Chapter 139: The Houtu Pact

"Ha..."

Having just concealed himself within the shimmering ghostly light, Shen Lian was instantly startled, his fingers twitching to hurl the jade talisman in his hand toward the upturned valley ahead.

"Fellow Daoist, we merely wish to escape this expanse of sea, is there any need to fight to the death?"

The voice echoed once more in Shen Lian's sea of consciousness. This time, it was no longer the voice of the rough-hewn man, but had reverted to the agile, melodious tone of Qi Yu.

"Can you put away your talismanic treasure now, Fellow Daoist?"

A flicker of irritation sparked in Qi Yu's eyes, her two canine teeth clicking together as if she had the urge to sink them into someone's flesh.

"Ahem... We belong to the same team after all, and in such a perilous moment, we ought to pull together in the same boat."

Shen Lian spoke, yet the jade talisman in his grip remained unretrieved.

A male cultivator traveling abroad must know how to protect himself.

The defensive ghostly radiance radiating from Qi Yu was far more effective than his own Earth-Shattering Divine Armor Talisman.

His armor talisman could only withstand a major portion of the demonic Qi's energy, while a fraction of the impact still rattled his heart and soul.

This included a portion of his defensive power as a body cultivation practitioner who had reached the second tier.

Even so, his blood and Qi were churning violently.

In contrast, the defensive ghostly light summoned by Qi Yu blocked out all the turbulent demonic Qi entirely.

With such an exceptional sanctuary of defense, Shen Lian had not the slightest intention of leaving.

Judging by Qi Yu's composed and leisurely demeanor, she most likely possessed a method to evade this mortal catastrophe.

Since they were fellow cultivators, what harm was there in sharing a bit of her protection?

"The same team?"

Qi Yu sneered. There had been six people in the original team.

As for the life and death of the remaining fellow cultivators, you haven't uttered a single word about them.

Immediately following this, she ignored Shen Lian entirely, her figure darting swiftly through the surging waves of demonic Qi as she grabbed the struggling Foundation Establishment cultivators who had fallen into the water one by one.

Along the way, whenever she encountered a cultivator who was not yet fully dead, Qi Yu would cleanly snap their necks and stash their corpses into her storage pouch.

This spectacle left Shen Lian utterly dumbfounded.

Good grief, no wonder she had been rubbing her hands together in excitement back on the spirit ship; it turned out she viewed this as the harvest season.

The defensive ghostly radiance was sufficiently spacious. While concealing his body within it, Shen Lian's divine sense was also keenly sensing the changes in all directions, searching for a way out for his next move.

However, the scene outside was grim indeed. The spirit ship *Deep Sea* had been shattered to pieces, and countless ship fragments of varying sizes were rolling and crashing amidst the giant waves, cleaving open the bodies of some cultivators.

Throughout the surrounding waters, fragmented remains of cultivators were everywhere, continually being pulverized further by the demonic Qi billows.

The surviving Foundation Establishment cultivators were displaying their individual magical abilities—some employing talismans, others utilizing shattered magic treasures.

In short, any cultivator daring enough to cross the Outer Myriad Star Seas possessed some hidden foundations.

Yet, facing such terrifying waves of demonic Qi, these trump-card methods they usually prided themselves on could not hold out for long, shattering one after another.

"Ah..."

Within the demonic Qi tsunami, dense demonic Qi converged into the shape of a colossal serpent, revealing a ferocious snake head as it violently whipped its long tail, stirring up surges of water blades that rained down upon several unlucky souls.

Clearly, it was merely an illusory projection of a demonic serpent formed from demonic Qi, yet the aura it erupted with was no less formidable than the Golden Core level.

The protective magical implements and talismans cast by the Foundation Establishment cultivators were like paper before the water blades; with a gentle swipe, the implements along with the physical bodies of the cultivators were sliced into countless pieces, and blood burst open into the seawater.

Still other cultivators shrieked as a pitch-black demonic Qi adhered to their bodies, burning straight through their skin and flesh, leaving them to wail in agony.

Witnessing these various sights, Shen Lian's heart pounded wildly against his ribs.

