Chapter 1530: Forbidden Art Contract
After the meeting location was confirmed, Yang Haoran wasted no time, taking nine people with him to their destination.
Of these nine individuals, all but one were from the Iron Blood Demon Hall. This included the siblings Jing Qi and Jing Miao. While the two siblings had been personally selected by Yang Haoran, the other six were elites the siblings themselves had chosen from the Iron Blood Demon Hall. These six were not only fiercely loyal to Yang Haoran but also ranked among the strongest in the Iron Blood Demon Hall.
Yang Haoran chose to bring the siblings Jing Qi and Jing Miao with him, partly because he valued their strength. Additionally, the nature of the Iron Blood Demon Hall's work differed from other institutions within the Great Night Empire, so even taking the two siblings and six strong cultivators from the Iron Blood Demon Hall would not significantly impact the Great Night Empire's operations. If, however, he were to take Bai Xue or Old Master Wu and others, the situation would be entirely different, and the impact on the Great Night Empire would be considerable.
Among the nine individuals taken, aside from the eight from the Iron Blood Demon Hall, the remaining person was Yang Haoran's Guardian Spirit, Zhong Siyu.
Under normal circumstances, Yang Haoran believed this trip shouldn't pose much danger. However, he never liked entrusting his life to others. Even if the risk was small, he would minimize it as much as possible, so necessary preparations were still essential.
With Zhong Siyu accompanying him to the Talisman Order, he would be able to fully unleash his strength if danger arose. After all, his most potent method currently was Spirit Fusion with Zhong Siyu, making it highly necessary to bring her along under these circumstances.
As for the siblings Jing Qi and Jing Miao, their current strength was quite astonishing. The people they had chosen from the Iron Blood Demon Hall were also not to be underestimated. With the two siblings and these Iron Blood Guards present, they could both confront enemies and uphold appearances. Should any unexpected incidents occur, they would undoubtedly provide significant assistance, making their presence equally necessary.
Before leaving the Great Night Empire, Yang Haoran gave some instructions to his trusted subordinates for safety, with the sole purpose of being prepared for any eventuality.
Half a month later, Yang Haoran and his group returned to the Great Night Empire.
Yang Haoran was still his usual self, a faint smile gracing his face. The siblings Jing Qi and Jing Miao, along with the six individuals they had selected from the Iron Blood Demon Hall, maintained impassive expressions, betraying no joy or anger. However, this was not surprising, as they had worn the same expressions when they left with Yang Haoran.
In other words, neither Yang Haoran, nor the siblings Jing Qi and Jing Miao, nor the elites selected by the siblings from the Iron Blood Demon Hall, showed the slightest change in their expressions due to this trip. However, Zhong Siyu's facial expression was in stark contrast to when she left the Great Night Empire.
When they departed the Great Night Empire, Zhong Siyu had been brimming with excitement, for in her view, this trip held the potential for something to happen, which would allow her to sate her craving, perhaps even indulge in a hearty meal.
Yet, to her utter surprise, the journey had been far too peaceful. Not only did nothing happen along the way, but even after reaching the Talisman Order's grandest Talisman Ancestor Temple, nothing transpired. Not until they left the Talisman Order and returned to the Great Night Empire did she get a chance to act. Her desire for a satisfying slaughter and a full meal had been thwarted, and given her personality, her expression was naturally anything but pleasant.
Due to the immense resentment bubbling within her, Zhong Siyu departed with a sour face as soon as they returned to the Great Night Empire, not even bothering to give Yang Haoran the most basic greeting.
Yang Haoran not only avoided any conflicts on this trip but also reaped significant rewards. To better prepare for a potential war with the Underworld Office, he secretly reached several agreements with the Spirit Master False God and the Talisman Order's leader. Among these, even the issue he cared about most was successfully resolved.
This issue, of course, concerned the extent to which the Spirit Master False God's strength had recovered and whether he would become an obstacle on Yang Haoran's path to godhood. To ascertain this, he subtly probed the Spirit Master False God in various ways.
The Spirit Master False God was, of course, no simpleton; on the contrary, he was exceptionally intelligent, or he wouldn't have achieved his current accomplishments. Thus, he could discern that Yang Haoran was testing him, and he also understood why Yang Haoran would do so.
To alleviate Yang Haoran's concerns and foster a more pleasant cooperation, the Spirit Master False God directly laid his cards on the table in front of Yang Haoran and the Talisman Order's leader.
According to the Spirit Master False God, during the Apotheosis War back then, his soul had not actually been scattered. Before rushing to the Apotheosis Platform, he had made corresponding preparations, as he couldn't be certain he would obtain a God Position. Therefore, he had secretly cultivated a forbidden technique and prepared many auxiliary external items. He didn't elaborate on the specific technique or the items used, and Yang Haoran found it impolite to press further.
With the preparations he had made beforehand, coupled with the Talisman Ancestor's covert assistance, he was able to deceive the heavens and return from the dead. However, his strength plummeted after his resurrection, incomparable to his peak period. Even now, his power had not recovered to a tenth of its former peak, and it would be impossible to return to his prime without several decades, if not a century.
