Dissolving the Contract

Deep inside the caves of Chiyan Mountain, Alikui'en opened his eyes once more and looked toward the sky in the distance, his expression grave.

Over the past few days, he had gone out repeatedly to investigate the state of the continent, but no matter how he looked at it, everything seemed strange.

"Where did they come from?"

Alikui'en couldn't help wondering this again and again.

The changes that had taken place on the Light Continent during this time had left him utterly bewildered.

He didn't know exactly what had happened. All he knew was that a force called the Interstellar Federation had appeared as if out of thin air and immediately destroyed the entire Light Church.

Even the Pope of Light had been publicly executed, which terrified him.

After all, Pope of Light Aodarming was a Lowgod. Though he was probably weaker than Alikui'en, whoever could execute him had to be a god as well.

An unfamiliar force had appeared out of nowhere. It most likely included god-level experts, but their motives and strength were unknown. All of this left Alikui'en deeply uneasy.

Naturally suspicious and cautious, he had avoided using his divine sense to investigate, so as not to provoke needless conflict. After all, when your divine sense detected someone, they could detect you too.

So Alikui'en had quietly gone out alone to gather information, trying to piece together what had happened.

But after several days of investigating, he was now more puzzled than ever.

The people in the cities and villages under their control had no idea where these newcomers had come from. They seemed to have appeared out of thin air.

What's more, some of the weapons and vehicles they used left Alikui'en astonished. He had never seen anything like them.

The more he saw, the more confused he became.

Since the other side had killed the Pope, they had to be gods too. But where had they come from? Alikui'en had lived on this plane for many years and had never encountered any other gods.

If they were gods who had been hiding deep beneath the sea, how could that explain the sudden appearance of this army?

"Meow, Master, you're frowning again. Are you still worried about that unknown powerhouse? Want me to go take a look?"

The little cat in his arms seemed to sense its master's mood and "kindly" offered a suggestion.

Of course, beneath that adorable exterior, it was thinking something entirely different.

You coward, get out there already! If you won't let me go, fine—once I'm out, I'll kill a few of those so-called Federation people.

Then I'll tell them straight out that my master, Alikui'en, is the ruler of this continent. Anyone who doesn't want to die can come to Chiyan Mountain and pay their respects. I bet they won't spare you!

But Alikui'en firmly shook his head at Pusiluo's suggestion.

"No need. Whoever they are, as long as I don't provoke them, there shouldn't be any trouble."

In Alikui'en's view, the other side had attacked the Light Church because they wanted to rule the continent.

He was only a Lowgod living in seclusion, with no forces of his own. He shouldn't have any interests that conflicted with theirs.

What a useless coward!

Pusiluo cursed inwardly, but said aloud:

"Yes, Master. Better safe than sorry."

Just as Pusiluo and Alikui'en were putting on a show of master and servant devotion, a teasing voice interrupted them.

"What a harmonious scene!"

"Who's there?"

The golden kitten instantly bristled and stared in shock toward the voice.

"Smack!"

Alikui'en took one second to think and react. Then he promptly dropped to his knees and slapped Pusiluo on the head.

"This one, Alikui'en, greets you, sirs. I didn't know you were coming, so I couldn't welcome you in advance. My pet was disrespectful."

Alikui'en, clad in a black robe, immediately bowed down without the slightest hesitation.

As if! Anyone powerful enough to appear before them without a sound was someone he could never stand against.

What's more, he couldn't sense their auras. That was the hallmark of Midgods.

Clearly, they were Midgod-level beings, and he absolutely couldn't afford to provoke them.

It seemed this so-called Federation was far more terrifying than he had imagined. It even had a Midgod in charge.

"Oh? You're Alikui'en?"

Huosi's gaze moved back and forth between the man in black and the little cat.

These two characters had made a deep impression in the Coiling Dragon Universe.

They were a highly unusual master-and-servant pair. There were many master-servant relationships in the Coiling Dragon Universe, such as Linley and his butler Hiri, or Adkins and Bernas.

But the most memorable pair was Pusiluo and Alikui'en.

Not because they were close, but because Pusiluo was constantly thinking about killing Alikui'en and could never do it.

He had tremendous strength, but the Master-Servant Contract kept him from fighting back.

Alikui'en would eventually become a Seven-Star Fiend. He lived in seclusion on Zijing Continent for many years, but he was far too cautious by nature.

When Beibei brought out the weapon that belonged to Beirut, Alikui'en had promptly chosen to let them go.

Even though, from his perspective, he knew the Chief Sovereign couldn't possibly know the past and future, and no one would find out if he killed Linley and the others there.

Still, he let Linley and the others go because of the tiny possibility that his secret might be exposed.

That caution was his way of surviving. It also helped him avoid three deadly risks at that moment.

The first was Linley's Sovereign's Might. Though Linley had only been a Midgod at the time, his body had absorbed Azure Dragon Essence Blood, and he had a soul-protecting Sovereign Artifact. With Sovereign's Might on top of that, he could have killed Alikui'en.

