336: Blood Shadow Army plots

The luminous pearls in the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace emitted a cold halo, illuminating Jun Xiaoyao's profile, making his features sharp and distinct.

He twirled the bone flute taken from the Blood Shadow Tower assassin between his fingers. The blood patterns on the flute shimmered in the light, vaguely forming the two characters "Southern Chu"—this perfectly matched the secret report Zhao Gao had just submitted.

"The Southern Chu Imperial Family offered ten years of salt tax in exchange for the Blood Shadow Tower training three thousand 'Blood Shadow Army' soldiers, each clad in cold iron Soft Armor and equipped with Blood Shadow Needles.

Their goal is to raid the Northern Territory in six months and seize our iron mine." Zhao Gao's voice was extremely low, as if afraid of disturbing the Spiritual Vein slumbering deep within the underground palace.

The spies of the 'Shadow Character Group' in the Southern Chu Imperial City sent back a message that Shadowless, the Master of the Blood Shadow Tower, had already taken up residence in the Imperial Family's secret camp and was currently practicing the 'Blood Shadow Killing Array' using live people.

Jun Xiaoyao tossed the bone flute back into the brocade box, producing a dull thud. He looked at the water mirror, which reflected the outline of the Southern Chu secret camp—a water fortress hidden deep within the Yunmeng Marsh.

The surroundings were shrouded in miasma, and dimly visible on the fortress walls were hanging skulls, each with a Blood Shadow Needle inserted into its eye socket.

"Practicing with live people?" A cold, sharp arc curved on Jun Xiaoyao's lips. "It seems that emperor of Southern Chu thinks his Dragon Throne is sitting too steadily."

The summoning array in the center of the underground palace suddenly lit up with a faint glow. The Spiritual Qi at the core of the array had quietly risen to 45% due to the Blood Shadow Tower's unusual activity and the stable operation of the Xuan Character Camp.

The runes flowed across the ground, eager to move, like a school of sharks that had smelled blood.

[System Notification: Detected hostile forces using forbidden techniques, triggering defensive summoning.]

[Summonable Character: Guo Jing]

[Source: the legend of the condor heroes World]

[Realm: Middle Celestial Realm]

[Martial Skill: Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms (Perfection), Nine Yin Manual (Major Achievement), Reciprocal Combat Skill (Mastery)]

[Specialty: Commanding Armies, Unparalleled Defense, Nine Yin Manual can break all sinister and evil techniques under Heaven]

[Summoning Cost: Spiritual Qi 40%]

[Summonable Character: Huang Rong]

[Source: the legend of the condor heroes World]

[Realm: Peak Grandmaster Realm]

[Martial Skill: Dog Beating Staff Technique (Perfection), Mystical Arts of Wondrous Gates and Hidden Staves (Transcendent)]

[Specialty: Strategic Planning, Mechanism Deciphering, Capable of Defeating the Strong with the Weak]

[Summoning Cost: Spiritual Qi 35%]

Jun Xiaoyao tapped both "Guo Jing" and "Huang Rong" simultaneously with his fingertip: "Summon them both."

The summoning array suddenly erupted with dazzling golden light, more intense than any previous time.

Amidst the light, a sturdy figure first materialized, dressed in dark soft armor with a resolute face. When he clasped his hands in greeting, a slight tremor actually echoed in the underground palace—it was Guo Jing.

Behind him, a figure in yellow robes arrived gracefully. She had a beautiful and delicate appearance, held a jade-green Dog Beating Staff in her hand, and her eyes were bright and lively—it was Huang Rong.

"Guo Jing (Huang Rong) greets Young Lord." The two saluted in unison, showing no signs of panic despite arriving in a strange place.

[Character Panel: Guo Jing]

[Status: Composed]

[Loyalty: 95%]

[Current Thoughts: Although the Spiritual Qi here is thin, there is a sense of righteousness; this should be a land of justice]

[Character Panel: Huang Rong]

[Status: Scrutinizing]

[Loyalty: 90%]

[Current Thoughts: The mechanisms in this underground palace are exquisite, though they possess three parts more cunning than the Mystical Arts formations on Peach Blossom Island]

Jun Xiaoyao pushed the map of the Southern Chu secret camp toward the two of them: "The Blood Shadow Army is practicing arrays using live people. What are your thoughts?"

Guo Jing looked at the skull markers on the map, his brows tightly furrowed: "Such evil techniques violate the harmony of Heaven and Earth. Guo Jing is willing to lead the army to wipe them out!"

Huang Rong, however, pointed her finger at the miasma area in Yunmeng Marsh: "This miasma is a natural barrier; forcing an entry will surely result in heavy casualties. However, there is a hidden river beneath the water fortress that leads directly to the secret camp's granary. If we can cut off their supplies and then use fire, we can achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Jun Xiaoyao nodded: "Guo Jing, take five hundred men from The Net's 'Army Character Group' to guard the Northern Territory iron mine and prevent a Blood Shadow Army raid. Huang Rong, follow the Marshal of the Unruly and infiltrate the Yunmeng Marsh. Use your method to cut off their supply route."

