Chapter 338: 338. Chapter 333: Envious Enemies Lie in Wait to Seize a Pet

338. Chapter 333: Envious Enemies Lie in Wait to Seize a Pet

Great Magnetic Mountain is lofty and rugged, with ancient trees scattered sparsely; little sunlight can penetrate the dense canopy.

As the three hundred and sixty mysterious banners were planted by the demon kings and the three sages within a fifty-li radius of Great Compassion Fortress, a strange mist rose on the mountain and gradually engulfed the entire fortress.

Within the mist appeared countless white triangular scales, each bearing mysterious golden runes that flickered; the scales shone brilliantly, interlocking to form a hemispherical shield.

A golden dragon's apparition appeared inside the shield, gathering the spiritual power of the entire Great Magnetic Mountain and slowly solidifying; the dragon opened its huge eyes, emanating a terrifying fluctuation that made even the three sages and three demon kings feel an urge to lose control of their minds.

"As expected of the Coiling Dragon Grand Formation created by the Demon Master, the fusion of technology and cultivation makes its power overwhelmingly strong."

The Tiger King said, his face full of dread.

He is at the peak of the Golden Core realm, and the spiritual power dragon condensed within the Coiling Dragon Grand Formation arouses a dangerous fear in him—a feeling he has never experienced since beginning his cultivation, except from the Demon Master himself.

"The scale shield of the Coiling Dragon Grand Formation can conceal the Great Compassion Fortress's base; even if a cultivator at the peak of the Earth Origin Realm arrives personally, they cannot detect a trace, especially that terrifying spiritual power Coiling Dragon, which, if activated, can annihilate enemies in an instant."

Under the protection of the Coiling Dragon Grand Formation, Great Compassion Fortress is utterly safe.

Zhi Dun said, with Buddhist light radiating from his eyes, feeling deep admiration for the Demon Master's methods.

Zhi Dun, Li Bai, and the three demon kings exchanged a glance, then rushed forward.

The Golden Peng King rubbed his claws together, his face showing a human-like slyness, his voice trembling with excitement.

"Who would have thought that the Abyss is actually a huge corpse cavern—no wonder it feels chilly."

"The corpse qi of Heavenly Abyss is thick, making it a natural corpse-nurturing ground; strange birds have long been nourished by the corpse qi, gaining sentience and feeding on ancient corpses."

Upon hearing Zhi Dun's words, the Monkey King's heart pounded as he leapt onto Zhi Dun's shoulder.

Just then, a series of fighting sounds suddenly erupted in the forest.

He saw countless skeletons scattered haphazardly in the forest, their attire exceedingly ancient; each skeleton exhaled wisps of mist, giving an extremely eerie feeling.

Zhi Dun said.

"Monkey King, don't touch!"

"What a strange black worm."

"Do you know them?"

Zhi Dun and the others stared; the bird's neck had no flesh, only its body wrapped in black rotting flesh, dripping black liquid as it flew.

"You may go ahead; be careful in all matters."

Although he, Li Bai, and Zu Ci are all at the pinnacle of the Golden Core realm, his expertise lies in concocting elixirs; his offensive power and movement techniques fall far short of Zhi Dun and Li Bai, and his strength cannot compare to the ferocity of the Tiger King, Golden Peng King, and the Great Sage Monkey King.

The Tiger King said, his face showing doubt: "This world was only unearthed by cosmic cultivators two years ago, yet the attire of the ancient corpses clearly indicates they have existed much longer—perhaps even predating the current era."

"Namo Amitabha Buddha!"

Li Bai and Zhi Dun walked ahead and behind in the forest, while the Tiger King and Monkey King, obeying the Demon Master's command, transformed into a cat and a monkey and sat respectively on their shoulders.

"It's time to go to Heavenly Abyss to seize a pet, hahaha."

"It's really hard to imagine how these mighty beings fell."

