Mu Chen: Everything Had Been Going My Way, So Why Did the Nine Netherbird Fly Away?!

"Father, Black Eerie Abyss is just ahead."

Standing atop a massive boulder, the black-clad youth gazed into the distance and said expectantly:

"The copper fragment we got from the Blood Slaughter Group recorded the black giant bird, the Nine Netherbird. It must be in there!"

After returning from the Spirit Road, Mu Chen had become the most dazzling figure in the entire Northern Spiritual Academy, and even the Northern Spiritual Realm.

Countless people had rushed to the Northern Spiritual Academy at the first opportunity to congratulate him.

The gifts they brought were exceptionally precious.

Such a grand occasion was rarely seen in the world.

Even Liu Domain, which had always been at odds with them, set aside its past grudges and sent people to offer congratulations.

There was no helping it.

For Northern Spiritual Academy to produce a genius who had entered the Spirit Road was already shocking enough.

And now, he had returned from the Spirit Road!

Not only had he returned completely unharmed, but he had also become a preselected disciple of the Five Great Academies under the title of a King-Sealing Prodigy of the Spirit Road.

His strength had also become incredibly formidable.

Three Heavens Realm!

Throughout all these years, Mu Chen had become the first Three Heavens Realm expert in the Northern Spiritual Realm!

One person alone would be enough to sweep through the entire Northern Spiritual Realm!

If it had been Zhao Chen, then the Northern Spiritual Realm would belong to him alone.

But Mu Chen had been placed on too high a pedestal.

Many things were no longer entirely up to him.

For example, destroying Liu Domain and unifying the Northern Spiritual Realm was something he could not do.

Once he did so, he would inevitably lose his reputation and be condemned by all.

Aside from Liu Domain, the other great domains, including Tang Domain, which was on very good terms with Mu Domain, would not allow it.

The current structure of nine domains in the Northern Spiritual Realm was already fine.

Whoever broke that balance first would inevitably become everyone else's common enemy.

Therefore, after Mu Chen had stumbled upon an opportunity to destroy the Blood Slaughter Group and obtain information about the Nine Netherbird, he immediately led Mu Domain's forces to Black Eerie Abyss.

He was also rather worried that if Liu Domain learned of this and captured the Nine Netherbird first, his advantage from being the first to reach the Three Heavens Realm would vanish completely.

People's hearts were separated by their bellies. He had no grand ambition of unifying the Northern Spiritual Realm.

But Liu Domain definitely harbored such ambitions.

Over the years, Liu Domain's constant attacks against Mu Domain were precisely because the latter had repeatedly obstructed its plans to unify the Northern Spiritual Realm.

Just because they had come to offer congratulations did not mean they posed no danger.

If they truly made a move, Mu Domain would be in an extremely passive and difficult position.

"Black Eerie Abyss is a dangerous forbidden zone of the Northern Spiritual Realm."

The middle-aged man in a long robe, his beard hanging from his chin, stood with his hands behind his back. Looking toward the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar primordial forest ahead, he spoke hesitantly:

"What it is most known for is the poisonous miasma found everywhere within Black Eerie Abyss."

"That miasma can easily kill those at the Spirit Wheel Stage."

"Even those at the Divine Soul Stage might suffer grave injuries and lose their lives if they are careless."

"The deeper one goes, the more terrifying the miasma becomes."

"What? The poisonous miasma is gone?"

Mu Feng, the lord of Mu Domain, stared in astonishment.

He had come here once in his youth.

Fearless and reckless as he had been, he had nearly met his end here.

Yet now, where the hell had the poisonous miasma gone?

Without its signature poisonous miasma, could this really be Black Eerie Abyss?

"Perhaps the Nine Netherbird within Black Eerie Abyss is awakening?"

Mu Chen pondered for a moment before offering an uncertain guess.

Having just entered the Fusion Heavenly Realm, he could already clearly sense that once he wielded the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, he could unleash power far beyond that of the Divine Soul Stage.

The Nine Netherbird, which might have failed its tribulation, certainly would not be weak after years of slumber and recovery.

If its awakening required a great amount of spiritual energy from heaven and earth, perhaps it had refined all the poisonous miasma of Black Eerie Abyss.

To truly powerful experts, poisonous miasma posed no threat at all.

Instead, it was merely spiritual-energy food with a bit of flavor, something they could refine in an instant.

