Chapter 637 : A Pact Forged in Peril

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the assembled cultivators. "Esteemed fellow cultivators," he proposed, "should we not first join forces to slay the Seven-Colored Immortal Clam before deciding how to divide the spoils?"

Upon hearing this, the Seven-Colored Immortal Clam paused its movements slightly, a flicker of icy killing intent passing through its eyes. For a moment, the tense standoff held once more.

"This is bad,"

Desert Calm Jiang thought, his expression tightening imperceptibly. He quickly sent a mental message to his companions. "That Master Thunderbolt harbors no good intentions. He's trying to put us on the spot. Our Human Race group is the largest; if a chaotic battle erupts, we will undoubtedly become their primary target for a concentrated assault."

"Then let us settle this with a pact,"

Eldrin Chen interjected swiftly, addressing the Seven-Colored Immortal Clam. "If you are willing to offer a sufficient price, we are prepared to swear a binding oath. We will guarantee not to become your enemies in the future and will not divulge the secrets of the Nine Dragons Pool."

"And if your price is right," he added, his voice carrying a sharp edge, "we might even help you ensure these three fiends never leave this place."

"Agreed."

The Seven-Colored Immortal Clam nodded decisively. She understood all too well that in the chaos of a free-for-all battle, regardless of the victor, her Spirit Shell Clan would inevitably suffer the gravest consequences.

Furthermore, she had no confidence in eliminating every single cultivator present. Should even one escape, the Nine Dragons Pool would face utter calamity.

At that point, her best outcome would be to abandon her ancestral home and flee for her life. The worst outcome would be to be captured by the Demon Ancestor [a powerful, ancient demonic entity]. Once he broke through to the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core realm of a cultivator], it would likely spell her doom.

For the Human Race True Lord [a high-ranking cultivator lord] present, if news of the Seven-Colored Immortal Clam [a mythical clam demon beast] leaked out, the lion's share of the benefits from this creature would surely slip from their grasp.

The best course of action now was precisely what Eldrin Chen had suggested: leave three of the most ruthless demonic beings alive to sign a non-aggression pact with the Human Race. This was the only path that served the interests of both sides.

Having reached this conclusion, the Seven-Colored Immortal Clam spoke: "If you are willing to sign a pact of mutual non-aggression with us, keep the secret of the Nine Dragons Pool [a legendary pool associated with nine dragons], and slay these three..."

"...we are willing to offer twenty Fifth Rank Shell Pearl [high-grade pearls of immense spiritual power], three sets of Fifth Rank Clam Shell [resilient shells suitable for crafting powerful artifacts], and two strands of Earth Mother Energy [a primordial, nurturing earth essence]."

The group exchanged glances and nodded in unison. Eldrin Chen was the one to voice their agreement. "So be it."

"Disaster!"

Witnessing this consensus form in the blink of an eye, the three demonic beings paled, their expressions twisting with alarm.

The Seven-Winged Heavenly Centipede [a monstrous centipede demon with seven pairs of wings] immediately tried to take flight, its wings buzzing violently as it sought to escape. Naturally, the cultivators had no intention of letting them go.

With a flick of her sleeve, Immortal Maiden Six Desires [a cultivator known for her mastery over worldly desires] blocked the Seven-Winged Heavenly Centipede's path. Desert Calm Jiang intercepted Master Thunderbolt [a cultivator famed for his thunder-based techniques], while Eldrin Chen positioned himself squarely before Black Blood Old Demon [a vile demonic cultivator], cutting off his retreat.

The Seven-Colored Immortal Clam [a powerful clam demon beast] naturally joined the fray, directly blocking their retreat with several of its Fifth Rank [a high grade level for items and beings] Spirit Shells [magical shells used for defense and attack].

Although the three demonic beings possessed formidable combat power, they were now grievously wounded. The Seven-Colored Immortal Clam alone was sufficient to handle them, let alone the fact that the Human Race side still had over a dozen powerful True Lords [a high cultivation realm] standing by.

In mere moments, the group had the three demonic beings completely surrounded and trapped.

The group did not attack immediately. Seizing the opportunity, Exquisite Jiang drafted several contracts and presented them to everyone.

The Seven-Colored Immortal Clam glanced over the documents and nodded. "Then it is settled," it declared.

Neither side raised any objections. They promptly signed the contracts and then swore the Oath of Reincarnation [a binding vow that extends its consequences into future lives].

Watching everyone take the vow, the Seven-Colored Immortal Clam finally let out a sigh of relief. For high-level cultivators, oaths against Inner Demons [personal demons born from one's own heart and flaws] were not entirely reliable, as some exceptionally talented individuals could even suppress their Inner Demons.

Thus, they preferred to use the Oath of Reincarnation, which involved the profound mysteries of Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth]. Once sworn, breaking it would invite terrifying Tribulations [heavenly trials or calamities] even after entering the Netherworld Hell [the underworld or hell realm], making transcendence nearly impossible.

Everyone present was an Infant Soul True Lord [a cultivator who has formed their Infant Soul, a core spiritual entity]. For such high-level cultivators, even if they failed to achieve the Great Dao in this lifetime, their Reincarnation could influence the potential and foundation of their next life.

