389: Secrets of Danwang Valley

On the ice wall of the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace, the water mirror reflected the main gate of Pill King Valley.

The secret letters copied by Fan Zeng had been posted all over the cities of the continent. Countless Cultivators gathered in front of the valley gate, each clutching a crumpled piece of letter paper, their angry curses rising one after another.

"Using sulfur to impersonate a thousand-year snow lotus for Alchemy, Pill King Valley intends to cut off our path of cultivation!"

"My son ate their 'Solid Essence Pill', and his Meridians were completely severed. They must give us an explanation!"

Jun Xiaoyao watched the chaotic scene in the water mirror, tapping his fingertips on the ice table: "How is Green Ox doing over there?"

Zhao Gao handed over the account book of the pharmacy: "Replying to the Young Lord, the divine doctor Green Ox has already set up a drug verification point in the black market. In the past three days, he has identified over two hundred False Cores and published twenty types of antidote prescriptions. Now, the Cultivators only recognize the Medicinal Pills verified by him."

[Character Panel: Green Ox]

[From: "the heaven sword and dragon saber" World]

[Realm: Mid-stage Grandmaster]

[Current Status: Consulting]

[Special Mark: The False Core formula of Pill King Valley has been cracked, and he is currently refining pills to counteract them.]

In the water mirror, Green Ox sat behind a wooden table in front of the pharmacy, his fingertips resting on a Cultivator's wrist pulse, his brows slightly furrowed: "You have been poisoned by 'Cold Water Poison'. The 'Warm Jade Pill' of Pill King Valley is mixed with this substance; long-term consumption will cause frostbite to your Dantian." He picked up a brush and wrote a prescription, "Take medicine according to this prescription for seven days, then use the 'Spirit Nourishing Powder' from Beyond Heaven to regulate your body, and you will be safe."

The Cultivator left after expressing endless gratitude. Green Ox looked at the queue and said loudly: "Anyone poisoned by False Cores can receive medicine for free with the secret letter. Beyond Heaven... does not earn black-hearted money!"

The crowd erupted in thunderous applause, and the reputation of Pill King Valley completely collapsed. Jun Xiaoyao watched this scene and nodded to Zhao Gao: "The Valley Master of Pill King Valley will soon be unable to sit still."

The Valley Master breaks out, The Net intercepts

The scene in the water mirror changed. In a secret chamber of Pill King Valley, Valley Master Dan Xuanzi roared at the three Elders: "Who told you to use Cold Water Poison? Now the whole continent is cursing us, and even the Xuantian Sect and the Sword Forging Manor refuse to help!"

The Grand Elder bowed and said: "Valley Master, things have come to this. Why don't we take the nine revolutions soul returning pill, the treasure of our valley, and break out to seek refuge with the Ten Thousand Poisons Cult in the Western Regions?"

Dan Xuanzi gritted his teeth and nodded: "Prepare the carriage, we leave tonight!"

They did not know that these words had been heard clearly by The Unruly lurking in the valley. Deep in the underground palace, the Marshal of the Unruly spoke coldly into a message talisman: "'Poison' squad, take orders. Dan Xuanzi is fleeing with the nine revolutions soul returning pill. Set an ambush at Black Wind Pass. I want to see the person alive, or the pill dead!"

On the cliff of Black Wind Pass, the Luowang Assassins had already laid an inescapable net. When Dan Xuanzi's carriage reached the pass, huge rocks suddenly rolled down from both sides, sealing the retreat. Dan Xuanzi lifted the curtain of the carriage, looked at the assassins holding crossbows on the cliff, and shouted sternly: "My Pill King Valley has no grievances with you, why block the road?"

"The Young Lord wants your nine revolutions soul returning pill." The Marshal of the Unruly walked out of the shadows, the iron chains in his hands glistening with cold light in the moonlight, "If you are sensible and hand over the Medicinal Pill, I can leave your corpse intact."

Dan Xuanzi laughed out of extreme anger and took out a jade bottle from his bosom: "You want the Medicinal Pill? Ask my 'Pill Fire' if it agrees first!" He injected spiritual power into the jade bottle, and blue-green flames instantly erupted from the bottle, actually carrying the pressure of the Late Heaven-Man Realm.

[Pill King Valley Secret Technique: Pill Fire Burning Heaven (Burn one's own essence and blood to activate, can temporarily increase Realm)]

The Marshal of the Unruly did not dodge or evade, operating the Tiangang Art to the extreme, with red Protective Aura appearing around him, taking the Pill Fire head-on: "A grain of light, daring to compete with the sun and moon?" He swung his iron chains, wrapping around Dan Xuanzi's wrists like a spiritual snake, and the jade bottle flew out of his hand.

"Stop him!" Dan Xuanzi roared. The three Elders lunged at the jade bottle simultaneously, but were shot through the throat by the crossbows of the Luowang Assassins. Dan Xuanzi watched his companions fall to the ground, despair flashing in his eyes, before being kicked to the ground by The Unruly, the iron chains locking his shoulder blades tightly.

In front of the water mirror, Jun Xiaoyao watched the nine revolutions soul returning pill presented by the Marshal of the Unruly, his fingertips brushing over the pill patterns on the jade bottle: "This Medicinal Pill is actually somewhat useful. Give it to Green Ox for research and see if it can be improved."

Sword Forging Manor, Hidden Murderous Intent

On the sand table on the other side of the underground palace, Fan Zeng circled the location of the Sword Forging Manor with a red brush: "Young Lord, Pill King Valley has been destroyed, next it should be the Sword Forging Manor's turn. Most of the poisoned weapons they forge for the Shadow Pavilion have flowed into the private army camp of the Third Prince."

