Chapter 503 18: A Bodily Pledge

The sun rose and the moon fell. More than ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the Gloomy Valley Jade Tower.

Fang Cheng sat cross-legged on the Jade Couch. Before him rested a giant egg, ten feet tall. Its shell was a dark, translucent yellow, like a cross between stone and jade, and it radiated the phantoms of countless ferocious beasts.

Magical Power surged throughout Fang Cheng's body. He was channeling his incredibly pure Demon Path Magical Power to incubate the Ancient Demon Egg.

As he continued to nurture and refine it, he faintly sensed a weak wisp of spiritual consciousness emerge from deep within the Ancient Demon Egg.

The astonishingly terrifying life force deep inside the Demon Egg was also slowly reawakening.

By his estimation, it would take at least a year of work to hatch the ferocious creature within the Demon Egg.

One day, the sound of a Jade Chime rang out from outside the Jade Tower.

Fang Cheng's expression shifted, and he slowly withdrew his power.

"Master, Miss Yun is here."

Li Huan's soft voice came from outside the tower.

With a wave of his sleeve, Fang Cheng put away the Ancient Demon Egg and said, "Come in."

The doors to the Jade Tower slowly opened, and Li Huan walked in, accompanying Yun Qiuyuan.

The young woman was still dressed in tight-fitting black leather armor that highlighted her slender waist and long legs. Her features were exquisite, and her entire being radiated a pure, beautiful aura.

Li Huan watched Yun Qiuyuan with great interest in her beautiful eyes, a hint of amusement in her gaze.

She found it quite strange. Why would an Early-stage Life Talisman Cultivator be associating with a Dharma Great Power?

'The crucial thing is, her Primordial Yin is still intact...'

'Could this be one of the Master's leisurely dalliances?'

After taking a seat, Yun Qiuyuan said with a radiant smile, "Elder Fang, Ascendant Red Bright has learned about you impersonating Xi Yinglong and wreaking havoc in Taiyi Cave Heaven. You must never go to Red Bright Immortal City again."

Fang Cheng knew she was well-informed. He simply smiled and asked, "And how is Xi Yinglong now?"

Yun Qiuyuan replied, "He managed to preserve a wisp of his soul with a Red Sky Fire Talisman. After he returned to Red Bright Immortal City, Ascendant Red Bright personally intervened to save him and reconstructed his Dharma Body. However, his cultivation and strength have been drastically reduced. It's a miracle he even survived."

"The incident caused quite a stir in Red Bright Immortal City. I hear Ascendant Red Bright is furious."

When she finished, she fixed her dark, bright eyes on Fang Cheng, as if waiting to see his reaction.

But to her surprise, Fang Cheng remained perfectly calm and composed, looking completely unconcerned.

Fang Cheng mused for a moment, then said, "I'll need to borrow your Ten Thousand Transformations Bead for a while longer."

Yun Qiuyuan blinked. 'I was right,' she thought. 'This old demon has his sights on me, but he's unwilling to use force, so he's playing these games of feigned indifference.'

Now that she had avenged her blood feud, she had no other attachments in this life. Over the past few days, whenever she replayed the details of her time with Fang Cheng, she found it increasingly incredible.

'He knew full well that I possess a Tribulation Realm inheritance and its treasures, yet he restrained himself and didn't lay a hand on me. It completely subverts everything I thought I knew about Demon Cultivators.'

'Later, as I carefully mulled over the way Elder Demon Fang looked at me, I belatedly had a flash of insight.'

'Could it be that in his eyes, the inheritance and treasures I carry are less interesting than I am?'

'Perhaps in his eyes, everything I have is already his for the taking…'

'If he had used force, he'd be no different from Nangong Chilong of the Yin Yang Sect, and I would have hated him for the rest of my life.'

'By not using force, he's showing that he wants to win my heart as well.'

Yun Qiuyuan's heart was in turmoil for a long time.

She could have chosen not to come for their appointment regarding the Feathered Immortal Tree in the Illusory Sun Sea.

The price, of course, would have been the Heaven-Stealing Sect's ultimate treasure: the Ten Thousand Transformations Bead.

Without it, she would be just an ordinary Life Talisman Cultivator, unable to use more than ninety percent of the Heaven-Stealing Sect's Mysterious Secret Techniques.

