Chapter 512: Passing Through the Eyes of the Mighty

Why would the Underworld Deer appear here?

Hua Hua Changxi speculated secretly in her heart; could it be because it sensed the aura of the Underworld Blade?

Does the Underworld Blade have the aura of the "Underworld Great Dao"?

Thinking this, she tentatively raised her hand and pointed to the east: "The Underworld Blade went that way."

Uh...

The Underworld Deer didn't move, just watched Hua Hua Changxi quietly.

Seeing it didn't react, Hua Hua Changxi felt somewhat suspicious and uneasy. It wasn't here for the Underworld Blade, and now it was staring at her—it couldn't have manifested for her sake, could it?

Once the thought emerged, she shook her head and denied it herself.

She was a human, after all; even if she had the aura of the Great Dao on her, she walked the Human Great Dao, which had nothing to do with the Nine Nethers.

Suddenly, Hua Hua Changxi's eyes brightened, and she had a guess—could the Underworld Deer have been attracted by the *Soul Ballad*?

To verify this idea, she took out a soul bamboo leaf and placed it to her lips.

The next moment, the ethereal and graceful soul melody rang out.

Then, Hua Hua Changxi saw joy surging in the Underworld Deer's eyes, which were as vast as the starry sky. It lifted its head slightly, and the deep blue halo around its body pulsed gently with the melody.

There, it really was attracted by the *Soul Ballad*.

It truly is the heavenly music of the Nine Nethers; it seems every living creature likes it.

After confirming the reason for the Underworld Deer's appearance, Hua Hua Changxi lowered the soul bamboo leaf and looked up to examine this legendary creature carefully.

The Underworld Deer, as an "auspicious" existence of the Nine Nethers, also possesses great supernatural powers, always coming and going without a trace, traveling ten thousand miles in an instant, and can quickly shuttle through various parts of the Nine Nethers.

Without the Underworld Blade, her greatest reliance for traveling the Nine Nethers was gone. This place was fraught with danger, and she had no heart to linger.

However, the Nine Nethers are vast, and she couldn't expose her human aura, so she couldn't use the Somersault Cloud and had to rely on her own two feet, which limited her speed.

By the time she returned from the fifth layer to the first layer and then crossed most of the Nine Nether territory to reach the Demon Prison area, who knows how long it would be.

By then, whether she could still make it to the Nine Passes Auction, only Heaven knows.

Hua Hua Changxi looked at the Underworld Deer, and a bold idea gradually emerged—could she let this Underworld Deer take her away from here and back to the first layer of the Nine Nethers?

"Ahem~"

Hua Hua Changxi cleared her throat and looked at the Underworld Deer: "Do you want to hear the *Soul Ballad*?"

The Underworld Deer, which had been unresponsive, nodded.

Seeing this, Hua Hua Changxi felt a surge of joy, but she remained calm on the surface: "I can play the *Soul Ballad* for you, but in exchange, you must take me away from here and back to the first layer of the Nine Nethers."

She paused, her expression serious and firm.

"If you think that's acceptable, nod; if not, then leave. I won't play the *Soul Ballad* for you for free."

The Underworld Deer did not respond immediately, hesitation appearing in its eyes. After a good while, it nodded in agreement.

Immediately after, it bent its front hooves, lowering its nearly two-meter-tall body.

Seeing this, Hua Hua Changxi was stunned and confirmed: "Are you asking me to ride on your back?"

The Underworld Deer nodded again.

Hua Hua Changxi was happy at first, then somewhat worried.

Although the *Soul Canon* clearly records that the Underworld Deer never initiates attacks and is the gentlest creature in the Nine Nethers.

However, this was her first time interacting with an Underworld Deer, so she was still somewhat uneasy.

But, sensing that the aura of this Underworld Deer was not particularly strong, she felt she had the power to protect herself if anything happened midway, so she no longer hesitated, walked toward the Underworld Deer, and sat sideways on its back.

The next moment, her view suddenly rose.

The Underworld Deer's four hooves tapped the void, rising into the high sky, walking through the air.

