Chapter 186: Earth Vein Node

"San Ye, be careful!"

Zhang Jun and Lin Xue shouted; they wanted to go over, but that destructive will pressed down on them, slowing everyone's movements.

Mo Ya Shi's eyes flashed with something even crazier.

He bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the Supreme Command.

"With my blood as sacrifice! Lord! Grant me ultimate power! Destroy them!"

The "Lord" character on the token turned completely red, the light burst, and a more terrifying, purer aura of destruction erupted with a roar!

Mo Ya Shi's right arm muscle, pierced by Liu Sanye, exploded, blood spraying everywhere, yet he seemed not to feel pain; using the recoil, he hurled Liu Sanye away.

Liu Sanye slammed into a distant wall, let out a muffled groan, and fell silent.

"San Ye!"

Zhang Jun's eyes were all red.

Mo Ya Shi ignored it; that blood-soaked right arm still held the Supreme Command, his whole body like a bloodied sphere about to burst.

"All of you... die!"

He let out his final roar, the Supreme Command, now saturated with his blood and power, transformed into a massive black crow shadow, bearing a world‑shattering stance, and swooped down on Zhang Jun and Lin Xue!

Where the crow shadow passed, the air twisted, the ground cracked, and the light seemed to be swallowed.

"Xue'er!" Zhang Jun shouted.

The Yang Jade in his palm and the Yin Jade in Lin Xue's arms erupted together with unprecedented brilliance.

"Combine forces!" Lin Xue called.

She raised her jade hand, the Yin Jade flew out, hovering between her and Zhang Jun.

Zhang Jun understood instantly, the Yang Jade also flew out, echoing the Yin Jade.

A golden and a blue beam of light instantly intertwined; the yin and yang energies circulated, and in the blink of an eye a sturdier, thicker Tai Chi Diagram Shield formed, protecting the two of them.

"Boom—!"

The massive black crow shadow slammed hard against the Tai Chi Diagram Shield!

The deafening explosion sounded as if it would shatter ears!

Bai Cao Tang's backyard shook violently under the terrifying energy shock, and it seemed it would collapse in the next second!

The raging energy shockwave spread outward like a tsunami; the courtyard walls fell, tiles flew, and smoke and dust surged into the sky!

The Tai Chi Diagram Shield quivered violently, its light dimming rapidly, and cracks spread like a spiderweb.

"Puff!"

Zhang Jun and Lin Xue simultaneously spewed blood, their faces as white as paper, feeling their internal organs shift, pain excruciating.

Yet that Tai Chi Diagram Shield barely withstood that deadly blow!

The black crow shadow gradually dissipated amid the fierce energy clash, finally turning into nothingness.

The Supreme Command, after releasing its final ounce of power, its light completely extinguished, snapped with a 'crack', shattering into pieces that fell from Mo Ya Shi's charred hand.

Mo Ya Shi himself, depleted of power and suffering a horrific backlash, his whole skeleton creaked with fractures, his body collapsed like rotten mud, his breath barely existent, leaving only a pair of resentful, poisonous eyes fixed on Zhang Jun and Lin Xue.

"Cough…"

Zhang Jun endured the excruciating pain, wiped the blood from his mouth, and with a cold stare walked up to Mo Ya Shi.

"You... you..."

Mo Ya Shi let out a hoarse sound from his throat, trying to speak but unable to.

"In the next life, don't be anyone's dog."

Zhang Jun's voice hoarse, without hesitation, he slapped his palm onto Mo Ya Shi's celestial spirit cover.

Mo Ya Shi's body jolted sharply, the resentment and unwillingness in his eyes solidified completely, life gone.

Zhang Jun felt him, retrieving a few broken jade tablets and an iron plaque engraved with a special symbol, then left him be.

"Xue'er, how are you?"

He staggered back to Lin Xue's side, supporting her swaying body.

Lin Xue's complexion was pale, blood threads clung to her mouth corner, she gently shook her head: "I'm okay, my internal organs were shaken a bit. San Ye!"

The two hurried to the wall, Liu Sanye curled there, his fate uncertain.

Zhang Jun probed his nose, felt his pulse, his brows furrowed: "He's still breathing, but severely wounded, several ribs broken, the poison on that dagger..."

At this moment, sounds came from outside Bai Cao Tang, faint hurried footsteps and shouts drawing nearer.

"We can't stay here long!" Lin Xue decided instantly.

"The commotion is too great; it must have alerted the capital's various forces."

Zhang Jun nodded; the force of the Supreme Command's earlier eruption was probably felt across half the capital.

Those hidden forces, especially Yao Meng and other ancient martial families, were certainly stirred.

"Quick, lift San Ye into the secret room!"

Lin Xue pointed to an inconspicuous stone slab behind the artificial hill.

The two together lifted Liu Sanye; Lin Xue, following the method Liu Sanye had mentioned earlier, activated the mechanism, the stone slab shifted, revealing a downward passage.

Just as Liu Sanye was placed into the secret room, an anxious shout came from outside, his close aide: "San Ye! San Ye, where are you?"

"I'll go handle it." Zhang Jun inhaled deeply, said to Lin Xue, "You first treat San Ye's wounds, stabilize him."

Lin Xue nodded, took out silver needles and a medicine bottle, and began treating Liu Sanye's injuries.

Zhang Jun stepped out of the secret room, said in a deep voice to the arriving Bai Cao Tang staff, "San Ye was slightly injured, being treated in the secret room. As for the outside, you handle it immediately, seal the news; if anyone asks, say ordinary bandits broke in and were driven away."

The staff, seeing the courtyard in ruins and Mo Ya Shi's corpse, were already terrified, and upon hearing Zhang Jun's words, quickly nodded, clumsily cleaning the scene and dousing the smoking spots.

Inside the secret room, Lin Xue fed Liu Sanye several pills, then temporarily sealed a few major acupoints with silver needles; his breathing steadied, but he remained unconscious.

After dealing with the outside matters, Zhang Jun returned to the secret room, looking at the comatose Liu Sanye, feeling a surge of dread and gratitude.

"This time, thanks to Third Master." Lin Xue said softly, her voice weary.

Zhang Jun nodded silently, handing over the items he had searched from the Ink Raven Envoy to Lin Xue: "Take a look at what these are."

Lin Xue received the jade slip and iron tablet, examining them carefully.

On the jade slip were some fragmentary orders, not clearly stated, seemingly used for internal communication within the Shadow Organization.

On that iron tablet were engraved several strange symbols, like a cipher.

"These orders are vague, but they mention a few place names, likely their contact points in the capital." Lin Xue frowned, "This iron tablet should be some kind of token."

She then took out that ancient animal-skin map, examining it carefully under the oil lamp.

Earlier, in the Tranquil Heart Pavilion, the map had been stirred by the Ink Raven Envoy's chilling aura, faintly revealing some tiny runes.

Now, Lin Xue focused her gaze, combining it with the forbidden technique notes she had seen earlier in Qin Yueyao's secret chamber, gradually gaining a clue.

"Zhang Jun, look here." Lin Xue pointed to a rune on the ancient map that she had highlighted, pointing toward the northwest of the capital, "If I'm not mistaken, this should be an abandoned ancient altar. The 'Earth Pulse Node' the Ink Raven Envoy spoke of is likely there!"

Zhang Jun leaned in to look; the rune glowed faintly in the lamplight, exuding an ancient, mysterious aura.

"Earth Pulse Node, the city's source of life..." Zhang Jun murmured, "It seems the Shadow Organization's goal is indeed related to this."