"It seems you've quickly mastered the technique of using the power of the Broken Prison Space." Watching Pei Yan use the Instant Teleportation Technique, bypassing the many obstacles of the Holy Hall and appearing in the cabin alongside him, the Demon God showed a look of approval and praised him.
"How could skills gained in exchange for one's life be learned slowly?" As he spoke, remembering that the Demon God didn't smoke, Pei Yan pretended to extinguish the cigar in his hand.
"If you enjoy it, keep smoking! I don't mind it!" The Demon God waved his hand to stop Pei Yan's action, then sat on the sofa with a bitter smile and said, "I truly invested heavily in you this time, far beyond my expectations! I'm starting to suspect that Lin Junzhao might have foreseen all this, which is why he agreed to my condition to send you here."
"You could interrupt at any time!" Following the Demon God's words, Pei Yan didn't extinguish the cigar this time. He casually sat opposite the Demon God and said disapprovingly, "I don't know about others, but you could certainly have forcibly interrupted that ritual. Yet, when my life was on the line, you chose to continue infusing the soul of the artifact into me. You were betting! Betting I could pull through! Betting I could grow stronger! Now that you've won that bet, our relationship is mutually beneficial, so don't make it sound like charity. Now, Demon God, let's talk about what you want to achieve with such a significant investment in me!"
"Hehehe, for a kid in your early twenties to be sitting on equal terms negotiating with me! In the past, you'd already be a dead man." The Demon God leaned back on the sofa, scrutinizing Pei Yan with interest and sneered, "But today is different from the past. Firstly, you're useful to me, and secondly, I genuinely appreciate you!"
Pei Yan didn't take a single word of the Demon God's latter sentence to heart, but he put on an expression of being flattered. Perhaps satisfied with his performance, the Demon God continued with a smile, "The tasks I previously required you to do are naturally to be done, but more importantly, I want you to ensure the peace and dignity of the Demon Race for the next few thousand years."
"Cough, cough, cough! Demon God, aren't you exaggerating? Selling myself to your Demon Race for thousands of years? Moreover, protecting the peace of the Hell Plane, if you can't protect it, what can I protect with? Besides, I can't live that long!" Upon hearing this request, Pei Yan choked on the smoke in his throat and, after a few dry coughs, refused with words.
"You can certainly manage it! Absorbing the Demon Race Essence Blood, your physique has greatly improved. Even if the lifespan of a superhuman isn't as long as other plane cultivators, living three to five hundred years after breaking limits is no issue. Considering the reverse time differential between the Foundation Plane and the Hell Plane, ensuring peace for thousands of years shouldn't be a problem, right? Didn't I remind you that I've invested seven Divine Artifacts in you! I need to see a return!"
The Demon God tapped the armrest of the sofa with his fingers, frankly saying, "I'm not asking you to live and die with my Hell Plane. If the day comes that even I can't protect my own home, I wouldn't expect an outsider to sacrifice themselves with me. But Pei Yan, you need to realize that regardless of whether this upcoming battle results in war or peace, even if my Demon Race survives this storm, it is bound to enter a low period. The next few thousand years will see no major movements, only a quiet recovery of vitality. And what I require from you is, if someone acts against my race during this period, it shouldn't always need a Lord of the Plane to solve it, right? As an ally, you are needed at such times to fulfill obligations and eliminate calamities for the Demon Race. Of course! Small matters won't bother you, but when it's strong enemies I'm inconvenient to deal with and my subordinates can't handle, wouldn't you say this request isn't excessive?"
"Seven times!"
"What?" The Demon God was taken aback and asked in response when he heard Pei Yan utter those two words.
"A few thousand years is too long, and I have my own life to manage. The scope you're talking about is too broad! How would I know how to set that standard? Seven times! After the end of this war and the restoration of peace, I'll solve seven crises for your Demon Race. One Divine Artifact for one time! As long as it's not against my Foundation Plane, I will do everything in my power to complete any affair for you."
"One Divine Artifact for just once? Pei Yan, you're overestimating yourself! It's not unthinkable to use a Divine Artifact to have a Source Body act once!" The Demon God frowned deeply and retorted, dissatisfied.
"The reason you invested in seven Divine Artifacts in me, isn't it to bet on my future development! As long as I don't die, one day, I will be invincible under the Source Body!" An outsider might think Pei Yan was arrogant hearing this sentence, but having already touched that threshold while breaking past soul limitations, he knew it wasn't unachievable, and his true goal in his heart was even more ambitious. It was just not the right time to say it now.
"A Divine Artifact may win a Source Body's action, but are you willing to lose it for no reason? Even if you are, just for a Divine Artifact, there's still a need for goodwill, right? Look at me; it's much more suitable! Demon God, you speak transactionally, not personally. Seven times! As long as it's not the Source Body acting personally, no matter what the difficulty, I'll face any danger for you!"
"Hehehe, only if you don't die! But sudden events are unpredictable, what if you die before reaching the top?" The Demon God leaned forward and locked eyes with Pei Yan, questioning.
"If I die, my Investigation Bureau has heroes! I'll leave someone to fulfill my promises! Rest assured, I'll never renege on my word!" Pei Yan extinguished the cigar in his hand, also leaned forward, and stared back at the Demon God, declaring word by word.
The two stared at each other for a long time without seeing any hint of concession in the other's eyes. After a while, the Demon God leaned back on the sofa and said irritably, "Fourteen times! One Divine Artifact, two actions!"
"Eight times!"
"I'm a grand Demon God negotiating here with you, and you just increase it by one?"
"Nine times!"
"Twelve times! Not a single one less!"
"Ten times! Not a single one more!"
"Deal!"
After a round of negotiations, the Demon God sat on the sofa, fuming, and stared at Pei Yan angrily, "I believe what Kane said, compared to the Magic Realm, you deserve the title of vampire more!"
"Thank you for your compliment!" Pei Yan slightly bowed, not ashamed but proud of this evaluation.
"Heh heh heh heh heh!" The Demon God watched Pei Yan's move, not upset but instead laughing, not expecting someone to refuse the Source Body's request and haggle so hard, he got up to open a nearby icebox, took out a top-quality fine wine exclusive to the Demon Race, bit off the cork with his teeth, nonchalantly spat it aside, disregarding his status and downed a large mouthful. After satisfying burping, he turned back to Pei Yan and said in a deep voice, "We've talked about the distant future, now let's discuss the immediate concerns!"
