0129 The Two-Lived Species

The black sphere fell into the demonic rift and was instantly swallowed whole. A moment later, a powerful suction force emanated from the depths of the rift, specifically targeting the demonic energy, and in the blink of an eye, it pulled all of the miasma inside.

This sudden turn of events stunned everyone. Hua Su and the others, who were still hovering in the sky, could not help but move closer to the rift to investigate what was happening. At first, they assumed the rift was undergoing another upgrade, but to their astonishment, the demonic mist grew thinner and thinner until it vanished entirely. Then, the rift itself began to shrink at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Once the mist was completely consumed and swept away, the rift vanished as well after a few short breaths.

The demons, who had been floating or standing on the surface of the river, looked at one another in confusion. Suddenly deprived of their source of support, they were momentarily at a loss.

The demons understood their own situation best. A school-level demon suddenly roared at the sky, glared viciously at Ku Zhan, and shrieked, "You actually sealed the rift!"

Hua Su and Wen Liangji realized it at the same time. This was not the first time they had seen a demonic rift sealed, but it was undoubtedly the first time they had ever witnessed a powerful demon sealing one themselves. They looked at Jiang Feng in disbelief, unable to fathom how he had managed to make such a powerful demon follow his orders. Could it be that he had controlled this demon named Ku Zhan, just as he had controlled the scimitar before?

Ku Zhan had emerged from the rift with his power suppressed, leaving him weakened. After sealing the rift, his spirit appeared wilted. He glared at Jiang Feng, grinding his teeth as he said, "I... I can only do this much!"

Jiang Feng did not flinch. He nodded as if it were a matter of course. "Good, that is exactly what I wanted. However, you set up twelve demonic rifts in Taicang City, and all twelve are interconnected. You have only sealed one; the rest remain, and this one could open again at any time."

Ku Zhan gritted his teeth and took a step toward Jiang Feng. "I can only do this much!"

Even with his strength suppressed, he was still at the peak of the school level. His imposing aura forced Ping Luanshan to involuntarily take a step back, though he then stubbornly stepped forward again, standing beside Jiang Feng and glaring back at the demon.

Jiang Feng remained motionless. He extended a finger and said, "Let’s make a deal."

Ku Zhan sneered, "Make a deal with a cunning human? I’m not that stupid!"

Jiang Feng stared at him and recited that strange syllable once more. Ku Zhan shuddered, his eyes widening until they nearly popped out of their sockets as he glared at Jiang Feng. Hua Su and the others exchanged glances, realizing something was amiss. They could see that this demonic general was not being controlled and still possessed an independent will. Yet, despite his extreme fury, he was held firmly in check by Jiang Feng and dared not cross the line.

What kind of leverage did Jiang Feng have over him?

Jiang Feng smiled and said, "First, I have something you want, so this deal is something you cannot refuse. Second, do you think I am trading with you as a human? The deal I propose, spoken from my mouth and heard by your ears, must naturally be conducted using a demonic covenant!"

A demonic covenant!

Those words caused Ku Zhan to fall silent. After a long pause, he finally nodded. "Fine, proceed!"

He folded his wings and descended to stand face-to-face with Jiang Feng. The Changchuan River rushed past them, its surging waters producing a thunderous roar.

Suddenly, Ku Zhan stamped his foot heavily and uttered a syllable. As if he had anticipated it, Jiang Feng opened his mouth and spoke the exact same syllable simultaneously.

The two sounds collided in the air, creating a powerful resonance. An invisible force swept across the area; in an instant, the wind ceased, the water stilled, and everything came to a halt.

Ping Luanshan was the closest to them. Being so near to this powerful demon made him quite nervous, yet he forced himself not to retreat. At this critical moment, he had to stand with Jiang Feng. When the two syllables were spoken in unison, his heart skipped a beat, and he realized he could no longer move.

He could still see and think, his consciousness entirely unaffected, but his body was paralyzed. It did not feel as if he were being restrained by something; it felt as if a fundamental law of nature had been rewritten for this specific area. He could clearly see that the man and the demon before him were enveloped by something sacred and solemn. It reset the rules, ensuring that any covenant made under its influence must and would be executed as agreed, with no possibility of an alternative path. It imposed no punishment, yet it left no room for deviation.

Jiang Feng said, "In the name of the Eternal Demon God, I, Jiang Feng, establish this covenant with Ku Zhan."

Driven by a strange sense of resonance, Ku Zhan spoke the same words at the same time, without missing a single syllable.

Jiang Feng continued, "When the Changchuan River rift opens again, Ku Zhan must seal it once more. Upon completion, Jiang Feng will return the memories and the Soul Seal of the Guiyi demon, Zhe Zhi, to Ku Zhan as the terms of this deal. I swear this to be true and will never go back on my word."

After speaking, he looked up at Ku Zhan. Only then did he truly see the appearance of this demonic general. He was tall with sharp, defined features and shoulder-length hair that gave him a wild appearance. Such a man would be considered handsome even among humans; there was no trace of his demonic nature at all.

