The conflict at Crimson Flame Valley temporarily concluded with the Liyang Sect's retreat and compensation. News of this spread rapidly across the surrounding regions like wings had carried it. Qingxu Temple's morale soared to new heights, and Tang Xiaoqi's reputation as the "Purification True Monarch" grew ever more illustrious, raising the sect's prestige along with it. The border region returned to its former tranquility, and the Mountain Patrol Guard's rounds seemed to have become much more relaxed.
However, beneath this facade of returning peace, a cold and deadly undercurrent had already taken advantage of the previous border standoff, the frequent movement of personnel, and the distraction of attention to quietly infiltrate Qingxu Temple's sphere of influence, as soundlessly as a venomous snake. About three hundred li from Qingxu Temple's mountain gate lay a primordial forest called "Black Wind Grove." Here, ancient trees towered into the sky, their branches and leaves blocking out the sun, and a faint miasma permeated the air year-round. Light struggled to penetrate, making the forest appear deep and gloomy. Demonic beasts and poisonous insects abounded within, and ordinary cultivators rarely ventured deep into its depths, making it a natural hiding place.
At this moment, deep within Black Wind Grove, in a naturally formed underground cavern completely concealed by vines, several points of eerie green will-o'-the-wisp light hovered, providing the only illumination and revealing seven or eight ghostly figures. These figures all wore tight-fitting black night clothes made of special material that seemed to absorb light and block spiritual sense detection, making them nearly one with the surrounding darkness. Their auras were restrained to the extreme—if not seen with the naked eye, their presence was almost imperceptible. Each face was covered by a smooth, featureless black mask, revealing only a pair of cold, numb eyes completely devoid of human emotion.
The leader, slightly lean in build, stood there as if he didn't exist at all, his breathing and heartbeat so faint as to be nearly inaudible. Unlike the pure black masks of the others, his mask's edges faintly shimmered with a dark silver flowing light, like the scales of a poisonous snake beneath the moon. He was the Shadow Snake Pavilion's Assassination Hall Master, the one who struck fear into countless hearts—"Phantom Shadow." A black-clad figure knelt on one knee before Phantom Shadow, his voice low and raspy, like sandpaper rubbing together: "Hall Master, the target 'Green Robes' has returned to Qingxu Temple's mountain gate. The assessment of his strength displayed at Crimson Flame Valley... far exceeded expectations.
He is suspected to possess some high-level purification power and spatial movement technique. The difficulty of conventional assassination is extremely high." Another black-clad figure also spoke, his tone carrying an electronic-like coldness: "According to the final intelligence transmitted by 'Sleeper Agent Number Seven,' the 'Seed' has been safely delivered to the 'Place of Void.' The preliminary preparations for the 'Sacrifice' ritual have been completed to thirty percent. The Pavilion Master's decree: at all costs, eliminate the target 'Green Robes' and seize the 'Purification Origin' within his body. This is a crucial component of the ritual and cannot fail." Phantom Shadow listened quietly, his eyes hidden behind the mask like two bottomless ancient wells, completely devoid of ripples.
He slowly raised a hand—pale, slender, with neatly trimmed nails that nonetheless radiated a heart-chilling coldness. His fingertips traced through the air. A wisp of extremely faint shadow energy, nearly merged with the darkness, swirled around his fingers and rapidly outlined a topographical map of the area surrounding Qingxu Temple. The mountain gate, main halls, patrol routes, spiritual energy monitoring nodes—all were clearly visible, even more detailed than the maps Qingxu Temple itself had drawn!
His finger finally came to rest on the approximate area where Tang Xiaoqi's cave dwelling was located. "The target's strength is now known." Phantom Shadow finally spoke, his voice abnormally steady, completely devoid of fluctuation, yet carrying a coldness that seeped into one's bones. "Direct confrontation is not the wise approach." His fingertip slowly moved around that area, the shadow energy shifting accordingly, simulating various possible infiltration paths, blind spots in spiritual energy fluctuations, and the minute time differences in the Mountain Patrol Guard's shift changes. "His reputation is at its peak, and the sect's defenses are tight on the outside but lax on the inside.
Their attention is mostly focused on the border and external threats." Phantom Shadow's voice was like cold venom, dripping drop by drop into the darkness. "There must be oversights within." "Use his reputation to create internal chaos and distract attention." "Find those close to him, create weaknesses, draw the snake out of its hole." "Or, wait for an opportunity when he goes out alone." "The art of shadow killing lies in concealment, in one-strike kills, and in... patience." With each sentence he spoke, the eyes of the black-clad figures kneeling below grew colder, their bodies making slight adjustments as if they had completely merged with the darkness, transforming into shadows awaiting their prey. "This operation is codenamed: 'Eclipse Light.'" Phantom Shadow withdrew his finger, and the shadow map dissipated. His gaze swept across the seven most elite assassins under his command—the most refined force the "Dark Hall" had preserved, each possessing cultivation at the Golden Core early stage or above, and each skilled in combined attacks and stealthy assassination techniques.
"Groups of three. Team Alpha is responsible for reconnaissance, creating chaos, and finding weaknesses. Team Beta is responsible for lying in wait and acting on opportunities. Team Gamma," he looked at the last two black-clad figures whose auras were the most obscure, almost like dead things, "will follow me to execute the final kill." "Remember, our target is only 'Green Robes.' The 'Purification Origin' within his body must be seized intact.
Everything else is expendable." "If the situation becomes untenable..." Phantom Shadow's voice paused for an instant, and the temperature in the cavern seemed to drop several more degrees, "...then activate 'Shadow Burst,' and send him... along with these mountains and rivers, into eternal silence." At the words "Shadow Burst," even those numb black-clad figures' eyes flickered slightly—this was the final order to perish together with the target. "As commanded!" The seven responded in unison, their voices like ghostly whispers echoing in the cavern before dissipating. In the next moment, the will-o'-the-wisps in the cavern extinguished, returning it to complete darkness and silence. Those seven or eight black figures had already merged into the vast darkness like water droplets into the sea, silently leaving the cavern and transforming into several barely perceptible shadows.
Using Black Wind Grove as cover, they stealthily made their way toward Qingxu Temple's mountain gate. Sunlight still shone upon Qingxu Temple's mountain gate. The disciples were still rejoicing over the border victory, and Tang Xiaoqi was in his cave dwelling regulating his breath, consolidating his recently improved cultivation. No one knew that a killing array aimed personally at him, from the Shadow Snake Pavilion's deadliest fangs, had already been laid.
The killing intent hidden in the shadows was like a spider web spread open, waiting for its prey to step into it. Beneath the facade of peace, deadly danger was already approaching.