245: Challenge at Luoxia Mountain

The morning mist in Hanyue Valley had yet to disperse when Yang Guo stood at the valley entrance, carrying his mysterious iron sword on his back.

The giant eagle groomed its feathers on his shoulder, occasionally casting its eyes toward Luoxia Mountain and emitting low screeches, as if warning of the dangers ahead.

"Hero Yang," Zhao Gao said, hurrying over while holding a brocade box containing three Ice Heart Jades.

"The Young Lord says these jades can neutralize the heat poison of the fire marrow, and wearing them close to your body will protect your heart pulse."

Yang Guo took the brocade box, his fingertips touching the coldness of the jade, and nodded slightly: "Thank the Young Lord on my behalf."

As he turned, the mysterious iron sword gleamed dully in the morning light, forming a desolate harmony with his empty left sleeve.

Inside the valley, Jun Xiaoyao was looking at a new notification on the System panel: [Detected that Host's strategy is effective, internal discord has arisen within Xuantian Holy Land, reward 5000 summoning points]. He traced his fingertip over the record "12 new assassins added to The Net" on the panel, and the corners of his mouth curled imperceptibly—Holy Land Elder was already at odds with several Elders within the Holy Land; the "bullying the small with the big" rhetoric spread by The Net yesterday had indeed taken effect.

1. The "Fair" Duel at Luoxia Mountain

Among the cliffs of Luoxia Mountain, Holy Land Elder had been waiting for half an hour. Behind him stood thirty Personal Disciples, each with scorching auras, evidently prepared for a "gang fight." Seeing Yang Guo arrive alone, a trace of disdain flashed in Holy Land Elder's eyes: "It seems Beyond Heaven is truly empty of people, sending a cripple to his death."

Yang Guo thrust the mysterious iron sword heavily into the ground, the blade sinking half a foot into the soil, causing surrounding gravel to tumble: "We agreed on a one-on-one, Holy Land Elder, is bringing so many people because you're afraid of losing face?"

"To deal with you, why would I need to do it myself?" Holy Land Elder sneered and said to the Disciples behind him, "Whoever goes to behead this cripple for me, I will pass on half of the Heaven Burning Art to them."

A young Disciple immediately stepped out, his palms interlaced and igniting with flames: "Disciple Li Yan is willing to share Master's burdens!" He was Holy Land Elder's newly accepted final Disciple, at the Late Stage of the Innate Realm, and relying on his Master's presence, he used a killing Move right from the start.

Yang Guo's expression remained unchanged until Li Yan's flame palm was less than three feet away, at which point he abruptly drew the mysterious iron sword. The force of the heavy sword instantly extinguished the flames, and the flat of the blade slapped against Li Yan's chest—he had held back, yet it still sent Li Yan flying backward, crashing into the cliff and spitting blood.

"Master!" Li Yan struggled to call out.

Holy Land Elder's face turned livid: "Useless!" He stepped forward himself, his flame robe fluttering without wind, "Yang Guo, I intended to give you a dignified end. Since you don't know what's good for you, don't blame me for bullying the small with the big!"

He struck out with the Burning Mountain Palm. This time it was no longer a probe; wherever the palm wind reached, snow melted, grass and trees withered, and even the air became scorching. Yang Guo did not dodge, sweeping the mysterious iron sword across, and a layer of white frost condensed on the blade—this was using the Internal Energy of the Aran Xiao Hun Palm to wrap the heavy sword, using cold to overcome extreme heat.

"Clang!"

At the moment palm and sword met, heat waves and cold Qi collided, condensing into a large cloud of white mist in mid-air. Yang Guo was shaken back three steps, but Holy Land Elder also groaned, a shallow sword mark appearing on his palm.

"What a Xuantie Sword Technique!" Holy Land Elder was both shocked and angry, "This sword belongs to me now!" He abruptly struck with both palms, drawing most of the power from the Fen Tian Formation. The temperature of Luoxia Mountain rose sharply, ice ridges on the cliffs began to melt, and the sound of dripping water echoed in the valley.

Yang Guo took a deep breath. Although his left arm was missing, it did not affect his movement technique in the slightest. He avoided a direct confrontation, circled to Holy Land Elder's side, and the mysterious iron sword suddenly changed from a sweep to a thrust, the tip pointing straight at the opponent's Dantian—this was a rare agile Move in the Xuantie Sword Technique, specifically targeting the flaw in Holy Land Elder's haste for success.

