Deep in the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp, although the former headquarters of Shadow Snake Pavilion had largely collapsed, shrouded in demonic qi and highly toxic miasma, in certain unknown hidden corners, remnant formation nodes still operated weakly, maintaining the final information channels of this demonic behemoth.
In a gloomy stone chamber a hundred feet underground, only a few lamps fueled by wraiths with eerie green flames flickered, illuminating the twisted, squirming snake reliefs on the walls. The air was permeated with a heavy stench of blood and decay.
Three cultivators dressed in black robes embroidered with silver snake patterns sat around a round table polished from a single block of obsidian. Their auras were obscure, surrounded by faint, nearly imperceptible demonic qi. They were all at the late Foundation Establishment stage—members of the "Dark Fang" deacons responsible for external operations and intelligence among the Shadow Snake Pavilion's remnants.
"The news has been repeatedly confirmed," the deacon with a hideous scar on his face, seated at the head, spoke in a raspy voice, breaking the deathly silence in the stone chamber. "That bastard spawn of the Xu family, Tang Xiaoqi, is not only alive but has also grown up under Qingxu Temple's protection. Moreover, in the Misty Secret Realm, he obtained what appears to be the complete inheritance of the 'Purification Source'!"
"Purification Source..." A deacon on the left, thin as a bamboo pole, had a flash of fear and greed in his eyes. "Back then, Xu Lan Villa nearly died out trying to protect this thing. Even when the Pavilion Master personally acted, he failed to obtain it. Was it truly inherited by this kid?"
"There can be no mistake," the female deacon on the right, with a pale face and sinister eyes, said coldly. "Our hidden stakes near Qingxu Temple, as well as a few peripheral members who managed to escape from the secret realm, have all provided similar intelligence. This child can purify demonic qi with strange white light and suppress our Sacred Pavilion's techniques, which matches the characteristics of the Purification Source recorded in our texts to a high degree. Moreover, his potential is astonishing; he has already successfully established his Foundation. We absolutely cannot allow him to continue growing!"
The scar-faced deacon slammed a fist heavily onto the stone table, emitting a dull thud. The green lamps shook violently. "If this child is not eliminated, he will become a serious threat! He bears the Purification Primordial Source, naturally the nemesis of our Sacred Dao. If he is allowed to grow fully, our grand cause of restoration will be indefinitely delayed, and we may even follow in the footsteps of Xu Lan Villa!"
"But Qingxu Temple protects him extremely tightly," the thin deacon frowned. "The sect's Great Formation has been partially activated, with strict patrols. Our people can hardly get close, let alone take action. Forced assassination carries too high a price and a low success rate."
A cold light flashed in the eyes of the sinister female deacon. "Since it's inconvenient for us to act directly, let others do the work for us. In the cultivation world, what's least lacking is desperadoes and the greedy."
The scar-faced deacon's face revealed a cruel smile upon hearing this. "Exactly. Pass the order down: activate the 'Poison Fang' secret box. Through the third, seventh, and ninth secret lines, issue an A-class bounty to 'Blood Blade Tower,''Seven Killing Alliance,''Impermanence Sect,' and all rogue cultivator killers on file in the black markets!"
He paused, enunciating each word with a chilling content:
"Target: Qingxu Temple disciple, Tang Xiaoqi."
"Requirements: Capture alive preferred. If capture is not possible, taking his head or proof of his complete elimination is also acceptable."
"Reward: five thousand top-grade spirit stones; the complete lower-tier Earth-Rank demonic technique 'Nether Shadow Soul-Devouring Art'; one Tier-3 demonic artifact, 'Hundred Ghosts Banner'; plus a guest elder token from the Shadow Snake Pavilion, granting access to part of our pavilion's resources and intelligence support."
These words caused even the other two deacons to move slightly. This bounty was undeniably generous! Five thousand top-grade spirit stones were enough to drive a Foundation Establishment cultivator crazy with greed. The Earth-Rank demonic technique and Tier-3 demonic artifact were things even many Golden Core cultivators might not possess. And that guest elder token meant the implicit support of a massive demonic force behind it—its value was difficult to estimate. This bounty was enough to make any Foundation Establishment, or even some early Golden Core desperadoes take the risk!
