Chapter 1351: The Agreement

Dongbo Xueying sat to the side, pondering for a moment before speaking. “Slaying a Meta prisoner is extremely difficult and dangerous. These prisoners endure constant punishment and oppression. In battle, they restrain themselves to avoid further damaging their already fragile bodies. But once faced with mortal peril, they will fight back with reckless abandon, sparing no effort. From what I know, in the history of Chiyun City, attempts to slay Meta prisoners have often ended in failure and heavy casualties.”

Previously, when encountering the Demon Hunter group, Dongbo Xueying had also clashed with their Meta prisoner. He had seen firsthand the prisoner’s ravaged body—skin riddled with wounds, withered muscles, and bones cracked in countless places. The body, tormented by punishment, was severely injured. Meta prisoners generally avoided exacerbating their wounds in battle.

“Yes, it is dangerous. But with Emperor Feixue joining us, our chances improve greatly,” Fengyun Yiyie quickly added.

“City Lord, what can you offer me?” Dongbo Xueying asked.

Fengyun Yiyie hesitated.

What could he offer?

Food? When it came to obtaining food, if Emperor Feixue claimed second place, no cultivator in the entire Sacred World would dare claim first. His soul-based techniques were unrivaled in the Sacred World, allowing him to effortlessly hunt even perfected Divine Emperor-level Meta creatures.

“You recently acquired the remains of six void-path Meta creatures, didn’t you?” Fengyun Yiyie said. “I can help you obtain the remains of fifteen other void-path Meta creatures, all guaranteed to be perfected Divine Emperor-level. Some of them reside far from our Chiyun City, closer to other gathering points.”

“I could trade food for them,” Dongbo Xueying shook his head.

“But some live near the other four cities, making trade difficult,” Fengyun Yiyie countered.

“Then I’ll offer more food,” Dongbo Xueying replied.

Fengyun Yiyie sighed helplessly.

Faced with someone as resource-rich as Emperor Feixue, even he, the City Lord, was at a loss.

“I cultivate the Void Path and the Illusory Dream Path,” Dongbo Xueying said. “If the City Lord can find something that greatly aids me in these two paths, I might consider helping.”

“Very well,” Fengyun Yiyie nodded slightly. In an instant, his mind raced through various treasures. He had connections with the other four cities, and cultivators in the Sacred World hailed from countless realms—some even descended from Meta beings. He knew of certain cultivation treasures, but they required careful preparation.

“Then it’s settled. I’ll take my leave for now,” Dongbo Xueying smiled as he stood.

Fengyun Yiyie nodded again.

There was nothing more he could do.

In terms of influence within Chiyun City, Emperor Feixue was likely on par with him, the City Lord. Many cultivators might even prefer following Emperor Feixue. Without sufficient incentive, how could he expect Emperor Feixue to risk his life?

“My Illusory Dream techniques are highly effective against ordinary Meta creatures, but utterly useless against Meta prisoners. Against them, I face genuine mortal peril. Naturally, I can’t agree lightly,” Dongbo Xueying mused. Meta prisoners were high-level Meta beings with overwhelmingly powerful souls, rendering his Illusory Dream techniques ineffective.

Even if he unleashed his full physical strength, his combat power would rank among the lowest of Chiyun City’s elite fighters, and he could only sustain it for a brief moment—far too dangerous.

“Though this is merely a clone, and my true self in my homeworld and the Heart Realm would remain unharmed if it perished, losing this clone would mean losing my opportunity here,” Dongbo Xueying cherished his time cultivating in the Sacred World.

…

Exiting the side hall, he stepped into the garden.

Most cultivators had already left the vast, empty garden, leaving only the Deputy City Lord, ‘Nine-Headed Serpent Ancestor,’ drinking alone. Even Wu Xiao had departed.

“Brother Feixue,” the Nine-Headed Serpent Ancestor gestured beside him with a smile. “Sit.”

“Apologies for keeping the Deputy City Lord waiting,” Dongbo Xueying said.

“With infinite lifespan, a brief wait is nothing,” the Nine-Headed Serpent Ancestor looked at Dongbo Xueying. “Fengyun Yiyie wanted to slay the Meta prisoner in ‘Wind Demon Valley,’ didn’t he?”

