Returning to the secluded small courtyard assigned to him at Qingxu Temple, dawn had already tinged the horizon. Tang Xiao Qi showed no tiredness. He sat cross-legged on a cushion in the meditation room. Before him floated three items: a jade slip emitting faint blood light, a plain-colored communication talisman with subtle cloud patterns on its edge, and a leather-paper notebook he compiled recording fragmentary information and insights.
The blood-light jade slip was a gift from Shadow Breaking Alliance's Feng Wuji, containing precious intelligence about Shadow Snake Pavilion headquarters "Ten Thousand Poison Marsh." The plain-colored communication talisman was the only contact token Aunt Su left before departing, using special methods. She said only when critical moments orindeed significantemitappear should it be used lightly. And in that notebook, besides his own cultivation insights, were scattered records of words from that elusive old man Tianjizi—several seemingly casual statements that upon later reflection held profound meaning.
Three sources of clues, like puzzle pieces scattered everywhere, now finally reached the moment to piece them together, to glimpse that final answer—Shadow Snake Pavilion headquarters' exact location.
He first submerged his divine sense into that blood-light jade slip. Instantly, massive and brutal information torrents flooded hisconsciousness sea.
Not detailed maps, but more text descriptions, scattered coordinates, danger markers, andexperience summary exchanged for lives.
"...Ten Thousand Poison Marsh, located in the extremely remote southwestern continent,miasma and pestilence pervasive, demons breeding—since ancient timesisliving beingsrestricted area since ancient times. Its area vast, perpetually shrouded by colorful poison miasma, divine senseprobe barely a hundred zhang before suffering severe erosion..."
"...Shadow Snake Pavilion headquarters concealed within, exact location mysterious. According to intelligence our Alliance gained through sacrificing several undercover scouts, its entrance isn't fixed—seemingly relying on natural poison barrierandancient remnant formation, forming moving or multiple spatial layers..."
"...Once observed abnormal spatial fluctuation in the marsh's northwest 'Rotting Bone Forest' region, accompanied by pure demonic qi leaking—seeminglyaplaceemptybetweensectionpoint, but heavily guarded, and with bizarre demonic formations protecting—those who forcibly approached allasurvive..."
"...In the southeast 'Thousand Weeping Pool,' pool water pitch-black, even feather won't float. Beneathundercurrent vortex, members risked diving, discovered artificial excavation traces and faint demonic patterns at pool bottom—speculate might be anotherawaterdownentrance, yet environmentextremely harsh, unable to go deeper..."
"...According to ancient legends andpiece together captured low-level demonic cultivators' fragmentary memories, the headquarters' core is called 'Ten Thousand Soul Hall'—demonic entityremnant soulinhabitbreathofground, also controlling 'Soul Control Jade's central. Its location possibly at the marsh's center, where poison miasma is thickest, even demons dare not approach—'Soul Burying Depression'..."
Much information, also fragmented—like a net full of holes, outlining a general shape but unable to indicate that one correct path. Ten Thousand Poison Marsh was too vast, dangers too numerous. Any wrong judgment could lead to perdition.
Xiao Qi withdrew divine sense, brow tightly knitted. Shadow Breaking Alliance intelligence indicated direction, confirmed headquarters was in Ten Thousand Poison Marsh, even speculated core was in "Soul Burying Depression"—but how to break through that natural poison barriers and moving formations to find exact entrance remained a problem.
He picked up that plain-colored communication talisman. Fingertip spiritual power slightlyspit out, following the special method Aunt Su taught, carefully injected a trace of aura. The talisman lit with faint glow, like breathing—brightened and dimmed three times, then returned to calm. This signaled the message had been sent, but when or if a reply could be received was unknown.
Finishing this, he took a deep breath, opened his notebook. His gaze fell on those scattered sentences recording Tianjizi's words.
"Little one, causes and extinctions allsystemat 'square inch' place." —This was at the beginning in the wandering cultivator city, when Tianjizi gave him the White Tiger Soul Crystal clue.
"Water has no constant shape, earth has no fixed state—heartplacetoward,immediatelyispassage." —This was after he obtained the Azure Dragon Soul Crystal in the Dragon Palace ruins, when Tianjizi appeared again with a sigh.
"Poison not poison, barrier not barrier—what you see may not be true." —This was before departing for Southern Frontier, Tianjizi's seemingly casual reminder.
And most recently, after he returned to Qingxu Temple, Tianjizi quietly appeared under the old tree outside his courtyard, leaving a proverb: "Southwest has marsh, gathering death to nurture life, hiding filth to embrace purity—also gestatesspiritual light. The eye to break the situation, not outside, but within."
At that time Xiao Qi found it all cloudy and confusing. Now combining with Shadow Breaking Alliance intelligence—"Ten Thousand Poison Marsh," "Soul Burying Depression," "moving formations," "spatial layers"—recalling these words, as if lightning flashed across his mind!
