The Fiendish Pact

The Dark-Iron Seal and the Golden Divine Halberd sealed within Xiao Chen’s hands were the source of those voices. They rang out with unmistakable clarity.

“Do you want revenge? I will grant you power that sweeps all before you.”

“Before absolute power, truth, morality, dark desires—all shatter like crystal glass. Everything in this world is illusion; before overwhelming might, it is but a dream, a phantom flower. Nothing endures. Do you wish to roam heaven and earth at will? I can give you all of that.”

“Once you possess strength, you can do as you please, dominate everything.”

Two fiends were tempting him, a demonic power reverberating ceaselessly within Xiao Chen’s heart, trying to guide him step by step into the sea of desire.

Xiao Chen listened quietly. Only after a long time did he suddenly speak: “Since you are so omnipotent, why do you need to bargain with me?”

The two fiends fell silent at once. After a moment, they replied:

“The hardest thing in this world is to get past oneself.”

“I am trapped by my own self, which is why I bargain with you.”

Xiao Chen was silent for a while, then said, “What exactly must I pay?”

“You are now one with the Sacred Tree and can control the seven-colored radiance within it. Simply offer that radiance to me.”

“Offer the seven-colored divine radiance to me. He is not as powerful as you imagine. I can definitely help you slaughter all your demigod enemies.”

“Mere demigods are nothing before me, as weak as ants. Even killing Deathless Longevity experts would take no effort.”

The two fiends actually began to quarrel, both wanting the seven-colored divine radiance from the Sacred Tree.

“I cannot accept your conditions!” Xiao Chen said no more. He unfurled his Undying Wings and vanished into the darkness.

The might of the Dark-Iron Seal and Golden Divine Halberd was beyond doubt, but their conditions were utterly unacceptable. Keke might still dwell within the Seven-Colored Sacred Tree. If he offered the seven-colored divine radiance to them, heaven knew what tragic outcome would result. He could not bear that.

“Are you retreating like this? Do you not want to avenge the little beast?”

“A true man, living in this world, should slay gods in his wrath and bathe in divine blood when enraged. To live so stifled—are you still a man?”

Xiao Chen paid them no further heed. He had thought that smelting the two divine weapons into his body was a great fortune, but now he realized he had attracted two greedy fiends.

Suddenly, Xiao Chen felt himself enter an illusory realm. Endless towering peaks pierced the clouds. A vast, desolate land stretched beneath him, showing no sign of life. White clouds drifted above, and a few celestial palaces stood atop the clouds.

In an instant, Xiao Chen flew up into the clouds. The Golden Divine Halberd and the Dark-Iron Seal floated ahead, each stationed before a celestial palace.

“I will not trade with you.”

Xiao Chen showed no panic. He stood calmly on the clouds, quietly gazing at the majestic heavenly palaces.

Now, the Dark-Iron Seal was as vast as a mountain, suspended in the sky, giving a crushing pressure like a vast ocean. It was so heavy and huge that it cast a great shadow over the clouds, exuding a sinister black light while churning with billowing black mist.

The Golden Divine Halberd was like a giant peak thrust into the heavens, equally towering with no end in sight. It hung straight above the celestial palace, its golden divine light making the countless palaces below blaze brilliantly, as if connecting to the radiance of billions of stars.

“Are you worried that offering the seven-colored divine radiance will make reviving the little beast impossible? Your little beast is already dead. No matter how hard you try, it is futile. Instead, trade with us and avenge it, letting its soul rest in peace.”

“All is fair. To gain something, you must first give.”

The vast voices rumbled and echoed above the nine heavens. The two ancient sacred artifacts were like primeval giants, their power awe-inspiring.

After great sorrow, even facing such a sudden change, Xiao Chen remained deeply calm. He was silent for a long time before saying, “What are your origins, truly?”

“Do you not believe in our power?”

The sacred artifacts, vast as mountains, spoke in thunderous tones.

The Dark-Iron Seal seemed lost in distant memories. Its ancient voice carried an ineffable confidence: “Long ago, I once smashed Laozi’s past incarnation into bloody mud, scattering his soul for eight hundred years before it could reassemble. What say you of my power?”

