350: Seize the mineral vein

Deep in the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace, Jun Xiaoyao traced his finger across the Western Regions map on the ice table. The location of Black Wind Ridge had been circled in vermilion.

Beside it was a note: "Spirit Stone reserves: 3 million catties." On the edge of the map, a secret report just submitted by Zhao Gao still smelled of ink, but the handwriting was more hurried than usual.

"Young Lord, The Net's deep-cover agent has sent back news. The Xuantian Sect Sect Master, Holy Land Elder, has already gathered the Elders at the mountain gate. Judging by the posture, he intends to lead a team personally to seize the mineral vein."

Zhao Gao stood with his hands at his sides by the table, his voice lowered. "Additionally, the auction for the Heaven Burning Art Incomplete Manual at Ten Thousand Treasures Tower has been moved up to midnight tonight. Jiumozhi is already waiting in the private room."

Jun Xiaoyao raised his eyes, his gaze landing on the words "Three hundred Innate Realm Disciples" in the corner of the map. A cold, sharp arc appeared at the corner of his mouth. He lightly tapped his fingertip on the name "Holy Land Elder," and the cold air on the ice table condensed into frost. "Have you verified the Holy Land Elder's Realm?"

"Replying to Young Lord, he is at the Earthly Immortal Early-Stage." Zhao Gao handed over a portrait. In the painting, the old Daoist wore Eight-Trigrams Purple Ribbon Immortal Robes and held a whisk, his eyes sinister. "It is said that his 'Xuantian Finger' has been cultivated to the ninth layer, capable of shattering stones from a distance. The Disciples in his sect call him 'One Finger Breaks Mountains and Rivers'."

Jun Xiaoyao pushed the portrait back and tapped the ice table with his fingertip. "Have the Marshal of the Unruly take thirty Heaven Rank Assassins to Black Wind Ridge for defense. Use the 'Twelve Heavenly Fiend Array'." He paused and added, "Tell the Marshal of the Unruly to leave survivors, but make sure the Holy Land Elder knows that not everyone can touch the things belonging to Beyond Heaven."

"Yes." Zhao Gao acknowledged and retreated. As he turned, he brushed past a figure entering the doorway—the Marshal of the Unruly in a black python robe. His golden mask gleamed coldly under the candlelight, and the scabbard of the Longquan sword at his waist touched the floor, making a dull sound.

"Young Lord." The Marshal of the Unruly knelt on one knee. His voice came through the mask with a metallic texture. "The Luowang Assassins' Heaven Group has assembled and is ready to depart at any time."

Jun Xiaoyao looked at him, and the summoning array under the ice table suddenly flickered with a faint light. Since the last summoning of Jiumozhi, the spiritual power in the array had accumulated to 85%. As the runes flowed, an ethereal image spontaneously appeared—the figure was dressed in white, holding a long sword, with an otherworldly temperament and a jade pendant hanging from his waist. It was the new candidate suggested by the System.

[System Prompt: Land Immortal Realm aura detected. Character with matching combat power can be summoned.]

[Summonable Character: Ye Gucheng]

[Origin: "legend of lu xiaofeng" world]

[Realm: Land Immortal Middle Stage]

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

[Specialty: Sword Dao reaches the divine, adept at breaking arrays, especially skilled in using the sword to control Qi]

[Summoning Cost: 80% Spirit Power]

Jun Xiaoyao tapped the eye of the array with his fingertip. The light under the ice table became suddenly intense. Cold air and Sword Intent intertwined, condensing into a tall, straight figure in the center of the underground palace. Ye Gucheng stood with his hands behind his back, his white robes as pure as snow, and his long sword "Gu Luan" slanted at his waist. His gaze swept across the map on the ice table, and his voice was cold, like jade striking jade. "Does the Black Wind Ridge matter require my action?"

"City Lord Ye is willing to go?" Jun Xiaoyao's tone was flat but carried an unquestionable sense of control.

Ye Gucheng nodded, his fingertips lightly stroking the scabbard. "An opponent in the Land Immortal Realm is just to my liking." He looked at the Marshal of the Unruly, his eyes flickering slightly. "Although the Twelve Heavenly Fiend Array is ingenious, it lacks a sharp edge. I will go to fill that gap."

The Marshal of the Unruly stood up, his golden mask turning toward Ye Gucheng. No emotion could be heard in his voice. "City Lord Ye's Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens is exactly what is needed to break the Holy Land Elder's Xuantian Finger."

Their gazes met in mid-air. There was no hostility, but there was a tension akin to experts facing off before a duel. Jun Xiaoyao watched this scene and said to the Marshal of the Unruly, "You go together. City Lord Ye will preside over the array eye at Black Wind Ridge."

The Marshal of the Unruly cupped his hands. "Understood."

After the two left, the underground palace returned to silence. Jun Xiaoyao pulled up the real-time feed of Jiumozhi. Inside the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower auction hall, the Heaven Burning Art Incomplete Manual had been brought onto the display stand. On the yellowed silk, the vermilion-painted flame patterns faintly glowed. Bidding voices rose and fell beneath the stage, with the price already reaching "100,000 taels of gold."

In the private room, Jiumozhi twirled his prayer beads without raising his eyelids. It wasn't until the host called out "200,000 taels" that he said indifferently to the maid beside him, "One million taels."

The hall was in an uproar. Figures in the second-floor private rooms cast glances over. One of them was the Second Elder of the Xuantian Sect. He slammed the table. "You Tibetan bald donkey, you dare to compete with my Xuantian Sect?"

