226. Crystal Realm within Reach
Outside Heaven Mending Peak, more than ten formal members gathered, led by Xuhe Zhao, Maiden Pristine, and Bairong Wang, the steward of the Archives Pavilion. Among them, only these three had reached Wave Realm.
Xuhe Zhao stood at the forefront, his voice resonating: "I am deeply honored that all fellow comrades have answered my invitation, and I express my gratitude in advance." After speaking, he bowed respectfully to everyone.
"To be frank, Comrade Zhao discovered a cave dwelling left by the Party's fallen heroes in the Alps. Unfortunately, it is protected by a magic shield that we have no means to break through," Maiden Pristine explained, her soft voice causing listeners to feel a tingling sensation.
"That's why I sought out all of you. If we combine our strength to break the shield, we can share the treasures inside equally. Comrade Zhao is a member of the Three Rivers Association, and everyone knows his trustworthy reputation. He certainly won't let anyone suffer a loss."
Xuhe Zhao clearly possessed considerable skill. He and Maiden Pristine complemented each other perfectly, while Bairong Wang, the Archives Pavilion's steward, acted as their foil—swiftly uniting the scattered individuals into a cohesive force.
Shortly after, everyone departed from Heaven Mending Peak on a flying carpet.
The Alps, where the Red Party European Headquarters was located, stretched vast and seemingly endless. The group flew for half an hour before halting above a section of the cloud sea.
"This is the place."
With a thought, Xuhe Zhao parted the clouds with his essence, revealing a magnificent mountain peak that resembled an ancient dragon coiled in rest.
"This place is called Dragon Coil Peak—the locals call it Mount Pilatus," Xuhe Zhao explained. "I've investigated it thoroughly. It was once the cave dwelling of the Coiled Dragon Master, a leader of our Party. The magic shield surrounding it could defend against Crystal Realm Breakers, but over the years, the earth veins it relied on have dried up. Its power has diminished to barely a tenth of its original strength."
"Everyone, please follow me to break the shield."
With those words, Xuhe Zhao took the lead, becoming the first to enter Dragon Coil Peak. Seeing this, the others naturally dared not lag behind and flew in one by one.
After a while, a figure silently appeared.
"Interesting."
Beno Alder gazed at Dragon Coil Peak below but had no intention of entering. Instead, he retrieved four black banners and began positioning them strategically around the mountain.
I don't have enough money to pay rent and monthly interest anyway, so there's little reason to prolong this life.
Might as well make a bold move!
But Dragon Coil Peak is treacherous, and Xuhe Zhao has many followers with him. Alone, I would stand no chance competing with them for treasures inside.
After careful consideration, Beno devised a sound plan.
First, he absolutely didn't believe the naïve fiction that there were good people in the Red Party—not after witnessing the erosion in himself. Good people didn't survive in this environment; they either bent or broke. So when Xuhe Zhao proposed assembling a team to explore the cave dwelling, Beno didn't hesitate. The plan was malicious. It had to be.
Yet, he reasoned that Xuhe Zhao wouldn't emerge unscathed, regardless of his plan. With so many participants—including the Archives Pavilion's steward—even if Xuhe Zhao managed to overpower them, he'd inevitably sustain injuries. Given these circumstances, Beno decided to set a trap outside the peak, wait patiently, and specifically target those who emerged.
Wouldn't that be more profitable than venturing inside to explore?
For this purpose, Beno spent his last 140+ contribution points to acquire a set of Mirage Formation.
The four "Mirage Banners" locked down heaven and earth, reversing directions. Though they possessed no offensive power, they could effectively trap people inside, making escape difficult in the short term.
Now I just need to wait quietly. No rush—patience pays off. Beno settled into ambush.
… …
"Xuhe Zhao! What is the meaning of this?!"
"If you kill us, our life lamps will extinguish, and the Party won't spare you!"
On Dragon Coil Peak, blood flowed like a river.
The Party members who had been cooperating moments ago were now desperately fighting for their lives, screaming in agony as they were systematically harvested by a beam of blood light.
Away from the crowd, Xuhe Zhao and Maiden Pristine stood side by side.
