Owe a favor, owe a life

Jiang Feng was sitting alone in his room, lost in thought, when a sudden wave of warning surged into his mind. Snapping back to consciousness, he abruptly opened his eyes to find Ku Zhan standing not far away, scrutinizing him carefully.

The formidable demon general looked nothing like the polished figure he had been when they first met. He was missing an arm and an eye, the majority of his black, flame-like hair had been shorn off, and his entire body was covered in gruesome scars.

The healing capabilities of the demon race were astonishingly powerful, yet such severe injuries had still not healed, proving that the damage had reached his very core.

Jiang Feng nodded at him and asked, "Are you here to complete the transaction? Fine, I'll give you Zhe Zhi's soul imprint."

From Hua Su, Jiang Feng had already learned that the demon rift had been sealed for a second time, buying Taicang City another two precious days of breathing room.

Ku Zhan was momentarily stunned and straightened his posture. He had indeed come for this exact purpose, but he had never expected Jiang Feng to be so straightforward!

With a hint of disbelief, he said, "However... the sealing of the demon rift this time was not my doing!"

Jiang Feng smiled. "You're quite honest. But the demon rift was indeed sealed, and you played a major part in it. I won't go back on what I promised you."

He closed his eyes, his consciousness diving deep into the Heavenly Heart Seed. Beside the Heavenly Mystery Cube sat a crystal, inside of which rested a seed. A crack appeared on the crystal, and the seed forced its way out, sprouting two tiny buds. The buds twisted together at the roots, climbing upward like a braided rope.

With a thought from Jiang Feng, the seed floated into the air.

Jiang Feng opened his eyes and tapped his forehead with a finger. The seed emerged from between his brows, surrounded by a halo of light, hovering right in front of him.

"The Bi-Life Seed!"

Ku Zhan was overjoyed. Subconsciously, he reached out to snatch it, but catching sight of Jiang Feng, he managed to restrain himself.

Cutting off the connection between himself and the Bi-Life Seed, Jiang Feng nodded at Ku Zhan. "It's yours."

Only then did Ku Zhan reach out, carefully cradling the seed along with the crystal fragments.

The crystal suddenly shattered into countless microscopic particles right before his eyes, seeping directly into his body. His eyes half-closed as his expression shifted through myriad changes. When he finally opened them, the crystal fragments and the seed had completely vanished, leaving no trace of where they had gone.

This crystal was Zhe Zhi's soul imprint, containing her memories—or at least, the ones she had transmitted to Jiang Feng right before her death. While Zhe Zhi was still alive, the Bi-Life Seed had grown within her soul imprint.

As the Bi-Life Seed entered his body, Ku Zhan's face twisted in intense agony as physical transformations began to sweep through him.

The scars on his face started to writhe and contort, turning his somewhat handsome features into something terrifying. The muscles on either side of the wounds squeezed desperately inward until the scars shrank and finally vanished into a single thin line.

Ku Zhan's right arm, which had previously been severed clean at the shoulder, let out a fierce roar as a brand-new limb sprouted from the socket!

Lifting his head, Ku Zhan saw his eyes return to their original state.

Jiang Feng could sense a contained, explosive power surging within Ku Zhan, immense enough to be astonishing. It was this exact energy that was rapidly repairing his injuries. If Ku Zhan could fully digest it, even as a demon general, advancing to a demon lord would be an absolute certainty.

With the transaction complete, a flash of light simultaneously burst from Ku Zhan and Jiang Feng, instantly vanishing into thin air. This signified that the contract between the two was fulfilled, leaving no lingering restraints whatsoever!

If Ku Zhan chose to attack him right now, Jiang Feng would have zero chance of fighting back.

Ku Zhan stared fixedly at Jiang Feng, who met his gaze without flinching, his eyes devoid of the slightest trace of fear.

Suddenly, Ku Zhan spoke. "Let me look at her again."

Jiang Feng paused, instantly grasping his meaning. Raising his hand, a wisp of bright energy coiled around his palm, gradually rising to form a slender humanoid figure. At times she appeared charming, at times martial and fierce, yet no matter the stance, she radiated a pure, captivating beauty.

