Chapter 511: Envoy of the Nine Netherworlds — The Netherworld Deer

A clear and soaring soul melody flowed through the grove of soul bamboo, like celestial music from the nine heavens, cleansing this land of its violence and deathly silence.

The massive body of the Nightmare Tapir rose and fell slowly; its huge eyes, once filled with bloodlust and cruelty, were now half-closed, revealing an expression of near-obsessive intoxication.

Its thick elephantine trunk swayed gently with the melody, as if even its indestructible scaled armor had softened slightly under this tender tune.

When the song ended, the lingering notes curled around the bamboo tips, faint and ethereal.

The Nightmare Tapir opened its eyes, and the intoxication within them vanished in an instant, replaced by an even more intense greed.

"Continue..."

The Nightmare Tapir's voice was hoarse and rough, brooking no refusal.

Hua Changxi did not comply; although the soul melody brought comfort to her mind, it consumed a significant amount of soul power.

Since her spiritual platform had not yet opened, her soul power was inherently weak, making it impossible for her to play for extended periods.

Furthermore, the dense look of a predator eyeing its prey surging in the Nightmare Tapir's eyes set off loud alarm bells in her heart.

"Senior, the timing hourglass has already flipped three times..."

Hua Changxi attempted to stall, while quietly gathering strength in her legs.

"So verbose!"

The Nightmare Tapir had clearly lost its patience; its huge rhinoceros-like eyes suddenly contracted, and a suffocating pressure erupted explosively.

Immediately, a beam of dark and bizarre nether-light shot forth, condensing rapidly in mid-air into a white rune shaped like a hoop.

Sinister patterns circulated on the surface of the rune, emitting a binding aura that made one's soul tremble with fear.

Having read the "Soul Canon," Hua Changxi instantly recognized the white rune—the Soul-Locking Hoop!

Once the Soul-Locking Hoop struck a living being's sea of consciousness, it could forcibly bind the soul, turning the enslaved into a puppet forever unable to rise again, forced to obey every command.

Hua Changxi was terrified, but suppressed by the Nightmare Tapir's pressure and faced with the hoop's blinding speed, she had no way to dodge; she could only watch helplessly as the Soul-Locking Hoop plunged into her brow.

"Boom~"

The moment the Soul-Locking Hoop entered her sea of consciousness, Hua Changxi felt as though her brain were about to explode.

Within the sea of consciousness, the Shennong Cauldron appeared out of nowhere; ancient patterns circulated along its body, emitting a heavy pressure capable of suppressing eternity, pinning the rampaging Soul-Locking Hoop firmly in the center of her sea of consciousness, rendering it immobile.

Simultaneously, the tokens of the six blessed lands of the cave heavens suddenly lit up, their fiery light weaving into a circle that completely surrounded the Soul-Locking Hoop.

In an instant, flames shot skyward within the sea of consciousness; blazing fires burned fiercely, joining forces to incinerate and refine the Soul-Locking Hoop.

"Crack!"

Under the combined resistance of the Shennong Cauldron and the six tokens, the Soul-Locking Seal shattered like fragile glass, exploding into countless points of light.

"Ugh~"

The Nightmare Tapir let out a painful groan, its massive body trembling violently; at the same time, soul power surged around it with abnormal fluctuations.

This was the sign of a severe backlash to the soul.

The Nightmare Tapir's face was filled with incredulous horror as it stared fixedly at the weak human before it: "How is this possible?!"

It was a peak-stage Demon King, merely one step away from entering the Emperor realm and overlooking the Nine Netherworlds!

Yet this human before it possessed a cultivation of merely the General realm, separated from it by a chasm of two major realms; under such an absolute disparity in strength, its attempt to lock the soul had actually failed!

The look in the Nightmare Tapir's eyes changed; the previous casualness and mockery vanished completely, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness.

This human's background seemed somewhat extraordinary!

When the Soul-Locking Hoop shattered, it had vaguely sensed a terrifying power capable of incinerating all things and refining heaven and earth, a power that made it tremble instinctively.

