Chapter 391: Agreement and Allegiance
"This isn't fair!"
The elder's angry shout reverberated in Xiao Tiance's ears, his imposing aura surging momentarily. However, Xiao Tiance's concealed spirit array ensured no one else would sense the commotion.
Meeting the elder's furious gaze, Xiao Tiance remained calm, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Fairness?
Heh, when has there ever been fairness in the Grand Thousand Worlds?
Besides, Elder, you seem to forget right now, you don't have the qualifications to demand fairness from me.
You're the ones in need of help, not me.
You've made a request, and I've stated my terms. This is merely a transaction. You pledge loyalty to me, offer the three of the Thirty Six Divine Powers you possess, and agree to serve me. In return, I'll set you free.
If you refuse, I won't force you. After all, the True Phoenix Clan is powerful, and I have no desire to court disaster unnecessarily."
Xiao Tiance's eyes gleamed briefly as he sighed. "You have a choice: either regain your freedom and serve me, venturing into the vast world with limitless possibilities, or rot away in this pitch dark dungeon, becoming nothing but three lifeless skeletons. The decision is yours not mine."
After saying this, Xiao Tiance fell silent, his gaze steady as he observed the three prisoners.
He wasn't in a hurry. His spirit energy continuously monitored the entire dungeon, ready to retreat at the slightest disturbance. But the three prisoners didn't have the luxury of time on their side.
Time passed, each second an eternity for the three, who wrestled with inner turmoil and hesitation. To them, it felt like centuries.
Finally, after about five minutes, the elder in the center exchanged glances with the other two. Their silent conversation concluded, and the three turned to face the small opening in the metal door. They nodded to each other, rose to their feet, and knelt on one knee in unison, their chains clanking loudly.
In one voice, they declared:
"Moyang, Huang You, and Di Yi Piaoxue swear allegiance to Lord Tiance from this day forth! We pledge our lives and loyalty to you!"
They bowed their heads in submission, their postures exuding sincerity.
Xiao Tiance's heart surged with joy. These were three Heavenly Supremes, one of whom had even reached the late stage of Immortal grade Heavenly Supreme! Although their power had been significantly diminished after tens of thousands of years of imprisonment, once freed and given time to recover, they could return to their peak.
When that day came, even if Xiao Xuan and the others hadn't yet reached the Heavenly Supreme realm, Xiao Tiance would have four Heavenly Supremes on his side, including himself.
However, trust was not easily given. Xiao Tiance understood the importance of caution, especially in dealings like this.
After a moment of thought, he smiled and said, "Please, rise, seniors."
"Yes, Lord Tiance!" the three replied respectfully, still communicating via telepathy.
Xiao Tiance didn't mind and continued, "Seniors, step back a bit. I'll first conceal the spirit array in this dungeon before freeing you."
"Yes!"
The three retreated quickly, their faces showing surprise as they watched Xiao Tiance conjure a golden flame in his palm.
It was none other than the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame!
The moment the golden flame appeared, the temperature within the concealed spirit array soared. In the next instant, Xiao Tiance directed the flame onto the metal door.
"Zzzzt!"
As the flame touched the door, it sizzled and glowed red hot, melting rapidly.
Within less than a minute, the door was burned through, leaving an opening large enough for a person to pass through.
The sight astonished the three prisoners. They were well aware of the durability of this metal door, having experienced its impenetrable strength over countless years.
For Xiao Tiance to burn through it so effortlessly left them marveling.
"Such a powerful flame! Even the strongest flame of the Fire Spirit Clan might not compare to this golden fire!" they thought, inwardly gasping in admiration.
Had they been at full strength, this metal door wouldn't have posed much of a challenge. However, their spiritual energy had been drained over thousands of years, and their pipa bones had been pierced, rendering escape impossible.
Outside the dungeon, Xiao Tiance didn't rush in. Instead, he carefully studied the spirit array patterns etched on the floor. After a moment, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"So, this is what's supposed to be a high grade weakening array? It seems the one who set it up was barely competent.
The only noteworthy aspect is the secondary array they added to draw energy from the surrounding spiritual qi to sustain the primary array's operation.
Still, for this array to function for tens of thousands of years without faltering is quite impressive," he murmured to himself.
Even as he evaluated the array, Xiao Tiance was already contemplating the best way to dismantle it. Initially, he had planned to brute force his way through, but upon closer inspection, he noticed a key detail:
In addition to the auxiliary array that powered the main one, there was another array specifically designed as a silent alarm.
"Ling'er, I'll leave this to you!"
"Understood, young master!"
Ling'er, who rarely refused Xiao Tiance's requests, immediately went to work. Sharing Xiao Tiance's perception, Ling'er quickly assessed the array's structure.
Ling'er was an expert in spiritual formations, and dismantling this array was a trivial task for her.
Moments later, as Xiao Tiance stood outside the cell, spirit sigils began appearing around him.
Before long, a massive spiritual array pattern emerged, enveloping the entire dungeon floor. The three prisoners watched in confusion as the array activated, its purpose still unclear to them.
With the spiritual array spreading across the entire floor, beams of light shot up one after another within the dungeon. However, due to the concealed spirit array, these beams went unnoticed by anyone outside.
"All done, young master," Ling'er said with a cheerful tone through telepathy.
