Battle Through the Heavens: Xiao Yan, who was kidnapped to another world

"If it was just to make Yao Sheng a traitor, why did you come over when Yao Sheng was delivering the message to you?" Xiao Yan did not believe that what Zhu Guohu said was the whole truth.

"Because I want to know if you are the 'Holy Son' that the Spirit Hall is looking for."

'The Holy Son?'

Xiao Yan's lips twitched. How did he suddenly get such a title?

"Half a month ago, there was a rumor that the person mentioned in the Angel God's Oracle had been found in Soto City. His martial soul is fire, and his level is thirty-one," Zhu Guohu smiled slightly. "Ten years old, level thirty-one. If such a person really exists, then he can definitely help me."

Xiao Yan stared blankly at Zhu Guohu, who was smiling confidently.

"How can I help you?"

"Get rid of my older brother and help me destroy everything the Zhu and Dai families have."

The unusual remark left Xiao Yan momentarily speechless.

"Although I don't know where you learned that a prince who hasn't awakened the White Tiger Martial Soul will become the next Grand Duke of the Underworld, you must not know the fate of the previous Grand Duke of the Underworld, right?" Seemingly noticing Xiao Yan's astonishment, Zhu Guohu suppressed his smile and asked calmly.

"Extracting blood?"

"...It seems that although you don't know the real reason, you've guessed something. Could it be that good-for-nothing Dai Mubai told you?" Zhu Guohu observed the expression on Xiao Yan's face. "Oh, perhaps it's Zhu Qing? Although I don't know where she got such strong ambition from, she did do a good deed..."

"Wait, ambition? Are you sure you didn't misspoke?"

Zhu Guohu was still muttering to himself, but Xiao Yan couldn't help but interrupt him.

Honestly, he didn't quite understand why the girl who chose to help her master soul skills—a simple 'wish'—when faced with three options—escaping the fate of the Zhu family women, burying the Star Luo royal family, and wanting to defeat her sister—was described by her father as someone with strong ambition.

'Oh, no, that's not right either. Maybe she thought I was just joking...'

Although Xiao Yan knew he could do those things, Zhu Zhuqing didn't.

“Even though he’s six years younger than Zhu Yun, he still wants to compete with Dai Mubai and Zhu Yun… How could he make this decision if he didn’t have a strong ambition?” Zhu Guohu said matter-of-factly.

“It’s clear that Dai Mubai, that good-for-nothing, has already given up. As long as Zhu Qing keeps her distance from that good-for-nothing, Dai Mubai will naturally die during the battle for the princes. At that time, Davis, as the sole heir, will naturally pardon Zhu Qing. When my good elder brother dies, Zhu Yun will also prevent her from following in my footsteps.”

"She could have avoided all the disasters by staying put, but she chose to seek refuge with Dai Mubai... What else could this be but strong ambition?"

As he spoke, Zhu Guohu sighed helplessly, "It's one thing to be ambitious, but not so smart... A great Soul Master dared to venture into the Star Dou Great Forest. If it weren't for Zhu Yun worrying about her younger sister, a bunch of wolf bandits might appear on the border in a couple of years."

"...You sent people to protect her?"

When Xiao Yan heard that Zhu Zhuqing was heading into the Star Dou Great Forest, he couldn't hold back any longer.

"Without protection, how could a powerful Soul Master like her have safely emerged from the Star Dou Great Forest?" Zhu Guohu shrugged. "However, that's not what we're talking about right now..."

The fact that the topic had inadvertently veered off course made Zhu Guohu somewhat embarrassed.

"After the emergence of a new prince who has not awakened the White Tiger Martial Soul, what became of the previous Grand Duke of the Underworld..."

As if recalling some unpleasant memory, Zhu Guohu shivered violently.

"Yao Sheng can't keep his mouth shut. You've already heard him use the term 'courier ghost,' haven't you?"

After taking some time to calm himself down, Zhu Guohu asked.

After Xiao Yan nodded, Zhu Guohu exhaled and continued, "Chang Gui, Chang Gui... What kind of Chang Gui is he? He's just an innocent person who was dragged down by Chang Gui."

Innocent people dragged into the mire by the evil spirits?

Xiao Yan's eyes changed slightly. "The fate of the eliminated Netherworld Dukes is to become cougars, and then be controlled by the next Netherworld Duke?"

