205: Chapter 24 Bounty

"Nine Heavens Thunder Venerable?"

The red light beneath Vice Sect Master Xue Ming's hood flickered slightly, as if he were moved by the name.

That was a legendary figure who had dominated the cultivation world thousands of years ago with lightning arts and was said to have eventually ascended. His heritage had long been severed.

If Chen Zilong truly is related to him...

"Even if he obtained a heaven-defying inheritance, for someone at the Nascent Soul Early Stage to kill four Nascent Souls in a row and heavily wound you, a Nascent Soul Late Stage... it's simply too inconceivable."

Vice Sect Master Xue Ming's voice remained cold. "Your defeat was mainly due to underestimating the enemy, carelessness, and poor command."

"Yes... Yes! Vice Sect Master is wise!"

Huang Chen did not dare to argue and could only repeatedly agree.

"The matter of the Heisha Mountain Branch Sect has already alarmed the Sect Master."

"The Sect Master is currently in seclusion, attempting to break through to a higher realm, and has no time for distractions. This matter will be handled by this seat for now."

Vice Sect Master Xue Ming said slowly, "Your Nascent Soul is severely damaged. Go to the 'Soul Nourishing Pool' to recover first. Once you have recovered somewhat, you can redeem yourself through service. As for that Chen Zilong..."

He paused, his crimson gaze looking out at the seemingly endless dark clouds outside the hall:

"Pass down the order to increase the bounty for Chen Zilong."

"For those who capture him alive, the reward is ten 'Netherworld Blood Crystals' and three years of meditation in the 'Myriad Ghost Cave'."

"For those who kill him and bring back his soul and the secrets of his techniques, the reward is five 'Netherworld Blood Crystals' and a promotion to a core deacon of the main headquarters."

"Also, notify our hidden agents throughout the Central Region to keep a close eye on this person's movements, especially... clues regarding his journey toward the Pill Mansion."

"Since this boy is so obsessed with recovery and alchemy, his goals must not be small."

"Pill Mansion... Hmph, that is no peaceful place."

"As you command!" A voice of acceptance came from the shadows below the hall.

Upon hearing this, Huang Chen's Nascent Soul felt slightly relieved, knowing he had temporarily kept his life. He hurriedly expressed his gratitude and was then pulled by an invisible force toward the so-called "Soul Nourishing Pool."

Vice Sect Master Xue Ming sat alone on the throne, his crimson gaze flickering.

"Chen Zilong... Liu Mei's successor... a suspected inheritor of the Nine Heavens Thunder Venerable... a practitioner of Daoist, Demonic, and Buddhist paths simultaneously..."

He muttered to himself, his fingers beneath the cloak lightly tapping the bone armrest. "Interesting... truly interesting."

"This boy has too many secrets; his value... might be greater than a Heisha Mountain Branch Sect."

"It seems he cannot be simply killed and be done with it."

"Perhaps... I should send a few truly capable people to 'invite' him back as a 'guest'."

Mingsha Hall returned to dead silence once more.

Only the giant vortex continued to rotate tirelessly, as if brewing deeper and darker waves.

At the bottom of Falling Eagle Ravine.

Another ten days passed.

Chen Zilong was finally able to circulate his cultivation technique relatively smoothly.

Although his spiritual power had only recovered by thirty to forty percent, his meridians were still fragile, and the cracks in his Nascent Soul were only preliminarily stabilized and far from healed, he at least had the ability to protect himself and travel.

He changed into a clean green robe, put away the overlord cauldron and the Vajra Puppet, and shook his head helplessly as he looked at his still pale face and the deep fatigue in his eyes in the mirror.

The injury this time was too severe; without a year or half a year of quiet recuperation, it would be difficult to return to his peak.

But he didn't have that much time.

Tu Shan Xiaoxiao was still waiting in the ice coffin; the journey to the Pill Mansion could not be delayed any longer.

He took out the maps and information jade slips he had collected previously regarding the journey to "Pill City" and checked them carefully once more.

Pill City, located in the "Tianyuan Plain" at the heart of the Central Region, is the recognized holy land for alchemists in the cultivation world. It gathers countless alchemy sects, clans, and rogue alchemists. It is said that even the headquarters of the legendary "Pill Pagoda" is located there.

From his current position, it was impossible to reach Pill City by conventional flight. Not only was the distance vast, but there were also several famous dangerous lands and territories of powerful forces in between.

The only shortcut was to use an Ultra-long-distance Teleportation Array.

There were few teleportation arrays of this level in the entire western Southern Border, and most were controlled by a few top sects and ancient clans.

Moreover, each activation consumed an enormous amount of resources, requiring advance booking, identity verification, and payment of an astronomical fee.

Chen Zilong filtered through the information.

The nearest large-scale teleportation array that might be available for public use was in "Heavenly Craft City," about 150,000 miles to the northeast.

Heavenly Craft City is famous for artifact refining and is controlled by the Tiangong Pavilion. Inside the city is an Ancient Teleportation Array leading to "Lingxiao City" in the eastern part of the Central Region.

From Lingxiao City, it would be much easier to transfer to Pill City.

"Heavenly Craft City... Tiangong Pavilion..."

Chen Zilong pondered.

He had heard a little about this force; it was considered a neutral-leaning-righteous sect with strict rules but relatively fair dealings.

In his current state, it might be feasible to disguise himself as an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator seeking artifact refining or needing to travel far and sneak in to use the teleportation array.

Of course, the cost was an issue, but he had just made a few "fortunes," so his spirit stones and materials should be enough to pay.

The biggest trouble, instead, was the Xuan Yin Sect.

Since Huang Chen didn't die, the Xuan Yin Sect headquarters must already know, and the intensity of the pursuit would only increase.

Along the way, it probably wouldn't be peaceful.

"Soldiers will be met with generals, and water with earth."

Chen Zilong put away the jade slip, his gaze becoming firm again.

He stepped out of the rocky hollow, took one last look at the Falling Eagle Ravine that had brought him a tragic victory and severe injuries, and turned into an inconspicuous green light, silently taking to the sky and speeding toward the northeast.

The light quickly disappeared behind the mountains.

Falling Eagle Ravine returned to silence.

Only the scorched cliff walls and the deep valley floor silently witnessed the battle of Nascent Souls that had occurred there—enough to shake a region—and the back of a severely injured yet persistently advancing cultivator.

The road ahead was long and filled with danger.

The journey to the Pill Mansion had officially begun.

And the shadow of the Xuan Yin Sect, along with more unknown challenges, was waiting for him ahead.