344: Chapter 344 has been discovered.

After traveling several hundred miles, a different sight finally appeared ahead.

A massive castle stood tall within the darkness.

The entire castle was built from giant black stones, reaching a height of a hundred zhang and covering dozens of miles. On the city walls, Shadow Demon Clan soldiers stood guard every few zhang, maintaining a strict watch. The castle's surroundings were filled with various assassination traps—some hidden in shadows, some disguised as ordinary rocks, and some even attached to the air itself, completely invisible to the naked eye.

The most eye-catching feature, however, was the massive dark crystal floating above the castle.

The crystal was a full ten zhang square, pitch-black all over, and radiated a majestic power of darkness. That power was so strong that it could be clearly felt even from dozens of miles away. It was like a black sun hanging over the castle, enveloping the entire structure in its light.

Tianxin stared at the crystal, a complex look flashing in her eyes. She could feel that the crystal contained extremely pure dark power, which faintly resonated with her Bloodline.

“That is the Shadow Demon Clan's supreme treasure, the Shadow Source Crystal,” she whispered. “It is said to continuously generate dark power and is the Foundation of the Shadow Demon Clan's Cultivation. With it there, the Shadow Demon Clan Cultivators in the castle can Cultivate several times faster than those outside.”

Upon hearing this, everyone was filled with amazement.

Gao Feng stared at the castle, his brow furrowed slightly. The castle's defenses were truly too strict; there were over a hundred soldiers on the city walls alone, and there was no telling how many were inside. Combined with those assassination traps, a frontal assault was almost impossible.

“Someone must go in first to scout,” he said in a heavy voice.

Tianxin nodded and said, “I'll go.”

Everyone looked at her, their eyes full of worry.

Tianxin said, “I have the dark Bloodline, so I can disguise myself as a member of the Shadow Demon Clan. Moreover, I have Cultivated the Shadow Demon Assassination Technique and am best at infiltration. It is most appropriate for me to go.”

Gao Feng was silent for a moment before saying, “I'll go with you.”

Tianxin shook her head and said, “You can't. You don't have the dark Bloodline and can't disguise yourself. If you're discovered, it will be even more dangerous.”

Gao Feng wanted to say more, but Tianxin had already stood up. She took out a Dark Concealment Talisman and slapped it onto herself, and her aura instantly vanished. Then, she activated the dark Bloodline within her body, making her aura identical to that of the Shadow Demon Clan.

“Wait for my signal,” she said softly, then her figure flashed and she vanished into the darkness.

Everyone watched her leave, their hearts full of worry, but they could only wait.

Using the cover of darkness, Tianxin silently approached the castle.

She avoided the assassination traps and bypassed the patrolling soldiers, weaving through the darkness like a true shadow. Her Shadow Demon Assassination Technique was pushed to its limit at this moment; every step landed in the enemy's blind spot, and every movement merged with the darkness.

Half an hour later, she successfully infiltrated the castle.

The interior of the castle was even more complex than the outside. Passageways crisscrossed, stone rooms were densely packed, and patrolling soldiers and warning Restrictions were everywhere. But relying on her dark Bloodline's perception, Tianxin was always able to avoid those dangers in advance.

Tianxin advanced slowly along the edges of the passageways, every step cautious to ensure she didn't trigger any Restrictions.

Her dark Bloodline played a huge role here, allowing her to clearly perceive the location and range of those Restrictions. Dark Erosion, Soul Shock, Shadow Binding Art... every Restriction radiated a faint but dangerous aura; the slightest carelessness would trigger them.

She was like someone dancing on a knife's edge; every movement was incredibly thrilling, yet she never made a mistake.

The passageway was a hundred zhang long, with a guard standing watch every ten paces on both sides. Those guards were clad in black armor and held daggers, their eyes alertly scanning the surroundings. Their positions were carefully designed to support each other; if anyone tried to pass, they would be discovered by at least three people simultaneously.

But Tianxin was not just anyone. She was the successor of the Shadow Demon Assassination Technique and a person possessing the dark Bloodline.

She activated the Dark Concealment Talisman to suppress her aura to its lowest point while using her dark Bloodline's perception to find the blind spots where the guards' gazes intersected. She moved through those blind spots like a true shadow, passing soundlessly.

A guard turned his head, his gaze sweeping over her hiding place, but he found nothing unusual.

Another guard yawned and rubbed his eyes, completely unaware that someone was passing just three zhang behind him.

In this manner, Tianxin moved forward bit by bit right under the noses of the twelve guards.

When she reached the middle of the passageway, Shadow Venerable's Cultivation room was not far ahead.

The door was entirely pitch-black and covered in dense runes. Those runes flowed slowly, emitting a faint black light; even from dozens of zhang away, one could feel that cold aura.

Tianxin found a recessed corner and shrunk herself into it. This happened to be in the shadow between two lamps, the most hidden position in the entire passageway.

She poked half her head out and slowly extended her spiritual sense toward the door.

