Chapter 1477: Nine-Level Demon Emperor

“I’m not sure what that creature is, but it really looks just like I described. It seems to be a mutated cat. The 'Myriad Demon Codex Encyclopedia' left by the old driver has no record of this little guy, which leaves only two possibilities. First, this creature is a unique species that no mercenary who ever returned alive to Garan City has seen before. Second, this creature might not originally belong to the Kunlun Abyss.”

Hearing Xu Yang's words, Long Kun and the other two calmed down instead.

“Boss, can you detect any lingering aura so we can track it down? It just brazenly swallowed the Pangolin King's spoils right in front of us! That’s tens of thousands of points! While it’s not a major loss for us, I just can’t stand letting it get away with acting so recklessly!” This time, it wasn't Long Kun throwing a tantrum; it was the young girl Ling Yao who felt it was unbearable. She truly wanted to catch that impudent little creature and vent her frustration.

“No rush,” Xu Yang said. “Anyone who dares to do something like this in front of me is either incredibly bold or fearless. I’m very curious to know what secrets this little creature hides.” Xu Yang's palm moved slightly, and the sixty-four hexagrams of the Guigu Qimen Array quickly appeared. A trace of the little cat's aura, which had remained in Xu Yang's spiritual space, was injected into the array. Soon, phenomena indicating its corresponding location began to emerge.

“Follow me in the 'Kan' direction; we’ll definitely find that little guy,” Xu Yang declared. With a flick of his palm, he stored the corpses of the Level 8 Demon King, the Clear Sky Black Tiger King, and the Frog King. He also retrieved his main divine artifact, the Ice Emperor Pagoda, into his palm. Then, he quickly set off with his three teammates, pursuing the mysterious little cat along its escape route.

Xu Yang's strength naturally wouldn't let the creature escape. However, Xu Yang wasn't sure how far they had traveled. After several successive days and nights, at the pace of Xu Yang and his three companions, they had probably already covered hundreds of thousands of miles within the Kunlun Secret Realm.

The four traveled until they reached the foot of a winding chain of black mountains. In Xu Yang's palm, the light dot indicating the 'Kan' position on the Guigu Qimen Array began to dim. A slight smile touched Xu Yang's lips as he realized this dimming light signified the target's imminent appearance.

“It should be hidden not far within these mountains; the Guigu Qimen Array in my hand indicates it,” Xu Yang stated. Ling Yao instinctively scratched her head. “Boss, these mountains are so vast and complex. That creature is small but incredibly fast. Won’t it take forever to find its tracks here?”

Xu Yang scoffed, “Do you think swallowing my spoils right in front of me will let it escape so easily? Don’t forget, what elemental affinity did that pangolin demon beast have?” “Naturally, it was rock-attributed, and it also had some earth-attributed bloodline power.”

Xu Yang nodded with a faint smile. “Exactly. My Law of Earth hasn’t been activated in quite a while. Before the Law of Earth, any restless earth-attributed inherited power cannot hide. As for the rock-attributed innate inheritance, it’s even easier to find. As long as this creature is hidden in these mountains, it won’t escape my grasp.” Xu Yang's words were brimming with confidence; everything was indeed within his control.

With a gentle wave of Xu Yang's hand, the Jade Bone Divine Sword materialized once more. Its corresponding sword aura, bound by Xu Yang's earth-attributed power, began to search frantically. Wherever the sword trace passed, the souls of all earth-attributed demon beasts hidden within the black mountains instinctively became restless, emitting increasingly loud cries. It was as if a spell, emanating from Xu Yang's Jade Bone Divine Sword, was testing their fervent souls. They had to continuously cry out to maintain their souls' integrity; otherwise, they risked being utterly torn to shreds by this summoning aura at any moment.

As these demon beast souls emitted their auras in response, Xu Yang's spiritual world became like a massive devouring black hole. It began to frantically collect the diffused souls and meticulously screen and test each aura.

“Strange, this little creature is really good at hiding,” Xu Yang mused. “After searching for so long, there are nearly a million earth-attributed spirit demons in these mountains, yet none of their consciousnesses or outlines match that creature. If my judgment is correct, this creature must be hidden within the domain of a great demon of Level 8 or higher, thereby evading my aura detection.”

With Xu Yang's discerning judgment, he wouldn't let an unknown minor demon obscure his vision. Since the large-scale search yielded no results, Xu Yang immediately recalled his Jade Bone Divine Sword to his side, preventing any further actions that might alert the target.

Now, Xu Yang had a more precise and targeted approach to handle the situation. There were ways to detect small demons, and naturally, ways to attract great demons. "I'm genuinely curious to see what kind of top-tier great demon dares to shelter you, little thing."

Suddenly, Xu Yang tapped his brow, directly releasing his true soul. Simultaneously, he activated his powerful Heavenly Eye, and its immense aura swept horizontally across the sky. Every towering mountain beneath this expanse was enveloped by Xu Yang's incredibly potent spiritual energy.

Before long, all powerful demon beasts above Level 7 within these mountains were pulled into Xu Yang's Heavenly Screen. He immediately shared this information with his three teammates.

“Holy cow, Boss, there’s actually a Level 9 Demon Emperor hidden in that cave deep in the mountains! And it’s an earth-attributed giant snake, just like that!” Long Kun exclaimed, surprised. Xu Yang, however, remained calm and let out a cold laugh.

“Exactly,” Xu Yang confirmed. “This is the big guy I was looking for. Based on my judgment, that little imp who dared to steal food from a tiger’s mouth must have used some special method to mask its aura. It then hid deep within this giant snake’s cave, protected by its domain, perfectly evading my previous wide-range search methods. Since that’s the case, I’ll first deal with this Level 9 giant snake demon to further enrich our spoils. At the same time, I’ll drag that little creature out directly. I’d like to see where else it can possibly run.”

Xu Yang had always been decisive, and his firm convictions had never failed him. Transforming into a streak of light, he shot into the sky, directly arriving at the deepest part of the black mountains. Facing the seemingly hollow and profound depths of the cave below, he released his powerful spiritual energy. “Level 9 Demon Emperor, as the absolute leader of this area, I’ve come to meet you.”

Xu Yang's spiritual transmission was incredibly solid. If it had been anyone else, that mere burst of spiritual energy would likely have elicited no response from the opponent. But this time was different. The Level 9 Demon Emperor giant snake flew out of its cave without hesitation, revealing its complete serpentine body. This clearly showed how wary it was of Xu Yang's presence.