Chapter 884
Bounty on Bai Zhengchun
"Name, place of origin, teacher/mentor".
In front of the massive, ultra-long-range teleportation array, a middle-aged cultivator with a short beard, dressed in a bronze robe, casually asked questions, holding a talisman pen in one hand and a jade tablet in the other, without even raising his head once.
"Song Qingxing, from the cultivation world of the Great Qi, is a disciple of Luoxia City."
"Luoxia City?" The middle-aged cultivator looked up upon hearing this, his face full of surprise. He looked at his companion beside him and said, "Where did this suddenly come from? There was one in the last session too."
"That's right, the last one was a real pity, I heard it was just a little bit short."
Seeing them chatting idly as if no one else was around, Song Qingxing frowned slightly, but over the years he had long since learned to conceal his sharpness, so he did not show it. However, the little bit of expectation he had for the number one sword sect in the southwest had vanished without a trace.
The two had not forgotten their duties. The short-bearded cultivator quickly wrote on the jade slip with his talisman pen, then casually tossed it into Song Qingxing's arms, saying with a hint of arrogance, "This is a pass certificate. It needs to be worn in the most conspicuous place at all times. If it is lost, you need to go to the Foreign Affairs Pavilion to reissue it as soon as possible."
The accommodations and the process for participating in the trial are all included; there's no one to guide you, so you'll have to figure it out on your own.
"The sect is full of disciples who enforce the rules. If you're found not wearing your ordination certificate, you'll be treated as a spy. At that point, forget about participating in the trials; you might not even survive. Don't blame me for not warning you then."
Song Qingxing didn't care about his attitude, casually hung it on his waist, and was about to leave when he heard another guiding cultivator say, "Bai Zhengchun is your fellow disciple, right?"
Someone has offered a reward for his remains; you can go and take a look.
Song Qingxing's heart stirred slightly. Before setting off, the city lord personally received him and instructed him not to be distracted by the matter of Bai Zhengchun's remains, as they would find a way to bring them back in the future.
At least when he set off, Luoxia City had not yet come up with a solution. In addition, the ultra-long-range space teleportation array was extremely expensive, and the Wuliang Sword Sect only allowed cultivators participating in the trial to come alone. Bai Zhengchun also came alone.
If he wasn't a cultivator from Luoxia City, then who is offering a reward for his remains?
Enemy?
Thinking of this, Song Qingxing's gaze suddenly sharpened, and he, who had originally had little interest in the bounty, now decided to go and take a look.
The path of trials is a perilous journey where one is guaranteed to die, and those who come here are already mentally prepared to face death.
In this environment where it's either you kill me or I kill you, all conflicts are for survival. There's no right or wrong; as the saying goes, when a person dies, the debt is settled.
Offering a reward for someone's body after they've already died is going too far.
Bringing Bai Zhengchun's body back was a task assigned to him by Song Changsheng. Anyone who interfered with him was an enemy!
"Why are you telling him all this? Do you really think he can come out of that cannibalistic place alive?"
"It was just a reminder, it's really a pity, there are quite a few people behind us, we need to speed things up..."
The two did not try to hide their voices, and Song Qingxing could still hear them clearly even though he was already a great distance away.
His expression remained calm, but he felt the jade pendant in his arms seemed to burn even hotter.
He will definitely go back; he doesn't need to prove his determination to anyone!
……
They originally thought it would take a lot of effort to find the bounty hunter, but they didn't expect to notice the relevant information by the roadside after only walking with the group participating in the trial for a short while.
The bounty was issued by a Golden Core cultivator named Li Yuxia, who offered a reward of five million low-grade spirit stones or equivalent treasures for someone to retrieve a corpse from the Trial Path.
The notice did not specify whose remains they were, nor did it indicate the location; it only left an address. If you intend to accept this mission, go to the address to find him.
It seems there are some other requirements.
No one had ever seen such a strange bounty before. Shouldn't a bounty be open to everyone, with whoever completes the task receiving the reward?
Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't even glance at a bounty with such incomplete information, but the reward was simply too generous, and bringing out a body was just a piece of cake in everyone's eyes.
After all, those who come here are all confident in their own abilities, and they all firmly believe that they will be the final winners.