Xiao Tiance nodded and stepped into the dungeon.
"Lord Tiance!"
Moyang, Huang You, and Di Yi Piaoxue bowed respectfully, though the clanking of their metal chains made their movements awkward.
Seeing this, Xiao Tiance smiled and said, "Please rise, seniors. There's no need for such formality.
Since I agreed to help, it's only natural for me to fulfill my promise. Enough talk let me remove those chains for you first."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Tiance summoned the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame once again.
Previously, the three had marveled at the flame's power. But now, curiosity overcame all else.
"Lord Tiance, what kind of flame is this? How can it be so powerful?" Moyang asked respectfully. "I once attended a banquet where I witnessed the Fire Spirit Clan's Reincarnation Heavenly Flame. While it was strong, it wasn't nearly as formidable as this golden flame you wield."
Huang You and Di Yi Piaoxue turned their curious gazes toward Xiao Tiance, eager to learn more about the mysterious fire.
"This is the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, ranked fourth among the Heavenly Flames. However, I doubt you've heard of the term 'Heavenly Flame.'
To clarify, I am not a native of the Grand Thousand Worlds. I come from a lower plane, where these flames are considered some of the most extraordinary treasures of heaven and earth."
After explaining, Xiao Tiance raised his left hand, splitting the golden flame into three smaller flames. Each flame landed precisely on the chains binding the three prisoners.
As with the metal door earlier, the chains quickly turned red hot, melting into liquid metal within less than a minute.
The sight filled Moyang, Huang You, and Di Yi Piaoxue with both astonishment and joy.
Xiao Tiance, too, felt elated as he freed them. However, before he could assist further, the three prisoners activated their inner spiritual energy. With a series of loud clinks, the shackles fell to the ground. Their clothes were stained with fresh blood, but none of them showed any signs of pain. Instead, their faces lit up with relief and excitement.
After being imprisoned for tens of thousands of years, the prospect of freedom was exhilarating.
"Hahaha, we're finally free!"
Moyang, Huang You, and Di Yi Piaoxue laughed uncontrollably through telepathy, venting their frustration over their long captivity and celebrating the hope of a brighter future.
Watching their near mad joy, Xiao Tiance couldn't help but think of a famous verse:
Life is precious, love is priceless, but for freedom, both can be cast aside.
It perfectly captured their current emotions.
"Enough excitement for now," Xiao Tiance said with a smile. "Your bodies are still weak. It's not the time to push yourselves too hard."
With a wave of his hand, Xiao Tiance retrieved a jade bottle from his spatial ring. He took out three pills, controlled them with his soul energy, and gently placed them before the three prisoners.
"These are special healing pills. Not only will they heal your injuries, but they'll also help stabilize and replenish your energy reserves.
Of course, I made these pills myself. If you're not confident in them, you're free not to take them. After all, if they were poisoned or tampered with, your lives would essentially be in my hands."
Before he could finish speaking, the three prisoners didn't hesitate for even a moment. They swallowed the pills immediately.
The next second, they circulated their spiritual energy to absorb the pill's effects. To their surprise, not only did their open wounds stop bleeding, but even the hidden injuries they had endured for countless years began to heal.
"Swish!"
Without a second thought, the three knelt on one knee and bowed deeply. "Thank you for the medicine, Lord Tiance. Moyang, Huang You, and Di Yi Piaoxue are forever grateful!"
Seeing their gratitude, Xiao Tiance was in good spirits. Using his soul energy, he helped them to their feet and said, "Seniors, there's no need for such formalities.
Still, I'm surprised by how quickly you accepted the pills. Weren't you worried I might have placed some kind of restriction on them?"
After standing, Di Yi Piaoxue and Huang You exchanged glances with Moyang. Smiling, Moyang replied respectfully, "Lord Tiance, if you intended to restrain us, it would've been far simpler to do so earlier while we were still shackled.
At that point, we couldn't even resist.
Instead, you freed us from our bindings without hesitation, proving you had no reason to tamper with the pills.
Lastly, even though we've only just met, we can tell you are a man of integrity. Otherwise, you could have easily tricked us during the negotiation, taking the Eternal Youth Technique without fulfilling your part of the deal."
"Hahaha, you flatter me," Xiao Tiance laughed. "I dislike forcing people, but I despise betrayal even more.
Since you've sworn loyalty to me, understand this: if you betray me, I have plenty of ways to deal with traitors.
However, I have no interest in petty schemes like placing restrictions or poisoning pills."
With a casual wave, Xiao Tiance changed the subject. "Now, I'll send you to a place perfect for recovering your strength. The environment there will greatly benefit your current state."
"Hm? Lord Tiance, aren't you coming with us to leave the True Phoenix Clan's ancestral grounds?" the three asked in unison, visibly surprised.
"I have a score to settle with the True Phoenix Clan," Xiao Tiance replied with a faint smile. "They dared to harm my disciple. If I don't make them pay, I won't feel at peace."
Though he smiled, the three could sense a faint, chilling aura of killing intent from him.
"Then we'll leave it to you, Lord Tiance," Moyang said after a moment of thought. The three knew they were in no condition to help Xiao Tiance and refrained from offering.
"No trouble at all," Xiao Tiance said, waving dismissively.
(End of Chapter)
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