While the player is in Battle Through the Heavens, the system is in The Great Ruler.

Chapter 239 Nine Netherworlds, Two-Star Puppet

Zi Yan blinked her big eyes and playfully interjected, "Oh? Is that so? Then according to this logic, wouldn't Sister Cai Lin be your ancestor?"

Upon hearing this, Qinglin couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

Cai Lin shook her head helplessly, but a faint smile played on her lips.

The Grand Elder was taken aback upon hearing this, then focused intently on sensing the aura emanating from Cai Lin. After a moment, his expression changed drastically, and his voice trembled slightly: "This...this is actually the legendary bloodline of the Eight-Colored Sky-Devouring Python!"

He stared at Cai Lin in shock, then at Lu Yu beside him, who remained calm, and suddenly realized, "So that's how it is... I understand now. Pavilion Master Lu came here specifically to borrow the Nine Netherworld, presumably to help this young lady complete her final bloodline evolution, right?"

The elder, his voice brimming with barely concealed excitement, bowed slightly to Cai Lin: "The Eight-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python... This is the supreme bloodline recorded in our clan's ancient texts! It is second only to the Nine-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python. I never imagined that I would be able to witness such a legendary existence in my lifetime."

Lu Yu waved his hand and said, "Alright, Elder, we're here to borrow the Nine Netherworld, so there's no need for these formalities."

Upon hearing this, the Grand Elder immediately composed himself and respectfully led the way: "Please follow me, everyone. The Nine Netherworlds are located deep within the earth's veins."

Passing through layers of heavily guarded personnel, the group stepped into the depths of the Nether Serpent's veins. The Netherworld Pythons they encountered along the way all bowed respectfully to the Grand Elder.

Suddenly, a clansman who appeared to be a leader stepped forward and asked hesitantly, "Elder, the place ahead is our clan's sacred ground. What are you going to do...?"

The Grand Elder waved his hand, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "I will take these guests to visit the Nine Netherworlds."

"This... Elder, does the clan leader know about this?" the commander asked cautiously.

"The clan leader is currently in seclusion, attempting to break through a bottleneck. I will handle this matter entirely." The elder's tone turned cold. "What, are you questioning my decision?"

The commander wanted to say something more, but under the elder's sharp gaze, he ultimately dared not say anything more, simply bowed, and then withdrew.

After continuing on for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a massive, dark abyss suddenly appeared before them. This abyss was hundreds of feet wide and bottomless, and a chilling, icy aura, like a tangible gale, constantly howled upwards from its depths, making even the surrounding air seem to freeze.

"Sect Master Lu, below lies our clan's sacred land—the Nine Netherworlds," the Grand Elder said, pointing to the deep ravine.

"Aren't there any guards here?" Zi Yan looked around curiously.

The Grand Elder smiled slightly upon hearing this: "Guards? This young lady is joking. The chilling winds that constantly howl from this abyss are the most natural barrier. Even a Dou Zong expert would find it difficult to withstand the cold air at the entrance. The cold air gets stronger the deeper you go, and even a Dou Zun expert in our clan cannot stay there for long. Why would we need any guards?"

Lu Yu gazed at the bottomless dark abyss below and nodded slightly: "In that case, let's set off down."

Upon hearing this, the Grand Elder's face showed some worry: "Sect Master Lu, the chilling winds beneath this abyss are no ordinary matter, these young ladies..."

"It doesn't matter."

Before Lu Yu could finish speaking, he flicked his sleeve, and a deep black flame instantly enveloped everyone. This flame appeared gentle, but it contained astonishing power. Wherever it passed, the chilling gales that were strong enough to freeze battle qi were torn apart.

Under the protection of the black flames, the group transformed into streaks of light and sped straight to the bottom of the abyss.

The abyss was even deeper than they had imagined. Even at Lu Yu's speed, it took him about ten minutes to gradually approach the bottom. When everyone finally saw the scene below the abyss, they were all shocked.

Before them stretched a vast, seemingly endless lake, its surface shimmering with a deep yellow light, faintly tinged with crimson veins. Even more chilling was the sight of pale yellow, crimson-tinged air currents rising continuously from the lake, carrying a biting chill as they roared towards the abyss.

