Heart Demon's Vow

The night was deep, with neither stars nor moon in sight.

As midnight approached, Li Chengjie silently left the Flowing Cloud Sect's frontline camp. His figure moved like a ghost, and after a few leaps, he vanished into the darkness east of the camp.

Li Chengjie was not wearing the conspicuous robes of a Flowing Cloud Sect Disciple. Instead, he had changed into fitted dark-gray clothing. The Azure Edge Sword rested on his back, while his Storage Bag at his waist was packed with Qi Replenishing Pills, Blood-Stopping Powder, and other medicines he had hurriedly prepared over the past few days, along with his last nine high-grade Talismans.

After breaking through to Qi Refining Level 7, he felt that his movement technique had become much lighter and nimbler. Before long, he arrived at the agreed location—the Black Pine Forest, which appeared especially gloomy and dense beneath the night sky.

Three figures were already waiting in a clearing within the forest.

The leader was none other than Xiao Yan. He was still dressed in the ordinary attire of a Flowing Cloud Sect Disciple, yet his aura was heavy and restrained, like a leopard crouched in the darkness, ready to pounce.

The other two were a man and a woman. By the faint light of the sky, Li Chengjie swiftly sized them up.

The woman was tall and wore a fitted black night-traveling outfit that outlined her agile figure. A black veil covered her face, revealing only a pair of cold, bright eyes. Her gaze was as sharp as blades, constantly sweeping over the surroundings, filled with vigilance.

Two Short Blades were crossed over her back. Her aura was concealed, and her cultivation level was precisely Qi Refining Level 7.

The other man appeared somewhat younger, just over twenty. He had handsome features and wore a blue brocade robe, its hem embroidered with tiny mountain patterns, giving him the bearing of a young scion from a prominent family.

A longsword hung at his waist, and a faint but unmistakable arrogance rested between his brows. His cultivation level was at the peak of Qi Refining Level 6.

"Alchemist Li, you are indeed punctual." Upon seeing Li Chengjie, Xiao Yan revealed a slight smile and spoke first, breaking the silence of the forest.

Li Chengjie cupped his hands in reply. "Senior Brother Xiao summoned me. I would not dare delay." His gaze naturally turned toward the other two.

Xiao Yan understood and turned slightly as he introduced them. "Alchemist Li, allow me to introduce you. This is Miss Liu Ruyan."

He pointed to the black-clad woman. "Miss Liu comes from the Liu Family, which was originally based here in Qingshi Market. Perhaps Alchemist Li still remembers them?

"Unfortunately, before the market fell into ruin, the Liu Family had already relocated in its entirety to Ningde City. It was also Miss Liu who first learned vague news of this Spirit Stone Mine through channels left behind by her family and informed me of it. That was how we were able to pinpoint its location."

Liu Ruyan gave Li Chengjie a slight nod. Her cool voice came through the veil. "Alchemist Li."

That counted as a greeting. She showed no sign of despondency over her family's departure; her gaze remained as calm and wary as ever.

Li Chengjie's heart stirred. He did indeed remember the Liu Family of Qingshi Market. It had been a small local family dealing primarily in materials and information. He had not expected there to be such a connection. He cupped his hands and said, "Miss Liu, I have long heard of you."

Xiao Yan then pointed at the blue-robed young man. "This is Brother Li Sihai, from the Li Family of Qilian Mountain. The Li Family is famed for the Art of Material Control, and Brother Li is one of its finest."

Li Sihai revealed a perfectly measured smile and clasped his hands toward Li Chengjie. His tone carried the reserved poise of a great family's descendant. "Alchemist Li, a pleasure. I did not expect us to share the same surname."

Li Sihai's gaze swept over Li Chengjie's plain attire and the Azure Edge Sword on his back. That trace of arrogance did not seem to diminish in the slightest.

Li Chengjie's expression remained calm as he returned the gesture. "Brother Li, a pleasure."

Li Chengjie knew little of the Li Family of Qilian Mountain, but since Xiao Yan had specifically mentioned the Art of Material Control, this man must indeed possess exceptional skill.

Seeing that the two sides had become acquainted, Xiao Yan clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention. "All right, everyone is here. Miss Liu provided the crucial information, Brother Li excels at breaking through barriers, and Alchemist Li is meticulous and proficient in alchemy, making him ideal support. With me added in, each of us has our own strengths. Our confidence in this journey has grown by several degrees. Before we set out, however, as agreed, we must make a Heart Demon Oath to ensure the mission proceeds smoothly and to avoid unnecessary trouble. Do any of you object?"

Liu Ruyan spoke coldly. "That is only proper."

Li Sihai nodded, his tone turning more solemn as well. "Naturally. We will proceed according to the rules."

Li Chengjie naturally had no objection. "Agreed."

Xiao Yan's expression became solemn. He raised his right hand first and forced a drop of crimson fresh blood from his fingertip. It floated above his palm as he said in a deep voice, "I, Xiao Yan, hereby swear upon my Heart Demon that during this exploration of the Spirit Stone Mine, until we have safely departed and completed the distribution of the gains, I will never take the initiative to attack or scheme against my companions Liu Ruyan, Li Sihai, and Li Chengjie, nor will I reveal any secret of this journey. Should I violate this oath, may I suffer an Inner Demon Backlash, have my cultivation level completely ruined, and be forever cut off from the Dao path!"

