Chapter 1728: Demon's Deal
Faced with Yun Che's approach, the Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit spoke calmly: "Back then, the Profound God Convention was born to counter the Crimson Rift calamity. For three thousand years, the Zhou Tian Divine Realm exhausted all of this Venerable's divine power, gathering only the true geniuses of the younger generation from the Eastern Divine Region, and not a single disciple of my Zhou Tian was allowed to enter!"
"The dimensional array connecting the edge of Chaos consumed a massive amount of resources from my Zhou Tian Realm."
"These were all sacrifices my Zhou Tian made for the world, with not a shred of selfish intent."
"Zhou Xuzi striking the Evil Infant out of Chaos was done without any selfish motive whatsoever. In his entire life, he almost never broke his promises, yet he destroyed a vow he made to you, tarnished his own name—all for the sake of the peace and righteous path of that era!"
"These things, you should know full well in your heart!"
"Since my Zhou Tian became a king realm, its will has been 'guardianship.' Every deed and action is witnessed by the Heavenly Dao, testified by all living beings, and clear of any guilt."
"…" Yun Che's footsteps halted.
His half-squinted eyes flickered with a dark gleam, and his fingers trembled slightly.
Before him, there suddenly arose the memory of the scene at the edge of Chaos back then, where everyone lavished praise on Zhou Xuzi for striking Mo Li out of Chaos.
It was as if, in that moment, they had collectively lost their memories, completely forgetting that it was Mo Li who used the Evil Infant's power to annihilate the Crimson Rift and save all their lives. In their memories, only Zhou Xuzi's "holy deed" of destroying the Evil Infant remained.
Even Zhou Xuzi's broken promise to him became, in their mouths, a great sacrifice made to save the world at the cost of his own reputation.
He lowered his gaze, looking at his involuntarily trembling fingers…
Hah… There's no doubt about it—this is the spirit of the Zhou Tian Pearl! A figure that Qianye Ying'er claimed was very likely the "Great Ancestor of Zhou Tian."
After all these years, it can still provoke such rage in me with just a few casual words!
He clenched his fingers slightly. When Yun Che raised his head again, not a trace of anger remained on his face or in his eyes—only a smile that sent chills down one's spine. His voice became exceptionally gentle: "Since you're so clear of guilt, why have you never revealed the truth all these years, instead going to great lengths to cover it up? Oh, it must be for the sake of the people and the righteous path again. After all, a demon saving the world—how ignoble and face-smacking that is for you who see demons as heretics."
Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit: "…"
"Heh," he let out a faint laugh. "You put on some flashy, useless show, then brazenly claim all the credit and glory. Meanwhile, the one who truly saved you, saved the entire God Realm—just because she doesn't fit your so-called 'righteous path,' she deserved to die, she had to die!?"
Yun Che slowly extended his hand, black light gleaming at his fingertips. "Since the Zhou Tian Realm is now beneath this Demon Lord's feet, then let such a 'righteous path' die out completely!"
"Kill!"
With a single command, killing intent flooded the heavens.
Just as the blood mist was about to spread again, the Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit let out a soft sigh. And with that sigh, an ancient divine sound once again filled the Zhou Tian sky, forcibly dispersing the rising dark killing intent: "Enough. Our positions differ, and our wills are not the same. Arguing is pointless."
Yun Che raised a hand, halting the Yan Ancestor and the Burning Moon Xuan Adept, and asked: "So?"
At that moment, He Ling's voice rang in his mind: "Master, I can now be certain that it is definitely not the source spirit of the Zhou Tian Pearl!"
Yun Che's brow twitched slightly. That confirmation from He Ling was more than enough.
The Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit said: "Regardless of cause and effect or right and wrong, you have already trampled Zhou Tian to this extent. Even if there was great hatred, it should have been vented. Stop here and withdraw."
"Hahahaha," Yun Che laughed lowly. He glanced ahead and said slowly: "This Demon Lord gave a personal order earlier—every person, every beast, every blade of grass and tree here must die. If I were to rescind that order, where would I put my face?"
"Besides… what do you think you are, to order this Demon Lord around?"
"It is not an order, but a deal." The Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit's voice remained calm. Given the level of its existence, it would never say the word "request" to anyone.
In such a situation, a "deal" was the lowest stance it could take, and an action it had to take.
"The remaining Guardians and Elders have all been annihilated by you, and the Arbiters and Divine Lords are few. The rest of Zhou Tian's living beings—their lives are of little consequence to you. If you and your demons withdraw now, this Venerable will grant you one condition."
Clearly, the Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit wanted to preserve as much of Zhou Tian Realm's bloodline as possible, and most importantly, to protect this Zhou Tian Realm… even if it was nearly reduced to rubble, it was still an irreplaceable ancestral land.
