Chapter 107: Descent of the Celestial Dog (Part I)

When the entire city of Hangdu was cracking down on dogs, there were always a few that slipped through the net—some because they were in remote locations, others by design.

Passing through a narrow alley beside a casino on the west side of the city, one could see two iron doors on the ground. Behind these doors was a sizable underground dog fighting arena.

The owner, Wen Laogou, was just over forty, nicknamed Old Wen Dog. He had a pale, clean-shaven face, and an ordinary appearance. He was not among the wealthiest or most influential in Hangdu.

However, after the recent sweeping arrests of the city’s gangs that cut off their income streams, his fortunes improved overnight. Large sums of silver flowed into his coffers daily.

But this good fortune was short-lived. The City’s Underworld Bureau soon launched a city-wide dog hunt. Naturally, Wen’s dog fighting arena was no exception. It was raided multiple times, and aside from a few prized dogs carefully bred to be champions, the rest were surrendered.

Sitting in the dim arena, Old Wen drank his sorrows one gulp at a time. His once thriving business had collapsed in an instant, and he was powerless to reverse his fate—how could a mere arm fight against a mighty thigh?

“Damn it all, demons! Damn demons again! Can one even stay in Hangdu anymore? There’s always some damn trouble...” he cursed, but quickly fell silent. Though the drink emboldened him, this matter involved immortals.

The arena, aside from the central fighting ring, was lined with seats, and above were a few latticed windows that not only allowed for ventilation but also let in shafts of sunlight.

At its peak, the arena could host three to four hundred spectators. But now, with rumors linking demons to dogs, who would dare to come?

The only consolation was that when the arena was built, Old Wen had secretly constructed a hidden room underground, which now came in handy.

He rose unsteadily, carrying an oil lamp, and shuffled toward the fighting ring.

Moving aside a stack of wooden crates, he revealed a narrow wooden door. After confirming no one was nearby, he opened it and bent to enter.

Inside was a cramped passage barely wide enough for one person, originally intended just for storage.

At the end of the corridor, three iron cages covered with black cloth emerged before him. Sensing his presence, faint movements stirred inside.

“My precious ones, I’m sorry you’ve suffered. I’ll let you out to stretch your legs,” Wen said, his voice full of pity as he caressed the edge of one cage. Weak barks responded from within.

Fighting dogs could not be idle for long; confining them to cages only made them ill. To keep them calm, Wen had even mixed medicine into their food.

After this ordeal, these dogs were no longer fit for the ring and could barely be used for breeding.

Though he knew the harsh truth, Wen still felt reluctant to give up on these treasured dogs he had spent a fortune raising.

He procured a remedy from an old friend, hoping at least one could be saved.

With a deep sigh, he lifted the cloth from a cage and opened the door. A vicious dog, less than half a meter tall, crawled out slowly.

Though emaciated, it looked strong and muscular, baring its teeth. Its mouth was chained shut, its black fur gleamed faintly, and its eyes emanated a ghostly glow. But its limbs were weak, and its tongue lolled.

Wen’s arena categorized fighting dogs into small, medium, and large. He had selected one champion from each category, and this vicious dog was the small champion.

He chained the dog and led it outside the narrow passage.

Old Wen dared not release all three at once; if they met, a deadly fight would ensue.

Once outside, in the spacious area, the dog relaxed and began licking its fur.

The arena was divided into inner and outer sections, with the vicious dogs usually confined to the smaller inner area.

Yet Wen knew that keeping them cramped would cause mental breakdowns and self-harm.

He found a larger cage and placed the small vicious dog inside, setting it aside near the fighting ring.

He had specially separated three areas to keep the dogs apart and prevent them from tearing each other apart.

After settling the first, he turned back to the passage to release the medium-sized dog.

What Wen didn’t notice was the dog in the iron cage appeared panicked, pressing tightly against the bars, as if trying to hide in the shadows.

Moonlight filtered through the rooftop windows, casting light on the floor.

The dog’s shadow stirred, creeping toward its body like flowing black water.

But Wen was oblivious, hearing only faint noises of the cage rattling. He glanced briefly but paid it no mind.

The second vicious dog was a wolf-dog hybrid, resembling a wolf more than a dog but lacking the wolf’s typical greed in its eyes.

Its fur was silvery-gray, marked with wounds of varying sizes. Compared to the other champions, this wolf-dog was more aggressive, often driving prey to the brink before tearing it apart.

However, days confined in the cage dulled its ferocity. When Wen released it, its tail was tucked, and its head hung low.

The wolf-dog was brought outside the passage, whimpering and refusing to move further.

Frustrated, Wen kicked it hard, forcing it out.

The wolf-dog broke free from its chain and dashed into the shadows beneath the seats, trembling, lost in thought no one could guess.

“I used to praise you for being wolf-like. How did a few days in a cage turn you into this...” Wen cursed angrily.

Suddenly, he sensed something amiss. Instinctively, he looked toward the iron cage housing the other vicious dog.

The cage was torn, bitten through in a large gash, and the dog was nowhere to be found.

Before he could react, a massive shadow blocked the moonlight on the floor.

Wen looked up, his heart nearly stopping, almost fainting.

A grotesque creature over three meters tall clung to the rooftop wall. Its head was split down the middle, edged with sharp teeth, and dozens of tentacles writhed from its body.

Those tentacles allowed the monster to hang upside down on the roof.

With time, the creature’s mutation continued, transforming into an indescribable horror.