Chapter 214

Qin Ming heard this and let out a cold laugh, halting his movements as he smiled lightly.

"So even a mighty third-rank Great Demon King has a strong desire to live!"

Behind the Shi Tian Shu, a cold sweat had already broken out—it saw that the human boy across from it was not so easily fooled, and was actually going to cast the Soul-Search Technique on it.

It quickly let out a forced chuckle, forcing a smile as it said: "How about this?"

"I'm willing to sign a Spirit Pact with you, serve you for sixty years—my lord, please overlook this lowly one's transgressions and spare me?"

"Though my cultivation has declined, I'm still of some use to you, friend."

The Shi Tian Shu had one foot dangling upside-down from the Yang Xuanteng, swinging back and forth like a swing as it strained to lift its head and speak.

Qin Ming paused to consider for a moment, then said: "Hmm. Unless you're willing to sign a Blood-Prohibition Divine Pact and become my spiritual pet, I might consider it."

Upon hearing the words "Blood-Prohibition Divine Pact" and "spiritual pet," the Shi Tian Shu flew into a rage, shouting at Qin Ming: "A scholar would rather die than be humiliated!"

"Do I have no dignity? A third-rank Demon King becoming the spiritual pet of a human boy like you?"

"How dare you even think it?!"

"He～tui～"

"Despicable, filthy human!"

"If I hadn't lost all my cultivation, I'd make you pay dearly!"

Qin Ming couldn't help but smile at the creature's expression—he didn't know what other strange and unpredictable tricks this Shi Tian Shu Great Demon King might still have.

Even reduced to late Stage One, it had nearly rendered this late Foundation Establishment cultivator helpless.

If not for my life-spirit plant, Yin-Yang Yang Xuanteng, I never would've caught this "peach thief."

A Spirit Pact is an equal contract between human cultivators and beast spirits—even if the cultivator dies, the beast suffers no harm.

But the "Blood-Prohibition Divine Pact" is different—it's a one-sided master-servant contract; the beast must surrender a strand of its life-spirit soul, after which its life and death lie entirely in the master's hands, with no possibility of resistance or breaking the bond.

Should the master die, the spiritual pet dies instantly as well.

Should the beast die, however, the master remains utterly unaffected.

Qin Ming was cautious precisely because he considered these things—no third-rank Demon King is an ordinary being; if not for this, he'd rather kill it outright than risk raising a tiger that turns on him.

"Very well. Then Qin Mou shall send you on your way today!"

Qin Ming's gaze turned icy; his right hand curled into a claw, magic power surging as he reached toward the Shi Tian Shu's head, preparing to cast the Soul-Search Technique.

But at that moment—

The Shi Tian Shu Great Demon King could no longer hold out, shouting again:

"Hey hey hey! Stop! Stop!"

"I give in! I give in!"

"I'm willing to sign the Blood-Prohibition Divine Pact with you."

"But… could we set a time limit? Just sixty years?"

"From now on, you're the big one, I'm the little one…"

Qin Ming frowned, gazing at the creature coolly.

"I still prefer the way you were—defiant and unyielding."

This Shi Tian Shu was truly adaptable, willing to do anything to survive.

He thought for a moment, then spoke coldly: "One hundred and twenty years."

One hundred and twenty years—Qin Ming believed it would be more than enough for him to break through to the early Jin Dan realm, after which he'd have no fear of this Shi Tian Shu Great Demon King.

The Shi Tian Shu hanging from the Yang Xuanteng sighed heavily, deflating like a punctured ball:

"Ah～… I've had the worst luck in eight lifetimes."

"Then I'll follow your word."

Then the Shi Tian Shu summoned its demonic power, its face twisted in pain as it split off a strand of its life-spirit soul and offered it up. Qin Ming, seeing this, formed a hand seal and launched a Blood-Prohibition Divine Pact with his magic power, absorbing the strand of soul.

