324: Blood Hand Alliance

Chapter 324: The fierce might of the Blood Hand Alliance arrives, the sharp blade of Beyond Heaven is concealed.

The water mirror in the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace suddenly rippled. On the screen, the 'Soul Severing Cliff,' a stronghold of the Blood Hand Alliance, was shrouded in blood-colored mist.

Dozens of killers in black knelt at the edge of the cliff. Each held a beating heart in their hands. Scarlet blood dripped through their fingers, merging into the dark river at the bottom of the cliff—this was the 'Sacrificial Rite' of the Blood Hand Alliance; they always sacrificed living people before every operation.

Jun Xiaoyao tapped his fingertips on the stone table, his gaze landing on the Man in Black Robe sitting high on the altar in the image.

[Character Panel: Blood Butcher]

[Realm: Peak Heaven-Human Realm]

[Martial Skill: Blood Hand Technique (Perfection), Bone-Eroding Claw (Major Achievement)]

[Identity: Deputy Alliance Leader of the Blood Hand Alliance, takes pleasure in torture and killing, with over a thousand lives on his hands.]

'Young Lord,' Zhao Gao's voice came from the shadows, carrying a hint of gravity. 'Blood Butcher has already left Soul Severing Cliff with three hundred 'Blood Guards,' aiming directly for Hanyue Valley.'

'Duke Zhenguo promised him the benefit of 'half the imperial city' and even sent two Land Immortal Realm experts to assist in secret.'

Jun Xiaoyao looked up at the summoning array. The spiritual power in the array's eye had risen to 89% because Yue Fei had taken over the horse farm. Amidst the flowing pale golden runes, three new silhouettes appeared.

[Summonable Character: Zhang Sanfeng]

[From: the heaven sword and dragon saber world]

[Realm: Mid-stage Terrestrial Immortal Realm]

[Martial Skill: Tai Chi Fist (Perfection), Tai Chi Sword (Major Achievement), Nine Yang Divine Art (Perfection)]

[Specialty: Overcoming hardness with softness, attained the peak of mastery in Formation.]

[Summoning Cost: 90% Spiritual Power]

[Summonable Character: Sweeping Monk]

[From: demi-gods and semi-devils world]

[Realm: Land Immortal Realm Late Stage]

[Martial Skill: Seventy-Two Ultimate Skills of Shaolin (Proficient), Muscle Tendon Changing Classic (Perfection)]

[Specialty: Profound Buddhist Dharma, unparalleled defense.]

[Summoning Cost: 95% Spiritual Power]

[Summonable Character: Yang Guo]

[From: the return of the condor heroes world]

[Realm: Peak Heaven-Human Realm]

[Martial Skill: Aran Xiao Hun Palm (Perfection), Xuantie Sword Technique (Major Achievement)]

[Specialty: Winning by surprise, light footwork is the best in the world.]

[Summoning Cost: 80% Spiritual Power]

Jun Xiaoyao paused on the name 'Zhang Sanfeng' for a moment, then finally turned to 'Yang Guo': 'The Land Immortal Realm experts have their own countermeasures; let's deal with Blood Butcher first.'

He flicked his finger, and the summoning array suddenly lit up with cyan-gray light. The runes swarmed toward the eye of the array like moths. Within the light, a one-armed figure slowly materialized. The black iron heavy sword leaned against the ground, and his fluttering sleeves carried three parts loneliness and seven parts arrogance.

'Yang Guo, greets the Young Lord.' He nodded slightly, his voice carrying the hoarseness of one who has experienced the vicissitudes of life.

[Character Panel: Yang Guo]

[Status: Cold and Proud]

[Loyalty: 80%]

[Current Thought: Although this underground palace is deep, it cannot lock the wings of the Condor.]

Jun Xiaoyao pointed to Blood Butcher in the water mirror: 'The guest from Soul Severing Cliff likes to use living people for sacrifices. Go and meet him.'

Yang Guo's gaze swept over the sacrificial rite in the image. His one arm tightened around the mysterious iron sword, and the blade emitted a cold, grim light under the lamp: 'This kind of trash is not worthy of dirtying my sword.' Although he said this, his footsteps had already entered the teleportation array. 'Within three days, I will bring his head back.'

A red light flashed, and Yang Guo's figure disappeared from the underground palace. Jun Xiaoyao looked at another water mirror. Marshal of the Unruly was leading The Unruly to set up the 'Nine Bends Yellow River Formation' outside Hanyue Valley. Three hundred 'Sky-Shaking Thunders' were buried at the eye of the Formation, and the fuses were connected to the stream in the valley. A simple trigger would flood the Formation with a mountain torrent.

'How is it going with Marshal of the Unruly?' Jun Xiaoyao asked.