"Understood!" The two accepted the order and stepped into the teleportation array. In the water mirror, the garrison at the Northern Territory iron mine was already lined up, waiting. As soon as Guo Jing executed the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms,

it immediately drew the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to converge. The cold iron surrounding the mine actually emitted a buzzing resonance—clearly, his vigorous Yang Internal Energy was perfectly compatible with the cold iron.

Meanwhile, in the direction of Yunmeng Marsh, Huang Rong was studying the hidden river map with the Marshal of the Unruly, her fingertip quickly tracing lines on the drawing.

"There are three whirlpools here. We will need specially made sheepskin rafts to pass through. Have the 'Artifact Character Group' rush their production overnight." The Marshal of the Unruly nodded in agreement, a flash of approval in his eyes beneath his bamboo hat.

Zhao Gao watched this scene from the side and whispered: "Young Lord, the Southern Chu Imperial Family has also allied with the 'Misty Rain Tower' in Jiangnan.

It is said that Wind Following Willow, the Master of the Misty Rain Tower, has already taken a hundred swordsmen and rushed to the secret camp. This man is at the Peak Grandmaster Realm and is skilled in the 'Wind Following Sword,' killing without a trace."

Jun Xiaoyao looked at the summoning array. The Spiritual Qi core was left with 10% after summoning Guo Jing and Huang Rong, which was clearly insufficient to summon another expert.

He took out an entirely black token from his embrace. The token was engraved with the "Heaven Character"—this was the proof of identity for core members of Beyond Heaven, and currently, only five people in all of Beyond Heaven possessed one.

"Have West Gate Blows Snow go and meet Wind Following Willow." Jun Xiaoyao tossed the token to Zhao Gao.

"Tell West Gate, leave a survivor. I want to know the details of the transaction between the Misty Rain Tower and the Southern Chu Imperial Family."

The water mirror scene switched. West Gate Blows Snow was standing atop a snowy peak in the Northern Territory, his long sword reflecting the waning moon.

After receiving the message, his figure moved. His white robes flashed across the sky like a startled swan, leaving only a faint sword trace—heading in the direction of Jiangnan.

Just then, the message talisman suddenly vibrated. It was a message sent back by Zhan Zhao from Black Wind Ridge.

[Captured a messenger from the Blood Shadow Tower. He has a secret letter that seems related to the Imperial City's "Xuan Character Camp."]

"Xuan Character Camp?" Jun Xiaoyao recalled that this was the Crown Prince's direct guard. "Have Zhan Zhao bring both the secret letter and the person back and lock them in the water prison."

Zhao Gao acknowledged the order and handed over another list: "This is the progress report on the Divine Weapon forging Ouyezi just sent.

The first batch of ten 'cold iron Swords' has been forged. Their sharpness far exceeds ordinary weapons and they can break a Grandmaster Realm Protective Aura."

Jun Xiaoyao took the list, his gaze lingering on the three characters "cold iron Sword" for a moment: "Give five to the 'Army Character Group,' and the rest to The Net's 'Killing Character Group.'"

Silence returned to the underground palace, with only the scenes from various locations still flowing in the water mirror.

Guo Jing was drilling military formations at the iron mine, Huang Rong and the Marshal of the Unruly were preparing sheepskin rafts, West Gate Blows Snow's figure had appeared in the misty rain of Jiangnan, and Zhan Zhao was escorting the messenger toward Hanyue Valley.

Jun Xiaoyao leaned on the cold jade couch, watching the Spiritual Qi in the summoning array slowly recover, his fingertip lightly tapping the armrest.

Southern Chu Imperial Family, Blood Shadow Tower, Misty Rain Tower, Xuan Character Camp... more and more forces were being drawn into this vortex. This was exactly what he wanted—in chaos, it was easier to fish in troubled waters and expand Beyond Heaven.

Outside Hanyue Valley, the night deepened, and the layout belonging to Beyond Heaven had only just begun.

In the water mirror, Huang Rong had already boarded a sheepskin raft and was infiltrating the Yunmeng Marsh along the hidden river. The fire starter on the raft flickered, illuminating the confident smile on her lips.

The Marshal of the Unruly's figure followed the raft like a ghost, the compass in his hand pointing toward the granary.

Jun Xiaoyao knew that before long, a raging fire would ignite in Yunmeng Marsh, and that fire would not only burn the Blood Shadow Army's provisions but also set the entire continent ablaze with turmoil.

As for those forces attempting to stop a chariot with a praying mantis's arms, they would ultimately turn to dust beneath the iron hooves of Beyond Heaven.

The runes of the summoning array gradually subsided. Although 10% Spiritual Qi was little, it was enough to ignite the fuse for the next storm.

Jun Xiaoyao picked up the "Heaven Character" token and gently wiped it under the luminous pearl. The patterns on the token seemed to come alive,

echoing the stars outside the underground palace—his era was slowly drawing back the curtain.