Nine Nether

"You really took your time, but you can finally talk.

Over the years, I've fed you who knows how many sacred and divine weapons. Any other weapon would have learned to speak ages ago, but you dragged it out until now."

Mujiu chuckled, sounding a little sheepish. "Cultivating is so tiring, Master~ Of course I wanted to rest for as long as I could. Besides, I still have you, don't I? If anyone bullies me, I'll just ask you to beat them up!"

Sen Lijiu smiled helplessly. "You're just taking advantage of how much I spoil you." He said nothing more.

After all, Mujiu had a point. As long as he had Nine Nether, he hardly ever needed Mujiu.

With that thought, he summoned his source-tier weapon.

In an instant, streaks of light flashed through the room. An array appeared on the floor, and a ball of light slowly emerged from it.

"Nine Nether."

Normally, one would expect a sword or some other imposing weapon to emerge, wouldn't one?

But that was not the case. It was an exquisite jade pendant, silvery white as snow, smooth to the touch and radiating warmth.

It was fine white jade—or, more precisely, the finest of the finest.

It was also the kind of fine jade that changed with the wearer's body temperature. In winter, it was warm jade; in summer, it was cold jade. At its center was the character for "nine," fashioned from an exceptionally precious silver ore.

Its design had an antique elegance. "When jade lies in the mountain, the plants flourish; when pearls grow in the depths, the cliffs never wither." No words could have described it better.

The jade pendant was more than merely exquisite to look at. Though it gave off a soft glow and seemed harmless, no more than a simple ornament, its destructive power was actually beyond what most other weapons could match.

And Sen Lijiu's reason for summoning it now was simple: he wanted to contact his family.

This jade pendant had been made by his eighth brother, Wen You. Each of the Wen Family's nine brothers had one, individually bound to its owner.

Once it acknowledged its master, that bond could never be broken. If its master died, the jade pendant would vanish as well.

Their Nine-Tailed Fox clan frequently underwent source condensation, yet the pendant would never mistake that for its master's death. His eighth brother, Wen You, had specially crafted these pendants to perfectly accommodate their traits and habits as Nine-Tailed Foxes. Each of the nine brothers had one.

These jade pendants were also their weapons, though each of the nine brothers used his differently.

For instance, Sen Lijiu's favorite way to play—no, to fight—was to wear his jade pendant and flick his tails whenever he wanted to attack.

With a flick of his tails, the pendant would glow. After a flash of light, whoever stood opposite him would already be gone, reduced to drifting dust.

A source-tier weapon was certainly not to be underestimated. From the moment of its creation, such a weapon possessed self-awareness, commonly known as spirit awakening.

Only masters of exceptional skill could create weapons like these.

As luck would have it, he had just such a brother.

His weapon was called Nine Nether, and not merely because the pendant bore the character for "nine."

From the moment of its creation, it had naturally emitted waves of dim, spectral light. Hence the name Nine Nether.

When Nine Nether came into being, it had chosen him as a matter of course.

And it had never disappointed him. Nine Nether's combat prowess was exceptionally high.

So high that Mujiu could not hope to match it. He had wanted to summon Nine Nether to keep Mujiu in line for some time, and now he had finally found the opportunity.

Why could Nine Nether keep Mujiu in line? Because Nine Nether had been with Sen Lijiu longer than Mujiu had. It had stayed by his side from the very moment he was born.

Mujiu, on the other hand, had been a gift from an old acquaintance when he successfully advanced at his birthday banquet.

To Nine Nether, Mujiu was more like a friend. They usually got along harmoniously, but Sen Lijiu knew that Nine Nether did not actually like Mujiu.