Chapter 3495: Underestimation The man hesitated. "There is... a rumor." The Right Emissary’s eyes flashed. "Speak it." "It is difficult to confirm," the man said quickly. "But during his time in the Silent Lotus World, the target allegedly participated in a conflict against an ancient evil entity." The Left Emissary’s gaze sharpened. "Ancient how." "The kind that required multiple major powers to mobilize," the man said. "The Silent Lotus Temple. The Xian Sword Sect. Others." "And?" the Right Emissary pressed. The man’s voice lowered. "There are claims that a Transcendent level expert on the enemy side was killed. And that the target... was responsible." The chamber froze. Then the Right Emissary laughed. A loud, incredulous sound that echoed off the walls. "Ridiculous," he said flatly. "Utterly ridiculous." The Left Emissary shook his head. "That level of credit would never be assigned to a Fifth Stage Immortal," he said. "Even prodigies do not cross such a gulf." "More likely," the Right Emissary added, "the Abbot of the Silent Lotus Temple or the Patriarch of the Xian Sword Sect delivered the killing blow." He waved a dismissive hand. "The target probably participated, survived, and allowed the rumors to inflate his role." The kneeling man nodded quickly. "That is also our conclusion," he said. "The rumor is unreliable." Neither emissary realized how catastrophically wrong that assumption was. They did not know that the Transcendent they spoke of had not been the strongest enemy Lin Mu had ever faced. They did not know that the gap they believed insurmountable had already been crossed. "Where is the target now?" the Left Emissary asked. The man’s shoulders sagged. "Unknown," he admitted. "All traces have been lost again. The collapse of the Dead Needle Abyss has severed our last reliable information channels in that region." "And the bounty?" the Right Emissary asked. The man hesitated again. "Several affiliate organizations have withdrawn their participation." That finally drew a reaction. The Right Emissary’s eyes widened slightly. "They withdrew?" "Yes," the man said. "Despite the reward." "To abandon a chance at Celestial ascension," the Right Emissary muttered, disbelief seeping into his tone. The Left Emissary tapped the arm of his throne slowly. "Fear," he said. "Not caution. Fear." The man lowered his head. "They believe the risk has exceeded the reward," he said. "Especially after witnessing the coordinated retaliation." The Left Emissary exhaled. "Dismissed," he said. The kneeling man did not need to be told twice. He bowed deeply, then retreated from the chamber, his legs trembling as he passed through the seals. Once he was gone, the Left Emissary raised his hand and activated a communication array. The formation circle on the floor flared softly. A silhouette appeared above it. Tall. Indistinct. Its features hidden by shifting light and shadow. Both emissaries rose immediately and bowed deeply. "Venerable Lord," they said in unison. The figure did not respond at first. They reported everything. The annihilation of the Dead Needle Abyss’ informants. The retaliation of the Eastern Immortal Court. The rumors surrounding the target. The withdrawal of affiliate organizations. The silhouette remained silent throughout. Minutes passed. Only after the final words faded did the figure speak. "Continue," the Venerable Lord said calmly. "Do not rush." His voice was neither loud nor imposing, yet it carried an authority that pressed down on the very formation beneath them. "Assess the target’s strength," he continued. "Assess his backing. It is evident that this matter involves forces beyond what you initially perceived." "Yes, Venerable Lord," the emissaries replied. "I will speak with the sponsors," the figure said. "They will not object to patience." A pause. "To Celestials," he added, "fifteen years or fifteen hundred years are equally fleeting." The formation dimmed. The silhouette vanished. The chamber returned to silence. The two emissaries remained standing for a long moment before finally sitting back down. The Right Emissary rubbed his brow. "To think," he said quietly, "that one man in the Immortal Realm could offend three Celestials enough for them to offer such a reward." The Left Emissary’s gaze drifted to the slowly rotating formation. "And to still be alive," he added. For the first time in millennia, the Indigo World Hegemony felt something dangerously close to uncertainty. Back at the Khwanzim world... The courtyard of the White Bubble Inn was unusually calm that morning, the ocean breeze rolling in gently and carrying the scent of salt and distant waves. Lin Mu stood near the edge of the stone platform, gazing out toward the horizon where the sea met the sky. The water responded faintly to his presence, rippling in patterns that mirrored his breathing, though he did not consciously guide it this time. He frowned slightly. Something felt... incomplete. Lin Mu turned and glanced around the courtyard. Cattaleya was seated on a low stone bench, lazily gnawing on a roasted beast leg while Little Shrubby hovered nearby, tending a simmering pot with almost parental care. Meng Bai was nowhere to be seen, though Lin Mu could faintly sense his aura deeper within the inn, likely still buried in formation diagrams. Daoist Chu sat beneath a shade canopy, calmly reading a jade slip while sipping tea. But one presence was conspicuously absent. "Where’s Elyon?" Lin Mu asked, his gaze settling on Daoist Chu. The man did not look up from his jade slip. "He went to check on the teleportation array schedule," Daoist Chu replied calmly. "Said he’d return shortly." Almost on cue, the shadows near the edge of the courtyard rippled. A figure stepped out as if peeling himself away from the darkness itself. Elyon emerged, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve as though he had merely stepped out from behind a curtain rather than materializing from nothing. Cattaleya looked up, a slow smirk spreading across her face. "Oh?" she said. "And how long were you standing there before making your dramatic entrance?" Elyon glanced at her briefly, as if feeling upset at her breaking his act. "Not long." Lin Mu raised an eyebrow. "Any updates?" Elyon nodded. "Good news. Our departure slot has been confirmed. Two weeks from now."