After settling a few more matters, Han Li finally bid farewell and left the stone house.
A short while later, a deafening roar echoed above the grand hall as a massive black ship shot through the sky and vanished into the distance.
Standing at the bow of the ship, Han Li gazed into the distant void, his expression pensive.
“Husband, did Fellow Daoist Ming have anything urgent to discuss with you?” A gentle voice sounded from behind as footsteps approached—it was none other than Nangong Wan, her graceful figure drawing near with a concerned look.
“This matter is rather complicated. I’ll explain it in detail once we return to the cabin,” Han Li replied with a bitter smile before turning around.
……
Several months later, in a mysterious space, three ferocious beasts each clenched a purple-gold chain in their jaws, their faces filled with unease as they stared at the other end of the chains—a black-robed youth similarly bound in layers of chains.
Though trapped and motionless, the youth showed no fear. Instead, his eyes gleamed with mockery as he regarded the three beasts.
After an unknown length of time, the black-robed youth finally spoke, his voice icy and devoid of emotion.
“If any of you surrender now, I will honor my earlier promise—spare your lives, take you as my spirit servants, and bring you to the True Immortal Realm. Otherwise, once the Law Chains fully retaliate, all three of you will perish under their power.”
“Impossible! The backlash of the Law Chains should only target you, an immortal from the upper realm! Why would we be dragged into it? Even if the chains do retaliate, you should bear the brunt of it, while we three share the remaining minor backlash. It shouldn’t be fatal!” A furious roar erupted from one of the beasts—a creature with a deer’s head and a bear’s body.
“Tch, some fool must have taught you this method to activate the Law Chains. You barely understood half of it, yet you dared use it against me. If not for my quick reflexes, pulling you all into this space with a spatial treasure, I might have truly fallen to an ambush outside. But now, we’re locked in this stalemate, waiting for the backlash. However, the true horror of the Law Chains is beyond the comprehension of mere lower-tier True Spirits like you. Even a fraction of the backlash is enough to reduce you to ashes. Can’t you feel your True Source being slowly devoured by the chains? As for me, my immortal body is far beyond your pitiful existence. With my immortal treasures protecting me, even a greater backlash would only require a longer recovery.” The black-robed youth sneered, his tone dripping with disdain.
“Nonsense! This method was personally taught to us by the Golden Dragon King! How could it be flawed? Don’t think you can sow discord among us with mere words. If what you say were true, you’d just wait silently—why bother speaking?” The deer-headed beast snarled in response.
The other two beasts exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions darkening.
“If I didn’t have pressing matters to attend to, I wouldn’t waste time on you. Fine, I’ll make one last offer: whoever surrenders first will not only accompany me to the immortal realm but also receive a True Soul Pill, granting them an immortal soul. But this offer expires in half a day. After that, don’t expect any further concessions.” The black-robed youth finally revealed a trace of impatience.
“A True Soul Pill?!”
The other two beasts trembled at the promise, their eyes flashing with greed.
The temptation was overwhelming, stirring an instant longing in their hearts.
“The choice is yours—perish in soul and body, or serve me and ascend to immortality. As for your contracts with the Horned Race and all ties to this realm, I can sever them for you. I won’t say another word.” With a cold laugh, the youth closed his eyes, seemingly at ease despite his restraints.
The three beasts exchanged glances, their expressions shifting, yet none spoke.
As time passed, they felt the Law Chains devouring their power at an accelerating rate. Despite their countless secret techniques to resist, none worked—instead, the erosion only worsened.
Panic began to set in.
At this rate, by the time the backlash arrived, their strength would be reduced to less than a tenth, leaving no chance of survival.
The giant sparrow and the bull-headed beast’s faces flickered with uncertainty.
“Fellow Daoists, surely you’re not swayed by his words?” The deer-headed beast growled, eyeing its companions with suspicion. It tugged at the chain in its mouth, sending ripples of law energy outward.
“Of course not. Though the True Soul Pill is rare, it’s not enough to make me betray our pact. But we can’t ignore the backlash of the Law Chains—this is a matter of life and death,” the twin-headed bull beast said hesitantly, its scaled body tensing.
“Indeed. Though we made an ancient contract with the Horned Race using the power of the Profound Heaven Artifact, we never agreed to die for it. We must reconsider,” the giant gray-feathered bird chimed in, its eyes darting.
“I see your point. In that case, let’s discuss this properly. But before that, I have a proposal that could benefit us all.”
The deer-headed beast sighed, as if resigned, then suddenly transmitted a message to the other two. At the same time, it drifted slowly toward the nearest sparrow.
“Brother Deer, stay where you are! Speak from there—no need to come closer!” The gray sparrow’s eyes sharpened as it barked a warning.
“What? You don’t trust me now?” The deer-headed beast’s face darkened.
“Hmph, of course not. In times like these, it’s best to keep our distance. Don’t you agree, Brother Hoofdragon?” The sparrow sneered, glancing at the twin-headed bull.
“Well… we’ve all been revered by the Horned Race. There’s no need for such—”
Before the bull could finish, the purple chain in its mouth trembled violently. An irresistible force surged forth, cutting off its words and sending blood gushing from its maw.
With a startled cry, the beast lost its grip on the chain. As it lunged to reclaim it, a cold laugh sounded above. The sky darkened as a colossal blood-red seal, wreathed in golden and silver runes, materialized overhead and crashed down.
The bull roared, its body swelling as it raised two massive hooves to block the seal.
**BOOM!**
The hooves shattered instantly, followed by its body and soul, torn apart in a flash of crimson light.
Above the blood seal, the black-robed youth reappeared, smirking. Meanwhile, the figure bound in chains at the center of the three beasts dissipated like smoke in the wind.
“Impossible! How did you break free?!” The gray sparrow shrieked, spitting out its chain and flapping its wings in a desperate retreat.
**THUD!**
A hairy black paw swatted it like a fly, sending it tumbling through the air before it barely stabilized.
The deer-headed beast retracted its arm, its expression now sinister.
“Yang Lu, have you lost your mind?! Wait—I see! You’ve already betrayed us! You tampered with the Law Chains!” The sparrow screeched, shaking its dazed head in realization.
“Too late for regrets now,” the deer-headed beast said coldly, while the black-robed youth atop the blood seal chuckled darkly.
“My lord, spare me! I’ll submit, I’ll serve as your spirit servant—” the sparrow pleaded, backing away in terror.
“Too late. I have only one True Soul Pill and can take only one servant. Yang Lu, since you’ve chosen to submit, kill it—your first task. If you fail and die instead, the pill goes to the victor. Don’t worry about me going back on my word. I need a servant for my mission in this realm. Only the strongest among you is worthy.” The youth’s eyes glinted with malice as he issued the cruel command.
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