The Golden Divine Halberd trembled as well, unable to restrain itself from falling into ancient memories. Then it boomed across the heavens: “I once pinned the Buddha’s past incarnation to the Celestial Peak for forty-nine days, draining all his divine blood until he died.”

Even after going through a heart-wrenching tragedy, Xiao Chen still felt shaken. What kind of beings were these two sacred artifacts? Their origins were far too great. What terrible war had occurred in that distant past?

“You are certainly powerful, but even more powerful are those who wielded you,” Xiao Chen refused again. “I said I will not trade with you.”

Things had come to this, and he understood: the two sacred artifacts had followed him from Dragon Island solely for the Sacred Tree. They had once entered the tree and found nothing, so they sought other means.

“Then let us change the terms…”

The Dark-Iron Seal rumbled, “Trade a hundred years of your life for half a night of great power.”

“Half a year of life for half a day of brilliance—truly the most extravagant way to burn one’s life!” Xiao Chen sighed.

The Golden Divine Halberd also spoke: “A very fair trade. In half a night, you can accomplish many things.”

“An ordinary person has eighty years of life; a Mortal-Shedding cultivator has one hundred sixty; a Spirit-Treasury cultivator has two hundred forty. Pay each of us one hundred years of your life, subtract the twenty-one years you have already lived, and you still have nineteen years left to spend.”

“You are too greedy. Since you are omnipotent, why not take it for yourselves?” Xiao Chen felt the two sacred artifacts were truly like demons.

“If we could, there would be no need for your words. All things in the world are as ants before us, deserving no mercy.” The Golden Divine Halberd sent down a heaven-shaking voice.

“If I had the strength, I would smelt you two pieces of scrap metal.” Xiao Chen considered them malevolent weapons, not sacred artifacts.

The Dark-Iron Seal, wreathed in black mist, exuded a vast pressure. “Trade or not is up to you. We will not compel you.”

The Golden Divine Halberd likewise spoke: “If you are confident, nineteen years of life is enough. Nineteen years to break into the Sky-Mastery realm is more than sufficient. Then your lifespan will increase anew.”

Xiao Chen was silent for a moment, then replied without any regret: “I accept this trade.”

He had confidence in breaking into Sky-Mastery within nineteen years, but the main reason driving his consent was a man’s blood and pride. If he fled like this, he could never forgive himself. Escape would give him a new life, and he could slowly plan revenge later. But with an opportunity right before him, running away was not a man’s choice.

Seeing him agree without hesitation, the two ancient weapons began to dissuade him instead.

“Actually, you could trade the Seven-Colored Sacred Tree. Sooner or later, it will leave your body anyway. It cannot serve you forever.”

“Trade the Sacred Tree? That is impossible!” Xiao Chen refused categorically.

“Think carefully. Two hundred years of life is an unbearable weight for anyone! The path of cultivation is arduous. Lifespan cannot be squandered. Even if you break into Sky-Mastery in nineteen years, when you charge into the even more difficult Nirvana and Deathless Longevity realms, you will be far weaker than others. Time will be far more pressing.”

“Is it worth it for a little beast that is already dead?”

“It is worth it!” Xiao Chen said only one word. Though he appeared silent, his heart was filled with gloom. The little beast had willingly given its life for him. What was two hundred years of life to part with?

“We cannot understand.” The two weapons rumbled.

“Because I am a man, and the hot blood in my heart cannot be allowed to die out!” Xiao Chen said resolutely. “Begin the trade, please.”

“Very well. Before this, I must warn you: trading two hundred years of life cannot grant you too much power. Enough to take revenge and save your life, but not enough to bathe Heavenly Emperor City in blood.”

“I am no murderous demon. I have no need to bathe the city in blood, only to eliminate a few enemies.”

“Good. The trade begins. Burn your life force now. Pour your essence into your palms…”

High in the sky, the radiance of life burst forth. Streamers of light surged toward Xiao Chen’s palms, making the entire space resplendent. Nothing is more beautiful than the blossoming flower of life. Burning one’s life energy, the sacred light illuminated the whole night sky, making even the stars seem dim.

Xiao Chen stood in the void outside Heavenly Emperor City. The blinding light shone in all directions, immediately sensed by many cultivators within the city. The demigods especially moved at once, rushing toward this stretch of sky.