While the Nightmare Tapir was still reeling from shock and confusion, its eyelids twitched again the next moment.

After realizing she had nearly become a puppet, a towering rage surged in Hua Changxi's heart, and she immediately summoned the black broken blade.

However, she did not charge directly at the Nightmare Tapir.

The aura of this Nightmare Tapir was far stronger than that of Lady Chi Meng; back when she killed Lady Chi Meng, she had been in grave danger, and if not for luck being on her side, she might not have succeeded.

Now facing an even stronger Nightmare Tapir, if they truly fought, she would most likely suffer a defeat.

As for the Nightmare Tapir, upon seeing the black broken blade, its brief shock gave way to an expression of speechlessness.

The number one vicious weapon of the Nine Netherworlds—the Netherworld Blade—had actually fallen into the hands of a human!

"Leave the blade, and I will let you go."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi's brows immediately knitted together, making no effort to hide her refusal.

Yes, the Nightmare Tapir was very powerful.

But she was not truly helpless.

Being in the fifth layer of the Nine Netherworlds, she simply did not wish to expose her human aura; if she truly unleashed her full physical strength, killing this Nightmare Tapir was not impossible.

"What if I refuse?"

The Nightmare Tapir had not expected Hua Changxi to reject it; ferocious energy immediately surged around it: "Do you seek death?"

Hua Changxi looked at it without fear: "A Nine Netherworld beast of the King realm wants to kill me? You do not have that capability."

The Nightmare Tapir was stunned; it had never seen such an arrogant creature before, leaving it so speechless it did not know what to say.

Although Hua Changxi's words were stiff, she did not truly intend to fight the Nightmare Tapir, so she softened her tone slightly: "Three songs for three fruits; this was a transaction initiated by you, Senior."

"Now that the song has ended and our paths diverge, as a King-realm expert, you surely will not break your word; I shall not disturb you further."

"Hmph, think you can leave?"

The Nightmare Tapir snorted, its huge eyes shifting: "I set the terms of the transaction, and I can honor them. But those three fruits purchased the Soul Ballad; what I desire now is the blade in your hand."

"This blade is my life-saving treasure; I will not give it," Hua Changxi replied decisively.

"You will not give it?"

Evil qi churned around the Nightmare Tapir, and its massive pressure descended once more, bending the surrounding soul bamboo east and west: "On my territory, there has never been anything I desire that I could not obtain."

"If you insist on refusing, then leave your life behind; I will take the blade regardless!"

Hua Changxi detested being threatened most of all; instantly, the absolute power belonging to her physical body began to stir faintly within her as she stared unyieldingly into the Nightmare Tapir's eyes.

"If you, Senior, are determined to fight, then let us try. Though my cultivation falls short of yours, if I resolve to drag us both down in mutual destruction, you will likely lose a layer of skin as well."

The Nightmare Tapir narrowed its huge eyes, vaguely sensing a shift in Hua Changxi's aura, and that instinctive tremor of dread surged into its heart once more.

For a moment, both sides remained locked in a stalemate.

The air was thick with tension, as if a single spark could trigger an explosion.

After a long while, the ferocity in the Nightmare Tapir's eyes gradually receded, replaced by shrewd calculation; it gazed deeply at Hua Changxi and said in a heavy voice, "Human, you are indeed tough."

Hua Changxi remained silent, quietly waiting for what followed.

"The Netherworld Blade, this King must have."

"Of course, this King does not take without giving."

"In addition to the three Nine-Aperture Exquisite Soul-Heart Fruits from before, this King will give you two more in exchange for your blade."

"Do not rush to refuse; that blade is a vicious weapon of the Nine Netherworlds, even more 'ferocious' than the Ghost Clan's soul-summoning banner. You, a human, wielding it—are you not afraid your own people will label you a demonic cultivator?"

These words indeed struck Hua Changxi's heart.

She had long sensed the 'ferocity' and 'evil' of the black broken blade; moreover, the blade would ignite and fuel the black flames, making it unsuitable for her use and unpleasant to her liking.

