At the deepest part of the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp, within the core area of the Nine Heavens Demon Sealing Formation.
This place was no longer the ruins of the former Ten Thousand Souls Hall, but a space that had been forcibly twisted and isolated from the outside world. The sky was eternal dark red, with neither sun nor stars, only thick, blood-like demonic clouds slowly rolling. Twisted vengeful spirit faces occasionally flashed in the clouds, emitting silent wails. The earth was parched and cracked, covered with intersecting crevices from which strongly corrosive black demonic qi rose.
At the center of the space was a massive, heart-like pulsating black sarcoma. The sarcoma's surface was knotted with blood vessels, countless tiny demonic patterns flickered with ghostly light, continuously drawing in negative energy and thin heaven-and-earth spiritual qi from all directions. This was the "Demon Source Heart"—the temporary nest the demonic soul remnant had condensed at great cost after being severely damaged by Xiaoqi using the Four Symbols power and the Demon Sealing Formation reinforced.
At this moment, the Demon Source Heart was pulsating with unprecedented intensity, emitting waves of boundless fury and violent, malicious aura, making the entire space tremble slightly.
"Useless! A bunch of useless fools!"
A thought filled with boundless resentment, poison, and violent rage, like a substantial shockwave, radiated outward from the Demon Source Heart, causing the demonic rocks at the space's edges to shatter.
"The secret realm trap I carefully arranged failed not only to seize that little bastard's physical body but actually let him obtain the inheritance and strengthen the Purification Source! Even the wisp of fractional soul that this one had condensed with such difficulty was lost there! Shadow Snake Pavilion... you have grown more incompetent!"
This thought originated from the sealed demonic soul remnant. Although suppressed, its powerful demonic perception could still pass through the gaps in the seal, influencing the outside world, especially the remnant forces of the Shadow Snake Pavilion with the same aura.
Before the Demon Source Heart, three vague illusions condensed from pure demonic qi lay prostrate on the ground, trembling. These were the demonic perception projections of the three Shadow Snake Pavilion elders remaining at the headquarters ruins, responsible for communicating with the demonic entity. They could clearly feel the demonic entity's fury that nearly wanted to incinerate everything.
"M-Master, please calm your anger!" The relatively more solid illusion in the center spoke with a trembling voice, trying to defend. "That Tang Xiaoqi was simply too strange; his purifying power greatly suppresses us, and Qingxu Temple's defenses were too tight..."
"Shut up!" The demonic entity's thought was like an ice-cold blade, instantly severing the other's defense. "I don't want to hear any excuses! Failure is failure!"
The Demon Source Heart heaved violently. Only after a long while did that terrifying rage slightly subside, but what followed was an even deeper, more chilling killing intent.
"The Purification Source... must be obtained!" The demonic entity's thought overflowed with greed and determination. "It is the key to making up this one's deficiency in primordial source and forging a perfect demonic body! The failure to seize it from Xu Zhan back then was already a great regret. Now it has appeared in his son, and even more completely... This is the will of heaven! Heaven means to complete this one!"
It paused, its thought locking onto the three illusions prostrated below. Each word carried the weight of unquestionable command and bone-piercing chill:
"Transmit this one's decree!"
"First: activate all secret lines, employ all usable resources, issue a bounty to the entire cultivation world's dark side! I don't care what methods you use or what price you pay. Capturing Tang Xiaoqi alive and seizing the Purification Source is the primary objective! If capture is impossible... then execute him on the spot. Absolutely no more time for him to grow!"
The Demon Source Heart pulsated even more forcefully, emitting a suffocating pressure. "This child's growth rate far exceeds expectations. He absolutely cannot be spared any longer! If we let him condense a Golden Core, or even touch the Nascent Soul stage, given his Purification Source's characteristics, he will inevitably become our mortal enemy, impossible to contain!"
"Second: contract the peripheral forces. Temporarily halt all unnecessary expansion and provocations to avoid causing the Righteous Alliance to pay excessive attention. Concentrate all energy on the single objective of 'hunting Tang Xiaoqi'!"
"Third," a trace of cunning and insidiousness emerged in the demonic entity's thought, "send people to contact 'Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave,''Blood Refining Sect,' those old monsters, and those 'old friends' hidden in the shadows... Tell them this one is willing to pay a price they cannot refuse in exchange for their action, or for providing accurate intelligence on Tang Xiaoqi's whereabouts. If necessary, reveal part of the secrets about the 'Purification Source' and this one's plan, letting them understand this child's value and threat!"
The three demonic perception illusions listened with palpitating hearts. The demonic entity was willing to expend every effort, even potentially exposing some core secrets, to place Tang Xiaoqi under a death sentence! This determination far exceeded their imagination.
"Master... with such a major mobilization, would that..." The illusion on the left hesitated to speak.
"Hmm?" A cold sneer from the demonic entity, like a nine-yin cold wind sweeping past, instantly made that illusion dim and nearly scatter.
"This one's words are absolute commands! There is no 'would' or 'wouldn't,' only execution!" The demonic entity's thought was filled with unquestionable tyranny. "Remember, this is not a request but a command! Either complete the task, or... you three will, together with these headquarters ruins, thoroughly become dust in the currents of history!"
A terrifying pressure like mountain and sea pressed down. The three illusions were nearly crushed. They hastily responded with the most humble posture: "We obey the Master's command! We subordinates will spare no effort, dying a thousand times is not enough!"
"Now get out!" The demonic soul remnant's thought carried a trace of fatigue and impatience. "This one needs to concentrate strength to repair the Demon Source and deal with that damn Demon Sealing Formation. Do not come to disturb again unless there is significant progress!"
"Yes!"
The three demonic perception illusions, as if pardoned from execution, instantly dissipated on the spot, returning to their external bodies to convey this supreme decree.
In the twisted dark-red space, only the slowly pulsating Demon Source Heart remained, along with the demonic entity's thought that was everywhere, overflowing with resentment, poison, and greed.
"Tang Xiaoqi... the remnant of the Xu family..." The demonic entity's thought lingered in the space, like a venomous snake's hiss. "Your existence is itself a mistake. This one will let you know what consequences await those who make enemies of demons and defy heaven! The Purification Source... will ultimately belong to this one!"
The Demon Source Heart suddenly contracted violently, then expanded even more intensely, madly devouring the thin spiritual qi and boundless negative emotions around it, accelerating its own repair and power accumulation.
A storm against Tang Xiaoqi that was even more covert, more venomous, and larger in scale officially began under the will of the demonic soul remnant. The peace of Qingxu Temple was destined to be thoroughly disrupted. And Xiaoqi, still cultivating in the sect, had not yet fully realized what kind of enormous and sinister enemy he would face.