Eastern Divine Continent, in Li Family Village a hundred miles from the Silent Bone Forest.
The woman called Donggua looked down with frost in her eyes at the people kneeling before her in rows.
"This person is no ordinary demonic cultivator."
Donggua's voice was cold yet steady.
"He saw through the pawn we prepared for him in just two sentences. In less than a quarter hour, he lost interest after only a few questions and killed her outright."
"His mind is composed—at the very least, we know he isn't swayed by feminine wiles. He's no hot-blooded brute."
"And he strikes decisively. He truly lives up to being a Blood Qi demonic cultivator who can leave behind a legacy."
"His cunning rivals that of great sect cultivators, yet he's far more ruthless than any of them."
"He's a rare and deadly demonic cultivator."
The girl Donggua had arranged had a communication magic crystal embedded in her arm, allowing Donggua to hear the conversation within a certain range.
Though the distance couldn't be too great, it was enough for Donggua to know everything that had been said and how events had unfolded—in less than a quarter hour.
"Should we kill him, then, so he doesn't interfere with our superiors' plans?" someone below asked.
Donggua thought for a moment, then slowly shook her head. "Such decisive killing methods—though his identity remains unclear, the probability that he's a true demonic cultivator has risen considerably."
She understood, deep down, that Xigua was not a radical person by nature. He merely looked young. In truth, he was still an old man at heart, merely being pushed forward by circumstances.
Whether it was Xuanqing Heavenly Sect suddenly finding real leads and pursuing them relentlessly, or this operation being accidentally exposed to the Heavenly Derivation Sect.
Every important mission had been tracked down and ruthlessly exterminated by various factions.
The higher-ups had always held a pessimistic view of how things were going. They felt time was running out, believing that hiding and operating beneath the Eighteen Immortal Sects of Central Province was no easy feat.
Once someone caught their trail, being captured was only a matter of time.
That was also why they rarely sent their own people to carry out plans, choosing instead to manipulate completely unrelated demonic cultivators.
No matter how careful their own people were, they would always leave traces and clues when making contact with others.
Only completely unrelated pawns could extend the time before they were discovered.
If this operation was delayed again because of a suspected honeypot demonic cultivator...
The more bad news they faced, the more likely the higher-ups would choose to burn their boats and go all out, rather than devise any more meticulous plans.
After all, they had been scheming for who knows how many years, and had paid who knows how great a price for it.
With a dead end ahead and only death awaiting discovery, throwing everything into gaining the first-strike advantage was the only correct answer.
But burning one's boats also meant that the chances of victory were slim.
Like rats crossing the street, enduring humiliation for years, only to still end up with a dead end—no one could accept that.
Xigua couldn't, and neither could Donggua.
Perhaps... she should give the higher-ups some good news, make them feel there was still a chance of victory ahead.
Donggua rose to her feet.
"Talent like this, if brought under our command, would naturally be beneficial. His conduct speaks for itself—since he's a cultivator drawn to the demonic path, it's normal that he doesn't care for women."
"Power should be what he craves."
"This time, I'll go negotiate in person."
As Donggua's words fell, the kneeling crowd below couldn't help but lift their heads.
One of them couldn't resist asking, "Exalted One, wouldn't going in person be too risky? You're the one in charge of everything here."
Donggua shook her head slightly and rose to her feet.
"The reinforcements Xigua sent have already arrived in one batch, enough to ease our current manpower shortage and prevent any further losses."
"We'll make two preparations. I'll go negotiate in person, and you'll rally everyone you can spare to come with me."
"If negotiations fail, I'll execute that demonic cultivator on the spot. You'll be on the perimeter, responsible for killing any cultivators who try to flee."
"Not a single survivor."
The people below exchanged glances, and after only a moment, replied in unison.
"As you command!"
Silent Bone Forest.
The once somewhat spacious demonic cultivator hideout now felt rather crowded.
Because a certain demonic cultivator cult master only recruited people without handling any of the follow-up preparations, the demonic cultivators under his command were now practically sleeping cheek to cheek.
Fortunately, morale was at an all-time high.
For no other reason than the fact that the Cult Master could really, truly fight.
A Nascent Soul realm Blood Qi demonic cultivator who beat down every other demonic cultivator until they didn't dare even poke their heads out.
Bullying mortals was satisfying enough, but beating other demonic cultivators was even more satisfying.
Mortals were only worth their blood qi and flesh—how could that compare to the accumulated treasures of other demonic cultivators?
The Cult Master was also generous by nature. Apart from spirit stones and weapons, he distributed most of the seized loot without holding anything back.
Compared to the former leaders who only exploited and never fed their followers, this demonic cultivator organization was practically too conscientious.
In the council hall.
Wen Zuo and Yu Jing both sat in chairs, their expressions serious as they stared at the map before them.
"Have the scouts we sent out found no intelligence at all?" Li Xingtian frowned as he asked.
"It's been days since our last catch. What if this delays Master's plans?"
Wen Zuo pondered for a moment before speaking.
"The Cult Master's might has already spread across the surrounding area. Those demonic cultivators' hiding skills were always top-notch."
"Finding them now will naturally take more time."
"You don't need to make flattery a verbal tic." Li Xingtian tapped the table lightly, proposing his own idea.
"We have so many demonic cultivators under our command now. Send out everyone we can."
"Severely punish those who find nothing, and hunt down any who flee. If we can't do it ourselves, make them find a way no matter what!"
"Yes..." Wen Zuo hastily agreed.
This Cult Master's conduct could only be described as righteous to the extreme.
He always did his best to rescue innocent mortals, but when it came to dealing with demonic cultivators, his hand was heavy—whether they were his own subordinates or enemies.
Li Xingtian, seeing no further topics for this meeting, was about to rise and leave when a faint tremor suddenly came from the ground, accompanied by the faint presence of demonic cultivator qi.
His eyes narrowed in an instant. "Is someone attacking us?"
Yu Jing quickly stood up.
"No, today our followers reported that the sect's cave dwellings can no longer accommodate all our subordinates. They proposed to me whether they could build a simple cave dwelling on another peak, to house the new members."
"I figured this wasn't a major matter, so I let them handle it. That noise must be from the construction of the new cave dwelling."
Li Xingtian chuckled lightly. "They're certainly planning for the future."
Yu Jing didn't respond to that, because he couldn't quite tell whether Li Xingtian's words were mocking those demonic cultivators or not.
After all, given the Cult Master's current conduct, the demonic cultivators under his command might not have a good ending.
The best outcome was probably being wiped out entirely by the Great Dao Sect.
Li Xingtian, having learned the reason, didn't pay it any more mind. He couldn't be bothered with this for now and was about to leave directly.
But just as his foot reached the tightly closed door, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Spiritual energy instantly coiled around his body, and his Spirit Treasure materialized in his hand.
Yu Jing and Wen Zuo looked on with a mixture of shock and confusion.
"Cult Master, so eager to strike—won't you even ask about my intentions?"
From outside the door came a calm, gentle female voice.
Li Xingtian's response was equally decisive. He raised his long blade and struck, shattering the stone door and slashing toward Donggua, who stood before him.
Donggua narrowed her eyes slightly as the flexible bone sword at her waist coiled around Li Xingtian's descending blade. He hadn't struck with lethal force—there was still room to talk.
Li Xingtian's eyes were crimson, his voice icy as he delivered his ultimatum.
"Those who come uninvited can only be enemies."
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