Zhi Dun turned his head and saw the Monkey King reaching for a blood-red flower on the tree, shouting as he slapped out a palm.

The owner of those skeletons must have been immensely powerful in life; after countless ages, the bones remain as clear and lustrous as white jade.

Upon hearing this, Zu Ci said.

"The Demon Master's methods are beyond our ability to gauge."

"The Golden Peng King has been stationed at the Heavenly Abyss exit to provide support due to his swift flight; if he encounters any lagging cultivators, he can directly seize them and send them to Great Magnetic Mountain."

"I and Li Bai will follow the three demon kings to seize people."

Boom.

In the Primordial Spirit Realm, Huanyu cultivators are numerous; the base stores ample healing elixirs, allowing them to quickly neutralize their deadly threats.

The Great Sage Monkey King sat on Zhi Dun's shoulder, legs dangling, arms around the shoulder, and said.

Heavenly Abyss is a mysterious burial ground, long shrouded in undispersing corpse qi.

The blood-red flower exploded, and a foot-long black worm burst from a black palm, frantically wriggling to escape.

The Monkey King said, breaking out in a cold sweat from fright.

"Heavenly Abyss has long been covered in corpse qi, giving birth to many corpse toxin‑laden terrifying corpse worms; many cultivators are lured by the flowers mimicking corpse worms, and the corpse toxin attacks the heart, turning them into wandering corpses within Heavenly Abyss—one must be extremely cautious."

Although the Coiling Dragon Grand Formation has erased all traces of Great Compassion Fortress from the outside world, we must still guard against accidents.

That black worm may have low cultivation, yet it possesses deadly poison; any trace of its writhing turns into a deep groove as wide as a bowl's mouth.

An old beggar was besieged by seven cultivators, his body covered in wounds, and bloody blood had soaked his limbs.

"Huh?"

Whoosh.

A strange bird flew overhead.

Zhi Dun said with palms together; the strange bird had only recently gained sentience, and even a slight disturbance would cause it to flee in panic.

Zhi Dun said, somewhat surprised.

"Could it really be them?"

"Zu Ci remains as the alchemist to guard Great Compassion Fortress, while also concocting healing elixirs."

The Tiger King asked, surprised.

"I have seen them before when entering the Primordial Spirit Realm."

"It should be the grudge of the scarred man who bought a fake map, forcing the old beggar to flee here."

Li Bai said.

The old beggar fled toward the depths of Heavenly Abyss while defending himself, clearly intending to fight a desperate battle for survival.

But Heavenly Abyss is a place of nine deaths and one life; even cultivators entering intact to seek heavenly essence must be cautious, let alone a severely wounded cultivator like him.

"Fellow cultivator, you've come—save me!"

The old beggar discovered the existence of Zhi Dun and others, a hint of malice flickering in his eyes, shooting toward Zhi Dun and others like a sharp sword.

I fuck your mother.

Hu Wang saw the old beggar diverting trouble elsewhere, and he jumped angrily.

Just as the old beggar was about to reach Zhi Dun, Hu Wang lightning-fast grabbed his head and gave him a fierce scratching.

Ah

The old beggar's vision was completely blocked, and he desperately pulled the cat that Hu Wang had transformed into outward.

Hu Wang, however, clung tightly to the old beggar's head, as if glued to it.

The harder the old beggar pulled, the more his head hurt.

Be my pet, and I'll let you go.

Hu Wang's mocking voice sounded in the old beggar's ear, and the old beggar's body suddenly shuddered.

What?

The old beggar felt his soul being poked, and his body jerked violently.

Blood Escape Technique!

The old beggar's voice sounded sinister, her whole body erupting in blood light as her body turned into a mass of gelatinous substance that fell to the ground, escaping Hu Wang's restraint.

Huh?

Zhi Dun, Li Bai, and the others' faces showed an incredulous expression.