Holy Land Elder did not expect his movement technique to become even more eerie after losing an arm. In his haste, he returned his palms to save himself, but his waist was swept by the sword wind, tearing a hole in his flame robe and revealing the soft armor underneath.

"You're courting death!" Holy Land Elder was completely enraged, the flames around him surging, and he was about to ignore his status and deliver a lethal blow.

Just then, Yang Guo suddenly withdrew his sword and stepped back, pointing behind Holy Land Elder: "The Law Enforcement Elder of the Xuantian Holy Land is already here, why are you still hiding?"

Holy Land Elder was stunned. When he looked back, he indeed saw three old men in grey robes emerging from behind the cliff. The leader was none other than the Law Enforcement Elder, Mysterious Dust Master, with whom he had always been at odds.

"Xuan Yang, a duel is a duel. Bringing so many Disciples to ambush, if this gets out, it will bring total shame to the Holy Land!" Mysterious Dust Master's tone was icy.

Holy Land Elder was shocked and angry: "How did you come here?"

"If someone hadn't reported it, the Holy Land's reputation would have been ruined by you!" Mysterious Dust Master looked at Yang Guo, "Hero Yang, today's matter is Xuan Yang's fault. I will apologize to you on his behalf. How about we end this matter here?"

Yang Guo looked at Holy Land Elder, seeing his livid face but lack of courage to refute, and knowing Jun Xiaoyao's backup plan had taken effect, he nodded slightly: "Since the Law Enforcement Elder has spoken, I have no objections."

2. The Secret Line of The Net: Interception and Defection

In the dense forest on the west side of Hanyue Valley, Marshal of the Unruly was looking at the people brought back by the Shadow Kill Guards—those were the ten Disciples sent by Holy Land Elder to sneak into the Hanyue Valley ice cellar. At that moment, they were all tied up in the snow, their mouths stuffed with cloth balls, shivering from the cold.

"The Young Lord said to keep them alive." Marshal of the Unruly kicked the leg of one of them, "What did Holy Land Elder send you to steal from the ice cellar?"

That person's eyes darted around, refusing to speak. The Shadow Kill Guard beside him took out a small bottle of medicine: "This is 'Bone-Eating Powder.' Smear it on your skin, and in half an hour, you'll know what it means to wish you were dead."

Before the words faded, someone couldn't hold on anymore and stammered: "It's... it's to steal the 'Cold Ice Marrow' from Hanyue Valley. Holy Land Elder said that thing can enhance the power of the Fen Tian Formation..."

Marshal of the Unruly sneered—the Cold Ice Marrow was used in the valley to preserve medicine; how could it be a treasure to enhance formation power? Obviously, it was fake news deliberately released by Jun Xiaoyao, just waiting to catch the fish that is Holy Land Elder.

Meanwhile, in a tavern in Qingzhou City, Zhao Gao was holding a secret discussion with a middle-aged man. The man was a personal attendant of Holy Land Elder and had been caught by The Net for embezzling Holy Land property. At that moment, sweat beaded on his forehead: "Manager Zhao, I really didn't know Holy Land Elder was going to kill Hero Yang. I just... I just took his money and helped him watch the movements of Hanyue Valley."

"Know you're afraid now?" Zhao Gao drank his wine slowly, "The Young Lord said, as long as you tell me where Holy Land Elder hides the fire marrow, the previous matters will be wiped clean. I can even give you a sum of money and let you take your family to leave Qingzhou."

The man hesitated for a moment, then gulped down a mouthful of wine: "I'll tell! He hid the fire marrow in the abandoned mine at Duan Yun Ridge, and he also said... he also said that if he loses, he will detonate the fire marrow and let everyone be buried with him!"

A cold light flashed in Zhao Gao's eyes: "Very good, you have performed a great service."

3. The Backup Plan of the Underground Palace: The New Summoner

In the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace, Jun Xiaoyao injected 5000 summoning points into the summoning array. When the light lit up, a man in white holding a paper fan appeared in the array, his face handsome and elegant, but his eyes carried a touch of cunning.

