Haizhou, Great Shang.
The Demon Subduing Hall.
After crossing the Sea of Chaos, Yaoguang did not immediately return to the Jiuxiao Sect. Instead, he headed straight for the Demon Subduing Hall, an establishment dedicated to posting bounties and repelling enemies.
Not only had he changed into the robes of a Heavenly Dao Sect inner disciple, but he also openly displayed the cultivation of an Incandescent White Golden Core.
Such strength placed him among the most powerful echelons within the provincial capital.
Aside from the provincial garrison commander, a handful of Void Piercing Battle Immortals, and Azure Blue Golden Cores, he was practically the strongest existence around.
Consequently, the moment he stepped into the Demon Subduing Hall, a cultivator promptly stepped forward to attend to him. Upon learning his purpose, the cultivator immediately notified the hall master.
***
Haizhou's Demon Subduing Hall had long been controlled by the Xi family.
This was an elite, prominent clan whose Void Piercing ancestor served as a high-ranking official of the second rank in the imperial capital.
Besides that Void Piercing ancestor, they possessed five Void Piercing Battle Immortals as well as a cohort of genius disciples at the Azure Blue, Incandescent White, and Radiant Sun Golden Core stages.
Even in the Heavenly Dao Sect, their strength was on par with the Chi family.
A portion of these individuals accompanied the ancestor in the imperial capital to consolidate their family's authority, while the rest remained in the provincial capital of Haizhou.
The one currently presiding over the Demon Subduing Hall was the ninth uncle of the Xi family head, a man named Xi Hai, who had attained the Azure Blue Golden Core realm.
When a cultivator at the Incandescent White Golden Core stage attempted to break through to the Void Piercing Realm, the success rate was less than ten percent. If quantified, it would be roughly five percent upon initial breakthrough, gradually climbing to eight percent. Depending on one's innate talent, cultivation method, and foundation, that eight percent might stretch to nine or ten percent.
However, once a Golden Core completed its transformation in "quantity," transforming into the Azure Blue supergiant form, the success rate jumped to around twenty percent.
With each subsequent transformation—the mid, late, and peak stages of the Azure Blue Golden Core—one's foundation and talent could boost the success rate by another four to five percent.
Thirty-five percent was essentially the upper limit a cultivator could achieve toward advancing to the Void Piercing Realm through personal cultivation alone as an Azure Blue Golden Core.
Beyond that, having a top-tier powerhouse watch over the process could add another three to ten percent, depending on whether the guardian was at the Void Refining or Void Shattering realm.
Alternatively, one blessed by great fortune might acquire heavenly treasures that defied natural destiny, increasing the chance anywhere from one percent to a guaranteed success.
Of course, an even more effective method was to have a Dao Lord serve as one's protector. Not only did this substantially enhance the success rate, but even if the breakthrough failed, a Dao Lord had the power to stabilize the cultivator's destabilized Golden Core and revert it safely, allowing them to recuperate and try again.
They could continue trying until they succeeded.
However, the Xi family's foundation...
Forget having a Dao Lord protect them; they could hardly even gather decent heavenly treasures.
They would be hard-pressed to spend the exorbitant sum required even to hire a Void Refining powerhouse as a protector.
In any faction, the topmost powerhouses monopolized more than ninety percent of the resources.
Rather than squandering resources on an Azure Blue Golden Core junior, it was far better to fund their ancestor in hopes of helping him reach the Void Refining realm sooner.
Under such circumstances, an Azure Blue Golden Core within the clan who wished to improve their odds had no choice but to rely on their own cultivation.
They had to push themselves to the peak Azure Blue Golden Core realm first, raising the success rate from twenty percent to thirty or even thirty-five percent.
These were tangible, reliable improvements.
Cultivation, naturally, demanded resources.
Advancing from the initial Azure Blue Golden Core to its peak required an investment of tens of millions of Pure Yang Great Pills.
To that end, Xi Hai had spent years trying every possible means to scrape up resources. Whether large or small, as long as the gains fell within an acceptable margin of risk, he was unwilling to let a single opportunity slip by.
Thus, when his capable subordinate and disciple, Fang Lang, reported that someone had arrived to claim the bounty on the Black Dragon Pirates, the hall master's eyes immediately lit up.
