Chapter 683: Female Captive and Short-Range Teleportation Arrays!

BOOM BOOM BOOM—

High in the sky the Nine Nether Hound’s body rippled with dark energy as it streaked through the air like a shooting star, enduring attacks from both the Beast Taming Ring and Shadow while fleeing toward Bihu Mountain.

“ROAR!!!”

Facing Shadow’s relentless pursuit the Nine Nether Hound let out a fierce howl. The vertical pupil on its forehead glowed with a cold cruel light shooting out a beam that seemed to come straight from the Nine Nether Hell.

“Poof!”

Shadow hastily activated her protective shield which shattered instantly. The dark soft armor beneath her cloak gleamed with crystalline light forcing her to retreat repeatedly while activating a third-grade talisman to neutralize the divine ability.

“This beast can still use its innate divine abilities even under the Beast Taming Ring’s suppression. Its combat power must rival the Holy Maiden’s Sky Wolf!”

Shadow was deeply shocked but continued channeling the Beast Taming Ring to pursue the Nine Nether Hound.

The intense chase between human and beast created such a commotion that it terrified all the cultivators and family forces who witnessed it.

“Those are Core Formation cultivators battling…”

“Why would Core Formation cultivators be fighting here?”

“That looks like the Talisman Lu Family’s guardian spirit beast Nine Nether.”

“Who would dare to challenge the Talisman Lu Family?”

“A Core Formation master is hunting the Talisman Lu Family’s spirit beast!”

No one dared to interfere in a battle of this level but some watched from afar recognizing the Nine Nether Hound’s pitch-black muscular body and fierce wolf head.

Shadow grew increasingly anxious watching the stubborn beast continue its escape.

At this rate the beast would make it back to Bihu Mountain.

When that happened she’d not only fail her mission but face pursuit from both the Talisman Lu Family and Azure Cloud Sect.

Making a swift decision she formed hand seals. A soul-piercing cat’s cry rang out from within her body as streams of dark mist emerged transforming her into a ghostly figure that seemed to exist between the mortal realm and the netherworld.

“Whoosh!”

Shadow’s speed suddenly increased as she turned into a blur charging at the Nine Nether Hound. Her sharp claws slashed out several dark blade-like crescents of nether energy.

The dark energy barrier flowing around the Nine Nether Hound’s body grew dim and shattered leaving wounds and bloodstains.

Just then the Nine Nether Hound let out a low growl. Warning bells rang in Shadow’s mind as she suddenly sensed dangerous energy.

She warily scanned the surroundings and spotted a tiny black dot rapidly approaching from the distant horizon.

“Not good!”

Though she didn’t know who was coming being a demonic cultivator from Liang Kingdom in Azure Cloud Sect’s territory of Jiang Kingdom meant anyone she encountered would be extremely dangerous.

Her keen senses told her the approaching figure was heading straight for her.

“Time to leave!”

Shadow made a quick decision abandoning the mission to report back to the Holy Maiden about the Nine Nether Hound.

Given this Moon Shadow Wolf’s impressive performance the Holy Maiden would forgive her failure.

However just as she withdrew control of the Beast Taming Ring the Nine Nether Hound let out a mountain-shaking roar. Dark sound waves erupted from between its fangs while the vertical pupil on its forehead seemed to fully open glowing cold and blood-red.

Crimson beams of light burst forth like soul-binding chains from the Nine Nether Hell sealing off Shadow’s surroundings.

At the same time its pitch-black dragon-headed tail lashed out like a roaring flood dragon lunging to bite her.

“This is bad!”

Seeing this Shadow’s body flowed with pitch-black mist transforming her into a netherworld cat demon as she attempted to phase through the binding chains’ lockdown.

However the Nine Nether Eye was the Nine Nether Hound’s innate divine ability. Not only could it kill invisibly it could also seal off space and imprison others.

Even though Shadow could transform into a shadowy form capable of bypassing many magical restrictions she couldn’t instantly penetrate this one.

Meanwhile the black dot in the distance drew closer.

It was a tall imposing man whose presence radiated overwhelming power.

He looked at Shadow without hesitation raised his fist and arched his back like a full moon bow.

Dragon and tiger images coiled around his arm then like a divine god he threw his punch.

“ROAR ROAR ROAR!!!”

Dragons and tigers intertwined as the punch force tore through layers of space carrying unimaginable power straight toward Shadow.

Already affected by the Nine Nether Hound’s divine ability Shadow’s slender body wrapped in the black cloak flew back like a kite with cut strings under this punch.