Amid the blazing sacred radiance of life, Xiao Chen’s jet-black hair, once like a waterfall, rapidly withered. Its color shifted from pitch-black to gray-white, then to snowy white. In only a few breaths, his hair was white as snow.

His skin did not wrinkle, but it no longer had its former crystalline luster. His iron-hard body stood straight, yet it bore a trace of weathered age, like a man who had endured many storms.

His hair was white as snow, his face unchanged, but his eyes—once as sharp as blades—had dimmed considerably. The whole man looked weathered and haggard.

There was no dejection, no melancholy, no regret. Only even greater determination. When it was over, Xiao Chen stood in the wind, gazing coldly at the five demigods who charged toward him.

The Tiger Servant laughed with sinister coldness: “White hair overnight. Urgency is useless. Xiao Chen, you are doomed to die here tonight.” Despite her words, she had a flicker of doubt. Xiao Chen dared to let them surround him, so he must have some reliance. The old woman struck mercilessly with words: “Aging before your time, even if no one kills you, you won’t live long.”

The Tiger Attendant also sneered: “Heh heh… Old now. You’re half-crippled. The path of cultivation no longer suits you. Tonight, let me send you to your death!”

Xiao Chen spoke calmly: “My will is not dead, the flower of my heart has not withered, my spirit is not extinguished. This is the greatest transformation of my life. Decay is only the surface; what is reborn is the true heart of a cultivator. Today, I swear to annihilate the five of you!”

Afterimages flickered. The five demigods sealed the sky from five directions, pressing toward Xiao Chen simultaneously.

Five blinding divine rays shot toward Xiao Chen. The five demigods showed not the slightest hesitation, their intent to kill absolute.

Xiao Chen’s dim eyes suddenly blazed with piercing light. The Dragon Clan’s great divine art swept across the ten directions. A flash of seven-colored brilliance swept out, shattering the divine light from all five directions.

The five demigods seemed unable to believe that Xiao Chen remained unaffected by their domain. His offensive was so fierce.

“Kill!”

The five shouted in unison, each unleashing their great divine arts to attack Xiao Chen.

The Tiger Servant manifested three divine avatars, all as sinister and ferocious as the old woman herself, surging with energy that shook the whole sky.

The Tiger Attendant used the “Ancestral Transformation” divine art. Although he was originally human, because his ancestor was a White Tiger Saint King, the blood of the White Tiger flowed in his veins. He cultivated the White Tiger True Body. At this moment, he transformed into a giant white tiger seven or eight meters long, roaring at the sky. The sound was like a thunderclap from the Nine Heavens, shaking the air. He shook his head and lashed his tail, tearing through the void as he charged at Xiao Chen.

With one demigod of the Hai family already dead, the remaining three hated Xiao Chen even more. One turned into a patch of black mist, merging into the night sky, stirring up a violent gale that swept toward Xiao Chen. Another’s body grew continuously, becoming a giant fifteen meters tall. This fearsome “Diamond-Imperishable” divine art was heavy and unstoppable. His massive hand blotted out the sky as he slapped at Xiao Chen. The third turned himself into a blade, as if thousands of divine swords were charging and crisscrossing in the sky, forming a blazing sword formation that enveloped Xiao Chen.

The five demigods held nothing back. The sound and scale were overwhelming, alarming every cultivator in Heavenly Emperor City. Many climbed to high buildings, gazing toward the night sky.

Remembering the little beast that had fled the Southern Wastes to save him, only to die miserably in Heavenly Emperor City, Xiao Chen let out a heaven-shaking roar like a wounded beast: “Ahhh…”

White hair flying, eyes resolute, the Golden Divine Halberd appeared in his hand in an instant. Killing intent shot straight to the heavens. Flowers in the wild forest below withered in that moment, and an icy chill swept through Heavenly Emperor City.

“Your lives are forfeit!” Xiao Chen brandished the Golden Divine Halberd. His eyes shot beams of light a zhang long. His white hair lashed wildly as he charged forward like a god of slaughter, halberd in hand.

In ages past, there were peerless swordsmen whose sword aura reached three thousand zhang, moving the Nine Heavens with a single strike—mere legends.