If Alikui'en had chosen to attack and Linley had unleashed Sovereign's Might, Alikui'en might well have died.

The second was Bluefire. Judging by the fact that he later took Pusiluo on as an emissary, he had most likely been following Linley all along.

After all, how could Beirut possibly trust Linley and the others to venture into Hell alone? Beibei was his most beloved descendant. Having Bluefire, a powerhouse comparable to a Paragon, secretly protect them was only natural.

The third was Pusiluo. Even if Alikui'en had killed Beibei and the others without leaving a trace, Pusiluo would still have spread the news and lured Beirut into killing Alikui'en.

But even with all his carefulness, Alikui'en had ultimately failed to escape death. And he hadn't died at the hands of those powerful experts, but at the hands of the Six-Star Fiend Li'ermengsi.

Of course, Li'ermengsi had actually possessed the strength of a Seven-Star Fiend by then. Alikui'en had admitted as much, though he was still somewhat stronger.

As luck would have it, Li'ermengsi had broken through in the middle of battle and fused insights from different laws. What's more, he had broken through under Alikui'en's pressure, turning Alikui'en into a Seven-Star Fiend who died in the most humiliating way possible.

"My lord, this fellow seems rather obsequious. I'm afraid he wouldn't make a suitable subordinate."

Seeing Alikui'en's demeanor, Adkins sent Huosi a secret sound transmission.

The moment he saw this fellow, Adkins had felt that they wouldn't get along. He was the sort of man who bullied the weak, feared the strong, and knew only how to flatter others.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. I won't take him in," Huosi replied at once.

He had never planned to take Alikui'en on as a subordinate. Though Alikui'en had the potential to become a Seven-Star Fiend and was certainly talented, he still had to consider Alikui'en's character.

At present, Adkins was the only one under Huosi who clearly had the potential to reach Seven-Star Fiend level. By rights, Alikui'en could still be useful.

But even setting aside Alikui'en's personality, Huosi also had to consider Pusiluo's feelings.

Given the enmity between the two, only one of them could stay. Pusiluo was superior to Alikui'en in talent, bloodline, and every other respect.

Pusiluo would eventually become a powerhouse at the Asura level. Huosi certainly wouldn't give him up for Alikui'en.

"May I ask what you require of me, my lord? Just say the word, and Alikui'en will obey without question. I'm willing to give everything."

Noticing that Huosi had been silent for some time, Alikui'en grew nervous and quickly made his position clear.

"Oh? You're willing to give everything?"

Huosi glanced at Pusiluo, seemingly hit by an idea.

"Yes, my lord. Alikui'en is willing."

The black-robed Asquien knelt respectfully, his voice full of flattery.

"Oh, is that so? I like your pet. Break your Master-Servant Contract with him. If you do, I won't make trouble for you."

A sly smile played at the corner of Huosi's mouth as he spoke softly.

"Break the Master-Servant Contract?"

Alikui'en froze, not expecting Huosi to make such a demand.

Pusiluo was just as stunned. Then, in an instant, he was overcome with joy—but he immediately thought better of it and forced it down, so Alikui'en wouldn't notice.

"That's right. Your pet seems to have good talent and bloodline. I'm quite interested in him. I wonder if you'd be willing to let him go."

Huosi's tone remained calm, though those who knew him would have heard a hint of amusement.

"Don't worry, my lord. Since you like him, Alikui'en will gladly give him to you."

Alikui'en readily agreed. This was hardly an unreasonable request.

Pusiluo was indeed a pet with good talent, and he would most likely be a great help to Alikui'en in the future.

But that was all. If a supreme powerhouse wanted him, offering Pusiluo as a bargaining chip might help Alikui'en make a connection with that lord. It was a deal with no downside.

As Alikui'en considered this, his hands kept moving. A magic array slowly appeared on Pusiluo's forehead, then, with a snap, shattered into pieces.

"Crack, crack!"

"It was really that easy to break it?"

With the contract broken, Pusiluo stared blankly at the scene, his eyes filled with disbelief.

The next moment, Pusiluo's gaze turned resolute. The golden kitten's body quickly changed, transforming into a burly red-haired man.

"Thank you for saving my life, my lord. I'll never forget your kindness. From now on, I'm at your service!"

Pusiluo dropped to his knees with a thud and kowtowed three times to Huosi.

Then Pusiluo drew a deep breath and spoke in a low voice:

"My lord, I still have some personal scores to settle. I hope you'll allow it."

"Do as you like. Settle it quickly."

Huosi nodded, then stepped aside to watch the show.

"Thank you for granting my request!"

Pusiluo kowtowed once more, then turned around, his face contorted, and looked at Alikui'en.

At that moment, Pusiluo was like a vengeful demon returned from Hell, ready to devour Alikui'en.