Fortunately, the protective spiritual light surrounding Qi Yu was highly reliable; even with the rampaging tides of demonic Qi forming all around, they were still kept firmly at bay.

Some other cultivators had also noticed Qi Yu and Shen Lian enveloped within a swath of ghostly radiance, completely immune to the sweeping onslaught of demonic Qi.

"Fellow Daoist, save me!"

Hearing the plea, Qi Yu immediately changed direction, darting toward the calling cultivator.

Upon seeing Qi Yu approach, a flicker of anticipation appeared in the eyes of the distressed Foundation Establishment cultivator, who began paddling frantically like a drowning mortal, rushing toward Qi Yu's direction.

In the boundless ocean under the ravages of demonic Qi, this was a mutual dash toward one another.

"Crack!"

The moment Qi Yu rushed in front of the pleading cultivator, her fair, delicate hand shot out and clamped onto the victim's neck.

Crack.

Whoosh.

Two smooth sounds rang out in succession, and the supplicating Foundation Establishment cultivator had already been deposited into a storage artifact.

Rescue operation complete.

"..."

Every single action of Qi Yu made Shen Lian acutely aware that had he not kept his jade talisman pressed against Qi Yu's backside, the one tossed into the storage artifact would have been him.

As for the direction of the high-level expert in white robes and the Demonic Serpent King, he did not dare to peer at them in the slightest, praying only that he would not be caught up in any more severe collateral damage.

...

"Rumble!"

High above the sea surface, the Demonic Serpent King roared repeatedly. As a beast on the verge of transforming into a jiao and harboring the chance to eventually transform into a true dragon, how could it willingly allow itself to be captured and made into a mount?

Yet the human being before it was truly formidable. As peers of the Great Circle of the Golden Core realm, it did not even have the chance to fight back.

"Roar!"

Amidst the sky-filling giant waves, the Demonic Serpent King roared in fury, gathering boundless tides into a water jiao the size of a millstone, which charged toward the white-robed cultivator.

"Vile beast!"

The white-robed cultivator stood high above, reaching out with a single grab to seize the millstone-sized water jiao in his palm, and then with a few gentle pats, he hammered the water jiao into a sword made of water.

Witnessing this scene, not only the Demonic Serpent King striving to transform into a jiao, but also the other demon kings gathered in the distance who did not dare to step forward, all changed their expressions drastically.

What terrifying mastery and control!

Once the water sword took shape, it was hurled directly toward the transforming Demonic Serpent King, battering it so mercilessly that it fled in miserable panic across the sea surface.

It wanted to dodge, but there was no way to evade it.

Whether it flew up into the sky or plunged into the water, it would inevitably be struck by the descending sword light.

"Roar, roar, roar!"

The furious roars of the Demonic Serpent King pierced through the void and the ocean.

While the Demonic Serpent King did not possess a sonic attack, its cultivation was so immense that its roar of unbridled rage inadvertently harbored its formidable demonic power.

Even cultivators who had already been swept far away by the giant waves were shaken to the core by this roar infused with immense demonic power, causing them to vomit blood profusely.

"Pfft..."

Deep beneath the water, Shen Lian was also shaken to pieces, blood spilling from the corners of his mouth. He rolled his divine sense talisman into a paper ball and plugged it tightly into his ears.

Likewise, he stuffed divine sense talismans into Qi Yu's ears as well.

"Fellow Daoist, if we don't leave now, we'll die here."

Struck by the shockwaves of the demonic Qi's sonic boom, Qi Yu was in no better state, blood trickling from the corner of her lips.

"Let's go!"

Glancing at the scattered fragments of Foundation Establishment bodies being tossed about by the demonic Qi, her hands flashed with spiritual light, and the protective ghostly radiance lingering around them transformed into a water droplet shape, speeding rapidly toward the distance.

Feeling the demonic Qi in the surrounding seawater grow progressively weaker, Shen Lian also prepared to part ways with Qi Yu and seek another path out.

Earlier, the surrounding demonic Qi had been too violent; even if he could endure it, this domain belonged to the demon race, and once his consumption became too severe, it would easily invite unnecessary trouble.

As for the Tianyan Jade Talisman, Shen Lian felt it was best not to use it unless absolutely necessary, given the sheer number of Golden Core demon kings in this area.