"The Black Dragon Pirates? Tong Yan?!"
Xi Hai quickly asked, "If I remember correctly, the bounty on his head is a full three hundred thousand Pure Yang Great Pills?!"
"It isn't three hundred thousand, Master. It's four hundred thousand. Not long ago, the Yellow Springs Sect raised their bounty on him by another hundred thousand."
Fang Lang swiftly added, "Moreover, in addition to Tong Yan, this claimant intends to collect the bounties on the other chieftains of the Black Dragon Pirates as well. Added together, their bounties come to sixty-four thousand one hundred Pure Yang Great Pills."
"Four hundred and sixty thousand Pure Yang Great Pills!"
Xi Hai took a deep breath.
This...
This was enough to cultivate three to five Radiant Sun Golden Cores.
Even for him, sitting in the position of hall master of the Demon Subduing Hall, it was equivalent to more than a decade of income.
"What is the background of this claimant?" Xi Hai asked briskly.
"An inner disciple of the Heavenly Dao Sect."
"An inner disciple?"
Xi Hai was slightly taken aback, his voice rising an octave. "Just an inner disciple?!"
"Yes, merely an inner disciple," Fang Lang replied with a hint of excitement, nodding.
"An inner disciple actually dares to come and collect the bounty on the Black Dragon Pirates?!"
Disbelief was written all over Xi Hai's face.
"Yes, and he came alone," Fang Lang said emphatically.
"Alone..."
Why had the bounties posted by Great Shang and various major sects remained unclaimed for so long?
The targets being cunning and formidable was one reason, and the fact that top powerhouses looked down on such meager sums was another.
Yet there was also a tacit, underlying reason: the issue of actually cashing in the bounty.
Although mishaps did not happen every time...
They occurred often enough.
Consequently, anyone who truly completed a bounty mission would present a formidable identity to ensure their payout went smoothly. Even those without a grand background would enlist a notable figure they had connections with to collect the reward on their behalf, splitting the proceeds afterward.
This was practically an unspoken rule in the bounty trade.
Under such circumstances, an ordinary inner disciple of the Heavenly Dao Sect dared to come claim a bounty—and four hundred and sixty thousand pills from the Black Dragon Pirates, no less...
*Does he have absolute confidence in his own strength?! No! If he had that kind of confidence, he would have become a true disciple of the Heavenly Dao Sect long ago, so why would he still be an inner disciple? A trap? No, that makes no sense either! Everyone knows the Xi family backs the Demon Subduing Hall; why make an enemy of our clan for no reason? To do that, one would have to be at least a Void Piercing cultivator, and someone at that level would never resort to such petty tricks! Does he have a backer? If he did, they would have sent word to our Xi family beforehand...*
Thoughts raced through Xi Hai's mind at lightning speed.
Ultimately, he arrived at a conclusion that, while difficult to believe, seemed the only possibility left.
"He has neither great strength nor backing, but desperately needs this bounty, so he's taking a gamble... No, he must possess some measure of ability; otherwise, how could the Black Dragon Pirates have fallen into his hands? Even if he relied on infiltration or assassination, his strength is likely top-tier among Incandescent White Golden Cores. Still, that level of strength wouldn't rival a true disciple of a major sect—meaning his combat prowess is around five hundred thousand."
"Desperately needs this bounty..."
Fang Lang pondered for a moment and quickly guessed the rest. "His cultivation has likely reached the peak of the Incandescent White Golden Core. He only needs the bounty of four hundred and sixty thousand Pure Yang Great Pills to break past the qualitative threshold in one go, advance to the Azure Blue Golden Core realm, and soar to the rank of Heavenly Dao Sect true disciple..."
Xi Hai nodded. "In the past, these bounties were sometimes embezzled outright. Other times, the reward was paid out first, but tampered with so the claimant could be killed and robbed once they left the provincial capital's borders. He's gambling on the second possibility right now. I'd wager that if we hand over these four hundred and sixty thousand Pure Yang Great Pills, he'll consume them immediately and attempt to break through to the Azure Blue Golden Core realm as swiftly as possible..."
At this point, a faint smile curled at the corners of his lips. "However, I don't intend to give him that opportunity."
