Within Qingxu Temple, all was peaceful and harmonious. The afterglow of the Crimson Flame Valley conflict's victory had not yet faded. Disciples cultivated, carried out missions, and exchanged insights in an orderly fashion, as if everything had returned to its proper track. Tang Xiaoqi sat cross-legged in the quiet chamber of his cave dwelling, spiritual power circulating through his body.
Hazy purification light and phantom images of the Four Symbols flickered in and out of existence as he consolidated his cultivation. However, just as his mind sank deep into cultivation, an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible sense of anomaly, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, rippled through his spirit platform. It was a feeling... of being watched. Not an overt spiritual sense scan, nor a malicious hostile lock, but more like a cold, emotionless gaze briefly sweeping across his location from some extremely concealed angle, passing in a flash.
Tang Xiaoqi suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of sharp light passing through them. His vast spiritual sense, like an invisible tide, instantly surged outward from himself in all directions, meticulously scanning every inch of land, every wisp of spiritual energy fluctuation, even every rustling leaf within a radius of dozens of li. His spiritual sense was incredibly powerful and keen, capable of covering an area of dozens of li in every detail. Yet, he found nothing.
Outside his cave dwelling, the sun shone brightly, spiritual plants swayed gently, and occasionally disciples flew past on their artifacts with peaceful auras. In the mountain forests, birds sang and beasts roamed, full of vitality. Everything appeared perfectly normal, as if that slight sense of anomaly had merely been an illusion born of excessive cultivation. But Tang Xiaoqi's brows slightly furrowed.
At his level of cultivation, his spiritual perception far exceeded that of ordinary people, and it was nearly impossible for him to experience groundless illusions. That sensation, though brief and hidden, had been unmistakably real. He pondered for a moment without making any announcement, simply burying this wariness deep in his heart. During his cultivation, he became even more cautious, keeping his spiritual sense in a state that appeared relaxed but was actually tense, remaining alert to any movement in his surroundings.
At the same time, within the Enforcement Hall. Liu Yun had just finished handling a batch of daily affairs and was about to head to the martial arts training ground to inspect the disciples' cultivation. She walked to the window and pushed it open, wanting to let the cool mountain breeze dispel some of her fatigue. Just as her gaze inadvertently swept across the distant rolling mountain ranges, her heart suddenly tightened without warning.
It felt as if, within those seemingly peaceful mountain shadows, something extremely dangerous was lurking, using cold eyes to watch the sect's core area from afar. Her eyes turned cold, and the powerful spiritual sense of a Golden Core cultivator shot out like a drawn sword, precisely piercing toward the area where she had sensed the anomaly. Where her spiritual sense passed, mountain rocks, grass and trees, flying birds and running beasts—all were within her perception, crystal clear. Again, she found nothing.
That mountain range was silent, without even the aura of a slightly powerful demonic beast. Liu Yun stood before the window, her brows tightly locked. She trusted her intuition equally, especially after experiencing countless life-and-death battles—her premonition of danger was particularly keen. That momentary heart palpitation earlier was definitely not without cause.
"Someone come," she called coldly. An enforcement disciple immediately entered. "Pass down the order: in the near future, increase the density of hidden sentries and patrols within the sect, especially in the core area. Watch for any suspicious signs, no matter how minute, and report immediately," Liu Yun ordered, her tone brooking no argument.
"Yes!" The disciple accepted the order and departed. Liu Yun again gazed at those distant mountains, her eyes cold. Though she couldn't find evidence, she was certain that something had quietly slipped inside. In the medicine garden outside Tang Xiaoqi's cave dwelling, the rabbit spirit was listlessly poking at several Rainbow Glow Grass plants.
Its "sparkly pouch" on its chest was slightly bulging, clearly having acquired new "treasures." However, those ruby-like eyes held less of their usual liveliness and contentment, instead showing a hint of barely perceptible anxiety. It frequently perked up its long ears, alertly turning them in different directions, while its nose also twitched gently in the air, as if catching some extremely faint yet instinctively unsettling scent. It no longer leisurely sunbathed and played with its collection as usual, but instead seemed somewhat restless, occasionally suddenly hopping up and darting to the corners of the medicine garden to carefully investigate, then disappointedly hopping back. When Tang Xiaoqi finished his cultivation and emerged from his cave dwelling, the rabbit spirit immediately scurried to his feet, rubbing its head against his trouser leg while making "squeak squeak" sounds with obvious warning urgency, its red eyes fixed on him while also warily glancing at the surroundings.
Tang Xiaoqi bent down, gently stroking the rabbit spirit's soft fur, feeling the unease it was conveying, and the doubt in his heart became even more confirmed. Even the keen-sensed rabbit spirit had detected the anomaly. He raised his head, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping across the surrounding scenery—rolling green hills, clouds drifting in the wind, everything as usual. But his eyes gradually grew deeper and sharper.
Beneath the calm daily life, dark currents were already stirring. That killing intent lurking in the shadows, though extremely well concealed, was not without traces. Whether it was his own transcendent spiritual perception, Liu Yun's battle-honed intuition, or the rabbit spirit's innate danger sense—all had vaguely caught that discordant rhythm. The storm is coming; the wind fills the building.
Tang Xiaoqi did not widely broadcast this suspicion to avoid causing unnecessary panic, but he and Liu Yun, along with a few core disciples, had all quietly raised their guard. The great ship of Qingxu Temple, on a seemingly calm course, had already begun carefully navigating around possible underwater reefs. The true threat might come faster, and be more deadly, than they had imagined.