He merely possessed the capability to resist the Golden Core stage, but Golden Cores also varied by tiers.

Could a Golden Core of Kunyuan Daoist's caliber be compared to the Demonic Serpent King that was being beaten to a pulp today?

The fluctuations from the battle between the white-robed cultivator in plain garments and the Demonic Serpent King had created a zone of giant waves stretching two thousand miles away, where swells on the sea surface still reached one or two zhang in height.

"Sea beasts!"

Just as Shen Lian perceived that the surrounding aura had subsided and prepared to leave, he discovered countless pairs of glowing red eyes beneath the surrounding sea surface.

These sea beasts had also perceived the battle among the demon kings, but the terrifying auras prevented them from drawing close, causing them merely to patrol the outer periphery of the sea.

"Fellow Daoist Qi Yu, you had best behave yourself, otherwise the two of us will simply have to perish together on the road."

A scorching aura rose within Shen Lian's palm. With such a vast ocean expanse, why did they have to stumble straight into a pack of sea beasts?

"Humph, Fellow Daoist Lu, is this how you repay your savior?"

Qi Yu felt the destructive aura pressing against her back, her gaze shifting with dark and unpredictable flickers.

She had tried several times to see if she could shake off this destructive aura and sweep the person behind her into her storage artifact.

Yet she lacked absolute certainty in success.

"The debt of saving a life must naturally be repaid, but we have not yet cleared the dangerous zone."

Shen Lian surveyed the pairs of crimson eyes surrounding them.

He had also sensed that Qi Yu's protective ghostly light seemed to possess a stealth capability, temporarily cutting off the prying senses of the external sea beasts.

He just didn't know how long it could maintain this isolation.

Another possibility was whether Qi Yu might suddenly cast him out.

"Name your terms, Fellow Daoist, as long as we can cross the Sea Demon Island Chain and reach a safe zone."

Qi Yu pondered for a moment. She felt no surprise that Shen Lian had guessed she possessed a means to traverse the Sea Demon Island Chain.

Her various actions clearly indicated that she possessed a secure retreat route.

"I am an alchemist."

Seeing that Qi Yu remained silent, Shen Lian spoke up.

"I can help you refine pills in the future."

Qi Yu turned around to size up Shen Lian. Being able to lock onto her during a crisis and clinging to her with such shameless tenacity made her realize that Shen Lian's strength was far from simple on the surface.

"Are you a second-tier upper-grade alchemist?"

"Second-tier lower-grade."

"..."

After a brief silence, Qi Yu smiled, her gaze turning sharp and piercing.

"The second-tier lower-grade alchemists I've collected are already enough to fill two handfuls."

"Once we leave this sea area, give me some time and I'll become a second-tier upper-grade one."

"Give you some time?"

"Fifty years or a hundred years?"

Qi Yu glanced sidelong at Shen Lian's palm, her expression sinking slightly.

"Then pay in spiritual stones. Thirty thousand spiritual stones, and I will take you out of the demon race's sea domain."

"Do not think thirty thousand is too much; leaving this sea area is no simple feat. This entire region is infested with the demon race, and even if you possess water-escape techniques, it won't work—whereas I happen to know a safe passage."

"Ten thousand, I don't have that many." Shen Lian feigned hesitation. As long as he could reach a safe sea area, a few spiritual stones were of little concern to him.

"Twenty thousand," Qi Yu countered.

After a brief round of bargaining, the final price settled at fifteen thousand spiritual stones.

"Remember, once we leave the demon race's sea domain, you owe me fifteen thousand lower-grade spiritual stones."

As she spoke, Qi Yu turned to manipulate the protective ghostly light.

At this moment, Shen Lian spoke up once more.

"Wait!"

Mid-sentence, he produced a black talisman glowing with a reddish luster.

"Fellow Daoist, let us sign a Postnatal Oath."

"You... you distrust me?"

Qi Yu slightly furrowed her brows, the fingers hidden within her right sleeve gently uncurling as the spiritual light vanished instantly.

Fifteen thousand spiritual stones—how could that compare to the windfall of swallowing everything whole?

"You even carry a Postnatal Oath?"