He rose directly to his feet. "Come. I will see this Golden Core with my own eyes. If it is indeed as we suspect... I want those four hundred and sixty thousand Pure Yang Great Pills, and I am also very interested in how he managed to kill the Black Dragon Pirates."
"Understood," Fang Lang answered.
"By the way, just to be safe, where is the Heavenly Dao Sect's latest roster of disciples? Let me see if he's anyone of note," Xi Hai said.
"I already prepared it for you, Master." Fang Lang astutely handed over a jade talisman.
Xi Hai reviewed it as he walked toward the VIP lounge.
Upon entering, he saw the Heavenly Dao Sect disciple being attended to by maidservants. Matching the young man's appearance against the roster he had just skimmed...
He was nobody prominent.
Likely just one of those cultivators who trained in obscurity, hoping to shock the world in a single stroke.
Everything was set.
***
Inside the VIP lounge, Yaoguang waited calmly.
*An inner disciple...*
*I wonder if that title carries enough weight to hold sway over Haizhou's Demon Subduing Hall.*
As he pondered, a man carrying the aura of five to six centuries of cultivation entered, accompanied by a younger man.
According to his preliminary understanding, this was Hall Master Xi Hai.
"I understand Your Excellency wishes to collect the bounty on the Black Dragon Pirates? Do you possess proof?"
The hall master wore an upright, incorruptible expression, speaking directly and acting with swift efficiency.
"Naturally." Yaoguang produced a shadow-recording stone. "This contains the imagery of my eradication of the Black Dragon Pirates."
Xi Hai accepted the shadow-recording stone and swept his divine mind through it, a flicker of surprise crossing his brow.
*Crimson Refined Divine Fire Thunder?!*
Such a lethal weapon was exorbitantly expensive.
If sold, it could easily fetch three to four hundred thousand Pure Yang Great Pills.
Looking through the images, however, he finally understood how Yaoguang had managed to kill the Black Dragon Pirates.
The Crimson Refined Divine Fire Thunder detonated with extreme speed. Once it struck, obliterating an ordinary Azure Blue Golden Core was indeed no difficult task.
Of course, had an Azure Blue Golden Core been on guard, they would have been able to evade it.
The recorded footage inside the stone was limited, leaving him somewhat unsure whether Yaoguang's technique in employing the thunder had been so exquisite that Tong Yan of the Black Dragon Pirates had no time to react, or...
Whether Yaoguang had unleashed it for a fatal strike while Tong Yan and his crew were distracted by someone else.
Regardless, that was beside the point...
"Is this all you have? Where is Tong Yan's severed head? Or his lifebound spirit treasure?" Xi Hai inquired with an air of official diligence.
Hearing this, Yaoguang frowned slightly, yet still answered patiently, "Hall Master, you saw the shadow-recording stone. Under the blast of the Crimson Refined Divine Fire Thunder, none of the Black Dragon Pirates' leadership survived."
"You have neither?"
Feigning a momentary hesitation, Xi Hai pressed on, "How should I address Your Excellency? Where do you hail from, and what is your cultivation level?"
He quickly added, "After all, you only have a single shadow-recording stone here, and Tong Yan carries a massive bounty of hundreds of thousands of Pure Yang Great Pills. For high-grade bounties of this magnitude, we must verify everything rigorously to prevent false claims. Please forgive any offense."
Yet after hearing his words, Yaoguang's mood sank.
After a long pause, he said, "I have heard of the unspoken rules of the Demon Subduing Hall. However, dealing with the Black Dragon Pirates was well within my abilities. My background is irrelevant. Three years from now, I will undoubtedly advance to become a true disciple of the Heavenly Dao Sect. Therefore, I ask Hall Master Xi Hai to disburse this bounty to me. When my True Disciple Banquet is held, I will be sure to invite you and offer a toast in gratitude."
*Three years from now?*
*A True Disciple Banquet?*
Xi Hai chuckled inwardly, feeling even more relaxed.
Just as expected.
On the surface, however, he maintained a solemn, upright posture as he handed over a jade talisman. "I have no idea what you are implying. Please register your particulars, sir. This matter involves hundreds of thousands of Pure Yang Great Pills, which are assets belonging to our Great Shang Dynasty. If your documentation is incomplete, we cannot grant you the bounty."
Chapter 296