332: Newcomers from Tianwai

The bronze lamps in the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace flickered, casting Jun Xiaoyao's shadow on the stone wall like a silent statue.

He twirled half a jade pendant between his fingers. It was a token The Net had just obtained from the black market. The character “Kill” was engraved on the inner side of the jade, and its edge was still stained with uncleaned blood—the proof of last night's “cutting the weeds” mission.

The target was a traitor who tried to leak The Net's stronghold, and now he has turned into a handful of dirt in a mass grave.

"Young Lord, The Net's monthly mission settlement is complete." Zhao Gao stepped forward lightly and placed a black ledger on the stone table. The cover of the ledger was embroidered with a spider web using gold thread. "Six of the seven assassination orders from the northern sects have been completed. The remaining one is the Azure Dragon Sect Leader. The opponent is at Peak Grandmaster Realm, and his guards are all Innate Realm experts. A Great Grandmaster needs to be dispatched."

Jun Xiaoyao raised his eyes, his gaze falling on the three words "Azure Dragon Gate" on the ledger. He lightly tapped the jade pendant with his fingertip: "Have the Marshal of the Unruly go."

Zhao Gao acknowledged and wrote it down, then handed over another roll of parchment map: "This is the latest exploration map of the Black Wind Mine. Stone Guanyin sent back word that a star iron mother is hidden deep within the ore vein, enough to forge at least a hundred divine weapons. However, the outer area of the mine tunnel is guarded by people from the Azure Dragon Gate; they seem to have set their sights on this land as well."

"As expected." Jun Xiaoyao tossed the jade pendant back into the brocade box, producing a crisp clatter. "The Azure Dragon Sect Leader's head will be collected along with the ore vein." He looked at the summoning array in the center of the underground palace. The Spiritual Qi in the array core was fully charged, and pale golden runes flowed across the ground, resembling a swarm of bees and ants awaiting orders. "Activate the summoning."

Zhao Gao immediately took out three drops of essence blood and pressed them into the grooves of the array core. The moment the essence blood seeped into the ground, the runes suddenly lit up, and the light pierced the dome of the underground palace, condensing into a pillar of light above Hanyue Valley. The Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth surged toward the pillar of light like a tide, and a subtle cracking sound echoed in the air, as if something was breaking through the Void Realm.

In the pillar of light, a flash of saber light first appeared. The saber light was not fiery, yet it carried a determination to cut down all myriad laws, slicing the surrounding Spiritual Qi into neat fragments. Immediately after, a figure stepped out of the light. A dark-colored cloak flapped in the airflow, and the sheath of the long saber at his waist was simple and unadorned, yet people dared not look directly at it—as if it were not a saber, but a stone monument that had been suppressed for a thousand years.

[Character Panel: Fu Hongxue]

[Origin: The World of Border Town Prodigal]

[Realm: Late Grandmaster Realm]

[Martial Skill: Bright Moon Blade of the Horizon (Perfection), Extinction Cross Saber (Major Achievement)]

[Specialty: Thousand-Mile Manhunt, The saber must draw blood upon unsheathing, Skilled at counter-killing in desperate situations]

[Loyalty: 90%]

[Current Thought: Is there another mission?]

Fu Hongxue knelt on one knee, his right hand resting on the saber hilt. As he lowered his head, the fringe of hair across his forehead concealed the scarlet in his eyes. He needed no words; the scent of blood on him explained everything—this was a saber that existed only for slaughter.

Jun Xiaoyao nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed on the summoning array. The pillar of light had not yet dissipated, and another figure condensed within the halo. This person wore a white robe and held a paper fan. Half a cold plum blossom was painted on the fan's surface. Although he looked like a frail scholar, the opening and closing of the folding fan carried the sound of wind and thunder.

[Character Panel: Ye Gucheng]

[Origin: The World of legend of lu xiaofeng]

[Realm: Peak Grandmaster Realm]

[Martial Skill: Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens (Perfection), Flowing Cloud Flying Sleeve (Major Achievement)]

[Specialty: Sword strike like an immortal descending to the mortal world, Can take heads from ten zhang away, Especially skilled at breaking arrays]

[Loyalty: 85%]

[Current Thought: The Spiritual Qi here is thin, but there is the aura of a powerful expert]

Ye Gucheng gently fanned himself with the folding fan, his gaze sweeping across the underground palace before finally settling on Jun Xiaoyao. He slightly cupped his hands: "Young Master of Beyond Heaven? Interesting." His voice was clear and melodious like the striking of jade, yet it concealed a trace of imperceptible arrogance.