"'Square inch' place... heart's direction, that's the passage... seeing isn't necessarily truth... the eye to break the situation not outside but within..."
He repeatedly chewed these sentences. A bold conjecture gradually formed.
Could it be that Ten Thousand Poison Marsh's seemingly impassable natural poison barriers and moving formations, their core doesn't rely on forcibly breaking through external force, but needs some kind of "catalyst" or "key," or rather, needs a unique "perspective" to glimpse the true path?
Would this "catalyst" relate to Aunt Su? After all, she was a former Silver Mask Emissary of Shadow Snake Pavilion, even his mother's blood relative.
Just as his thoughts flew, the jade pendant at his chest suddenly transmitted an extremely slight warmth. Not warning of danger, but a... faintpullguide.
Almost simultaneously, that plain-colored communication talisman resting on his knee, without warning, lit again with soft glow. A subtle divine sense fluctuation entered hisconsciousness sea—precisely Aunt Su's familiar voice carrying a trace of fatigue!
"Xiao Qi, you actually contacted the Shadow Breaking Alliance... seems time is near. Short version: regarding headquarters entrance, Shadow Breaking Alliance intelligence roughly correct, but missing the most critical point—Ten Thousand Poison Marsh is a natural extreme formation. Shadow Snake Pavilion merelyseize the momentum. Its headquarters entrance isn't fixed at one place, but rotates based on the marsh's core 'Ten Thousand Poison Source's tide fluctuations, manifesting periodically among three dangerous places—'Rotting Bone Forest,' 'Thousand Weeping Pool,' 'Soul Burying Depression'!"
Xiao Qi's spirits surged. He held breath, carefully listened.
"Each entrance manifestation period is nine times nine—eighty-one days, each lasting only twelvetimehour. The next entrance will appear forty-nine days from now atZi-Shi time, at 'Soul Burying Depression.' This ispavilioninsidetop secret—except the pavilion masterandfew coreheartelder, no one knows the pattern."
"But to safely pass the entrance, rather than be torn apart by spatial turbulence or trigger restrictions, needs two things: First, bearing Xu family bloodline or possessing Xu family token (your jade pendant is the best key); Second, when entrance manifests, using specific technique seal toguide bloodline or token's power, resonate with entrance fluctuation. The technique seal I'll transmit via divine sense shortly—must memorize thoroughly, comprehend yourself. Once this technique seal is used, the demonic entity will surelyperception—no turning back..."
Immediately, a complex, obscure segment containing unique rhythm and demonic path aura's technique information directly branded into Xiao Qi'sconsciousness sea. Upon information transmission completion, the talisman's light quickly dimmed. Finally with a "crack," it shattered into several pieces of mortal jade, no spiritual nature remaining.
"Aunt Su..." Xiao Qi silentlythought in his heart, knowing Aunt Su certainly bore extreme risk transmitting this information.
He closed his eyes, quickly digesting this crucial information. Entrance rotates, period eighty-one days, next in forty-nine days at Soul Burying Depression! Needs bloodline (or jade pendant) and specific technique seal!
Combined with Tianjizi's hint—"the eye to break situation not outside but within." This "within"—could it refer to his own Xu family bloodline and this mysterious jade pendant? The so-called "heart's direction" is using bloodline as catalyst, technique seal as bridge, to "call" or "locate" the hidden entrance?
And "poison not poison, barrier not barrier"—could it mean those seemingly lethal poison miasma and formations, for those possessing the correct "key," aren't absolutedieground?
The more he thought, the clearer it became. Shadow Breaking Alliance intelligence provided the skeleton, confirming the battlefield at Ten Thousand Poison Marsh, pointing out several key areas; Aunt Su's informationinject flesh and blood, revealing the entrance's dynamic pattern and opening method; while Tianjizi's proverb served as thepointfinishing touch, guiding the core idea of how to use one's own conditions!
He abruptly opened his eyes, pupils flashing sharp light. All clues perfectly intertwined at this moment, pointing to the same definite conclusion—
Shadow Snake Pavilion headquarters, deep withinextreme southwest of the continentground Ten Thousand Poison Marsh. Its entrance not fixed, rotates with marsh core "Ten Thousand Poison Source's tide," among Rotting Bone Forest, Thousand Weeping Pool, Soul Burying Depression. Next opening, forty-nine days from now at Zi-Shi, location—Soul Burying Depression! Entry method: use Xu family bloodline (or jade pendant) combined with specific technique seal,guideresonance!
The target was unprecedentedly clear!
He lowered his gaze to his tightly clenched hands, feeling the blood flowing within and the jade pendant's warm aura at his chest. Forty-nine days... he needed in this time toimprove strength as much as possible, master Aunt Su's technique seal, prepare completely.
The path of revenge, toward Father's location's fog, finally torn open a definite gap. Ahead was dragon's den and tiger's lair, nine deaths no life demonic nest—but in his heart, an unprecedented determination fire ignited.
He knew where he needed to go.