"This is the sacred ground of my clan—the Nine Netherworlds." The elder's voice was filled with undisguised awe. "The chilling power contained in the lake is such that even the strongest members of my clan dare not linger there for long."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu stepped forward and walked to the lakeside. He reached out and lightly touched the water, and layers of solid ice instantly formed on his fingertips, the biting cold causing the surrounding air to freeze. With a thought, black flames rose up and melted the ice away completely.

"Truly extraordinary..."

Lu Yu nodded, then looked at Cai Lin: "This place will greatly benefit your bloodline evolution, but please wait a moment."

His gaze shifted to the deep lake surface, a knowing glint in his eyes. According to his memories from his previous life, the former patriarch of the Nine Netherworld Python Clan, Yao Ming, a two-star Dou Sheng, was imprisoned deep within this Netherworld. If he were to rashly allow Cai Lin to enter, it would likely alert the being within.

"Elder, please go back first. We can leave this place to you."

Upon hearing this, the Grand Elder immediately bowed and said, "Then I will not disturb you any longer." With that, he bowed and took his leave, his figure quickly disappearing into the passage he had come from.

After he left, Qinglin's sleeves fluttered slightly, and Xiaocai couldn't wait to dart out, transforming into a streak of seven-colored light and leaping into the lake.

The little creature swam happily in the Yellow Springs water, its colorful scales shimmering with a dreamlike light against the backdrop of the deep yellow lake, occasionally letting out joyful hisses, clearly extremely adapted to this yin and cold environment.

"Tsk, this little thing knows its stuff." Zi Yan crossed her arms and smiled slightly. "This Yellow Spring Water is a great tonic for their Devouring Python clan."

Cai Lin nodded slightly, her slender feet lightly touching the ground as she was about to step into the lake, but Lu Yu raised his hand to stop her.

"Wait a minute." Lu Yu calmly gazed at the lake. "This place is, after all, a sacred ground of another race. There's no guarantee there won't be any hidden tricks. Let me find out the situation first."

Upon hearing this, a hint of understanding flashed in Cai Lin's beautiful eyes. She gently raised her jade hand and made a grasping motion towards the lake surface. Little Cai, who was playing in the Yellow Springs, was pulled out of the water by a gentle force and landed in her palm.

"Be careful," Cai Lin whispered, her fingertips gently stroking Xiao Cai's scales.

Lu Yu nodded slightly, his body swirling with black flames, which transformed into a beam of light and disappeared into the lake.

……

In the murky yellow lake water, a figure moved with lightning speed, black flames swirling around its body, hissing as it touched the water.

"As expected of the Nine Netherworlds, the chilling power it contains is terrifying. I'm afraid even the lowest-ranking strange flames would be extinguished in an instant if they fell here..."

Lu Yu descended rapidly, his expression gradually becoming serious. This Yellow Spring water seemed capable of freezing battle qi; if it weren't for his Dou Sheng-level strange fire protecting him, he would probably have had to retreat. "Hiss—"

Just as Lu Yu was struggling with the chilling power of the Yellow Springs, a faint, strange sound suddenly came, and the water flow behind him suddenly accelerated.

"boom!"

A large cloud of "black mist" surged towards Lu Yu. Upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn't real mist at all, but rather composed of countless strange snakes, entirely black and covered in eerie scales. The piercing hissing sound was coming from these snakes.

"Chichi!"

Even before Lu Yu was far away, these monstrous snakes opened their ferocious maws, unleashing countless jets of deep black water. Upon contact with the lake water, the water automatically parted, causing the water jets to accelerate dramatically. The sound of them piercing the air created a deep, booming sound in the surrounding lake.

"Such pure, chilling energy..." Lu Yu frowned as he stared at the jet-black water arrows. The chilling power contained in these water arrows was even more concentrated than that of the Yellow Springs water, and their destructive power was also stronger.

Such a combined attack by so many monstrous snakes would probably be difficult even for an ordinary semi-saint.

"It's a good opportunity to clear them all out at once, removing obstacles for Cai Lin and the others."

A cold glint flashed in Lu Yu's eyes, and the black flames around him suddenly surged.

Black flames transformed into a rain of fire, precisely meeting each water arrow with its own power. The instant they collided, a piercing hissing sound filled the air, and the water arrows rapidly evaporated in the black flames.

