354: Blade Break Alliance

On the ice wall of the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace, the water mirror reflected the scene of the Western Region wilderness—Elder Xuanxu of the Xuantian Sect was having a secret conversation with a Wolf Tribe envoy at an abandoned beacon tower.

The campfire between the two flickered, stretching their shadows into twisted and eerie shapes.

Jun Xiaoyao tapped his fingertips on the ice table. On the parchment spread across the table, the conversation between Elder Xuanxu and the Wolf Tribe envoy had been recorded by Luowang Assassins using special ink.

"...As long as the Azure Wolf King can hold off the Beyond Heaven forces at Duanyun Pass, our Xuantian Sect is willing to send five thousand Disciples to help you seize the iron mine, and afterwards, we will share thirty percent of the Ore with you..."

"Thirty percent?" Jun Xiaoyao chuckled softly and pushed the parchment to Zhao Gao. "Holy Land Elder is quite the calculator, trading thirty percent of the Ore to have the Wolf Tribe act as a shield for him; this is a shrewd business deal."

Zhao Gao stood with his hands hanging down, his voice lowered to a whisper: "Young Lord, Elder Xuanxu is accompanied by five Heavenly Human Realm Protectors, and the Wolf Tribe envoy is also at the Peak Grandmaster Realm. It seems they attach great importance to this matter." He paused and added, "Additionally, the 'Shadow' unit has discovered that the Xuantian Sect's 'Xuantian Sword Formation' has quietly moved to the west side of Black Wind Ridge, less than a hundred miles from our mine."

Jun Xiaoyao raised his eyes, his gaze landing on the jade token at Elder Xuanxu's waist in the water mirror—the token was engraved with a seven-star pattern and was a token for the Xuantian Sect to summon Disciples. "They want to attack from both sides?"

"Very likely." Zhao Gao handed over a portrait, which depicted the Formation map of the Xuantian Sword Formation. "This Formation is composed of seventy-two Heavenly Human Realm Disciples, with Holy Land Elder personally presiding over the Formation. It is said to be able to trap and kill a Land Immortal Realm Early-Stage powerhouse."

Jun Xiaoyao laid the portrait flat on the ice table, his fingertips tracing the veins of the Formation map. The seventy-two Formation eyes were interlinked, faintly forming the shape of the Big Dipper; it was indeed an exquisite killing Formation. However, the "Dead Gate" marked in the bottom right corner of the Formation map was too obvious, making it seem more like a trap.

"Holy Land Elder is old and cunning; this Formation map was likely leaked to us on purpose." Jun Xiaoyao tapped his fingertip on the "Dead Gate" position, and the cold air on the ice table condensed into frost. "Send Fu Hongxue to Black Wind Ridge, but don't alert them. First, see the true strength of this sword Formation."

"Yes." As Zhao Gao turned, the sound of weapons clashing suddenly came from the water mirror—in the direction of the beacon tower, Elder Xuanxu seemed to have sensed something. He waved his whisk, and a cyan light burst out, striking directly at the hidden Luowang Assassin.

Jun Xiaoyao's eyes darkened slightly. That assassin was only at the Grandmaster Realm and could not block Elder Xuanxu's Heavenly Human Realm strike. He reached out and pressed onto the summoning array in the center of the underground palace. Due to the continuous injection of the Black Wind Ridge mine's energy, the spiritual power of the array's core had risen to 90%. As the runes circulated, a palm shadow spontaneously emerged.

[System Prompt: Ally betrayal crisis detected, triggering Interception-Type Summoning.]

[Summonable Character: Qiao Feng]

[From: "demi-gods and semi-devils" world]

[Realm: Land Immortal Early-Stage]

[Martial Skill: Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms (Perfection), Dog Beating Staff Technique (Major Achievement), Dragon Capturing Skill (Transcendent)]

[Specialty: Palm power is fierce and peerless, excels in group combat, possesses an innate keen intuition for conspiracies and schemes]

[Summoning Cost: 85% Spiritual Power]

The summoning array suddenly erupted with golden light, and the runes rolled like raging waves. A figure dressed in coarse cloth clothes condensed within the light. Qiao Feng crossed his arms, his eyes like lightning. As soon as he stood steady, he looked at the beacon tower in the water mirror, his brows slightly furrowed: "Are brothers in danger?"

"Gang Leader Qiao," Jun Xiaoyao's tone remained calm, "The Xuantian Sect has colluded with the Wolf Tribe to seize my mine. A Luowang Assassin was discovered at the beacon tower and is in imminent danger."