In an instant dark red soul-binding chains wrapped around her limbs while the dragon-headed tail bit down hard on her neck trying to kill her.

“MEOW!”

A sharp cry of pain rang out.

The bound Shadow transformed into a netherworld cat demon dissolving into rolling black mist to forcefully break free from the restraints.

But the tall imposing figure stepped through space like a divine demon beating war drums his body breaking through space as another punch came crashing down.

Above his head a square bronze cauldron covered in complex patterns appeared making space itself tremble and seemingly freeze.

“Poof!!!”

The rolling black mist dispersed.

Shadow’s graceful figure beneath the black cloak wrapped in dark soft armor instantly curved like a shrimp.

Her willow-like slender waist seemed to snap as she flew backward slamming into the invisible barrier formed by the square cauldron coughing up blood.

“Who are you?”

Shadow coughed blood repeatedly steadying herself her eyes cold with fear.

If not for her armor being a Dao-Comprehending Artifact that punch would have done more than just seriously wound her.

Her Core Formation magical energy surged and roared as she burned her essence blood causing her aura to spike while preparing to use her final secret technique to struggle free.

But the Nine Nether Hound charged at her again its frost-cold fangs lunging for a bite.

“Little Black.”

The tall imposing figure was Lu Ping’an. He continued using the square cauldron to suppress Shadow signaling Little Black to show mercy and not kill her.

After all they needed to investigate why a Core Formation cultivator suddenly attacked their family.

As he threw another punch Shadow lost consciousness.

Before blacking out she still couldn’t figure out who Lu Ping’an was or where he came from.

If he was reinforcement from the Lu Family of Bihu Mountain besides Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoge where did they get another Core Formation cultivator with such amazing combat power?

Lu Ping’an stepped forward sealed Shadow’s Core Formation magical energy confiscated her Storage Ring then looked at the blood-covered Nine Nether Hound and said “Little Black how are you?”

He had a close relationship with the Nine Nether Hound having grown up together.

After returning with his father he’d immediately gone to White Tiger Mountain to visit Little Black.

“Roar.”

The Nine Nether Hound let out a low growl indicating it was fine.

Then it looked at the Beast Taming Ring which had fallen to the ground after losing its magical control.

“What kind of Dao-Comprehending Artifact is this?”

Lu Ping’an noticed how effectively the Beast Taming Ring suppressed the Nine Nether Hound.

After examining it for a moment he asked “How’s the situation at White Tiger Mountain?”

“This woman specifically targeted me.”

The Nine Nether Hound growled softly its eyes glowing with cold cruel light.

“Let’s head to White Tiger Mountain first.”

Lu Ping’an felt somewhat relieved. He placed Shadow inside the square cauldron cleaned up the battlefield then headed to White Tiger Mountain with the Nine Nether Hound.

There had been no witnesses to the recent commotion and he preferred to keep it that way.

Arriving at White Tiger Mountain seeing that only Lu Xuanyu was injured and about a dozen second-grade puppets were lost Lu Ping’an breathed a sigh of relief.

After all as long as everyone was safe that’s what mattered most.

He handed a precious healing pill to Lu Xuanyu telling him to rest and recover.

“Ping’an.”

Just as he was using the Sun-Moon Token to report to his aunt Lu Miaoyun a gentle peaceful vice sounded beside his ear.

Looking up he saw a tall graceful figure of extraordinary beauty surrounded by faint black and white light.

“Father!”

It was Lu Changsheng.

He had been at Azure Cloud Sect accompanying Xiao Xiyue.

He’d planned to finish accompanying Xiao Xiyue then visit Zhao Qingqing who had returned from the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range to nurture their relationship before returning to Bihu Mountain to visit his son Lu Qingyue.

But he received a message from his wife Lu Miaoyun.

Though he had confidence in his son Lu Ping’an and believed he could handle the situation after some thought he still decided to come check.

“Ping’an how’s the situation?”

Lu Changsheng looked at the Nine Nether Hound beside his son taking out a bottle of pills from his Storage Ring for it.

Earlier he’d obtained quite a few pills suitable for spirit beasts from True Lord Tiancang’s Storage Ring.

“Father it’s been resolved. White Tiger Mountain has no major problems.”

Lu Ping’an immediately replied then took Shadow out from the square cauldron and handed over the confiscated Storage Ring and Beast Taming Ring to Lu Changsheng.

“Hmm!?”

Lu Changsheng raised an eyebrow upon seeing the Beast Taming Ring and unconscious Shadow. He stepped forward and gripped her soft wrist.