After the old beggar distanced herself from Hu Wang, she again turned into a gelatinous substance, slowly wriggling and elongating, and finally took on the form of the old beggar once more.

That should be the old beggar's escape secret art, obviously at a great cost.

The old beggar's face was pallid, devoid of any trace of blood, and the aura on her body had become feeble and listless.

Human pet, Tiger Lord has claimed you.

The cat that Hu Wang had transformed into licked its tongue, its face showing an excited expression.

Ladies and gentlemen.

That cat is definitely not an ordinary magical beast; catch him.

He can certainly be exchanged at the Heavenly Secret Pavilion for a considerable amount of Heavenly Essence.

The old beggar gazed at the cat that Hu Wang had transformed into, exhaled a heavy breath, her voice somewhat trembling as she said, her face full of solemnity.

Big brother, that cat is too weird,

I have never seen a talking magical beast in Huanyu before; it's simply creepy.

Especially the way that cat looks at us, it's as if it's looking at its spoils.

Even more so than seeing a spirit-communicating ancient corpse, it makes one's heart tremble with fear.

Among the cultivators besieging the old beggar, a man in a gray robe shivered all over and weakly said to the scarred man:

Big brother, that cat is actually making a grimace at me.

It's truly terrifying, giving one the feeling of falling into an ice cellar.

The scarred man's another companion, the pirated man, trembled as he retreated to the scarred man's side, standing back-to-back with him.

This companion's back clothing was completely soaked in cold sweat, and he kept wiping the sweat from his forehead nonstop.

Big brother, we can't—should we retreat?

Moreover, that monkey keeps grinning foolishly at me, its big white teeth super creepy.

I constantly feel as if some terrifying thing is staring at me, making me anxious and irritable, and even my calves are trembling.

We have entered the Giant Spirit Realm Primordial Spiritual Domain many times, and we know many Huanyu cultivators.

Even the disciples of the various sects who have been here for two years have come into contact, yet we have never heard of a talking magical beast.

Facing that cat is like facing a terrifying expert; it's frighteningly fierce.

One of the scarred man's companions, holding a pair of hammers, spoke tremblingly.

The scarred man looked up and his eyes met the cat's; the cat's face was full of amusement, its eyes regarding them with utter contempt.

A long sword was involuntarily gripped tightly by the scarred man, as he struggled to steady his emotions.

He then swept his gaze toward Zhi Dun and Li Bai, and after a moment of thought, he grit his teeth fiercely.

They plus the old beggar make eight Earth Origin Realm experts, and furthermore he himself is at the Earth Origin Realm Great Perfection cultivation level; eight against two is sure to win.

He does not believe that Zhi Dun and Li Bai are Earth Origin Realm Great Perfection experts.

Although many cultivators have entered the Giant Spirit Realm Primordial Spiritual Domain now, Earth Origin Realm Great Perfection cultivators are generally the elders of the major forces, presently holding power in their respective domains' primitive spiritual realms.

Those Earth Immortal Realm Great Perfection cultivators will not enter the Heavenly Abyss unless faced with a critical juncture.

The scarred man continued to gaze at Hu Wang, who had transformed into a cat and was lying on the treetop, mustering his courage and trying to convince himself to join forces with the old beggar.

The major forces of Huanyu entered the Giant Spirit Realm earlier than them, but only by about two years.

This newly excavated world is full of endless unknowns; if a talking cat were said to come from the Heavenly Abyss, its price would certainly be high.

The bold may starve to death, the timid may starve to death; damn it, let's go all out against him.

In Huanyu, no human cultivator has ever seen a talking magical beast.

Haha.

Avenging the deceitful map, one can also make a fortune.

The old beggar helps me capture the cat beast, and our past grudges are wiped out.

The scarred man said viciously.

A gentleman's word is hard to retract, even with four horses.

Upon hearing that, the old beggar raised her palm and lunged to grab Hu Wang.

Brothers, charge!

