Arc 41The Hunt in Star Beast Forest

Zuo Xiaoduo survived the bounty hunters’ ambushes and entered the Star Beast Forest, where he hid and compressed his True Essence as enemies gathered to hunt him. The search intensified, drawing powerful cultivators and Star Beasts into the forest while Zuo Xiaoduo continued evading pursuers underground.

  • You Dongtian revealed himself as the Right Route Heavenly King, secured the Three Demons Beyond Heaven’s obedience, and claimed seventy percent of the Netherworld Palace’s net profits while allowing visitors to search its records.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo killed five Infant Transformation attackers and then fought off more pursuers, using his movement techniques, hidden weapons, and swords to escape the expanding hunt.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo fled into the Star Beast Forest, destroyed ten attackers with his Thousand Souls Hammer, then hid in the Annihilation Sky Pagoda and compressed his True Essence.
  • Thousands of cultivators converged on the Star Radiance Mountain Range as Tian Wujiang, the Three Ghosts of the Yellow Springs, Grandma Shi, and other powerful figures arrived or entered the forest.
  • Ye Changqing defied Minister Nan’s order and took Wen Xingtian and ten old brothers to help Zuo Xiaoduo, while Minister Nan panicked after Wu Yuting learned about the operation.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo cautiously tunneled near the Centipede King, escaped its notice, and emerged near two snakes before killing three members of the Black Mountain Four Wolves.
  • After the surviving wolf’s face-reading triggered six Fortune Points, Zuo Xiaoduo hid as dozens of cultivators arrived, then escaped underground when they blasted apart his hiding place.
  • Pursuers rushed into the tunnels after Zuo Xiaoduo, while more fighters quietly joined the search.
Chapters 1001–1025 Vol. 11 Read

Ch. 1001Page 1001

Right Route Heavenly King You Dongtian revealed his identity to the Three Demons Beyond Heaven, terrifying the Underground World rulers into a panic. He told them he had come as an ordinary customer, but they remained so frightened that they sat on the floor when he told them to sit.

  • You Dongtian told Blood Demon Cen Changfeng, Blade Demon, and Sword Demon that his name was You Dongtian, and the three recognized him as the Right Route Heavenly King.
  • Blade Demon and Sword Demon lost control of their composure, while Cen Changfeng crushed his teacup and hurriedly cleaned up the spilled tea.
  • The three demons knelt before You Dongtian, and Sword Demon Zhou Haotian changed his clothes while the brothers cleaned and aired the room.
  • You Dongtian told the three he had not come to make trouble and ordered them to sit down.
  • The three dropped onto the floor, and You Dongtian clarified that he meant for them to sit on the chairs.

Ch. 1002Three Happy Hired Hands!

You Dongtian secured the Three Demons Beyond Heaven’s cooperation and arranged for his people to search the Netherworld Palace’s records. The three demon chiefs accepted his authority and profit share, while he left with tea and a bundle of treasures.

  • The Blade Demon, Sword Demon, and Blood Demon broke chairs with their leaking true qi before settling down to speak with You Dongtian.
  • Cen Changfeng agreed to let You Dongtian’s people search the Netherworld Palace’s backend records, and the three demon chiefs promised to obey him.
  • You Dongtian explained that he wanted the Netherworld Palace to remain under their control, then claimed seventy percent of its net profits; the three accepted without objection.
  • You Dongtian introduced four people who had come to search the records, and the Three Demons Beyond Heaven welcomed them and agreed to help.
  • You Dongtian asked for three jin of tea, and the Blood Demon hurried to fetch it.
  • You Dongtian swept treasured possessions and all the snow soul bud into a Space Ring before leaving.

Ch. 1003Page 1003

You Dongtian accepted a gift from the Three Demons and left them alive, after which Blood Demon gave four new workers access to his office. The brothers resolved to keep the Underground World operating as before while giving seventy percent of their net profits to the Heavenly King.

