God of Pets-Chapter 417: A Thorny Path Ahead

A white glow emanated from Yang Huai, as if an angel had descended upon him.

His severely injured body began to heal rapidly within that light.

The types of Secret Collection are diverse, not only offensive but also healing.

Yang Huai tried to rise and flee, but Xiu Jie Ming had already appeared before him, likewise harnessing the power of a Secret Collection, with the formidable aura of the Supreme Demon Venerable enveloping Xiu Jie Ming.

Xiu Jie Ming’s great palm struck out, transforming into an unparalleled destructive force, crushing down on Yang Huai as if the sky were collapsing.

Yang Huai felt the surrounding space compressing to the point of suffocation, making escape impossible. In desperation, he let out a shout and once again called upon the power of the Secret Collection, unleashing a myriad of Sword Aura to pierce Xiu Jie Ming’s Great Hand Seal.

Boom!

The Sword Aura shattered, and Yang Huai’s body was smashed into a bloody mist under the Great Hand Seal, leaving not even an intact corpse.

"Secret Collections also have varying strengths," Chen Guan couldn’t help but remark, turning to look at Hu Quan, only to see the apparition of a celestial crane appear on Hu Quan, turning him into a streak of light that shot into the sky, disappearing into the village in an instant.

"He got away." Chen Guan wanted to give chase but realized he couldn’t keep up. The Secret Collection Hu Quan used was a speed-type, and the speed it unleashed was simply too fast.

"He can’t escape," Xiu Jie Ming said calmly. "The legacy is in this village; he can’t leave it."

Chen Guan nodded, looking at Xiu Jie Ming and asked, "Do you also have those Secret Knowledge on you?"

"I do," Xiu Jie Ming thought for a moment and replied. "If I’m not mistaken, those Secret Knowledge originally belonged to the villagers of this Ancient Well Village."

"Why do you say that?" Chen Guan was slightly surprised.

If those Secret Knowledge were transformed from villagers after death, it means the villagers here were Third Awakening Cultivators.

Would Third Awakening Cultivators die from water shortage? It seems unlikely.

Even without a mount, a Third Awakening Cultivator could run eight hundred miles a day on foot, if not a thousand; it wouldn’t be difficult.

With such speed and endurance, wouldn’t it be easy to survive elsewhere?

Xiu Jie Ming explained, "These Secret Knowledge rely merely on the awareness linked to the Secret Collection, almost devoid of memory and thinking capability, surviving solely on a sliver of intent."

"At first, I thought this intent was due to their knowledge being extracted, which would contain deep resentment. But upon reaching this Ancient Well Village, I could intensely sense that this intent and its accompanying resentment became even stronger."

"I see," Chen Guan felt that Xiu Jie Ming’s hypothesis made sense.

"Have you discovered the Netherworld Emperor’s legacy?" Chen Guan asked again.

"No clues yet, I just started searching when I heard the commotion here," Xiu Jie Ming shook his head.

"Then let’s deal with that Inspectorate person first, and then slowly search," Chen Guan said as he started to move in the direction Hu Quan fled.

Fu Tianji followed leisurely beside Chen Guan, like an Eight-armed Guardian Vajra.

Xiu Jie Ming glanced at Fu Tianji and walked up alongside Chen Guan, asking, "This person wasn’t found by Ji Nanhong, was he?"

"No," Chen Guan replied truthfully.

"Could you introduce us?" Xiu Jie Ming was intrigued by Fu Tianji’s combat ability and wanted to meet such a strong person, perhaps find a chance to spar.

However, since Fu Tianji was associated with Chen Guan, he wanted Chen Guan’s permission first to show he had no ulterior motives.

"Even meeting him is useless. His consciousness has issues, similar to these Secret Knowledge; he survives on a singular intent, but he has a body, whereas they have lost theirs," Chen Guan explained.

"Is that so? Who could turn such a strong person into this state?" Xiu Jie Ming wondered, examining Fu Tianji.

He had noticed something unusual about Fu Tianji earlier, only assuming he was eccentric, and didn’t expect such a situation.

"Me," Chen Guan shrugged.

Xiu Jie Ming’s expression became odd, looking at Chen Guan, he asked, "You turned him into this, and he still follows you. Could his intent be to kill you?"

"Close, even worse than killing me, he wants to make me live a fate worse than death," Chen Guan didn’t hide this from Xiu Jie Ming.

He had realized by now that neither Ji Nanhong nor the Xiu Family would easily control the Celestial Court Army.

The Chief Judge wouldn’t allow the Celestial Court Army to be under someone else’s name again. One Chief Commander had controlled the army for eight hundred years; the Chief Judge likely had enough and would not allow it again.

The Xiu Family surely understood this, which is why they wanted to arrange a marriage alliance with Ji Nanhong, in hopes of continuing to manage the Celestial Court Army with the combined strength of the Xiu and Ji families.

At present, regardless of whether Ji Nanhong wanted such an alliance, if she wished to control the Celestial Court Army, she must gain the Xiu Family’s support; otherwise, after the Commander’s death, neither she nor Chen Guan could manage the army alone, leading to a fight with the Xiu Family to the death.

Even if they defeated the Xiu Family, the army’s Primordial Energy would be greatly depleted, essentially self-destructive, which would allow the Chief Judge to easily reclaim command of the army.

The Celestial Court Army’s weakened strength was unacceptable to the Ji and Xiu families, or the Chief Judge. If Ji Nanhong engaged in such a struggle, she would be the first to be outed, which the Chief Judge wouldn’t tolerate.

The Inspectorate targeted Chen Guan because they wouldn’t allow matters to develop in that direction.

Chen Guan realized that if Ji Nanhong aspired to control the Celestial Court Army, cooperation with the Xiu Family was necessary, forming at least a united front even if they couldn’t be fully allied.

It depended on the Chief Judge’s intentions. If he was determined to suppress both families, their future would become grim, potentially leaving all three parties with nothing, and the Celestial Court Army in ruin, which surely wasn’t the Chief Judge’s desired outcome.

If the Chief Judge didn’t wish for such an extent, allowing the Ji and Xiu families to check and manage the army together might be Ji Nanhong’s best option.

To control the Celestial Court Army alone, there are two paths: one is being completely subservient to the Chief Judge, if he’s even willing to accept; the other is leading the army independently, a nearly impossible route.

If Chen Guan could enter the Great Cave Heaven and complete all nine awakenings before the Chief Commander’s death, there might be a chance; otherwise, no use fantasizing.

"You’re truly remarkable," Xiu Jie Ming commented sincerely, not in jest.

Turning someone like Fu Tianji into this was not something a common person could accomplish.