Yet in that conversation, Li Yan realized the benefits of dreams.
Here, even if hundreds or tens of millions of years passed, it would amount to no more than a dream outside.
What did that mean? It meant he could keep staying in this dream, tempering his techniques without end.
Wasn't this place even better than the Abyss of the Netherworld? He could come and go as he pleased.
If he could learn Moon Princess's ability to control dreams, that would be outrageously powerful.
And from Moon Princess's few words, he could tell that this Outer God had come for him.
That only made Li Yan more curious about what she wanted.
"Then this junior has a question. What exactly did Lord Moon Princess see in me that made you want to recruit me? What have I done to deserve such concern from a deity?"
Moon Princess made no attempt to hide her intentions. She laid her cards on the table.
"I want to use your ability to change reality within dreams to have you kill gods for me."
The deity made no secret of her ambition. With her ability to manipulate dreams, combined with Li Yan's ability to rewrite history through them—
Together, the two of them could elevate Moon Princess to the ranks of the supreme gods.
She could tamper with the Heavenly Dao, twist its origin, and alter its laws at will.
As long as she could recruit Li Yan, she could use her ability to control dreams and become a true deity.
When the people around Li Yan heard Moon Princess say that she wanted him to kill gods for her, their pupils trembled violently.
K-Kill what? Kill gods?
They wouldn't even dare think those two words.
And Moon Princess wanted Li Yan to kill gods for her?
Li Yan raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "Lord Moon Princess, you want me to kill a god—but who?"
Moon Princess let out a series of low laughs. "I don't mind telling you. The four Ancient Gods outside this dream have no idea what's happening here, anyway."
"I want you to kill the Bloodline Emperor Lord, Wondrous Mercy True Lord, Vast Void Dao Ancestor, and Joyful Union Dao Mother for me."
If Moon Princess had said those words outside the dream, the Four Gods would have attacked her on the spot.
But this was a dream, her domain. She could say whatever she pleased.
Her audacity showed just how confident she was in the dream.
First of all, in her eyes, Li Yan and his companions couldn't get out. What did it matter if she told them the truth?
Besides, even if you gave them every possible advantage, she controlled the dream. No matter how much Li Yan struggled, he couldn't escape this place.
No matter what, in Moon Princess's eyes, Li Yan simply couldn't get out of her dream.
What Moon Princess didn't know was that Li Yan had secretly recorded everything she said, turning it into leverage.
If he managed to leave this dream someday, he could show this scene to the Four Gods' followers. It would make for quite a spectacle.
The Ancient Gods and the Outer God turning against each other and tearing into one another—Li Yan could hardly wait to see it.
But Li Yan still had one question. "If you wanted me to enter the dream, why did you seal it off before?"
Moon Princess didn't care in the slightest.
"It was just a test. If you really had the ability, entering the dream wouldn't have been difficult for you."
"If you want to kill gods for me, you'll at least have to prove that you qualify to enter the arena."
At that moment, Li Yan suddenly started bargaining with Moon Princess.
"If I kill gods for you, what do I get out of it?"
Moon Princess had assumed Li Yan was an unruly sort who would put on airs and oppose her just to act aloof.
She hadn't expected him to change his tune so quickly that no one had time to react.
"Master?"
"Immortal Li, are you really going to work for this Outer God, Moon Princess?"
"They say serving a ruler is like serving a tiger, and this Outer God won't be any easier to please. Immortal Li, don't let her sweet talk fool you."
Longyue, Jin Mie, and the others all tried to dissuade him.
As for Eclipse Moon, who had been brought into the hall, she sneered. "See? Master will end up just like me, becoming Lord Moon Princess's servant."
"You've been trapped here for thousands upon thousands of years. You'll suffer the same pain I did."
Eclipse Moon's words made many of them waver.
If they really were locked up here forever, their cultivation and mastery of their techniques might keep improving—but what good would that do if they couldn't get out?
Never mind whether they could escape. Just look at Immortal Li. Hadn't he wavered too? He'd started bargaining with Moon Princess.
Li Yan's change in attitude first left Moon Princess stunned. Then she suppressed her excitement and maintained her lofty air.
"If you work for me, you'll need to sign a master-servant contract."
Before Moon Princess could finish, Li Yan cut in. "I'm the master, and you're the servant?"
Moon Princess fell silent for a moment, then couldn't help laughing.
"How arrogant. You actually want a deity to be your servant?"
"Do you know that if I wished, I could erase your physical body in the real world with nothing more than a flick of my finger?"
Li Yan countered, "Then why haven't you?"
"Deities can't descend directly into the cultivation world. There must be some kind of restriction."
"I learned a lot about you from Lantern. You want to work with me and scare me at the same time? That's not very sincere."
To everyone else, daring to speak to a deity in that tone was like an old man hanging himself—he'd had enough of life!
He dared to bargain with Moon Princess like that. Wasn't he afraid she'd simply erase him?
He really wasn't.
From Lantern's memories, Li Yan had learned that a god's descent came with many restrictions.
Take the Bloodline Emperor Lord, for example. To descend into the cultivation world, the Bloodline Emperor Lord had to be born into a mortal's womb, then gradually grow stronger by using his divine power.
The process of a god's descent was complicated and troublesome.
Normally, unless they were truly backed into a corner, neither the Ancient Gods nor the Outer Gods would descend into the cultivation world lightly.
They could only use all kinds of eerie methods to achieve their goals.
If they really wanted to negotiate, if they really wanted to use him, Li Yan would have to demand a very high price.
The cultivation world wasn't all about fighting and killing. Human relationships mattered too.
If Moon Princess was worth working with, why shouldn't Li Yan give it a try?
Though Moon Princess was laughing at Li Yan in exasperation, she still held down her anger.
"Interesting. Among the countless ants I've met, you're the most unusual."
"But if you can kill the Four Gods for me, I can help you condense a Divine Core and take the place of one of them."
Longyue, Ao Jiao, and the others beside him didn't dare make a sound.
They listened to Li Yan bargain with Moon Princess, like children watching emperors casually decide whether commoners would live or die.
Li Yan raised an eyebrow. "You'll help me become a god? Honestly, I'm tempted."
"So, what do I have to do?"
Moon Princess waved her hand and tossed out a White Jade Bamboo Slip.
"This is the master-servant contract. Sign it, and I'll help you kill gods from the shadows."
"In the end, you'll take the divine seat of one of the Four Gods."
Looking at the rules written all over it, Li Yan had a sudden idea.
What if...
The master-servant contract was a side effect. What would happen if the side effect became permanent?
Would Moon Princess count as his servant?
The master-servant contract's side effect could become permanent...
Sign it!
Before you continue