Chapter 2468: Heavenly Demon Contract

After the three-headed, six-armed phantom condensed, it surprisingly revealed another Brahmasaint Demon God, though much shorter in stature.

At that moment, the other three-headed, six-armed demon god dissolved into green smoke amidst the demonic flames.

It turned out to be merely a shell formed from the Brahmasaint Dharma Idol. Han Li had already shed this form, just like the Gold-Devouring Beetle King earlier, and had stealthily moved above Ma Liang, seizing the opportunity to use a Profound Heavenly Treasure to slay the True Immortal.

Han Li could clearly sense that Ma Liang's hidden Nascent Soul was astonishingly powerful, but after the destructive force of the Profound Heavenly Spirit Severing Sword swept through, it was instantly shattered, leaving no possibility of revival.

Pitiably, given this True Immortal's actual power, even if his physical body had been destroyed in the Immortal Realm, his Nascent Soul's inherent abilities would have been sufficient for him to escape safely.

However, in the Spirit Realm, due to the influence of the realm's unique forces, his Nascent Soul's actions, whether casting spells or escaping, were significantly slower than normal.

While this delay might not have been noticeable in an ordinary skirmish, it was the primary reason for his frustrating death at such a critical, life-or-death moment.

"You actually killed him? Do you know he's from the Nine Yuan Temple, a direct disciple of Dao Ancestor Nine Yuan?" the dark-skinned youth asked, his expression shifting from disbelief to a strange look as he witnessed the events.

"If I didn't kill him, he would have killed me. Should I just wait for death because I know who his patron is? Besides, even if Dao Ancestor Nine Yuan possesses immense power, he's currently in the Immortal Realm, isn't he? Whether I can truly ascend to the Immortal Realm myself is still uncertain," Han Li said calmly, looking at the dark-skinned youth.

"Splendid! It's been countless years since I, a demon, have seen someone from the lower realms who dares to disregard the Nine Yuan Temple in such a manner. Haha, I wonder what kind of expression Dao Ancestor Nine Yuan would have if he heard this," the dark-skinned youth burst into laughter.

"You seem quite at ease. Aren't you planning to continue fighting?" Han Li leisurely asked, raising a hand to retrieve a gleaming golden storage bracelet from Ma Liang's remains.

"The man is dead, and the contract we made is now useless, so why would I continue fighting? Besides, without Ma Liang, a disciple of the Nine Yuan Temple, even if I, a demon, were to team up with that foolish Flood Dragon, I wouldn't be sure of defeating you. Naturally, I wouldn't do such a thankless task. Don't worry, I won't be able to return to the Immortal Realm for a while, and I certainly won't casually reveal your affairs to outsiders. Dao Ancestor Nine Yuan is in perpetual seclusion. Even if the Nine Yuan Temple has others skilled in divination, the realm's unique forces would prevent them from accurately divining much about matters in the lower realms," the dark-skinned youth replied nonchalantly.

"But I don't trust you! While I don't know why an Outer Realm Demon would follow a True Immortal, for me, a dead person is naturally the safest option," Han Li said with a cold laugh, his face darkening.

"You and that Ma Liang kid are equally suspicious. How about this: if you're uneasy, I could just stay and follow you?" The dark-skinned youth touched his forehead, appearing somewhat pained.

"Follow me?" Han Li was momentarily stunned by the suggestion.

"That's right. I can sign a Heaven Demon Contract with you. For a certain period, I'll exist as a shadow, at your disposal, capable of doing things even ordinary immortals cannot. In return, you must offer me a portion of your essence blood periodically. And should you die unexpectedly during the contract's term, your entire divine soul power will be absorbed by me, becoming part of my strength, with no possibility of reincarnation. Hmm, just like this Nine Yuan Temple disciple now."

As he finished speaking, the dark-skinned youth performed a hand seal. A surge of black energy erupted from his back, condensing in mid-air to form a colossal ghost head with a green face and fangs.

After letting out a chilling, prolonged shriek, the ghost head opened its massive mouth and began to draw something from Ma Liang's remains.

With a soft *puff*, a layer of eerie grayish-white gas flew out from the remains, swirling and condensing into a ball before being inhaled by the ghost head.

The ghost head vanished into thin air in a flash!

The dark-skinned youth closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and his face was filled with an expression of pure ecstasy.

"Excellent, excellent. Truly worthy of being from the Nine Yuan sect; the divine soul tastes absolutely delicious, enough to compensate for tens of thousands of years of my arduous cultivation. So, what do you say? If you agree to let me follow you, I can also help you persuade that foolish Flood Dragon to become your spirit servant as well," the dark-skinned youth muttered to himself for a few moments before opening his eyes and speaking to Han Li with a half-smile.

Witnessing this, Han Li's expression grew serious. After glancing at the strange Flood Dragon still in a stalemate with the Spirit-Devouring Fire Bird on the other side, he remained silent for a long moment.

He had heard of the Heaven Demon Contract for the first time and was naturally unwilling to agree to anything so easily.

At that moment, the phantom of the Blood Seal in the sky, without the magical power support of its owner Ma Liang, finally flashed with crimson light and transformed into a small, inch-sized seal, falling from high above.

Below, the three-colored giant peak also hummed as it rapidly shrank. A swirl of iridescent light enveloped the small seal, forming a sphere of light that shot towards Han Li.

On the other side, the eight blood dragons also flickered and vanished the moment the massive Blood Seal phantom disappeared, leaving only a faint bloody scent in their wake.

With no more enemies to engage, the Golden Giant Crab immediately rolled and transformed back into a Daoist, shooting towards Han Li. Meanwhile, the Azure Coiled Sword Formation dispersed into countless azure sword shadows after a sharp whistle.