But now, at this moment, Xiao Chen seemed to have truly attained that momentum. The divine halberd, called the soul of slaughter, stirred up a killing aura that pierced the clouds. Golden divine light passed through everything, unstoppable!

Xiao Chen’s killing halberd swept in all directions!

The first of the Tiger Servant’s three avatars was cut in half at the waist. The giant white tiger formed by the Tiger Attendant wailed in agony as one enormous tiger ear was cleanly sliced off, blood spraying through the sky.

The Hai family demigod who had turned into black mist had one arm severed. He reverted to human form, stumbling back as great gouts of blood scattered across the sky. The Hai family demigod who had transformed into a sword formation had dozens of swords shattered in the void, revealing his true body riddled with dozens of bloody holes. Blood flowed freely, and he retreated in misery. The Hai family demigod who had become a giant moved the fastest, flying a hundred meters backward, but his chest was still sliced open with a horrible wound, blood spilling across the sky.

Xiao Chen swept the Golden Divine Halberd in all directions, momentarily driving back all the attacking demigods. He did not linger but charged toward the nearest Hai family demigod, the one who could form the sword formation. The sharp halberd gleamed with cold light, its killing intent turning the entire sky as cold as deep winter.

“One-Word Sword Formation! Bind the ten directions!” the demigod roared. Thousands of sword beams shot toward Xiao Chen. In an instant, an unparalleled sword radiance flooded that area.

But only for an instant. Xiao Chen’s halberd thrust upward, its golden killing flame blazing with dazzling light. Cracking sounds echoed through the sky as a thousand sword beams were shattered in a single moment.

The Hai family demigod turned pale with shock, retreating in panic. But Xiao Chen gave him no chance. His Undying Wings spread, and he shot forward like lightning.

Cold as a vengeful spirit, light flickering in his eyes, he swung the Golden Divine Halberd in a cleaving stroke. A bloodied head flew sideways, blood shooting high into the air. A headless body plummeted from the sky.

In that brief instant, with the murderous halberd, Xiao Chen had slain a demigod!

Drunk with blood and wild with grief, Xiao Chen let out a sorrowful roar. Remembering Keke’s death, he could not suppress the sky-piercing killing intent in his heart.

Without pausing, Xiao Chen charged toward the Tiger Servant and Tiger Attendant, the ones he hated most.

Two of the Tiger Servant’s avatars rushed at Xiao Chen from left and right, stirring up two energy storms that surged like giant waves.

Xiao Chen showed no fear. He charged straight through. His left hand flashed with dark light—the massive Dark-Iron Seal had been seized in his grip. He slammed it down on the two avatars.

Cracking sounds roared across the sky. Energy waves surged wildly. The two avatars were crushed to pieces on the spot. The Tiger Servant coughed blood and fled in defeat.

Cold light burst from Xiao Chen’s eyes. He charged at the giant white tiger blocking his path, his halberd swinging in horizontal and vertical strokes. Golden cold light swept across the skies.

The halberd danced, stirring the wind of heaven.

The white tiger could not withstand it. He reverted to human form and tried to flee the battlefield. But how could Xiao Chen give him the chance? Xiao Chen turned into a stunning rainbow, pursuing at incredible speed.

The cold, icy halberd blade lit up the sky, and also illuminated the pale old face of the Tiger Attendant. His body trembled as he mustered all his remaining strength to counterattack.

Unfeeling and cold, Xiao Chen’s heart was as hard as iron. His handsome, blade-like face showed not a flicker of emotion. His icy eyes glittered with merciless light. He thrust the halberd fiercely.

“Plop!”

Blood sprayed. The Golden Divine Halberd pierced through the Tiger Attendant in an instant, staining the cold sky red.

“Ahhh…” Xiao Chen screamed to the heavens, white hair flying. He charged forward, carrying the struggling Tiger Attendant impaled on the halberd.

Ahead was Heavenly Emperor City, with many tall buildings. Xiao Chen drove the Golden Divine Halberd through him and crashed into a high tower, then burst out from it. Keke’s death drove him wild with vengeance.

Blood trickled down the halberd shaft. Xiao Chen was cold, almost cruel.