"Better safe than sorry."

Shen Lian handed the oath talisman to Qi Yu first. "Fellow Daoist, feel free to inspect the oath first. Lu has never played false with friends."

Hearing Shen Lian mention the word "friend," Qi Yu glanced once more at Shen Lian's other hand holding the shimmering jade talisman.

She had also noticed Shen Lian glancing at her right sleeve.

Without pausing, Shen Lian produced another blank jade talisman, pressed it against his forehead, and branded information into it.

"These are the various clauses for establishing the oath. See if there is anything else you wish to add."

After inspecting the Postnatal Oath, Qi Yu accepted the jade talisman and glanced through it, immediately furrowing her brows.

There was no other reason—the content within the jade slip was simply too extensive.

It ran to nearly fifty thousand words.

Furthermore, each clause branched out into numerous sub-clauses including, but not limited to, various contingencies.

She stared wide-eyed at Shen Lian.

"You..."

"I have been timid since childhood."

Shen Lian remained unfazed. The Postnatal Oath took its name from invoking the sovereign heavens and the postnatal earth as witnesses, a binding method commonly practiced among cultivators in the cultivation world.

For instance, when cultivators explored mystic realms and feared someone playing tricks along the way, they would sign a Postnatal Oath.

Of course, trivial matters did not warrant such measures; a Postnatal Oath was by no means cheap, costing several thousand spiritual stones in value.

Shen Lian's version was even more expensive; after his modifications, a single talisman was worth roughly ten thousand spiritual stones.

"If Fellow Daoist Qi Yu has no objections, let us swiftly establish the Postnatal Oath and then depart from this sea domain."

"Right, do you see any need to supplement these clauses?"

Establishing a Postnatal Oath was simple: both parties had to consent and use their own vital blood as a medium.

As for reciting the clauses, it was even simpler since both were cultivators with formidable divine senses; digesting tens of thousands of words took only a few breaths.

Once both parties established the oath, because it was anchored by primordial vital blood, any alterations of appearance or use of aliases became completely ineffective.

With the sovereign heavens and postnatal earth as witnesses and divine heavenly lightning as punishment, whichever party violated the oath would be struck dead by lightning.

This was not a matter of a cultivator's strength level; whether in Qi Condensation or Deity Transformation, death was absolute.

It was the most formal and binding contract in heaven and earth.

The reason Shen Lian knew how to craft a Postnatal Oath was precisely because he possessed the Tianyan Earth Domain, coupled with Lin Yixing's invitation to team up.

In the few months prior to boarding the spirit ship, he had crafted two Postnatal Oaths, originally intending to use them with Lin Yixing and the others.

In the end, they fell upon him and Qi Yu.

See? Thorough preparation was indeed essential; otherwise, this little female cultivator would have secretly plotted to kill him who knows how many times by now.

The hand hidden within her sleeve just now, along with that bug resembling a petrification spell, had long since been targeted at him.

"Very well."

Throwing the jade slip back to Shen Lian, Qi Yu bit her fingertip, and a drop of fresh blood fell onto the Postnatal Oath.

"Wait."

Qi Yu's eyes flashed with hostility.

"What else do you want?"

"Add one more clause: no delays, and no hunting external sea beasts."

Glancing at the crimson-eyed sea beasts outside, Shen Lian earnestly added a final stipulation.

"You..." Qi Yu bared her canine teeth.

"Once we cross the sea beast domain and reach a safe zone, hunting them won't be too late."

"Fine!"

Soon, their divine senses collided, rapidly reciting the over fifty thousand words of oath clauses under the witness of heaven and earth.

"I, Qi Yu—"

"I, Lu... Shen Lian—"

"With the sovereign heavens and postnatal earth as witness, we pull together in the same boat to leave the demon race's sea domain."

"Hum..."

The instant their blood saturated the Postnatal Oath, formless flames spontaneously ignited beneath the oath runes, burning the contract characters to ashes.

Immediately afterward, they transformed into two streams of light that plunged separately into their respective seas of consciousness.

At the exact same time, Shen Lian sensed an invisible web manifest within his sea of consciousness, densely displaying over fifty thousand words across its surface.