Free Web NovelChapter 237: Chapter 237: Zone 13
Ning Xuan gazed at the brilliant golden Elixir Pill in her hand, utterly delighted. Two Dan Patterns on its surface seemed to flow, emitting intense waves of energy. This Elixir Pill was refined with Red Ginseng, Ice Soul Snow Lotus, and Golden Flame Immortal Grass as the primary ingredients, supplemented by more than ten other medicinal herbs, and used her blood as a catalyst and medium, forged by the Vermilion Bird Divine Fire. This batch of Elixir Pills didn’t follow an existing recipe; she had formulated and refined it herself. After more than ten experiments, she had finally succeeded today.
After carefully storing away the batch of Elixir Pills, Ning Xuan continued her Alchemy.
Initially, only Di Youlin stood guard outside the door. But after the Elixir Pills were forged, Yun Han, Chen Nan, Lan Xin, and Lin Mo all rushed over.
"Just now, I felt an intense tremor... It was like... like... I can’t quite put my finger on it," Chen Nan stammered, his words confused and unclear.
"The Contractor must have added her own blood during the Alchemy. Her blood reacted strangely with the other medicinal herbs. The pills she refines will have a miraculous effect on us Contractors." Yun Han’s Spiritual Power Level was high, and his Perception Ability was the strongest.
Di Youlin had been hit by the surge of energy when the Elixir Pills were forged, and the power coursing through him had yet to completely subside. Hearing Yun Han and Chen Nan’s conversation, he let out a soft snort.
"Mr. Di, what are you doing here?" Yun Han demanded.
"Guarding the door. Master’s orders. No one is to intrude." Di Youlin glanced at Yun Han and the others, slowly reining in his radiating energy.
"Hah. Who would dare force their way into the Contractor’s Alchemy Room? You’re not guarding the door, you’re just blocking people. The Contractor is far too lenient with you." Yun Han shot him a cold, sidelong glance.
Di Youlin snorted. ’He actually wished Ning Xuan would treat him like she used to—stringing him up with vines, having him beaten whenever she was displeased. But he couldn’t remember when it started... Ning Xuan had grown increasingly tolerant toward him. Now, even when she got angry, she would only send him away. She wouldn’t punish him so casually anymore.’
’It was only today that he finally understood the crux of the matter. Unfortunately, it seemed this problem wouldn’t be solved anytime soon.’
Just as Yun Han opened his mouth to tell Di Youlin to leave, the door suddenly swung open.
"What are you all doing crowded around here?" Dressed in a practical black combat suit, Ning Xuan’s expression was cold and stern as she looked at the group of distinctive men gathered outside.
’She had to admit, Yun Han and the others were all tall and long-legged with outstanding looks. Gathered together, they were exceptionally easy on the eyes.’
"Lord Contract Master." Seeing Ning Xuan emerge, Yun Han and the others all bowed deeply.
"Lord Contract Master, I sensed you using your blood for Alchemy. I believe it is harmful to your body and you must not do it again. Please, Lord Contract Master, reconsider." Yun Han’s eyes were filled with worry, a testament to his genuine concern for Ning Xuan’s health.
"I know my limits," Ning Xuan explained coolly. "I’ve been feeling restless lately, as if something is about to happen. These pills are for you all. Keep them ready."
"The Contractor’s health is what’s most important," Yun Han immediately retorted upon hearing Ning Xuan’s explanation. "If the pills prepared for us come at the cost of harming the Contractor’s body, then we would rather not have them."
Yun Han even glanced at the others, and Chen Nan immediately chimed in, "That’s right, Contractor! We can’t allow your body to be harmed, no matter what."
Lan Xin and Lin Mo nodded in agreement as well.
Ning Xuan’s expression darkened. Though she knew Yun Han was only worried about her, Ning Xuan never tolerated having her decisions questioned.
Yun Han sensed the shift in Ning Xuan’s mood and silently knelt. A strange silence suddenly fell over the group.
Ning Xuan lowered her gaze to the kneeling Yun Han and struck him twice on the back. Yun Han let out a muffled grunt, his spine feeling as if a mountain had been pressed down upon it. The muscles beneath his combat suit strained, bulging into sharp lines.
"Everyone except Yun Han, leave. Lan Xin, Di Youlin, get the task I assigned you done as soon as possible." With that, Ning Xuan stepped back inside and shut the Alchemy Room door.
Lin Mo looked at Yun Han, whose forehead was beaded with sweat as he struggled to keep his back straight, and said, baffled, "Yun Han, aren’t you just making trouble for yourself?"
Chen Nan secretly pursed his lips. ’He’s convinced Yun Han did it on purpose, just to get the Contractor to punish him. Sometimes I want to stir up trouble too. I’d rather be punished by the Contractor than ignored by her.’
Ning Xuan performed Alchemy until midnight, and Yun Han remained kneeling in punishment until midnight. Then, she took him back with her to rest.
The Little Fox, who had planned to sneak into Ning Xuan’s room, was once again disappointed.
On the fifth day of their stay at the treehouse, Di Youlin and Lan Xin returned to report. They had pinpointed the exact location of Zone 13, and the two individuals who might have exposed Ning Xuan’s information had been dealt with.
Zone 13 was the official designation for Safe Zone 13. The Seventh Legion was stationed in this safe zone. This legion was backed by the Star Sky Council and answered directly to them, holding a special status among the Federation’s major legions.
Ning Xuan knew someone in Zone 13 had put a bounty on her. She had to find out who this person was.
Zone 13 was over four hundred kilometers from the location Ning Xuan had chosen. At full speed, their vehicle could have made the trip in a day at most. However, the roads in this world were in poor condition, and it took them a full three days to reach Zone 13.
To remain inconspicuous, Yun Han and the others adopted simple disguises. Ning Xuan dressed in men’s clothing and altered her facial features. The disguise was so effective that even Yun Han couldn’t immediately tell she was a woman.
Zone 13 was built in an inverted, bowl-shaped valley. Three of its sides were sheer cliffs, like an obsidian barrier cleaved by a giant’s axe, perennially shrouded in a gray mist.
The fog shrouded the valley, concealing it from view.
The safe zone’s most ingenious design feature lay in its seemingly natural rock formations. Behind every protruding stone ridge were embedded full-spectrum camouflage panels that could reflect all wavelengths of light, better concealing the safe zone.
The entrance was hidden within a cluster of waterfalls on the northern slope. Behind seventeen curtains of water that resembled silver chains stood an array of staggered, mirrored metal pylons. freewёbnoνel.com
These matte-finished columns would automatically swivel with the angle of the sun, refracting the safe zone’s entire silhouette to appear as a natural extension of the rugged mountainside. Even from a lookout point thirty meters away, one could only see the blurred shadows of rocks in the watery mist, making it look like a geological feature that had been there for millennia.
The safe zone’s main structures followed the contours of the mountain perfectly, their curved domes covered in specially cultivated rock-growing moss. This genetically modified plant secreted luciferin, so at night, the entire cliff face seemed to shimmer with a faint, cool blue light that blended perfectly with the snow line under the stars.
The eastern cliff face appeared unremarkable but concealed a hidden mechanism. The dark red rocks were, in fact, an electromagnetic barrier. Should any intruder step within the one-hundred-meter warning perimeter, the rocks would instantly launch a counterattack.
