As the last rays of the setting sun sank behind the western mountains, the clamor in the back hills of Qingxu Temple finally subsided completely. Within and around Cuwei Valley, corpses lay strewn everywhere—both the mangled remains of various demon beasts and the unfortunate fallen disciples of Qingxu Temple. Those disciples who survived, whether from the outer or inner sect, mostly bore injuries, their faces a mixture of exhaustion, sorrow, and the relief of having narrowly escaped death.
Deacons and elders directed the follow-up work: clearing the battlefield, collecting the remains of fallen comrades, processing valuable materials from the demon beast carcasses, and sending the wounded back to the temple in batches for treatment. The air was thick with an almost tangible scent of blood and a heavy, oppressive silence.
Xiao Qi leaned against a cold rock, his flat-bottomed pan casually placed at his feet, its bottom smeared with dried, blackened blood and mud. His gray disciple robe was torn in multiple places, revealing bruises of varying shades of blue and purple beneath, as well as several claw marks that had been roughly bandaged. The spiritual energy within him was nearly depleted, and mental fatigue washed over him in waves like an incoming tide. He watched silently as fellow disciples carried away one white-shrouded body after another, his heart filled with an indescribable ache. These were the same senior brothers and sisters who had cultivated and laughed together just yesterday—now forever separated by life and death.
"All disciples who participated in the defense, rest where you are. Return together shortly. Rewards in contribution points and matters concerning compensation will be announced later by the deacons of each hall." An elder's voice, carrying a barely noticeable hoarseness, resonated throughout the area via a sound transmission technique.
After roughly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, deacons began to approach, holding jade slips to verify the information of surviving disciples one by one and distribute temporary contribution point tokens.
When it was Xiao Qi's turn, the deacon looked at him, then glanced at the conspicuous flat-bottomed pan at his feet, a complex expression flashing in his eyes. "Tang Xiao Qi, Qi Refining Third Layer. Participated in the defense of Cuwei Valley, assisted in clearing out remaining demon beasts. Performance... acceptable. Reward: fifty contribution points." The deacon recorded on the jade slip, his tone flat.
Fifty contribution points—for an outer sect disciple, it wasn't much, but it wasn't negligible either. It was enough to exchange for several bottles of low-grade pills or some basic materials. Xiao Qi silently accepted the temporary wooden token engraved with the number, feeling little joy in his heart. These fifty contribution points were stained with the blood and weight of his comrades' lives.
Just as disciples were successively receiving their rewards and preparing to return, the figures of Temple Master Xuanxuan Zhenren and several core elders appeared in the sky above Cuwei Valley. They did not descend, merely hovering in mid-air, their gazes solemnly sweeping over the devastated battlefield below.
With a wave of his sleeve, Temple Master Xuanxuan sent an invisible force sweeping across the battlefield, as if carefully sensing something. Moments later, he exchanged a look with Discipline Elder Xuan Lin and Head of the Alchemy Hall Xuan Su Zhenren beside him. Unconsciously, their brows all furrowed slightly.
"Demon beast riots, while they occur occasionally, this scale and intensity—especially the abnormal behavior of those last few third-tier demon beasts—is anything but ordinary." Temple Master Xuanxuan's voice sounded directly in the ears of the elders, carrying a chill. "Especially the Thunderhorn Wolf and Flame Leopard. Their spiritual intelligence has already awakened, and they possess extremely strong territorial instincts. Without a special reason, they would never leave their nests simultaneously to participate in such a chaotic assault."
Elder Xuan Lin's gaze was sharp as an eagle's as he scanned the demon beast corpses, his voice low and deep. "I've examined several third-tier demon beast bodies. Their demonic energy circulation paths were disordered, and their consciousness seas bore signs of being forcibly impacted and obscured—as if they were under some kind of... bewitchment or manipulation."
Head of the Alchemy Hall Xuan Su Zhenren, a middle-aged Daoist nun with a gentle demeanor, now wore an equally grave expression. "I observed the low-tier demon beasts as well. They were similarly affected—their ferocity inexplicably amplified, their fear extinguished, like... a herd being driven."
The elders' private exchanges naturally went unheard by the disciples below. Yet all could sense the heavy aura emanating from the highest decision-makers of the sect above them. An invisible pressure descended once more, causing the slightly relaxed atmosphere to grow tense again.
Clearly, this demon beast riot was not a natural disaster, but rather **man-made! Some external force had secretly guided and manipulated it all! The target pointed directly at Qingxu Temple!**
This conclusion cast a shadow over the hearts of all elders privy to the truth. Who? Who possessed such means to influence the minds of back-hill demon beasts on such a scale? Was it demonic cultivators? Or some other hostile force? And what was their purpose? Merely to create chaos and deplete Qingxu Temple's strength? Or was there another scheme?
Temple Master Xuanxuan retracted his gaze, his calm voice spreading below. "All disciples, your bravery in protecting the mountain today is commendable. Return and rest well. The sect will administer rewards and punishments accordingly. The Discipline Hall and Patrol Department must strengthen their vigilance. The Alchemy Hall must spare no effort in treating the wounded. Other matters will be discussed later."
With the orders given, disciples began to withdraw in an organized manner under the deacons' direction. Xiao Qi followed within the ranks, glancing back at the valley that seemed washed in blood, and at those elders with profoundly deep auras hovering above.
Though he couldn't hear the elders' private conversation, that heavy atmosphere and the Temple Master's final words, "will be discussed later," keenly alerted him that this matter was far from simple.
A demon beast riot... guided by an external force... He couldn't help but think of his own secret, of that jade pendant that might invite disaster. Could this riot be... related to the Shadow Snake Pavilion? Related to the "Source of Purification" they sought?
This thought chilled him to the bone. If that were truly the case, did it mean that the Shadow Snake Pavilion's reach had already extended near Qingxu Temple? Or even that they already suspected his existence?
An intense sense of crisis seized him. He tightened his grip on the warm jade pendant within his robes, then hefted the weighty flat-bottomed pan on his back. The reward of fifty contribution points could not dispel the gloom in his heart. He knew that beneath this temporary calm likely lurked an even greater storm.
He had to improve his strength more swiftly—not only to handle sect missions and potential dangers but also to prepare for that crisis concerning his origins and vengeance, which might descend at any unknown time.
On the way back to the servant quarters, the moonlight was cold and clear. Xiao Qi looked at the wooden token representing fifty contribution points in his hand, his gaze exceptionally resolute. This was not merely a small reward but also a warning, a clarion call urging him to grow stronger continuously.
The road ahead was shrouded in thick mist, but he had no other choice. He could only tighten his grip on the "pan" and the "jade," and walk forward step by step.