White City, inside a secret chamber within the City Lord’s Manor.

Shen Li reclined lazily on a chair carved from profound jade, his fingertips tapping lightly against the armrest. In the flickering candlelight, his dark green pupils danced in and out of the shadows, resembling a venomous snake lying in wait.

“Master, the Third Young Master has set off,” reported a figure shrouded entirely in black robes. Kneeling on one knee, his voice was hoarse and low.

Shen Li did not respond immediately. Instead, he leisurely retrieved a blood-red jade slip from his sleeve. The slip was carved with intricate runes that glowed with an eerie light under the candle’s flame.

“Is everything arranged with Shadow Tower?” he asked softly.

The previous attack on the Ye Family had indeed been his doing. This time, however, he was even more confident. Within the Cave Heaven, he wouldn’t face the same limitations he had at the Ye Family estate. He could act without restraint. When that piece of trash died inside, no one would know it was his handiwork.

“Reporting to Master, the order has been passed through four intermediaries. The final contractors are two rogue cultivators at the Perfection of Foundation Establishment stage and three assassins at the late Foundation Establishment stage. They do not know each other…”

“Not enough,” Shen Li suddenly interrupted. With a flick of his finger, a wisp of ink-green poisonous mist drifted into the air. “Add three more layers of intermediaries. Finally… use our sleeper agent within the White City branch of the Blood Fiend Sect!”

The Blood Fiend Sect was one of the more notorious organizations among the rogue cultivators who had flocked to Azure Province. Their overall strength ranked within the top three, and their sect leader was a Nascent Soul True Lord—an elusive figure, like a dragon seen only in glimpses.

However… long ago, Shen Li had already planted his trusted subordinates within their ranks.

Only his eldest brother, Shen Xing, knew of this matter. It was also why Shen Xing had previously remarked that he didn’t need to go to such lengths.

The black-robed man trembled and hurriedly replied, “Yes! This subordinate will see it done immediately.”

“Remember,” Shen Li’s voice suddenly turned cold. “Use contact method number three. If there is any mistake…”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but cold sweat already drenched the black-robed man’s back.

After the black-robed man withdrew, Shen Li’s fingertips suddenly exerted force. The blood-red jade slip in his hand shattered with a crisp sound.

At that same moment, in an inn over a hundred miles away, a cultivator drinking wine suddenly bled from all seven orifices and collapsed, dead on the spot. This person was the crucial link to Shadow Tower. Without eliminating him, there would inevitably be future complications.

The vast secret chamber was left with only Shen Li.

He took out a pitch-black communication talisman, the paper inscribed with strange patterns drawn in dark red cinnabar. A faint smirk touched Shen Li’s sinister lips as ink-green flames suddenly ignited at his fingertips.

As the communication talisman turned to ash, ripples appeared on the Water Moon Mirror embedded in the chamber wall, revealing a real-time scene from outside the Cave Heaven…

Three squads of Blood Fiend Sect cultivators were using the morning mist as cover, sneaking towards the Cave Heaven through blind spots in the Shen Family patrol routes. The elder leading them held the very restriction-breaking diagram that Shen Li had arranged to be “lost” days prior. They were muttering about finding a cultivation furnace for their sect leader and were dead set on capturing that direct-line daughter of the Ye Family…

The bronze mirror suddenly darkened as Shen Li severed the connection.

“Fools,” he scoffed lightly, retrieving three soul lamps from a hidden compartment.

The first lamp’s wick controlled the informant who had leaked Shen Xian’s whereabouts to the Blood Fiend Sect.

The second lamp was linked to the “accidental” discoverer of the restriction diagram—the defecting formation master.

The third lamp controlled a squad leader responsible for guarding the perimeter of the Cave Heaven.

His fingertips lightly brushed over the lamps. The three clusters of flames simultaneously twisted into shapes resembling agonized human faces.

“Time to close the net…”

With an expressionless face, Shen Li crushed all three soul lamps.

Simultaneously, over a hundred miles away, three corpses instantly dissolved into pools of pus and blood, their secrets vanishing forever along with them.

Above the clouds, Shen Xian stood with his hands clasped behind his back on the deck of a flying vessel, his robes flapping loudly in the fierce astral winds.

