Chapter 299: Chapter 296: Three Kowtows of the Unmoving Nether King (Part 1)

The Pig Emperor was completely focused on how to explore the black mist, desperately scouring its inherited memories for any relevant information.

Meanwhile, Mo Qi’s thoughts were in a total mess due to his earlier conflicted thoughts.

So, neither of them noticed Yan’s subtle move.

The moment the purple-gold blood landed on the black mist, the fog automatically parted, forming a tiny channel and allowing the blood to pass through.

"Descendant of mine, of royal blood. You are worthy. Come and receive the Nether King’s inheritance!"

A voice only Yan could hear rang out.

’Legend says the Nether Ancestor once received a boon from the Nether King, which is how he gained the power to reshape the world, condense Nether Crystals, and lead our race to prosperity. The legends were true!’ Yan thought excitedly.

The Nether King!

The creator of the Nether Race!

Or rather, he was the common ancestor of the entire Nether Race, the mythic figure they all worshipped!

The clan chronicles record that the Nether King was the God of Destruction. He wielded the Power of Destruction, roamed the cosmos, and rarely met his match.

The Nether Race was once a supreme power, even greater than the dragons and phoenixes!

But then the Nether King vanished without a trace. Suppressed by a coalition of other powers, the race gradually fell into decline, eventually ending up here.

’If I can gain even a sliver of insight into the Power of Destruction from the Nether King’s inheritance, it would be enough for me to become a titan. My destiny would be completely transformed!’

"Foolish kid!"

Yan suddenly drew close to Mo Qi and called out.

Her voice was enchanting, like an oriole’s song echoing from a valley, a sound from the heavens.

Even though it was only the second time he had heard her voice, Mo Qi still turned around, stunned.

In the moment he was dazed, Yan suddenly shoved him.

Mo Qi instinctively tried to steady himself, only to find to his surprise that his strength had been sealed by a strange power.

His body tilted back, and he tumbled into the fissure in the earth.

"Mo Qi!"

The Pig Emperor was aghast. It tried to grab Mo Qi’s shoulder and pull him up, but Yan seized it by the ear and hoisted it into the air.

Mo Qi never in a million years thought Yan would move against him. He was filled with utter disbelief.

’After Fang Min trampled all over my heart, is it happening all over again?’

’Why?’

’Why is genuine affection never returned in kind?’

’What’s more, Yan had no reason to attack me!’

He had no more time to think. The moment he fell into the black mist, he lost consciousness.

"OINK! This Emperor will fight you to the death!"

The Pig Emperor flew into a rage. Its palm-sized body suddenly swelled, growing to a height of ten meters.

It glared furiously at Yan, but its rotund form was just plain comical.

"Hah! You venomous old hag, do you dare meet Grandmaster Pig’s gaze?"

Yan hadn’t intended to act again, but when she heard the two words "old hag," the corners of her mouth lifted into a beautiful arc.

But when the Pig Emperor saw that expression, its heart sank and a chill crawled up its spine.

"I didn’t hear you clearly. Say it again."

"Y-You... d-do you dare look at me?" The Pig Emperor was so frightened it dropped its royal "This Emperor" persona, reverting to a simple "me."

Yan’s eyebrow twitched, but she didn’t look at the Pig Emperor.

She wasn’t entirely sure what the Pig Emperor’s abilities were, but she had inferred a few things from Nangong An’s previous reaction.

’This pig-head dared to try and make me pregnant? He’s courting death!’

She raised a hand and pointed a finger.

CRACKLE!

A bolt of purple lightning streaked through the air. Just as it was about to strike the Pig Emperor, the creature’s massive body suddenly deflated, shrinking back to its original size.

The lightning bolt shot past, just grazing its fur.

"Oh? You managed to dodge? I’d like to see how many times you can pull that off!"

As she spoke, Yan spread her fingers. Dozens of purple lightning bolts materialized, slithering across her palm.

"Don’t, don’t, don’t! We can talk about this!" the Pig Emperor instantly chickened out.

It had smelled the stench of death in the lightning that had just grazed its fur!

"Talk it out? Very well. I’ll give you one chance to talk."

Seeing that Yan didn’t attack immediately, the Pig Emperor breathed a sigh of relief.

Its beady eyes darted about as it tried to think of a way out of this.

’Mo Qi’s fate is unknown. Abandoning him is out of the question.’

’But I can’t figure out what Yan is up to.’

’They were practically lovebirds a moment ago, so why the sudden killing intent?’

’Damn it, looks like I’ll have to risk it all! Mo the kid, oh, Mo the kid, This Emperor is putting it all on the line for you. This could very well get us both killed—man and pig!’

The Pig Emperor took a deep breath. "How about this? To express my apology, This Emperor will recite a poem for you."

"Oh? You, a pig, know how to recite poetry?" Yan sneered, a strange look on her face.

"Of course! Th... I am a renowned scholar!" the Pig Emperor declared, puffing out its chest.

"Alright then, let’s hear it," Yan said with a smile, tilting her head as she toyed with the purple lightning in her hand.

The Pig Emperor bowed from a distance in a show of ’humility’. "Pardon my humble attempt."

The next second, it opened its mouth to begin with its timeless, unchanging opening line: "Ah—"

Just then, dozens of purple lightning bolts shot into its open mouth, exploding in a chaotic CRACKLE and POP.

"Do you take me for a fool? You really think I don’t know what you did Within the Pass? That little Li Yuanhao incident was your handiwork too, wasn’t it?"

Yan’s face was full of scorn as she mockingly chided it.

"A pig’s brain is still a pig’s brain. Unbelievably stupid!"

"If I wanted to kill you, would I need to go to all this trouble?"

"Would I need to resort to some roundabout sneak attack?"

"Would I need to borrow the power of this place?"

The Pig Emperor shrieked in pain. The sensation was like taking a huge bite of a cactus, only for it to then explode inside its mouth.

Innumerable needles pierced its gums, tongue, and throat—a thorny path of agony all the way down to its stomach!

And Yan’s words only added insult to injury, delivering a critical blow to its spirit.

Two streams of muddy tears immediately streamed down its face.

’This Emperor is still alive! Waaaah! Mo the kid, nothing good ever comes from being around you! Is This Emperor allowed to hate you?’

Yan smiled and shook her head, ignoring the blubbering, theatrical Pig Emperor.

Though she was a little annoyed, she had never intended to truly harm it.

The Pig Emperor wasn’t actually injured; it had just been taught a painful lesson.

Yan walked to the edge of the fissure and gazed down at the black mist, muttering to herself, "Foolish kid, I can tell you aren’t one of my people. But since you can condense Nether Crystals, you must share some fate with my race."

"I should not let the Nether King’s inheritance fall into the hands of an outsider. However, I am willing to give up this opportunity for you, to break my own principles for you. I just hope you don’t let me down."

With that, she simply sat down on the edge, dangling her bare feet. Her gaze shifted—at times lost and hazy, at times joyful and expectant, and at other times conflicted and distressed.

No one but her knew what was on her mind.

The Pig Emperor, its head now swollen a size larger than usual, looked over at Yan with a helpless, resentful expression.

But all it saw was a lonely, desolate figure.

In that moment, all the frustration in the Pig Emperor’s heart instantly vanished.

It could read so much in the sight of her back.

Loneliness. Solitude. Pathos.

And a faint tremor of emotion, budding like a spring bamboo shoot.

’Perhaps... this is the real her.’