318: The Secret Array of Broken Soul Cliff

The bronze lamps in the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace cast mottled shadows. Jun Xiaoyao lightly traced the edge of the water mirror, zooming in on the scene at Soul Severing Cliff.

The characters “Heaven-Burning” in the center of the altar were covered with blood-colored runes. Beside the sulfur piles, an Elder of Wanfa Holy Land held a peach wood sword, chanting incantations. The runes glowed with an eerie red light as the spells were uttered, making even the air seem to distort from the heat.

“Young Lord, Yang Guo has sent back a secret report,” Zhao Gao said in a hushed voice, holding a bamboo slip. “That altar is the core of the Heaven-Burning Earth-Extinguishing Formation. It is said that once activated, it can draw out telluric fire and burn all living beings within a thousand li. The sulfur stockpiled by Wanfa Holy Land is precisely for catalyzing the Formation’s eye.”

Jun Xiaoyao’s eyes darkened slightly. He tapped the water mirror to pinpoint the altar’s weak spot—the runes in the northwest corner were noticeably dimmer, clashing with the red glow elsewhere. “Their Formation’s eye is unstable. It seems they rushed to activate it, neglecting its Foundation.” He turned to the summoning array. Its spiritual power had increased to 68% after clearing out the remnants of the Blood Shadow Cult, and a new list of summonable characters appeared on the light screen.

Summonable Character: Duan Yu

From: demi-gods and semi-devils World

Realm: Initial Heaven Human Realm

Martial Skill: Six Meridians Divine Sword (Major Achievement), Subtle Steps of the Rippling Waves (Perfection)

Specialty: Ranged Attack, Movement Evasion

Summoning Cost: 45% spiritual power

“Duan Yu’s Six Meridians Divine Sword can break the runes perfectly.” Jun Xiaoyao lightly tapped the light screen. “Summon.”

The Formation’s eye glowed with a faint blue light, and runes swirled like flowing water. A young man in brocade robes slowly materialized. He held a folding fan, with a handsome face, and seemed a little nervous upon seeing Jun Xiaoyao. He cupped his hands and bowed: “This one, Duan Yu, greets Young Lord.”

Character Panel: Duan Yu

Status: Reserved

Loyalty: 82%

Current Thoughts: The Formations here are so complex, even harder to understand than Dali’s Mystical Arts of Wondrous Gates and Hidden Staves.

Jun Xiaoyao pointed to Soul Severing Cliff in the water mirror: “Wanfa Holy Land has set up an evil Formation, intending to devastate all living beings. Wield the Six Meridians Divine Sword, shatter the runes in the northwest corner, and break their Formation’s eye.”

Duan Yu looked at the eerie red light in the image, his brows tightly furrowed: “Such evil sorcery, Duan Yu cannot stand idly by! But... the Six Meridians Divine Sword is too powerful; will it harm the innocent?”

“Don’t worry,” Jun Xiaoyao brought up a topographic map of the area around the altar. “That’s a cliff, with no other human habitation besides the Formation’s eye guards.”

Only then did Duan Yu nod, taking the message talisman: “Young Lord, rest assured, Duan Yu will not fail.” His figure stepped into the teleportation array, a blue light flashed, and he disappeared into the Underground Palace.

The water mirror screen switched, and Duan Yu’s figure appeared in the dense forest on the west side of Soul Severing Cliff. He used Subtle Steps of the Rippling Waves, moving like a ghost among the rocks, avoiding patrolling Disciples, and soon reached the northwest corner of the altar. There were indeed only two Heavenly Human Realm guards, sitting in meditation with closed eyes to maintain the runes’ operation.

Duan Yu took a deep breath, concentrating Internal Energy at his fingertips. With a “chi” sound, an invisible Sword Qi shot out, accurately striking the dim rune. The rune instantly shattered, and the red light receded from a corner like a tide, the trembling sound of the altar ceasing abruptly.

“Who?!” The two guards suddenly opened their eyes, drawing their long swords to pounce. Duan Yu’s figure flickered, executing Subtle Steps of the Rippling Waves, avoiding the sword’s edge while simultaneously flicking his fingers. Two Sword Qi strikes hit the Dantian of each man, and the guards immediately collapsed to the ground, their spiritual power dissipating.

“My apologies.” Duan Yu clasped his hands in apology to the unconscious guards, then turned to the message talisman and said, “Young Lord, the Formation’s eye has been broken.”

In front of the water mirror, Jun Xiaoyao watched the flustered Wanfa Disciples on the altar, a slight smile playing on his lips. At this moment, another water mirror lit up, showing Huang Rong leading Luowang Assassinss, tallying the purchased thousand-year snow lotus in the Central Plains medicinal market.

“Young Lord,” Huang Rong’s voice came from the message talisman, “The compensation from the Li family has arrived: three five-hundred-year snow lotuses and a box of ice crystal grass, along with a letter stating their wish to reconcile with Beyond Heaven and give us three-tenths of their medicinal profits.”