Exchanging the black broken blade for Nine-Aperture Exquisite Soul-Heart Fruits did not seem entirely impossible...

Hua Changxi looked at the Nightmare Tapir, weighing the options repeatedly; she truly did not wish to fight it to the death.

This was the Nine Netherworlds; it was better to keep a low profile.

In the flash of lightning and spark of flint, Hua Changxi made her decision, letting a trace of perfectly measured struggle and reluctance appear on her face: "Two are too few; at least... ten."

Seeing her demand as greedy as a lion's, the Nightmare Tapir sucked in a sharp breath: "Human, you are too greedy!"

Hua Changxi replied, "The Netherworld Blade was not easy for me to obtain."

The Nightmare Tapir rolled its eyes; she spoke as if the Nine-Aperture Exquisite Soul-Heart Fruits were easy to come by.

Back when it had fallen into the Soul River, it had nearly died there; although it was lucky enough to encounter the Soul-Heart Fruit tree, even now its heart still trembled with lingering fear.

"Ten is impossible; at most... five."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi paused, wondering how many Nine-Aperture Exquisite Soul-Heart Fruits this Nightmare Tapir actually held; it seemed these fruits were not so precious after all.

"Five... is too few; at least nine."

"Nine is too many; six, and no more."

"Fine, I will concede a step: eight, and no less."

"Seven; this King gives you seven. No more bargaining, or we fight immediately."

With that, the Nightmare Tapir waved its front paw, and seven fruits, radiating holy soul light and shaped like miniature hearts, appeared out of thin air, hovering above its palm.

"Human, do not be too greedy; the Soul-Heart Fruits work best upon the first consumption. The second yields half the effect, and thereafter, the effect is nearly zero, merely quenching thirst."

Hua Changxi still seemed somewhat dissatisfied.

Seeing this, the Nightmare Tapir hurriedly urged, "No more nonsense; fruits for the blade, hand to hand."

Hua Changxi did not move: "Given your previous act of reneging, I do not trust you."

The Nightmare Tapir grew extremely impatient: "What do you want?"

Hua Changxi said, "Give me the fruits first, and I will hand over the Netherworld Blade only after I have left the Soul-Nightmare Valley."

"With your powerful strength, Senior, you surely need not worry that I could escape from your grasp, correct?"

The Nightmare Tapir indeed did not believe Hua Changxi could escape its clutches; it waved its paw and handed the fruits to her.

After stowing the fruits, Hua Changxi without hesitation sped swiftly toward the exit of the Soul-Nightmare Valley.

Seeing that the Nightmare Tapir did not pursue, she felt somewhat surprised.

That was until, upon reaching the valley mouth, she discovered the Nightmare Tapir had already been waiting there silently.

Hua Changxi's eyelid twitched; without hesitation, she flung the black broken blade high into the sky.

To lure the Nightmare Tapir away and facilitate her escape, she even reluctantly released a wisp of her physical body's energy.

"Whoosh~"

Seeing the black broken blade streak across the sky like a meteor, the Nightmare Tapir flew into a rage; forgetting to trouble Hua Changxi, it flashed forward and chased after the blade.

Only after the Nightmare Tapir's figure vanished did the tightly drawn strings in Hua Changxi's heart loosen slightly; daring not to delay even a moment, she gathered her qi and darted toward the valley exit.

However, just as her figure rushed out of the valley mouth, her steps abruptly halted.

There, standing quietly ahead, was a magnificent blue deer of extraordinary bearing.

Its body was wreathed in a dreamlike, ethereal azure glow, with nine mysterious patterns faintly visible on its fur, as if bearing the earth veins of the Nine Netherworlds.

A Nine-Pattern Deer!

This deer, also called the Netherworld Deer, is known in legend as the Envoy of the Nine Netherworlds, holding a status equivalent to that of an auspicious beast in the mortal realm.

It is said that the Netherworld Deer never appears voluntarily; it manifests only when it senses that 'someone in the Nine Netherworlds has walked out of the Netherworld Path.'