Ku Zhan gazed at her with infatuation, reaching out to touch her, but the dense demonic Qi surrounding him made contact impossible. Before his hand even drew near, the figure composed of bright energy completely shattered and dissolved into nothingness.

Staring blankly for a long moment, Ku Zhan muttered softly, "So this is what she looked like when she grew up..."

Abruptly straightening his posture, he towered over Jiang Feng and said, "You returned the Bi-Life Seed to me, so I owe you one. But you killed her, and I will avenge that debt one day." Staring intensely at Jiang Feng, Ku Zhan stamped heavily on the ground. An invisible shockwave swept outward in all directions, causing the treasure-guarded room to fracture with countless cracks before instantly collapsing with a deafening roar, sending up a massive cloud of dust!

From within the dust came Ku Zhan's voice, "What I owe you, I will repay properly. Until we meet again!"

With those words, he tossed a pouch toward Jiang Feng, turned, and soared straight into the sky, rapidly shrinking into a mere black dot against the horizon.

Coughing from the choking dust, Jiang Feng stumbled out of the ruined room. With a wry smile, he muttered, "If you want to talk, just talk; if you want to leave, just leave. Why did you have to demolish the house..."

In truth, however, a chill ran through his heart. He had originally thought this fortified room could at least offer him some self-preservation, but Ku Zhan had used sheer force to show him the harsh reality.

The Bi-Life Seed had not only healed him but had also restored the greater part of his strength as a demon general. Such was his power; if he truly wished to strike, what use were mere mortal treasures?

If he were to completely digest the Bi-Life Seed and advance further, what kind of terrifying powerhouse would he become?

Exhaling a breath, Jiang Feng extended his hand. A bright, crystalline shard materialized in his palm, which he promptly crushed.

This was the final piece of information left behind by the Bi-Life Seed. After analyzing it, the Heavenly Mystery Cube informed Jiang Feng that Ku Zhan's advancement required a massive amount of demonic Qi, which could only be completed in the Great Desolate Mountains. Furthermore, it would take a considerable amount of time—at least ten years.

Ten years was merely a blink of an eye in the lifespan of a demon, but it was a long time for the current Jiang Feng. Who knew what the world would look like a decade from now?

He looked down at the pouch in his hand and opened it to find a collection of demon cores of various ranks. Pausing for a moment, he suddenly understood where they had come from.

Ku Zhan had been severely injured. While Jiang Feng was unconscious, the demon had most likely spent his time hunting and consuming his own kind to replenish his strength. These demon cores were his gesture of goodwill toward Jiang Feng.

Smiling faintly, Jiang Feng put them away. The Dark Yuan Branch possessed yuan apertures as well, which were currently empty and waiting for something to be embedded. While the Bright Yuan Branch was embedded with the core of a bright beast, he could certainly try using these demon cores on the Dark Yuan Branch.

Just then, guards in the distance heard the commotion and hurried over. Upon seeing the demolished building, their expressions turned to utter shock. Exchanging anxious glances, they hurriedly asked, "Lord Jiang, are you alright?"

Wen Liangji had already given strict instructions: Jiang Feng was a distinguished guest of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, and they were to protect him with their lives if necessary.

Waving a hand, Jiang Feng replied, "I'm fine, it's just this room..."

Before he could finish, his brow suddenly furrowed. Looking past their shoulders toward the distance, he spotted something.

There, the Second Master of the Zhong family was walking past in a hurried manner. His expression was deeply peculiar, a mix of panic and concealed triumph. He was clearly engrossed in deep thought, paying not even a fleeting glance to the major commotion that had just occurred here.

Quickly recalling the scene he had witnessed within his memories earlier, Jiang Feng instantly grew alert.

...

The Second Master of the Zhong family was named Zhong Jiangtian, the paternal cousin of Zhong Fan and the second-eldest in the family.

In terms of seniority, he ranked right below Zhong Fan's father, Zhong Qinglan.

The Zhong family placed immense emphasis on the direct line of descent, meaning Zhong Jiangtian was destined from birth to remain perpetually behind Zhong Qinglan. Fortunately, the Zhong family produced no mediocrity, and Zhong Jiangtian possessed considerable talent of his own, managing the family's Qianjun Bureau.

