Chapter 105: Enemy of the World, A Crazy Bounty
The portrait on the wanted poster was indeed Luo Xue, a clear shot of her wielding the giant sword and facing the disciples of the Temple of the Nether Spirit at the Peerless Summit Sect.
The photo made Luo Xue look quite heroic. She wondered who took it.
But… the bounty below also shocked her.
An eighth-grade magical artifact, a sixth-grade spiritual artifact, and 100,000 Earth-rank Qi Condensation Pills. Each item alone was enough to drive people mad.
The two prodigies of the Demonic Ghost City had risked coming to Ghost Demon Pass for just a degraded seventh-grade magical artifact.
Although the Shangguan Yu’s pupil technique sealed within it was more important than the artifact itself, compared to an eighth-grade magical artifact, the latter was still more valuable.
After all, most Nascent Soul rogue cultivators didn’t even have an eighth-grade magical artifact, and only top Nascent Soul cultivators could fully utilize their power.
But an eighth-grade magical artifact was still weaker than a sixth-grade spiritual artifact…
The power of a spiritual artifact lay in its artifact spirit.
Once a spiritual artifact recognized its master, the bond was eternal. Even if the original owner died, it would only degrade into an ordinary magical artifact, unusable by others.
This made spiritual artifacts far more valuable than magical artifacts of the same rank, even surpassing magical artifacts two ranks higher.
Moreover, after recognizing its master, the artifact spirit of a spiritual artifact could communicate with its master and even be controlled independently in battle, like a loyal follower.
And spiritual artifacts could also be upgraded and grow. With the master’s nurturing, a sixth-grade spiritual artifact could even become an eighth-grade one, as long as the master was powerful enough.
100,000 Earth-rank Qi Condensation Pills… that was roughly the annual income of an Immortal Domain sect.
As for why it wasn’t converted to Heaven-rank pills, it was because Heaven-rank Qi Condensation Pills were extremely rare. Theoretically, a hundred Earth-rank Qi Condensation Pills could be refined into one Heaven-rank pill, but the failure rate was very high. It might take two or three hundred attempts to succeed once.
And the resulting Heaven-rank Qi Condensation Pill would contain a trace of the power of laws, but this was only useful to Nascent Soul or Soul Transformation cultivators.
For those below Nascent Soul, consuming a Heaven-rank Qi Condensation Pill was just absorbing the spiritual energy equivalent to a hundred Earth-rank pills. The power of laws would be wasted.
The generous bounty was astonishing, and the fact that the target was just a small cultivator at the Innate Realm made most cultivators think it was a joke.
“Just who is behind this…”
While others were dumbfounded, Luo Xue was terrified. It was fortunate that she had the Thousand Faces Cultivation Art and had changed her appearance in advance.
Unfortunately, the wanted poster didn’t state who issued it. Most cultivators just glanced at it out of curiosity before leaving the city.
Almost no one believed this wanted notice, thinking it was just a joke.
Some even speculated that the girl in the portrait, out of vanity, had created the wanted poster to show off her beauty.
Otherwise, how could one explain the heroic angle of the portrait on a wanted poster?
Weren’t they usually grim and lifeless mugshots?
Only Luo Xue knew that it must be someone from the Temple of the Nether Spirit targeting her.
It must be because she stood out during the competition…
But was it worth such a large bounty just for standing out?
Luo Xue trembled slightly.
Nangong Mengxiang also recognized Luo Xue in the portrait. Of course, although she was straightforward, she wasn’t stupid, and she didn’t say anything.
She glanced at Luo Xue’s expression and figured that Little Martial Aunt was also confused, so she decided to talk to her later when there were no people around.
But just then, an old man with a sinister face and dressed in gray suddenly appeared in mid-air, instantly attracting everyone’s attention.
The bustling crowd fell silent—not because they stopped talking, but because the old man’s appearance silenced all sound.
Many recognized the old man and their eyes widened in shock.
“It’s… it’s Elder Sha Hao of the Ghost Demon Gang!”
Elder Sha Hao, the only Nascent Soul cultivator in Ghost Demon Pass, was from the Sha Master lineage of the Temple of the Nether Spirit.
Everyone knew that the Ghost Demon Gang was backed by the Temple of the Nether Spirit and that the Nascent Soul old monster stationed there was the renowned Elder Sha Hao, but they didn’t know why he appeared here at this time.
Could it be that the Ghost Demon Gang was enraged and was going to attack the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang?
