"We’re here!"

The morning mist on the summit of Guniu Mountain had yet to dissipate. Xu Yunfan stood on the mountainside, gazing down at the bronze gates that snaked below like a giant python.

The silhouette of the Mechanical City was faintly visible through the thin mist. On its walls, three hundred and sixty Bronze Watchtowers glinted with a cold light. The roar of grinding gears was still clearly audible from miles away.

He gripped the True Inheritance Token at his waist, the unique chill of metal spreading through his palm. According to the rules of Celestial Craft Cave, one’s identity had to be verified upon entering the city, and not even True Disciples were exempt.

Today, however, something about the Mechanical City felt off.

The stream of merchant caravans at the city gates was as endless as ever, the chime of camel bells mingling with the clip-clop of horse hooves, just like any other day.

But as Xu Yunfan’s gaze swept over the crowd, it suddenly froze. The Foreign Affairs Hall disciples who were supposed to be inspecting Tokens at the gate had all been replaced by unfamiliar faces.

Although they wore the standard black short coats of Celestial Craft Cave, the bronze plaques hanging from their waists were slightly old and worn. Some even had unwashed bloodstains on their cuffs.

The sight made his heart sink. He didn’t know all the disciples on duty, but these people just didn’t fit in with the disciples of Celestial Craft Cave. Their disguises were terrible.

’No wonder,’ he thought. ’No wonder that high-ranking member of the Incense and Candle Sect in the Blood Exchange Realm said their preparations were rushed.’

"Senior Brother Xu, those aren’t disciples from the Foreign Affairs Hall of Celestial Craft Cave. The Mechanical Hall disciples should be on duty at the city gate today. The daily rotations are reviewed by the stewards of every department; it’s not something a single hall can control."

A hoarse female voice came from behind him.

Xu Yunfan turned to meet the searing gaze of Yan Yuwei, the head disciple of the Melt Gold Hall. Her eyes were bloodshot and filled with an unconcealable hatred, yet she kept it tightly suppressed, remaining unaffected.

Her entire family in Cui Bo City had been massacred, yet she hadn’t recklessly charged into the city. Instead, she had turned back toward Celestial Craft Cave. Aside from her initial frenzy upon seeing the slaughter in Cui Bo City, her every move now was calculated.

It could only be said that she was truly worthy of her title as the head disciple of the Melt Gold Hall; both her temperament and aptitude were superb.

As they approached Celestial Craft City, the woman had stopped at an outpost to change her gear. She now wore the iconic Red Copper Armor of the Melt Gold Hall, a rare sight. Beneath the Heavy Armor, a black martial arts uniform clung to her knotted muscles. Tucked at her waist was a Meteorite Iron Ore Pickaxe, its tip glowing with a dark red luster, clearly having been recently soaked in flammable oil.

Of course, Xu Yunfan knew nothing about these things. Ever since arriving at Celestial Craft Cave, he barely had enough time for his daily training, let alone paying attention to such details.

Seeing Xu Yunfan’s silence, Yan Yuwei understood that he most likely didn’t know.

"I saw the Foreign Affairs Hall duty roster last month. The ones guarding the gate last time should have been Qi Huan’s ’Cyan Blade Twelve Guards.’ But these people..." She paused. "They don’t even have the physique cultivated in the Hidden Blade Pavilion. With the city gate under their control, it’s impossible that no disciples have noticed. Yet everything is calm. I’m afraid..."

"Let’s get inside and see what’s happening first. Since they haven’t made a major move yet, there must be a chance to turn things around."

The two exchanged a look and separated without a word.

Yan Yuwei blended into a merchant caravan, her coarse fingers stroking the mechanism on the hilt of her Mechanical Saber.

Xu Yunfan, meanwhile, circled around to the western side of the city wall. There was a secret passage there that led directly to the Weapon Casting Hall. Zhan Yan had only told him about it the day before yesterday. It could be accessed with a True Inheritance Disciple Token.

Covered in moss and blending seamlessly with the surrounding mountain, the Profound Iron gate creaked open. Xu Yunfan reverse-gripped his Thunderfire Qilin Hammer as the dormant blood and qi in his body began to slowly surge.

The Fluorite Lamps inside the secret passage should have been constantly lit, but now they were all extinguished. The darkness was filled with the pungent smell of rust mixed with tar.

He closed his eyes, Concentrating Spirit. His ears twitched slightly. Thirty zhang away, at a fork in the path, he heard the faint sound of metal scraping.

"CLICK!"

Just as he took a few steps forward, the sound of a mechanism springing came from under his feet. Xu Yunfan immediately shot back three steps. The ground where he had just been standing suddenly collapsed, revealing spikes below that gleamed with a sinister blue, poisonous light.

