A subordinate force

Yan Ruyu put it tactfully, but her meaning was already clear: she wanted to ask whether Jiang Xian was willing to help.

After hearing Yan Ruyu out, Jiang Xian swept his gaze over her face, then quickly withdrew it, thinking, Although Ye Fan has reached an agreement with Yan Ruyu and can borrow the Emperor Weapon, it would be better to bring the Demon Race under our control as a subordinate force of the Fenglingyueying Sect. They could also provide Ye Fan and Pang Bo with a place to stay.

Jiang Xian said, "Princess Yan, that was a skillfully phrased question. You want me to ward off this calamity for you. Even if I help you through it this time and fend off Ji Haoyue today, what if the Yaoguang Holy Land comes tomorrow, followed by another holy land the day after? How many times could you hold them off?"

Yan Ruyu's expression grew slightly grave, but she did not argue. After a moment of silence, she said in a low voice, "You're right, but the Demon Race is weak now, and all the great families and holy lands of the Eastern Wasteland are eyeing us like prey. All I can do is take things one step at a time."

Jiang Xian paused, looking calmly at Yan Ruyu as he continued at an unhurried pace. "Take things one step at a time, and sooner or later, someone will devour you. Ever since the Azure Emperor put his 'world-shaking wisdom' to use, the Demon Race's circumstances have worsened by the day. Although you now possess the Azure Emperor's Weapon, with so many forces watching you, I'm afraid things will only become more difficult."

Yan Ruyu's fingers tightened slightly, and the wind lifted a corner of her plain white dress. She looked up at Jiang Xian with a trace of uncertainty in her eyes. "Young Master Jiang, surely you aren't telling me all this simply to remind me of the Demon Race's difficult circumstances?"

"That's right. Princess Yan, I think you're a decent demon. I can give you a chance to escape your current predicament." Jiang Xian looked at her and spoke at an even pace.

Yan Ruyu's pupils contracted slightly. Catching the implication in Jiang Xian's words, she immediately asked, "May I ask what sort of opportunity you mean, Young Master Jiang?"

"I can give the Demon Race a chance to join the Fenglingyueying Sect as a subordinate force. Once you join us, all these difficulties will be readily resolved," Jiang Xian said, looking at Yan Ruyu.

Yan Ruyu chose her words carefully, her tone plainly doubtful. "Young Master Jiang, you say that all our difficulties will be resolved once the Demon Race joins the Fenglingyueying Sect as a subordinate force, but this Fenglingyueying Sect... I truly have never heard of it."

She paused, then continued more tactfully, "Since you want the Demon Race to place itself under your sect, surely you should let me know just what sort of sect we would be serving!"

"The Fenglingyueying Sect spans all the heavens and myriad worlds. Its reserves are beyond your imagination. The so-called Desolate Ancient Families and holy lands, and even the so-called Great Emperors, are beneath mention before the Fenglingyueying Sect. I don't wish to explain too much. You need only know that it far surpasses every force you know of. Ye Fan and I are both Outer Disciples of the Fenglingyueying Sect," Jiang Xian told Yan Ruyu calmly.

Yan Ruyu looked at Jiang Xian. His strength was unfathomable, more than enough to qualify him as a holy land's holy son, yet he was merely an Outer Disciple of the Fenglingyueying Sect. By now, she believed ninety percent of what he said, but she still wanted confirmation.

After a moment of silence, Yan Ruyu said earnestly, "Young Master Jiang, it isn't that I don't believe you, but everything you've said truly goes beyond anything I've ever known. You say the Fenglingyueying Sect has profound reserves. Surely you should let me see for myself just how profound they are before I can entrust the fate of the entire Demon Race to it with peace of mind."

Jiang Xian nodded, unsurprised by her reaction. When it came to entrusting an entire force to someone, anyone would want to get everything clear.

Soon, a handful of pills appeared in his hand. Their lustrous, dark-red sheen shimmered in his palm, and golden patterns marked their surfaces.

The pills gave off a faint medicinal fragrance. The instant that elusive scent entered their noses, Yan Ruyu and the elderly women behind her all shuddered.

They could clearly sense that merely smelling this faint fragrance seemed to have slightly increased their lifespans.

Jiang Xian casually picked up a pill and flicked his finger, sending it flying steadily toward Yan Ruyu. She raised her hand to catch it. The instant it landed in her palm, she felt the immense vitality within it, and her lifespan really seemed to have increased a little.

Yan Ruyu held the pill, her fingertips tightening slightly. She looked up at Jiang Xian, the doubt and caution in her eyes replaced by shock, then asked a question.

"Young Master Jiang, what kind of pill is this? How can its effects be so astonishing?"

"This is called an Immortal Blood Pill. One pill can extend your lifespan by five thousand years, and there's no resistance to it, so you can keep taking them and stacking their effects. It counts as a standard cultivation resource for Outer Disciples of the Fenglingyueying Sect," Jiang Xian explained calmly.

"Extend your lifespan... by five thousand years?" An elderly woman behind Yan Ruyu cried out involuntarily, her voice trembling.

On the Big Dipper, pills that could extend one's lifespan by a hundred years already commanded astronomical prices, and the great holy lands treasured them. Pills that could extend one's lifespan by five hundred years could even spark wars between holy lands. Yet pills that extended one's lifespan by five thousand years were unheard of. The lifespan-extending effects of two Immortal Blood Pills could even rival the legendary Immortal Medicine.

Yan Ruyu lowered her head to look at the dark-red pill in her hand. She could feel just how profound the life essence within it was.

"This pill..." Her voice was softer than before. "You're simply giving it to me, Young Master Jiang?"

"Consider it a first-meeting gift. Once the Demon Race becomes a subordinate force of the Fenglingyueying Sect, if you make contributions to the sect, I'll certainly reward you generously again," Jiang Xian said casually.

Yan Ruyu held the Immortal Blood Pill in her palm, feeling its vast vitality flowing through her hand. She raised her head, and the way she looked at Jiang Xian had changed completely.

"Young Master Jiang, what will the Demon Race need to do after becoming a subordinate force of the Fenglingyueying Sect?"

"It's simple. When the sect needs you, the Demon Race must lend its strength. That's the only condition." Jiang Xian held up one finger. "Apart from that, the sect won't interfere in the Demon Race's internal affairs. You'll still be the princess, and the Demon Race will still be the Demon Race."

Yan Ruyu hesitated no longer. Holding the Immortal Blood Pill, she immediately bowed slightly to Jiang Xian, her manner solemn and sincere. "The Demon Race is willing to become a subordinate force of the Fenglingyueying Sect."

"But Young Master Jiang, the Demon Race is currently scattered and divided. Although I possess an Emperor Weapon, it may still take some time to unite the entire Demon Race."

Jiang Xian waved a hand. "That's fine. With our help, you'll soon be able to unite the entire Demon Race."

Yan Ruyu chose her words before asking, "Young Master Jiang, how should I address you and Ye Fan from now on?"

"Just address us as young masters, as you did before." Jiang Xian glanced at her.