The Bounty for the Goddess

"Surround them!"

"Nobody move!"

"Get the person in charge out here!"

"What are you doing?"

"My lords, what on earth has happened?"

In the desolate town outside the Blazing Fortress, a group of demon soldiers had suddenly arrived. Leading them was a greater demon king of the eighth stage, clad in battle armor with crimson hair and a pair of horns.

At his command, the entire town was completely surrounded.

"Search everywhere! Leave no stone unturned until you find the goddess!"

Sounds of smashing, shouting, and arguing filled the town. The evil cultivators from the Twelve Immortal Demon Caves who were doing business there were thrown into a state of panic.

As Xu Xian drew closer, he frequently saw armored demon soldiers flying low over the sand, seemingly searching for something. Some evil cultivators tried to flee, but they were all chased down and captured by the soldiers.

Seeing this display, Xu Xian whispered to himself, "What's going on? Has a war started?"

Originally, he had planned to wander through the town to gather information. He wanted to see what kind of business they conducted with the demons, how much profit was involved, and what the exchange rate for Shadow Soul Stones was. He wanted to get a sense of things to leave himself a way out and stay sharp.

But now, seeing the demon soldiers surrounding the town and hunting down evil cultivators on the outskirts, he immediately abandoned that idea.

Judging by the commotion and the fragmented bits of conversation he overheard from the demons, it wasn't hard for Xu Xian to guess the cause.

This definitely had to do with Chi Ji.

The goddess? How many goddesses could there be?

Furthermore, most of these soldiers were demons with crimson hair; they likely belonged to the Crimson Demon Palace. He had to admit, they moved fast and made quite a scene.

"It seems that girl wasn't lying. Her family really does have some power, and her old man truly values her."

"Forget it, it doesn't matter. This is actually perfect—I'll use the chaos to slip in."

The gate to the fortress was tightly shut. The iron suspension bridge spanning the void was glowing red.

However, these things were of little consequence. Those who could enter or exit the fortress were all cultivators; the gate and bridge appeared to be natural obstacles, but in reality, they were mostly for show. To some extent, they were like One Sword Gorge outside the Wendao Sword Sect, serving primarily as a deterrent.

The real killing blow was hidden where the naked eye could not see.

It was a formation—a massive demon formation.

Chi Ji had mentioned that this formation was jointly laid over four thousand years ago by the High and Low Priests of the Nether Hall. Any living being that dared to enter or exit the formation without permission would trigger a lethal strike, and the powerful experts of the fortress garrison would arrive in an instant.

This formation stretched from north to south, encompassing the entire volcanic range. A single passage was left in the very center of the fortress for normal entry and exit, guarded by heavy troops.

Therefore, trying to sneak across silently was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Chi Ji had also mentioned that one could only enter through the main gate and required a transit token. Of course, most of the time, this fortress was just a facade. Over a long period, lapses were inevitable.

While it was impossible for outsiders to come and go, demon race members could pass through as long as the price was right. The soldiers in charge of guarding would simply turn a blind eye and pretend they saw nothing.

That was how she had gotten out.

Xu Xian naturally didn't have any demon currency, but Shadow Soul Stones were also in circulation within the Demon Abyss. They were especially useful at this fortress, more so than anything else.

In his possession, besides the several hundred stones given by his Seventh Senior Brother, he had also managed to obtain nearly a hundred more from a few evil cultivators. It was a substantial amount of capital.

Entering shouldn't be a problem, but seeing the current commotion, he couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. In such exceptional times, money might not be enough.

Xu Xian didn't back down, thinking he would try first and see. He arrived before the long bridge. Around the bridgehead, demons were gathered in small groups of three to five. Their hair was multicolored, and their cultivation levels ranged from the fourth to the sixth rank.

Judging by their attire, they were all wealthy or noble, clearly merchants. At the moment, however, they were all hesitating, looking bewildered and occasionally glancing toward the high walls.

At the fortress's only entrance, rows of demon armor stood tall, and the guard was strict.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Xu Xian didn't rashly cross the bridge. Instead, he blended into a small group of demons, taking the opportunity to act friendly and inquire about the situation. He used the habits and tone of the demon race, even mimicking the accent and pronunciation Chi Ji had used.

"Brother, what's the situation? Why is it different from usual? Where did all these soldiers come from?"

A green-haired man glanced at Xu Xian. Seeing his white hair, the disdain in his eyes was unmistakable. He even looked somewhat disgusted, his face practically screaming his contempt.

Then, he likely sensed Xu Xian's cultivation level—a sixth-rank demon general—and restrained himself slightly. However, he still couldn't hide the arrogance in his gaze. His tone was somewhat sharp as he asked, "You don't know?"

Xu Xian smiled pleasingly.

The green-haired man said haughtily, "Those are the Crimson Demon Guards from the Crimson Demon Palace. I heard the goddess of the palace snuck out of the fortress. It's been two days, and they're sending people to find her now. Several heads have already been chopped off in the garrison. This is no small matter..."

Xu Xian feigned ignorance, acting as if he had just realized. "Is that so?"

"Are you in a hurry to go back?"

"Yeah."

The green-haired man shot him a sidelong glance. He seemed helpful, but was actually just showing off. "I suggest you wait a bit longer. The soldiers from the demon god's palace don't listen to reason, and they don't care about money. With your mortal demon bloodline, if you run into bad luck, you'll die for nothing."

Xu Xian rubbed his nose and remained silent. This lowly fourth-rank demon master was acting so arrogant in front of a sixth-rank demon general just because he had green hair? It seemed Chi Ji wasn't lying—in the Demon Abyss, strength truly might rank behind bloodline.

After all, to some extent, the quality of one's bloodline directly determined the height of one's achievements and cultivation level. It also determined power. Someone with a bloodline like Chi Ji's was at the very peak of the pyramid. Or rather, they were like the high-born elites who lived in the heavens from birth. It was a fitting comparison.

After understanding the situation, Xu Xian's eyes darted around as he began to form another plan. He watched the Crimson Demon Guards flying back and forth, thinking about whether he should kill one and transform into their likeness to sneak in.

It was feasible.

Just as he was about to leave and find an opportunity on the outskirts, a girl flew through the air from atop the high fortress walls. Judging by her clothes, she was a maidservant or a girl-in-waiting, but her cultivation wasn't low—she was at the fifth rank. Several Crimson Demon Guards followed by her side.

She hovered before the long bridge, her gaze slowly sweeping over the surrounding demon merchants. The group of merchants all bowed their heads slightly, lowering their eyes. Even though she looked like a maidservant, she had genuine crimson hair. She was a second-class earthly demon and came from the Crimson Demon Palace; her status was naturally higher than everyone present.

According to demon rules, lower-class demons were not permitted to look directly at upper-class demons.

A scroll appeared in the maidservant's hand. With a gentle flick, the scroll unfurled from top to bottom, revealing the portrait of a girl. She had long crimson hair, green eyes, and a pair of horns. She was curvaceous and alluring.

Xu Xian glanced at it casually. It was none other than Chi Ji.

The maidservant's cold voice rang out, "To whoever can find the goddess, the reward is ten thousand Shadow Soul Stones!"