[Summoning Successful]

[Character: Fragrant Bat]

[From: gu long wuxia world]

[Realm: Grandmaster Initial Stage]

[Martial Skill Cultivation Technique: 1. Thief Marshal Movement Technique (Perfection)—The world's number one light movement technique, adept at concealment, tracking, and escape; 2. Finger Flicking Divine Skill (Major Achievement)—Can retrieve objects from a distance, with extremely high precision; 3. Qi Breaking Style (Introductory)—Can use clever force to break rigid Internal Energy]

[Loyalty: 90%]

"Chu, greets the Young Lord." Fragrant Bat waved his paper fan, his smile carefree, "I heard someone wants to bomb the mountain with fire marrow? Such a wicked deed, we cannot let him succeed."

Jun Xiaoyao looked at the "adept at tracking" note on the panel, which was just right: "The abandoned mine in Duan Yun Ridge, I need you to confirm the location of the fire marrow, and by the way..." He handed over a jade pendant, "Give this to Mysterious Dust Master, and say it's a gift from a 'friend'."

Fragrant Bat took the jade pendant, and with a flick of his fingertips, hid it in his sleeve: "Young Lord, rest assured, it will be done." Before the words faded, he had already swept out of the Underground Palace, leaving only a faint scent of tulips.

4. The Endgame at Duan Yun Ridge

At night, in the abandoned mine of Duan Yun Ridge, Holy Land Elder was throwing a temper tantrum at a pile of fire marrow. He hadn't been able to eliminate Yang Guo during the day due to Mysterious Dust Master's interference, and the people sent to sneak into the ice cellar had also gone missing. He vaguely felt something was wrong and decided to detonate the fire marrow in advance, even if it meant perishing together, he would make Beyond Heaven pay the price.

Just as he was about to crush the detonation talisman, a white shadow swept past like a ghost, tapping lightly on his wrist with a fingertip. Holy Land Elder felt his wrist go numb, and the detonation talisman fell to the ground. Looking back, he saw Fragrant Bat standing by the pile of fire marrow, waving his paper fan, smiling cordially: "Holy Land Elder, such good stuff, it would be a pity to blow it up."

"It's you!" Holy Land Elder was shocked and angry, swinging his palm to strike.

Fragrant Bat did not clash with him head-on. He unleashed the Thief Marshal Movement Technique, his figure drifting unpredictably, sometimes in the east, sometimes in the west, making Holy Land Elder so angry that his Internal Energy became chaotic, and his flame palms missed repeatedly.

"Holy Land Elder, don't waste your energy." Fragrant Bat flicked a stone, hitting Holy Land Elder's acupuncture point precisely, "Your personal attendants have confessed. Private concealment of fire marrow and intent to destroy Luoxia Mountain—on these two counts alone, the Xuantian Holy Land will not tolerate you."

Holy Land Elder collapsed to the ground, watching helplessly as Fragrant Bat moved the fire marrow onto a carriage that had long been waiting outside, completely desperate.

At this moment, the sound of horse hooves came from outside the mine. Mysterious Dust Master arrived with the Law Enforcement Disciples. Seeing Holy Land Elder collapsed on the ground and the fire marrow being moved away, his face turned livid: "Take him!"

5. The Silent Expansion of Beyond Heaven

In the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace, Jun Xiaoyao watched the information constantly refreshing on the System panel:

[Xuantian Holy Land's Holy Land Elder has had his cultivation crippled and has been expelled from the Holy Land]

[The Net has accepted 5 Disciples formerly under Holy Land Elder (already defected)]

[City Lord of Qingzhou sent a thank-you gift (100 taels of gold, 10 catties of mysterious iron), willing to form an alliance with Beyond Heaven]

[Summoning points accumulated to 10000 points, unlocked new summoning authority: can summon characters of the Land Immortal Realm]

Zhao Gao walked in and handed over a list: "Young Lord, this is the list of people newly joined to The Net. Three of them are former Outer Sect Disciples of the Xuantian Holy Land who said they want to follow us."

Jun Xiaoyao scanned the list, his gaze stopping on the name "Li Yan"—it was the young Disciple who had been injured by Yang Guo during the day. He tapped his fingertip on the name: "Let him manage the ice cellar to temper his character."

"Yes." As Zhao Gao retreated, he saw the summoning array in the center of the Underground Palace light up again. The light was even brighter than when Yang Guo was summoned, and one could vaguely hear a sound like a dragon's roar.

Jun Xiaoyao looked up at the summoning array, his eyes without ripples.

The turmoil in the Xuantian Holy Land was but a corner of the continent's strife. For Beyond Heaven to gain a firm foothold, more chess pieces were needed—and his chessboard had only just begun to unfold.