Heavenly Oath

Heavenly Oath

Outside Earthfire Hall, Luo Dongbao was drenched in cold sweat, a bronze bell clasped upside down in his palm, ready to activate at any moment.

Yet the heavy defensive artifact that had always protected him gave him no sense of security whatsoever now.

He stared in horror at the astonishing phenomenon outside Earthfire Hall, having completely forgotten about his plans for an ambush.

"Damn it, what did those two do after going inside? Did they trigger some self-destruct formation?"

"No, I need to get down the mountain quickly..."

Xiao Liang naturally had no idea that the commotion had frightened off Captain Luo, who had been waiting to swoop in afterward. But after his unrelenting feeding—

The Sun True Fire, once no more than a thread, had now swelled to the size of a human head, blazing and dazzling, impossible to look at directly.

Like a miniature sun, it freely radiated endless heat, curling the hair of both people present.

At that moment, Xiao Liang finally sensed the strange, swelling vitality inside his body beginning to diminish.

At the same time, for some unknown reason, a fish-scale-sized black spot appeared on the skin behind his ear. It emitted black vapor, as though it had been corrupted.

Faintly, the black spot wriggled as if alive, seemingly expanding by the slightest bit.

In the end, it turned into a mark formed of twisted lines.

"I'm so tired. It feels like... I'm reaching my limit. Old ghost, do you have any last words?"

The bloody wounds across Xiao Liang's face rapidly healed under the effects of that vitality, leaving behind only dark scabs. His physical condition was unbelievably good.

Yet in stark contrast, his voice was hoarse and strained, carrying an indescribable exhaustion and helplessness from the depths of his soul.

It was as though that mysterious power had consumed most of his mind and sanity.

At this moment, he was like someone in the final stages of depression, utterly devoid of attachment to life, all emotional fluctuations wiped away.

Even his towering hatred for Hundred Tribulations Daoist had vanished. He only wanted to drag the other man down with him and die.

Qin Long's left eye, controlled by Hundred Tribulations Daoist, abruptly narrowed around its green flame.

He sensed an aura of extreme danger in Xiao Liang's words. Moreover, the Sun True Fire floating in the air seemed to show signs of instability, crackling as sparks burst outward.

Hundred Tribulations Daoist had suffered a great calamity within this hall, his Golden Core nearly shattered, yet he had still lain dormant for decades. Naturally, he was a devil with an exceptionally strong desire to survive.

Things like glory and dignity had never existed in this old ghost's heart. At this moment, he immediately chose to yield.

"Little friend, please stay your hand. This old ancestor is advanced in years and knows well that he has committed countless sins. Death would be no great loss. But you two are rising talents of the cultivation world, still with bright years ahead of you. If this continues, it will surely end with both sides destroyed. What a regrettable waste."

Xiao Liang showed no reaction to the old ghost's ridiculous words. He merely shook his head.

"I have no way to make this true fire disappear out of thin air. If you remain alive, I cannot make it disappear either. So save your rhetoric and try to leave peacefully."

Hundred Tribulations Daoist fell silent for a moment. As a Golden Core Stage cultivator and a demonic-path cultivator, he had encountered countless dangers and opportunities before reaching this point. No matter what, he did not want to die.

"This true fire can be vented by this old ancestor, provided little friend is willing to cooperate."

"Clearly, I'm not willing."

"I can swear to serve at your command for one hundred years. So long as you do not deliberately send this old ancestor to his death during that time, I will obey. Furthermore, this old ancestor is a Tier-Three Artifact Refiner with countless profound techniques, and I will teach you everything I know without holding anything back!"

"That sounds tempting, but swear an oath? Are you really not joking? The oath of a demonic-path elder—do you take me for some ignorant mortal?"

Hearing this, Xiao Liang would have laughed long ago if not for his current peculiar mental state.

"You ignorant brat. The oath this old ancestor speaks of is a Heavenly Oath, one that only those who have broken through to the Golden Core Stage are qualified to make. A cultivator may make only one great oath in their lifetime, and it can never be violated. Otherwise, heaven and earth will abandon them, and both body and soul will be scattered."

Hundred Tribulations Daoist's tone turned angry as well. Even for him, making such a choice was exceedingly difficult.

But now, his artifacts and physical body had all been destroyed. The Golden Core housing his soul was also swaying on the verge of collapse, nearly shattered. His condition could not have been worse.

Furthermore, the strange power within Xiao Liang blocked spiritual sense, leaving him without even the chance to launch a spiritual-sense attack and make one desperate final gamble.

To survive, he had no choice.

"Ghost Shadow... the old ghost should be telling the truth. What I inherited was the legacy of a Nascent Soul senior from Heavenly Sun Mountain, and it recorded this matter. However, those who swear such oaths often tamper with the wording, so we still need to be careful."

Facing a life-or-death crisis, Hundred Tribulations Daoist could no longer spare any effort to suppress and devour Qin Long's consciousness, allowing her to control part of her body and speak.

The inheritance she had obtained was indeed extraordinary. It had actually belonged to a great Nascent Soul cultivator.

Her words at this moment served as confirmation of Hundred Tribulations Daoist's claim.

"Little friend, are you satisfied now?"

Hearing Qin Long's confirmation, Hundred Tribulations Daoist relaxed somewhat, though he secretly fumed that she had exposed his intentions.

As an old devil, he had already drafted several versions in his mind, each capable of subtly leaving loopholes in the oath.

How could he obediently allow a little demon brat at the Qi Refining Stage to command him for an entire century?

Seeing Xiao Liang nod slightly, Hundred Tribulations Daoist felt a surge of joy. But the next moment, he heard Xiao Liang state his conditions.

"Old ghost, I've decided to give you a chance. But I'll decide the oath!"

Hundred Tribulations Daoist hesitated on the surface before reluctantly agreeing.

Inwardly, however, he sneered. What rigorous oath could a greenhorn possibly devise? It would most likely be riddled with flaws.

"The oath I want you to make is very simple."

"First, for one hundred years, you may not harm me or stand by while I am harmed, including but not limited to direct harm, indirect harm, mental manipulation, restricting my actions, or damaging my interests."

"Second: unless doing so would violate the first clause, for one hundred years, you must obey my reasonable commands. Reasonable commands are those you are capable of carrying out and that will not directly result in your death."

"Third: unless doing so would violate the first or second clause, you have the right to protect yourself."

"I'm not some devil either, so the duration of this oath will be one hundred years, as you said, and these three conditions fully align with your demands."

"I even wrote the clause allowing you to protect yourself directly into the oath."

"Well, old ghost? Do you still intend to honor your promise? If you do, you must swear the oath word for word. Otherwise, I would rather die beneath the Sun True Fire."

Xiao Liang recited the oath coldly. At first, Hundred Tribulations Daoist was dismissive, but the more he heard, the more his scalp tingled.

He had originally assumed the oath he would need to make would be something like never attacking Xiao Liang, assisting him in battle, or teaching him techniques.

If that were all, Hundred Tribulations Daoist had a hundred ways to circumvent the oath, allowing this ignorant brat to die mysteriously and restoring his freedom.

Yet he had not expected it to be so... strange and terrifying.

Even with Hundred Tribulations Daoist's centuries of experience, he could not think of any loophole to exploit for the moment.

(End of Chapter)