Zhao Gao bowed and said, 'As instructed by the Young Lord, three traps have been set in the valley: the first is the 'Fog Formation,' which can confuse the mind; the second is the 'Rockfall Zone,' which hides ten thousand jin of giant boulders; the third is the Yellow River Formation, with The Unruly guarding the eye.'

Jun Xiaoyao nodded and looked at the third water mirror—in the image, two white-haired old men were sitting in a secret room of Duke Zhenguos Residence, with a topographical map of Hanyue Valley in front of them.

[Character Panel: Zhennan Jun]

[Realm: Early Earthly Immortal Realm]

[Martial Skill: Burning Heaven Palm (Major Achievement)]

[Identity: Brother of Duke Zhenguo, once guarded the southern frontier and slaughtered three tribal clans.]

[Character Panel: Old Mo]

[Realm: Early Earthly Immortal Realm]

[Martial Skill: Bone-Melting Hand (Perfection)]

[Identity: Expert of Duke Zhenguos Residence, skilled in using poison, killing without a trace.]

'These two,' Jun Xiaoyao tapped his fingertip on the water mirror, 'let the Sweeping Monk go and greet the guests.'

He injected spiritual power again, and the summoning array erupted with golden Buddhist light; the runes bloomed in layers like lotus flowers. Within the light, an old man wearing patched monk robes walked out slowly. He swept his broom gently, and the dust on the ground gathered into a line on its own.

'This old monk greets the Young Lord.' The Sweeping Monk put his palms together, his voice calm and waveless.

[Character Panel: Sweeping Monk]

[Status: Peaceful]

[Loyalty: 90%]

[Current Thought: Although the underground palace is dark, the Buddha nature is in the heart.]

Jun Xiaoyao nodded slightly: 'Two guests have arrived at the mansion, and they like to poison the tea. I will trouble the Great Master to entertain them on my behalf.'

The Sweeping Monk bowed with palms together: 'This old monk will go make tea now.' After speaking, his figure turned into a golden light and disappeared into the teleportation array.

At this time, the spiritual power of the summoning array had dropped to 4%, only enough to maintain basic operation. Jun Xiaoyao didn't care, turning his attention to the Blood Guards team approaching Hanyue Valley in the water mirror—Blood Butcher was riding on a blood-colored demon wolf, licking the fresh blood from his fingertips. Behind him, the three hundred Blood Guards were all ferocious, with strings of skulls hanging from their waists.

'Young Lord,' Zhao Gao suddenly handed over a black token, 'This is the 'Blood Token' sent by the undercover agent in the Blood Hand Alliance. It can trigger the Heart-Eating Gu inside the Blood Guards.'

Jun Xiaoyao took the token; it felt cold to the touch and was engraved with dense incantations. He flicked his finger, and the token flew into the teleportation array, heading straight for Yang Guo: 'A 'gift' for Blood Butcher.'

Thirty miles outside Hanyue Valley, Blood Butcher reined in the demon wolf and sniffed: 'Such thick Death Qi, it's a good place to bury bones.' The Blood Guards behind him laughed wildly, their laughter full of longing for death.

Suddenly, the sound of a sword rang out like a dragon's roar. The black iron heavy sword broke through the clouds and smashed toward Blood Butcher with the force of a thousand jun.

'Well come!' Blood Butcher grinned and slapped out with both palms. The blood-colored spiritual power condensed into claws in his palms, actually meeting the sharp edge of the black iron heavy sword head-on.

'Clang!'

The sound of metal clashing was deafening. Blood Butcher, along with the wolf, was knocked back three zhang, and several bloody gashes split open on his palms. He was both shocked and angry: 'One-armed old man, who are you?'

Yang Guo landed on a giant rock, his one arm behind his back: 'The one who is here to take your dog life.'

Fierce light surged in Blood Butcher's eyes. He slammed his palms onto the ground, and fresh blood gushed from the underground, turning into dozens of blood arrows shooting at Yang Guo: 'Blood Hand Technique—Ten Thousand Ghosts Devouring Heart!'

Yang Guo tapped his toes, his figure avoiding the blood arrows like a ghost. The mysterious iron sword swept out, and the Sword Qi cut through the blood mist, heading straight for Blood Butcher's face: 'Can you take the Aran Xiao Hun Palm?'

The palm wind and Sword Qi collided in mid-air. The Blood Guards behind Blood Butcher suddenly screamed—the Heart-Eating Gu in their bodies were startled by the Blood Token and were frantically gnawing on their heart meridians.

'What's going on?' Blood Butcher was terrified. He turned to look at his subordinates, only to see that half of the three hundred Blood Guards had already fallen, and the rest were rolling on the ground clutching their chests.

