178: Chapter 178 Number One on the Heavenly Slaughter Ranking!

The morning breeze brushed across Di Prefecture, picking up a few golden parasol leaves and dropping them onto the jade railings of Xu Chen's Bedchamber.

Xu Chen stood at the edge of the terrace, a thin silk robe draped over him, the collar slightly open to reveal his toned chest.

After last night's "deep and shallow" exchange of souls, he didn't feel the slightest bit of fatigue; instead, he felt as if every pore in his body had opened up. The spiritual energy within him surged like a river, and the boundary of his Quasi-Saint Peak realm seemed even more stable than before.

"Phew..."

He took a deep breath. The air was a mix of the unique spiritual fragrance of Di Prefecture and the faint, delicate scent wafting from the Bedchamber behind him.

Looking back through the thin gauze curtains, he could faintly see the graceful curves of Su Qingge and Bai Ningbing. The two beauties were currently sleeping in each other's arms, their faces wearing expressions of satisfied and peaceful slumber, as if all the troubles of the outside world had nothing to do with them.

In the two side halls not far away, Jiang Liuli and Ye Qingwu were resting quietly. The three newly born Mythical-grade little ones were likely full of energy right now, tossing and turning with their wet nurses and the ancestors. As for the newcomers, Liu Hanyan and Xiao Yu, they were also peacefully nurturing their pregnancies under the family's protection.

"This is the empire I've built."

The corners of Xu Chen's mouth curled up slightly, a sense of unprecedented satisfaction welling up in his heart.

Cultivating immortality—what is it for in the end? Isn't it just to be able to protect those you want to protect and sleep with those you want to sleep with in this world?

If one can't even keep their wife, children, and a warm bed safe, then even if they attain the Dao and become an Emperor, they would just be a lonely soul.

"However..."

The smile on Xu Chen's face slowly faded. His gaze crossed over numerous palaces and cast toward the distant direction of the Central Continent. Those originally lazy eyes became as sharp as blades at this moment, as if piercing through the endless void.

"Since Qingge said yesterday that the intelligence network had detected capital movements over there..."

"Then those rats hiding in the gutters should have already paid the blood money, right?"

He knew very well that the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be blown down by the wind.

Although the Xu Family was powerful, in the eyes of some people, he, the "Young Master Xu," had likely become a thorn in their side that had to be removed.

"Come then."

Xu Chen clenched his fist. Faint Immortal-Slaying Sword Qi danced at his fingertips, tearing the surrounding space.

"I was just worried I'd have nowhere to test this Quasi-Saint Peak cultivation."

...

Meanwhile.

A certain forbidden land in the Central Continent.

This place was shrouded in black mist year-round, impenetrable to sunlight, and the air was thick with a nauseating stench of blood and decay. Within a radius of ten thousand miles, not a single blade of grass grew, and all life was extinct.

This was the headquarters of the evil force that struck terror into the hearts of the entire Central Continent—the Soul Hall.

Inside a pitch-black hall built from countless white bones, the atmosphere was oppressive to the extreme, as if even the air had solidified.

*Crack!*

A crisp sound of shattering suddenly rang out in the silent hall.

The black-robed man sitting high on the bone throne slammed his wine cup to pieces. The black liquid, mixed with bone fragments, slid through his fingers.

"Three days!"

"It's been three whole days!"

His roar was like the cry of a night owl, piercing and carrying a terrifying Saintly Might. It caused the black flames on both sides of the hall to flicker violently, as if they would be extinguished at any moment.

"I, the Hall Master, sent that sky-high deposit to the 'Heavenly Court' three whole days ago! Why hasn't there been a definite reply from them yet?!"

The black-robed man was the Vice Hall Master of the Soul Hall—Hun Mie Sheng.

He was currently fuming with rage, the black mist swirling around him as if it wanted to devour someone. Although his face was hidden beneath his hood, his eyes, flickering with ghostly green fire, revealed a heart-stopping cold glint.

Ever since that kid Xu Chen destroyed a branch of the Soul Hall in the Dan Domain, killed Soul Fiend, and snatched the Heavenly Flame and Divine Pill, Hun Mie Sheng hadn't slept a wink.

Especially after hearing the news that Xu Chen had fathered three Mythical-grade children in a single day, this unease had reached its peak.

If this boy isn't eliminated, the Soul Hall will never have peace!

Therefore, he didn't hesitate to empty out the Soul Hall's savings from the past few hundred years just to hire that legendary organization to take action.

"Hall Master, please calm your anger..."

Below, several black-clothed elders responsible for communication knelt on the ground, trembling. One of them braced himself and said in a shaky voice:

"Hall Master, the 'Heavenly Court' side... their rules have always been tedious. Moreover, the target this time is the Young Master of the Imperial Clan, and the risk is enormous. Even that person... likely needs time to prepare and evaluate."

"Evaluate my ass!"

Hun Mie Sheng slammed the armrest and roared:

"Tell them! As long as they can kill Xu Chen and bring back his soul, I will add three more Top-grade Spirit Veins! I'll even give them one of the Imperial Weapons from Xu Chen's body!"

"I don't care what methods they use, I want Xu Chen dead! He must die!"

...

The far west of the Central Continent, a wasteland where snow falls all year round.

This was a forbidden zone for life, but a paradise for assassins.

Inside a dilapidated inn standing lonely in the wind and snow, it was currently eerily quiet.

In a corner of the inn sat a figure.

A black-clothed girl who looked to be no more than sixteen or seventeen years old.

She wore an ill-fitting, oversized black robe, her hood pulled low, revealing only a chin so pale it was almost transparent.

Beside her hand lay two uniquely shaped short blades. The blades had no luster, yet they seemed to swallow the surrounding light.

In front of the girl was a bowl of Yangchun Noodles that had long since gone cold.

She just sat there quietly, like a lifeless statue, merging with the surrounding wind and snow.

Suddenly.

A black paper crane flew through the wind and snow, wobbling into the inn, and finally landed lightly in front of the girl.

The girl's eyes, which had been downcast, finally looked up slowly.

What kind of eyes were those?

Empty, deathly silent, without any of the emotional fluctuations a human should have, like a pool of stagnant water that reflected nothing.

She reached out a pale finger and lightly tapped the paper crane.

The paper crane instantly burned, turning into a faint wave of divine sense that entered her mind.

[Target: Imperial Clan Xu Family Young Master, Xu Chen.]

[Cultivation: Quasi-Saint Peak.]

[Bounty: Special Grade.]

[Mission: Eradicate, bring back the soul.]

The girl's expression didn't change at all. She simply turned her head mechanically and looked out the window at the swirling snow.

"Imperial Clan... Xu Chen..."

Her voice was cold and dry, as if she hadn't spoken for a long time.

"Killing you... means money... to buy candied hawthorns."

She slowly stood up and tucked the two short blades into her sleeves.

Her movements were smooth and fluid, without a single unnecessary motion.

The moment she pushed open the inn's door, the swirling snow seemed to stand still for an instant.

Number one on the Tian Sha List, Shadow Kill.

Real name, Mo Han.