"Controlled by the Grand Duke of the Underworld? Yao Sheng is indeed a self-righteous fool," Zhu Guohu sneered. "All the cougars are controlled by the Underworld Pool; they are all slaves of the ancestor who established the Underworld Pool."

Seeing Xiao Yan's increasingly solemn expression, Zhu Guohu simply began explaining the history of the Netherworld Pool from the beginning.

"Before the Yin-Yang Pool dried up, an ancestor of the Zhu family bathed in it and his personality changed drastically. Not only did he not master the Martial Soul Fusion Technique with the person who bathed with him, but he also dug his own pool, calling it the Netherworld Pool."

When the Yin-Yang Pool was mentioned, Zhu Guohu paid special attention to Xiao Yan's expression. Finding no surprise on Xiao Yan's face, he confirmed that Xiao Yan must have learned this information from Zhu Zhuqing.

Don't ask why I didn't guess Dai Mubai. Dai Mubai, who has always been a good-for-nothing, has never known the history of the Dai family.

"In the same year that he named the Netherworld Pool, the Yin-Yang Pool dried up," Zhu Guohu continued. "The attributes of the Yang Tiger have been passed down, but the attributes of the Yin Tiger have often been discontinuous. The drying up of the Yin-Yang Pool was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the Zhu family."

"In that critical moment, that ancestor threw himself into the Netherworld Pool, completely dissolving his own flesh and blood within it, and declared that he would become the inheritor of the Yin Tiger attribute... The Zhu and Dai families at the time were deeply moved by the sacrifice of this ancestor."

"Until the second victim became a ghost and revealed the truth that the ancestor had been living in the Netherworld Pool as a soul."

"At that time, the Dai family had already become the emperors of the Star Luo Empire. In order to ensure that the power of the Netherworld White Tiger could appear in every generation, the Netherworld Pool was not closed, but continued to expand..."

"In fact, in order to expand their territory, some people who were not of Zhu family blood also became nourishment for the Netherworld Pool, just like Yao Sheng. However, these people were not called 'Chang Gui'."

"And so, the Netherworld Pool was passed down from generation to generation, and the number of vengeful spirits within it increased. Even before the Second Prince awakened his White Tiger Martial Soul, I knew I would become the next vengeful spirit, and I have lived as a vengeful spirit ever since..."

"So, that's why you want me to help you destroy all of this?"

Xiao Yan listened attentively to Zhu Guohu's account of the history of the Netherworld Pool, and after a moment of silence, asked a question.

“That’s right,” Zhu Guohu nodded. “Using Yao Sheng as bait is also to confirm whether you are the person the Spirit Hall is looking for. If you are, then that would be even better.”

"...What if it isn't?"

"That would just mean one more person being killed by the evil spirit."

Faced with Xiao Yan's new question, Zhu Guohu remained calm. Perhaps in his view, if he could not escape the fate of being a cougar, all his plans and dreams would be in vain.

"Speaking of which, you don't seem surprised that I was able to kill Yao Sheng?" After a moment of silence, Xiao Yan chose a relatively light topic.

"Two years ago, you were able to kill a Soul Master and several Great Soul Masters even before you had obtained any Soul Rings. After you acquired four Soul Rings, an ordinary Soul Emperor is naturally no match for you."

"You seem to have no surprise at the fact that I am a Soul Master?"

Xiao Yan was somewhat surprised. He always claimed to have maxed out his innate soul power when he was outside. Under such circumstances, people were shocked when they found out that he was level 30 at the age of ten. However, Zhu Guohu clearly knew that his 'innate soul power' was level five, but he was not surprised at all when he found out that he was a Soul Master.

"...The Zhu family's history is almost on par with that of the Spirit Hall," Zhu Guohu said after a two-second pause. "The Spirit Hall has the legacy of the Angel God, and it's not uncommon for them to have innate level 20 soul power."

"You know a lot about the Spirit Hall?" Xiao Yan's eyes lit up slightly.

"That's all. We know they are the followers of the Angel God, have the inheritance of the Angel God... and are the only people on this continent who can completely destroy the Netherworld Pool."

Zhu Guohu, who was determined to destroy the Netherworld Pool, made no attempt to hide any of this.

"Could you take me to see the Netherworld Pool?"

With his exceptional skills and daring, and with Zhu Guohu constantly mentioning the Netherworld Pool, Xiao Yan finally decided to see for himself.

'Anyway, the Zhu family has no record of producing a Titled Douluo, so I can handle dozens or even hundreds of Dou Ling.'