Furthermore, the Spirit Master False God informed Yang Haoran that he understood Yang Haoran's concerns. Therefore, the two of them could sign an agreement under the witness of the Talisman Order's leader: as long as Yang Haoran did not violate the alliance, then the next time the Apotheosis Platform reappeared, Yang Haoran could step onto it first. If Yang Haoran stepped onto the Apotheosis Platform but lacked the ability to obtain a God Position, then it wouldn't be too late for the Spirit Master False God to ascend it.
Conversely, if Yang Haoran successfully obtained a God Position, then when the Apotheosis Platform reappeared again, Yang Haoran and the Great Night Empire would have to fully assist the Spirit Master False God in securing a God Position. By the same token, if Yang Haoran failed to obtain a God Position, but the Spirit Master False God succeeded after stepping onto the Apotheosis Platform, then the Spirit Master False God would also fully assist Yang Haoran when the Apotheosis Platform next appeared.
Yang Haoran could, of course, accept this condition. However, he still harbored doubts about the authenticity of this agreement. After all, in the face of absolute self-interest, agreements could be torn up, even with the Talisman Order's leader serving as a witness.
This concern of Yang Haoran's was also seen through by the Spirit Master False God. To completely dispel Yang Haoran's worries, the Spirit Master False God actually cast a forbidden art and signed a contract with Yang Haoran, stipulating that if either party violated the terms of the agreement, they would suffer a curse and meet a terrible end.
Yang Haoran didn't know if this forbidden art was truly that potent. However, after careful consideration, Yang Haoran ultimately signed the contract with the Spirit Master False God. After all, the terms of the agreement were entirely acceptable to Yang Haoran. His concern was that the Spirit Master False God might act one way to his face and another behind his back. Since a forbidden art contract would bind both parties, this was naturally a good thing for him, and he had no reason not to sign it.
As for why the Spirit Master False God would sign an agreement that seemingly put him at a disadvantage, in Yang Haoran's view, it was perhaps because the Spirit Master False God didn't believe his strength would recover to its peak by the next reappearance of the Apotheosis Platform, nor did he believe he would necessarily obtain a God Position after stepping onto it. Therefore, he simply conceded this opportunity to Yang Haoran, strengthening their alliance in the process.
Furthermore, Yang Haoran considered another possibility: that the Spirit Master False God didn't believe he would be capable of obtaining a God Position when the Apotheosis Platform next appeared. If Yang Haoran failed to acquire the God Position, the Spirit Master False God could then proceed, which wouldn't affect the Spirit Master False God's own chances. Thus, he generously ceded this opportunity to Yang Haoran.
Moreover, there was another crucial point: the first person to step onto the Apotheosis Platform would undoubtedly become a target of public criticism, or perhaps the Spirit Master False God wanted him to draw fire.
While these were all Yang Haoran's unilateral conjectures, they were not groundless. He and the Spirit Master False God were neither relatives nor friends; in fact, they had once been enemies. It was absolutely impossible for the Spirit Master False God to abandon his own interests for Yang Haoran. Therefore, this seemingly concessionary agreement from the Spirit Master False God must have had his own ulterior motives.
Of course, Yang Haoran agreeing to sign this agreement and the forbidden art contract also stemmed from his own considerations and calculations. Neither party was a pushover, nor were they in the business of charity. One dared to make a move, and the other dared to accept; there had to be a reason behind it. If the benefits weren't sufficient, neither side would have proceeded.
As soon as Yang Haoran signed the forbidden art contract, he immediately felt as if an invisible pair of eyes were watching him from the shadows. This sensation was not unfamiliar to him; he had experienced the same feeling when he signed the Guardian Spirit contract with Zhong Siyu. From this, it was clear that the Spirit Master False God's forbidden art contract was not a mere trick; its binding power was real.
Far from being troubled by this, Yang Haoran was delighted, for it was precisely what he desired. He believed it was also what the Spirit Master False God desired!
Originally, another question had always perplexed Yang Haoran: why would the Talisman Order help Spirit Mediums, and specifically the Spirit Master False God? But after successfully signing the forbidden art contract with the Spirit Master False God, he harbored some conjectures.
In his view, the reason the Talisman Order helped the Spirit Master False God—and why, during the Apotheosis War back then, the Talisman Ancestor personally engaged in a battle with the Death God—was very likely because the Spirit Master False God and the Talisman Order, or perhaps directly the Talisman Ancestor, had signed an unknown forbidden art contract. This would explain how the Spirit Master False God gained the support of the Talisman Order and the support of the Talisman Ancestor regarding the God Position.
If this were indeed the truth, then it was clear without much thought that immense mutual interests must be at play.
Yang Haoran naturally wanted to know the truth of the matter, but it wasn't something he could simply ascertain. Moreover, given the current situation, he didn't have the leisure to waste time on this.
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