Many children, many blessings: Stealing the offspring of powerful figures to cultivate immortality.

The night was as dark as ink, and the defensive array of the desolate abyss emitted a faint golden light, keeping the wind and snow at bay.

For most monks, it was a night of rest and sleep after the revelry.

But for some, tonight is a chance to change their destiny.

"Did you hear that?"

A chilling voice suddenly appeared deep in the minds of several minor sect leaders.

The voice didn't sound like the language of mortals; it was more like a tremor that directly affected the soul, carrying an irresistible majesty and allure.

"I am the guide from the upper realm."

"Your resistance is futile. The Protoss army has not yet arrived because I am giving you one last chance."

"That child of the nine-tailed celestial fox is the key to opening the path to ascension."

"As long as we destroy the Abyss's defensive center and take that child out of the city..."

"I swear in the name of the Protoss that I grant you the right to ascend to the Azure Realm, to escape this barren pasture, and to go to the true immortal realm where you may enjoy eternal life."

This sound was like a poisonous seed; once planted, it grew wildly in the fertile soil of greed.

Inside an inconspicuous tent on the western side of the desolate abyss.

Several figures were gathered together, their expressions shifting between light and shadow, illuminated by the faint glow of the luminous pearl.

The leader was a thin, middle-aged man named Zhou Yuanlin, the head of a third-rate sect that was affiliated with the Desolate Abyss.

He has been stuck in the late Nascent Soul stage for two hundred years, and his lifespan is about to end.

"Brother Zhao, that voice... you heard it too?" A burly body cultivator next to him asked in a low voice.

A flicker of struggle crossed Zhou Yuanlin's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by fervor.

"I heard you."

"This is our only chance," Zhou Yuanlin gritted his teeth. "You all saw it. Although we won today, it was a three-headed monster. What if it's thirty thousand next time? The Abyss won't be able to hold out!"

"Rather than die alongside that madwoman, it's better to..."

He made a throat-slitting gesture.

"But... what about Lord Jiang..." someone hesitated.

"What's there to be afraid of!" Zhou Yuanlin sneered. "Right now, all the main forces are in seclusion digesting the Void Flesh, and that Demon Lord is in a deep sleep, making his defenses extremely weak."

"Moreover, I've observed that the little kid in charge of the money was taking inventory of supplies near the array's central hub tonight."

"If we can capture that little child, we can threaten Situ Kong into opening a breach in the formation!"

The group exchanged glances, their greed overcoming their fear.

That's ascension! That's immortality!

What wouldn't the cultivation world do for this goal? There are plenty of people who kill their wives to prove their Dao, let alone betray a city lord they've only allied with for a few days?

"Let's do it!"

Several dark figures emerged from the camp like ghosts and crept towards the array hub in the center of the city.

They wore top-grade concealment talismans, their sect's most prized possession, confident that they could even deceive the divine sense of a Nascent Soul stage expert.

The journey was smooth and unobstructed.

The patrolling guards all seemed to be dozing off, and even the fluctuations of the formation were pitifully weak.

"Heaven is helping me!"

Zhou Yuanlin was overjoyed.

They quickly made their way to the outside of the central hall.

The door to the main hall was ajar, and the clear sound of abacus beads being turned could be heard from inside.

"Da, da, da..."

That was the voice of Jiang Jingzhi, the fourth treasure.

Zhou Yuanlin peeked through the crack in the door.

There sat a baby wearing a brocade robe with coin patterns, sitting amidst a pile of account books taller than himself, his chubby little hands rapidly manipulating a large pure gold abacus.

And beside him, there was neither the terrifying Demon Lord nor the cunning Situ Kong.

There were only a few low-level spirit beasts lying on the ground sleeping.

"A great opportunity!"

Zhou Yuanlin no longer hesitated, his eyes flashing with murderous intent.

"Charge! Capture the smaller one alive and destroy the formation's core!"

boom!

Five Nascent Soul stage cultivators suddenly attacked, their magical treasures shining brightly, smashing through the wooden door of the main hall and rushing towards Jiang Jingzhi.

"You little brat! Come with Grandpa!"

Zhou Yuanlin's large hand was only three inches away from Jiang Jingzhi's collar.

He could even see the celestial light of ascension beckoning to him.