The scarred man shouted, his fierce energy suddenly erupting as he swung his knife at Zhi Dun; that speed was several times faster than the old beggar.

However, just as the scarred man's figure surpassed the old beggar, the old beggar suddenly turned and withdrew from the battlefield.

"Old Monster Beggar, I will not rest until either you or I die."

Seeing the old beggar trying to flee, the scarred man realized he was being used as a shield, and his hair stood on end with anger.

He had bought a map and been tricked by the old beggar, then sought revenge only to be fooled again by the old beggar; the scarred man suffered two straight defeats at the old beggar's hands.

"Human pet, you're not being honest."

Just then.

A mocking voice sounded from behind the old beggar; the old beggar turned to look and found himself face to face with the Tiger King.

The Tiger King used his claws to pull out a black bag; the bag's mouth spewed mysterious runes, and the old beggar only felt the world spin as an inexplicable suction force wildly tugged at him, rapidly shrinking as he was sucked into the black bag.

That black bag was personally crafted by the Demon Master, inside which a separate space existed.

"You?"

Seeing the old beggar taken away by a cute cat, the scarred man shuddered violently.

What had he seen?

A harmless magic beast actually used a treasure artifact to contain a person—no one would believe it if told.

Boom.

The scarred man, dazed, was caught off guard by Zhi Dun and blown away; he felt his viscera violently shake and spat out a mouthful of bloody blood.

The Great Sage Monkey King surveyed the battlefield, having been ready for battle all along.

The scarred man happened to be blown near him by Zhi Dun's shock, and the Monkey King was overjoyed.

The Monkey King's figure vanished like a ghost, disappearing from the spot inexplicably.

A paw covered in golden fur stepped on the scarred man's face; the right hand produced a black bag, its mouth facing downward toward the scarred man's face, mist swirling above the bag's mouth as eerie runes glowed, making the scarred man feel the world spin and his soul dizzy, a powerful pulling force jetting from the mouth wrapping around his body and violently sucking him into the black bag.

"Ah Monkey!"

The scarred man let out a terrified scream, his whole body trembling uncontrollably, as the black bag's mouth continuously spewed runes, transmitting mysterious vibrations.

The scarred man only felt the world spin as a surging suction force clung to him, and then he entered a dark space.

"Hehe, Monkey Lord, clever move—snagging the prize at the crucial moment."

The Great Sage Monkey King leapt onto Zhi Dun's shoulder, showing off his spoils to the Tiger King.

"Big Brother."

The cultivators accompanying the scarred man, seeing their companion captured, shouted anxiously.

They felt a creepy sensation toward the present Zhi Dun, Li Bai, and the Great Sage Monkey King, as well as the Tiger King—magic beasts and humans colluding to capture people with magical artifacts, it felt like a dream.

"Wild flowers gradually dazzle the eyes; only shallow grass can hide horse hooves."

Li Bai seized the moment, condensing wind into ink; a line of poetry appeared in the air, and the scene's environment suddenly changed dramatically.

Countless strange flowers bloomed one after another, green grass sprouting thickly to cover the cultivators' feet, tightly absorbing their bodies; the strange flowers, as if alive, rapidly enlarged, opening their mouths to devour the cultivators whole.

"Collect."

Li Bai's hand produced a black bag that sprayed a frenzied suction force; the cultivators wrapped in flowers vanished on the spot.

"Haha, the Demon Master's forged human pet bag is incredibly useful."

Li Bai laughed heartily and said.

As long as they bound the cultivators' bodies, opening the human pet bag's mouth granted the ability to contain a mustard seed and Mount Sumeru, allowing them to swallow the cultivators inside.

Zhi Dun, the Tiger King, and the Monkey King gathered with Li Bai, all wearing warm smiles on their faces.

Who would have thought that entering the Heavenly Abyss for the first time would go so smoothly, capturing eight human pets, among whom the old beggar and the scarred man were cultivators at the great completion of the Earth Origin Realm, a nice little profit.