Therefore, once the Oath of Reincarnation was sworn, it was virtually unbreakable.

"Since the terms are settled, this battle may now conclude."

With those words, the Seven-Colored Immortal Clam raised a hand and summoned forth a Spiritual Treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators]—a peculiar treasure wheel.

The wheel was forged from nine coiling flood dragons, its entire body cast from divine Exotic Treasure [a rare and precious metal with innate spiritual properties] metal, with Dragon Soul [the spiritual essence of a dragon] spirits roaring within.

"This Spiritual Treasure..."

Eldrin Chen's gaze sharpened as the treasure wheel instantly transformed into nine coiling dragons that descended with overwhelming momentum, charging towards the three demonic fiends.

In a single clash, the nine flood dragons shredded Master Thunderbolt, whose cultivation was at the Infant Soul Late Stage [the advanced stage of the Infant Soul realm], into fragments, his Infant Soul [the nascent spiritual core of a high-level cultivator] torn asunder on the spot.

"What is this?!"

The onlookers' expressions shifted slightly. Though gravely wounded, Master Thunderbolt was still an Infant Soul Late Stage cultivator. That he couldn't withstand even one blow underscored the formidable power of this Spiritual Treasure.

Noting the crowd's reaction, the Seven-Colored Immortal Clam offered a faint smile. "This Nine Dragon Wheel of mine was forged by gathering nine precious metals and fusing within them the souls of nine Flood Dragon Demon Emperor. Its power is merely passable, I'm afraid I've made you all witness a humble display."

"Not at all, not at all."

Everyone felt a slight tremor of awe. The might of the Nine Dragon Wheel was extraordinary; it could be considered top-tier even among Quasi-Primordial Solar Spiritual Treasures [magical treasures approaching the power of a Primordial Solar artifact]. To call it merely 'passable' would be a gross understatement.

With the strength of the Seven-Colored Immortal Clam [a colossal, ancient clam demon] combined with the power of this Nine Dragon Wheel, it could likely hold its own briefly against an ordinary Half-Step Primordial Spirit [a cultivator halfway to the Primordial Spirit realm]. Even if their group of over a dozen joined forces, they might not gain any advantage against the Seven-Colored Immortal Clam.

Eldrin Chen also felt a pang of envy. Although his Twofold Lotus Throne was also a Quasi-Primordial Solar Spiritual Treasure, and its defensive capabilities were peerless for its grade, it lacked an offensive Spiritual Treasure [an enchanted artifact of immense power] of that caliber.

After the fall of Master Thunderbolt, neither the Seven-Winged Heavenly Centipede [a monstrous centipede demon with seven wings] nor Black Blood Old Freak lasted much longer.

Already grievously wounded and besieged by the group, they found no opportunity to escape.

Merely moments later, the Seven-Winged Heavenly Centipede was shattered by Immortal Maiden Six Desires. Eldrin Chen directly used his Heavenly Flame [a divine flame of celestial origin] to destroy several of Black Blood Old Freak's Superior Grade Demonic Treasures [powerful artifacts forged with demonic energy], incinerating the old fiend into ashes.

"What formidable divine ability," someone murmured.

The others watched Eldrin Chen's Heavenly Flame technique, their expressions a mix of shock and wonder.

Immortal Maiden Six Desires, knowledgeable and well-traveled, drew a sharp breath. "Could this be the legendary Heavenly Flame Magical Power [a supreme fire-based divine technique]?"

Her words caused everyone's countenance to change. This was not only because Eldrin Chen had unleashed combat prowess rivaling the Infant Soul Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Infant Soul realm], but more importantly, because Heavenly Flame Power was an Arcane Power [a profound and esoteric form of magical power] typically only glimpsed by Primordial Spirit Cultivators [masters who have condensed their spiritual essence into a Primordial Spirit].

Having mastered the Heavenly Flame Arcane Power [a profound cultivation art that harnesses the power of celestial fire], Eldrin Chen's chances of a future breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core realm] would increase by a full twenty percent. Combined with his foundation in the Heavenly Path Infant Soul [the Heavenly Path stage of the Infant Soul realm], he could truly be called a Primordial Spirit Seed [a cultivator destined for the Primordial Spirit realm].

Upon realizing this, even the Seven-Colored Immortal Clam [a mythical clam demon of radiant beauty] revealed a flicker of astonishment, and a genuine desire to forge a connection with him stirred within its heart.

After the great battle concluded, the Seven-Colored Immortal Clam honored its promise and distributed the treasures among the group. The haul consisted of twenty Fifth Rank Spirit Shell Pearl [high-grade pearls imbued with potent spiritual energy], two strands of Earth Mother Energy [a pure, nurturing essence drawn from the earth's core], and three pieces of its own Spirit Shell [the incredibly resilient shell of the Immortal Clam].

The Spirit Shell Pearl could aid an Infant Soul True Lord [a True Lord cultivator at the Infant Soul stage] in their cultivation. Refining one could boost an Infant Soul Cultivator's cultivation speed by fifty percent.

A single Spirit Shell Pearl could sustain an Infant Soul True Lord for roughly three centuries. For a True Lord at the Infant Soul Early Stage, this treasure was equivalent to advancing half a layer of cultivation.