Chapter 5864
The old man frowned slightly, pondering for a moment: “Earth Core Jade Marrow Milk… I seem to have seen a record of it in an ancient book, saying it is produced in the Earth Core Jade Vein at the deepest part of the Lava Demon Abyss, with only one drop obtained
every ten thousand years, possessing the miraculous effects of strengthening the foundation, nourishing the vital energy, and locking the soul.” “However, this is just a legend. I have lived in the Eleventh Heaven for thousands of years and have never heard of anyone actually seeing this thing.”
It was the same answer again.
Kai was disappointed, but still asked, “Where is the Lava Demon Abyss?”
“The Lava Demon Abyss is in the Flame Domain in the southern part of the Eleventh Heaven, at least a million miles away from here,”
the old man said. “The environment there is extremely harsh, with raging subterranean fire and flowing lava. It is a forbidden land that even True Immortal Realm experts are unwilling to easily set foot in. If you want to go, you need to be fully prepared.”
A million miles… Even at Kai’s current speed, it would take a month to fly at full speed.
Moreover, the Flame Domain is dangerous, so it really needs to be planned carefully.
Kai was unaware that ever since they entered this Sandstone City, a pair of eyes had been watching them.
News of their arrival at the Eleventh Heaven had already spread rapidly to the headquarters of the Evil Path Hall in the Twelfth Heaven!
Just as Kai was conversing with the elder of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, in a private room of a three-story teahouse not far from the pavilion, a man dressed in a gray robe with an ordinary face was quietly watching the entrance of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion through a crack in the window.
He held a pale black communication jade talisman in his hand, its surface faintly shimmering with a ghostly light.
“The target has been confirmed to have entered Sandstone City and is currently inquiring about ‘Earth Core Jade Marrow Milk’ at the Wanbao Pavilion,”
the man whispered into the jade talisman, his voice flat. “He’s accompanied by one demonic cultivator. The target’s aura is only at the first rank of the Heavenly Immortal Realm, but his demeanor is calm, suggesting he’s concealing his true strength.”
A hoarse voice came from the other end of the jade talisman: “Continue surveillance, don’t alert them. The Palace Master has ordered that this boy must die, but we must confirm his whereabouts are stable before taking action.”
“Also, find out their purpose in coming to the Eleventh Heaven, especially their reason for searching for Earth Core Jade Marrow Milk.”
“Yes,”
the gray-robed man replied, then put away the jade talisman and continued his observation posture, like a lifeless sculpture.
His surveillance was extremely covert, without using any divine sense, relying solely on his naked eyes and the excellent observation position of the teahouse.
Although Kai was vigilant, having just entered the Eleventh Heaven and facing a completely new environment, he was inevitably prone to oversights.
Moreover, who could have imagined that they would be so closely watched after only a few hours of arrival?
All of this stemmed from the Evil Path Hall’s vast and efficient intelligence network in the Eleventh Heaven.
As a massive force spanning multiple heavens, the Evil Path Hall maintained secret outposts in the major towns of each heaven. These outposts often disguised themselves as ordinary shops, inns, or gangs, secretly gathering intelligence and carrying out missions.
Although Sandstone City was not large, as an important supply point in the northern Gobi Desert region of the Eleventh Heaven, it naturally had spies of the Evil Path Hall.
When Kai and the Crimson Cloud Demon Lord paid their spirit stones to enter the city, their appearance and aura were already recorded and uploaded by the sentries at the city gate.
The Evil Path Hall headquarters had already distributed Kai’s portrait and characteristics to all branches and outposts, with a bounty so high that it tempted countless people. The Evil Path Hall’s leader in Sandstone City received the alert immediately.
Meanwhile, at the Evil Path Hall headquarters in the Twelfth Heaven!
This was a mountain range shrouded in black mist year-round, and deep within the mountains stood eerie and sinister black palaces.
In the center of the palace complex, a colossal tower, a thousand feet tall, pierced the clouds, its summit ablaze with an inextinguishable ghostly fire that cast an eerie dark green hue over the surrounding hundreds of miles.
This was the headquarters of the Evil Path Palace—Mount Netherworld.