Almost simultaneously, dozens of holes opened in the stone walls on both sides, and Poisoned Crossbow Arrows poured out like a torrential downpour!

CLANG!

Xu Yunfan let out a low shout, and the muscles all over his body instantly tensed like iron and stone.

The Crossbow Arrows struck his bronze skin and Iron Bones, sending sparks flying. He used the momentum to roll, swinging his Thunderfire Qilin Hammer out in a wide arc. The wind from the hammer, carrying a scorching heatwave, smashed one of the walls of holes into scrap metal.

Amidst the flying scrap metal, a black shadow lunged down from the ceiling, a Chain Blade in hand aimed straight for his throat!

"The Ghost Twisting Chain?"

Xu Yunfan’s pupils contracted. ’A Mechanical Weapon developed by the Mechanical Hall.’

The copper spring at the end of the hammer’s handle suddenly sprang open. The moment the hammerhead slammed into the ground, the rebounding force knocked the Chain Blade three inches off course.

In that fleeting instant, he had already seen the attacker’s face clearly. It was none other than the Steward from the Foreign Affairs Hall, Wang Huan!

He remembered him clearly, as Wang Huan had been the one responsible for furnishing his courtyard. The man had been humble and polite.

At the very least, Xu Yunfan, with his extremely sharp six senses, had not detected any negative emotions from him at the time. This made him hesitate for a moment, his Heavy Hammer slowing, and his heart sank even further.

This secret passage was known only to the True Disciples of each department, as well as the Chief Stewards and Elders of Celestial Craft Cave.

"Senior Brother Wang, you..."

Before he could finish, the whites of Wang Huan’s eyes suddenly turned blood-red, and the veins on his neck bulged and writhed like earthworms. His Chain Blade attack became thirty percent faster, a clear sign he was fighting to the death.

Xu Yunfan’s expression quickly calmed. He precisely struck Wang Huan’s Danzhong Acupoint with his hammerhead. Hidden Force penetrated the man’s body, and Wang Huan instantly went limp, collapsing to the ground.

Ripping open his collar, Xu Yunfan saw a dark purple bruise emerge on Wang Huan’s chest, shaped like a Blood Lotus.

"The Incense and Candle Sect’s Heart-Eroding Pill!"

A strange look appeared in Xu Yunfan’s eyes.

He had seen someone who took this Elixir back in Wuzhou. Their internal organs were devoured by Elixir Worms, and they eventually became walking corpses that knew only how to kill.

’He’s beyond saving.’

Xu Yunfan no longer hesitated. With a thunderous crash, he brought his hammer down.

Carrying the Thunderfire Qilin Hammer, Xu Yunfan charged out of the secret passage. He glanced back at the corpses strewn about inside.

These were all Celestial Craft Cave disciples who had been poisoned by the Heart-Eroding Pill, and among them were even a dozen or so Inner Sect Disciples.

He sprinted all the way into the depths of Celestial Craft Cave, arriving at the Thunderfire Cave to see Zhan Yan forging a weapon.

"Master!"

Zhan Yan turned around. When he saw it was Xu Yunfan, a smile couldn’t help but appear on his face. He set down the Red Copper Iron Hammer in his hand.

"Yunfan, you’ve come at a good time. My luck has been quite good these past few days; I’ve forged several top-quality blades in a row... I went back to watch you forging iron yesterday and happened to think of a technique. It can force out over ninety percent of the impurities in Profound Iron. It’ll make it much easier to hammer into Thousand-Forged Steel."

"Master, let’s put that aside for now. Please, listen to me first."

Xu Yunfan spoke first, telling Zhan Yan everything: how he and Yan Yuwei had gone to Cui Bo Tower, discovered the Incense and Candle Sect’s massacre of the city, and encountered Zhou Yuande, the Hall Master of the Foreign Affairs Hall, on their way back to Celestial Craft Cave.

Upon hearing this, Zhan Yan naturally found it a bit fantastical. He frowned and said, "Never mind the Mortal Martial Artists and the Four Great Martial Arts Halls in Cui Bo City, but there’s also the city’s Governor, a Captain, and other Martial Arts Masters, not to mention ten thousand elite garrison soldiers. How could they all be suddenly wiped out by the Incense and Candle Sect?"

Xu Yunfan said, "I didn’t believe it at first either, but it’s the truth."

Zhan Yan pondered for a moment, then glanced at the faint bloodstains on the Thunderfire Qilin Hammer in Xu Yunfan’s hand. He crushed the wine flask in his own hand to pieces.

(Overslept today, three more Chapters to come tonight. Writing like crazy right now.)