Cooperation with the Mu Domain

After hearing Heavenly Insect's words, Liu Mubai gave him a long, searching look, then swept his gaze over Mu Chen and the others. Without another word, he waved his hand and led the Liu Domain party swiftly into the forest.

Watching Liu Mubai's group disappear into the distance, Duan Wei and the others grew tense. They firmly shielded their young master behind them. "Young sir, may we leave now?"

Although Duan Wei did not know how their young master had provoked such a terrifying expert, he was already prepared. If this man truly attacked, he would protect the young master even at the cost of his own life!

Behind Duan Wei, Mu Chen's heart was also racing. An unprecedented sense of urgency tightened every muscle in his body.

But how could someone who had unleashed a "blood calamity" on the Spirit Road shrink back now out of fear of death?

Mu Chen placed a hand on Duan Wei's slightly trembling shoulder, took a deep breath, and stepped out from behind him...

"Young master, you..."

Before Duan Wei could finish, Mu Chen raised his hand to stop him.

Looking straight at the man watching him with such interest, Mu Chen said gravely, "Mr. Heavenly Insect, whatever you wish us to do, please tell us. If it is within our power, we will not refuse!"

Mu Chen did not believe that such a young and gifted expert would deliberately toy with them. Most likely, he was trying to knock them down a peg before putting them to work.

It had to be said that, although Mu Chen's reasoning was entirely guesswork, his conclusion was not far off.

Heavenly Insect naturally had no intention of toying with them. He had merely wanted to see what Mu Chen was truly capable of. From the moment he confirmed Mu Chen's identity, he had already been considering cooperating with the Mu Domain...

Heavenly Insect had defied the heavens and been reborn. Reconstructing his body had not only made him younger, but greatly improved both his talent and physique. He had even gained the strength of the late phase of the Divine Soul Realm for free.

Yet his earlier clash with the Nine Nether Sparrow had exhausted all his high-grade spiritual insects. Even the Spirit Insect Pouch used to house them had been burned away...

Wasn't that why his entire swarm of Devouring Spirit Bees was living out in the open now? If every Spirit Insect Master had to live like this, they would never be able to go anywhere!

His most pressing task now was to replace the essential equipment of a Spirit Insect Master, then find some powerful spiritual insects to protect himself...

Cooperating with a powerful local faction was the most direct and effective way to resolve these problems in the shortest possible time.

At the very least, they could quickly procure the materials he needed!

With that in mind, Heavenly Insect smiled at Mu Chen and the others. "Don't worry. I mean you no harm. I do need your help with a few things, but discussing them with you now would be pointless. Since you dared enter the Black Nether Abyss, surely these few people aren't your entire party? Let's find the person who can actually make decisions first..."

His words made Duan Wei and the others inwardly sigh in relief.

As long as he did not attack them now, things would be manageable. Once they rejoined the Domain Lord, even if this man was powerful, at least they would no longer be completely helpless.

"In that case, please come with us, Mr. Heavenly Insect..." Mu Chen said, then turned and darted off in another direction.

An immense expanse of black mire stretched before them, with thick, black death miasma hanging overhead.

The miasma was deadly poisonous. Anyone who recklessly entered it would not last long, even with the strength of the Spirit Wheel Realm.

Likewise, whenever bubbles burst across the black mire below, faint wisps of poisonous gas escaped.

And beneath the black mud, savage, scarlet beast eyes could occasionally be seen slowly scanning their surroundings... These belonged to the man-eating beasts that inhabited the poisonous marsh.

At that moment, Mu Feng and his party stood frowning at the seemingly endless black mire, at a complete loss.

"Domain Lord, this Black Poison Marsh is too difficult to cross. We cannot get through the death miasma overhead, and if we cross over the marsh itself, I fear few of us will survive the attacks of those Black Poison Crocodiles."

Beside Mu Feng, a Mu Domain city lord in the late phase of the Spirit Wheel Realm spoke with a bitter smile.

"Is there another way into the depths of the Black Nether Abyss?" asked Zhou Ye, the Mu Domain's second Divine Soul Realm expert, with a frown.

"There is, but it requires an enormous detour. The time that would take would probably leave us far behind the Liu Domain," someone replied.