The Qianjun Bureau was the auction house of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. Operating within the pavilion, its business nonetheless maintained a degree of independence.

Handling operations like an auction house meant dealing exclusively with the elite powerhouses and supreme figures of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Extreme Continent. A smooth-talker with extensive connections, Zhong Jiangtian held a position of considerable influence within the Zhong family.

All of this had been mentioned to him piecemeal by Wen Liangji in the past, who had casually dropped another detail amidst the chatter.

Zhong Fan currently stood at the center of the Zhong family, dividing it into two factions: one supporting him, and one opposing him. Zhong Jiangtian belonged firmly to the opposition, serving as a core member of the dissenting party.

Mulling these thoughts over in his mind, Jiang Feng quietly trailed behind Zhong Jiangtian.

Having long since switched to his bright energy vision, Zhong Jiangtian's cultivation level was laid bare before him.

Compared to his lofty status within the Zhong family, his actual strength wasn't particularly overwhelming—a Sun-Bright martial artist, higher than Jiang Feng by two tiers.

To be fair, a two-tier gap was actually quite significant, but the demonic upheaval in Taicang City had brought forth far too many powerhouses, inadvertently raising Jiang Feng's own standards.

Since the Myriad Treasures Pavilion was Zhong territory—where, to a certain extent, even Wen Liangji had to answer to him—Zhong Jiangtian walked through its grounds with absolute ease. Moreover, preoccupied with the news he had recently heard, he was completely absent-minded and failed to notice anyone tailing him.

Walking deeper and deeper, he eventually reached a secluded corner of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

Here, lush foliage and serene landscaping prevailed, with a picturesque pond and several rockeries creating an atmosphere of refined elegance.

Two massive banyan trees stood by the pond, their aerial roots cascading down from the branches to embed themselves in the earth.

Stopping a distance away, Jiang Feng narrowed his eyes and fixed his gaze on the banyan trees.

From within the aerial roots beneath the banyan trees came a faint trace of demonic Qi—not overwhelming, but unmistakably clear!

Was Zhong Jiangtian really colluding with the demons? Was this an individual act, or the collective stance of his entire faction within the Zhong family?

Stopping beside the pond, Zhong Jiangtian let out a cold snort. "You've been at it for so long and still managed to mess up. Your so-called demon lord doesn't seem all that impressive after all!"

An angry voice snapped from beneath the banyan tree, "Lord Demon Lord is wise and martial, his plans infallible! You have no right to insult him!"

Sneering, Zhong Jiangtian retorted, "Infallible? Then how do you explain what's happening now? The Changchuan River demon rift has been sealed twice consecutively. I hear that if this drags on for another two days, humanity's anti-demon treasure will be completed. By then, your precious lord's linked demon rifts will be finished as well!"

The voice gasped in shock. "An anti-demon treasure? What is that?"

Indifferently, Zhong Jiangtian replied, "I don't know the exact details, but it's essentially a colossal treasure. Once completed and put into use, it will seal off all twelve demon rifts completely."

A violent surge of demonic Qi emanated from beneath the banyan tree. Jiang Feng cursed inwardly in frustration.

This anti-demon treasure involved too many people; a leak was inevitable. Yet Jiang Feng had never imagined that a human would casually spill such crucial intelligence to a demon so nonchalantly!

His sudden disturbance caused his aura to fluctuate. The demon beneath the banyan tree possessed razor-sharp instincts, instantly detecting the anomaly and barking, "Who's there?!"

A dark shadow violently burst from the foliage, shooting straight toward Jiang Feng's location. With a sharp metallic clang, its razor-sharp claws slammed heavily against a large boulder.

Zhong Jiangtian walked over, glanced around, and mocked, "Are you being overly sensitive? Where is anyone?"

The short-statured demon vigilantly scanned his surroundings. It was morning, the air crisp and clear with excellent visibility. Just as Zhong Jiangtian had said, apart from plants and decorative rocks, where on earth was anyone to be seen?