As his words fell, the drop of fresh blood flickered slightly. It seemed as though an indescribable Dao resonance had merged into it before it sank into his palm and vanished.

Li Chengjie could feel an invisible binding force quietly taking shape around Xiao Yan's soul.

Liu Ruyan and Li Sihai followed at once, each forcing out essence blood and making the same oath.

When it was Li Chengjie's turn, he followed suit, forcing out essence blood and solemnly swearing, "I, Li Chengjie, hereby swear upon my Heart Demon that during this exploration of the Spirit Stone Mine, until we have safely departed and completed the distribution of the gains, I will never take the initiative to attack or scheme against my companions Xiao Yan, Liu Ruyan, and Li Sihai, nor will I reveal any secret of this journey. Should I violate this oath, may I suffer an Inner Demon Backlash, have my cultivation level completely ruined, and be forever cut off from the Dao path!"

The oath was made, and the essence blood merged away.

The faint wariness and distance between the four seemed to dissipate considerably with the formation of the oath. A tentative sense of trust, founded on mutual interests and binding restraint, began to take shape.

"Excellent!" Xiao Yan nodded in satisfaction. "Now that the oath has been made, we are temporary allies. Time is pressing, so let us depart. Our destination is a hidden valley a hundred li to the northeast!"

As Xiao Yan spoke, he waved a hand. A flying sword, entirely crimson and ancient in design, appeared beneath his feet. Faint flowing light shimmered along its blade, and it gave off a considerable Spiritual Power Fluctuation. It was clearly a fine high-grade, first-rank flying sword.

"Everyone, please." With a movement of his body, Xiao Yan lightly landed atop the flying sword, hovering three feet above the ground.

Liu Ruyan said nothing. She merely patted her Storage Bag in silence, and a streak of black light, nearly blending into the night itself, shot out and settled beneath her feet. It was a slender black Flying Shuttle, its spiritual energy drawn inward. Its speed was surely extraordinary.

She leaped lightly onto it and stood firmly in place.

Seeing this, Li Sihai smiled faintly, seemingly intending to show off. He formed a sword seal with his fingers and gave a light shout. "Out of the sheath!" The sword at his waist answered his call, its blade gleaming with cold light as it gracefully spun once through the air before coming to a steady stop beneath his feet.

This flying sword was clearly of excellent quality as well, at least high-grade first-rank, quite fitting for his status as a descendant of a prominent family.

He sprang onto the flying sword, his robes fluttering as he cut a rather dashing figure.

Seeing this, Li Chengjie did not hesitate. With a thought, the Azure Edge Sword on his back came out with a clang, hovering before him. This Azure Edge Sword was merely an ordinary mid-grade, first-rank flying sword. Whether in spiritual radiance or appearance, it was far inferior to the magical artifacts of the other three.

Li Sihai's gaze swept over Li Chengjie's Azure Edge Sword, and the corner of his mouth twitched downward almost imperceptibly. Though he said nothing, that trace of superiority had already revealed itself.

Xiao Yan merely smiled and tried to smooth things over. "Magical artifacts are no more than means of travel. What matters is the person wielding them. Alchemist Li's alchemy is superb; we will have to rely on him greatly during this journey. Stay close to me and take care to conceal your auras. Let us go!"

With that, he guided his sword seal, and the Crimson Flying Sword transformed into a streak of not overly conspicuous light, silently skimming the treetops as it sped northeast.

For the sake of concealment, he deliberately kept both his speed and altitude under control.

Liu Ruyan's black Flying Shuttle was like a ghost in the night, closely following behind and to the side of Xiao Yan, producing almost no sound as it cut through the air.

Li Sihai's flying sword flashed with spiritual light, and it was not slow, but perhaps to preserve his elegant bearing, he paid particular attention to his flying posture. The rush of wind it stirred was actually louder than Liu Ruyan's.

Li Chengjie guided the Azure Edge Sword, feeling the fierce wind rushing toward him as the spiritual power of Qi Refining Level 7 flowed continuously from within him into the flying sword. He deliberately remained half a position behind, following Li Sihai while silently observing the three ahead of him—especially Liu Ruyan's near-miraculous concealed flight technique and Xiao Yan's precise grasp of the route.

The four traveled in silence, with only the wind howling past their ears. Below them, the land flashed by, even more desolate and ruined beneath the night sky. In the distance, occasional flashes of battle-light appeared, reminding them that they were presently in a dangerous region.

After flying for roughly an hour, they were not far from the target valley. Xiao Yan slowed down and signaled for everyone to descend, concealing themselves behind a pile of jagged rocks.

"The mist-shrouded hollow ahead is our target." Xiao Yan pointed ahead and spoke in a low voice. "The mine entrance lies at the deepest point of that hollow. We will rest and regulate our breathing for a moment. Miss Liu, I will trouble you to approach a little closer and confirm the entrance."