Five million low-grade spirit stones is not a small sum for them.
Most of those who come to participate in the Trial Road are not talented or well-connected. If they hadn't tried every possible method, how many would come to this godforsaken place to risk their lives?
They had already exhausted all their resources to break through to the Golden Core stage, and each of them was penniless.
If they could complete the bounty, five million spirit stones would be enough for them to buy themselves a spirit treasure of average quality.
However, these are not the main reasons why everyone is so enthusiastic. According to some information, the Golden Core cultivator who issued the bounty is one of the three people who survived the previous trial.
This is a successful person, which means they can obtain firsthand information about the Path of Trials from him, which is extremely valuable to them.
The Path of Trials attracts hundreds of participants each year, but only a handful succeed. In addition, due to the bloodshed on their hands, they keep their personal information strictly confidential to avoid revenge from the relatives of the dead, and very few people reveal it.
As a result, over the years, there has been very little information about the Path of Trials.
Most of them are independent cultivators or come from Golden Core factions, with limited strength, and they rarely even know this part of the information that has been leaked.
They all stand here because of their fearless hearts.
Let alone the five million spirit stones bounty, the fact that the other party is a survivor of the Trial Road is a compelling reason.
After learning the basic information, Song Qingxing felt increasingly doubtful.
As a successful person, Li Yuxia had absolutely no reason to seek revenge against a loser.
Moreover, this was done at such a huge cost, not only exposing his identity but also taking out almost all of his savings.
He was so certain because he had learned from others that Li Yuxia was a rogue cultivator.
For a rogue cultivator without any powerful backing, five million spirit stones is an enormous sum, especially considering he has only just broken through to the Golden Core stage.
Paying such a high price just to get revenge on a corpse seems a bit too much.
Filled with doubt, he went to the address on the notice.
Upon arrival, they discovered that their destination was the temporary accommodation arranged for them by the Wuliang Sword Sect.
There are thousands of cave dwellings built here, but one cave dwelling is particularly lively, with at least a hundred people gathered in front of it. Anyone you randomly pick out is a cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Purple Mansion realm. Without a doubt, these are all contestants participating in the Trial Road.
Faced with layers upon layers of onlookers, Song Qingxing simply walked past quietly.
The overwhelming killing intent emanating from him sent chills down the spines of any cultivator who came within a ten-foot radius of him. It was as if a sharp sword was held to their necks, and the suffocating feeling of death forced them to retreat.
Before long, he arrived at the front row and observed the sign standing in front of the cave as if no one else was there, completely ignoring the noise behind him.
His entrance was certainly high-profile, yet the strength he displayed was unexpectedly formidable.
"Who is this? Such pure [killing sword intent]! When it passed by me just now, I felt a sense of fear."
"Could they be disciples of the Boundless Sword Sect?" A burly man carrying a ten-foot-long broadsword said with a look of disdain, "Gentlemen, you should stop deceiving yourselves. This is a bounty for the Trial Road. Why would disciples from a superior sect come here to join in the fun?"
Judging from his cultivation level, he's most likely here to participate in the trial. Finally, he's met a worthy opponent.
"Who are you?"
"Hmph, if you can still stand in front of me after the trial is over, you will naturally know."
"Turns out he was just an unknown nobody."
Song Qingxing ignored the noise behind him. After reading the sign, he understood why these people were hesitant to go in. It said that to enter the cave, one had to withstand the full force of the bounty hunter.
Li Yuxia is a Golden Core cultivator, and he fought his way through the Trial Path.
His full-force attack would either kill or seriously injure an ordinary cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Purple Mansion realm.
Although everyone present was somewhat confident in their abilities, the trial was about to begin, and the consequences of being injured in the battle would be very serious.
Bounties and intelligence are important, but surviving the trial is even more important.
Few people would dare to gamble with their lives.
All eyes involuntarily fell on Song Qingxing, wishing they could make the decision for him.
Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this is a formidable and highly competitive opponent.
If he is injured because of this, he will have one less powerful enemy.
Song Qingxing did not disappoint them; he stepped directly across the boundary and headed towards the wide-open cave.
