The legend begins with becoming a white deer.

A small country called "Suyan", in its northern region.

The terrain here is mostly mountainous and forested, with many official roads intersecting. On a small hill, an elaborate building called "Black Stone Fortress" is built against the mountain, occupying half of the hillside.

The dark blue stone walls are tall and thick, and the fortress has a series of pavilions with copper bells hanging from the eaves, making it look magnificent from a distance.

This is the largest distribution center for mountain products in the North, where medicinal herbs, furs, and cloths converge from all directions, attracting a constant stream of merchants.

Outside the fortress, there was also a sizable inn that was always full of guests. Merchants from all over the country and the south loved to stop and rest there.

But no one knows that beneath this bustling and lively exterior, most of the mountain's interior has actually been hollowed out, concealing a hidden underground palace.

That afternoon, a tall figure appeared at the side gate of Blackstone Fortress.

The newcomer was wearing a black cloak, and was burly, standing at least two meters tall, so fat that the cloak almost filled out completely.

He took out a jet-black token and waved it. The guards at the gate changed their expressions and immediately bowed. They didn't dare to ask any questions and opened the side door to let him in.

We walked through the front yard, the shop, and the back yard, until we reached the entrance to the deepest underground palace.

Upon seeing the token, the guards along the way all bowed their heads and gave way, as if they were seeing an imperial envoy from headquarters.

The stone gate to the underground palace slowly opened, and a middle-aged man with three long wisps of beard strode out to greet them, a perfectly measured smile on his face. He was none other than Duan Chi, the head of Black Stone Fortress.

"Lord Fierce Monk?"

Upon seeing who it was, Duan Chi was initially delighted, but then surprised: "Why did you come in person? If outsiders were to see your identity, our branch would be exposed."

The fierce monk threw off his cloak, revealing a pale and swollen face with dark lips and weak breath. Anyone with eyes could tell that he had suffered serious internal injuries.

Duan Chi's smile froze instantly.

The seventh-ranked villain, the Fierce Monk, possessed top-notch internal strength and immense power, making him a formidable figure in the entire martial arts world. Even the deceased sixth villain, Yan Lie, the Mountain-Splitting Axe, was roughly equal in strength to the Fierce Monk; neither was inferior to the other, except that Yan Lie's reputation for ferocity was slightly worse than the Fierce Monk's.

Aside from those reclusive old monsters, few in the world can harm the Fierce Monk. Within the organization, the Fierce Monk is undoubtedly a high-ranking figure.

Duan Chi asked incredulously, "How did you get injured? It looks pretty serious. Who did this?"

"Don't even mention it."

The fierce monk let out a muffled groan, his tone still carrying a hint of fear.

"It's all that idiot cannibal's fault for pushing me to go to the Jade Forest Kingdom to encounter that spirit beast, the white deer. I was greedy for a moment and almost lost my life there."

"A white deer, a mythical beast?"

Duan Chi's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "Is that the one mentioned in the 'Chronicles of the Kingdoms' newspaper? The legendary eleventh spirit beast in the world that even a group of over ten thousand people couldn't defeat?"

"What legend? It's all true."

The wicked monk smirked, recalling the scene of countless trees swirling and sweeping in, as well as the enormous tree-man, and a chill ran down his spine.

"That deer looks handsome and gentle, but it's actually very fierce. If I hadn't been lucky enough to be knocked away by it and escape the Ten Thousand Wood Domain, you wouldn't be able to see me now. Okay, that's the end of the story. I'm not here to talk about this nonsense."

The fierce monk had no patience for wasting words with Duan Chi and went straight to the point: "I came here for the Blood Restoration Pill. I was seriously injured this time, and my injuries are too severe. I must use this thing to recover quickly."

Upon hearing this, Duan Chi hesitated, rubbing his hands together, and said, "Ahem, Lord Fierce Monk, to be honest, the source liquid is very scarce recently. After these rounds of stone screening, the number of qualified children is not large, so the number of Blood-Sustaining Pills that can be refined is limited, and some still need to be sent to headquarters on time..."

Don't try that on me.

The fierce monk glared, his murderous aura radiating: "Don't think I don't know. Every time your branches transport Grade A goods to headquarters, which one of you doesn't secretly keep a few? Those children are far more valuable than Grade B goods. They're enough for you to refine a lot of Blood Regeneration Pills. You definitely have a lot of smuggled goods in your hands. Don't try to fool me."

