Chapter 124: The Contract is Sealed

Almost at the very moment when Liang Yan and Zhao Xunzhen finished their duel of spells, somewhere within this boundless Abyss of Darkness, a towering golden sword was thrust deeply into a massive stone altar.

Seated cross-legged upon the sword’s guard was an elderly Taoist in a black robe. Faint bloodstains seeped through the left side of his chest. At this moment, he held one palm upright before his chest, murmuring incantations under his breath. As he silently recited his spell, a swirling bluish mist gathered above his head, gradually flushing his once pale face with a hint of vitality.

Lying supine at the opposite end of the sword guard was a corpulent monk clad in a yellow robe. His body was riddled with countless blood holes, the dried blood within them long hardened—he was undoubtedly dead beyond revival. This was none other than the Laughing Monk, one of the seven sect leaders who had come here.

His wide eyes stared blankly in disbelief, seemingly unable to accept the reality of his defeat.

But the truth was harsh. The one who remained alive on the sword guard was the black-robed elder sitting cross-legged at the other end—Yun Xuzi, the one who had brought Liang Yan to this place.

Yun Xuzi had been cultivating his energy for quite some time; his complexion was returning to a healthy flush, indicating that his internal injuries had significantly recovered.

He rose to his feet and glanced toward the teleportation array at the sword’s hilt. The blue protective barrier that had once covered it was now slowly dissipating. With a firm stomp, he walked backward along the sword hilt, quickly reaching the teleportation array.

Yun Xuzi cast a spell upon the array, which immediately roared to life. A flash of white light blinked, and in an instant, Yun Xuzi vanished from sight.

...

On a solitary island amidst an infinite, vast ocean stood Ji Lai, dressed in simple white Confucian robes. He gently fanned himself while standing at the island’s center.

Before him lay a colossal teleportation array, yet Murong Xuewei, who had once been by his side, was nowhere to be seen.

Ji Lai pondered silently for a moment before sighing softly. He then stepped forward into the teleportation array.

...

In the midst of boundless darkness stood a gray, circular stone altar. It was plain and unremarkable except for a half-carved Taiji (Yin-Yang) symbol on its surface.

It was only half, because the half representing Yin energy was left uncarved—only the Yang half was depicted.

Qin Yuan, clad in a black robe, stood on the altar with a grim expression.

Nearby lay a corpse, dried and shriveled as if all its essence had been drained, limp and lifeless on the ground.

If Liang Yan were here, he would recognize this as the Dog Daoist, a man he had encountered several times before.

“I thought you were different from the others. Turns out, you’re no better. Hmph, I overrated you,” Qin Yuan said coldly, folding his hands behind his back as he stared at the Dog Daoist’s corpse.

“Enough of this delay. It’s time to focus on what truly matters!”

With that, he took a step forward and instantly appeared on the Yang half of the altar’s teleportation array.

As he cast his spell, the array erupted in white light. In a blink, Qin Yuan vanished into the surrounding darkness.

...

Similar scenes were unfolding in various places. The fourteen who had arrived here were paired off by the tomb’s master to fight to the death, with only the victors permitted to move through the teleportation arrays.

...

“Does that thing of yours really block one’s aura and get me out of here?” Zhao Xunzhen asked with a serious expression.

“Whether it will work or not, I can’t guarantee. All I can say is it’s worth a try,” Liang Yan replied, scratching his nose. “But if you refuse to attempt it, then I’ll have no choice but to kill you.”

Zhao Xunzhen nodded silently. She was not surprised. Having been defeated in the duel, she had no right to survive.

Moreover, Liang Yan had already revealed his trump card; he would never let a living person escape to leak secrets.

“Actually, Miss Zhao, you needn’t worry,” Liang Yan said, noticing her hesitation. “As long as you don’t reveal my secrets, I won’t invoke the master-servant contract to trouble you. Once we get out of here, we’ll part ways. You walk your own bright path, and I cross my solitary bridge—our lives separate and unrelated. Besides, with my current Qi Refining strength, this contract can only last a hundred years at most. After that, it will automatically dissipate.”

Zhao Xunzhen’s eyes flickered with interest. Fixing her gaze on Liang Yan, she asked deliberately, “Brother Liang, are your words true?”

“Heh, I’m no knight-errant, but I do keep my word. If I promise you something, I won’t go back on it.”

“Then why go through all this trouble? I mean... in your current situation, you could just kill me and leave alone. A dead person can’t betray your secrets...” she pressed.

“Why?” Liang Yan frowned slightly, thinking to himself, “Perhaps because you and I share some similarities.”

He was proud by nature, and except for Tang Diexian, he did not wish others to know of his tragic past.

Though he thought this, he kept silent, merely saying calmly, “You helped me obtain the Southern Ming Departure Fire. We’ve shared the same boat all along, so you’re half a friend to me. If not for necessity, I wouldn’t want to kill you.”

Zhao Xunzhen smiled faintly. “Only half a friend, then?”

After her smile faded, she grew serious and solemnly declared, “I, Zhao Xunzhen, am willing to acknowledge you as my master. This life and the next, I shall never betray you.”

Liang Yan nodded slightly without further words. He extended his right index finger and gently touched her forehead.

Zhao Xunzhen raised her head slightly, closing her eyes without a hint of resistance.

This master-servant contract was one of the most basic mystical arts in the cultivation world. Once established, the servant’s life and death depended solely on the master’s will. Even if separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, a single thought from the master could reduce the servant to ashes.

The key to forming this contract was that the one acknowledging the master must do so willingly, with no trace of defiance.

As the contract was sealed, Zhao Xunzhen bit her fingertip, offering a drop of her essence blood to Liang Yan. With a flick of his left hand, the blood swirled and was absorbed swiftly into his dantian.

Thus, their master-servant contract was fully completed.

“All right, we are now bound as master and servant, but once outside, there’s no need to change how we address each other. If I die here, so be it. But if we survive this peril, you’re free to leave. The vast world is yours; our paths will never cross again. However...” Liang Yan’s tone shifted as he fixed her with a steady gaze, “If you dare leak even the slightest secret about me while inside this secret realm, I’ll know instantly through our bond. When that happens, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

Zhao Xunzhen showed no flicker of emotion. She answered calmly, “Rest assured, Brother Liang! Even in death, I will not reveal a single detail about you.”

Only then did Liang Yan nod slightly. He pointed again at her dantian, and the Heavenly Secret Pearl spun once before vanishing into her dantian.

A flash of black-and-white true light flickered. Her aura gradually became faint, and after several breaths, Liang Yan’s divine sense barely detected her presence anymore.