Chapter 1540: Evil Contract

The world was engulfed in a terrifying silence, and even the air suddenly turned bone-chilling.

A powerful Divine Spirit expert had been annihilated with a single finger, leaving not even a speck of dust behind.

"Divine... Divine King!" the old man in black exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief, trembling beside Princess Hanwei. These words sent a shockwave through everyone present.

A Divine King was, in this plane, the equivalent of a sect master of a major sect! But more terrifying than the words "Divine King" were his eyes. They had never witnessed such profoundly dark pupils. When he turned and his sinister gaze swept over them, the oppressive and suffocating sensation was overwhelming—like a demon, with its eyes wide open, seizing their throats and souls with its sharp claws.

Yet, Ming Yang was no ordinary man, and his apprehension towards a Divine King was not as profound as most, for his own father was one of the strongest Divine Kings in this very realm. Suppressing his inexplicable dread, he stepped forward, a polite smile on his face, and bowed respectfully: "This junior, Ming Yang, is truly fortunate to encounter such an esteemed senior in this desolate place. My subordinate was ignorant and dared to offend a Divine King; I am grateful for your righteous punishment."

"By the way, my father is Ming Xiao, the patriarch of the Ming Peng clan; I trust you may have heard of him. If it pleases you, senior, you are most welcome to visit Ming Peng Mountain as our guest. This junior will eagerly await your arrival and prepare a grand feast."

In those brief words, he conveyed both deference and authority. His tone subtly shifted when he mentioned his clan and his father's name. After all, the Ming Peng clan and the name Ming Xiao were renowned not just in this region, but throughout the entire Star Realm—who hadn't heard of them?

But... To Ming Yang's astonishment, the black-clad man's expression remained utterly unchanged after hearing his words. His only response was to raise his finger again... and flick it gently once more.

*Boom!* Three flashes of fire simultaneously erupted around Ming Yang. In his eyes, widened to the point of nearly bursting, he witnessed the other three Divine Spirit experts beside him—at that very instant—their bodies detonated into fiery fragments. No screams escaped, no blood splattered; they simply dissolved into a shower of burning pieces, leaving nothing but a scattering of ash around him.

This utterly unforeseen sight made Ming Yang's features twitch violently. His earlier composure dissolved into an uncontrollable tremor. "You..." he managed, then could say no more.

One word escaped his lips, and then he was speechless. Yun Che advanced, step by step, towards him. With each approaching step, Ming Yang's pupils constricted further, the encroaching, terrifying, invisible pressure threatening to crush his will completely. His mouth hung open, repeatedly trying to form words, but no sound emerged. Finally, he thought of escape... yet he couldn't muster an ounce of profound energy, nor could he feel his legs. His entire body, like rotting mud, gradually gave way, becoming weaker and weaker, until he slumped to his knees on the ground.

He was by no means a coward. On the contrary, given his status and position, he had always maintained a dignified composure, even when confronting Divine King sect masters from other prominent sects. Yet, facing Yun Che, all his courage seemed to be utterly pulverized by an unseen force.

In a daze, Yun Che stood before him, his pupils now mere pinpricks. He couldn't fathom why he felt such profound terror; even encountering a Great Realm King in the past hadn't invoked such extreme dread.

His lips trembled, parting and closing. He wanted to declare himself the young master of the Ming Peng clan, that he couldn't be killed, but the two words he managed to force out, with every ounce of his will, were barely audible, trembling to the extreme: "Mercy... plea... ngh!"

A hand clamped around his throat, lifting him directly off the ground and silencing all sound from him.

The last sound he ever heard resonated in his ears—a low growl more terrifying than a demon's: "Those who oppose me, those who violate me, those who harm me... all shall perish!"

A tendril of black energy ascended from Ming Yang's neck, instantly engulfing his entire body, consuming his form in a cloud of dark smoke. This was the first time Yun Che had utilized his dark profound energy with such effortless ease.

Yun Che lowered his hand... In front of him, Ming Yang had vanished, leaving only a wisp of black smoke slowly dissipating with the chilling wind. No one could comprehend the terrifying darkness, hatred, and murderous intent concealed beneath Yun Che's cold demeanor at that moment. Ming Yang, much like a self-important ant, had dared to provoke a grim reaper who had just emerged from an endless abyss.

As the black smoke faded completely, Yun Che turned and walked northward, without sparing a single glance for the young woman in purple or the old man in black.

The young woman in purple remained utterly frozen, as if caught in a dream. Ming Yang was not merely the Ming Peng clan patriarch's son; he was the widely recognized young master of the Ming Peng clan, a figure who could genuinely roam unchecked throughout this Eastern Region, someone no one dared to provoke... and he was simply dead? Just like that? Dismissed as easily as a speck of dust! And even after Ming Yang had explicitly declared his identity, it seemed... as if the Ming Peng clan, renowned across the Eastern Realm, was utterly beneath this man's contempt!

The old man in black struggled to collect himself. Given his experience, the shock he felt was even greater than the young woman's, but it was overshadowed by the profound relief of surviving a catastrophe. He lay prostrate, unable to stand, yet a smile appeared on his face. "It seems heaven has blessed Your Highness, sending a master to your aid... Your Highness, you must leave quickly. Ming Yang's death will surely be sensed by the Ming Peng clan. I will recover slightly and then catch up to you."