But the problem was…
This was the road to the Demon Abyss, the opposite direction from the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang’s territories.
Or perhaps…
Almost everyone thought of the rumor that had been circulating recently, that the Ghost Demon Gang was going to abandon Ghost Demon Pass.
Could it be… that it wasn’t a rumor?
Elder Sha Hao ignored the increasingly strange gazes in the crowd and looked down, scanning everyone from above.
For some reason, perhaps it was just an illusion, but Luo Xue felt that Elder Sha Hao seemed to have glanced at her.
“Could it be that they discovered I killed their spy from the Sha Master lineage… But that doesn’t make sense. If they found me, they could just arrest me with the wanted notice…”
Luo Xue felt a bit uneasy, but then she thought again, there were many things she couldn’t understand, so this wasn’t a big deal.
Then, Elder Sha Hao, hovering in mid-air, slowly spoke.
“You guessed correctly. The Ghost Demon Gang… no, the Temple of the Nether Spirit, is indeed abandoning Ghost Demon Pass.” Elder Sha Hao said faintly. “This is not a rumor.”
The crowd erupted in an uproar. Although the rumors had been circulating, it was different hearing it confirmed by Elder Sha Hao himself.
Since the truce between immortals and demons, the Ghost Demon Gang had existed for over a thousand years.
Even in its decline, the Ghost Demon Gang was still a behemoth that ordinary cultivators couldn’t touch.
But now, this behemoth… was suddenly collapsing.
Ghost Demon Pass was about to change.
But before the cultivators below could digest this shocking news, Elder Sha Hao spoke again.
“There’s one more thing. The wanted notice at the city gate is not a joke, it’s real.”
“Whoever captures Luo Xue, a disciple of Falling Flower Peak of the Peerless Summit Sect, and brings her to the Temple of the Nether Spirit will receive the reward listed on the wanted notice.”
As Elder Sha Hao’s voice fell, the silencing restriction was lifted.
Instantly, the entire city erupted.
“What! It’s real? You can get so many good things just by catching a little Innate Realm brat?”
“Damn, I’m about to be rich! No one fight me for her!”
“Heh… the most important thing is to find this disciple first. This old man is skilled in divination and tracking. The reward is mine!”
“…”
Everyone’s eyes were filled with fervor and madness, as if they would capture the wanted person in the next moment, claim the generous reward, and reach the peak of their lives.
The changes in Ghost Demon Pass might be gossip, but it didn’t really matter to rogue cultivators.
But if this strange wanted notice was real… it was a big deal!
An Innate Realm disciple, even a prodigy of the Peerless Summit Sect, couldn’t defeat a Spirit Condensation cultivator.
As long as they found her, it was equivalent to obtaining this huge bounty.
Everyone present was excited, and several cultivators skilled in divination sat down and started casting spells.
If they knew that the target of the bounty was actually among them…
Luo Xue shivered instantly.
“This is outrageous! I just beat up a few of your Innate Realm disciples, how can you be so petty…”
Luo Xue tugged at her clothes and shrank back.
Nangong Mengxiang’s expression turned serious. She wrapped her arm around Luo Xue’s waist and quickly left the crowd.
The cultivators who were about to leave Ghost Demon Pass were all caught up in the frenzy of the huge bounty. Many, like Nangong Mengxiang, rushed into the Demon Abyss, so no one noticed them.
“Hey, Nangong, what are you doing…”
Luo Xue was stunned. Seeing Nangong Mengxiang’s serious expression, she suddenly felt a little uneasy.
Could it be that Nangong Mengxiang, seeing the astonishing amount of the bounty, wanted to turn her in for the money?
No, that shouldn’t be it…
“Little Martial Aunt, it’s very dangerous for you to stay in the Demon Abyss now.” Nangong Mengxiang said in a low voice. “You should find a chance to return to the Immortal Domain.”
“…”
Luo Xue was silent for a moment, then chuckled self-deprecatingly.
Such unfounded suspicion, how could Nangong Mengxiang be that kind of person…
“It’s fine, Nangong.” Luo Xue said. “I have the Thousand Faces Cultivation Art. I won’t be in any danger for a while.”
“Besides, I still have to figure out what’s going on…”
Although she said that, Luo Xue didn’t believe that the Temple of the Nether Spirit issued such a bizarre and high bounty just because of what happened at the competition.
If that were the case, the Temple’s money would be too easy to earn.
