394: Qingming Jade Mine

Deep within the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace, Jun Xiaoyao sat upon the mysterious ice jade throne, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest.

The water mirror before him divided into dozens of shards, each reflecting the movements of the Luowang Assassins—some prowling across the rooftops of the Imperial Dynasty, some lurking in the secret passages of the Holy Land, and others pressing poisoned daggers against the throats of their targets.

"Young Lord," Zhao Gao stepped forward, holding a gilded tray upon which three tokens were neatly arranged. "The 'Kill,' 'Shadow,' and 'Dark' halls of The Net have completed this month's missions, eliminating a total of seven traitors from the Holy Land and twelve spies from the Imperial Dynasty. These are the tokens they retrieved."

Jun Xiaoyao glanced at the bloodstains on the tokens and said indifferently, "What about the Marshal of the Unruly?"

"The Marshal of the Unruly personally led The Unruly to destroy the arsenal of the Black Wind Stockade. The seized cold iron has already been sent to Ouyezi for smelting." Zhao Gao bowed and handed over another secret report. "Additionally, he discovered a secret letter in the stockade; it is an alliance agreement between Fentian Palace and the Blood Shadow Cult—they intend to join forces to annex the Liuyun Sect in the south."

In the water mirror, the Marshal of the Unruly stood atop the ruins of the Black Wind Stockade. As he circulated the Tiangang Art, a pale golden aura rose around him. He crushed a Fentian Palace token under his foot and said in a deep voice to the members of The Unruly behind him, "As the Young Lord instructed, leave three survivors; handle the rest... cleanly."

[Character Panel: Marshal of the Unruly (Yuan Tiangang)]

[Origin: The Unruly World]

[Realm: Mid-stage Terrestrial Immortal Realm]

[Martial Skill: Tiangang Art, Huayang Needles, Divination Arts]

[Loyalty: 98%]

[Current Status: Clearing out the remnants of the Black Wind Stockade]

Jun Xiaoyao traced circles on the armrest with his fingertip. "Although the Liuyun Sect has no relation to my Beyond Heaven, their Qingming Jade Mine is a key material for Ouyezi's sword forging." He looked up at Zhao Gao. "Have the 'Shadow' Hall go to the Liuyun Sect and say... Beyond Heaven is willing to offer assistance, on the condition of thirty percent of the jade mine's output."

"The Young Lord is wise." Just as Zhao Gao was about to withdraw, the water mirror suddenly rippled, revealing a figure in white—it was the head of the Shadow Hall, just returned from the Liuyun Sect.

The head of the Shadow Hall knelt on one knee, holding a broken jade pendant in his hand. "Young Lord, the Sect Master of the Liuyun Sect does not know what is good for him. He called Beyond Heaven a bunch of cowardly rats and even smashed the jade pendant."

Jun Xiaoyao's eyebrows arched slightly. In the water mirror, the Liuyun Sect Master was roaring at his Disciples, "What Beyond Heaven? How dare they come to my Liuyun Sect and act bossy! Tell them, if they want the Qingming Jade Mine, they will have to step over my dead body!"

"Seeking death." Jun Xiaoyao flicked a strand of spiritual energy from his fingertip, striking the figure of the Sect Master in the water mirror. "Marshal of the Unruly, take five hundred members of The Unruly and go 'greet' the Liuyun Sect. Remember, do not damage the mineral vein."

The voice of the Marshal of the Unruly came from the water mirror, carrying a metallic coldness, "This subordinate obeys."

Three days later, the water mirror displayed the scene of the Liuyun Sect's mountain gate collapsing. The Unruly descended like divine soldiers; the golden light of the Tiangang Art illuminated half the sky—the swords of the Liuyun Sect Disciples shattered into pieces upon touching the golden light. The Sect Master was struck in the center of his forehead by the Marshal of the Unruly with one finger, his Dantian shattered, his eyes still wide with disbelief.

"Has the Qingming Jade Mine been taken over?" Jun Xiaoyao asked.

Zhao Gao nodded. "The 'Dark' Hall has dispatched miners to station there, and the first cart of Ore will be able to arrive at Hanyue Valley by tomorrow morning." He paused and added, "Additionally, the System indicates a new summoning opportunity, and three eligible candidates have been screened."

Jun Xiaoyao lifted his chin. Three phantom images appeared in the center of the water mirror, and the System panel popped up:

[Candidate 1: West Gate Blows Snow]

[Origin: legend of lu xiaofeng World]

[Realm: Early Earthly Immortal Realm]

[Martial Skill: Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens, Liuyun Blowing Snow]

[Summoning Requirement: One thousand catties of deep-sea mysterious iron]

[Candidate 2: Guo Jing]

[Origin: the legend of the condor heroes World]

[Realm: Peak Grandmaster Realm]

[Martial Skill: Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, Nine Yin Manual, Ambidexterity]

[Summoning Requirement: One hundred catties of Spirit-Calming Grass, ten Blood Bodhi]

[Candidate 3: Ye Gucheng]

[Origin: legend of lu xiaofeng World]

[Realm: Mid-stage Terrestrial Immortal Realm]

[Martial Skill: Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens (Complete Version), Liuyun Sword Technique]

[Summoning Requirement: One thousand-year-old cold jade coffin, ten top-grade longswords]

Jun Xiaoyao stared at the name "Ye Gucheng." "Ouyezi just forged ten 'cold iron heavy swords,' and the thousand-year-old cold jade coffin was seized from Bingpo Valley last month. It will be him."