"Good, very good." Yun Che's eyes gleamed with black light, as if excited. He did not ask what "condition" the Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit could offer, but said directly: "As expected of the divine spirit of the Zhou Tian Pearl—the words you speak are truly hard to refuse."
"These worthless lives are precious to your Zhou Tian, but to me, they are nothing but garbage that dirtied my feet to step on. If I can trade them for something useful, why not!"
In the Zhou Tian Realm, countless teeth were gritted nearly to shattering.
To be a person of Zhou Tian was undoubtedly the greatest honor of their lives—never had they been insulted to such a degree.
But aside from hatred and sorrow, they dared not utter a word. Instead, afterward, they felt a humiliating sense of relief.
Since the demon had agreed to a deal, it seemed they, who had been on the edge of hell, might not have to die.
The Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit said: "If you withdraw now, this Venerable can grant you…"
"In that case, I won't stand on ceremony!" Before the Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit could finish, Yun Che rudely interrupted, his soul-piercing voice overpowering the spirit's world-shaking tone: "My condition is very simple…"
He reached out, palm facing the Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit: "I want half the will ownership of the Zhou Tian Pearl!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit's phantom visibly shook.
Inside and outside the Zhou Tian Realm, all Zhou Tian people and countless Eastern Region cultivators changed expression drastically.
Everyone knew that the Zhou Tian Divine Realm originated from the Zhou Tian Pearl, became a king realm because of it, and was even renamed after it.
Before Yun Che appeared, the Zhou Tian Pearl was the only Mystic Heaven Supreme Treasure to manifest in the God Realm. It not only enabled Zhou Tian Realm's rise and glorious history but was also its soul, its supreme honor, and that of the entire Eastern Divine Region.
Half the will ownership of the Zhou Tian Pearl… meant half the control of the Zhou Tian Pearl!
If he truly handed it over, it meant that from then on, the Zhou Tian Pearl would be jointly held by Yun Che and Zhou Tian Realm!
It was almost equivalent to splitting off half of Zhou Tian Realm's core and soul!
"Yun Che!" The Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit's voice carried clear anger: "Everything in the Zhou Tian Realm can be yielded and abandoned, but the Zhou Tian Pearl…"
"Shut up!" Yun Che interrupted its words again without any courtesy, a smile full of dark scorn on his lips: "Do not misunderstand one thing. This 'condition' is not a deal; it is this Demon Lord's final mercy and blessing to your Zhou Tian Realm!"
"You do not have the right to bargain!"
"…" The Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit's phantom trembled continuously.
"Of course, you can refuse entirely!" Yun Che's smile grew even more sinister: "Compared to obtaining half a crippled pearl, enjoying the sight of a Zhou Tian Realm where not a blade of grass grows amidst rivers of blood—isn't that a better spectacle? Hehehehe!"
Not giving the Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit a single chance to "bargain," he slowly raised three fingers: "You're a divine spirit after all, so this Demon Lord should give you some face. I'll give you three breaths."
"After three breaths, whether this Zhou Tian Realm barely survives or becomes barren of life… I will grant you this great decision-making power!"
He smirked, and as his words fell, his first finger mercilessly curled down.
"…" The Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit had existed for eons, but its heart and soul had never been so chaotic.
Back then, during the Profound God Convention, it had paid great attention to Yun Che and held high praise for him, deeply anticipating his future.
His failure to enter the Zhou Tian Divine Realm had even become a great regret for it.
When it learned he had resolved the Demon Emperor crisis, it was immensely gratified. When it heard he had fallen to become a demon, it sighed in lamentation.
In its long life, it had seen countless people and experienced countless vicissitudes.
But never had there been a person who could undergo such dramatic change in such a short time.
And never had there been a person who could push it to such an extreme.
Yun Che curled down his second finger, and a dark killing intent spread.
With a helpless sigh, the Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit no longer tried to negotiate and said: "Alright, this Venerable agrees to your condition!"
Yielding half of the Zhou Tian Pearl—this was far beyond a mere loss of dignity for Zhou Tian Realm.
But things had come to this; it had to accept.
At least Yun Che hadn't forced it to fully recognize him as master… at least it wasn't completely unacceptable.
Moreover, as the spirit of the Zhou Tian Pearl, its connection with the pearl was not something an external will could compare to.
Even if it yielded half the will space, given a suitable opportunity in the future, it could always take it all back.
Yun Che curled down his third finger and burst into loud laughter: "Hahahahaha! As expected of the divine spirit of the Zhou Tian Pearl, truly incomparable to those idiots of the Zhou Tian Realm. You have made the wisest choice."
Beneath his wild laughter, the face of every Zhou Tian disciple turned ashen gray… In addition to sorrow and humiliation, there was also a profound sense of relief.
Could this calamity, this nightmare, finally end…
But at what a great cost, what a great disgrace this outcome came.