The light of the summoning array was still surging. This time, a sheet of sword shadows rose. The sword shadows interwoven into a net, wrapping the surrounding Spiritual Qi into threads, finally condensing into a sheathless longsword. The words "Tears' Trace" were engraved on the sword hilt. The sword holder slowly walked out, his blue robe stained with a few ink marks, looking as if he had just risen from his desk. Yet, his eyes looked at everyone as if they were a piece of wood waiting to be split.

[Character Panel: West Gate Blows Snow]

[Origin: The World of legend of lu xiaofeng]

[Realm: Initial Heaven Human Realm]

[Martial Skill: Ximen Chuixue's Sword (Perfection), Falling Snow Without Trace (Major Achievement)]

[Specialty: One sword breaks myriad laws, Never uses a second move to kill, Mastery over Sword Intent is unparalleled in the current age]

[Loyalty: 80%]

[Current Thought: Is there anyone here worth drawing a sword for?]

West Gate Blows Snow stood there, his entire body seemingly enveloped in a layer of cold Qi; even the air seemed about to freeze into ice. He did not bow, merely pointing his sword tip toward the residual glow of the summoning array, as if saying, "This array is not bad."

Jun Xiaoyao looked at the three people before him, lightly tapping the stone table with his fingertip: "Fu Hongxue, go clear the hidden sentries outside the Azure Dragon Gate, but leave some alive."

"Yes." Fu Hongxue responded and rose. The saber hilt lightly knocked his waist. As his dark-colored cloak swept the ground, he had already vanished into the halo of the teleportation array.

"Ye Gucheng, you and West Gate Blows Snow will go to the mine tunnel. If the star iron mother is lost, bring me your heads."

Ye Gucheng closed his folding fan and tapped his palm: "Young Lord, rest assured. The Azure Dragon Gate's swords cannot stop the Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens."

Although West Gate Blows Snow did not speak, he had already transformed into a white shadow, soaring toward the mine tunnel. His sword light sliced through the air, leaving behind a faint trace of frost.

Zhao Gao watched the direction the three had left and whispered: "Young Lord, isn't it too ostentatious to summon two Great Grandmasters and one Heavenly Human Realm expert at once?"

Jun Xiaoyao picked up the Black Wind Mine map, his fingertip pointing to the deepest part of the ore vein: "Ostentatious? When the Azure Dragon Gate is destroyed, the entire Northern Territory will know that no one can steal what Beyond Heaven wants." He tossed the map to Zhao Gao, "Have Stone Guanyin send the blueprint of the mine tunnel's mechanisms. I must ensure not a single strand of the star iron mother is damaged."

Just as Zhao Gao was about to respond, the message talisman suddenly lit up with news from The Net's hidden operative: "The Azure Dragon Sect Leader is aware of our movements and is rushing to the mine tunnel with ten guards, three of whom are Great Grandmasters."

Jun Xiaoyao sneered and looked at the residual Spiritual Light of the summoning array: "It seems we need to add one more person." He took out a bronze token from his sleeve. The words "Unruly" were engraved on the token. "Have the Marshal of the Unruly take thirty The Unruly members to the Azure Dragon Gate headquarters. I want their Scripture Pavilion, not a single piece of paper left behind."

A low response came from the Marshal of the Unruly on the other end of the message talisman: "Understood."

At this moment, the sound of sword cries came from outside the underground palace. Ye Gucheng's Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens had exploded in the outer area of the mine tunnel. The Sword Qi was like a meteor crashing to the ground, splitting the Azure Dragon Gate's guards in half. West Gate Blows Snow's sword light, on the other hand, was like a never-ending bolt of lightning, traversing the mine path. Wherever it passed, only a sword hilt remained stuck in the ground—that was the "mark" he left for the survivors.

Fu Hongxue's saber was simpler. He walked slowly in the secret path behind the Azure Dragon Gate's back mountain. With every step he took, a hidden sentry collapsed, clutching his throat. Blood dripped from the saber sheath onto the ground, forming a winding red line pointing toward the main courtyard.

Jun Xiaoyao watched all this through the water mirror. The ledger on the stone table had been turned to a new page, and the name of the Azure Dragon Gate was circled in red.

He picked up the jade pendant and examined it under the candlelight, suddenly realizing that his own reflection was visible between the strokes of the character "Kill."

"Zhao Gao," he said without lifting his head, "For the next summoning, prepare the three sacrificial animals."

Zhao Gao was stunned: "Young Lord, are you summoning someone even more powerful?"

"No." Jun Xiaoyao put away the jade pendant and looked toward the north, the direction of the Imperial Dynasty. "It's time to let certain people know that Beyond Heaven doesn't just kill people anymore."

Outside the underground palace, the light of the star iron mother pierced through the mine tunnel, interweaving with the residual glow of the summoning array, like a divine sword being forged, its sharpness just beginning to show.

And the wails of the Azure Dragon Gate were merely sparks splashed up when this sword was being quenched.