  • Blood Demon presented You Dongtian with a Space Ring as a gift from all three brothers, and You Dongtian praised their thoughtfulness before vanishing.
  • The Three Demons waited until You Dongtian was gone, then recovered from their fear and offered to let the four visitors work in Blood Demon's office.
  • Blood Demon gave the four workers full access to the office and its resources, then returned to the tea room.
  • Blood Demon reminded Blade Demon and Sword Demon that they had to give seventy percent of their net profits to the Heavenly King and remain cautious.
  • Blood Demon warned Sword Demon not to clean up the Underground World, explaining that it had to continue as before to retain its purpose.

Ch. 1004First kill!

Blood Demon and the other demons celebrated their new respectable standing, while Zuo Xiaoduo knew nothing of the wider schemes unfolding around him. Near three in the morning, five powerful attackers ambushed him, and he escaped their encirclement with Thousand-Mile Bright Moon, leaving the fight unresolved on a mountaintop.

  • Blood Demon urged the demons to protect their reputations, keep their current identities secret, and give back to their hometowns.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo waited through a quiet first half of the night and wondered why nobody had come after him.
  • Five Infant Transformation cultivators attacked Zuo Xiaoduo without warning, and he blocked their weapons with the Silk Rain Sword.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo used Thousand-Mile Bright Moon to escape their aura lock and reach a mountaintop over a hundred meters away.
  • The five attackers stared in astonishment as Zuo Xiaoduo looked up at the moon and recalled that the movement technique worked better under moonlight.

Ch. 1005Chapter 1005

Zuo Xiaoduo used his movement techniques and fortune-telling patter to draw five masked attackers into the woods, where he countered their assault with hidden weapons and the Flame Sun True Scripture. He killed three of them and seized their Space Rings while the two survivors retreated in shock.

  • Five masked men attacked Zuo Xiaoduo, who dodged their strikes while trying to talk them into laying down their weapons.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo used moonlit movement to escape into the woods, and the five pursued him.
  • The attackers blocked Zuo Xiaoduo’s hidden weapons and clashed with his heat-filled Torrential Rain Sword.
  • Three hidden weapons struck the attackers in their eyes and exploded inside their heads, leaving them fatally wounded.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo emerged, stabbed the dying men in their Dantians with the Dragon Blood Flying Knife, and took their three Space Rings as the other two retreated.

Ch. 1006Overlord Physiognomy!

Zuo Xiaoduo killed the last two masked attackers after his hidden weapons crippled them, then left their bodies behind and escaped. A dozen people arrived at the scene a few minutes later.

  • Zuo Xiaoduo’s hidden weapons struck the two attackers’ feet and blasted through their Bubbling Spring acupoints.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo attacked while they were injured, broke their swords, and killed one with his Dragon Blood Flying Knife and Spirit Cat Sword.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo taunted the last survivor about his fortune-telling until the man claimed to believe him, then killed him and took his Space Ring.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo left the five bodies in the wilderness and hurried away.
  • More than a dozen people arrived at the scene from several directions.

Ch. 1007Heavenly Origin Evasion

Zuo Xiaoduo fled the pursuing cultivators and killed two more attackers with the Dragon Blood Flying Knife and Spirit Cat Sword. He continued stripping their valuables and left his second victim dying after confirming that Zuo Xiaoduo’s warning about a life-and-death calamity had come true.

  • A group of pursuers found the bodies of five cultivators and split up to search for Zuo Xiaoduo.
  • As he ran, Zuo Xiaoduo absorbed power from the Dragon Blood Flying Knife and received two Fortune Points.
  • An attacker tried to ambush Zuo Xiaoduo with a sword, but Zuo Xiaoduo stopped, wounded him with the Dragon Blood Flying Knife, and killed him with the Spirit Cat Sword.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo retrieved the Dragon Blood Flying Knife, stabbed the attacker’s Dantian, took his ring, and kicked his corpse toward another pursuer.
  • The second pursuer was wounded by a hidden weapon and killed by Zuo Xiaoduo’s sword before Zuo Xiaoduo took his ring and revealed his face.
  • As the second man asked what had wounded him, Zuo Xiaoduo stabbed his Dantian with the Dragon Blood Flying Knife.

