Chapter Twenty-One: The Covenant

The situation shifted in the blink of an eye.

The young man in the yellow robe, who called himself Tu Mountain Ge, did not even dare lift his head. Above him, the red-and-white elemental pearl erupted with countless bolts of thunder and lightning, roaring so fiercely that it seemed it might crash down at any instant and reduce him to a mist of flesh.

For most demonic beings, the thing they dreaded most was the heavenly thunder and lightning.

When refining the transverse bone, one must endure lightning strikes; when transforming the body and shedding old forms, one must endure lightning strikes; even when advancing in power, more lightning awaited. To be battered by thunder at every stage—no matter how ancient the creature—at the sound of its crackle, even a hardened old demon’s heart would skip a beat, their mind momentarily taken aback.

Seeing his elder subdued in a single exchange, a dozen foxes burst from the pavilion, circling Chen Heng, yelping in panic as they tried to rescue Tu Mountain Ge. Yet, fearful of the awe-inspiring light from the thunder pearl, they only fluffed up anxiously, unable to approach.

“Where is this place?” Chen Heng glanced around.

The space wasn’t large, only about ten acres, yet the buildings were well arranged and ornately decorated—clear evidence of careful design.

What intrigued Chen Heng most was at the far end of the space: a ring of faint golden light surged, forming what appeared to be the boundary of this pocket realm. Sometimes the golden edge would pause and settle, other times it would leap with vitality, and as it advanced, the ten-acre space seemed to expand ever so slightly—so subtle a change it would go unnoticed unless one paid close attention.

“This... this...” Tu Mountain Ge rolled his eyes, suddenly hatching a plan at Chen Heng’s question.

“This is the Great Grotto Heaven of the Crimson Bright Sect! Have you heard of the ‘Nine Sovereigns’ Changyang Golden Spire Grotto Heaven’? This is one of its lands. I am its resident spirit beast! You have trespassed here, injured the spirit beast—this is a monstrous crime! Release me at once, or when my master returns and reports to the Dao Sovereign, he will cast you into the Nether Path, where you’ll suffer for all eternity—”

“You’re sharper-tongued than a knife,” Chen Heng cut him off, lowering the thunder pearl another inch, making Tu Mountain Ge shriek in terror.

“So, where exactly is this?” he demanded again.

“The... the Nine Sovereigns’ Changyang Golden Spire Grotto Heaven!” Tu Mountain Ge stammered.

Chen Heng said nothing, only regarded him coolly, until the fox began to tremble, his bravado dissolving.

“Fellow Daoist...” Tu Mountain Ge forced himself to sound respectful.

“Fellow Daoist? You walk the path of the divine, I seek the immortal road. How are we fellow travelers?” Chen Heng swept his sleeve, dismissing him.

“I may be a rustic from the wilds, but even I know that grotto heavens are meant to shield from wind, fire, and thunder. Once the tribulations pass, one can join with the Dao and approach transcendence. Are you telling me that in this desolate backwater, a grotto heaven of the great Crimson Bright Sect has lain hidden all this time?”

“The divine and immortal paths are both branches of the Great Way. We both seek the Dao—how can we not be fellow Daoists...” Tu Mountain Ge tried to bluff, but Chen Heng’s next words left him wide-eyed and cold-fingered.

“If you keep up this nonsense, I’ll kill you first, then half your foxes, and make the rest tell me the truth. If one refuses, I’ll kill another. If all refuse, I’ll slaughter the lot—I don’t believe every one of you is as stubborn as you.”

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“You’re supposed to be an immortal cultivator—why do you act like some fiendish cultist!” Tu Mountain Ge wailed in outrage.

“Master Yan Xi once said: ‘Darkness and light, yin and yang, together form the Dao.’”

“All that beauty wasted on you! Dao Sovereign above, what a venomous heart you have!”

The thunder pearl sank even lower, its searing heat threatening to melt Tu Mountain Ge’s already damaged divine body.

No longer daring to test Chen Heng, Tu Mountain Ge poured out the truth, his voice trembling.

“This is a divine domain! I created it with my power—this is where I once received incense offerings from mortals. My kin and I rely on it to survive in these mountains!”

A divine domain? So this was what it meant...