Qiao Feng said no more; his figure flickered as he stepped into the teleportation array. Above the beacon tower, Elder Xuanxu's whisk had already wrapped around the assassin's neck. As the cyan light flickered, the assassin's face gradually turned purple. Just then, a golden light fell like a shooting star. The "Vast Dragon Regrets" of the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms carried immense force, striking directly at Elder Xuanxu's back.

"Who?!" Elder Xuanxu realized and turned to defend. The moment the whisk collided with the palm wind, he felt an overwhelming force surge toward him. He was sent flying backward, crashing into the stone wall of the beacon tower, and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Qiao Feng landed in front of the assassin, shielding the person behind him, and looked coldly at Elder Xuanxu: "Do people of the Xuantian Sect also engage in such underhanded sneak attacks?"

Elder Xuanxu clutched his chest, looking at the aura on Qiao Feng's body, his eyes full of shock: "Land Immortal Realm? Who are you?"

"I do not change my name when walking, nor my surname when sitting; I am Qiao Feng." Qiao Feng clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. "You colluded with the Wolf Tribe to plot against my Beyond Heaven. Today, I will let you taste the power of the Dragon-Subduing Palms!"

Before his words had faded, Qiao Feng had already closed in. He unleashed the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms in succession, the palm shadows circling like golden dragons, surrounding Elder Xuanxu and the five Protectors. Although Elder Xuanxu's whisk could barely defend, he was forced to retreat repeatedly by the palm wind. The five Protectors were even more wretched; two of them couldn't dodge in time and were struck by the palm wind, sent flying backward on the spot, their life or death unknown.

Seeing this, the Wolf Tribe envoy turned and tried to flee, but was grabbed by the back of his collar by Qiao Feng's backhand Dragon Capturing Skill and dragged back forcibly. "Want to leave?" Qiao Feng unleashed his palm power. The envoy screamed, his bones shattered inch by inch, and he collapsed to the ground.

Seeing that the situation was bad, Elder Xuanxu's whisk suddenly exploded into a cloud of white mist, and he turned to flee toward the Xuantian Sect. How could Qiao Feng give him a chance? The "Dragon Seen in the Field" palm wind covered the area like a net. Elder Xuanxu had nowhere to hide and was hit head-on by the palm power, breathing his last in mid-air.

Having dealt with everyone, Qiao Feng looked at the shaken assassin: "Are you alright?"

The assassin clutched his neck and shook his head: "Thank you, Gang Leader Qiao, for saving my life!"

Qiao Feng said no more and turned to disappear into the night of the wilderness—he had to go to Black Wind Ridge to rendezvous with Fu Hongxue; the Xuantian Sword Formation there was the real tough battle.

In front of the water mirror, Jun Xiaoyao looked at the chaos at the beacon tower and said to Zhao Gao: "With Elder Xuanxu dead, Holy Land Elder will surely notice. Have the Luowang Assassins at Black Wind Ridge prepare."

"Yes." Zhao Gao handed over another secret report. "Additionally, Ye Gucheng sent back news that the Azure Wolf King has mobilized another fifty thousand cavalry from Wild Wolf Valley. It seems he is determined to cooperate with the Xuantian Sect's operations."

Jun Xiaoyao wrote the four characters "Besiege Wei to Save Zhao" on the ice table with his fingertip. He looked at the summoning array. Although the spiritual power of the array's core had dropped to 5% due to summoning Qiao Feng, new runes were generating, faintly pointing toward the hinterland of the Central Plains—there, there was power that could contain the Wolf Tribe.

[System Prompt: Large-scale cavalry assembly detected, triggering Containment-Type Summoning.]

[Summonable Character: Mu Guiying]

[From: "Generals of the Yang Family" world]

[Realm: Late Heaven-Man Realm]

[Martial Skill: Pear Blossom Spear (Perfection), Yang Family Spear Technique (Major Achievement), Mu Family Formation (Transcendent)]

[Specialty: Excels in cavalry warfare, capable of winning against superior numbers, possesses a restraining effect on foreign cavalry]

[Summoning Cost: Spiritual Power needs to be replenished to 60%]

Jun Xiaoyao said to Zhao Gao: "Transfer a batch of Spirit Stones from Black Wind Ridge and inject them into the summoning array."

Half an hour later, as the last High-Grade Spirit Stone merged into the array core, the summoning array lit up with red light again. Mu Guiying, dressed in armor and holding a Pear Blossom Spear, walked out with a heroic and spirited air, bowing to Jun Xiaoyao: "This general, Mu Guiying, is willing to share the burden for the Young Lord."

