293: Two heroes break through the ice

The profound iron token spun in Jun Xiaoyao's palm, reflecting a faint, cold light in his eyes.

Outside the underground palace passage, the night was like ink, with only the sound of whimpering wind faintly drifting from the direction of Jueqing Valley, like countless wronged souls whispering.

"Prepare the carriage." Jun Xiaoyao tucked the profound iron token into his sleeve, his voice calm and unruffled.

Zhao Gao immediately responded, turning to make a gesture toward the shadows—three breaths later, a black carriage slid silently out of the hidden door, its wheels wrapped in thick cotton, making not a sound as they touched the ground.

"Gang Leader Qiao, Brother Li, please." Jun Xiaoyao gestured, stepping onto the carriage first.

As the carriage curtain was lifted, it revealed the black mink fur cushions laid inside, with a glazed lamp burning in the corner, its wick dancing with a ghostly blue flame that cast flickering light throughout the carriage.

Li Xunhuan had just sat down when he pulled a wine gourd from his sleeve, tilted his head, and took a drink; the liquor trickled down his jawline, dripping onto his green robe and spreading into a dark stain.

"Does the Young Lord know the details of that Soul Locking Formation?" He spun a one-inch Flying Dagger between his fingertips, the blade glinting coldly in the lamplight. "It's an evil formation from the previous dynasty, using forty-nine wronged souls as a catalyst. There must be a 'Soul Suppressing Stele' suppressing the formation eye; forcing our way in might disturb the vengeful spirits within."

Qiao Feng sat opposite, hands pressed on his knees, his knuckles white from the tension. Although he had just been summoned, he had already grasped the general situation from the file Zhao Gao handed him. He said in a deep voice, "Vengeful spirits fear masculine energy; my Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms might be able to suppress them. However, the cold pool is three zhang deep, and the ice layer is five chi thick; we need to break the ice first to reach the formation eye."

Jun Xiaoyao tapped his fingertips lightly on the carriage window; the scenery outside flashed by rapidly, the trees on both sides turning into blurred black shadows.

"The Soul Suppressing Stele is inscribed with the 'Rebirth Mantra'. If Brother Li's Flying Dagger can precisely hit the rune grooves on the stele, it can temporarily disrupt the formation eye. Gang Leader Qiao can then use his palm power to shatter the ice layer, while simultaneously using the Dragon Capturing Skill to stabilize the stele body and prevent the vengeful spirits from leaking out."

He paused and looked at Zhao Gao, "Have the people from The Net set up control outside the valley?"

Zhao Gao was holding an account book, checking something. Hearing this, he looked up and said, "Reporting to the Young Lord, twenty members of the 'Shadow' group are guarding the valley entrance, and ten members of the 'Kill' group have set up obstacles by the pool to prevent outsiders from intruding. Additionally, according to your instructions, I had the Marshal of the Unruly bring ten jars of strong liquor, saying it might be useful when breaking the formation."

"Strong liquor?" Qiao Feng raised an eyebrow. "Could it be to use fire as an attack?"

"Pouring liquor on the ice and igniting it to fuel the fire can both dispel the cold and force out the vengeful spirits for centralized handling," Jun Xiaoyao explained calmly. "The wronged souls at the bottom of the cold pool have been trapped for a hundred years, and their resentment has long since solidified. Ordinary flames cannot harm them, but fireballs mixed with strong liquor carry the energy of Yang fire, which is just right for burning away some of their malevolence."

As they spoke, the carriage came to a sudden stop. Zhao Gao lifted the curtain and reported, "Young Lord, we have arrived at Jueqing Valley."

Everyone got off the carriage. They saw the valley entrance filled with mist, the ground covered in a layer of thin frost that crunched underfoot. The cold pool in the distance looked like a huge piece of black jade, the ice layer glowing with a greenish-grey light under the moonlight, and black chains could be faintly seen entangled underwater—that was the outer Restriction of the Soul Locking Formation.

"Brother Li, scout the formation first." Jun Xiaoyao stood by the pool, hands behind his back.

Li Xunhuan nodded. His figure flickered as he swept to the center of the pool, his toes tapping the ice surface, and his whole body drifted up like a paper kite. He pulled out three Flying Daggers and flicked his fingers; the first one went straight for the vortex-like pattern in the center of the ice layer—that was the weak point of the formation eye. The moment the Flying Dagger submerged, the ice layer suddenly burst into spiderweb-like cracks, and countless black Qi surged out from the gaps, turning into hideous ghost faces that lunged forward.

"Well come!" Qiao Feng shouted, both palms striking out together. The fierce Qi of the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms was like crashing waves, forcefully pushing the black Qi back three zhang. "Vast Dragon Regrets!" He walked on the ice, and with every step he took, the ice layer groaned under the burden. Where his palm wind swept, frost condensed into ice shards, freezing the approaching vengeful spirits in place.