As his divine sense and magical energy probed Lu Changsheng immediately saw a black cat coiled around the Golden Core in Shadow’s energy sea and dantian. His eyes narrowed as he said “So it is Beast God Mountain!”

Besides True Lord Tiancang he had also killed another Core Formation cultivator from Beast God Mountain—True Person Black Crow.

So when he saw Shadow he immediately sensed her energy was similar to those two with magical power mixed with both human and beast aura.

“Why would Beast God Mountain’s people come to cause trouble at White Tiger Mountain?”

Lu Changsheng frowned puzzled.

Though he had a grudge with Beast God Mountain that was trouble caused by Yangming Zhenren what did it have to do with the Lu Family of Bihu Mountain?

He looked at the Nine Nether Hound asking what happened.

“Roar!”

The Nine Nether Hound whined pitifully indicating it didn’t know either.

It had been sleeping peacefully when it suddenly sensed an unfamiliar malicious presence.

Then the person took out this golden ring trying to suppress and restrain it.

“If not for this golden ring this cat demon wouldn’t have been my match!”

As a third-grade demon king the Nine Nether Hound had its pride and growled adding this point.

“They came without warning?”

Lu Changsheng pondered examining the Beast Taming Ring in his hand.

As a third-grade artifact refiner he noticed this ring was similar to the beast-slaying artifacts he’d crafted before.

Its main effect was suppressing and restraining spirit beasts and it was a third-grade medium-quality Dao-Comprehending Artifact.

“I’m not blaming you.”

Lu Changsheng saw the Nine Nether Hound’s pitiful expression and patted its head with an amused smile then looked at Shadow.

His hand lifted the mask from her face.

She had a classic oval face with a pointed chin and graceful features giving off both an elegant and alluring impression.

Perhaps due to injuries from the battle her fair face was paper-white with blood still trickling from her naturally red lips.

Her eyes were tightly shut in unconsciousness but her exceptionally long eyelashes and small straight nose made her facial features more striking.

Overall she definitely qualified as a beauty!

However for Lu Changsheng who had seen countless fairy maidens and goddesses Shadow’s appearance could only be considered above average nothing particularly stunning.

“Hum!”

The Taiyi Spirit like a golden figure emerged from his sea of consciousness.

Raising its hand like an invisible tentacle it gripped Shadow’s consciousness and soul asking “Who are you? Are you from Beast God Mountain in Liang Kingdom?”

“Ugh”

Unlike many other cultivators Shadow showed remarkable resistance to Lu Changsheng’s Six Desire Heart Demon Technique. Her face showed signs of struggle as if about to wake.

“Interesting.”

Lu Changsheng noticed Shadow was no ordinary person.

Not only did her consciousness have soul restrictions but she had also been trained to resist soul searches.

“Ping’an do you have the Thousand-Faced Fox Puppet with you?”

When Lu Miaoyun messaged Lu Changshng she mentioned Lu Ping’an had brought the Thousand-Faced Fox Puppet for support.

Yet Lu Ping’an hadn’t used this third-grade puppet during the earlier battle.

“Yes Father.”

Lu Ping’an quickly took out the Thousand-Faced Fox Puppet from his Storage Ring.

“Su Rongrong.”

Lu Changsheng gestured to the Thousand-Faced Fox Puppet then took out a set of needle-shaped artifacts from his Storage Ring. Forming hand seals he inserted them into Shadow’s acupoints while continuing to use his Taiyi Spirit to cast the Six Desire Heart Demon Technique.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t forcefully search her soul.

Rather searching her soul without affecting her consciousness restrictions posed some difficulty.

“I am Shadow from Beast God Sect personal guard to the Holy Maiden of the Moon.”

Though Shadow’s paper-white face was full of struggle under Lu Changsheng and the Thousand-Faced Fox Puppet’s methods she slowly revealed her identity.

“Personal guard to the Holy Maiden of the Moon?”

Hearing this Lu Changsheng felt like a bolt of lightning struck his mind remembering something his son Lu Qingshan had told him years ago.

Little Black resembled the Holy Maiden of Beast God Mountain’s spirit pet the Moon Shadow Wolf.

“What was your purpose in coming to White Tiger Mountain?”

Lu Changsheng’s divine soul glowed brightly as he continued questioning.

However this question involved secrets in Shadow’s consciousness and soul. She spat blood unable to reveal anything.

“This woman is the Holy Maiden’s personal guard most likely acting on the Holy Maiden’s orders. That’s the only explanation for why she can’t reveal the related information.”