Inside the Cultivation room, a figure sat cross-legged.

It was a middle-aged man with a sinister face, narrow eyes, and thin lips pressed tightly together—clearly a ruthless individual. He was surrounded by dense black mist that surged around him like a living thing, constantly seeping into his body and then pouring back out. The aura on his body was steadily rising; he was clearly Cultivating at a critical moment.

Golden Core second level, he was pushing for the Middle Stage of the second level of the Golden Core!

Tianxin's pupils suddenly contracted.

Shadow Venerable!

Her father and her mother had died at this man's hands!

Tianxin stared fixedly at that face, the hatred in her heart erupting like a volcano. Her hand tightened around the dagger at her waist, her knuckles turning white from the force, her nails digging deep into her palm until blood seeped out.

She took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down, and began to carefully observe the layout of the Cultivation room.

The Cultivation room was ten zhang across, with Shadow Venerable sitting cross-legged in the center. Four guards stood at the four corners, each having the strength of the eighth level of Foundation Establishment. Their positions seemed casual but actually contained a hidden mechanism—no matter which direction an attack came from, it would be intercepted by at least two people.

The walls of the Cultivation room were covered in various runes. Those runes emitted a faint light, clearly some kind of defensive Restriction. Once triggered, the entire Cultivation room would be sealed off.

Hanging from the ceiling of the Cultivation room was a fist-sized black crystal. That crystal radiated a dense dark power, faintly resonating with the massive crystal above the castle. Tianxin recognized it as another supreme treasure of the Shadow Demon Clan—the Shadow Soul Crystal. It could monitor everything in the Cultivation room, and no intruder could escape its perception.

Tianxin memorized these details one by one and then began to look for possible escape routes.

The Cultivation room had only one door, the one in front of her. Outside the door was this passageway, with twelve guards on either side. Once Shadow Venerable was alerted, they could only retreat the way they came. But this passageway was too narrow and easy to defend but hard to attack; as long as those guards blocked both ends, they would be trapped to death here.

There had to be another escape route.

Her gaze fell on the walls of the Cultivation room. Although those runes were sturdy, if they used Su Ning's Spatial Magic, they might be able to tear a hole through them. As long as they rushed out of the castle, the vast world of darkness was outside, and they could escape using the Dark Concealment Talisman.

After noting all this, Tianxin was just about to leave when a slight sound of footsteps suddenly came from behind her.

Her heart tightened, and she hurriedly shrank back into the corner, hiding herself even deeper.

A Shadow Demon Clan guard came from the other end of the passageway. He was clearly there for a shift change, walking at an unhurried pace toward the Cultivation room. When he passed that corner, he suddenly stopped, turned his head, and looked toward where Tianxin was hiding.

Tianxin held her breath and remained motionless. Her Dark Concealment Talisman was still in effect; logically, it should be impossible for the other party to find her.

The guard stared in that direction for a good while, a look of doubt flashing in his eyes. He raised his hand, and a black light condensed in his palm, probing toward that corner.

Tianxin's heart sank. She knew that was the Shadow Demon Clan's Dark Perception Technique, which could detect the aura of their own kin. Although her Dark Concealment Talisman could hide her form and Qi fluctuations, it could not completely mask the dark Bloodline within her body!

That black light drew closer and closer, and was just about to touch her!

Tianxin gritted her teeth and suddenly charged out from the corner! The dagger in her hand turned into a black flash, stabbing directly at the guard's throat!

The guard was pale with fright and tried to dodge, but Tianxin's speed was too fast; he couldn't react in time! The dagger slashed across his throat, and blood erupted! He opened his mouth, wanting to shout, but could only make a gurgling sound before falling limply to the ground.

But in the instant he fell, the black light in his hand still shot out, slamming hard into the Restriction on the ceiling of the passageway!

Buzz—

A piercing alarm instantly echoed throughout the entire castle!

Tianxin's face changed drastically. She knew she was exposed!

In the next moment, countless hurried footsteps came from all directions! The guards at both ends of the passageway rushed in at the same time, blocking the passageway tightly in the blink of an eye! Those guards held daggers, cold killing intent flashing in their eyes as they stared fixedly at Tianxin!

At the same time, the door to the Cultivation room burst open!

Shadow Venerable strode out, followed by those four guards at the eighth level of Foundation Establishment. He stood at the doorway, his gaze falling on Tianxin; first it was surprise, then it turned into a cold sneer.

“So it's you,” he spoke slowly, his voice raspy and cold. “The daughter of that traitor. I let you escape back then, and I've regretted it for a long time. I didn't expect you would dare to deliver yourself into my trap today.”

Tianxin stared fixedly at him, the hatred in her eyes almost turning into something physical. She didn't speak, only tightening her grip on the dagger in her hand.

Shadow Venerable looked at her and sneered, “What? You want to avenge your parents? With just this level of cultivation?”

He raised his hand with a wave and said coldly, “Take her!”

The surrounding guards immediately swarmed forward, lunging toward Tianxin!