At this moment, inside the grand hall atop the tower, the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost frozen.
Above the hall, on a massive throne constructed of countless skulls, sat a figure shrouded in thick black mist. Black mist churned, obscuring only a pair of blood-red eyes that radiated a chilling aura that could freeze one’s soul.
This was Zhan E, the Lord of the Evil Path Hall.
Below, dozens of powerful high-ranking members of the Evil Path Hall stood on either side, the lowest being at the seventh rank of the Heavenly Immortal Realm. Several of them were unfathomable, clearly elders of the Evil Path Hall.
Everyone bowed their heads, not daring to breathe.
Just moments before, Elder Shadow Fiend, in charge of intelligence, had reported news that shocked everyone:
Kai, the guy who had killed so many disciples of the Evil Path Hall, had actually arrived at the Eleventh Heaven!
“Is the news confirmed?”
Zhan E’s voice echoed from within the black mist, hoarse and icy, like a chilling wind from the deepest hell.
“It’s confirmed.”
Elder Shadow Fiend bowed and said, “The images and aura transmitted from the Sand Rock City stronghold confirm it’s Kai. He’s accompanied by a demonic cultivator. They were inquiring about ‘Earth Core Jade Marrow Milk’ as soon as they entered Sand Rock City.”
“Earth Core Jade Marrow Milk…”
Zhan E repeated in a low voice, “That’s a sacred object for strengthening the foundation, nourishing the vital energy, and locking the soul. What’s he looking for? Is it to heal someone? Or… to counter our hall’s Soul Devouring Technique?”
“This subordinate doesn’t know.”
Elder Shadow Fiend shook his head, “But according to the intelligence transmitted from the Sixth Heaven, Kai seems to have a close relationship with a rogue cultivator named Hu Mazi.”
“The Hu clan members were once subjected to our soul-binding and soul-refining techniques, and Kai once declared that he would seek justice for them.”
“Hmph, an ignorant brat.” Zhan E sneered, his scarlet eyes blazing with killing intent. “I originally thought he would stay in the lower world for decades, but I didn’t expect him to dare to come to the Eleventh Heaven so soon. Very well, saves me the trouble of searching for him.”
He looked down at a thin, sinister-looking old man: “Elder Poison Heart, you are in charge of the northern region of the Eleventh Heaven. This matter is entrusted to you. You must kill this brat in the shortest possible time and bring his head to me!”
Elder Poison Heart was one of the seventy-two Earthly Fiend Elders of the Evil Path Hall, with an eighth-grade Heavenly Immortal cultivation. He was proficient in poison and assassination, and his methods were ruthless and vicious, making him infamous within the Evil Path Hall.
“Rest assured, Lord Palace Master.”
Elder Poison Heart bowed, his voice sharp as a needle. “A mere junior at the first rank of the Heavenly Immortal Realm, even with some trump cards, is nothing but an ant before absolute power. I will personally arrange for him to disappear without a trace.”
“We cannot be careless.”
Zhan E shook his head. “This boy, with his Human Immortal Realm cultivation, has repeatedly thwarted our palace’s plans, even managing to kill several Heavenly Immortal Realm members of our palace despite being of a higher level. He is no ordinary person.”
“I suspect he may be hiding his strength, or harboring other earth-shattering secrets.”
He paused, then continued, “Furthermore, Kai may have some powerful backing, so killing Kai must be swift, but clean, leaving no evidence. It would be best to create an accident, or have him die in a revenge killing or treasure-grabbing conflict.”
“Lord Palace Master is wise.” A knowing glint flashed in Elder Poison Heart’s eyes. “I understand what to do.”
“Go.”
Zhan E waved his hand. “I want to hear good news within a month. Also, the clues about the Earth Core Jade Marrow Milk can be used as bait… Perhaps he will willingly walk into the trap himself.”
“Yes!” Elder Poison Heart accepted the order, his figure slowly merging into the shadows and disappearing.
Silence returned to the hall, broken only by the crackling of the Netherworld Ghost Fire.
Zhan E sat on his throne, his scarlet eyes gazing into the void, as if piercing through layers of space to see that young figure far away in Sandstone City of the Eleventh Heaven.