But she would be free from his "demonic clutches."

'What should I do?'

Over the past few months, the old demon's handsome face had flashed through her mind time and again.

In the end, she had chosen the Ten Thousand Transformations Bead.

'I must preserve the sect's legacy for my master…'

So the young woman had thought to herself before stepping into the Gloomy Valley.

At this moment,

In response to Fang Cheng's request to borrow the Ten Thousand Transformations Bead a while longer, the young woman gave a soft, alluring smile. "Return it whenever you're finished," she said. "There's no rush."

Fang Cheng then asked, "The Feathered Immortal Tree should be appearing soon, right?"

Yun Qiuyuan replied softly, "Any day now."

Fang Cheng said, "In that case, you can cultivate upstairs for the next few days. We'll head out to sea once the Immortal Tree has appeared."

Yun Qiuyuan nodded, then rose to her feet. After bidding the two of them farewell, she went upstairs.

Li Huan, ever tactful, said, "Master, why don't I go keep watch by the sea? That way, I can notify you the moment the Feathered Immortal Tree appears."

"A good idea," Fang Cheng said, satisfied. "Take a few Magical Artifacts to protect yourself."

With that, he selected two Fourth-rank Magical Artifacts from his recent spoils and handed them to Li Huan.

The Li Huan Demon Emperor smiled as she accepted the Magical Artifacts. She gave him a deep curtsy, then turned with lithe grace and departed the Jade Tower.

…

On the third floor of the Jade Tower.

Inside a magnificent and luxurious suite.

Yun Qiuyuan took in the exquisite furnishings of the room, and her heart relaxed slightly.

A Profound Light flashed around her, and the tight leather armor vanished, replaced by a shimmering, smooth Spirit Silk Robe.

Suddenly, a wisp of Demonic Light materialized in the room, from which a tall, handsome figure emerged.

"What… are you doing here?"

Yun Qiuyuan turned her head, asking the question though she already knew the answer.

Fang Cheng sat down in a large chair and looked at her. "I had some free time," he said. "How about I offer you some guidance on your cultivation?"

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon her, his admiration and approval unconcealed.

The tight silk robe Yun Qiuyuan now wore clung to her beautiful legs, making them appear slender and soft. Her pearly white ankles were exposed, an exceptionally pleasing sight.

She was barefoot. Her small, fair feet were slender and lovely, with toes like tender bamboo shoots. Her toenails were painted a deep crimson, resembling plump, round cherries, ripe and tantalizingly seductive.

A blush crept up Yun Qiuyuan's pretty face. With a flirtatious glimmer in her eyes, she sat cross-legged on a nearby jade mat, tucking her feet away. "Have you had your fill of looking?" she pouted.

Her voice was velvety and sweet, and her innocent face held a thousand different charms.

Fang Cheng didn't answer, instead inviting her, "I have a Secret Technique. Come closer and I'll tell you."

Yun Qiuyuan bit her red lip, then let out a soft giggle and shook her head in refusal.

Fang Cheng simply beckoned with a finger, and a powerful surge of Magical Power pulled the young woman into his lap.

With a soft cry, she landed on his lap, her perky bottom as full, round, and firm as a ripe peach.

Fang Cheng wrapped his left arm around her slender waist, his voice low and intimate. "I gave you a chance…"

"That was just your feigned indifference."

A playful light danced in Yun Qiuyuan's beautiful eyes. Amidst her pure yet cunning demeanor was a natural, seductive charm.

Her red lips, with their rosy luster and delicate texture, were an invitation for a kiss.

"But you still came."

Fang Cheng lowered his head to meet hers. The young woman shyly welcomed his advance, her tongue playful and nimble.

After a long moment,

When they finally broke apart, the young woman's eyelids were lowered and her fair cheeks were flushed. "You helped me claim my vengeance," she said softly. "It's only right that I give myself to you."

She then lifted her beautiful, alluring eyes. "Weren't you going to guide my cultivation?" she cooed. "What are you waiting for?"

Faced with her bold and expectant gaze, Fang Cheng felt a chord strike within his heart. He instantly made up his mind to savor this delicate flower, meticulously and in every detail.

…