299: Dual-teacher layout

The bronze lamp in the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace stretched Jun Xiaoyao's shadow long, casting it upon the runes of the summoning array, seemingly merging with the circulating spiritual light.

He held the Netherworld Cult scroll brought back by Star Plucker between his fingertips. The edges of the paper were dark yellow from being steeped in bloody Qi for years, and the transaction records documented on it were shocking—just in the past half year alone.

The Netherworld Cult transported three hundred catties of heart-eroding grass to the Wanfa Holy Land Main Altar, receiving in return not only an Incomplete Manual of The Heart Sutra of Ten Thousand Dharmas but also twenty young girls whose Martial Skills had been crippled, with the usage column marked "medicinal primer."

"Make three copies of this." Jun Xiaoyao tossed the scroll to Zhao Gao, his voice as cold as the ice deep within the underground palace. "One copy for the Imperial Dynasty Secret Agent Division, one for the Qingyun Sect, which is hostile to the Wanfa Holy Land, and the last copy... have the 'Shadow' Group paste it all over the streets and alleys of Qingzhou City.

Zhao Gao's hands trembled slightly as he held the scroll, and he quickly replied, "Yes, Young Lord. It's just that the people from the Secret Agent Division might not believe it..."

"Whether they believe it or not is irrelevant," Jun Xiaoyao interrupted him, drawing the Qingyun Sect's mark on the water mirror with his fingertip. "The daughter of the Qingyun Sect Master 'disappeared' at the Wanfa Holy Land last year. This scroll is enough to drive them mad."

The water mirror screen switched. The Qingyun Sect's mountain gate was hidden in the mist, and a missing persons notice was still posted on the bulletin board at the foot of the mountain. The girl in the portrait had delicate features and was one of the "medicinal primers" recorded in the scroll. Jun Xiaoyao tapped his finger lightly, and the screen jumped to the Qingyun Sect's deliberation hall—Sect Master Feng Qingyang was raging at his Disciples, and the teacups on the table were shattered.

[Character: Feng Qingyang]

[From: the smiling, proud wanderer World]

[Realm: Late Heaven-Man Realm]

[Martial Skill: Nine Swords of Dugu (Perfection), Zixia Divine Skill (Major Achievement)]

[Status: Enraged (Due to the disappearance of his beloved daughter)]

"Very good." Jun Xiaoyao looked at Feng Qingyang's status and curved his lips into a faint smile. "Have the 'Shadow' Group assassins who deliver the scroll take a message—if he wants to know the truth, go to the Wanfa Holy Land Qingzhou Branch to demand an explanation."

Zhao Gao accepted the order and withdrew. The summoning array in the underground palace suddenly lit up with a faint glow. The spiritual power scale of the array eye increased by 10% due to solving the Netherworld Cult's clues, reaching 60%. Jun Xiaoyao walked to the array, tracing the runes with his fingertip. A new list of summonable characters appeared on the light screen.

[Summonable Character: Phoenix of the Miao People]

[From: flying fox of snowy mountain world]

[Realm: Peak Grandmaster Realm]

[Martial Skill: Miao Family Sword Technique (Perfection), Flying Fox Saber Technique (Major Achievement)]

[Loyalty: 88% (Requires completing the "Recover the Ancestral Saber" mission to increase)]

[Summon Cost: Spiritual Power 50%]

"Phoenix of the Miao People?" Jun Xiaoyao's eyebrow twitched slightly. This "Golden Faced Buddha" was famous for his precise and ruthless swordsmanship, which compensated for The Net's shortcomings in direct combat. He chose to summon without hesitation. The runes in the array suddenly boiled, and golden Spiritual Power coalesced into a figure—dressed in Miao frontier clothing, wearing a long saber at his waist, with a resolute face, it was Phoenix of the Miao People.

"Young Master of Tianwaitian?" Phoenix of the Miao People clasped his fists in greeting, his voice like the clashing of metal and stone. "I heard you can find my ancestral 'cold moon precious saber'?"

Jun Xiaoyao pulled up a secret report, which recorded the whereabouts of the cold moon precious saber: "In the Treasure Pavilion of the Wanfa Holy Land Main Altar, numbered seventy-three. Do me a favor, and after it's done, I'll have someone retrieve it for you."

He pointed toward the Qingyun Sect on the water mirror: "Feng Qingyang is about to lead people to assault the Myriad Dharma Branch. Go meet him and ensure he survives to see the Branch Master—but don't reveal your identity; only intervene when he's about to collapse."

Phoenix of the Miao People glanced at the precious saber pattern on the secret report, his gaze hardening: "Deal. But if you deceive me..."

