"What? Removing Fellow Daoist Han and his two companions will significantly diminish our strength. Will that not cause any problems? And where is Fellow Daoist Xuan Jiuling right now? Don't tell me he also doesn't plan to act alongside us." Yin Gangzi's brow furrowed as he asked bluntly.
"There's nothing to be done about it. Only if Fellow Daoist Han and his two companions personally guard the array eye can we rest easy knowing the Two Polarities Dust Annihilation Formation won't be broken by some trick of the enemy's. After all, this formation is a secret array of the Immortal Realm — an indispensable trump card against that True Immortal. When weighing the two, we can only choose one. As for Fellow Daoist Xuan Jiuling, there's no need for everyone to worry. He has already arrived here." Ming Zun replied in an unhurried tone.
The very instant his words fell, a faint male voice suddenly echoed through the void.
"What, are you all worried that Xuan here might shrink from battle at the last moment? You can rest easy — even if every one of you changes your mind, I will still act alone. The chance to slay a genuine True Immortal isn't something that comes along any time you please."
"Such big words — that's Fellow Daoist Xuan's voice sure enough. Since you've already arrived, why not show yourself and meet with us?" Madam Wu Ling's expression eased slightly, though her eyes swept about as she spoke.
The others, upon hearing this, also visibly relaxed.
"I've always preferred to come and go as I please. There's no need to meet. All you need to know is that when the time comes to act, I will strike." Xuan Jiuling's voice continued to ring out, still devoid of any emotion.
This time, the assembled Mahayana powerhouses could only exchange helpless glances, at a loss for words. At the same time, they felt a chill that they still could not pinpoint the man's exact hiding place.
……
At the border of the Wailing Fiends region, a sharp whistling sound tore through the distant sky as a streak of azure light flashed into view. After a brief blur, it plunged straight into the Wailing Fiends region.
Then the azure light withdrew, and a glass flying boat over ten zhang long materialized in midair.
At the prow, Liu Yi and the Ice Phoenix stood side by side, both faces extraordinarily pale.
"This time we've taken a serious loss. I didn't expect that after all that prior expenditure, that madman's magical power wouldn't have diminished at all — if anything, his endurance seems even greater than before. But we should be safe for the moment once we're here. We need to wait a while to let him close the distance before heading inside." Liu Yi turned to glance behind him, a flicker of fear passing through his eyes.
"Indeed. Not only have we burned through nearly all the pills and talismans the Trade Alliance gave us, we've even sacrificed what little of our origin force we had just managed to recover. If those people from the Trade Alliance can't suppress that madman this time, we won't even have the chance to flee for our lives." The Ice Phoenix's lovely face was equally grim as she replied.
"Old Ming Zun claims to have recruited the top-ranked powerhouses on the entire continent. My former master should be among them, I imagine. Not that I want to admit it, but my former master is indeed remarkably capable. With him joining in, we most likely won't fail this time." Liu Yi said, his face expressionless.
"Oh? I didn't realize you had so much confidence in Brother Han." The Ice Phoenix looked somewhat surprised.
"Hmph. If I didn't, why would I have demanded that Ming Zun promise not to trouble me for a thousand years? With that much time, I'll be able to complete my great technique, and there'll be no one in the Spirit Realm I need to fear." Liu Yi snorted, his gaze flickering.
"Is that so? I actually think that, given Brother Han's monstrous talent, his cultivation will reach some terrifying level in a thousand years. It's even possible he could ascend directly to the Immortal Realm within ten thousand years." The Ice Phoenix shot Liu Yi a glance, a trace of mockery at the corner of her lips.
"Ascend to the Immortal Realm! Ha! You make it sound far too simple. There are several hundred Mahayana cultivators in the entire Spirit Realm, yet in the last hundred thousand years, who has successfully ascended? Even if my former master's talent defies heaven and he possesses extraordinary fortune, his chances of ascending are less than one in a hundred." Liu Yi let out a wild laugh.
"Is that so? But I'm quite confident that Brother Han will ultimately enter the Immortal Realm. If you and I manage to survive this ordeal, how about we make a wager?" A strange look crossed the Ice Phoenix's face as she spoke.
"A wager?" Liu Yi was somewhat taken aback.
"Simple enough — let's bet on whether Brother Han can truly ascend to the Immortal Realm within ten thousand years and become a True Immortal." The Ice Phoenix enunciated each word clearly.
"What are the stakes?" Liu Yi stared at the woman beside him. Sensing that she did not seem to be joking, he asked coldly after a long pause.
"Haven't you always wanted me to be your dual cultivation partner? If I lose, I'll agree to that — I'll marry you as your wife. But if Brother Han really does ascend within ten thousand years, you must agree that wherever I am, you will yield and keep your distance, never competing or fighting with me for anything. And of course, during those ten thousand years, you are not to harass me again." The Ice Phoenix said bluntly.
"You really do have an awful lot of faith in my former master!" Liu Yi's expression shifted between light and dark upon hearing this.
"What, you don't dare? If you have no confidence in your own judgment, then there's no need for a wager. You can just obediently wait to be caught by Brother Han again and turned into a spirit pet." The Ice Phoenix said with a half-smile.
"What wouldn't I dare? But the stakes need to change. Since you intend to use this wager to bind me for ten thousand years, you should bear the corresponding consequences. If my former master cannot ascend within ten thousand years, I don't intend to marry you — you'll become my concubine instead. You must obey any command I give without refusal. And both of us must swear a Blood-Devouring Oath upon our Heart Demons." Liu Yi's expression darkened in thought for a moment before suddenly hardening into a fierce look.
"A concubine! A Blood-Devouring Oath! Fine — all of that is perfectly acceptable." The Ice Phoenix's eyes flickered, and without a moment's hesitation she agreed at once.