On the sand table, next to the mark of the Sword Forging Manor was inserted the token of the Third Prince, and a line of small characters was noted next to it: [The manor's secret vault contains "netherworld cold iron", which can forge a blade that kills gods.]

A trace of interest flashed in Jun Xiaoyao's eyes: "netherworld cold iron? It is said to be able to sever the Protective Aura of the Land Immortal Realm." He pointed at the summoning array, and the spiritual power of the array eye had risen to 93% due to obtaining the nine revolutions soul returning pill.

[System prompt: Special Ore and weapon threat detected, triggering "Sword Forging" type summoning]

[Summonable character: Ouyezi]

[From: "Yue Jue Shu" and other ancient records]

[Realm: Peak Grandmaster Realm]

[Martial Skill: Sword Forging Technique (Transcendent, can purify any Ore), Quenching Technique (can enhance the spirituality of weapons)]

[Specialty: Iron Identification (Identify the quality and characteristics of Ore), Blade Breaking (Can crack the weaknesses of any weapon)]

[Summoning cost: 91% spiritual power]

The summoning array erupted with the sound of clashing metal, runes flowing like molten iron, and the figure of Ouyezi, dressed in hemp clothes and holding an iron hammer, condensed in the light. He bowed to Jun Xiaoyao, his voice carrying the texture of metal: "Old man Ouyezi, greets the Young Lord. I heard there is good iron, so I came to take a look."

[Character Panel: Ouyezi]

[Status: Standby]

[Special Ability: Psychic (Can resonate with weapons), Melting (Can melt any metal in the world)]

[Loyalty: 87%]

[Current thought: netherworld cold iron needs to be quenched with 'Earth Heart Fire' to remove its baleful Qi.]

"The netherworld cold iron of the Sword Forging Manor, are you sure you can refine it?" Jun Xiaoyao asked.

Ouyezi took the Ore sample handed over by Fan Zeng, pinched a bit of iron filings with his fingertips, and sniffed it: "This iron has too much baleful Qi, ordinary flames are indeed difficult to melt, but my 'Kunwu Divine Fire' can restrain it." He took a small bronze tripod from his bosom, with light purple flames jumping inside, "In just three days, it can be refined into 'Soul Suppressing Iron'."

Jun Xiaoyao nodded: "Yue Fei's spear formation is already on standby outside the manor. You take people to retrieve the cold iron. If there is resistance, kill without mercy."

Night raid on the manor, Divine Weapon appears

The moon was in the middle of the sky, and the furnace of the Sword Forging Manor was still burning fiercely. The Manor Master was pacing in front of the secret vault, stroking a piece of pitch-black Ore—it was the netherworld cold iron. The secret envoy of the Third Prince behind him said coldly: "Manor Master had better quickly forge the cold iron into a weapon. The Third Prince has already urged three times."

Suddenly, heaven-shaking shouts of killing came from outside the manor. Yue Fei's spear formation surged in like a tide, the spear tips connecting into a sea of silver in the moonlight. The Manor Master's face changed drastically: "It's the people from Beyond Heaven! Quickly hide the cold iron!"

The secret envoy drew the long sword from his waist: "What are you panicking about? I brought a hundred private soldiers, are we afraid of them?"

Before he finished speaking, a burst of purple fire suddenly burst out from the roof of the secret vault, and Ouyezi's voice came through the flames: "The netherworld cold iron is here, why don't you surrender?" He swung the iron hammer in his hand, and the Kunwu Divine Fire rolled toward the gate of the secret vault like a long whip. The sturdy iron gate instantly melted into molten iron.

The Manor Master watched the cold iron being collected into the tripod by Ouyezi, his eyes splitting: "That is my iron!" He grabbed the quenching sword by the furnace and lunged at him, but was struck away by Ouyezi with a backhand hammer. The moment the sword bone broke, the person had already hit the wall, losing his breath.

The secret envoy saw that the situation was bad and turned to escape through the secret passage, but was picked up on the stone steps by Yue Fei with a spear: "A dog of the Third Prince, daring to be presumptuous here?" The spear tip pierced his throat, and blood splattered on the plaque of the manor. The four characters "Sword Forging Manor" were instantly stained with scarlet.

In front of the water mirror, Jun Xiaoyao watched Ouyezi throw the netherworld cold iron into the bronze tripod. As the purple fire churned, the black Qi on the cold iron gradually dissipated. He nodded to Zhao Gao: "Let Ouyezi use the Soul Suppressing Iron to forge a dagger for every member of the 'Heaven' squad of The Net."

Zhao Gao bowed and accepted, turning to pass the order. The underground palace returned to silence, with only the crackling of the Kunwu Divine Fire echoing in the water mirror. Jun Xiaoyao looked at Pill King Valley and Sword Forging Manor covered by cloud-patterned flags on the sand table, his eyes without any ripples.

Pill King Valley's False Cores, Sword Forging Manor's poisoned blades, Xuantian Sect's sheltering... these forces that once hindered the expansion of Beyond Heaven have now turned into dust. And the Third Prince's private army camp, the covetousness of the Ten Thousand Poisons Cult, the deeper shadows of the Holy Land... a new chess game is unfolding.

The spiritual power of the summoning array slowly recovered. As the runes flickered, it seemed to indicate that a more powerful existence was about to descend. Jun Xiaoyao lightly brushed his fingertips on the ice table, where a line of words that only he could understand was carved:

"Where resources reach, that is the territory of Beyond Heaven."

The night wind blew through Hanyue Valley, bringing the smell of gunpowder from afar. The journey belonging to Beyond Heaven had only just gone through one-third, and the situation of the continent had completely changed its flow because of this force hidden in the dark.