However, the young woman in purple remained unresponsive to his words. Her gaze was fixed intently on the retreating figure of the black-clad man, her eyes wavering... and wavering still.

"Senior, please wait!" she suddenly called out, startling the old man in black beside her. "Your... Your Highness!"

His instincts screamed that this black-clad man was someone utterly not to be provoked. If he could casually slay the young master of the Ming Peng clan, what hope did anyone else have?

However, Yun Che showed no reaction to her cries, steadily receding from her sight.

"Senior!" The young woman in purple raised her voice. "This junior is Dongfang Hanwei, the Nineteenth Princess of the Eastern Han Kingdom. I thank you, senior, for your great kindness in saving my life."

She leaned forward, suddenly collapsing to her knees, her voice laced with profound sorrow and desperate pleading: "My homeland is currently facing a great disaster; the royal city is on the verge of falling, and my father and mother are still within it... This junior has reached her wit's end and shamelessly implores you to intervene, senior. If you can save my father and mother, I vow to repay you with everything I possess!"

"Your Highness, no... you must not!" The old man in black struggled to rise and intervene.

He wasn't particularly surprised by Dongfang Hanwei's actions, as she was truly at her wit's end, and such a desperate plea aligned with her character. She didn't dare to hope that the man would resolve her royal city's crisis; merely saving her parents would be a divine grace. She and Yun Che were strangers, completely ignorant of his background, unsure if he was good or evil. Yet, like a dying person desperately clinging to any possible lifeline, she saw this black-clad man—of unknown origin, with a strange aura, who had crushed the Ming Peng Young Master like an ant—as a glimmering, dark-shrouded straw of salvation in her utter despair.

Yun Che remained unresponsive.

"Senior... Senior!"

Yun Che's indifference didn't deter her. She surged forward, using what little profound energy remained, and collapsed directly behind him. Her blood-stained arm tightly gripped the hem of his robe, her sorrowful words now laced with sobs: "This junior begs you to intervene. As long as you are willing, I will agree to any condition..."

Yun Che's robe flicked backward. *Thump!* With a muffled impact, Dongfang Hanwei was sent hurtling away like a purple butterfly caught in a hurricane. Her fragile body crashed heavily back down beside the old man in black, streaks of blood welling from the corner of her lips.

"Your Highness... Your Highness!" The old man in black desperately shook his head. "Do not press him further. Protecting yourself is the greatest solace you can offer the King and Queen."

With Yun Che still nearby, he naturally dared not voice that the man was an extremely dangerous individual.

Dongfang Hanwei lowered her head, blood droplets from the corner of her lips falling to the ground. That already faint glimmer of hope—or perhaps, illusion—was now utterly shattered.

Just then, she suddenly felt her vision dim. She instinctively looked up, only to see the black-clad man standing before her like a phantom, his cold, eerie eyes gazing at her with utter indifference.

"..." She froze, staring at him blankly, unable to utter a word.

"You'll agree to any condition, correct?" Yun Che stated, sounding like a demon forging a pact with a desperate mortal.

The old man in black's face instantly blanched. He wanted to intervene... but he couldn't utter a sound, his raised hand frozen in mid-air. How could one possibly risk offending such a terrifying figure, who had casually annihilated four Divine Spirit experts and the Ming Peng Young Master?

In Dongfang Hanwei's eyes, however, a desperate hope ignited. She looked at Yun Che and nodded slowly but resolutely. "As long as you can save my father and mother, senior... I will comply with any condition. Otherwise, you may take my life."

"Good," Yun Che said, his eyes narrowing slightly. As he faced Princess Hanwei, whose exquisite beauty and captivating fragility had captivated the Ming Peng Young Master, his gaze remained as cold as if he were looking at a corpse. "Lead the way."

"...Thank you for your great kindness, senior." Dongfang Hanwei bowed deeply, her beautiful eyes instantly misting over. It was unclear if these were tears of joy for grasping a lifeline, or of sorrow for her own fate.

The old man in black's hand fell weakly; from the moment Yun Che agreed, everything became irreversible. He could only say, "Esteemed One, I am deeply grateful for this great favor... Your Highness is now entrusted to you. I implore you to consider her sincere heart and treat her with kindness... This old man vows to repay your benevolence in his next life."

"Hmph," Yun Che scoffed softly, turning slightly. With a flick of his finger, tendrils of spiritual energy from heaven and earth flowed into the old man's body.

Immediately, the old man in black's expression changed. He felt countless clear springs pouring into his already utterly depleted body; his vitality recovered at an incredible speed, his consciousness rapidly cleared, and the pain from his previously numb injuries became increasingly distinct. His exhausted profound veins also swiftly surged with tendrils of profound energy.

He tried moving his limbs, and to his astonishment, the old man in black stood up effortlessly. He gazed at Yun Che, his aged eyes trembling as if he were beholding a descending deity. Then, his entire body suddenly quivered, and he hastily bowed deeply. "This old man, Qin Jian, greets the Esteemed One. Your great benevolence today, this old man shall never forget."

"Lead the way!" Yun Che's tone stiffened slightly, clearly impatient with their superfluous words.