Chương 48: Chapter 49: The Bargain

Reyn's face drained of color as the atmosphere grew heavy with an apocalyptic pressure. Without a second's hesitation, he layered several spiritual energy shields around his body, though a bitter realization gnawed at his mind—if the impending shockwave reached him, these barriers would be as flimsy as wet parchment. They were little more than a psychological crutch against the inevitable.

"Demon Ancestor, Detonate!" A flash of ruthless desperation ignited in the mysterious woman's eyes. The colossal, twin-horned demonic shadow, which stood tall enough to pierce the heavens, did not flinch as the Primal Ancestor's fist descended. Instead, it lunged forward, wrapping its massive arms around the enemy in a crushing embrace. A chaotic, volatile energy surged from within its core, reaching a critical mass in an instant. BOOM! The world shattered.

It was a sound that transcended hearing, a roar of absolute annihilation that felt as if the heavens and earth were being ground into dust. The very fabric of reality seemed to fray and dissolve. Darkness swallowed Reyn's vision. Blood sprayed from his eyes, nose, and ears as the sheer concussive force hammered into his soul. His consciousness flickered like a candle in a gale before being snuffed out entirely. Time lost all meaning.

When Reyn finally forced his eyelids open, his jaw dropped at the scene of utter desolation. The grand hall was no more; it had been reduced to a jagged graveyard of rubble. The intricate restrictive arrays and ancient formations that once guarded this place had been pulverized by the self-destruction. Even the ground had been churned and upturned, as if a titan had plowed the earth in a fit of rage. The Ghost-Corpse Sovereign and the mysterious woman were nowhere to be seen.

Nearby, the once-pristine Blood-Jade Platter lay in ruin, its surface shattered into a dozen dull, lifeless fragments.

"Wait, what is that?" Reyn's gaze caught a flicker of movement. A translucent, ethereal figure drifted before him. The silhouette was so faint it was nearly invisible, a shimmering ghost that seemed ready to dissolve into the air at any moment. Had he not been looking directly at it, he would have missed it entirely.

"It's her!" Reyn's heart hammered against his ribs. This was the mysterious woman's Primordial Spirit. Somehow, she had survived the cataclysmic blast, though she was clearly on the brink of extinction. Reyn instinctively recoiled, putting several yards of debris between them. He hadn't forgotten the sight of the Ghost-Corpse Sovereign devouring Chu Dian's soul to hijack his body. He had no intention of becoming the next vessel for a desperate spirit. The woman's eyes snapped open.

Despite her precarious, flickering state, her gaze remained sharp, burning with an undiminished, icy arrogance.

"What is this? Do you fear I will seize your body, Daoist?" she asked, her voice a faint, rasping echo. A mocking curl touched her lips.

"Rest easy. If I truly possessed the strength for Possession, I would have taken you long before you woke from your stupor." Reyn's expression flickered with a brief moment of embarrassment, but he quickly masked it with a calm, steady smile.

"You have proven yourself a woman of many talents and even more hidden cards. Forgive me if I prefer to remain cautious." The woman's eyes narrowed slightly, studying him with a newfound intensity.

"I underestimated you," she admitted slowly.

"To think a mere Qi Condensation whelp could survive the fallout of my struggle with that Yao." You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Reyn offered a noncommittal shrug, his face a mask of polite indifference. Seeing his lack of deference, the woman's brow furrowed in irritation. She suppressed her pride and spoke with cold pragmatism.

"Regardless of how you survived, your luck is undeniable. Fortune favors you, and as such, I have a bargain to propose. Are you willing to listen?" Reyn's eyes glinted with calculation.

"A bargain? I am listening. Speak your terms."

"Allow my soul to reside within your body as a parasite," she stated, her eyes locking onto his.

"In exchange, you will help me locate specific spirit herbs to refine a certain pill. Once my physical form is restored, I will grant you rewards beyond your wildest dreams." It was a proposal born of absolute necessity. Though she had survived the detonation, her origin had been catastrophically damaged. Her Primordial Spirit was hemorrhaging essence with every passing second.

Even with her secret sealing arts, she would dissipate into nothingness within six months if left in the open air, denied even the chance of reincarnation. But if she could anchor herself within a cultivator, she could draw upon their spiritual energy and soul essence to stabilize herself. It would slow her decay significantly, buying her decades of time. Within that window, she could find a way to fully recover. Reyn's face darkened instantly. A cold sneer played on his lips.

"Do you take me for a fool? Inviting your Primordial Spirit into my very core is no different from welcoming a wolf into my bedroom. With your methods, who's to say you won't strike the moment I let my guard down?" Fury flared within the woman's spectral eyes. In her prime, she could have annihilated ten thousand such gnats with a flick of her wrist. Now, forced to beg for her life, she gritted her teeth and lowered her voice.

"You needn't worry. I will swear an oath upon my Demon Heart that I shall never harm you. Furthermore, I can offer you immediate 'sincerity'—knowledge and techniques that will accelerate your cultivation immensely."

"A Demon Heart Oath?" Reyn shook his head slowly, his voice dropping to a firm, decisive tone.

"Your entire repertoire consists of profound demonic arts. To someone of your caliber, a mere oath is likely a trifle you can bypass. As for your 'sincerity,' no amount of power is worth a death sentence. Without a guarantee of my safety, this conversation is over." The woman's anger simmered, but she knew he was right. To her, a Demon Heart Oath was indeed a flexible constraint.

"Fine," she said, her voice stabilizing as she stared him down.

"What conditions will satisfy you?" Reyn's lips quirked into a sharp, predatory smile.

"You are currently a soul without a shell. If you truly want my trust, you will voluntarily surrender one soul and one po—a portion of your essence—for me to place under a restrictive seal. Once our deal is concluded and your task is done, I will return them and lift the restriction. What do you say?" The woman's face turned ashen, then twisted into a mask of pure resentment.

"Absolutely not! You ask for my very life!" Suddenly, her expression shifted. Her features softened, her eyes turning misty and vulnerable as she looked at Reyn with a heartbreaking fragility.

"My soul is shattered, Daoist... if I cannot find a vessel soon, I will fade into the void. Can you truly stand there and watch me perish?" Her voice trembled, carrying a weight of sorrow that tugged at the very strings of the heart. Reyn felt a sudden, overwhelming wave of pity. His resolve wavered, and he began to step forward, his heart aching for her plight. But just as he was about to speak, a jolt of alarm screamed in his mind. He violently bit the tip of his tongue.

The sharp sting of pain and the metallic taste of blood cleared the fog from his brain. He exhaled slowly, a cold sweat breaking out on his brow. Her charm arts were as terrifying as her combat prowess.

"Save your theatrics," Reyn said, his voice now cold and clinical.

"My cultivation may be low, but my will is not so easily broken. If your situation were truly as dire as you claim, you wouldn't be wasting breath trying to bewitch me." The woman's facade of vulnerability vanished instantly, replaced by a look of sheer exasperation. This boy was like a stone—impervious to both threats and honeyed words. Truly detestable!

"I will never submit to being your servant," she hissed.

"Do you have any other suggestions?" Reyn feigned a moment of deep thought, stroking his chin before looking up with a glint of steel in his eyes.

"Then we shall bind ourselves as equals in form, but not in function. We will sign a one-sided Life-Death Contract, with me as the master."