Xiao Yan, a master of the Great Perfection of the Mortal Realm and a Nine-Seal Heavenly Talisman Master, did not believe that there was anyone on the continent whose level was only at the early stage of Dou Wang.

"Let's go then."

Zhu Guohu nodded and walked towards the outside of the Yao residence. On the way, the Netherworld Cat possessed Xiao Yan and attached a thin layer of soul power to him.

"There are quite a few guards in the city, so it's best not to let them find us."

Faced with Xiao Yan's puzzled expression, Zhu Guohu replied calmly.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan said no more and silently followed behind Zhu Guohu, heading into the city.

About ten minutes later, Zhu Guohu led Xiao Yan to the Zhu family's mansion.

"Is the Netherworld Pool in the Zhu family's inner courtyard?" Xiao Yan asked curiously, while simultaneously spreading his spiritual power towards the Zhu residence—without any ambush.

“No one knows the actual location of the Netherworld Pool. All we descendants know is an altar and a statue that serves as a key.” Zhu Guohu shook his head and then strode inside.

Without a second's hesitation, Xiao Yan followed.

Soon, the two arrived at an artificial hill.

Looking at the artificial mountain in front of him, Zhu Guohu sighed, stretched out his palm, made two quick gestures at the top, then walked to the side and gently turned the protrusion next to it.

The next moment, the artificial hill trembled slightly and moved back a few meters, revealing a stone door on the ground.

Looking at the stone gate before him, Zhu Guohu pondered for a moment, then turned his head and said, “The Netherworld Pool is extremely dangerous for anyone outside the Zhu family. Over the years, everyone who has reached the Netherworld Pool has been dragged down into the pool by the vengeful spirits. Please be prepared.”

"Please lead the way."

Xiao Yan smiled. Relying on his spiritual power, he had already clearly seen the situation under the stone gate—a small altar with a stone platform in the center. There was nothing else there.

Zhu Guohu nodded and placed his hand on a spot on the stone gate.

As the sound of moving parts filled the air, the stone door slowly moved, and in no time, a dark tunnel appeared before the two of them.

The moment the two entered the tunnel, the stone door slowly closed again.

As if waiting for Xiao Yan to ask a question, Zhu Guohu stood there calmly, without saying a word.

"Please continue leading the way."

Xiao Yan let out a long breath, smiled, and said nothing more.

Chapter 69 Battle Emperor?!

Zhu Guohu kept rubbing his palm against the stone wall beside the tunnel until, at a certain moment, his palm touched a stone.

With the spirit of martial arts infused, a cat's claws shot out.

Stab it!

The cat's paw collided with the stone, sending sparks flying. The sparks then landed on the wall.

The next second, a cluster of flames suddenly burst forth from the wall, and then spread forward at an extremely fast speed, and in a short while, the entire tunnel was brightly lit.

Is this some kind of special ritual?

Xiao Yan, who did not believe that Zhu Guohu did these things simply for lighting, asked.

"The special mineral prepared by that ancestor can only be sparked by the claws of a cat possessed by the Netherworld Cat Martial Soul, and only such sparks can light up the entire tunnel..." Zhu Guohu explained as he moved forward.

"At the same time, it can also be considered a safety measure. Only after the entire tunnel is lit up can the altar in front be activated normally, and the statue used as the key can be used normally. If the Zhu family line ends, perhaps the entire Netherworld Pool will become history."

As they spoke, the two arrived at a huge altar.

Zhu Guohu led Xiao Yan onto the altar. In the center of the altar was a stone platform. With a clench of his fist, a bronze statue the size of a fist appeared.

The bronze statue is blood red; it's a tiger, but it lacks the imposing aura of the king of beasts, instead exuding a chilling feeling.

"This is Yin Hu. According to legend, Yin Hu is Yang Hu's partner and also his strategist..." Zhu Guohu explained calmly after noticing the strange expression on Xiao Yan's face.

"Of course, these are all just rumors. Maybe the Dai family made them up so that the Zhu family would always remain their subordinate."

As he spoke, Zhu Guohu placed the statue on the stone platform, flicked his finger, and a ball of blood shot out from his fingertip, landing steadily on the statue.

“Only the blood of the Zhu family can activate the statue,” Zhu Guohu continued. “From the moment we enter the tunnel, if even one step is missed, the statue cannot be activated… I wonder what that ancestor was guarding against.”