The two wore mocking expressions, their eyebrows arched with arrogance, emanating a sinister aura. Their behavior stood in stark contrast to their sincere invitation earlier—as if they were entirely different people.
Facing the angry accusations, Xuhe Zhao flashed a cold smile and spoke in a chilling tone: "Don't struggle. This place has been carefully prepared by me, and this Blood Demon Soul-Reaping Knife cost me a full 3,000 contribution points. Today, none of you will escape from Dragon Coil Peak!"
As he spoke, several more people were killed.
The blood light flashed through the air, instantly sucking their flesh dry, then revealing its true form—a crimson flying knife.
"You! Bastard!"
Among the crowd, only Bairong Wang, the Archives Pavilion's steward, could still put up resistance, but Xuhe Zhao showed no urgency to kill him—merely wearing him down methodically.
While wearing him down, Xuhe Zhao sneered mockingly: "Comrade Wang, did you really think you'd live to spend the money I gave you? The only reason I purchased those substitute puppets from you was for today! If you still had your collection of substitute puppets, I wouldn't find it so easy to defeat you."
"After I kill you, I can reclaim all the contribution points I paid you, which means I've essentially acquired a pile of substitute puppets for free."
"When you look at it that way, I should be thanking you!"
Xuhe Zhao's cutting words nearly made Bairong Wang cough blood. Seizing this moment of distraction, Xuhe Zhao flashed his knife, which instantly pierced Wang's chest.
Thud!
Bairong Wang's lips moved slightly, his face contorted with regret. Before he could utter a single word, the flying knife drained his blood essence completely, and he collapsed lifeless to the ground.
With Bairong Wang eliminated, the matter was settled.
After a few more moments, the wailing gradually subsided.
"Congratulations, Comrade Zhao!"
Maiden Pristine was now also drenched in fragrant sweat, her breath labored. Operating the Blood Demon Soul-Reaping Knife had consumed tremendous energy, and Xuhe Zhao's successful killing spree was in no small part thanks to her assistance.
"I must thank you as well."
Xuhe Zhao smiled slightly, retrieving the Blood Demon Soul-Reaping Knife, and asked, "How is it? With its current power, can it cut through that shield?"
Maiden Pristine examined it for a moment, her delicate eyebrows furrowing. "It seems to still be a bit short."
Swoosh——!
As the knife plunged in and out, Maiden Pristine's pretty face froze in bewilderment, her gaze fixed on the crimson flying knife piercing her abdomen. In the blink of an eye, she was reduced to a dried corpse.
"Now it's not short anymore."
Xuhe Zhao examined the Blood Demon Soul-Reaping Knife in his hand, nodding with satisfaction. He then approached a tightly closed chamber deep within Dragon Coil Peak.
Without a word, he raised the knife and struck.
BOOM!
With a thunderous crash like mountains collapsing and earth splitting, the chamber door shattered, revealing its contents—a stone box.
With unbridled joy spreading across his face, Xuhe Zhao approached the stone box and opened it. Inside lay two volumes of Daoist texts.
The upper volume was titled Nine Transformations Dragon Codex.
The lower volume was titled Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon Ascension Scripture.
Gazing at the two Daoist texts in the stone box, Xuhe Zhao's hands trembled with excitement. "A third-grade essence refinement technique! Truly, it's a technique that points directly to the Crystal Realm!"
"My master spoke true after all."
"After today, if I diligently train, refine the True Dragon Essence, and build the Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon Riding Crystal, I will surely find my true potential in the future. Moreover, with this third-grade technique, the Crystal Realm will finally be within my reach!"
Xuhe Zhao's excitement mounted as he contemplated his future, and he hastily secured the Daoist texts.
"Changing cultivation methods requires dispersing my current essence. There's no time to waste. I must return to my residence immediately and seclude myself. When I emerge, I can formally become Master's disciple."
Brimming with hope for the future, Xuhe Zhao soared out of Dragon Coil Peak on his flying carpet.
In the next second, Xuhe Zhao's expression changed drastically.
"Who's there?"
BOOM!
Xuhe Zhao's eyes widened as a magnificent sword light—like a thunderbolt—struck directly between his eyes!