Chapter 938: Conditions

Mortal Affairs

"...As a condition, once I help you shake off the pursuers and ensure your safety, I require you to release the soul imprint within the zombie puppet, so that this physical body will entirely belong to me." Bai said in a deep voice.

Qin Sang's eyebrow twitched upon hearing this, and a hint of sarcasm appeared at the corner of his mouth. Although this person was an old monster who had lived for countless years, his cultivation had not yet recovered. Unlocking the soul imprint within the Flying Yaksha's body would still require considerable effort.

"Is this what you call a transaction? If you help me shake off the pursuers, do you dare expose yourself to that person? This matter is inherently beneficial to both of us, so why speak so grandiosely? You lose nothing; not only do you escape your cage and fulfill your vow, but you also gain a powerful physical body, free to roam like a dragon entering the sea. On the other hand, I help you break the demonic restraint and transcend the lingering spirits, yet I must also lose a Flying Yaksha that took countless years and efforts to refine..."

Qin Sang scoffed at Bai's condition, stating in a deep voice, "I admire you for upholding a vow in solitude. However, I regret that I cannot agree to this condition!"

Bai frowned tightly. "Although I haven't yet refined the remnant primordial spirit within this puppet, I've been cultivating it day and night for decades out of fear of my soul dissipating. My soul has become inseparable from this body. If forcibly separated, I would not only suffer severe vital energy damage but likely have no hope of recovery in this lifetime, let alone finding my true self. Moreover, even if I return it to you, it's just a puppet at the early Core Formation stage. With your current cultivation, it's insignificant. Why cling to such trivial gains and losses..."

Qin Sang merely shook his head, offering no reply. He respected Bai, but he wouldn't be a fool. Qin Sang was well aware that Bai was negotiating politely with him precisely because he was wary of Qin Sang's strength. If he didn't have the puppet and the Twin-headed Hou, and didn't possess the Daoist technique "Thunder Command Art" that could threaten Bai's life, would Bai still be speaking to him so amiably? Most likely, Bai would have captured him first and forced him to agree to all conditions. At most, Bai might have a shred of benevolence and spare his life. The current initiative was entirely something he had earned through his own strength. If it weren't for the powerful enemy lurking outside, Bai would have long been his defeated opponent, and would not have been allowed to propose any conditions.

"You should come up with some sincerity to negotiate," Qin Sang said calmly.

Under Qin Sang's piercing gaze, Bai's face became gloomy. With a Nascent Soul-stage enemy guarding outside, this person could still negotiate with him without batting an eyelid. But on second thought, someone who possessed such powerful abilities at the Core Formation stage, capable of forcibly suppressing him and making him concede, could not be an ordinary person. Bai wanted to refute Qin Sang, but then he thought that this might be his only chance in this lifetime; it was impossible for another person capable of controlling demonic fire to enter. And even if he regained a physical body, his lifespan would be limited, and he certainly wouldn't live until the day the demonic restraint naturally disintegrated.

Furthermore, there was one more point Bai hadn't explicitly stated. He had tried countless times but could not break the puppet's primordial spirit or the soul imprint Qin Sang had left behind. As long as the puppet's primordial spirit and the soul imprint remained, Bai's soul would not be able to perfectly merge with the body, and his cultivation would stagnate, preventing further advancement or breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage. Although he was a wisp of a remnant soul from an ancient immortal, with a decaying body, weakening primordial spirit, and decaying memories, he had acquired a zombie puppet's body and could only cultivate the corpse path. Cultivation didn't simply recover; it had to be cultivated little by little, not much different from other cultivators. In essence, his lifeline was in the other party's hands. Qin Sang's unyielding attitude made Bai even more hesitant, suspecting that Qin Sang might have realized this.

With his lifeline in someone else's hands, Bai couldn't help but feel a little disheartened. He sighed, "I can agree to one more condition: as long as you help me refine the primordial spirit within the puppet, I will follow you during this period, serving as your enforcer. This should compensate you for the loss of your puppet, shouldn't it? However, once I've fully recovered, you must not prevent me from leaving. If you agree, we can swear a heart demon oath. Since I was forced to cultivate the corpse path, you should know that the constraints of a heart demon oath are a huge deterrent for ghost cultivators like us; I would never dare to defy it."

Qin Sang's heart stirred. He hadn't expected Bai to propose such a condition. After leaving the Ghost Land, Bai would be unable to manipulate the ghostly mist, severely weakening his strength, yet he would still be no weaker than a peak Core Formation cultivator. With Bai as an ally, his combat strength would greatly increase. It would be no exaggeration to say he could look down upon all fellow Core Formation cultivators. Unfortunately, Bai would likely not agree to remain bound to him indefinitely. If all went as expected, his cultivation speed would be faster than Qin Sang's, and forming a Nascent Soul or even reaching the Soul Transformation stage would not be difficult for him. Bai's origins were extraordinary, and his future potential was immeasurable. Qin Sang should have tried his best to befriend such a figure, yet he shook his head and refused again.

This completely infuriated Bai. In fact, following Qin Sang wasn't entirely unacceptable. Countless eons had passed. Bai had been trapped in the Ghost Land, knowing nothing of the outside world. Following Qin Sang, he could refine his body while gradually learning about the outside world. When the time was right, he could part ways with Qin Sang to search for his lost memories, which would also be a prudent move. He hadn't expected Qin Sang to refuse him again. Suppressing his anger, his face full of displeasure, Bai sneered, "My personal allegiance isn't enough? You are truly insatiable! What exactly do you want?"

Qin Sang showed a thoughtful expression, his eyes glinting, and he said in a firm voice, "There are countless lingering spirits in this Ghost Land, yet only your soul remains unimpaired. Don't you find that a little strange? The time you have been trapped here must be measured in tens of thousands of years, correct? No matter how high one's cultivation was in life, or how supreme their cultivation technique, it's impossible for a mere wisp of a soul to persist until now. Please, do not tell me it's merely your unwavering will that could counteract the erosive power of time!" Qin Sang suddenly shouted, staring intensely into Bai's eyes as he pressed the question.

Bai's expression stiffened, shifting unsteadily, before he finally gave a bitter smile and said, "You have probably guessed already, haven't you? What other treasure in this world can keep a soul from scattering and its spiritual essence from decaying?"

"Soul-Nourishing Wood!" Qin Sang's pupils dilated, and he gasped in surprise, "You really have Soul-Nourishing Wood!"

Soul-Nourishing Wood, one of the Ten Divine Woods, possesses the miraculous ability to nurture the soul and strengthen the primordial spirit. Only this treasure could have allowed Bai to persist until now. Even so, Bai was reduced to a mere wisp of a soul, barely clinging to life, which showed how long he had been trapped. After seeing Bai's remnant soul, Qin Sang had vaguely suspected something, but he had patiently held back, coldly observing Bai's performance, only revealing his true intentions at the very end.

Bai was destined to be extraordinary. Since there was no mortal enmity between them, given Qin Sang's character, he wouldn't overly dwell on gains and losses. He might even take the initiative to befriend Bai and form a good relationship. Only the Soul-Nourishing Wood could make Qin Sang lose his composure like this, willing to go to any lengths! His cultivation had stagnated, and originally only the fragments of the Infernal Blood Mulberry in Boundless Abyss Valley of the Minor Cold Region could help him. He hadn't expected to encounter Soul-Nourishing Wood!