“But…”
Nangong Mengxiang still frowned.
“Don’t worry, not many people can recognize me,” Luo Xue shook her head and said, “Master Wumu is a reincarnated expert, and Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan only recognized me as a Peerless Summit Sect disciple because of the sword intent I deliberately revealed.”
“As for trying to find me through divination… it’s not that simple.”
The most skilled in divination in the Immortal Domain wasn’t the Silent Temple, and the most talented prodigy in divination wasn’t Master Wumu, but the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, one of the Nine Great Sects, and their prodigy, Tianjizi.
…The same prodigy who had been beaten up by the Holy Maiden of the Temple before the Peerless Summit Sect.
Tianjizi’s direct combat ability wasn’t very strong. The Four Calculations Heavenly Scripture was better suited for planning and scheming, a more behind-the-scenes type of technique.
But even Tianjizi couldn’t easily divine the specific information of a person he hadn’t met. At most, he could only get a vague, mysterious, almost like a charlatan’s, prediction.
Therefore, Luo Xue wasn’t worried about this at all.
“Little Martial Aunt, if you insist on staying, then I’ll stay with you!” Nangong Mengxiang patted her chest and said proudly. “I’ll protect you. I’m not afraid of anyone below Core Formation!”
“What about the Holy Maiden of the Temple?”
Luo Xue suddenly asked.
This mysterious Holy Maiden was known for being undefeated against all Foundation Establishment prodigies, although she mostly fought disciples within two jiazi of age.
As for Nangong Mengxiang, who was several hundred years old…
She hadn’t heard of any battles between them.
“It should be fine.” Nangong Mengxiang thought for a moment and replied. “Master’s technique is similar to the Temple of the Nether Spirit’s. I’ve dealt with them before.”
Both were techniques that utilized Yin Breath Poison, just in different ways.
One used Yin Breath Poison for combat, while the other transformed it into power.
“By the way, Little Martial Aunt, what did you do to offend the Temple of the Nether Spirit, for them to target you like this?” Nangong Mengxiang asked curiously. “Don’t tell me you robbed their Holy Master?”
“…If I could rob someone like that, do you think I would be worried about being wanted?”
Nangong Mengxiang thought carefully and nodded.
“Oh right, that makes sense.”
Luo Xue facepalmed. Nangong Mengxiang’s brain often short-circuited.
No, she was literally missing a soul and three spirits. The fact that she was still alive and kicking was already a miracle.
“I don’t know the specifics either. I left in a hurry and didn’t read the wanted notice carefully…” Luo Xue pondered for a moment. “However, the Sha sisters should be able to help investigate and see what’s going on.”
“Those two little innkeepers?” Nangong Mengxiang frowned. “By the way, they’ve also seen your true appearance. Wouldn’t they sell you out?”
“I don’t know,” Luo Xue wasn’t too worried. “It doesn’t hurt to ask.”
Luo Xue activated the communication stone, ready to destroy it at any moment.
If the Sha sisters showed any signs of betrayal, or deliberately asked about their whereabouts, Luo Xue would immediately destroy the communication stone and go back to kill them.
Trust was a precious thing, but there weren’t many people Luo Xue could completely trust now.
After the communication stone connected, Sha Yiyi’s slightly nervous voice came through.
“My lady, are… are you alright?”
The person on the other end seemed anxious.
“I’m fine.”
Luo Xue said calmly.
“Phew… that scared me. I thought you were in trouble…”
“…Do you even hear yourself?”
“Ah! I’m sorry, my lady, it’s just that some news spread, it seems there’s a wanted notice for you outside, and the reward is quite substantial…”
Sha Yiyi said timidly, then quickly added, “Of course, we sisters would never betray you! We’re trustworthy people!”
“Besides, we can’t even take that much money…”
Sha Keke added weakly.
“Shut up!” Sha Yiyi immediately snapped. “You idiot, it’s because we’re absolutely loyal to our lady!”
“We’re just doing our job, it’s not ‘absolute loyalty’.” Hearing the sisters’ usual banter, Luo Xue felt relieved. “As long as we continue to cooperate, there will naturally be more rewards.”
Luo Xue’s words had a hidden meaning, and Sha Yiyi understood.
“My lady… what do you need us to investigate?”
Sha Yiyi’s voice turned serious.
“I want to know everything about the wanted notice,” Luo Xue said in a deep voice, “Who issued it, why, the scope of the bounty… everything.”
“As you wish, my lady.”
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