“Yes,” Dongbo Xueying nodded. “But I didn’t agree.”

The Nine-Headed Serpent Ancestor’s heart stirred.

He didn’t agree?

It seemed persuading Emperor Feixue wouldn’t be easy.

“If I were to ask Brother Feixue, you might agree,” the Nine-Headed Serpent Ancestor said.

“Oh? Please elaborate,” Dongbo Xueying replied.

“I also wish to slay a Meta prisoner. In the entire Sacred World, there are twenty-one void-path Meta creatures, but only three groups possess Meta prisoners. Though these three prisoners are different types of high-level Meta beings, they all belong to the void-path. The one I wish to slay is the ‘Silent Ice Mountain Lord,'” the Nine-Headed Serpent Ancestor explained.

Dongbo Xueying’s heart stirred.

The Silent Ice Mountain Lord?

Of the three void-path Meta prisoners, he certainly knew of this one! To Dongbo Xueying, the corpse of a complete high-level void-path Meta creature was immeasurably more valuable than those of perfected Divine Emperor-level Meta creatures—it was a qualitative leap. But void-path creatures excelled in survival, making them extremely difficult to slay.

Though the ‘Silent Ice Mountain Lord’ resided in the Silent Ice Mountain, it was undeniably a void-path being.

“After slaying it, the heart and all the blood of the Silent Ice Mountain Lord will belong to me. The rest of the corpse will be yours,” the Nine-Headed Serpent Ancestor said, watching Dongbo Xueying. “What do you think?”

“Oh?” Dongbo Xueying’s interest was piqued.

The Nine-Headed Serpent Ancestor was a ‘Witch,’ cultivating by absorbing the bloodlines of Meta creatures. His focus was on the heart and blood.

But Dongbo Xueying sought to study the rules manifested in the corpse—scales, bones, teeth, and other body parts.

“Only the heart and blood?” Dongbo Xueying asked again.

“Yes. I can even leave you a tenth of the blood,” the Nine-Headed Serpent Ancestor offered.

“What about the rest of the team?” Dongbo Xueying inquired. “If we divide it between us, what do they get?”

“I’ve already satisfied their conditions for helping me,” the Nine-Headed Serpent Ancestor replied. Other cultivators couldn’t demand as much as Emperor Feixue, but then again, none could match his ability to obtain the Sacred World’s most precious resource—food—with such ease. His soul techniques were also the greatest asset in slaying Meta prisoners, making his role indispensable.

“Rest assured, I can publicly announce my promise to you when forming the team,” the Nine-Headed Serpent Ancestor urged.

“So you’re saying…” Dongbo Xueying smiled. “You want me to risk my life for treasures not yet obtained?”

The Nine-Headed Serpent Ancestor flicked his wrist, tossing over a golden bracelet. “Inside are nine void-path perfected Divine Emperor-level creatures, all different from the six Jie Tian gave you. These are all I could gather for now. The rest reside near other gathering points and are hard to obtain. Consider these a gift to Brother Feixue.”

Dongbo Xueying caught it and inspected the contents, finding nine void-path Meta creature corpses, all perfected Divine Emperor-level. Joy surged in his heart.

Fifteen out of twenty-one… he was making progress.

Impressive!

The Nine-Headed Serpent Ancestor was certainly generous. City Lord Fengyun Yiyie paled in comparison.

“I’ll need three hundred billion years,” Dongbo Xueying stated. “I haven’t been in the Sacred World long and need time to cultivate. In no more than three hundred billion years, I’ll join you, Deputy City Lord, to confront the Silent Ice Mountain Lord. If we succeed, the division of the corpse will be as you proposed. Can you wait that long?”

“Deal!” the Nine-Headed Serpent Ancestor agreed without hesitation.

In the outside world, three hundred billion years would be trivial—a mere blink for beings nearing the Meta level. But in the Sacred World, where food was scarce, it felt longer.

Yet for the Nine-Headed Serpent Ancestor, it was a small price.

“Deal,” Dongbo Xueying smiled.

His agreement hinged on the allure of the Silent Ice Mountain Lord’s corpse. Even without the Nine-Headed Serpent Ancestor’s offer, once strong enough, he would likely have formed his own team to hunt void-path Meta prisoners.