Chapter 898
Chapter 898
“This junior can give it a try, but I need the protection of all the seniors, and no one can disturb me.” Fu Shaoping finally decided to take action. Firstly, this was a good opportunity to gain the trust of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion; secondly, he also wanted to test the effect of the “Contract Order” dual core on this kind of evil contract.
"Alright!" Master Mo nodded. "Everyone, disperse and protect Young Friend Lu! Smiling Fox and Zhou Suanzi, you two keep watch around; Elder Liu and Elder Li, be ready to deal with any emergencies; Sword Maniac, you stay three zhang away from Young Friend Lu, and if anything happens, immediately lead him back!"
The veiled woman—Elder Liu—nodded slightly, standing on either side of Elder Li. Sword Madman walked to a spot three zhang away from Fu Shaoping and stopped, his giant sword planted firmly on the ground.
Fu Shaoping took a deep breath, walked to the edge of the altar, and sat down cross-legged.
He first activated his source core, mobilizing pure contract power to create a layer of pale golden protection around himself. Then, he cautiously extended a wisp of contracted spiritual consciousness towards the soul crystal at the center of the altar.
As soon as he entered the altar area, Fu Shaoping felt a cold, greedy suction force coming towards him, trying to devour his spiritual consciousness! He immediately steadied his mind, and the power of the contract transformed into the characteristics of "protection" and "purification" to resist the suction force.
The spiritual consciousness slowly approached the soul crystal. The closer it got, the stronger the resentment and malevolent contract rules it sensed became. Countless remnant souls of devoured beings wailed and struggled within the soul crystal, forming a distorted "contract field."
Fu Shaoping did not force an attack. Instead, he used the "Contract Sensation Synchronization" secret technique recorded in the "General Outline of Contract Source" to make his contract fluctuations mimic the aura of the altar rules but at a higher level—like the purified evil contract characteristics contained in the black fragments in the dual core of the "Contract Command".
Sure enough, the repulsive force of the altar weakened somewhat.
Fu Shaoping seized the opportunity and his spiritual sense suddenly touched the surface of the soul crystal!
In an instant, a massive amount of resentment and evil contract rule information rushed in! If it weren't for the "Guardian Contract" rune protecting his soul core and the source core continuously providing pure contract power, he would probably have been corrupted and devoured in an instant!
"Now!" Fu Shaoping thought to himself.
He drew upon a trace of power from the dual cores of the "Contract" in his arms—not the power of order from the dark gold fragment, but the "evil contract control" characteristic of the pitch-black fragment!
A wisp of dark purple light, with pale gold edges, silently entered the soul crystal, following his spiritual sense!
The soul crystal trembled violently! The wails of the vengeful spirits inside suddenly rose in pitch, then quickly weakened! The entire altar's operation momentarily halted, and a tiny flaw appeared in the evil rule that was extracting souls!
“Senior Mo!” Fu Shaoping called out loudly.
Master Mo, who was already prepared, used a jade talisman inscribed with complex runes to transform into a stream of light, precisely piercing through the flaw and striking the soul crystal!
"break!"
The jade talisman shattered, and countless silver runes, like chains, instantly covered the surface of the soul crystal!
"Crack!"
The soul crystal developed cracks and finally shattered with a crash!
The gray barrier surrounding the altar receded like a tide, and the chilling suction force vanished without a trace. The runes on the altar quickly dimmed, turning into ordinary black stones.
"We succeeded!" Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Master Mo looked at Fu Shaoping with more admiration: "Young friend Lu is indeed extraordinary! His application of the power of the contract has reached a state of perfection."
Fu Shaoping stood up, his face somewhat pale, a sign of excessive spiritual energy consumption: "Senior, you flatter me. It was just a fluke."
"No need to be modest." Elder Liu spoke for the first time, his voice clear and cold as a spring. "You were able to escape unscathed from the rules of the Soul-Sucking Altar and even successfully interfere with the array's core. This is no accident. The Heavenly Mystery Pavilion will not fail those who have made contributions."
Fu Shaoping felt a sense of relief. He had passed this hurdle.
The group continued onward, encountering several more dangers, but they all passed through them without incident.
On the tenth day, the group finally reached the summit of a high peak deep within Broken Soul Ridge.
Standing atop the peak, one can clearly see the entrance to a massive canyon dozens of miles ahead. The canyon walls on both sides are as steep as if cut by a knife, and the valley is filled with colorful mist—this is the "Valley of Burial Gods"!
At this moment, deep within the valley, a faint seven-colored light is slowly rising!
"An unusual light is about to appear!" Master Mo's spirits lifted. "Everyone, record the characteristics of the phenomenon, the fluctuations in spiritual energy, and the changes in space! Zhou Suanzi, calculate the location and duration; Elder Liu, be on guard against any potential dangers; everyone else, stay put!"
Fu Shaoping also stared intently in that direction.
The seven-colored light grew brighter and brighter until it finally shot into the sky, rendering the seven-colored mist in the valley shimmering with light! Within the light, countless runes could be faintly seen flowing, exuding an ancient, weathered aura, while also carrying a hint of chaos and evil!