Ch. 1008Chapter 1008

After killing a Cloud Transformation pursuer, Zuo Xiaoduo raced toward the Star Radiance Mountain Range as bounty hunters closed in from every direction. He used the Heavenly Origin Escape Technique to vanish a hundred li away and escape the encirclement.

  • Zuo Xiaoduo killed the man who had ambushed him, collected his Space Ring, and fled using the Thousand-Mile Bright Moon Movement Technique.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo reflected on the danger posed by Cloud Transformation opponents and decided to avoid revealing his trump cards unless necessary.
  • With enemies blocking his way and more pursuers behind him, Zuo Xiaoduo chose to seek refuge in the Star Beast Forest.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo activated the Heavenly Origin Escape Technique and disappeared a hundred li away, escaping his pursuers and Grandma Shi's soul lock.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo recognized that the Netherworld Palace's bounty had made the hunt uncontrollable, beyond the threats he and his allies had anticipated.

Ch. 1009Thousand Souls Hammer

Zuo Xiaoduo raced toward the Star Radiance Mountain Range while wondering whether the huge bounty on him was part of a wider plan. At the mountain pass, ten armed men ambushed him, and he prepared to fight his way through.

  • Zuo Xiaoduo reasoned that the bounty had drawn powerful pursuers and suspected he was being used as bait in a larger scheme.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo considered compressing his True Essence but feared a battle might force him into a premature breakthrough.
  • Little Dragon scouted ahead and reported an ambush at the narrow entrance to the Star Radiance Mountain Range.
  • Ten men blocked the mountain pass and attacked Zuo Xiaoduo from positions above, in the gorge, and on the ground.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo used the Heavenly Origin Evasion Technique to outpace his pursuers and faced the coordinated interception.

Ch. 1010Page 1010

Zuo Xiaoduo faced ten attackers and unleashed the Thousand Souls Hammer, destroying them all in a single overwhelming assault. He survived the ambush but lamented that their Space Rings had been smashed to pieces.

  • Zuo Xiaoduo taunted the ten attackers by predicting a bloody calamity for them as he charged.
  • The ten attackers launched a coordinated assault, but their leader noticed Zuo Xiaoduo had replaced his sword with two enormous sledgehammers.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo unleashed all eighteen moves of the Thousand Souls Hammer, losing control of the hammers as they filled the battlefield with the force of hell.
  • The ten attackers' weapons shattered, and the hammers reduced all ten people and their possessions to dust.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo regretted destroying the ten Space Rings and said there was nothing left to recover.

Ch. 1011The First Compression

Zuo Xiaoduo evaded pursuit by hiding deep underground inside the Annihilation Sky Pagoda, then began compressing his True Essence for his breakthrough from the Embryonic Breathing Realm to the Core Origin Realm. His first compression brought him excruciating pain, but he continued by recalling Zuo Xiaonian’s endurance.

  • Zuo Xiaoduo masked his scent with ironwood sap and used Long Sky Flying Catkins to race deep into the forest.
  • With Little Dragon’s guidance, Zuo Xiaoduo stopped short of a king-level Nine-Headed Centipede’s territory and burrowed hundreds of meters underground.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo hid the Annihilation Sky Pagoda in a rock crevice, entered it, and sealed the remaining opening with soil.
  • After resting and replenishing his Origin Qi with upper-grade star soul jade and the Dragon Blood Flying Knife, Zuo Xiaoduo began his first True Essence compression.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo endured overwhelming pain as he compressed his True Essence to one-third, remembering how Zuo Xiaonian had endured similar compressions.

Ch. 1012Chapter 1012

Zuo Xiaoduo endured the agony of compressing his True Essence and began hammering it within his Dantian. Aboveground, pursuers gathered at the Star Beast Forest, while the six Hidden Dragon High Martial teachers concealed themselves after killing hundreds of people.

