Chapter 28: The Millennial Pact

The Immortal Mansion World.

The Wu River clan, led by Immortal Wu Sui, and the vast army of Wave Dao soldiers and demons, led by Immortal Duo He, remained gathered outside the Fifth Branch Hall. Though filled with despair and rage, they yearned... yearned for a miracle to appear.

"Demons." Suddenly a voice rang out, and at the same time, a rolling divine sense spread out, instantly enveloping all the demon soldiers.

"Hmm?" All the demons looked over, and even Immortal Wu Sui and Immortal Duo He were startled.

They saw, several hundred li away, a youth with a small green snake coiled around his arm, dressed in animal skins, accompanied by a snow-white hound. Around him, ancient wooden staves floated in the air—these were the Fuxi Staves. The area within a hundred li of the human was completely sealed off, preventing any teleportation.

"You?" Immortal Wu Sui and Immortal Duo He immediately recognized him.

Among the group of humans earlier, there had indeed been such a youth, wearing animal skins and accompanied by a snow-white hound.

"The Mansion Key is now in my hands." Ji Ning's voice sounded directly in the ears of every demon. His divine sense could cover a thousand li, so naturally he could transmit his voice to every demon.

"Open."

Holding the Mansion Key, Ji Ning willed it, and a passage appeared beside him, leading to the outside world—the Tianyou Mountains. In truth, he had just used the Mansion Key to go to the Tianyou Mountains and then re-entered. Xiaoqing then led Ji Ning and the Whitewater Hound in a teleportation. Xiaoqing was now far stronger than when she was in the Yushan Great Wasteland; she could teleport others over short distances. The main reason was that Ji Ning had not refined the branch hall; if he had come out directly from the 'Wu River Hall,' he would have appeared in the encirclement of the demons.

"It's the Mansion Key."

"He's holding the Mansion Key."

"That's the outside world—the aura of the outside world." The divine senses of Immortal Wu Sui and Immortal Duo He spread out, even extending through the passage to the outside. "It's another world!"

Instantly, Immortal Wu Sui, Immortal Duo He, and the other demons looked at Ji Ning with even more fervent gazes. Though they were puzzled as to why the Mansion Key had been with another human earlier and was now with this one, they didn't bother to think too much. They knew that this youth's appearance meant he wanted to negotiate.

Some demons, like Immortal Wu Sui and Immortal Duo He, even considered whether to seize the Mansion Key.

But their previous consecutive failures made them hesitate to act rashly.

"Don't get any ideas. I've set up a formation around me, and the passage is already open—I can leave anytime. Moreover, even if we fight, you can't kill me." Ji Ning spoke. He had protective treasures and had obtained the treasures left by Shaoyan Nong, so he had the confidence to say this.

Immortal Wu Sui, Immortal Duo He, and the other demons calmed down.

They dared not gamble again.

"What do you want?" Immortal Wu Sui asked.

"I have offended a powerful clan, the Shaoyan clan. They will come after me, and even after my tribe." Ji Ning transmitted his voice to every demon present. "My tribe is in a major Xia city, 'Ten Thousand Swords City.' I want all the demons of the Immortal Mansion World to go to Ten Thousand Swords City and protect my tribe for a thousand years. After a thousand years, I will set you free. I might even give you this Mansion Key."

The Mansion Key was of little use to Ji Ning.

The immortal mansion of Immortal Wu River could not be carried around; what use would it be to Ji Ning? He had the better Water Mansion left by Sanxiao Daoren. Moreover, the treasures and Dao repositories in this Wu River Immortal Mansion had already been plundered.

"Protect for a thousand years?" Immortal Wu Sui, Immortal Duo He, and the tens of thousands of demons were stunned and overjoyed.

Though a thousand years was a long time, demons had long lifespans. Protecting just one tribe for a thousand years—and then they could go to the wider world, even getting the Mansion Key—was something they had never dared to imagine. They had been prepared to be 'slaughtered' and were even willing to offer some of their Dao-soldier armor.

But Ji Ning would not ask for the Dao-soldier armor. With the armor, these demons were ten or even a hundred times stronger. He wanted them to be powerful!

"Your tribe is in the major Xia city 'Ten Thousand Swords City'? As far as I know, the Grand Xia Dynasty has strict laws forbidding fighting within its cities. Anyone who dares to fight will be hunted by the Grand Xia. The Shaoyan clan, which wants to harm your tribe, shouldn't dare to attack Ten Thousand Swords City, right?" Immortal Duo He asked.

Though they had been trapped here, records of the Grand Xia Dynasty world had been passed down through generations, so they knew the basic常识.

"Right, they won't dare to attack openly. But they might send wanted criminals or death warriors to attack my tribe." Ji Ning transmitted. "These wanted criminals or death warriors are likely to be Wanxiang Adepts or Primal Daoists. Loose Immortals? Very unlikely. Celestial Immortals? Even more impossible."

Entering a major Xia city to kill was a provocation to the entire Grand Xia Dynasty, punishable by death without mercy.

Would they sacrifice a Loose Immortal just to vent their anger on a small native tribe for a dead Shaoyan young master? Very unlikely. Sacrificing a Celestial Immortal? Even more impossible.

Note that every Celestial Immortal was the true foundation of a clan. A single word from a Celestial Immortal could even replace the clan leader.