The fiery rain continued its relentless advance, plunging directly into the swarm of strange snakes, instantly eliciting mournful hisses that echoed across the lake's depths. Within moments, the dense swarm of monstrous snakes transformed into wisps of black smoke and vanished into the lake's waters.

After clearing away these obstacles, Lu Yu continued his descent and finally reached the bottom of the Netherworld.

The lakebed was covered with jagged rocks, with countless fist-sized pebbles scattered among them. These pebbles emitted a shimmering light, illuminating the entire lakebed brightly, creating a stark contrast with the murky water above.

"There's none?"

Lu Yu frowned slightly, his eyes half-closed, and his powerful soul force spread out like a tide, carefully exploring every corner of the lake bottom.

A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them. With a light step of his right foot, an invisible force immediately spread outwards from him. The surrounding mud churned violently, as if stirred by an invisible hand, slowly dispersing to reveal the scene hidden beneath.

Four massive iron chains, each as thick as a giant python and hundreds of feet long, suddenly appeared, each radiating a cold, eerie luster. These chains were deeply embedded in the surrounding rock, motionless, as if they were one with the entire lake.

His gaze locked onto the point where the chains intersected, where a large mass of dark mud lay. Lu Yu casually waved his hand, and the mud scattered, revealing a figure withered and skeletal.

"Help...help me..." the "skeleton" cried out weakly, its voice filled with despair.

Lu Yu remained calm and asked indifferently, "Who are you? Why are you trapped here?"

"I am Yao Ming, the patriarch of the Nine Netherworld Python Clan..." The withered figure struggled to raise his head, his eyes gleaming with hope. "If you can save me from this predicament, I am willing to lead my entire clan to serve you as our master..."

"How can I save you..."

“Come here, I’ll tell you…”

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu remained calm and slowly stepped forward as instructed. Just as he entered within ten feet of Yao Ming, a sudden change occurred!

The previously dying demon suddenly raised its head, its parched lips parted, and a jet-black water arrow, condensed to its extreme and carrying a chilling aura, shot out, aiming straight for Lu Yu's face. This attack had been brewing for a long time, and its power was comparable to the full-force strike of a one-star Dou Sheng!
"I knew you had ulterior motives."

As if he had anticipated this, Lu Yu casually raised his right hand, a wisp of black flame leaping from his fingertip. The chilling water arrow, powerful enough to severely injure a one-star Dou Sheng, shattered the moment it touched the flame, dissipating into countless ice crystals.

Yao Ming's pupils constricted, his face filled with disbelief: "No, how could a mere beginner-level half-saint possibly subdue such a powerful strange fire..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lu Yu had already drawn his fingers like a sword, and a condensed purple lightning thread shot through the air, precisely piercing his brow.

"I won't—!"

Yao Ming let out a desperate roar as his soul was forcibly ripped from his body and struggled violently in Lu Yu's palm.

Lu Yu's expression remained unchanged, as the Thunder Emperor's Book within his body quietly began to circulate. Lightning crackled at his fingertips, and countless fine purple lightning threads shot out, binding Yao Ming's soul layer by layer like a net. Each lightning thread contained the profound power of a Heaven-Rank technique, rendering Yao Ming's struggles futile.

"No...this power of thunder..." Yao Ming's soul twisted and deformed within the lightning net, emitting painful howls.

Lu Yu lowered his eyes to look at the soul that was completely imprisoned in his hand, his tone tinged with sarcasm:

"All this talk of 'recognizing someone as master' is just empty rhetoric. You old fool, do you really think I'm so easily fooled?"

The demon's soul trembled violently in Lu Yu's palm, emitting a mournful cry: "Stop! Young friend, please forgive me! I did have evil intentions just now, but I only wanted to use your power to escape, and I had no intention of harming your life!"

Lu Yu's eyes were cold, and the sealing power at his fingertips increased rather than decreased: "It's laughable to say such things now."

The demon's soul emitted a wave of despair: "I am willing to let you imprint your soul mark on me, and serve you as my master for life!"

"No need."

The Floating Pagoda appeared from Lu Yu's sleeve, its body shimmering with ancient runes. Amidst the shrill roar of the demonic demon, the soul of the two-star Dou Sheng was forcibly sucked into the pagoda, and the layers of seals instantly closed.

"It's much more reassuring to turn a treacherous servant into a puppet."

(End of this chapter)