Jun Xiaoyao took the letter handed to him by Zhao Gao. Li Changfeng’s handwriting was strong and vigorous, yet the words between the lines revealed suppressed anger: “To the esteemed Young Lord of Beyond Heaven, past events were due to my son’s impertinence. This old man is willing to offer three-tenths of the profits as compensation, and from now on, we shall not interfere with each other...”

“Not interfere with each other?” Jun Xiaoyao crumpled the letter. “Does he even qualify?” He said to the message talisman, “Tell Li Changfeng that if he wants to reconcile, he must hand over half of Hundred Herbs Hall’s assets. Otherwise, Beyond Heaven will not hesitate to flatten the Li family.”

After Huang Rong assented, the water mirror screen switched again to the northern border. Marshal of the Unruly was leading The Unruly, moving a batch of newly confiscated Blood Shadow Cult poison scriptures into the Underground Palace treasury. He said in a deep voice to the message talisman: “Young Lord, the poison scripture records the ‘Blood Shadow Soul Searching Art,’ which can make people reveal their innermost secrets. Should the ‘Xing’ group study it?”

Jun Xiaoyao’s eyes flickered: “Keep it.” He pointed to the Wanfa Holy Land captives held in the water mirror. “Just as well, there are a few stubborn ones who refuse to confess the altar’s purpose. Let the ‘Xing’ group try it.”

Marshal of the Unruly accepted the order and turned to continue tallying the poison scriptures. At this moment, the summoning array’s spiritual power had increased to 72% due to the successful breaking of the Formation, and another name appeared on the light screen.

Summonable Character: Xu Zhu

From: demi-gods and semi-devils World

Realm: Middle Celestial Realm

Martial Skill: Minor Formless Art (Perfection), Tianshan Six Yang Palms (Major Achievement)

Specialty: Healing, Profound Internal Energy

Summoning Cost: 50% spiritual power

“Xu Zhu?” Jun Xiaoyao raised an eyebrow. This Shaolin eminent monk’s healing arts would be perfect for dealing with the casualties among the Luowang Assassinss. “Summon.”

The Formation’s eye glowed with golden light, and runes bloomed like lotus flowers. A young man in a monk’s robe materialized, his hands clasped together, his face honest: “This humble monk, Xu Zhu, greets Young Lord.”

Character Panel: Xu Zhu

Status: Devout

Loyalty: 88%

Current Thoughts: The aura here is so strong, even more awe-inspiring than the stone walls of Spirit Vulture Palace.

Jun Xiaoyao pointed to the medical room in the corner of the Underground Palace: “Luowang Assassinss were injured while clearing out the remnants of the Blood Shadow Cult. Go and heal them.”

Xu Zhu bowed and replied: “Amitabha, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. This humble monk will go now.”

In front of the water mirror, Zhao Gao suddenly whispered: “Young Lord, the Saintess of Wanfa Holy Land, Liu Ruyan, has sent word that she wishes to betray the Holy Land and offer the Wanfa Holy Land Main Altar’s defense map, only asking that Beyond Heaven guarantees her safety.”

Jun Xiaoyao looked at the phantom image of the Wanfa Holy Land Main Altar in the water mirror, where clouds and mist swirled, vaguely revealing the outline of palace complexes. “Liu Ruyan?” He recalled the description in the records—Saintess of Wanfa Holy Land, Late Heaven-Man Realm, skilled in charm techniques and poison arts, and Li Changfeng’s illegitimate daughter.

“Have her send the defense map,” Jun Xiaoyao said calmly. “If it’s true, she can keep her life and be assigned to the ‘Ying’ group.”

After Zhao Gao took his leave, Jun Xiaoyao watched the movements of all parties in the water mirror: Duan Yu was monitoring the remaining Wanfa Disciples at Soul Severing Cliff, Xu Zhu was healing assassins in the medical room, Huang Rong was managing the medicinal business in the Central Plains, and The Unruly were consolidating their defenses in the northern border... The Net’s tendrils had spread like a spiderweb, and though the name of Beyond Heaven had not yet spread throughout the world, it had already struck fear into the hearts of major powers.

He looked at the summoning array; 72% spiritual power was enough to summon another master, but he made no move. The current layout was stable enough, and excessive summoning would only expose his strength.

The night wind of Hanyue Valley passed through the Underground Palace, carrying the scent of sulfur from Soul Severing Cliff and the aroma of medicine from the Central Plains, intertwining into a unique atmosphere.

Jun Xiaoyao leaned back on the Black Iron Throne, closing his eyes to rest, but in his mind, he was already planning the next step—it was time for The Net to “visit” the Wanfa Holy Land Main Altar.

The expansion of Beyond Heaven was far from over. Those forces standing in the way would eventually either submit or be annihilated under the shroud of The Net.