The ruthless monk stepped forward, his voice low and menacing: "Back then, to help the organization cover its tracks, I personally slaughtered three towns, earning the title of one of the Ten Great Evils, which diverted a lot of attention from you. Without me, your business would have been exposed long ago. Now I need a few bottles of pills to heal my injuries, and you're here complaining about being poor?"

Duan Chi's face turned pale and then red after being rebuked by the fierce monk. Finally, he quickly smiled apologetically and said, "What are you saying, sir? Everyone knows how much you have done for the organization. Alright, alright, I'll take you to get it right away."

He turned and led the wicked monk deeper into the underground palace.

The further you go, the stronger the stench of blood becomes in the air. The faint cries and screams of children come through the stone walls, intermittent and piercing to the eardrums.

The stone chambers on both sides were one after another, and some of them had children tied up with iron chains. Their arms and cheeks had an abnormal stone gray color.

Some were in so much pain that they rolled on the ground in agony.

Some had vacant eyes, like trapped little animals, their bloodshot eyes filled with fear and despair.

In other stone chambers, small corpses were neatly arranged, their bodies stiff and petrified, long since lifeless.

Judging by their ages, the oldest was no more than eleven or twelve years old, and the youngest had just learned to walk.

The wicked monk glanced at the stone chambers subconsciously as he walked, and scoffed, "Speaking of which, every time I come here, I feel like I've entered the eighteenth level of hell. Who would believe it if I told them? Compared to this place, my reputation as one of the Ten Great Evils is a joke."

"You jest, sir."

Duan Chi smiled slightly, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the quality of goods.

"There is no heaven or hell in this world, nor is there reincarnation. The operation of heaven and earth is nothing more than the survival of the fittest. All living beings are born with different qualities. Some are born to be the furnace to consume, while others are born to possess everything. These children are full of vitality and can help us practice. This is their good fortune and honor. It is better for them to be able to nourish their cultivation with their flesh and blood than for them to live a life of hunger, poverty and mediocrity in this world. As for those who cannot endure, they are just mortals and their deaths are not worth regretting."

Duan Chi paused, then added, "By the way, I didn't say that; it was Lord Ji Luo who said it."

"Jiluo?"

The fierce monk chuckled mockingly: "Ever since that guy made great progress in his cultivation with the divine pill, he's become increasingly adept at spouting these high-sounding words."

"Lord Jiluo is now a favorite of headquarters."

Duan Chi smiled ingratiatingly: "However, Lord Fierce Monk, you have made so many contributions to the organization. In a few more days, you might be granted a divine pill. At that time, your ranking among the Ten Great Evils might move up a few places."

"It's not that easy."

The fierce monk shook his head, his tone tinged with apprehension.

"Those in the top five, aren't they all monsters? Even if the Divine Pill is powerful, it's not necessarily possible to surpass those people."

... ... ...

As the two were talking, a mysterious woman appeared in the dense forest outside Blackstone Fortress.

The woman, dressed in a long, dark black dress, had a slender figure and stunning beauty. Standing under a tree by the official road, she resembled a traditional Chinese ink painting.

Merchants and travelers passing by seemed to completely ignore her, not even glancing in her direction.

The woman looked up at the Black Stone Fortress not far away, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, her eyes filled with disgust.

"They put on a respectable facade on the outside, but are filthy inside."

The woman spoke softly, and with a swift movement, she darted past the fortress wall like a wisp of smoke, vaulting into the fortress from a blind spot on the side.

Several large, black-backed hunting dogs were lying in the corner, specifically used for night watch and patrol, with the most sensitive ears and eyes.

But as soon as they sensed the movement and looked up to see the woman, their fur stood on end, their tails were tucked tightly between their legs, and they lay on the ground whimpering, not daring to lift their heads.

The woman tapped lightly with her fingertip and said softly, "Go to sleep."

The hunting dogs tilted their heads and instantly fell into a deep sleep.

She flashed again, appearing like a ghost behind a patrolling Wubao guard. Before he could react, her slender fingers had already gripped the back of his neck.

The guard froze, about to shout, when he met a pair of eyes that gleamed with a ghostly blue light.

"I'm asking you."

The woman's voice was cold and clear, and the air behind her distorted slightly, vaguely revealing nine fluffy fox tails.

"Where are those children you captured being kept now?"