With a single wave of his hand, Han Li drew both the three-colored mountain peak and the crimson seal into his sleeve. Then, countless azure sword shadows shot towards him. After a blurry shimmer, they reverted into seventy-two small azure swords, all of which flashed and vanished into his body.

A thunderclap sounded nearby, and Daoist Crab appeared, riding a thick arc of lightning.

"Brother Crab, do you know about the Heaven Demon Contract? How effective is it for Outer Realm Demons?" Han Li turned and asked Daoist Crab.

"The Heaven Demon Contract! This is a unique contract created by the Heaven Demon Ancestor, and it's recognized in the Immortal Realm as one of the three most potent contracts. As long as one's divine abilities don't surpass the Heaven Demon Ancestor, no immortal or demon can resist its efficacy. However, according to rumors in the Immortal Realm, many immortals who enter into a Heaven Demon Contract with an Outer Realm Demon mysteriously disappear," Daoist Crab said expressionlessly, glancing at the dark-skinned youth.

Clearly, he had instantly discerned the dark-skinned youth's true origin.

"Heh heh, that's unfair to us Outer Realm Demons. Those who dare to make contracts with us are inherently daring individuals; they mostly enjoy venturing into dangerous places, so their chances of falling are naturally much higher than ordinary immortals. But in all those rumors, there's never been a single instance of an Outer Realm Demon violating a Heaven Demon Contract. For us Outer Realm Demons, the Heaven Demon Contract's constraints are far stricter than for other beings," the dark-skinned youth explained with a sigh.

"Indeed, no one in the Immortal Realm has ever discovered an instance of an Outer Realm Demon violating a Heaven Demon Contract," Daoist Crab replied impassively.

"Since Brother Crab vouches for it, this Heaven Demon Contract seems reliable enough. All right, I agree to the contract. From your tone, you've clearly spent a considerable time in the Immortal Realm, and if there ever comes a day when I ascend, a demon like you would indeed be very useful to me. However, in addition to the Heaven Demon Contract, I must also place another restriction on you before I can truly feel at ease," Han Li said, exhaling slowly after a long period of contemplation.

"Another restriction? Heh heh, as long as it's clearly written into the contract, there's naturally no problem. In fact, I, a demon, could even let fellow Daoist impose several more types," the dark-skinned youth replied indifferently.

"Then it's settled. First, have that fire spirit stop fighting," Han Li said casually.

The dark-skinned youth chuckled, turned his head, and subtly moved his lips, sending a telepathic message to the strange Flood Dragon.

A long roar echoed!

The reddish flesh ball that was the strange Flood Dragon suddenly retracted all its tentacles. After a burst of crimson light from its surface, it transformed back into a foot-tall reddish humanoid.

Seeing this, the Spirit-Devouring Fire Bird also soared skyward amidst rolling silver flames. After a single circle, it shrank into a palm-sized miniature form, then with a flap of its wings, it appeared in front of Han Li in a few flashes.

Han Li shook his sleeve, and a swirl of azure mist enveloped the miniature fire bird, which then vanished into it.

"Fellow Daoist's fortune is truly remarkable. To have refined a wisp of Essence Flame in the lower realms, and for it to even develop a trace of sentience and transform into an Essence Flame Fire Bird! You know, even in the Immortal Realm, very few can cultivate Essence Flame. No wonder Firebeard, this Holy Beast of fire, couldn't even utilize ten or twenty percent of its full power just now," the dark-skinned youth said, grinning as he glanced at Han Li's sleeve.

"Essence Flame? This spiritual fire was something I cultivated unintentionally, so whether it's the 'Essence Flame' you speak of is unknown. However, I've always referred to it as the Spirit-Devouring True Flame," Han Li replied, his expression subtly shifting.

"Haha, I definitely wouldn't be mistaken. It is indeed Essence Flame. The conditions for its birth are inherently diverse and unpredictable. Spirit-Devouring True Flame! That's also a fitting name, as this fire is indeed adept at devouring various spiritual flames to strengthen itself," the dark-skinned youth said, laughing.

Just then, a ripple appeared nearby, and the reddish humanoid flashed into existence. After sweeping its gaze over the headless remains, it frowned and said:

"This guy actually fell so easily. It seems retrieving my Natal Crystal Orb will be an unknown distant matter. Earlier, while I was near him, I didn't sense the presence of my Natal Crystal Orb."

"Fellow Daoist Fire, if you wish to recover your Natal Orb, you'll likely have to rely on Fellow Daoist Han here. Given his great divine abilities even in the lower realms, it would be effortless for him to help you retrieve your Natal Crystal Orb if he ascends to the Immortal Realm later," Mo Guang said with a half-smile.

"What do you mean? You want me to acknowledge someone as my master?" Firebeard's face suddenly darkened upon hearing this.

"Heh heh, if you don't acknowledge Brother Han as your master, how will you return to the Immortal Realm? You're not like me, a demon; at worst, I can return to the Outer Realm Demon Domain and continue to live freely. But if you don't receive immortal spiritual energy, not only will you be unable to advance your cultivation, but it's likely inevitable that your cultivation will greatly decline, and you'll fall back to the mortal world. Furthermore, if you refuse to acknowledge a master, with your cultivation heavily suppressed, it will be very difficult for you to leave this place alive today. Don't expect me to help you; I've already agreed to enter into a Heaven Demon Contract with him. In fact, if you submit to Fellow Daoist Han, there are also unexpected benefits…" Mo Guang's voice suddenly shifted to a telepathic message as he spoke the latter part of his words.