In an instant, a crimson symbol formed in midair, splitting into two, each sinking into the foreheads of Qin Ming and the Shi Tian Shu.

In the depths of his mind, a mysterious connection arose—henceforth, every move and the very life of this Shi Tian Shu lay entirely under his control.

"Are you satisfied now? Can you let me down?" The Shi Tian Shu, having just split its soul, looked utterly drained.

Qin Ming immediately walked over, pinching the Shi Tian Shu's tail and pulling it down from the Yang Xuanteng, shaking it in his hand:

"What should you call me?"

The Shi Tian Shu had never suffered such humiliation—but its life was in the other's hands, so it mumbled reluctantly: "M-master."

"That's better."

Qin Ming then tossed it to the ground and asked: "Speak—how did you sneak onto my island?"

"Er… this is my bloodline's innate talent—called 'Forbidden Mystic Light'—it naturally suppresses sealing arts and can easily break through arrays and barriers."

"Then how come I couldn't detect your presence with my spiritual sense?" Qin Ming pressed.

"Hehe, that's another of my bloodline's abilities—consume some demonic power, and I can become temporarily invisible."

Qin Ming's lips twitched—he hadn't expected this creature, even with half its cultivation gone, to still possess such abilities; its talents were truly formidable.

"Tell me more."

"How did you end up on my island?"

The Shi Tian Shu, hearing this, recalled the past, its voice heavy with sorrow: "Ah… where do I even begin? After the Battle of Yunze Xiancheng, I was severely wounded by four human Jin Dan cultivators working together."

"To save my life, I was forced to use a forbidden technique, sacrificing my cultivation realm—and barely escaped with my life."

"Since then, I dared not return to the Beast Roar Mountains, hiding and fleeing until I arrived here."

"My bloodline carries an innate treasure-finding talent…"

"I sensed many treasures on this island, so I came to investigate, hoping to regain some strength—but who knew I'd be caught by your divine tree…"

Qin Ming listened, astonished, and asked with deep confusion:

"You are a dignified Demon King of a clan; why do you not dare return to the Beast Roar Mountain Range?"

Upon hearing this, the Shi Tian Shu's face showed difficulty, and it hesitated, stammering indecisively.

Qin Ming immediately glared at it furiously; the Shi Tian Shu instantly shuddered and, without hesitation, spilled everything: "Master, I... I will say it all."

"Sigh! Actually, we were living quite well in the Beast Roar Mountain Range, free and unfettered, and had no desire to come out and attack human territories."

"It was all instructed by a certain Demon King clan within the Beast Roar Mountain Range; we dared not disobey its orders, or else our entire clan would be exterminated."

"Oh? Which clan is it?"

"It is... it is the Green-Faced Poisonous Flood Dragon clan; they possess the Wang Zu bloodline within the Beast Roar Mountain Range and belong to one of the most powerful demonic races."

"Just a few years ago, the Green-Faced Poisonous Flood Dragon Demon King broke through to the late third stage, a half-formed great demon; forced by its tyrannical power, many demonic races submitted to its command."

"Among them... was my Shi Tian Shu clan."

"The Green-Faced Poisonous Flood Dragon is vicious by nature and employs incomparably cruel methods; if I return in such a pitiful defeated state with my cultivation fallen and no longer of any use, it will surely strip my tendons and peel my skin..."

When Qin Ming learned such earth-shattering secrets from the Shi Tian Shu, he could not help but inhale a sharp breath of cold air! 'Hiss~ A late third-stage half-formed peerless great demon!'

'The Beast Roar Mountain Range has actually produced such a terrifying existence.'

'In that case, let alone Yunze Xiancheng, it poses a huge threat to the entire Southern Wild Immortal Realm.'

'Furthermore, the Green-Faced Poisonous Flood Dragon is secretly masterminding other demonic races to launch beast tides; it seems its ambitions are considerable...'

'No! I must find an opportunity to quickly relay this news to True Person Canghai and Wei Wuya and the others.'

(End of Chapter)