With no way to retreat, under the gaze of Zhou Tian and countless cultivators from the Eastern Divine Region, the phantom of the Zhou Tian divine spirit slowly raised its hand.
As a flash of white light blazed, a pale white orb descended from the sky, appearing before the world's eyes.
The fourth-ranked Mystic Heaven Supreme Treasure—the Zhou Tian Pearl!
Like countless others, this was Yun Che's first time seeing its true form.
It was about the size of a child's fist, similar to the Heaven Poison Pearl. Within the orb swirled dense, mysterious pale white mist. Its surface emitted a somewhat dim white light.
It was hard to imagine that such a small orb contained the vast, endless, and independent time-law-governed "Zhou Tian Divine Realm."
"This is the Zhou Tian Pearl." The Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit had already accepted its fate, completely abandoning pretense. It raised its hand and said: "You are the master of the Heaven Poison Pearl. You should know that its will space is extremely special. Even if this Venerable yields half, whether your will can occupy it depends on your own ability."
"That won't be your concern."
Yun Che grinned. He walked forward slowly, stood before the Zhou Tian Pearl, extended his arm, and pressed his hand onto the orb.
No rejection came. The "three-thousand-year-old" Zhou Tian Divine Realm had opened, and the Zhou Tian Pearl's special and mysterious power aura was indeed extremely thin, just like the Heaven Poison Pearl back then.
And given the current state of Chaos's energy, its divine power recovery would undoubtedly be extremely slow… and would never reach the level of the Age of Gods.
In the hands of Zhou Tian Realm and this "Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit," that was indeed the case.
But falling into his hands would be a completely different story.
A very faint, cunning light flickered deep in Yun Che's pupils, and he commanded: "Step back!"
Even though it had already made its decision, at this moment, the Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit's phantom visibly twisted. Its voice deepened: "Yun Che, after you obtain half the will of the Zhou Tian Pearl, you must lead your demons and immediately leave the Zhou Tian Realm. Moreover, for ten thousand years, neither you nor the demons under your command may set foot here again!"
"The projection above bears witness; all living beings can attest!"
It did not say that Yun Che could not pursue Zhou Xuzi and the other Guardians, because it knew Yun Che hated Zhou Xuzi to the core. He would never agree, and it might instead cause an adverse reaction at this final moment.
But "no entry to Zhou Tian for ten thousand years" was already an invisible way to secure a retreat for Zhou Xuzi and Zhou Tian after this catastrophe.
Even when it revealed the Zhou Tian Pearl, it did not forcibly seal the massive projection array above, precisely to have "the world bear witness" so that Yun Che could not go back on his word.
"Fine." Yun Che agreed readily, then a look of mockery appeared on his face: "What? Afraid I'll renege? Hahahahaha!"
He laughed wildly and contemptuously, then swept his gaze over the devastated Zhou Tian Realm: "As the Dark Demon Lord who rules the Northern Divine Region, every word I utter is the supreme, unrivaled dark will!"
"These filthy pieces of trash are worthy of making this Demon Lord break his promise? Do you think my words are as despicable as that old dog Zhou Xuzi's promises?"
The Zhou Tian Pearl Spirit said no more. It raised its hands, white light swirling around its body, pulling its soul slowly away from the will space of the Zhou Tian Pearl.
As agreed, it vacated a full half of the will space.
"Heh… hehehehe…"
Outside the Zhou Tian Realm, watching the gradually changing white light of the Zhou Tian Pearl in the projection, Zhou Xuzi closed his eyes in pain, letting out a most miserable laugh.
From the day it became a king realm to the present, each generation of the Zhou Tian Divine Realm had been bathed in glory and revered by all living beings.
Yet now, under his leadership, it had fallen to such a state, and in the end, the "Ancestor" had to personally step forward, losing all dignity to secure the final retreat and hope.
How utterly tragic.
How could he ever have the face to return to Zhou Tian, to face the "Ancestor"?
Feeling the change in the Zhou Tian Pearl's will space, Yun Che withdrew his consciousness at that moment and mentally called out: "He Ling!"
In an instant, He Ling's will plunged straight into the Zhou Tian Pearl. In just a moment, she occupied half of the Zhou Tian Pearl's will space… without even a hint of rejection or incompatibility.
Back then, Shen Xi had said with absolute certainty that He Ling was the only existence in the current era capable of becoming the poison spirit of the Heaven Poison Pearl.
The same was true for the Zhou Tian Pearl—for all Mystic Heaven Supreme Treasures!
Yun Che opened his eyes, slowly moved his hand away from the Zhou Tian Pearl. As the corner of his mouth tilted, he pointed into the distance and uttered a single, incomparably sinister and cruel word:
"Kill!"
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[I checked the backend—damn, this month there have been over four hundred pages of tips. Scared me into not daring to stop updating… Terrifying Earthlings!]