"My Beyond Heaven never issues empty promises." Jun Xiaoyao tapped the light screen with his fingertip, and a three-dimensional image of the cold moon precious saber appeared in the array. The details were exactly the same as Phoenix of the Miao People remembered. "These are the saber's forging patterns. No one except a descendant of the Miao Family can recognize all of them."

Seeing this, Phoenix of the Miao People said no more, turning into an afterimage and vanishing from the underground palace, leaving only the words: "Wait for my news within three days."

At this moment, a change occurred in the water mirror—Feng Qingyang indeed led the Qingyun Sect Disciples to attack the Myriad Dharma Branch. The Sword Qi of the Nine Swords of Dugu swept across everything, and the Branch's mountain protection array was actually cleaved open by his single sword strike. Seeing this, the Branch Master personally led the Protectors to meet the enemy. Both sides engaged in fierce fighting in front of the Branch's gate. Sword Qi and palm wind collided, shaking the tiles off the surrounding houses.

"Feng Qingyang's Nine Swords of Dugu is indeed formidable," Jun Xiaoyao watched the scene. Feng Qingyang's sword moves seemed chaotic, yet every strike targeted a weakness. Although the Branch Master's "Myriad Dharma Unification Palm" was fierce, it was easily neutralized by him. "But the Branch Master is holding back a move; he hasn't used the poison needles in his cuff yet."

Just as he said, the Branch Master gradually weakened. He suddenly flicked his cuff, and three poisoned silver needles shot toward Feng Qingyang's face. Feng Qingyang was caught off guard and could only dodge sideways, but a silver needle grazed his shoulder, which immediately turned black and purple.

"Despicable!" Feng Qingyang roared, channeling Zixia Divine Skill to suppress the poison, but his movements slowed by half a beat. The Branch Master seized the opportunity to counterattack, his palm wind aiming directly for his heart.

At this critical moment, a saber light, like a cold moon, sliced through the sky, accurately striking the Branch Master's wrist. The Branch Master cried out in agony, his palm power instantly dissipating. Phoenix of the Miao People had appeared in the field without anyone noticing, his long saber already sheathed, as if he hadn't moved at all.

"Who?" The Branch Master was both shocked and enraged, retreating while clutching his bleeding wrist.

Phoenix of the Miao People didn't speak, just glanced at him coldly. That look inexplicably made the Branch Master's heart palpitate, and he dared not step forward again. Feng Qingyang took the opportunity to regulate his breathing, looking at Phoenix of the Miao People with confusion, but wisely chose not to ask further. Instead, he glared at the Branch Master: "Speak! Was my daughter refined into a medicinal primer by you people?"

The Branch Master's face was pale, and he stammered, unable to speak. The surrounding Qingyun Sect Disciples were already seeing red from fighting. Seeing this, their collective fury intensified, and their attacks became even more fierce.

In front of the water mirror, Jun Xiaoyao watched the scene and said to the newly returned Zhao Gao: "Have the 'Blood' Group deliver the Netherworld Cult scroll to Feng Qingyang, and then release the list of medicinal primers secretly held by the Branch Master—I want all of Qingzhou to know what kind of dirty business the Wanfa Holy Land is engaged in."

Zhao Gao quickly complied. In less than half an hour, Feng Qingyang received the scroll and the list. When he saw his daughter's name prominently listed, his eyes nearly split with rage. The Sword Qi of the Nine Swords of Dugu surged, and with a single strike, he actually severed the Branch Master's right arm!

"Wanfa Holy Land! My Qingyun Sect will never rest until one of us is dead!" Feng Qingyang's roar echoed throughout Qingzhou City, and the battle in front of the Branch gate grew even more tragic.

Jun Xiaoyao turned off the screen and looked at the summoning array. Phoenix of the Miao People's Loyalty increased to 92% due to completing the mission, and the Spiritual Power of the array eye also rose to 70% due to the impact of this incident. He knew that the Wanfa Holy Land and the Qingyun Sect had completely fallen out, the Netherworld Cult had been severely damaged, and the situation in Qingzhou had finally fallen entirely under the control of Beyond Heaven.

"Next," Jun Xiaoyao traced the map of the Northern Desert on the water mirror, where the location of the Netherworld Cult Main Altar, Black Wind Stockade, was marked, "it's time to meet the Cult Master of the Netherworld Cult."

The lamps in the underground palace flickered, reflecting the sharp light in his eyes. The threads of The Net had woven an airtight web in Qingzhou, and this web was about to be cast across a wider world.

Whether it was the Wanfa Holy Land or the Netherworld Cult, as long as they blocked the path of Beyond Heaven, they would ultimately be completely shredded by this net.