However, in that very instant...

Jiang Jingzhi, who was working on the abacus, stopped.

He slowly raised his head, and in his peach blossom eyes, which resembled Situ Kong's, there was not a trace of panic, but rather a kind of pity that was extremely incongruous with his age.

There's also a kind of excitement in seeing fat sheep enter the pen.

"Uncles, we have a customer."

The child's sweet, innocent voice echoed throughout the main hall.

next second.

Suddenly, countless scarlet eyes lit up in the originally dark shadows surrounding the main hall.

Clang—!

The sound of swords being drawn in unison.

Dozens of cultivators dressed in black armor and with expressionless faces emerged from the shadows and instantly surrounded Zhou Yuanlin and his group.

The aura emanating from these people was actually that of the Nascent Soul stage!

Moreover, judging from their attire, they are not guards of the Desolate Abyss at all, but rather a group of top-tier mercenaries active in the gray areas of the cultivation world—assassins from the "Blood Shadow Tower."

"Blood... Blood Shadow Tower?!"

Zhou Yuanlin's hand froze in mid-air, terrified out of his wits.

"How could that be... The Blood Shadow Tower only cares about money, not people. Why would they guard your gate?!"

Jiang Jingzhi jumped down from the high chair and patted the abacus in her hand.

"You know they only care about money."

He strode up to Zhou Yuanlin, who was stiff all over, looked up, and smiled innocently.

"So you think it's because that inspector from the upper realm who only knows how to make empty promises that he gives more money."

"Or is it me, the 'Spendthrift Child' who controls the entire Abyss's finances, who gives out more money?"

Zhou Yuanlin's face turned deathly pale.

He forgot.

This seemingly harmless little child is currently the biggest benefactor in the cultivation world.

"I...I was bewitched! Young Master, spare me! I was controlled by that voice!"

Zhou Yuanlin knelt on the ground with a thud and kowtowed frantically.

The others also dropped their magical weapons and knelt down to beg for mercy.

Jiang Jingzhi ignored their pleas for mercy, turned around, and said to the shadows on one side of the hall:

"Father Situ, how do I pay for damaging public property again?"

Situ Kong slowly walked out from the shadows.

He was still dressed in white, but this time his usual playful smile was gone.

"Those who deliberately sabotage the core of the formation and plot treachery."

Situ Kong's voice was calm, yet it felt like an ice blade scraping against everyone's bones.

"The soul is extracted to light the sky lantern, while the physical body... is given to the spirit beasts as snacks."

"No! You can't do this! We're allies! We've paid protection money!" Zhou Yuanlin screamed hysterically.

"Protection fees are for protecting people."

Jiang Jingzhi sighed and put her hands behind her back like a little adult.

"But you, you'll be dogs."

He waved.

"Since it's a dog, let's handle it like a stray dog."

"Let's do it."

puff!

Dozens of blood-red lights lit up at the same time.

Before they could even scream, Zhou Yuanlin and the others' heads rolled to the ground.

The stench of blood permeated the main hall.

The assassins from the Blood Shadow Tower skillfully collected their storage bags, then respectfully placed them in front of Jiang Jingzhi before disappearing back into the darkness.

Jiang Jingzhi didn't even glance at the storage bags. She simply walked to the broken door and touched the shattered door frame with a pained expression.

"What a pity, this is top-quality Phoebe zhennan wood."

"Write this down and deduct it from their sect's final payment as compensation, ten times the amount."

Looking at his son, who was only a little over a year old but already decisive and shrewd, Situ Kong felt both proud and bittersweet.

If this were a prosperous era, this child would be such a happy, wealthy man.

But now...

"Father Situ, what's wrong?"

Jiang Jingzhi noticed that Situ Kong's mood was off, so she came over and tugged at his sleeve.

"Your hands are so cold."

Situ Kong snapped out of his daze, put on his signature shrewd businessman smile, and squatted down to pick up Jiang Jingzhi.

"It's nothing, Dad's just worried about this gate."

"Let's go. With this windfall coming in tonight, we need to do some serious calculations to see how we can buy you even more cultivation resources."

He smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

He looked out at the dark night sky outside the main hall.

The stars there are arranged in a strange trajectory.

Very bad omen.