"Those bastards really did come fully prepared!" Zhou Ye gritted his teeth. The Liu Domain had clearly investigated everything beforehand, perhaps even sending scouts. Since they had not taken this route, they must have found another passage into the depths of the Black Nether Abyss.

Mu Feng sighed inwardly, then asked, "Any news of Xiao Mu and the others?"

"Not yet. Shall I take some men to look for them?" Zhou Ye asked.

Mu Feng considered it and was just about to speak when his expression shifted. He smiled. "No need. I told you not to underestimate that boy..."

As he spoke, Mu Feng turned toward the forest behind them. The foliage stirred, and more than a dozen figures came swiftly rushing out.

The handsome youth at their head was none other than Mu Chen.

"Dad!"

Seeing the party at the edge of the marsh, Mu Chen sighed in relief, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Everything all right?" Mu Feng asked, smiling at Mu Chen.

Mu Chen shook his head, giving his father a meaningful look when no one else was watching. Then he said as though nothing was amiss, "Dad, this is Mr. Heavenly Insect. He has something he wishes to discuss with you..."

His son's warning stirred Mu Feng's thoughts. Following Mu Chen's introduction, he turned his gaze toward Heavenly Insect as he approached.

At the sight of him, Mu Feng could not help freezing for a moment.

Before him stood a youth in ordinary gray clothes. Though not as strikingly handsome as his own son, he still had an imposing bearing. Most notably, the aura held in check around him was like a volcano, revealing the tremendous depth of his spiritual energy!

More importantly, this youth, who appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen, actually possessed a cultivation level close to his own. What sort of monstrous genius was this, and why had he appeared in a backwater like the Northern Spiritual Realm?!

Of course, despite his astonishment, Mu Feng had been warned in advance and quickly recovered. He immediately stepped forward with a warm smile. "You must be our young friend Heavenly Insect. To possess such powerful cultivation at your age-you truly are an outstanding young hero!

"I am Mu Feng, Lord of the Mu Domain. May I ask what brings you to me, young friend Heavenly Insect?"

"I am Heavenly Insect of the Spirit Insect Tribe. I came to propose a deal, Domain Lord Mu..."

Mu Feng had learned a little about the Spirit Insect Tribe from his wife and knew it was an extremely powerful and ancient race in the Great Thousand World.

Although Heavenly Insect's strength was only comparable to his own, he did not dare treat him lightly. His expression turned serious. "What sort of deal?"

"From the looks of things, you're struggling to cross this Black Poison Marsh, aren't you? I can help you cross. Also, it seems you and that earlier group share the same objective. I can lend you a hand for the rest of your journey, but afterward, I will need you to provide me with certain things free of charge..."

"Don't worry. I won't open a lion's maw and demand the impossible. With the Mu Domain's resources, what I need should not be difficult to obtain."

Mu Feng fell into thought.

Naturally, Heavenly Insect's proposal greatly tempted him. Even setting aside the Black Poison Marsh before them, the Liu Domain party alone was a major problem.

There was no getting around it: the Mu Domain was weaker than the Liu Domain.

Moreover, their target this time was the Nine Nether Sparrow, another enormous challenge. Relying only on themselves, they might truly be unable to subdue her.

"Agreed!" After a long moment, Mu Feng nodded.

A smile curled Heavenly Insect's lips. "Then here's to a fruitful partnership!"

"Now, let's cross this Black Poison Marsh first."

As he spoke, Heavenly Insect turned his hand over and took out his Spirit Insect Flute. He glanced at everyone and warned, "Anyone below the Divine Soul Realm, seal your ears with spiritual energy."

Everyone looked at Mu Feng in confusion. Seemingly understanding Heavenly Insect's intent, he nodded to them.

A moment later, the flute's low, haunting notes spread through their surroundings.

Since Mu Chen and the others had sealed their ears beforehand, the sound had little effect on them. Only Mu Feng and Zhou Ye momentarily slipped into a daze as the first notes rang out...

Both men's expressions changed drastically. Their divine souls swiftly mobilized their spiritual energy, steadying their minds.

"Domain Lord, this..." Zhou Ye looked at Mu Feng in shock.

Mu Feng also drew a deep breath, realizing that he had still underestimated this youth.