Beside him stood Ye Qingxian in a plain white dress, her aura completely withdrawn, making her appear like an ordinary mortal.

Behind them stood twelve Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators clad in dark combat attire, their postures solemn and respectful. At their head was Shen Tianhao, from whose waist hung a cyan jade token—the symbol of authority personally bestowed by Nangong Wan for his role as guard captain.

“Ahead lies Purple Sun Cave Heaven,” announced the Nascent Soul True Lord piloting the vessel, his voice ringing like clashing metal.

Shen Xian followed his gaze. Below the sea of clouds lay an imposing complex of ancient structures nestled deep within the belly of the mountain range. Surrounding it were seventy-two dark-colored formation flags suspended in mid-air. Golden light flowed between them, weaving together into a dazzling spectacle.

The entire Cave Heaven was built against the mountain itself, constructed entirely from bluish-grey Profound Nether Stone. This ancient material shimmered with a metallic cold light under the sun, its surface covered in web-like patterns of dark gold veins.

As their vessel slowly descended, the full scope of the Cave Heaven gradually came into clear view.

Two coiling dragon stone pillars soared into the clouds at the main entrance. The dragon scale patterns winding around their surfaces had weathered until they were indistinct, but two fiery red gemstones embedded as dragon eyes still shone brilliantly.

“Land,” commanded the Nascent Soul True Lord with a hand seal and a soft shout. The flying vessel settled steadily onto a platform paved with cyan jade bricks.

Surprisingly few guards were stationed at what should have been a heavily fortified entrance—only a sparse handful stood watch.

So few guards? Shen Xian wondered skeptically, though outwardly he remained calm. This place must be coveted by many; shouldn’t it be heavily defended by forces from within or without?

At that moment, the accompanying Nascent Soul True Lord offered an explanation. “This Cave Heaven has more than one entrance point. Moreover, the Elder Brother has already broken through the outer perimeter restrictions surrounding the entire site, making the interior far less dangerous than when it was first discovered… plus… well, frankly speaking, nobody dares cause trouble on Shen Family territory anyway.”

Hearing this, a clear understanding dawned upon Shen Xian. Of course! There must also be hidden Nascent Soul experts lurking nearby to intervene if needed.

Yet… he couldn’t help but think of his Second Brother. This location isn’t far from White City where Shen Li resides. Is it possible he might continue targeting us even now? Doubt lingered in his heart, prompting a decision to exercise greater caution.

Upon reaching the entrance proper, the guards recognized him immediately as a direct-line son and quickly stepped aside, clearing a path without hesitation.

“Third Young Master, I shall take my leave here,” said the Nascent Soul True Lord. He had other matters to attend to in White City that prevented a longer stay.

“My thanks for your trouble,” Shen Xian nodded politely, acknowledging the assistance rendered during the journey.

Under the leadership of Guard Captain Shen Tianhao, everyone proceeded into the depths beyond the threshold.

Luminous moss glowing with a faint blue hue spread across the stone walls, illuminating the passageway like an inverted starry sky. It was an eerily beautiful sight.

No sooner had their boots touched the ground than the entire corridor suddenly lit up. Intricate golden patterns, resembling awakened veins, pulsed with visible energy throughout the length and breadth of the space.

“It’s a sensing array,” stated Shen Tianhao quietly yet firmly.

He condensed a wisp of icy mist at his fingertip. Upon contacting the golden patterns, it emitted a humming sound akin to a plucked string instrument—strange and unsettling.

Seeing this, Shen Tianhao frowned immediately, releasing his Foundation Establishment spiritual sense to envelop the area. He warned in a low voice, “Third Young Master, be careful. This array can affect the mind…”

According to clan records, this place shouldn’t have had such things present originally. Perhaps they had appeared later?

While speaking, he couldn’t help glancing towards Ye Qingxian with concern. She was currently indistinguishable from an ordinary person; if she were affected by the array, the consequences would be severe.

Fortunately, she seemed unaffected thus far. Shen Tianhao breathed a sigh of relief before turning his attention back to the matter at hand.

Meanwhile, Shen Xian acted outwardly oblivious, while inwardly calculating whether this could be the handiwork of his Second Brother.

If so…

His gaze gradually turned cold. So, he still hasn’t given up!