"Tiger King, can you release the old beggar."

"We are here; he cannot escape."

"The old beggar has been selling fake maps in the Primordial Spirit Realm; he must know it well."

"With him guiding us in the Heavenly Abyss, capturing human pets becomes even more convenient."

Li Bai looked at the Tiger King's human pet bag and said.

"Not bad."

"The old beggar dared to flee into the Heavenly Abyss under the scarred man's pursuit; he must be familiar with the Heavenly Abyss."

"He knows the places cultivators often go in the Heavenly Abyss; having him lead is better than us blundering about like headless flies."

Zhi Dun also said.

The Tiger King, hearing this, felt it made perfect sense.

The Demon Master had said that the way to control a human pet is to grasp its life soul, which is safer than having the other party swear a heart-demon oath.

He had not yet extracted a life soul; borrowing the old beggar was a perfect chance to try the Demon Master's transmitted soul-extraction method.

The Tiger King rubbed his palms together, chanting a spell formula.

A subtle vibration came from the human pet bag's mouth; a tiny phantom flew out, gradually enlarging, and finally landed on the ground, turning into the old beggar.

"You guys, what kind of people are you all?"

As soon as the old beggar appeared, he saw Zhi Dun, Li Bai, the Shouting Monkey King, and the Tiger King staring at him intently, feeling his hairs stand on end; he felt like a fish on a chopping block, at the mercy of others.

"Ah."

The Tiger King's face showed a playful expression; he pointed a finger at the old beggar's brow, and the mysterious symbols that appeared were slowly pulled outward by the Tiger King, causing the old beggar to wail miserably as if undergoing death by a thousand cuts.

The Tiger King extracted from the old beggar's brow a golden soul the size of a jujube, identical in appearance to the old beggar.

"As the Demon Master said, grasping a human pet's life soul allows one to know all of the pet's thoughts."

"If the human pet rebels, the master can instantly sense it and, even from thousands of miles away, take its head."

The Tiger King said in surprise.

He grasped the old beggar's soul; the two felt a blood‑linked connection, and she could completely control all of the old beggar's actions.

"You keep tearing my life soul away—what exactly are you trying to do?"

The old beggar was completely unsettled—once his life soul was controlled, his life was controlled, everything at others' mercy; the cultivator before him was utterly bizarre, and despite having met countless people, he could not discern even a hint of his origin.

"Heaven cherishes life."

If you cooperate honestly, you will reap your just rewards.

"Otherwise, I will refine your soul into a wick to light a lamp, making you wish you were dead."

Zhi Dun said coldly.

The old beggar's forehead was covered in cold sweat; his frightened heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by someone, his chest felt suffocating, and the cultivator before him made his scalp tingle even more than when he faced the formidable ancient corpse that could communicate with spirits in the Heavenly Abyss.

"Pa!"

The Tiger King delivered a resounding slap to the old beggar's face and said coldly.

"The first rule for human pets: obey the master's orders completely."

"If you haven't been given permission to speak, you must stay silent."

The old beggar felt a burning pain on his face and a chill in his heart.

He had seen powerful human cultivators tame magic beasts as pets, but never the reverse—a magic beast keeping a human cultivator as a pet.

Especially, this magic beast possessed intelligence and could speak human language.

It was utterly unheard of!

The old beggar watched the miniature Tiger King lying on Zhi Dun's shoulder, giving him a half‑smile, and felt a chill to the bone.

That cat lashes out at the slightest dissatisfaction, and this old man has been thoroughly done in.

"Take us to capture a human pet?"

The Tiger King commanded the old beggar with authority.

"Ah?"

The old beggar thought he had misheard— a cat ordering him to lead the way to capture a human pet was something he dared not even imagine.

"Don't hit, don't hit—I'll show the way."

The old beggar let out a sharp scream. (End of chapter)