Wooo, wooo, wooo~~

The flute wailed. Amplified by spiritual energy, its sound rapidly spread throughout the Black Poison Marsh. The Black Poison Crocodiles lurking within slowly began emerging, drawn by the music. Like walking corpses, they gathered at the marsh's edge under the flute's control.

The sight made the scalps of the Mu Domain party prickle. There appeared to be nearly a thousand crocodiles packed together, each floating on the marsh like a piece of rotten timber. Together, they actually formed a floating bridge...

"Follow me!"

Keeping the flute playing, Heavenly Insect gestured to Mu Feng and the others, then stepped onto this living bridge.

The Mu Domain party could not help shuddering. If anything went wrong, wouldn't they all become food for these Black Poison Crocodiles?

Although the crocodiles were only intermediate-grade spirit beasts, their numbers were terrifying. Deep in the marsh, even a Divine Soul Realm expert would probably have no chance of escape!

"Come on, follow him!" Mu Feng gritted his teeth and went first.

Zhou Ye followed, then Mu Chen... Finally, the Mu Domain's city lords and guards had no choice but to follow one by one.

With Heavenly Insect's help, Mu Feng's party easily crossed the Black Poison Marsh and headed into the depths of the Black Nether Abyss.

Meanwhile, from a distant cliff, several cold gazes watched them from above.

"Those bastards actually crossed the Black Poison Marsh unharmed! How is that possible?!" Liu Ming said, his face livid as he watched the distant figures.

"It seems the Mu Domain really did come prepared."

Second Master Liu, Liu Zong, spoke with a frown.

Their original plan had been to emerge and reap the benefits once the Black Poison Marsh had worn down the Mu Domain forces. Instead, those people had crossed without the slightest effort.

Watching the departing party, Liu Qingtian's eyes flashed with cold light.

The better prepared the Mu Domain was, the greater an obstacle they posed. Those people had to be eliminated!

The Nine Nether Sparrow had to belong to their Liu Domain!

Once they possessed the Nine Nether Sparrow, their Liu Domain could become the true overlord of the Northern Spiritual Realm. And he, Liu Qingtian, would no longer be merely a Domain Lord, but the ruler of the entire Northern Spiritual Realm!

Blazing ambition burned in Liu Qingtian's eyes like a prairie fire.

"Big brother, what do we do now?" Liu Ming asked.

If this continued, the Mu Domain party would soon catch up with them.

"No rush." Liu Qingtian smiled faintly.

"How long have we spent preparing this plan? We scouted the Black Nether Abyss long ago. Does the Mu Domain think it can compete with us by charging blindly ahead with bloodshot eyes?"

As he spoke, he looked into the depths of the Black Nether Abyss, a sinister gleam passing through his eyes.

"Let's go. I have quite a gift waiting for them there."

Deep within the Black Nether Abyss, the Mu Domain party continued on its way.

A fist-sized Devouring Spirit Bee suddenly descended from the sky, startling everyone.

It was not that the Mu Domain party was timid. High-grade spirit beasts inhabited these depths, and attracting the attention of such ferocious creatures would bring considerable trouble.

"Don't panic. It's young Heavenly Insect's spiritual insect," Mu Feng called out to reassure them.

The Devouring Spirit Bee flew around Heavenly Insect for a while, then buzzed repeatedly, seemingly conveying something to him.

A moment later, Heavenly Insect sent the bee away and walked over to Mu Feng.

"Some bad news..."

Heavenly Insect told Mu Feng, "My Devouring Spirit Bee just discovered a group lying in ambush at the cliff ahead. It looks like we're their target..."

At those words, the expressions of everyone from the Mu Domain changed.

Zhou Ye spoke first. "Domain Lord, it must be the Liu Domain!"

Mu Feng nodded. There was no need to consider another possibility. Apart from the Liu Domain, no one would have any reason to ambush them.

"Thank you for warning us in time, young Heavenly Insect. Had the Liu Domain's scheme succeeded here, we would probably have suffered a crippling blow."

Heavenly Insect shook his head. "You're too kind. This is simply part of our agreement."

"But how do you intend to respond, Domain Lord Mu?"

"How will I respond..." Cold light flashed in Mu Feng's eyes, and his voice turned icy. "If they dare strike on the first day, I dare repay them on the fifteenth!"

"Young Heavenly Insect, I'm afraid we'll need your help again this time..."