  • Zuo Xiaoduo compressed his True Essence through excruciating pain until it could no longer be compressed.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo formed a hammer inside his Dantian and repeatedly struck, screaming as Little Dragon watched and laughed.
  • A group searching for Zuo Xiaoduo investigated signs of a fight at the mountain pass, found only blood and shattered weapon fragments, and concealed themselves.
  • Thousands of cultivators gathered near the Star Beast Forest, and some entered it to search for Zuo Xiaoduo.
  • The six senior teachers from Hidden Dragon High Martial hid nearby after killing at least four hundred people, and Zhan Xiaofei said the situation had become dire.

Ch. 1013Winds and Clouds Stirred

Zhan Xiaofei and the teachers watched a growing crowd of experts enter the Star Radiance Mountain Range to hunt for Zuo Xiaoduo and the Star Soul Cake. The arrival of Tian Wujiang and the Three Ghosts of the Yellow Springs sharpened the confrontation over who would claim the prize.

  • Zhan Xiaofei told the teachers that they should wait for an opportunity and rescue Zuo Xiaoduo if he appeared or faced danger.
  • Experts from across the continent poured into the Star Radiance Mountain Range to search for Zuo Xiaoduo.
  • Tian Wujiang arrived and asked the gathered experts to let him have the Star Soul Cake if someone obtained it, offering to auction the other prizes.
  • Hanging Ghost challenged Tian Wujiang, and the Three Ghosts of the Yellow Springs revealed they had all come to prevent him from getting the Star Soul Cake.

Ch. 1014Better a Fellow Daoist Die Than Me

Powerful enemies and hidden factions gathered to pursue Zuo Xiaoduo, while Ye Changqing struggled to understand Minister Nan’s order to keep Hidden Dragon High Martial out of the trap. The chapter left Ye Changqing fearing that Zuo Xiaoduo might be sacrificed despite his value as a genius.

  • Tian Wujiang learned that Yin-Yang Guest had arrived and realized he might lose his chance to kill Zuo Xiaoduo.
  • A group of six concealed figures made confirming Zuo Xiaoduo’s death their main objective, while another faction hoped to seize the gathering’s treasures and advance their cultivation.
  • Several hidden enemies agreed to withdraw if Ye Changqing arrived, fearing he would recognize them as the ones who had injured his heart meridians.
  • Observers suspected that Netherworld Assassin You Keyou had appeared above the forest.
  • Ye Changqing angrily questioned Minister Nan’s order for Hidden Dragon High Martial to stay put and worried that Zuo Xiaoduo would be lost.

Ch. 1015Page 1015

Ye Changqing and Wen Xingtian led Hidden Dragon High Martial’s strongest fighters to help Zuo Xiaoduo, convinced he must survive even if the school was lost. Minister Nan, whose plan had drawn Zuo Xiaoduo into danger, anxiously considered going to oversee it despite being ordered to stay away.

  • Ye Changqing insisted Zuo Xiaoduo must not die and decided to take Wen Xingtian and ten old brothers to help him.
  • Ye Changqing left Xiang Kuangren behind to guard Hidden Dragon High Martial, explaining that Xiang’s temper could disrupt Minister Nan’s plan.
  • Ye Changqing and the others flew out, prepared to face mortal danger without hesitation.
  • Minister Nan paced anxiously in his office and said he needed to go oversee the plan.
  • An aide warned Minister Nan that Lord You had ordered him not to go, and Minister Nan cursed the Right Route Heavenly King.

Ch. 1016Let Me Tell You Some Good News

Minister Nan panicked over You Dongtian’s plan to use Zuo Xiaoduo as bait in Fenghai and tried to distance himself from responsibility by messaging Zuo Xiaoduo’s family. He accidentally alerted Wu Yuting instead of Zuo Changlu, leaving him convinced that he was doomed.