Hua Hua Changxi looked down, seeing layers of dreamlike deep blue light rippling beneath the Underworld Deer's feet, as if it were walking on a flowing galaxy, every step in harmony with some profound rhythm.

In just a short while, the outline of the Soul Nightmare Valley was left a hundred miles behind, turning into a blurred black shadow on the horizon.

Seeing the Underworld Deer's speed was so fast, Hua Hua Changxi felt her decision was correct, so she immediately took out the soul bamboo leaf and began to play the *Soul Ballad* softly.

Once the music started, she clearly felt the Underworld Deer's pace become lighter, and the deep blue halo around its body flowed gently with the melody, as if immersed in joy.

Just like that, the figures of one person and one deer traveled rapidly through the high sky of the fifth layer of the Nine Nethers, leaving behind only a faint deep blue trail and the lingering echoes of the soul melody.

On the way, to save soul power, Hua Hua Changxi constantly adjusted her way of playing.

After some experimentation, she was pleasantly surprised to find that even without the soul bamboo leaf as a medium, just by humming with her lips, the Underworld Deer could still accept the *Soul Ballad*.

Thus, for the rest of the journey, Hua Hua Changxi only hummed the *Soul Ballad*.

This method of low humming, without the penetrating power of the soul bamboo leaf, only ensured the Underworld Deer could hear it, saving soul power while not attracting the attention of others.

【Realm: Nascent Soul Realm 9.99 billion/1 billion; Divine Sense: 5 billion points】

Playing the *Soul Ballad* for the Nightmare Tapir in the Soul Nightmare Valley had consumed half of Hua Hua Changxi's soul power.

The Underworld Deer walked through the air, accurately avoiding the various tribes of the Nine Nethers. Seeing there was no danger, Hua Hua Changxi took out the Luminous Cup and began to absorb Soul River water to replenish her soul power.

The Underworld Deer sensed the soul power fluctuations and tilted its head to look at Hua Hua Changxi and the Luminous Cup in her hand.

Seeing this, to ensure a smooth journey ahead, Hua Hua Changxi asked with a smile: "Do you want to drink some?"

The Underworld Deer nodded.

Hua Hua Changxi immediately waved a ton of Soul River water, injecting it directly into the Underworld Deer's wide-open mouth.

"Alright, now that you've drunk the Soul River water, it's time to speed up."

The Underworld Deer drank the Soul River water, joy appearing in its eyes again. Hearing Hua Hua Changxi's words, it immediately continued on its way, its speed faster than before.

【Realm: Nascent Soul Realm 9.99 billion/1 billion; Divine Sense: 10 billion points】

After her soul power recovered to 10 billion points, Hua Hua Changxi could no longer absorb Soul River water.

It seems the capacity for soul power is ultimately severely limited by physical strength and realm; the Nine-Aperture Exquisite Soul Heart Fruit is of no use for this.

However, when she carefully sensed her current soul body, she was stunned.

The soul body, which had been somewhat airy, was now solidified to a shocking degree.

If the previous soul body was like trembling jelly that could easily be scattered, now it had transformed into something with extreme toughness and dense texture, like silicone, revealing an unprecedented resilience and weight.

"It really did undergo a qualitative change!"

Hua Hua Changxi tried to expand her divine sense again, and then she knew how sensitive she was to soul power fluctuations now.

Everything within the area covered by her divine sense was revealed in minute detail.

Even a wisp of dust kicked up by a passing cold wind could not escape her capture, as clear as if it were happening right before her eyes.

"Have you heard? The Underworld Blade has appeared and fallen into the hands of a mysterious Ghost Clan member, who is on a killing spree at the fourth layer abyss entrance with the Underworld Blade."

"How could I not have heard? Because of this, the Ghost Realm Fortress directly dispatched ten Ghost Marshals to the fifth layer to search for that mysterious Ghost Clan member."

"Now, not only is the Ghost Clan looking for that fellow, but other forces are too. If it weren't for the fact that the powerhouses of all races have gone to compete for the Nine Nether Soul Realm key, they might have gone to look for it themselves."

