The intelligence Su Wan'er provided, like a depth charge beneath the seemingly calm surface, instantly caused violent tremors and chain reactions among Qingxu Temple and the entire righteous alliance's higher ranks. In the document room beside Taiqing Hall, the atmosphere was so heavy it could drip water. Temple Master True Immortal Xuan Xuan's spiritual sense closely observed this place though he hadn't appeared personally. Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng sat in the main seat, expression grave and stern.
Below sat Tang Xiaoqi, Liu Yun, and several core elders responsible for intelligence and external operations. A jade slip recording Su Wan'er's intelligence summary passed through everyone's hands. "'Dark Hall'. Seed Plan. sleeping pieces." One elder responsible for external affairs had an ashen face, pressing his fingers hard on the jade slip: "No wonder!
No wonder previous purges against Shadow Snake Pavilion remnants always felt like hitting cotton, catching only irrelevant small fry! So the true core had long scattered and hidden!" "Also these base locations, the sleeping piece lists." Another elder's eyes flickered cold light: "We must act immediately! Catch them off guard before they complete transfer or react!" Mu Qingfeng's gaze swept everyone, finally landing on Tang Xiaoqi: "Xiao Qi, from Elder Su's side, did she provide more specific intelligence regarding these bases' defensive forces, or recent movements of those pieces?" Tang Xiaoqi shook his head: "Most intelligence Aunt Su knew was from before she 'betrayed' the Shadow Snake Pavilion. During the three-plus years since, she was always unconscious.
She doesn't know what changes occurred among Shadow Snake Pavilion remnants. However, she mentioned several sleeping pieces she previously placed that might not yet be exposed. Perhaps we can get some latest news from them." "No time to waste." Liu Yun coldly spoke, the Law Enforcement Elder's killing aura unconsciously flowed: "Bases on the list, the alliance will uniformly coordinate, launching simultaneous purges. Sleeping pieces on the list, each sect will secretly control and interrogate privately, avoidinghitgrassstartledsnake.
As for those sleeping pieces. Xiao Qi, contact must be extremely careful." Action plans quickly formed. Encrypted directives, via the alliance's unique channels, like an invisible web, instantly spread across the entire cultivation world. The following several months, beneath the cultivation world's seemingly calm surface, an intense storm without sound erupted.
On the East Sea shore, a trading company using maritime trade as cover was surrounded by alliance law enforcers one deep night. Large quantities of forbidden goods and correspondence letters connected to the Shadow Snake Pavilion were found and seized. Several core members who resisted were killed on the spot; all others were captured. Deep in the northern plains' ice fields, a small base disguised as a hunter village, under joint assault by alliance cultivators and local snow wolf tribes, couldn't even organize decent resistance before collapsing.
In western region black markets, several shops normally selling goods of unclear origin quietly closed, owners whereabouts unknown, reportedly secretly taken. In southern border dense forests, a secret base using natural poison miasma as cover was forcefully breached by alliance cultivators skilled in formations. Personnel inside were killed or surrendered. Purges brought frequent good news. aa hidden beneath the light tumors were quickly excised.
From materials seized from these bases and captured personnel confessions, Su Wan'er's intelligence accuracy was further confirmed. Following leads, several even deeper hidden lines were uncovered. The entire righteous alliance's morale soared from this precise, efficient cleansing. It seemed the shadow lurking for years was finally about to be completely dispersed.
However, as operations deepened, an unsettling phenomenon gradually emerged. All eliminated bases and captured personnel almost entirely belonged to Shadow Snake Pavilion's peripheral forces, or some already half-abandoned pieces. Truly core forces belonging to the so-called "Dark Hall" vanished like smoke, leaving no valuable clues. Those mid-to-high level leaders potentially knowing inside information, mostly disappeared in advance, as if receiving unified warning.
The results from Tang Xiaoqi's attempts to contact Su Wan'er's sleeping pieces were even more alarming. Two of them were found mysteriously dead at home the day before scheduled contact, causes ambiguous, seemingly silenced. Another completely lost track, neither alive nor dead. The only gain came from one sleeping piece who barely escaped silencing, making contact with Tang Xiaoqi in extreme fear.
He transmitted only one extremely brief, terrified message: "'Shadow'. is still alive. he took the 'Seeds'. went to the 'Void Land'. they're preparing. a grand. 'Sacrifice'." The message abruptly ended. No matter how Tang Xiaoqi tried, he could never contact that sleeping piece again. "'Shadow'." Mu Qingfeng looked at this transmitted information, his brow tightly locked: "Shadow Snake Pavilion's Assassination Hall Master, Nascent Soul mid-stage cultivation, expert in hiding, escape techniques, and instant kills.
He's one of the Dark Hall's core members, the Pavilion Master's sharpest blade. He actually escaped the earlier encirclement, and took the so-called 'Seeds'." "'Void Land'?" An elder questioned: "What place is this? Never heard of it." Tang Xiaoqi contemplated: "It might be a codename, or some unknown secret realm or forbidden area. Need to consult ancient texts, or ask some experienced predecessors." Liu Yun's fingertip tapped the table, making crisp sounds, her tone cold: "'Sacrifice'. the Shadow Snake Pavilion's usual trick.
Using living beings' essence blood and soul power in exchange for power, or conducting some evil ritual. They've been dormant so long, suddenly making such large moves—their ambition must be enormous!" The document room fell into silence. Initial victory joy had long been replaced by this hidden, deeper chill. Shadow Snake Pavilion's remnant forces were not a scattered mob, but under a organized core's leadership, quietly hiding, secretly brewing some unknown, likely even more dangerous conspiracy!
The strongest poisonous snake wasn't killed, merely slithered into deeper grass, awaiting the opportunity for a fatal strike. "Notify all alliance parties: purge operations temporarily conclude, shift to strict monitoring and defense." Mu Qingfeng ultimately decided: "Focus on tracking 'Shadow' and the core 'Seeds' he took, plus 'Void Land' and 'Sacrifice' specifics. Simultaneously, sect internal alertness elevates to top tier, preventing desperate measures." Everyone received orders, dispersing with solemn expressions. Tang Xiaoqi walked from the document room, gazing toward the distant horizon, his gaze deep.
Su Wan'er's intelligence tore open amouthchild, letting them see hidden crises, yet these crises seemed more troublesome than anticipated. Shadow, Void Land, Sacrifice. these words combined seemed to portend another storm quietly gathering in unknown corners. Qingxu Temple and the Shadow Snake Pavilion's grudge was far from concluded.