Chapter Thirty-Six: Execution

Back when Chu Jie and the others took control of the Wind-listening Leopard, it had seemed effortless. Yet none of them knew that its previous master, Master Tianyun, had poured tireless effort and painstaking care into raising this beast. The creature was notoriously finicky about its food, especially picky with what it would eat.

Liang Bo, Chen Long, and the others tried all the rations they had on hand, offering them to the beast, but the Wind-listening Leopard didn't touch a thing. Jiang Ziwen scoured the villa for wild fruits and birds, but even these failed to pique the leopard's interest.

Chu Jie, in a fit of rage, nearly killed the beast then and there, but was stopped by Chen Long. "Boss, we still need it. You can't kill it yet."

"Our brothers are already half-starved, and now we have to scavenge for this beast too. Isn't it just looking for death?" A fire of anger smoldered in Chu Jie's chest.

Already, many of his brothers were weakened from the conflict with Lord Tiansha, and now the Wind-listening Leopard had become yet another burden. It was no wonder he felt so irritable.

Liang Bo paced the ground helplessly. Though they'd managed to save their brothers, if Lord Tiansha returned, it would spell certain doom for them all.

"Forget it for now. Everyone, rest. Once we're recovered, we'll think of a way to deal with Lord Tiansha," Chu Jie ordered swiftly.

As the leader, every word and action from him determined the fate of the Mad Dog Camp.

Thereafter, Liang Bo and the others took on the responsibility of caring for their brothers. While they usually pushed everyone to train hard, now, with so many wounded, the senior brothers did their best to act the part, caring for their comrades as if they were blood kin. Quiet gratitude welled up in the hearts of the others.

With little food brought along, they had no choice but to forage locally. Chen Long, unable to sit still, busied himself hunting small animals, roasting them to share among the brothers.

Chu Jie, meanwhile, cultivated in silence. He had only reached the second level of the Spirit Gathering Realm, and still didn’t know the true strength of the leader of the Five Heavenly Lords.

For the safety of the Mad Dog Camp, Chu Jie could only pin all hope on himself.

Three days passed in this way. The brothers’ wounds healed, their spirits returned, and their cultivation reached former standards.

But the Wind-listening Leopard was nearly starved to death. For three days, the brothers scoured the fourth-tier terraces for anything edible, but the beast refused everything. This left everyone at their wit's end; more than once, Chu Jie was tempted to kill it.

"Boss, what do we do? We can’t rely on the Wind-listening Leopard," Jiang Ziwen asked, a hint of despair in his voice.

Once, so many had risked their lives searching for the leopard to save their brothers, but now, unable to contend with Lord Tiansha's Netherworld Fox, it seemed their fate was sealed.

Their spirits naturally sank.

Chu Jie gazed coldly into the distance. "All roads lead to Rome. I refuse to believe only the Wind-listening Leopard can kill the Netherworld Fox."

Suddenly, a mocking laugh echoed from above. Everyone looked up swiftly.

Lord Tiansha hovered in the air, feet on a sliver of cloud, the black Netherworld Fox cradled in his arms. He spoke in his effeminate voice, "I’m surprised you’re all so confident."

"Good timing. I want to see just how powerful your Netherworld Fox really is," Chu Jie said, suppressing the fury that had built up for days, activating both the Universe Treasure Wheel and the small tripod.

"It’s nothing special. But I guarantee you’ll be dead before you even reach me," replied Lord Tiansha.

He was only twenty years old, his face pale as death, almost ghastly and terrifying to behold.

Suddenly, the Netherworld Fox lifted its sinister face, flicked out a dreadful tongue, and let out a chilling howl that made all the Mad Dog Camp brothers shudder.

It wasn’t that they lacked courage—the thing was simply too terrifying.

The Netherworld Fox was no larger than a common cat, but jet-black all over, its eyes burning crimson. When it opened its mouth, blood dripped from its fangs—a creature straight from the deepest hell.

A wave of black miasma surged forth, rapidly spreading to engulf Chu Jie and the others, like a giant prehistoric beast devouring all air in its path.

"Boss, this is bad!" Jiang Ziwen quickly moved to shield Chu Jie, intercepting the attack.

Lord Tiansha looked down at the brothers with a gaze full of pity. "The other day, I underestimated you all. I thought you’d never find the Wind-listening Leopard, that my poison would seep through and you’d all die hideously."

He paused, then continued, "But I was careless. I didn’t expect you’d actually find Master Tianyun’s Wind-listening Leopard. For the past two days, I’ve watched from the shadows, not daring to show myself because of the leopard’s presence. But now, the Wind-listening Leopard is as good as dead. It’s time for you to join it."

Once more, the Netherworld Fox spewed dense black poison, fiercer than three days before.

"Let me deal with this damned beast myself today!"

Chu Jie cursed, preparing to strike, when suddenly the near-dead Wind-listening Leopard stirred.

All the black poison was drawn into its body. It seemed to revive, slowly rising to its feet, greedily inhaling the toxic vapor.

"Could it be—the Wind-listening Leopard feeds on poison?" Liang Bo asked, excitement in his voice.

Chu Jie said nothing, watching the beast intently.

Hovering above, Lord Tiansha realized the danger and hurriedly pulled the Netherworld Fox behind him.

But it was already too late.

With a wild howl, the Wind-listening Leopard went berserk, tearing at the ground with its claws, baring its fangs at Lord Tiansha, its gaze locking onto the fox in his arms.

Lord Tiansha let out a terrified cry and tried to flee by riding the wind.

But the Wind-listening Leopard leapt into the air like a dragon, charging at him with terrifying speed and overwhelming ferocity.

In his panic, Lord Tiansha hurled away the Netherworld Fox, which continued to spew poison as it plummeted from the sky.

The Wind-listening Leopard overtook it in an instant, seized it with both claws, and tore it apart.

In a heartbeat, the Netherworld Fox was shredded and dead.

The next moment, the Wind-listening Leopard swallowed it whole.

Amid the chaos, Lord Tiansha had already fled in panic, his control over his energy feeble.

"Think you can escape?" Jiang Ziwen was the first to give chase, placing a small sword beneath his feet and soaring through the air—second only to Chu Jie in speed.

Now, without the Netherworld Fox, Lord Tiansha was nothing but a puppet, a beaten dog fleeing in disgrace.

In no time, Jiang Ziwen caught up with him. Sword in hand, he struck from midair with a force that could cleave a mountain, cutting down all before him.

With a sickening sound, crimson blood sprayed from the sky, splattering everywhere.

Like the Netherworld Fox, Lord Tiansha’s corpse dissolved into thin air. A confident smile lit Jiang Ziwen’s face.

"You foreign thieves have killed four of my brothers in succession. If I don't cut you into a thousand pieces today, I’ll never be rid of the hatred in my heart!"

Before the Mad Dog Camp brothers could celebrate, a terrifying black cloud rolled in from the distance. Within the cloud, a twisted face flickered in and out of sight, and the sky darkened instantly.

Chu Jie’s heart leaped in alarm!