Zhao Gao immediately passed down the order. Half an hour later, ten heavy swords gleaming with cyan light and a jade coffin radiating chilling air were carried into the center of the underground palace. Jun Xiaoyao stood up, his fingertips tracing complex runes on the summoning array—silvery-white flames instantly surged within the array, enveloping the heavy swords and the jade coffin. Ye Gucheng's figure gradually condensed within the firelight.

He was dressed in white as snow, holding a longsword, his gaze as cold as ice. "Ye Gucheng greets the Young Lord."

[Character Panel: Ye Gucheng]

[Origin: legend of lu xiaofeng World]

[Realm: Mid-stage Terrestrial Immortal Realm]

[Martial Skill: Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens (Complete Version), Liuyun Sword Technique, Sword Breaking Style]

[Loyalty: 90%]

[Current Status: Standing by]

"You have come at the right time." Jun Xiaoyao pointed to the Fentian Palace Disciples gathering in the water mirror. "Fentian Palace wants to seize the Liuyun Sect's mineral vein; go and let them see what a true sword is."

Ye Gucheng's longsword trembled slightly, emitting a clear dragon's roar. "As you command." His figure flashed and disappeared at the exit of the tunnel.

In the water mirror, the Fentian Palace Master was saying spiritedly to his Disciples, "The Liuyun Sect has been destroyed, the Qingming Jade Mine is within our grasp—" Before he could finish, a white shadow flashed by, and ten heavy swords shot over like meteors, cutting all the flagpoles behind him to pieces.

"Beyond Heaven, Ye Gucheng." The man in white stood before the mine entrance, his longsword pointing diagonally at the ground. "This mine now belongs to my Lord. Those who trespass will be executed."

The Fentian Palace Disciples were in an uproar. Dozens of people rushed forward waving their swords, but as a flash of sword light appeared, all of their swords were broken in two. The Palace Master was terrified. "Land Immortal Realm!"

Ye Gucheng did not waste any more words. He initiated the opening stance of the Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens, and the sword light swept across like a streak of silk. The area in front of the mine was instantly cleared—only the Palace Master remained, pinned to the rock wall by Sword Qi, watching helplessly as The Unruly took over the mine.

Jun Xiaoyao watched the water mirror and picked up the clear tea Zhao Gao had handed him. Outside the underground palace, Ouyezi's furnace was burning fiercely, and the tempering of a new batch of longswords was nearing its end. Secret reports from the various halls of The Net continued to arrive, presenting the movements of the various forces on the continent before his eyes one by one.

"Young Lord," Zhao Gao handed over another list. "These are the resource supply requests from the various halls. The 'Kill' Hall needs a batch of armor-piercing arrows, and the 'Dark' Hall wants to expand its manpower..."

Jun Xiaoyao scanned the list and drew a circle next to "armor-piercing arrows." "Have Ouyezi cast arrowheads using the scraps from the Qingming Jade Mine. As for manpower, select those with good aptitude from the Liuyun Sect Disciples captured this time and throw them into the 'Purgatory Camp' to be tempered for three months—only those who survive will be qualified to enter The Net."

In the water mirror, Ye Gucheng had returned, his white clothes unstained by even a drop of blood. He knelt on one knee and presented the Fentian Palace token. "It has been cleared."

Jun Xiaoyao took the token and casually tossed it to Zhao Gao. "Reward him with a 'Cold Moon Sword'." He then looked at another scene in the water mirror—there, Guo Jing was fighting against the Mongol cavalry, his Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms shaking the earth.

"For the next summoning, perhaps we can consider him." Jun Xiaoyao's fingertip lightly tapped on Guo Jing's phantom image. "After all, Beyond Heaven also needs people who can guard the territory and protect the land."

Zhao Gao hurriedly noted it down. Deep in the underground palace, the light of the summoning array gradually subsided. Ye Gucheng, wearing the newly acquired Cold Moon Sword, stood at the side of the hall, his Sword Qi as piercing as frost.

Jun Xiaoyao gazed at the constantly expanding territory in the water mirror, a faint arc curling at the corner of his mouth—the chess game belonging to Beyond Heaven had only just begun to unfold.

And those Holy Lands and Imperial Dynasties entrenched on the continent would eventually understand: in the face of absolute power, any struggle is futile.

The wind of Hanyue Valley passed through the crevices of the underground palace, bringing the clanging sounds of Ouyezi forging swords, which intertwined with the footsteps of the Luowang Assassins, playing a song of conquest belonging to Beyond Heaven.