Hearing Jiang Feng’s words, a brilliant light ignited in Ku Zhan’s eyes. He barked, "You are asking me to betray the Great Commander!"

Jiang Feng’s gaze flickered, and he replied firmly, "Those are my terms. The demonic oath has already acknowledged them. Whether you agree or not, this is my only condition!"

Ku Zhan said resentfully, "You know I have no choice but to agree!"

Jiang Feng did not yield an inch. "Since you know that, what else is there to discuss?"

Ku Zhan ground his teeth, clenching and unclenching his fists repeatedly. Finally, he roared, looking up at the sky, and shouted, "Agreed!"

Once the vow was given, the demonic covenant responded. Invisible runes formed in the area and quickly vanished. Ku Zhan glared at Jiang Feng one last time before turning to walk toward the banks of the Changchuan River and leaping in.

Jiang Feng finally let out a sigh of relief. He knew from the memories of the scimitar—that is, Zhe Zhi—that Ku Zhan could never kill him. But knowing that was one thing; facing such a powerful demon was another, and the pressure had been immense.

As he relaxed, he immediately felt a soreness throughout his body, as if he had been crushed by heavy objects repeatedly. He could barely stand. He forced himself to remain upright and cast his gaze elsewhere. A small, white shadow lay on the ground, motionless. Jiang Feng struggled over to pick it up. The Night-Shine Rabbit’s body was still soft, and its chest rose and fell slightly; it was clearly still alive.

Jiang Feng breathed a sigh of relief, gently stroked its white fur, and whispered, "Thank you." He then carefully tucked the rabbit into his clothes.

Ping Luanshan, who had not stood directly against Ku Zhan, was in even worse shape. Once the demon left and the pressure lifted, he collapsed to his knees, unable to crawl back up for a long time.

Jiang Feng pulled him up with effort and patted his shoulder, smiling. "Thank you for earlier!"

Ping Luanshan shook his head, gasping for air. "N-no, I didn't really help you at all..."

Jiang Feng shook his head. "No, you certainly did."

He had stood his ground against Ku Zhan not through physical strength, but through the secrets contained in Zhe Zhi’s memories and his own inner resolve. Having Ping Luanshan there to support him had truly provided him with great motivation. He said no more, patted Ping Luanshan’s shoulder again, and looked up to see Hua Su and the others descending from the sky.

Hua Su looked back at the river in shock and asked, "What did you say to that demon? What just happened?"

Jiang Feng replied, "I made a demonic covenant with him. Next time the rift here opens, he will help me seal it again. In return, I will give him back the object he wants."

"Give it back?" Fan Gensheng was even more shocked than Hua Su. "Have you met him before? What did you take from him?"

Jiang Feng explained, "It was that Guiyi demon from before. When she died, her consciousness linked with mine, passing a portion of her information into my mind."

Fan Gensheng was well aware of this incident. He nodded and said, "Right, I was there to help you temporarily seal it... You used my power to repel that demon just now? How are you feeling?! You fully absorbed her consciousness? This is incredible!"

He finally realized what had just occurred. That Jiang Feng could use his power was normal enough—that energy had been meant to assist him. The key was that Jiang Feng had managed to preserve his own consciousness completely under the pressure of a school-level demon, without being affected in the slightest. No, it was more than that—he had even used those memories to negotiate and reach a deal with an even more powerful demon! This kid... this kid was truly unbelievable.

Jiang Feng agreed, "I was indeed lucky."

The group exchanged glances in silence. It certainly involved luck, but could it really be reduced to just luck?

Jiang Feng said, "That demonic general named Ku Zhan is a creature known as a Chaos Demon."

"A Chaos Demon?" Hua Su exclaimed in shock. "That is an incredibly powerful race! To them, being a 'demonic general' is merely the starting point!"

Jiang Feng nodded. "That’s right, so Ku Zhan is only at a juvenile stage."

Remembering the tall, strong man from moments ago and comparing him to the term "juvenile," everyone wore a strange expression.

"The relationship between Chaos Demons and Guiyi demons is very special. Both are rare races that require specific conditions to grow successfully. That condition is their union."

"Every Chaos Demon needs the assistance of a Guiyi demon to mature. They must transform a portion of their consciousness into a seed called a 'Twin-Life Seed,' which is then planted into the body of a Guiyi demon to be incubated. When the Guiyi demon reaches adulthood and achieves unity, the Twin-Life Seed matures and returns to the Chaos Demon’s body. Only then can the Chaos Demon reach adulthood."

Ping Luanshan listened, feeling dizzy and confused. After thinking for a long time, he suddenly shouted, "But that Guiyi demon reached adulthood in Taicang City! And then her consciousness was controlled by you..."

Jiang Feng nodded. "Exactly. Ku Zhan’s Twin-Life Seed was eventually passed to me by the scimitar, that is, Zhe Zhi, and now, it is under my control!"