  • The deputy minister questioned why Minister Nan had urged Hidden Dragon High Martial to stay calm while he himself was panicking about You Dongtian’s plan.
  • Minister Nan sent a carefully worded message blaming You Dongtian for using Little Surplus as bait and stressing that he had repeatedly tried to dissuade him.
  • The recipient replied that Zuo Xiaoduo was sleeping and told Minister Nan to stop messaging.
  • Minister Nan realized he had contacted Wu Yuting rather than Zuo Changlu and hurriedly assured her that Little Surplus was safe.
  • Wu Yuting ordered him to stop messaging, and Minister Nan collapsed in terror, cursing You Dongtian.

Ch. 1017Chapter 1017

You Dongtian learned that Minister Nan had told Sister-in-law about the operation using Little Surplus as bait, leaving him to face the consequences. He tried to find someone else to shoulder the blame but realized none of the available people had the authority to do so.

  • You Dongtian read reports about the operation and envied Little Surplus's family standing and luck.
  • Minister Nan told You Dongtian that Sister-in-law knew about the operation, though Boss Zuo did not.
  • You Dongtian called Minister Nan, who denied being involved and claimed he had tried to dissuade You Dongtian.
  • Minister Nan admitted he had told Sister-in-law that You Dongtian had insisted on the plan while he had opposed it.
  • Minister Nan ended the call, and You Dongtian searched for someone to take the blame but found no suitable candidate.

Ch. 1018Two tigers, running fast

The Three Ghosts of the Yellow Springs passed Grandma Shi at the mountain pass and sensed that her grief made her more dangerous than an ordinary expert. Hanging Ghost recalled a God-Imperial cultivator who had lost everything and killed himself attacking a stronger Guixuan expert after a brief exchange.

  • Grandma Shi waited openly on a tree at the mountain pass, ready to kill anyone who threatened Xiao Duo.
  • The Three Ghosts of the Yellow Springs felt a chill from Grandma Shi and entered Star Beast Forest without provoking her.
  • Hanging Ghost explained that people with nothing left to live for were more frightening than ordinary vicious fighters.
  • Hanging Ghost recalled a God-Imperial cultivator whose family had been killed and who had slaughtered his enemies' families in return.
  • A Guixuan expert glanced at the God-Imperial cultivator, and the man challenged him to look again.
  • The Guixuan expert looked again, and the God-Imperial cultivator charged at him and detonated himself.

Ch. 1019Chapter 1019

Hanging Ghost fled with Drowning Ghost and Starving Ghost after the Old Lady’s aura reminded him of a terrifying self-detonation. Meanwhile, pursuers entering the Star Beast Forest angered its king-class beasts, while the black Tiger King guarded the emerging Heavenly Tiger Moonlight Paste.

  • Hanging Ghost warned Drowning Ghost and Starving Ghost not to look at the Old Lady and led them away in fear.
  • A Tiger King ordered the humans pursuing Zuo Xiaoduo to leave its territory, and the group changed direction.
  • The Heavenly Star Snake King attacked the pursuers with lightning, killing members of two Infant Transformation squads.
  • The black Tiger King watched the Heavenly Tiger Moonlight Paste emerge and resented the humans who had entered the forest.

Ch. 1020What a Huge Centipede!

Two wounded Winged Sword Tigers fled into the Star Radiance Mountain Range, while an enormous centipede sensed danger near its valley. The centipede hid underground, leaving the approaching creatures and the treasure’s safety unresolved.

  • The Tiger King grew enraged at the thought that humans might steal the Heavenly Tiger Moonlight Paste and resolved to protect it.
  • The wounded Tiger Beauty and her husband escaped their destroyed lair and headed into the Star Radiance Mountain Range, hoping its powerful Star Beasts would shelter them.
  • The tiger couple sensed a powerful creature nearby and hurried toward it, believing it might be a senior of their kind.
  • An enormous centipede emerged from Blackwater Lake, listened for signs of danger, and hid beneath a cliff.

