Chapter 259: Enslaving the Demon King

Qin Ming sneered and stopped his actions, smiling lightly.

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

Behind the Devouring Rat, a cold sweat had already broken out; seeing how hard it was to deceive this human boy, it realized he intended to perform a Soul Search.

It quickly let out a forced laugh, forcing a smile and saying, "How about this?"

"I'm willing to sign a Spirit Pact with you, serve you for sixty years—my lord, overlook this lowly one's transgressions and spare me, won't you?"

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

One of the Devouring Rat's paws hung upside down from the Mystic Vine, swinging back and forth like a swing as it strained to lift its head.

Qin Ming paused to consider, then said, "Hmm. Unless you're willing to sign a Blood Ban Divine Pact and become my spirit pet, I might consider it."

Upon hearing the words "Blood Ban Divine Pact" and "spirit pet," the Devouring Rat flew into a rage, shouting at Qin Ming, "A true warrior would rather die than be humiliated!"

"Do I have no dignity? A third-rank Demon King becoming your human boy's spirit pet?"

"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 Devouring Rat Demon King still had.

Even reduced to late Stage One, it had nearly left him, a late Foundation Establishment cultivator, helpless.

If not for my life-spirit plant, Yin-Yang Mystic Vine, 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 Ban Divine Pact" is different—it's a one-sided master-servant contract. The beast must surrender a strand of its life essence, after which its life and death lie entirely in the master's hands, with no resistance possible and no way to break it.

Should the master die, the spirit pet dies instantly.

If the beast dies, the master remains utterly unaffected.

Qin Ming was cautious precisely because of this—no third-rank Demon King is ordinary. Had it been any other way, he'd have killed it outright rather than risk raising a tiger only to be devoured by it.

"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, spiritual power surging as he reached toward the Devouring Rat's head, preparing to perform a Soul Search.

But at that moment—

The Devouring Rat Demon King could no longer hold out, shouting again:

"Hey hey hey! Stop! Stop!"

"I give in! I give in!"

"I'll sign the Blood Ban 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 your earlier defiant attitude."

This Devouring Rat was truly adaptable—willing to do anything to survive.

After a moment's thought, he spoke coldly: "One hundred and twenty years."

Qin Ming believed one hundred and twenty years would be enough for him to break through to the early Golden Core realm, rendering him unafraid of this Devouring Rat Demon King.

The Devouring Rat hanging from the Mystic Vine sighed heavily, like a deflated ball:

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

"Then as you wish."

Then the Devouring Rat Demon King summoned its demonic power, its face contorted in pain as it split off a strand of its life essence and offered it. Qin Ming, seeing this, formed a hand seal and sent forth a Blood Ban Divine Pact with his spiritual power, absorbing the rat's essence.

Instantly, a crimson symbol formed in midair, splitting into two, each sinking into Qin Ming's and the Devouring Rat's foreheads.

In some unseen realm, a mysterious connection stirred within Qin Ming's heart—henceforth, every move and the very life of this Devouring Rat lay entirely under his control.

"Are you satisfied now? Can you let me down?" The Devouring Rat, having just split its essence, looked utterly drained.

Qin Ming walked over, pinched the rat's tail, and pulled it down from the Mystic Vine, shaking it in his hand:

"What should you call me?"

The Devouring Rat had never suffered such humiliation, but with its life in the other's hands, it stammered, "M-master."

"That's better."

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

"Er… this is my bloodline's innate talent—'Forbidden Mystic Light.' It naturally counters sealing arts and can easily break through formations and barriers."

"Then why can't my spiritual sense detect you at all?" Qin Ming pressed.

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

Qin Ming couldn't help but twitch his lips; he hadn't expected this creature, even with half its cultivation lost, to still possess such abilities—its talents were truly formidable.

"Go on."

"How did you end up on my island?"

At this, the Devouring Rat recalled its past, its voice heavy with sorrow: "Sigh… it's too painful to recount. After the Battle of Canghai Xiancheng, I was gravely wounded by four human Golden Core cultivators working together."

"To save my life, I was forced to use a forbidden technique, sacrificing my cultivation level just barely to survive."

"Since then, I dared not return to the Beast Roar Mountains, fleeing eastward until I reached here."

"My bloodline carries a treasure-finding talent…"

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

Qin Ming listened, astonished and deeply puzzled:

"You're a clan's Demon King—why dare you not return to the Beast Roar Mountains?"

The Devouring Rat's face darkened, hesitating and stammering.

Qin Ming glared at it fiercely; the Devouring Rat instantly shuddered and blurted everything out: "Master, I—I'll tell you everything!"

"Sigh! We were living peacefully in the Beast Roar Mountains, free and easy, with no desire to invade human lands."

"It was all ordered by a certain clan's Demon King—we dared not disobey, or our entire clan would be exterminated."

"Oh? Which clan?"

"I-it's the Azure-Faced Poisonous Cobra Clan. They possess the royal bloodline of the Beast Roar Mountains and are among the most powerful beast tribes."

"A few years ago, the Azure-Faced Poisonous Cobra Demon King broke through to late Stage Three, nearly fully transformed. Under its tyranny, many beast clans submitted to its rule."

"Among them… was my own Devouring Rat Clan."

"The Azure-Faced Poisonous Cobra is cruel and brutal. If I return to it in this state—my cultivation fallen, useless—it will flay me alive."

When Qin Ming heard this shocking secret from the Devouring Rat, he drew in a sharp breath! "Ssshh—A nearly fully transformed Stage Three Great Demon King!"

"The Beast Roar Mountains have produced such a terrifying entity."

"Not just Canghai Xiancheng—this is a grave threat to the entire Southern Wasteland's cultivation world."

"And the Azure-Faced Poisonous Cobra is secretly orchestrating other beast clans to launch beast hordes—it clearly has grand designs."

"No! I must find a chance to warn Canghai True Person and Wei Wuyan immediately."

…

(End of Chapter)