Li Xunhuan took the opportunity to shoot the second Flying Dagger, which nailed with absolute precision into the top of the Soul Suppressing Stele faintly visible under the ice. With a crisp "ding," the runes on the stele lit up with red light, and the black Qi immediately became restless, like a beast whose tail had been stepped on.

"Now!" At Jun Xiaoyao's command, Zhao Gao immediately signaled The Unruly to bring over the strong liquor and pour it along the cracks in the ice. Qiao Feng took a deep breath, pushing his palm power to the limit. "Soaring Dragon in the Sky!" He slammed both palms onto the ice surface, and the five-chi-thick ice layer shattered in response. The instant the water splashed, Li Xunhuan's third Flying Dagger broke through the air, piercing straight into the last character of the "Rebirth Mantra" on the Soul Suppressing Stele.

"Hum—" The Soul Suppressing Stele vibrated violently, the black Qi retreated back into the stele like a tide, and the runes on the stele body began to flow with golden light.

Seeing this, Qiao Feng immediately used the Dragon Capturing Skill to stabilize the stele body from a distance, preventing it from falling into the bottom of the pool due to the vibration. Li Xunhuan swept to the side of the pool, picked up a torch handed over by The Unruly, dipped it in strong liquor, and threw it into the pool.

The flames, fueled by the liquor, soared a zhang high, lighting up half the night sky in red. The vengeful spirits that hadn't managed to retreat back into the stele were scorched by the flames, letting out shrill screams before quickly turning into ashes.

"That's about enough." Jun Xiaoyao watched the golden light on the Soul Suppressing Stele gradually stabilize. "Gang Leader Qiao, move the stele body to the shore. Brother Li, please use your Flying Dagger to carve the three characters 'Beyond Heaven'; consider it our mark left here."

Qiao Feng complied. Under the guidance of his palm power, the massive stele body slowly floated out of the water and landed on the open ground by the pool. Li Xunhuan walked forward; the Flying Dagger in his hand seemed to transform into a carving knife, and in a few strokes, he carved the three vigorous and powerful characters onto the stele, the sound of the blade passing over the stone surface crisp and pleasant.

Zhao Gao ran over, holding the account book, recording and reciting as he went: "One Soul Suppressing Stele, material is profound iron mixed with Yin-patterned stone, estimated value... at least five thousand taels of silver. Breaking the Soul Locking Formation consumed ten jars of strong liquor, valued at three hundred taels. Master Li Xunhuan consumed three Flying Daggers, each precision-crafted, valued at fifty taels, totaling one hundred and fifty taels..."

"No need to record that." Jun Xiaoyao interrupted him. "Keep this stele; it might be useful in the future. Have the people from The Net guard this place; no one is allowed to approach." He looked at Qiao Feng and Li Xunhuan. "You two have worked hard. Return to the underground palace to rest. Tomorrow morning, we will set off for Nanfeng City."

Li Xunhuan took a drink of wine and laughed, "Interesting, interesting. Breaking this formation is much more entertaining than drinking to relieve boredom." Qiao Feng also nodded, "Whatever the Young Lord arranges is fine; I am ready at any time."

At this moment, the Soul Suppressing Stele suddenly emitted a faint light, and the three characters "Beyond Heaven" on the stele actually exuded faint beads of blood, which were quickly absorbed by the golden light. Jun Xiaoyao glanced at it, a flash of realization crossing his eyes—it seems the breaking of this formation was to the stele's liking.

Horse hooves sounded from outside the valley. Zhao Gao went out to check and returned to report: "Young Lord, it's the people from the Wanfa Holy Land, saying they... want to talk to us about cooperation, using their 'Concentration Incense' to trade for the 'poison scripture supplement' we confiscated from the branch leader."

A cold smile curled the corners of Jun Xiaoyao's mouth: "Concentration Incense? They have a good plan. Tell them, if they want the poison scripture, they must trade it for the operating rights of the salt road in Nanfeng City."

Zhao Gao accepted the order and left. Qiao Feng looked at his retreating figure and asked doubtfully, "Is the Young Lord planning to intervene in the salt road? That is the Imperial Dynasty's monopoly."

"The Imperial Dynasty?" Jun Xiaoyao smiled, the light of the glazed lamp dancing in his eyes. "When they discover the collusion between the Prince of Zhennan and the Wanfa Holy Land, they will be too busy to care about the salt road. Brother Li, next time, your Flying Dagger might need to be aimed at those wearing the black gauze hats."

Upon hearing this, Li Xunhuan tied his wine gourd to his waist, spinning the Flying Dagger on his fingertip: "As long as the Young Lord commands, whether it's a black gauze hat or the Golden Throne Hall, I will strike without hesitation."

The night deepened, and the flames by the cold pool gradually extinguished, leaving only the three characters "Beyond Heaven" on the Soul Suppressing Stele glowing faintly in the moonlight. In the distance, the figures of Luowang Assassins wove through the tree shadows, silently guarding this newly cleared position.

The underground palace's carriage started up again; this time, the direction pointed toward Nanfeng City—there, a more lively chess game awaited Jun Xiaoyao to place his pieces.