciples let out low cheers and quickened their pace toward Hanyue Valley.

However, just as they stepped into the heart of the snowfield, the twenty people at the front suddenly fell down screaming, their legs rapidly festering in the snow, revealing stark white bones.

"An ambush!" Bone Yao abruptly opened her bone umbrella. The umbrella ribs clicked open, transforming into twelve bone blades to protect her body. "It's Bone-Dissolving Powder! The people from The Net really did come!"

The Marshal of the Unruly sneered behind an ice ridge and pressed the mechanism in his hand—three hundred ice needles hidden under the snow suddenly shot out, precisely targeting the joints of the Myriad Bone Grotto Disciples.

Screams rang out one after another. More people stepped into the Bone-Dissolving Powder area, and the snowfield instantly became a slaughterhouse.

II. Shadow Killing Technique vs. Bone Umbrella, A Clash of the Heavenly Human Realm

Shadow One slid out from the shadows of the ice cave, his black night-traveling suit merging with the cave. He had no weapons in his hands, wearing finger cots quenched in lamp oil; this was a method specifically to restrain corpse poison.

"The Saintess of the Myriad Bone Grotto is indeed worthy of her reputation." Shadow One's voice sounded as if it were squeezed out of the cracks in the ice. "Pity, your bone umbrella can block hidden weapons, but it cannot block shadows."

When Bone Yao turned her head, she only saw a black shadow flash by, and her bone umbrella suddenly trembled violently—the shadow had already drilled into the shadow of the umbrella surface! She slammed the umbrella shut, wanting to crush Shadow One, but heard the wind rise behind her. When she hurriedly turned around, Shadow One's finger cots had grazed her neck, leaving a trail of sparks.

"Shadow Killing Technique?" Bone Yao was both shocked and angry. The bone umbrella unfolded again, and this time, countless bone needles shot out from the umbrella surface. "You are from the Shadow Department! Did Jun Xiaoyao send you?"

Shadow One wove through the gaps in the bone needles, his figure moving so fast that only afterimages remained. "The Young Lord is very interested in the star shattering stone. If you hand it over obediently, perhaps you can be left with a whole corpse."

"Dream on!" Bone Yao slammed the bone umbrella onto the ground. The umbrella ribs pierced into the ice surface, causing the ice layer to crack instantly. Countless white bones crawled out from the cracks, forming a bone wall. "Taste my 'Myriad Bone Heart-Devouring Formation'!"

The bone wall closed rapidly, trapping Shadow One in the center. Bone Yao sneered, about to activate the Formation, but saw the bone wall suddenly explode from the inside—Shadow One had actually crushed the white bones with his bare hands. The lamp oil on his finger cots ignited the scattered bone powder. The moment the flames rose, he had already appeared behind Bone Yao, his finger cots pressing against her back.

"You have lost." Shadow One's voice lacked any ripples.

Bone Yao's body stiffened. She could feel the heat on the finger cots, the Yang Qi that restrained the "Myriad Bone Heart Sutra." She gritted her teeth and said, "The star shattering stone... is in the ice coffin in the deepest part of the ice cave... but you cannot take it away. The High Priest of the Myriad Bone Grotto is already on his way. He is in the Land Immortal Realm..."

III. Before the Sand Table of Beyond Heaven, Jun Xiaoyao Summons New Reinforcements

When Zhao Gao read Shadow One's message to Jun Xiaoyao, the Hanyue Valley marker on the sand table suddenly lit up with red light—that was the signal that the ice cave had been triggered.

"Land Immortal Realm?" Jun Xiaoyao picked up another jade pendant, with the character "North" engraved on it. "It seems I must ask this one to make a move."

He embedded the jade pendant into the summoning array, and the Formation patterns lit up with golden light, more dazzling than when summoning anyone before. The information on the panel refreshed rapidly:

[Detected high-level combat power requirement, triggering special summoning]

[Summoned Character: Beigong Wang ("sentimental swordsman, ruthless sword")]

[Realm: Early Earthly Immortal Realm]

[Martial Skills: 1. Overlord Spear (Perfection)—The spear strikes like a dragon, capable of splitting mountains. 2. Indestructible Vajra Body (Major Achievement)—Impervious to blades and spears, immune to water and fire. 3. Void-Breaking Finger (Perfection)—Finger force can shatter stones from a distance, specifically breaking Protective Aura.]

[Loyalty: 100%]

When the golden light dissipated, a sturdy man wearing black armor appeared in the center of the underground palace. He was nearly a zhang tall, holding the Overlord Spear planted on the ground, the spear tip sinking half a foot into the floor tiles. He knelt on one knee, his voice like a booming bell: "Beigong Wang, greets the Young Lord!"

Jun Xiaoyao looked at him, pointing his fingertip at Hanyue Valley on the sand table. "Senior Beigong, there is a star shattering stone in Hanyue Valley, and it has been targeted by the High Priest of the Myriad Bone Grotto. Your mission is to guard the ice cave and wait for me to arrive personally."

Beigong Wang stood up abruptly, spinning the Overlord Spear in his hand; the wind from the spear made the bronze lamps rattle. "Rest assured, Young Lord! With me here, let alone the Early Earthly Immortal Realm, even the Middle Stage won't be able to take a single step into the ice cave!"

IV. Standoff in the Ice Cave, First Clash of the Land Immortals

Deep inside the Hanyue Valley ice cave, the ice coffin emitted a faint blue light. The second star shattering stone was embedded in the groove of the ice coffin lid, radiating a cold aura capable of freezing Internal Energy.

The High Priest of the Myriad Bone Grotto stood before the ice coffin. He wore a ritual robe sewn from a hundred skeletons, his face covered by a white bone mask, his voice hoarse like an old crow. "Bone Yao is too useless; she can't even handle a small character from the Shadow Department."

Shadow One dragged the acupoint-sealed Bone Yao and retreated into the shadows of the ice cave. He knew he was no match for a Land Immortal and could only stall for time.

"High Priest, the power of the star shattering stone is not something you can control."

Shadow One intentionally delayed, his peripheral vision glancing toward the cave entrance—Beigong Wang should be arriving soon.

The High Priest sneered and raised his withered hand to press on the ice coffin. "This old man has practiced the 'Myriad Bone Heart Sutra' for fifty years, and I am only one step away from Shattering the Void. With the star shattering stone, I can make up for the final flaw."

Just as his palm touched the star shattering stone, a deafening spear roar came from the cave entrance.

"Halt! Old thing, give me your life!"

Beigong Wang's Overlord Spear pierced through the dome of the ice cave, smashing toward the High Priest with the force of ten thousand jun.

The High Priest hurriedly sacrificed a bone shield. The moment the spear and shield collided, the entire ice cave shook violently, and layers of ice fell down.

"Early Earthly Immortal Realm?" Beigong Wang stood with his spear retracted, his black armor covered in ice dregs. "With this little power, you dare to call yourself a High Priest?"

The High Priest's bone shield cracked with several fissures, and a flash of shock flickered in his eyes behind the mask. "Overlord Spear Beigong Wang? Didn't you die outside the pass long ago?"

"Thanks to you, I'm living just fine." Beigong Wang pointed his spear tip directly at the ice coffin. "Today, I will let you know what a true Land Immortal Realm is!"

Outside the ice cave, the Marshal of the Unruly led the Disciples of The Net to clean up the battlefield, while Shadow One tied Bone Yao to an ice pillar.

On the distant snowfield, Jun Xiaoyao's figure was walking through the snow, followed by Zhao Gao and ten Heaven-ranked assassins holding heavy crossbows—this battle for the star shattering stone had only just begun.