The blurry whispers drifted into the area covered by Hua Hua Changxi's divine sense and were immediately captured by her.

Hua Hua Changxi knew she had caused quite a stir at the fourth layer abyss entrance and was now a target for all the tribes of the Nine Nethers, which annoyed her to no end.

After pondering for a while, she took out the soul bead she had obtained earlier and embedded it into the array slot of the Follow-Heart Mask.

In an instant, her aura changed abruptly, transforming into a female Soul Clan cultivator. The black dress on her body also faded away, replaced by a plain white long dress.

The Underworld Deer sensed the change in her aura, paused slightly, tilted its head to look at her, then quickly withdrew its gaze and continued on its way.

"Boom~"

A deafening roar of battle suddenly came from afar.

The Nine Nethers are filled with mist, making it difficult to distinguish direction. After moving away from the Soul Nightmare Valley, Hua Hua Changxi lost her sense of direction.

It wasn't until this moment, seeing the massive and hideous body of the Nightmare Tapir in the high sky in the distance, that she realized the Underworld Deer had been heading east all along.

Several powerful figures were fighting the Nightmare Tapir for the Underworld Blade.

Seeing this, Hua Hua Changxi hurriedly patted the Underworld Deer's back: "The people over there are fighting for the Underworld Blade; don't get close."

The Underworld Deer seemed somewhat unwilling; it wanted to go to the Hua Minghe Waterfall. The Hua Minghe Waterfall, falling from the first layer of the Nine Nethers all the way to the ninth, is the fastest path back to the first layer.

Hua Hua Changxi sensed its emotions: "Do you want to drink some more Soul River water?"

The Underworld Deer nodded.

Hua Hua Changxi gave it another ton: "I'm not in a hurry; let's take a detour and avoid that battlefield."

After drinking the Soul River water, although the Underworld Deer was still unwilling, it finally deviated from its original direction.

Seeing this, Hua Hua Changxi had just relaxed when she discovered the Underworld Deer had only deviated a little bit.

Before, it was heading straight for the battlefield; now, it was passing by the periphery of the battlefield.

"What is that?"

"Is that an Underworld Deer?"

The Underworld Deer, the legendary Dao Envoy of the Nine Nethers, is an auspicious omen that all Nine Nether creatures dream of seeing.

When that deep blue figure appeared on the horizon, the powerhouses who had been fighting for the Underworld Blade stopped fighting simultaneously.

They all looked up, their eyes filled with obsession and awe, staring blankly at the figure walking through the air, as if they had forgotten even how to breathe.

In the high sky, being watched by several Nine Nether King Realm powerhouses, Hua Hua Changxi felt her scalp tingle.

Fortunately, the Underworld Deer was very fast, and in the blink of an eye, it was far away from the battlefield.

"Did this King's eyes deceive me? Was there something riding on the back of the Underworld Deer?"

No one responded.

Only the Nightmare Tapir's eyes revealed a look of confusion.

It seemed to smell a familiar soul aura; was it that human?

It shouldn't be, right?

The Underworld Blade falling into human hands was already incredible enough; if the Underworld Deer were also brought out by a human, then it would have to doubt its own judgment—that the human was not a human, but a Nine Nether creature.

"Hoo~"

Only after the figures of the Nightmare Tapir and other Nine Nether powerhouses could no longer be seen did Hua Hua Changxi let out a fierce sigh of relief.

Against one Nightmare Tapir, she still had the power to protect herself, but against multiple Nine Nether powerhouses on par with the Nightmare Tapir, she would be helpless.

However, before Hua Hua Changxi's heart could fully settle, violent battle sounds came from ahead.

The massive roar made the clouds surge; the commotion was even more intense than the battle between the Nightmare Tapir and those other powerhouses.

"Don't go over there."

Hua Hua Changxi urged the Underworld Deer to stop, but this time, the Underworld Deer had no intention of listening.