[Character Panel: Mu Guiying]

[Status: Preparing for Battle]

[Loyalty: 90%]

[Current Thoughts: Although the Wolf Tribe cavalry is fierce, compared to the Liao Dynasty iron cavalry, they are still lacking.]

Jun Xiaoyao pointed to the Wolf Tribe cavalry camp in the water mirror: "The Azure Wolf King has stockpiled food and fodder at 'Yinma River' on the west side of Wild Wolf Valley. Take five hundred Luowang cavalry to burn it. The bigger the commotion, the better, to lure the Wolf Tribe back to reinforce."

A sharp light flashed in Mu Guiying's eyes: "This general obeys!" As she turned and stepped into the teleportation array, the tip of her spear tapped on the icy ground, sparking a string of fire.

In the direction of Black Wind Ridge, Fu Hongxue was lurking in the dense forest on the periphery of the sword Formation. Seventy-two Xuantian Sect Disciples, dressed in white and holding long swords, stood according to the positions of the Big Dipper, their Sword Qi connected to form an invisible barrier.

Fu Hongxue's black saber glimmered coldly in the moonlight. He could feel that the true killing move of this sword Formation was not in the Formation eyes, but in the message talismans at each Disciple's waist—they could swap positions out of thin air through the runes, making the Formation unpredictable.

"Indeed, there is something strange." Fu Hongxue muttered to himself. Just as he wanted to get closer, he saw the sword Formation suddenly rotate, and a white-clad Disciple's long sword pointed directly at the direction where he was hiding: "Who is there?"

Fu Hongxue no longer hid. The moment his black saber was drawn, he rushed out like a ghost, the Extinction Cross Saber carrying the Horizon Saber Intent, striking directly at the nearest Disciple.

That Disciple did not expect Fu Hongxue to be so fast. He raised his sword to block in a hurry, but his sword was snapped by the Saber Qi, and he was struck in the throat, dying on the spot.

"There's an assassin!" The sword Formation was immediately in chaos. The Disciples scrambled to swap positions, and sword shadows surged like a tide. However, Fu Hongxue advanced instead of retreating. As he danced his black saber, the saber light was like a net, and every strike precisely slashed at the Disciples' message talismans.

Just then, a white-clad figure swept over like a Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens, the sword light breaking through the saber net—it was Ye Gucheng. "Brother Fu, I have come to assist you!"

The two, one with a fast saber and one with a Fast Sword, cooperated seamlessly. Fu Hongxue's saber broke the Formation, and Ye Gucheng's sword slew the enemies. In less than half an hour, more than half of the seventy-two Disciples had been killed, and the Xuantian Sword Formation collapsed without being attacked.

Meanwhile, at Yinma River, Mu Guiying was commanding five hundred Luowang cavalry to set fires. The Wolf Tribe's food and fodder camp was ablaze with fire, and the wolf soldiers guarding the supplies were in chaos.

Mu Guiying's Pear Blossom Spear bloomed like pear blossoms, the spear tip picking up fire arrows and precisely shooting them at oil barrels. Explosions rang out one after another, and the firelight could even be seen from Wild Wolf Valley, ten miles away.

The Azure Wolf King received the news at Duanyun Pass and was furious, having no choice but to divert thirty thousand troops to reinforce Yinma River. The pressure on Duanyun Pass decreased sharply, and Yue Fei took the opportunity to lead the Yue Family Spear Formation in a counterattack, recapturing the three beacon towers occupied by the Wolf Tribe in one fell swoop.

Deep in the underground palace, Jun Xiaoyao watched the victories of all parties in the water mirror, his fingertips drawing a circle on the ice table, encircling the remnants of the Xuantian Sect and the Wolf Tribe.

The candlelight flickered, reflecting the cold light in his eyes—since they dared to join forces, then they would be dealt with together.

The spiritual power of the summoning array had recovered to 70%, and as the runes flickered, it seemed to foreshadow the next decisive battle.

Jun Xiaoyao knew that after this defeat, the Xuantian Sect and the Wolf Tribe were already at the end of their rope; completely eliminating them was only a matter of time.

And with the addition of Qiao Feng and Mu Guiying, the combat power of Beyond Heaven had risen to another level, sufficient to cope with any challenge.

Outside the window in Hanyue Valley, the snow had stopped, revealing the bright moonlight. Jun Xiaoyao looked at the spiritual power slowly circulating in the summoning array, a faint arc curling at the corner of his mouth.

The territory belonging to Beyond Heaven was expanding at a speed visible to the naked eye, and those obstacles standing in the way would eventually be trampled flat one by one.

The next target should be those noble families in the Central Plains.