The source core and the fragment of the "contract" resonated intensely at this moment! The two fragments almost burst out of the body, pointing towards the direction where the light was rising!
Fu Shaoping suppressed his excitement and observed carefully.
The seven-colored light lasted for about fifteen minutes before slowly dissipating. The valley returned to calm, with only the seven-colored mist flowing gently.
"Have you finished recording?" Master Mo asked.
"Recording complete!"
“Okay, we…”
Before Master Mo could finish speaking, a sudden change occurred!
"Hiss hiss hiss—"
Several jet-black chains shot out without warning from the shadows beneath their feet, heading straight for several people in the group! The targets were none other than Master Mo, Elder Liu, Elder Li, and—Fu Shaoping!
"Enemy attack!"
Elder Liu reacted the fastest, his sword energy crisscrossing, severing the chains aimed at her! Master Mo and Elder Li also used their respective methods to defend themselves.
The moment the chains appeared, Fu Shaoping felt a sense of foreboding. He activated his "Shadow Step," shifting three feet to the side with uncanny speed, dodging the chains. But the chains seemed to have a life of their own; they twisted and attacked again!
At the same time, eight figures emerged from the surrounding shadows. They were shrouded in black robes, wore plain white masks without any patterns on their faces, and exuded a cold and eerie aura. All of them were at the Golden Core stage!
"Shadow Guards!" Master Mo's expression changed drastically. "'Dark Contract' Shadow Guards! What are they doing here?!"
A secret pact! It really was that organization!
Without a word, the eight shadow guards attacked simultaneously! Their attacks were unpredictable and could be launched from the shadows. Chains, short blades, soul spikes... every move was deadly, and their perfect coordination instantly separated the team!
"Form the formation!" Master Mo shouted.
The disciples of Tianji Pavilion quickly formed a defensive formation, but the Shadow Guards' attacks were too cunning, and the formation was on the verge of collapse. Two of the recruited cultivators had already fallen seriously injured!
Fu Shaoping was being closely watched by two shadow guards. Their attacks contained a trace of evil power similar to the black fragments of the "Contract Order," clearly targeting him specifically!
"We've been exposed!" Fu Shaoping's heart sank. It seemed that there were spies within the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, or that the other party had special means to track the fragments of the "Contract Order".
We can't hide it anymore!
Faced with the black chains attacking again, Fu Shaoping's eyes flashed with golden light!
"Order - Town!"
The power of the contract, interwoven with dark gold and dark purple, erupted with a roar! A palm-sized, illusory "contract token" with flowing runes appeared before him, radiating a majestic power that suppressed everything!
The chains of the two shadow guards collided with the illusory figure, melting away instantly like ice and snow meeting the sun! They grunted and retreated rapidly!
"He is indeed a carrier of the 'Contract Order'!" a cold voice rang out from the leader of the Shadow Guards. "Capture him alive! As for the rest, kill them without mercy!"
The eight shadow guards launched an even more urgent attack!
Master Mo and his companions felt immense pressure. Although the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion was powerful, their opponents had come prepared and employed unpredictable methods.
"Elder Liu! Take Young Friend Lu and leave first!" Master Mo gritted his teeth and said, "We'll cover their retreat!" Elder Liu forced back two shadow guards with a sword strike and flashed to Fu Shaoping's side: "Let's go!"
Fu Shaoping knew this was not the time to hesitate. He glanced at the group struggling in the fight, gritted his teeth, and nodded.
Elder Liu took out a silver talisman and slammed it onto the ground!
"Thousand-Mile Escape Talisman!"
A burst of silver light enveloped her and Fu Shaoping. The space fluctuated violently, and their figures blurred instantly.
"Trying to leave?" The leader of the shadow guards sneered, took out a small black banner, and shook it violently!
Countless vengeful spirits surged out of the banner and rushed towards the silver light! At the same time, the surrounding space was disturbed by an evil force, and the silver light of the escape talisman flickered violently, as if it was about to collapse!
Just then, the fragment of the "Contract Order" in Fu Shaoping's arms vibrated spontaneously once again! An even more ancient and vast power of the contract flowed into the Void Escape Talisman along with the power of his contract!
The silver light stabilized instantly, tore through space, and vanished without a trace!
"Chase them!" the Shadow Guard leader roared, but he could no longer sense the spatial fluctuations between the two.
"Report to the Lord: The bearer of the 'Contract' has appeared in the Valley of Burial Gods, together with a Golden Core cultivator surnamed Liu from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion. They have already used a Void-Breaking Talisman to escape, and their direction is unknown. Requesting reinforcements to expand the search area!"
"Yes!"
The leader of the Shadow Guards glanced at Master Mo and the others who were fighting desperately, a cruel glint in his eyes: "Kill them all, leave no survivors."
The battle became even more brutal.
Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, in a desolate valley, a flash of silver light appeared, and Fu Shaoping and Elder Liu fell to the ground.
Fu Shaoping spat out a mouthful of blood. He forcibly activated the power of the "Contract Order" fragment, and the spatial tearing caused by the Escape Talisman made his injuries quite severe.
