Deep Abyss, outside Mountain Flame City.
The sunlight was deathly pale, the moonlight red as blood. They streamed down together, steeped in a wild, primeval air.
Xu Xuan followed the familiar route, riding the wind northward. In moments, he reached White Fox Mound and caught sight of the magnificent Heart-Listening Pavilion, awash in treasured radiance.
Demons thronged the area, countless streaks of light descending around it. Anyone who came to Deep Abyss had to visit the Heart-Listening Pavilion. News traveled swiftly here, and Xu Xuan intended to go inside and sound out the situation.
Along the way, he saw azure birds, hook snakes, spirit-mushroom deer, and countless other kinds of demons. All had assumed human bodies while retaining their beast heads, their speech and manners every bit as refined as nobles'.
Xu Xuan concealed his aura and covered his reverse scale, entering slowly like an ordinary flood serpent.
Fox maidens smiled brightly as they guided the demons through trades and discussions, everything proceeding in orderly fashion. Radiance flowed across the All-Heaven Observation Ranking, revealing lines of text. With time to spare this visit, Xu Xuan began reading carefully.
Several fox maidens gathered around him, but Xu Xuan politely declined their help, saying only that he wished to browse alone.
Most of the postings offered substantial bounties, the majority for taking human lives. None targeted Monster-kind.
As he read, he found targets ranging from qi refining to foundation establishment, but none at purple mansion. That made sense: the strongest demons here were only at foundation establishment. How could they have the ability to meddle in purple mansion affairs?
After reading for some time, Xu Xuan found that multiple parties had put prices on the lives of the foundation establishment cultivators at the top of the ranking. One of them drew a