After the phantom of three heads and six arms solidified, it was unmistakably another Brahman Saint demon god — though far shorter in stature.
At that moment, the other three-headed, six-armed demon god dissolved into wisps of blue smoke amid the demonic flames.
It had been nothing more than a shell formed from a Brahman Saint dharma projection. Han Li had already shed it just as he had shed the Gold Devouring Beetle King earlier, slipping away and positioning himself above Ma Liang. Seizing the perfect moment, he activated the Mystic Heaven treasure and cut down the True Immortal.
Han Li could clearly sense that Ma Liang's Nascent Soul, hidden deep within his body, was astonishingly powerful. But when the destructive force of the Mystic Heaven Spirit-Slaying Sword swept over it, the Nascent Soul was instantly shattered to pieces, leaving no possibility of revival whatsoever.
In truth, had this True Immortal been at his full strength in the Immortal Realm, even if his physical body were destroyed, his Nascent Soul alone would have possessed enough power to escape unscathed.
But here in the Spirit Realm, the Nascent Soul within his body was affected by the force of the realms — whether in casting spells or fleeing, it was more than half a beat slower than normal.
In an ordinary battle, this difference would have been imperceptible. But in a life-or-death moment where an instant meant everything, it was the very reason he died so wretchedly.
"You actually killed him? Do you know he was a disciple of Nine Origin Temple — a direct disciple of the Nine Origin Dao Ancestor?" The dark-skinned young man witnessed everything. First came a look of utter disbelief, then an odd expression surfaced on his face as he spoke.
"If I didn't kill him, he would have killed me. So what if I know who backs him — was I supposed to just stand there and wait for death? Besides, even if the Nine Origin Dao Ancestor's powers are vast, he's still stuck in the Immortal Realm right now. As for whether I can ever ascend to the Immortal Realm myself, that's far from certain." Han Li regarded the dark-skinned young man and spoke evenly.
"Brilliant! It's been who knows how many years since I've seen someone who doesn't care one bit about Nine Origin Temple — and a lower-realm being at that. Ha ha! I wonder what expression the Nine Origin Dao Ancestor would make upon hearing these words." The dark-skinned young man burst into laughter.
"You seem rather at ease. Don't you intend to continue fighting?" Han Li raised his hand and beckoned, retrieving a gleaming golden storage bracelet from Ma Liang's remains before speaking without the slightest haste.
"The man is already dead, and the contract he made with me is now worthless. Why would I bother? Besides, without Ma Liang — a Nine Origin Temple disciple — even if I teamed up with that stupid flood dragon, I wouldn't have the slightest confidence in taking you down. Naturally, I have no interest in doing something so thankless. Rest assured, I won't be returning to the Immortal Realm anytime soon, and I certainly won't go blabbing about you to outsiders. The Nine Origin Dao Ancestor spends most of his time in closed cultivation, and even if Nine Origin Temple has others skilled in divination, the force of the realms will prevent them from divining much of what happens down here." The dark-skinned young man replied without the slightest concern.
"But I don't trust you! I may not know why a Heavenly Devil from beyond the sky would follow a True Immortal, but as far as I'm concerned, a dead man is always the safest bet." Han Li's face turned cold as he let out a chilling laugh.
"You're just as suspicious as that brat Ma Liang. How about this — if you don't trust me, I'll simply stay here and follow you?" The dark-skinned young man raised a hand to his forehead, looking as though he had a slight headache.
"Follow me?" Han Li was momentarily stunned.
"That's right. I can sign a Heavenly Devil Contract with you, binding myself to exist as a shadow-like entity at your disposal for a set period of time, carrying out tasks that even ordinary immortals couldn't accomplish. In return, at regular intervals, you must offer me a portion of your vital blood. Furthermore, should you die unexpectedly while the contract is in effect, all the power of your divine soul will be absorbed by me, becoming a part of my strength forever — with no possibility of reincarnation. Hmm, just like this Nine Origin Temple disciple here."
The words had barely left his mouth when he formed a single-handed seal. A rush of black qi surged from behind him, coalescing out of thin air to conjure a massive ghostly head with a green face and protruding fangs.
The ghostly head threw back its head and let out a piercing shriek, then opened its cavernous mouth and sucked toward Ma Liang's remains.
With a muffled "poof," a layer of eerie grayish-white vapor flew out from the remains, swirling and condensing into a ball before being inhaled into the ghostly head.
The ghostly head flickered and vanished into thin air!
The dark-skinned young man closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and his face filled with an expression of blissful satisfaction.
"Not bad, not bad. Truly worthy of being a Nine Origin Temple disciple — the flavor of his divine soul was exquisite. It's enough to rival tens of thousands of years of bitter cultivation. So, how about it? If you agree to let me follow you, I can even help you persuade that stupid flood dragon to become your spirit servant as well." The dark-skinned young man muttered a few words to himself, then opened his eyes and said to Han Li with a smile that was not quite a smile.
Han Li watched this scene, and his expression turned grave. He glanced toward the other side, where the strange flood dragon was still locked in a stalemate with the Spirit-Devouring Fire Bird, and remained silent for a long while.
He had never heard of this Heavenly Devil Contract before, and he had no intention of agreeing to anything so rashly.
At that moment, high above, the Blood Seal phantom — no longer supported by Ma Liang's magical power — finally flickered with a flash of blood light, shrinking into a small seal no more than an inch tall and plummeting from the sky.
Below, the three-colored colossal peak likewise buzzed and shrank rapidly, wrapping the small seal in a layer of luminous mist before forming a ball of light that shot toward Han Li.