Jiumozhi slowly opened his eyes, Buddha light flashing in the depths of his pupils and then vanishing. "The Buddha says, those with affinity shall obtain it. If the Second Elder insists on seizing it by force, this monk does not mind letting his Flame Blade draw blood." His fingertips moved slightly, and a subtle flash of fire passed across his palm, scorching the air so that the smell of wine changed.

The Second Elder's face turned livid, but he dared not speak again—everyone knew that while this monk looked compassionate, he was more ruthless than anyone when it came to killing.

Jun Xiaoyao watched the screen, his fingertip writing the three characters "Holy Land Elder" on the ice table, then crossing them out. He opened another secret report, sent by a deep-cover agent of The Net in the Southern Dynasty imperial family: "The Southern Dynasty Emperor wishes to unite with the Northern Desert to set up checkpoints at the border, cutting off our medicinal supply route."

The medicinal supply route was critical for the Medicinal Pill used by Luowang Assassins to heal their wounds; it could not be cut off. Jun Xiaoyao's gaze turned cold, and the light of the summoning array shone again. This time, the ethereal image became a middle-aged man in official robes, holding a folding fan with a gentle smile. It was another candidate recommended by the System.

[System Prompt: Political scheme aura detected. Support-type character can be summoned.]

[Summonable Character: Di Renjie]

[Origin: "Detective Di Renjie" world]

[Realm: Peak Grandmaster Realm (Martial Dao), Divine Judgment Realm (Strategy)]

[Skills: Insight into Human Hearts (Passive), Mastery of Law, Layout and Deduction]

[Summoning Cost: 60% Spirit Power]

Jun Xiaoyao did not hesitate and let his fingertip fall. The light in the summoning array was much softer. Di Renjie, holding a scroll that looked like a memorial, bowed to Jun Xiaoyao with a gentle yet sharp smile. "Young Lord, I heard there is unrest in the Southern Dynasty imperial family?"

"Lord Di is indeed capable of divine judgment." Jun Xiaoyao pushed the secret report to him. "The Southern Dynasty wants to cut off my medicinal route. What do you think?"

Di Renjie opened the secret report, tapping the folding fan against his palm. After a moment, he smiled. "The Southern Dynasty Emperor is suspicious by nature. This union with the Northern Desert is merely an attempt to use external force to apply pressure and force us to hand over the Black Wind Ridge mineral vein. As long as we make him believe that his throne will not be secure if he becomes an enemy of Beyond Heaven, he will naturally back down." He picked up a brush and wrote a few lines on the back of the secret report. "Young Lord only needs to act according to this—let The Net release news that the Southern Dynasty Crown Prince is colluding with the Northern Desert, and then have the Minister of Personnel 'accidentally' discover the Northern Desert jade pendant privately stored by the Crown Prince."

Jun Xiaoyao looked at those lines, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes. Di Renjie's layouts always seemed gentle but could strike the vital point with one blow.

At this moment, a message talisman vibrated from the direction of Black Wind Ridge. Jun Xiaoyao unfolded the talisman paper; it was the handwriting of the Marshal of the Unruly: "The Holy Land Elder has arrived outside the mineral vein with five hundred Disciples. Ye Gucheng has drawn his sword."

The screen switched. Above Black Wind Ridge, the white-clothed swordsman and the purple-robed old Daoist stood far apart. Ye Gucheng's Gu Luan sword had not yet left its scabbard, but the Sword Qi had already caused the surrounding Spirit Stone mineral vein to hum; the Holy Land Elder's Xuantian Finger condensed a pale golden light, pointing at the entrance of the mine from a distance.

"Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens!" Ye Gucheng gave a low shout. The moment his long sword left its scabbard, the sword light poured down like a galaxy, actually splitting the Holy Land Elder's finger light in two.

The Holy Land Elder groaned and took three steps back, looking at the shattered debris of his finger light all over the ground with horror.

"Who are you?"

Ye Gucheng sheathed his sword, his white robes fluttering in the mountain wind. "Ye Gucheng."

Meanwhile, inside the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower, Jiumozhi had already tucked the Heaven Burning Art Incomplete Manual into his sleeve. The Second Elder looked at his retreating back and slammed his fist against the railing—the mission entrusted by the Holy Land Elder had failed again.

Just past midnight, in the Southern Dynasty Imperial Palace. The news that the Minister of Personnel had "accidentally" discovered a Northern Desert jade pendant in the Crown Prince's study had spread like wildfire. The Emperor was furious and placed the Crown Prince under house arrest overnight. The matter of uniting with the Northern Desert naturally fizzled out.

Inside the underground palace, Jun Xiaoyao looked at the stable Black Wind Ridge and the Southern Dynasty border on the map, drawing a circle on the ice table, enclosing the Western Regions, the Southern Dynasty, and the Xuantian Sect.

The candlelight flickered, reflecting the cold light in his eyes—the territory of Beyond Heaven should be expanded further.

The spiritual power of the summoning array had fallen back to 50%, but new runes were forming, faintly pointing toward the heartland of the Central Plains.

Jun Xiaoyao knew that with the Holy Land Elder suffering a setback and the Southern Dynasty retreating, it was now the turn of those aristocratic families entrenched in the Central Plains. He picked up a new secret report just sent by Zhao Gao. On the cover, three words were written: "Luoyang City".