"Remember," the scar-faced deacon added, his voice ice-cold, "The bounty is to be issued secretly through the secret lines. Do not mention our Sacred Pavilion's name. Just say it's from a 'reclusive family' seeking blood revenge. But let those killer organizations understand that the target's 'purification' ability has a suppressing effect on those who cultivate yin and evil techniques. Warn them to be careful."
"Yes!" The thin deacon and the sinister female dector responded in unison, their eyes flickering with excitement and bloodthirstiness. They seemed to already see countless greedy jackals, attracted by this generous bounty, pouncing upon Qingxu Temple, upon that young disciple named Tang Xiaoqi.
Soon, several covert messages were transmitted silently through the Shadow Snake Pavilion's remnant underground network.
The undercurrents in the cultivation world's underground began to boil because of this.
"Blood Blade Tower," a stronghold of a mysterious organization known for taking assassination missions.
A messenger wearing a blood-colored mask looked at a jade slip just received through special channels. Beneath the mask, his eyebrows raised slightly. "Qingxu Temple, Tang Xiaoqi... Foundation Establishment early stage, suspected to bear a special inheritance that suppresses yin and evil forces... The reward is indeed astonishing. Notify the others: list this mission as 'Blood Character Level-3.' Interested 'Blood Blades' may assess and accept it themselves."
"Seven Killing Alliance," a loose alliance created by seven top assassins.
On the alliance's mission leaderboard, a brand-new task marked with a skull symbol quietly appeared. Its generous reward immediately attracted the attention of many registered killers. Quite a few Foundation Establishment late-stage, and even False Core realm killers on the list began to secretly gather all intelligence they could about "Tang Xiaoqi."
"Impermanence Sect," acting mysteriously, both righteous and evil, with disciples skilled in various strange arts and techniques.
In a secret realm within the sect, an elder dressed in black-and-white striped robes looked at the bounty information, calculating with his fingers. He murmured to himself, "Qingxu Temple... Tang Xiaoqi... bears purifying power? Interesting, interesting. This child's fate seems somewhat peculiar, entangled with considerable karma. This muddy water might be worth wading into."
More numerous were the rogue cultivator killers who roamed the gray areas, unscrupulous in their pursuit of resources. Through various covert black market channels, they learned of this heart-stirring bounty. For a time, many bandits and villains active in various places began to intentionally or unintentionally turn their gaze toward the southeastern region, toward that mountain gate named Qingxu Temple.
An invisible, deadly net was quietly being cast. Although the Shadow Snake Pavilion itself was greatly weakened, with the demonic soul sealed and the headquarters collapsed, and thus temporarily unable to organize large-scale retaliation, they succeeded in pushing Tang Xiaoqi to the center of the storm using their remaining influence and generous resources, making him a target coveted by countless eyes hidden in the darkness.
Inside Qingxu Temple, it maintained a state of outward relaxation and inward tightness.
Xiaoqi had just finished another round of fine manipulation exercises with his purifying power. He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze clear, his breathing deep and steady. He vaguely sensed that in recent days, there seemed to be an indescribable sense of oppression lingering in his heart, as if being watched by something invisible. This was a vague warning of potential danger arising from his heightened spiritual perception.
He walked to the window, looking out at the clouds and mist swirling beyond Cloud Hidden Peak. His gaze seemed to penetrate that barrier, seeing the storm brewing outside.
"Before the storm, the wind fills the tower..." he murmured softly to himself, his fingers unconsciously brushing across the Mysterious Golden Guardian Pan in his embrace. The pan body transmitted a warm, firm touch.
He didn't know where the specific threat was coming from, but he knew clearly: from the moment he bore the Purification Source, he was destined not to have peace. The shadow of the Shadow Snake Pavilion had never truly retreated.
Now, that shadow had transformed into an invisible bounty, like a sharp sword hanging above his head, unknown when it would fall.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the slight tremor in his heart, and his eyes became firm again. Fear and retreat were meaningless; only by constantly elevating his own strength could he carve out a path of survival on this danger-filled cultivation road.
He turned and sat cross-legged again, gripping the hilt of the Crimson Flame Sword tightly. Cultivation could not pause for a moment. The external bounty and killing intent now all became fuel that accelerated the circulation of spiritual power in his dantian.