Elder Liu was in slightly better condition, but her face was still pale. She quickly set up a concealment formation, then looked at Fu Shaoping with a complicated expression.
"You're indeed extraordinary. 'Contract'... what's that?"
Fu Shaoping wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said with a wry smile, "Senior Liu, this is a long story. I..."
Elder Liu raised his hand to interrupt: "No need to explain. Everyone has their own secrets. I only ask you: Why did the Dark Contract Organization want to capture you? Is that 'Contract Order' related to the strange light in Burial God Valley?"
Fu Shaoping was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Yes. The 'Contract Token' is a fragment of an ancient treasure of contracts, and the Dark Contract Organization has been searching for it. The strange light in the Burial God Valley is very likely related to other fragments of the 'Contract Token'."
Elder Liu's eyes flashed with a sharp light: "An ancient contract treasure... No wonder. The Heavenly Mystery Pavilion also deduced that a great treasure related to an ancient contract would appear in the Burial God Valley, but unexpectedly someone has already come with fragments."
She looked at Fu Shaoping and suddenly asked, "Would you be willing to cooperate with me?"
Fu Shaoping was taken aback: "Cooperation?"
“Indeed.” Elder Liu said slowly, “The Dark Contract Organization is powerful and uses strange methods. You are alone and cannot fight against it. Although our Heavenly Mystery Pavilion does not participate in the power struggle, we are also interested in the secrets of the ancient contract treasure. More importantly… the Dark Contract Organization has been making frequent moves in recent years, as if it is plotting something big, which has already threatened the balance of the Northern Territory. The Pavilion Master has ordered that if there are any clues, we may intervene as appropriate.”
“Let’s cooperate. You provide information and insights related to the ‘Contract Order,’ and I will provide the resources and connections of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion for cover. Together, we will investigate the secrets of the Burial Valley of Gods and thwart the Dark Contract Organization’s conspiracy. What do you say?”
Fu Shaoping's mind raced.
Cooperating with the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion would be more beneficial than harmful. However, he must be cautious.
"Senior, cooperation is possible. But I have two conditions."
"explain."
"First, I need to keep my identity absolutely confidential. Apart from the seniors and the sect leader, no third party can know my true origins or the 'contract'."
"can."
"Secondly, if the fragments of the 'Contract Order' are found, their ownership must be negotiated. Furthermore, the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion cannot force me to hand over any fragments I already possess."
Elder Liu pondered for a moment: "The ownership of the fragments is negotiable. I swear on my Dao heart that the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion will never force you to hand over what you already possess."
Fu Shaoping nodded: "Alright. Then this junior... is willing to cooperate with you, senior."
Elder Liu's expression softened: "In that case, you can call me Senior Sister Liu from now on. When you are out in the world, you will still be my disciple 'Lu Ping'."
"Yes, Senior Sister Liu."
Elder Liu took out a cyan token and handed it to Fu Shaoping: "This is the token of a guest elder of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion. With this, you can get some help in various branches of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, and you can also conceal your aura to avoid some low-level tracking methods."
Fu Shaoping took the token; it felt warm and smooth to the touch, and was engraved with complex celestial runes.
“Let’s heal our wounds here first. In three days, we will head to ‘Cold Moon City,’ where there is a secret stronghold of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion. We need to learn more about the Dark Pact Organization and the Valley of Burial Gods.”
"Yes."
Fu Shaoping took the pill and began to regulate his breathing.
He hadn't expected to be embroiled in such a huge turmoil so soon after setting foot in the North. But what was done was done, and he had no choice but to move forward.
The secrets of the Dark Pact organization, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, the Valley of Burial Gods, and the complete mystery of the "Pact Order"...
The turmoil in the North has only just begun.
His way of contracting will write a new legend on this ancient and chaotic land.
Cold Moon City
Three days later, Fu Shaoping's condition had basically stabilized.
Elder Liu—now known as Liu Rushuang—gave him a set of blue Daoist robes befitting an outer disciple of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, and used a disguise pill to slightly alter his appearance, making him more reserved and less conspicuous.
"Cold Moon City is located in the west-central part of the Northern Territory. It is a neutral city controlled by the Loose Cultivator Alliance, a place where all sorts of people mingle and intelligence flows very quickly. The Heavenly Mystery Pavilion's stronghold there is ostensibly a bookstore called 'Knowing Heaven Pavilion,' and the manager's surname is Zhou. He is a veteran of our pavilion and can be trusted."
The two left the valley where they were hiding, changed their clothes, and mingled with a caravan heading to Coldmoon City, making their way inconspicuously.
Half a month later, the majestic city walls of Coldmoon City appeared on the horizon. The city was named after Coldmoon Lake in its center. The lake water was icy cold all year round, and on moonlit nights, it reflected the moonlight, creating a scene of unparalleled serene beauty.
After entering the city, Liu Rushuang led Fu Shaoping through a maze of streets until they reached a relatively quiet street in the west of the city. At the end of the street, a quaint three-story study stood quietly, with the three seal characters "Zhitianxuan" inscribed on its plaque. (End of Chapter)