Lu Changsheng pondered changing his approach: “Why did you target Nine Nether?”

“This beast is a Moon Shadow Wolf bloodline atavism mutation useful to Holy Maiden.”

Shadow answered with empty soulless eyes.

“How did you learn about Nine Nether?”

Lu Changsheng asked very puzzled.

Though the Nine Nether Hound had shown itself at Five Elements Mountain after advancing to third grade.

Liang Kingdom was far from Jiang Kingdom and in recent years Liang Kingdom had been at war with Yue Kingdom how could they have time to care about a third-grade spirit beast?

Even if they heard about a beast with similar bloodline and appearance they wouldn’t send a Core Formation personal guard to verify and capture it.

After all the situation between the two countries was tense.

A Core Formation cultivator from Liang Kingdom crossing countries to infiltrate Jiang Kingdom was extremely dangerous one mistake could cost their life.

Risking a Core Formation personal guard on a thousand-mile journey for an unconfirmed beast clearly wasn’t worth it.

“Holy Maiden’s… orders…”

Shadow’s paper-white face twisted in struggle as she spat more blood.

Whenever it involved the so-called Holy Maiden trying to make her reveal related information was extremely difficult.

“How did this Holy Maiden of the Moon know about Nine Nether?”

“Is she this interested in all beasts related to the Moon Shadow Wolf? Or did Little Black’s rapid advancement to third grade attract attention?”

Lu Changsheng’s eyes narrowed as he pondered.

“Beast God Mountain you’ve troubled this old ancestor repeatedly now you’ve even hurt my spirit pet. It’s time to settle these accounts!”

After thinking for a moment looking at Shadow before him Lu Changsheng’s calm indifferent eyes flashed with a cold light as he gazed toward Liang Kingdom.

Years ago his daughter Lu Wangshu nearly died encountering Beast God Mountain’s True Person Black Crow.

This time he was ambushed in the Mirage Domain of Vast Sands by True Lord Tiancang and True Lord Mingsha ending up in a desperate situation.

Now Beast God Mountain’s Holy Maiden of the Moon had sent her personal guard to capture his spirit pet wounding Little Black. How could he not seek revenge for such grudges!

“Since this woman is the Holy Maiden of the Moon’s personal guard could we use her to lure out the Holy Maiden then use the Holy Maiden to draw out Tiancang or Beast God Mountain’s Grand Elder True Lord Nine Spirits?”

Lu Changsheng’s eyes grew cold.

With his current abilities as long as he set up an ambush in advance even a Nascent Soul True Lord would face disaster.

If he could find a way to kill Beast God Mountain’s Grand Elder True Lord Nine Spirits the entire Beast God Mountain would essentially exist in name only.

“However the urgent priority is still breaking through to fourth-grade body refinement!”

Lu Changsheng took a deep breath slowly exhaled and temporarily set aside this idea.

He decided to focus on breaking through to fourth-grade body refinement first and handle matters around him before considering this.

After erasing the magical power imprint on the Beast Taming Ring thinking of how Beast God Mountain’s cultivators merged beasts into themselves he tossed it forward letting it fall around Shadow’s slender neck then said to Lu Ping’an “Ping’an stay at White Tiger Mountain these days I’ll head back first.”

“Father don’t worry I’ll handle things here.”

Lu Ping’an had no objections.

“We need to make more preparations for spirit lands like White Tiger Mountain.”

After leaving White Tiger Mountain Lu Changsheng looked at the crystal-clear sky and sighed inwardly.

He had originally planned to station his son Lu Ping’an in the Immortal City of Damengze.

But this incident with the Nine Nether Hound served as a warning.

Their family was gradually attracting attention from Core Formation and Nascent Soul level forces facing many potential dangers.

Bihu Mountain and the Immortal City of Damengze were safe.

But spirit lands like White Tiger Mountain Flower Fruit Mountain and Crane Song Mountain could become vulnerable points.

“We should consider setting up short-range teleportation arrays…”

Years ago when Ling Zixiao studied and observed the Misty Dust Banner she had gained considerable insights into short-range teleportation arrays.

But since short-range teleportation arrays weren’t very significant and consumed many resources they hadn’t been set up.

This secret realm’s gains and potential dangers made Lu Changsheng think it was worth considering setting up several short-range teleportation arrays.

This way if White Tiger Mountain or Flower Fruit Mountain faced danger Bihu Mountain could provide immediate support.

And if Green Carp Island or Red Carp Island encountered problems the Immortal City of Damengze could respond immediately.