Yang Guo seized the flaw, and the mysterious iron sword slashed down like thunder: 'Your sacrificial rite should come to an end.'

Blood Butcher hurriedly returned his palms to defend, but the power of sorrow from the sword invaded his heart meridians. As his blood and Qi surged, he was unable to condense his spiritual power for a moment. Looking at the approaching blade, fear finally appeared in his eyes: 'Land Immortal Realm... you actually are...'

'Too late.' Yang Guo turned his wrist, and the spine of the sword smashed heavily onto the top of Blood Butcher's head.

'Puff—'

Blood Butcher's head exploded like a watermelon. The blood-colored demon wolf fled in a panic, but was cut in half by a streak of Sword Qi. Yang Guo picked up Blood Butcher's head and looked toward Hanyue Valley. With a wave of his one arm, the head turned into a blood arrow and shot toward the watchtower at the valley entrance.

Meanwhile, in the secret room of Duke Zhenguos Residence, Zhennan Jun picked up a teacup, and suddenly frowned: 'This tea...'

Before he could finish, the teacup turned into powder in his hand. The Sweeping Monk appeared behind him at some point, his broom resting lightly on his shoulder: 'Donor, poisoning others will eventually backfire on yourself.'

Zhennan Jun turned around and slapped out the Burning Heaven Palm. The palm wind carried heat waves that could burn mountains and boil the sea, but it dissipated into thin air the moment it touched the broom. He was horrified: 'You are...'

'This old monk is sweeping the floor.' The broom flicked lightly, and Zhennan Jun hit the wall like a kite with a broken string, the spiritual power in his Dantian instantly dissipating.

Old Mo, who was on the side, saw this and flew dozens of poison needles from his sleeves, the needles glowing with a faint blue light. The Sweeping Monk waved his monk robe, and the poison needles all bounced back, piercing into Old Mo's own body.

'Although the Bone-Melting Hand is poisonous,' the Sweeping Monk said slowly, 'it cannot melt Karma.'

Old Mo watched his arm fester at a speed visible to the naked eye, eventually turning into a puddle of pus. Until he died, he didn't understand why the poison needles backfired.

In the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace, Jun Xiaoyao watched as Blood Butcher's head was hung on the watchtower in the water mirror, and Zhennan Jun and Old Mo were executed. A cold arc curved at the corner of his mouth. He raised his hand to recall the Blood Token; the incantations on the token had dimmed.

'Zhao Gao,' Jun Xiaoyao said lightly, 'Tell Duke Zhenguo that his experts have arrived, and I have prepared a 'generous gift' for him.'

Zhao Gao bowed and agreed. When he turned to leave, he suddenly heard a slight fluctuation of spiritual power behind him—the light of the summoning array was lighting up again. This time, the runes at the eye of the array were glowing with a faint purple color.

Jun Xiaoyao looked at the summoning array, only to see a line of text slowly appearing on the light screen:

[Special Summoning: Due to breaking the two major forces of the Blood Hand Alliance and Duke Zhenguos Residence, 'Heavenly Dao Gift' is triggered. You can summon a Void Shattering Realm character for free, limited to one stick of incense time.]

[Summonable Character: Never Seeking Defeat]

[From: the return of the condor heroes legend]

[Realm: Void Shattering Realm Early Stage]

[Martial Skill: Nine Swords of Dugu (Perfection), No Sword Beats Having a Sword (Legendary)]

[Specialty: Supreme in Sword Dao, can break all martial arts in the world.]

A flash of surprise crossed Jun Xiaoyao's eyes, then turned into realization. Is this the Luck of Beyond Heaven? He didn't hesitate, his fingertips falling heavily: 'Summon.'

The summoning array erupted with unprecedented purple light, and the runes rotated like a galaxy. A figure slowly opened his eyes in the light. He held no sword, but it seemed as if he held the entire Jianghu in his hand; he did not speak, but it seemed as if there were thousands of words hidden in his Sword Intent.

'Never Seeking Defeat, greets the Young Lord.'

The moment the voice fell, a gap suddenly cracked in the clouds of Hanyue Valley, and an invisible Sword Qi rushed into the sky, actually splitting the setting sun on the horizon in two.

Jun Xiaoyao knew that the era belonging to Beyond Heaven had just begun.

Those forces hidden in the dark, those enemies who coveted his resources, would soon understand—messing with Beyond Heaven was the most wrong decision they had made in their lives.

The bronze lamp in the underground palace suddenly became a bit brighter, casting Jun Xiaoyao's shadow on the stone wall. This time, the shadow was no longer twisted, but stood tall like a sharp sword, carrying the majesty of overlooking the world.