"That would be troublesome."

Mu Feng immediately accepted Mu Chen's judgment. After all, this was his accomplished son.

His expression turned grave as he asked in a low voice:

"Are you confident?"

If the Nine Netherbird had truly awakened, it was likely no weaker than the Three Heavens Realm.

But they had no idea just how powerful it truly was.

After all, it was the Nine Netherbird, a Super Heavenly Beast that had undergone a tribulation!

One misstep could leave them dead without a burial ground!

"Father, don't worry."

Mu Chen revealed a confident smile.

Although some unexpected changes had occurred in Black Eerie Abyss, he would definitely obtain the Nine Netherbird.

Only the Nine Netherbird was worthy of him, a King-Sealing Prodigy of the Spirit Road!

In the Northern Spiritual Realm, who could possibly be as formidable as him?

Even the lords of the nine domains and Dean Xiao of Northern Spiritual Academy addressed him as King Mu!

In the days since returning, everything had been going his way!

"Good."

Seeing Mu Chen so confident, Mu Feng felt joy well up from the bottom of his heart.

His child truly had promise!

Forget the Three Heavens Realm—he could probably reach even higher realms.

After all, he was her child!

"Enter!"

Since Mu Chen had said there would be no problem, Mu Feng waved his hand, and Mu Domain's elite forces immediately charged into the perilous Black Eerie Abyss!

After a long while, they finally passed through layers of danger. They had even been pursued by the terrifying Spirit Devouring Bee Swarm before reaching the depths of Black Eerie Abyss and crossing the dreadful Black Marsh.

When the father and son, Mu Feng and Mu Chen, saw the vast open space covered in countless spirit beast skeletons, both revealed expressions of horror.

Neither of them had expected such a terrifying event to have occurred in the depths of a forbidden place like Black Eerie Abyss.

Countless spirit beasts, including many high-grade spirit beasts, had perished!

No one in the Northern Spiritual Realm knew of this!

For the first time, the father and son felt the terror and ferocity of the Super Heavenly Beast, the Nine Netherbird!

If this had not been the Nine Netherbird's doing, no one would believe it!

"The more dangerous it is, the more it proves how formidable the Nine Netherbird is."

Mu Chen was exceedingly excited. He did not feel much fear, and he could already imagine how powerful he would become after obtaining the Nine Netherbird.

Once he left the Northern Spiritual Realm and headed to the Five Great Academies, where experts gathered like clouds, he would surely slaughter his way through all opposition!

"I will definitely obtain it!"

He clenched his fist, then said to Mu Feng, "Father, wait here. Be careful of possible sneak attacks from high-grade spirit beasts."

"I'll go take a look!"

The Nine Netherbird was his!

With that thought in mind, Mu Chen immediately sprinted toward the center of the Blood Plain.

When he saw a deep pit resembling a volcanic crater, his heart immediately began to race.

Among the surrounding skeletons, there were even Heavenly-Grade Spirit Beasts!

And there was more than one corpse!

He did not know when their flesh and blood had been drained away.

He only knew that the Nine Netherbird was likely even more terrifying than he had imagined.

Nothing must go wrong.

Mu Chen steadied himself and leaned over to peer into the depths of the pit.

However.

What left him somewhat dumbfounded was that there did not seem to be any trace of the Nine Netherbird at the bottom of the pit.

Mu Chen hesitated before taking out the copper fragment from earlier.

Then, he decisively jumped into the pit.

Based on the scene of the Nine Netherbird failing its tribulation recorded within the copper fragment, he should be able to sense its exact location.

But.

When Mu Chen searched one stone after another across the bottom of the pit and found absolutely nothing, his heart turned cold.

Could it be that the Nine Netherbird was already dead?

The Nine Netherbird must have suffered extremely grave injuries after failing its tribulation.

Perhaps its life had been in danger.

But someone had managed to record the scene of the Nine Netherbird undergoing its tribulation, and that recording had even spread outside.

That could only mean the recorder had unfortunately died.

He could easily imagine that the Nine Netherbird had killed them.

Combined with the countless spirit beast skeletons, it was clear that it was still alive.

If it was alive, then why had it disappeared?

Liu Domain could not possibly have moved faster than him!

Unless the Nine Netherbird had recovered and already left this place!

His—his Nine Netherbird had flown away!