Chen Heng nodded thoughtfully and asked, “So you are the divine fox who once fought with the Daoist of Yang Mountain. After your defeat, you and your kin hid here? But since your domain is still within Yang Mountain, how has that Daoist never discovered you?”

“He never did, and neither did you...” Tu Mountain Ge almost snapped back, but at the sight of the thunder pearl, he altered his tone and explained honestly, “The divine path is different from the immortal path. In the higher heavens it’s minor, even heretical, but elsewhere it’s a proper tradition with its own wonders. Take this divine domain, for example—it’s extremely well hidden. I may be a lowly earth spirit, easily slain by even a minor energy cultivator with the right talisman, but none of them possess the power to create an inner realm as I do. Even among the eight great sects, no such energy cultivator could manage it.”

“That Daoist is a wild cultivator with no proper teachings, barely knowing a single spell. How could he ever hope to find my domain? When he sleeps, the mountain is mine—I eat as I wish, enjoy the breeze, and live as I please! Free and easy!”

“Oh?” Chen Heng smiled faintly. “If your domain is so formidable, how did I get in? Does it have no wards or barriers?”

“Damn it all!” Tu Mountain Ge swore, no longer caring about the pearl above his head. “I sent those cowards to deal with you—they were so terrified they forgot to close the barrier when they fled back, and you just barged in! If not for that, would I be in this predicament?”

Among the foxes, a large white one with an arrow in its rump quietly turned away, covering its ears and shrinking into a ball, overcome with shame.

“Why did you disturb my meditation? Do you mean to reclaim Yang Mountain from me?”

Tu Mountain Ge hemmed and hawed, tacitly admitting as much.

“With such limited powers, where did you get the nerve?” Chen Heng wondered aloud.

“If only my divine body were intact...” Tu Mountain Ge muttered, then slumped. “Our fox clan has an innate ability—we can absorb yang energy through contact. Tu Mountain Zhuang is the best at shapeshifting, especially at transforming into beautiful women. I assumed you were young and would be susceptible to seduction, unlike that wily old Daoist. I never imagined you’d be immune...”

A fox famed for its illusions and allure, yet soundly outshone in beauty by a mere mortal—how was that fair?

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Who could he complain to?

Tu Mountain Ge was utterly despondent.

“That Daoist—is he truly so deep and cunning? You must be scared out of your wits,” Chen Heng said, shaking his head.

He pointed, and the thunder pearl burst into flames, scorching downward.

Tu Mountain Ge howled in agony, his body flickering and threatening to explode.

“Do you want to live?” Chen Heng finally asked.

“Yes, yes... Please, spare me, Daoist!” Tu Mountain Ge rolled on the ground, but dared not stray too far, for fear the pearl would strike him down.

“Sign a spirit contract, become my familiar, and I’ll spare your life.”

“What?!” Tu Mountain Ge snorted. “I already have a master—a disciple of the Crimson Bright Sect! I am loyal and will not serve another—”

Before he could finish, the flames intensified.

Tu Mountain Ge shrieked, unable to bear it any longer. He surrendered, producing a spirit contract.

After Chen Heng drafted the terms and both parties signed in blood, he finally tucked the pearl away into his sleeve.

“Isn’t this just lifelong servitude?” Tu Mountain Ge clutched the contract, grief-stricken. “The terms are so harsh. If this man dies, I’ll probably have to serve his descendants too. Damn it! Am I really to become the clan’s guardian beast?”

“You’re mistaken. First, I seek only the Dao, with no room for worldly attachments. Second, you may not even outlive me.”

Before Tu Mountain Ge could entertain further thoughts, a quiet voice sounded in his mind, startling him into silence.

Seeing this, Chen Heng nodded in satisfaction. With the contract signed, they now shared a mysterious bond—Tu Mountain Ge’s life and actions were entirely at his command, subject to his every whim.

“So, as a guest in your realm, will you not serve me tea?” Chen Heng smiled slightly, glancing around. The other white foxes dared not meet his gaze, hurriedly lowering their heads.

“Nice way to put it! He’s about to ransack all my treasures!” Tu Mountain Ge’s heart ached even more.

He too bowed his head, mumbling as he led Chen Heng toward the main building.