Ch. 1021Page 1021

After completing his first compression and replenishing his energy, Zuo Xiaoduo learned that a gigantic Centipede King had emerged nearby. He began tunneling toward it cautiously, hoping to find a chance for combat without being noticed.

  • Zuo Xiaoduo recovered from his first compression, then cultivated for six hours and found that the Dragon Blood Flying Knife's reserves were nearly depleted.
  • Little Dragon warned Zuo Xiaoduo that a centipede weighing around a hundred thousand jin had appeared, and Zuo Xiaoduo abandoned his thoughts of eating it.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo emerged from the Annihilation Sky Pagoda and sensed the Centipede King's immense pressure despite being underground and two hundred li away.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo dug carefully toward the Centipede King while Little Dragon repeatedly scouted and reported that the beast either had not noticed him or did not care.

Ch. 1022Spot on!

Zuo Xiaoduo escaped the Centipede King's attention by changing direction underground, then used an underground river to put distance between them. Near the surface, he emerged through a tree root into two snakes, burned them with the Flame Sun True Scripture, and watched them flee in opposite directions.

  • After Little Dragon warned that the Centipede King was watching, Zuo Xiaoduo changed direction and buried trigger-activated land mines near the end of his tunnel.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo found an underground river, drifted away with its current, and resumed tunneling after the Centipede King's presence receded.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo asked Little Dragon about the centipede's poison and learned that thousands of people were gathering outside to kill him.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo emerged from a hollow in a tree root and landed between two large snakes coiled around the tree.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo circulated the Flame Sun True Scripture, burning the snakes until they fled in opposite directions.

Ch. 1023Chapter 1023

Zuo Xiaoduo encountered the Black Mountain Four Wolves after they mistook him for an easy target. He killed three and captured the last, leaving their fate in his hands.

  • Zuo Xiaoduo let two charred snakes flee as four black-clad men cautiously approached.
  • The Black Mountain Four Wolves recognized Zuo Xiaoduo and pursued him, hoping to kill him and claim his body.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo warned the four that disaster awaited them, but they attacked anyway.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo fought back with his training hammers and fire techniques, killing three of the four men.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo put the three corpses into the Annihilation Sky Pagoda and asked the surviving man whether he believed the warning now.

Ch. 1024Stinginess is a virtue

After killing four attackers, Zuo Xiaoduo received six Fortune Points because his face-reading prediction had come true and the last man had acknowledged it. He hid nearby when thirty or forty cautious cultivators arrived, considering whether he could take advantage of them.

  • Zuo Xiaoduo collected the four attackers’ corpses and the three surviving Space Rings, then cleared away traces of the fight.
  • The dying man sneered, “Spot-on,” and died, triggering six Fortune Points for Zuo Xiaoduo’s fulfilled face-reading.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo concluded that his greed had helped complete the face-reading process and vowed to remain stingy.
  • Hearing others approach, Zuo Xiaoduo left a false footprint, returned to the tree hollow, and waited in hiding.
  • Thirty or forty heavily prepared cultivators landed nearby, and Zuo Xiaoduo judged that he could not defeat them all.

Ch. 1025Swarming in!

Zuo Xiaoduo was discovered by a group that deduced he had a powerful hidden ally, then escaped their first attack through underground tunnels. Dozens of experts poured into the tunnels to pursue him, while more fighters quietly joined the hunt.

  • A group examined the battle site and concluded that Zuo Xiaoduo had a hidden, powerful helper who had killed four attackers and erased the evidence.
  • Zuo Xiaoduo sensed danger, dropped into a tunnel, and narrowly avoided having the tree where he hid blasted apart.
  • Two pursuers chased Zuo Xiaoduo underground, where he struck one with his sledgehammer before escaping as their clash collapsed part of the tunnel.
  • Someone shouted that Zuo Xiaoduo was underground, and thirty or forty people rushed into the tunnels, sweeping the area with Divine Sense.
  • More fighters noticed the commotion and entered quietly, eager to join the pursuit without alerting their companions.
Arc 41 of 56