On the road, Chu Ya protected Mu Chen from behind, his sharp, eagle-like gaze sweeping in all directions. After a long while, he finally relaxed a little, feeling the faint killing intent begin to dissipate.
“Whoosh!”
Over a dozen figures appeared from various directions, surrounding Mu Chen and Chu Ya:
“Young Master, Elder Chu.”
“Little Mu, are you alright?”
Feeling that they were safe, Chu Ya turned to ask him.
Mu Chen smiled and shook his head:
“Luckily, Uncle Chu arrived in time to save me.”
“What happened? Su Ling brought news to the manor, so I immediately led men to Northern Spiritual City. Who were those people? Why did they try to assassinate you?”
Chu Ya’s face turned grim. Mu Chen was the Young Master of the Mu Territory, and those people actually had the audacity to directly attack him right here in Northern Spiritual City.
“They must have been men from the Liu Territory.”
Mu Chen replied indifferently.
“The Liu Territory?”
Chu Ya’s expression flickered, and he involuntarily showed a look of doubt:
“Although our Mu Territory isn’t on the best terms with the Liu Territory, we’ve always kept each other in check. Why would they….”
“Uncle Chu, let’s return to Mu City first, then we can talk. I messed up some of their good plans.”
Mu Chen smiled. The commotion just now wasn’t small, and he feared that men from the Northern Spiritual Academy would soon arrive to investigate. Although Mu Chen was certain those people were sent by the Liu Territory, he hadn’t captured any of them, so there was no evidence. Getting entangled with the Northern Spiritual Academy’s enforcement team would be pointless.
“Alright, let’s go!”
Hearing this, Chu Ya agreed, waving his hand to lead everyone, tightly protecting Mu Chen as they headed towards the city’s teleportation array. With Chu Ya and the Mu Territory soldiers, the rest of the journey was quite peaceful. It seemed the Liu Territory also knew better than to press their luck and temporarily backed off.
…
Mu City, Mu Manor’s inner courtyard.
“The Liu Territory dared to lay hands on Little Mu?”
In the living room, Mu Feng, who had been smiling cheerfully, shot up when he heard Chu Ya’s report, his resolute face turning cold as ice:
“What does the Liu Territory want? Do they want to completely turn hostile against my Mu Territory?”
“For now, they probably haven’t completely turned hostile. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have needed to invite Ji Zong to act, but were forced to do it themselves.”
Mu Chen analyzed meticulously.
“Ji Zong?”
Mu Feng’s expression changed, and Chu Ya beside him also frowned:
“He dared to attack you?”
“Yes, I originally fell into a spiritual array he set up, but I managed to break it, so he had no choice but to leave.”
Mu Chen confirmed.
“You broke his spiritual array?”
Mu Feng and Chu Ya exclaimed in surprise simultaneously, their eyes wide with shock and delight as they looked at Mu Chen. Ji Zong’s reputation in the Northern Spiritual Realm was top-tier. A rather troublesome Level 1 Spiritual Array Master, yet the spiritual array he set up was destroyed by that kid Mu Chen?
“I’m already at the late-stage Spiritual Movement Realm now, so is there really a need to be so surprised?”
Mu Chen looked at their startled expressions with dissatisfaction, then chuckled as he explained.
“Late-stage Spiritual Movement Realm?”
Mu Feng exclaimed in admiration once again. Although his son’s cultivation had been delayed by a year due to participating in the Spiritual Road, he hadn’t expected his talent to be so astonishing. He had already caught up with his peers.
“What’s so great about being at the late-stage Spiritual Movement Realm? If Ji Zong himself had fully unleashed his spiritual array, even a late-stage Spiritual Wheel Realm expert would find it difficult to deal with. How could your paltry skill break it?”
Mu Feng was secretly very pleased and satisfied, but he wouldn’t allow his son to act smug in front of him, so he chuckled, analyzed, and chided him all at once.
“Well, that Ji Zong fellow thought no differently than you, Dad, so I managed to exploit his weakness and break the array.”
Mu Chen scoffed, speaking nonchalantly.
“It seems Little Mu took advantage of Ji Zong’s carelessness. Such resourcefulness, truly impressive.”
Chu Ye praised with a smile.
"Is this kid really so praiseworthy?"
Mu Feng smiled, then couldn't help but burst into a triumphant laugh, his voice brimming with pride. He stood up and said:
"Why did those people from the Liu Territory attack you? And they chose Northern Spiritual City as the place to strike. If this gets out, the Northern Spiritual Academy will definitely pursue them to the end. Their style of doing things has never been so reckless. Moreover, the assessment to secure a spot in the Five Great Academies is about to take place; wouldn't it be utterly foolish for them to offend the Northern Spiritual Academy at such a time?"
"This story begins when the Blood Butcher Gang stole an item from a Liu Territory transport team, and they were then pursued all the way to the Northern Spiritual Field..."
Mu Chen began to recount the events he had encountered in the Northern Spiritual Field, then took out the Spatial Bracelet and said:
"I obtained this item, and they must have guessed it, fearing I would bring it back to the Mu Territory, which is why they had no choice but to act in Northern Spiritual City."
"Oh?"
Mu Feng and Chu Ye exchanged glances, their expressions both serious. The incident between the Blood Butcher Gang and the Liu Territory, given their intelligence networks, they must have known bits and pieces, but no one had paid too much attention to something not directly related to themselves. However, now it seemed the item that the Liu Territory considered very important was not simple at all.