Just as he took his third step, a vast pressure emanated from the cave, like a heavy burden pressing down on everyone's shoulders, making it difficult even to breathe.
If the lingering power emanating from it was already so great, then Song Qingxing, who was at the center of the oppressive aura, was even more so.
But he remained calm, his steps steady and firm, as if he were unaffected by anything.
Just as he was about to step into the cave, a sudden gust of wind swept in, making his robes flutter loudly.
A phantom longsword formed from pure magical power suddenly attacked amidst the raging wind.
This sword strike was delivered without any reservation, causing the restrictions surrounding the cave to tremble violently, seemingly unable to withstand the pressure.
The dazzling sword light illuminated everyone's faces.
Song Qingxing's eyes were calm, his black hair danced wildly behind his head, and the moment the long sword fell, the [Traceless Sword] in his hand suddenly came out of its sheath and slashed out as well before most people could react.
The two sword lights collided instantly, and to everyone's surprise, they vanished into thin air without causing the slightest ripple.
This indicates that the sword intent of the two reached a perfect balance during the exchange, and their forces directly canceled each other out.
This is an extremely rare phenomenon, and it usually only occurs between cultivators of similar strength.
But the person Song Qingxing is fighting now is a Golden Core cultivator. Although the opponent did not use any magic weapons, Song Qingxing is dealing with him without any pressure, which is enough to prove his formidable strength.
Everyone present was filled with dread. They had originally hoped that Song Qingxing would be injured in this confrontation, but their dream was shattered.
On the contrary, the strength displayed by the other party instilled a sense of genuine fear in them.
Song Qingxing's appearance was etched into their minds, and they secretly labeled him as someone who was either not to be trifled with or had to be eliminated.
"Please come inside for a chat, young friend."
Song Qingxing stepped into the cave and saw a slender figure sitting cross-legged on a futon.
The opponent was dressed in a purple robe, with a sword held across his knee, surrounded by sword energy, and his eyes were exceptionally sharp, as if they concealed a sharp sword.
"With your age and strength, you shouldn't be participating in the trial. Are you also a rogue cultivator?" Li Yuxia's voice was crisp and powerful, with a hint of scrutiny in his eyes.
"Are these also conditions for participating in the bounty?" Song Qingxing's main purpose in coming here was to find out the exact location where Bai Zhengchun fell; the bounty was actually secondary.
However, he was still unsure of the other party's purpose, so he did not intend to reveal his identity.
"Of course not. If you don't want to say, then so be it."
With your abilities, there's a high chance you'll be able to complete the trial. Feel free to ask me anything you want to know, and you can make any requests you have. I'll do my best to fulfill them as long as they're within my capabilities.
"My only request is to bring back Brother Zhengchun's remains intact." Li Yuxia stood up and said solemnly.
Song Qingxing's heart stirred slightly, and he tentatively asked, "Would it be convenient to talk about the relationship between you two?"
Upon hearing this, Li Yuxia looked at him with interest and said, "Is this your condition for accepting the bounty?"
"Is the person you're looking for surnamed Bai?"
Upon hearing this, Li Yuxia's gaze suddenly sharpened, and he asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?"
“I am here on the orders of my elders to bring him home.”
"You are a disciple of Luoxia City!" Li Yuxia's expression immediately became somewhat excited.
"I suppose so. Shouldn't you answer my question now, senior?"
Li Yuxia turned and walked to the window, his tone tinged with reminiscence as he said, "Brother Zhengchun and I were originally rivals, but by chance we were trapped in a great formation left by our predecessors. We put aside our past grievances and joined hands to break the formation."
Because they shared similar ideals, they formed an alliance during the trials.
During this period, we shared life and death, slaying numerous powerful enemies, and almost reached the end of the trial path.
Unwittingly, we obtained something that represented the ultimate secret to breaking through to the Golden Core stage, which triggered an endless hunt by the other survivors.
We fought a bloody battle for dozens of days. During this process, Brother Zhengchun was severely injured and knew that his days were numbered. In the end, he chose to burn his own life force to help me break through the encirclement, and I also went to the end because of this..."
"The ultimate... secret?"
……
P.S.: I'll add an extra chapter in the morning, fellow cultivators. I have time tonight. (End of Chapter)