If Ji Ning became a Celestial Immortal, he would be a prominent figure in the entire Grand Xia Dynasty, and the entire Shaoyan clan would treat him with respect. If a Celestial Immortal had killed Shaoyan Nong, the Shaoyan clan would probably negotiate rather than pursue. So sending a Celestial Immortal to kill in a major Xia city—the Shaoyan clan would not be so foolish.

"We also know something about the Grand Xia Dynasty world. The most顶尖 clans might have one or two Celestial Immortals at most. They wouldn't let a Celestial Immortal become a wanted criminal." Immortal Duo He and Immortal Wu Sui exchanged a glance and decided. "We agree to your request. For a thousand years, we will station in the major Xia city 'Ten Thousand Swords City' and protect your tribe. With our strength, even if a top Loose Immortal comes, we can easily repel him. But if a Celestial Immortal comes, we can do nothing."

"If a Celestial Immortal comes, I'll accept it." Ji Ning transmitted. "Demons, all of you must now swear a Heavenly Dao oath. I will also swear one."

"Good."

"It should be so."

The demons were indeed afraid that Ji Ning would not honor his word. Swearing a Heavenly Dao oath was more reliable.

Soon, Ji Ning personally drafted the oath. Both sides agreed, and then they began to swear.

Tens of thousands of demons swore the Heavenly Dao oath simultaneously, and the ripples of the Heavenly Dao descended. Ji Ning's divine sense spread out, clearly distinguishing each demon's oath. These thirty-plus thousand demons were the essence of the Immortal Mansion World's demon race; nearly ninety percent of all demon cultivators were here.

The Heavenly Dao oath had no effect on mortals or ordinary monsters. Only those who had embarked on the path of cultivation would be bound by it. These demon soldiers were at least at the Zifu level. All thirty-plus thousand demon soldiers, including two Loose Immortals, swore the oath. Ji Ning was not worried about them breaking it.

Ji Ning naturally swore the oath as well.

"There's no time to lose." Ji Ning transmitted. "The Shaoyan clan's experts, possibly even a Celestial Immortal, will soon arrive at the Wu River Immortal Mansion. Once they do, they might annihilate all of you demons. We must leave quickly."

"What!" Immortal Wu Sui, Immortal Duo He, and all the demons were greatly alarmed.

Immortal Wu Sui and Immortal Duo He were decisive. Facing a turning point in the fate of the entire Immortal Mansion World's demon race, they quickly discussed and gave orders: "True Treasure Daoist, Wu Ke Daoist, each of you take a thousand Dao soldiers. Quickly gather all the demons in the Immortal Mansion World as fast as possible, then lead them in batches to Ten Thousand Swords City."

"This is a map of the Anchan Commandery of the Grand Xia Dynasty. Ten Thousand Swords City is marked on it." Ji Ning flew over. Since they had all sworn the Heavenly Dao oath, they were now on the same side.

"We will take the many demon soldiers and leave immediately." Immortal Wu Sui and Immortal Duo He said.

"All of you, come in."

Immortal Wu Sui and Immortal Duo He each took out a pouch.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh... The dense crowd of demon soldiers offered no resistance; all flew into the pouches. In the air, only the two thousand demon soldiers led by True Treasure Daoist and Wu Ke Daoist remained.

"Let's go."

Whoosh.

The passage opened, leading to the Tianyou Mountains.

Ji Ning, Immortal Wu Sui, Immortal Duo He, and Wu Ke Daoist flew out.

In the canyon of the Tianyou Mountains, the aura was different from that of the Immortal Mansion World—vast, boundless, and ancient. It was the aura of a great world.

"It's different."

"Truly different."

"This is the Grand Xia Dynasty world." Immortal Wu Sui and Immortal Duo He were shocked and excited.

"Here is the Mansion Key." Ji Ning handed the key to Wu Ke Daoist. "Now I give it to you. Take the remaining demons and leave the Immortal Mansion World quickly. Delay could bring trouble."

"Mm." Wu Ke Daoist took the Mansion Key and immediately returned through the passage. The passage then closed.

"Let's go."

Ji Ning said, "Ten Thousand Swords City is about six hundred thousand li to the north."

"Let's go."

Immortal Duo He, that old fellow, personally performed a teleportation, taking Immortal Wu Sui, Ji Ning, Xiaoqing, and Uncle Bai with him over a long distance.

...

Whoosh.

When Ji Ning saw the scenery change, he carefully identified it and said, "A bit off. Ten Thousand Swords City is about twenty-six thousand li to the southeast."

"One more teleportation will do." The shorter the distance, the easier it was. Immortal Duo He easily performed another long-distance teleportation.

In the misty air a few hundred li from Ten Thousand Swords City, space rippled, and then Immortal Duo He, Immortal Wu Sui, a youth, a small green snake, and a snow-white hound appeared.

"We've arrived." Ji Ning looked into the distance. With his divine demon vision, he could easily see the city a few hundred li away. He breathed a sigh of relief. He had been communicating with the demons of the Immortal Mansion World through divine sense, trying to be as fast as possible, fearing that delays would cause trouble.

Ji Ning pointed into the distance. "That city is Ten Thousand Swords City. It is the place that you Immortal Mansion demons must protect for a thousand years."

...