Inside Nine Nether Palace, a Three-Year Promise

After entering Da Luo Territory,

Lu Chen followed behind Nine Nether, his feet stepping on floor tiles paved with white jade. Feeling the dense spiritual energy around him, he could not help sighing. "The spiritual energy here is truly dense. It's practically comparable to a natural Spirit Gathering Array. What a treasure land."

"After all, those who live in Da Luo Territory are Supreme Realm experts, along with their families and subordinates. Naturally, there must be abundant spiritual energy to win people over."

Nine Nether spoke casually, her tone filled with pride.

Lu Chen nodded, then asked, "Sister Nine Nether, where are we going first?"

"To take a look at my Nine Nether Palace. I wonder how they've been after all these years..."

Nine Nether gazed toward the northwest, a trace of nostalgia appearing in her eyes.

Lu Chen hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. With memories of his past life, he naturally knew Nine Nether Palace's current situation, but he could not say it aloud. He could only follow Nine Nether toward Nine Nether Palace.

Not long after,

The two arrived before a mountain that towered into the clouds. The mountain vaguely resembled a giant bird, its wings spread wide enough to blot out the sky and cover the sun.

At the very summit of the mountain stood a sprawling, majestic complex of palaces.

That was where Nine Nether Palace was located.

"Come on. I'll take you up."

Nine Nether looked at the palace complex, a smile appearing on her lovely face. Then she led Lu Chen and flew directly toward it.

Before the palace was a vast training ground. At this moment, two girls sat there cross-legged, cultivating.

One wore a black fitted training outfit, while the other wore light red robes. Both were beautiful and delicate, but what was most astonishing was that their faces were exactly alike. Clearly, they were a pair of twin sisters.

Yet among the twins, the girl in black looked somewhat colder, while the girl in light red seemed softer and more delicate. The same lovely faces paired with entirely different temperaments made them all the more captivating.

"Who's there?"

Suddenly, the girl in black snapped open her eyes. A sharp glint flashed through them as she stared toward the distant sky and shouted sternly.

"Hehe, Little Bing, your perception is getting better and better..."

A sweet laugh rang out. Then two figures descended before the palace—it was Nine Nether and Lu Chen.

"Sister Nine Nether..."

The girl in black stared blankly at Nine Nether as she floated down. The sharpness in her eyes instantly melted away, and her eyes reddened slightly.

Meanwhile, the frail girl in red beside her had already rushed forward, her beautiful large eyes as red as a rabbit's.

"Sister Nine Nether, you're finally back..."

Nine Nether held the girl in red, allowing her to cry in her embrace. Stroking her silky hair, she said gently, "It's all right. Your sister is back..."

Lu Chen sighed as he watched the scene.

He had also asked Nine Nether about the situation at Nine Nether Palace while they were on the road. He learned that the twins were orphans Nine Nether had adopted when they were young and were the people she cared about most in Da Luo Territory.

Back then, their family had been wiped out by an enemy clan during a war. If Nine Nether had not appeared and saved them, the sisters' fate would surely have been unbearable.

Thus, they had always regarded Nine Nether as their closest benefactor, while Nine Nether had always raised them as her dearest younger sisters.

"All right, Little Rou. You're already so grown up, yet you're still crying..."

"Where's Cao Feng? Didn't I have him assist you in managing Nine Nether Palace?"

After comforting the girl for a while, Nine Nether looked around with her beautiful eyes. Seemingly recalling something, she asked with a puzzled expression.

"That ungrateful Cao Feng saw that you hadn't returned for so long, Sister, and he already defected to the Blood Eagle King..."

At that moment, the black-clad girl, whose eyes were still slightly red, walked over and spoke through gritted teeth.

Nine Nether was stunned for a moment, then merely smiled. She did not seem particularly saddened by Cao Feng's betrayal.

After all, she clearly cared more deeply for the two sisters before her. Their continued perseverance brought her great comfort.

"Didn't Sister Nine Nether pull him out of a pile of corpses? What good would betraying her do him? And the Blood Eagle King even takes in such an ungrateful wretch?"

Lu Chen raised a brow, his tone cold.

"You are...?"

Hearing Lu Chen speak, the girl in black looked puzzled. Only then did she notice the frail man beside Nine Nether. His weak strength had made her assume he was merely another passerby Sister Nine Nether had rescued.

Now, however, that did not seem to be the case.

Seeing the suspicion in the black-clad girl's eyes, Lu Chen had no idea what she was thinking. He simply cupped his fists and said, "I am Lu Chen, from Hundred Spirit Continent. I have long heard that Da Luo Territory is filled with outstanding talents and countless prodigies. Having earned Sister Nine Nether's regard, I have come to join Nine Nether Palace."

"You want to join our Nine Nether Palace?"

The girl in red, Tang Rou, cried out in surprise. She stared at him in astonishment, her tone carrying a hint of disbelief.

"Is that not allowed?"

Lu Chen felt somewhat uncomfortable under her gaze and asked in confusion.

"But Nine Nether Palace isn't recruiting anymore..."

The black-clad girl, Tang Bing, blushed slightly as she spoke rather awkwardly.

Hearing this, Lu Chen turned to look at Nine Nether.

Nine Nether seemed to realize something, and her expression turned quite ugly. She asked in a deep voice, "What's going on, Little Bing?"

"We... have no money left..."

Under Nine Nether's questioning, Tang Bing awkwardly revealed Nine Nether Palace's current situation.

It turned out that after Nine Nether left, some people in Da Luo Territory began claiming that Nine Nether Palace did not live up to its name and could not become a true king-level force of Da Luo Territory.

So, some people jointly petitioned the Elders Council to dissolve Nine Nether Palace.

However, because the Sky Vulture Emperor supported Nine Nether Palace, the matter was ultimately dropped. Yet Nine Nether Palace's annual stipends had been reduced year after year.

Moreover, the territories under Nine Nether Palace's jurisdiction had been secretly annexed by the Various Kings. Its strength had steadily weakened, and now only a few thousand people remained in the palace. The strongest among them were the sisters Tang Bing and Tang Rou.

After listening to Tang Bing's account,

Nine Nether clenched her silver teeth, her lovely face filled with anger. Her full bosom rose and fell gently, showing how furious she was.

Lu Chen, on the other hand, remained calm. He said lightly, "The strong prey on the weak. The Great Thousand World has always been like this. Since they can seize what belongs to Nine Nether Palace, we can naturally seize what belongs to them."

"Wait for me for three years. Three years from now, I'll take you and reclaim everything we lost!"

Tang Bing and Tang Rou exchanged a look upon hearing this, both staring at the man in astonishment.

"Three years? You certainly have ambition..."

Nine Nether calmed herself and looked deeply at Lu Chen. She knew this youth was not boasting. With the Ancient Divine Technique and Eight Divine Meridians, he was already far from what he had once been. He was even qualified to join those superpowers overseen by Heavenly Supremes...

Yet he had still chosen to remain...

Nine Nether silently turned to the Tang sisters and changed the subject. "I forgot to introduce you. This is Lu Chen. I was only able to return safely after surviving my tribulation because of him."

Then Nine Nether pointed her slender jade finger at the two girls. "This is Tang Bing, and this is Tang Rou. I told you about them on the road. They are both my younger sisters..."

Lu Chen nodded to show that he understood.

When Tang Rou heard that Lu Chen had helped Nine Nether so greatly, she immediately gave him a grateful look. Tang Bing also looked at Lu Chen again, then nodded slightly at him, acknowledging his place in the Nine Nether Palace family.