"Although this Spatial Bracelet is quite valuable, it's not worth the Liu Territory acting like this."
Mu Feng smiled doubtfully at Mu Chen and said:
"Is there something else inside?"
Mu Chen nodded, clenched his hand, and an old bronze piece appeared in his palm:
"I think it's this, but I've checked it several times and haven't found anything special about it."
Mu Feng took the dilapidated bronze piece, his hand stroking its patterns, lost in thought for a moment. Then he flipped it over, and upon seeing the pattern of a giant black bird, his contemplative expression deepened even further.
"This thing... it's like..."
Mu Feng murmured, his pupils suddenly constricting:
"...like... the Nine Netherbird?"
"The Nine Netherbird? Impossible?!"
Chu Ye exclaimed in shock.
"The Nine Netherbird..."
Mu Chen quickly sifted through his knowledge, and suddenly his eyes lit up with astonishment, as he hastily blurted out:
"Is it the spirit beast ranked 11th on the Earthly Rankings of the Myriad Beast Record, the Nine Netherbird?"
"This form, it's very similar..."
Mu Feng nodded, lost in thought, his hand suddenly clenched, and a scorching fiery light condensed in his palm, transforming into a palm-sized firebird. The firebird's eyes were incredibly fierce, its wings like a dragon's, its talons sharper than knife points, its body covered in blazing fire scales, exuding an immensely mighty aura.
"Is this the spirit essence of the Blazing Dragon Eagle that Father refined?"
Mu Chen looked at the magnificent fire eagle with curious eagerness. It was truly a Heavenly Beast! Ranked 85th on the Earthly Rankings, far more powerful than the Golden Thunder Wolf and Stone Turtle Lion of the two academy deans.
The Blazing Dragon Eagle, manifested on Mu Feng's palm, gently approached the dilapidated bronze piece. When it saw the giant black bird pattern on the bronze piece, its terrifying eyes, which could send shivers down one's spine, suddenly became startled, and it hastily retreated, appearing extremely wary and apprehensive.
"To be able to make even the Blazing Dragon Eagle so afraid, it must certainly be the Nine Netherbird."
Mu Feng finally confirmed.
The Nine Netherbird, born in the netherworld. Its wings shroud mountains, its dark light can swallow sun and moon.
(*): The Nine Netherbird, born in dark places, its wings cover high mountains, its dark rays swallow the sun and moon.
A couplet describing the Nine Netherbird slowly drifted through Mu Chen's mind, making his heart tremble as he licked his lips. Such a powerful spirit beast was truly unimaginable.
– If it truly is a Nine Netherbird, then it’s no wonder the Liu Territory is determined to kill you. A Spirit Manifestation Realm expert who obtains the essence of a Nine Netherbird, I’m afraid their strength would undergo a terrifying transformation.
Mu Feng said with a sigh.
– But truly, for this Nine Netherbird, does the Liu Territory’s combat power even qualify to challenge it?
Mu Chen frowned; even if the Liu Territory mustered all its forces, it would be impossible to hunt it down.
– It must be thanks to this bronze piece.
Mu Feng gave a faint smile, when suddenly, a mighty surge of spiritual energy erupted, pouring into the bronze piece like a flood. Mu Chen had tried this before, but to no avail.
But just because Mu Chen failed didn’t mean Mu Feng would also fail. He was a true late-stage Spirit Manifestation Realm expert. Across the entire Northern Spiritual Realm, there were few who could contend with him.
As the mighty spiritual energy surged in, the previously still bronze piece began to stir, and a brilliant light burst forth from within it, forming a halo in mid-air.
Within that halo, there seemed to be an endless expanse of dark forest. Deep within the desolate wilderness, a colossal, pitch-black bird tilted its head back and let out a resounding cry, as darkness, engulfing heaven and earth, poured forth from its body, and wherever the darkness spread, light was swallowed whole.
The darkness grew thicker and thicker, eventually transforming into black flames that enveloped the bird, and its cries became increasingly mournful. Amidst the layers of black flames, the colossal bird’s body gradually shrank, and with a final whimper, it transformed into an oversized black egg, burrowing into the deepest part of the mountain forest.
The vision ended, revealing a complex path that looked like a map.
– It truly is a Nine Netherbird…
Mu Feng took a deep breath, steadying his emotions, but still couldn’t hide the look of shock on his face:
– This Nine Netherbird wanted to evolve, but unfortunately, it failed….
Mu Chen was stunned by what he heard. The Nine Netherbird was already incredibly powerful, ranked among the top of the Earth Rankings; if it had successfully evolved, wouldn’t it have entered the Heaven Rankings?
– It seems the Liu Territory truly has its eyes on the Nine Netherbird, we can’t let them have their way.
Zhou Ye said with a serious expression. If the Liu Territory obtains the Nine Netherbird, their strength will greatly increase, and with their ambition, I’m afraid they’ll no longer be patient with the Mu Territory.
– Then let’s seize it!
With a glint in his eyes, Mu Chen looked at the bronze piece and said as if it were nothing.
– Dad, where is that place? It looks quite familiar.
Hearing this, Mu Feng also chuckled softly, a sharp glint appearing in his eyes.
– Of course it looks familiar, because it’s right here in the Northern Spiritual Realm, it’s the Black Abyss…