Soon, the scene of various Nine Nether forces fighting fiercely appeared in the sight of the person and the deer.

In the center of the battle, a small group of deep blue light was hovering.

No need to ask, that thing was the object of contention for all parties—the key to the Nine Nether Soul Realm, the Underworld Fire Match.

Hua Hua Changxi scanned the battlefield hurriedly.

The Hua Minghe Clan, Blood Sea Clan, Yellow Springs Clan, Demon Clan, Soul Clan, Demon Clan, and some scattered forces...

Good heavens, almost all the major forces of the Nine Nethers were gathered here.

At the same time, the various Nine Nether forces in the fierce battle also noticed the deep blue figure approaching rapidly in the sky.

"That is..."

"The Underworld Deer?"

The various forces in the battle stopped their hands almost at the same time and looked at the sky together.

Having been stared at by several powerhouses before, Hua Hua Changxi was already struggling to cope; this time it was even more serious, with all the Nine Nether tribes present.

In such a situation, she really wanted to jump off the Underworld Deer's back and just run away.

But she didn't do so.

Not because she was fearless, but because she knew why the Underworld Deer had come here.

Directly east of the battlefield, a deep green waterfall hung—the Hua Minghe Waterfall.

The Hua Minghe Waterfall falls directly from the first layer of the Nine Nethers to the ninth.

To return to the first layer of the Nine Nethers, taking the Hua Minghe Waterfall is undoubtedly the fastest path.

Completely different from Hua Hua Changxi's uneasy state of mind, the Underworld Deer's pace was always calm and steady. In its eyes, there was only that deep green Hua Minghe Waterfall; as for the others, it didn't care at all.

Thus, in this tense and deadlocked moment, this touch of deep blue seemed so out of place.

It came walking through the air, neither fast nor slow.

There was no earth-shattering momentum, only a sense of transcendence that seemed to be outside the slaughter.

There were restrictions around the Hua Minghe Waterfall, making it impossible to fly, so the Underworld Deer carried Hua Hua Changxi and slowly descended from the high sky to the ground, preparing to cross the battlefield and walk toward the Hua Minghe Waterfall.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

All Nine Nether creatures were stunned in place.

Only Hua Hua Changxi was scared to death.

Although Nine Nether creatures wouldn't attack the Underworld Deer, she was an "alien."

Thinking that the *Soul Ballad* could soothe restless souls, Hua Hua Changxi immediately took out the soul bamboo leaf and began to play the *Soul Ballad*.

This time, she didn't save soul power, striving to let all Nine Nether creatures be bathed in the *Soul Ballad*.

Please don't make a move; she just wanted to pass through.

At first, the gaze of all Nine Nether forces was focused on the Underworld Deer, until the *Soul Ballad* rang out, and everyone's gaze fell on the white figure on the deer's back.

"The *Soul Ballad*..."

The various forces of the Nine Nethers were shaken again; the rarity of the *Soul Ballad* is no less than seeing the Underworld Deer!

"The Soul Clan..."

Looking at Hua Hua Changxi, who had the aura of the Soul Clan on the Underworld Deer's back, the Soul Clan cultivators present were all shocked.

When did the Soul Clan produce a genius who could play the *Soul Ballad*, and why didn't they know about it?

For the rest of the time, the entire battlefield fell into a strange, dead silence.

The Underworld Deer's pace was neither fast nor slow, carrying a strange rhythm. The deep blue halo beneath its feet complemented the deep green light of the Hua Minghe Waterfall, forming an indescribable harmony.

Just like that, carrying Hua Hua Changxi, it passed through the middle of the battlefield under everyone's gaze.

Hua Hua Changxi sat upright on the deer's back, and although her heart was pounding, the *Soul Ballad* played smoothly and gracefully.

Her white clothes fluttered gently in the cold wind of the Nine Nethers, forming the strongest contrast with the eerie environment around her.

Soon, the Underworld Deer carried Hua Hua Changxi through the battlefield.

The whole process took only a few dozen breaths, but it felt as long as a century. ===== CHAPTER 513 =====