Chapter 469: Chapter 456: A Transaction, a Demonic Woman
Even with Shen Lang’s disposition, he couldn’t help but be startled by Qian Luo’s appearance.
’Since that fellow Qian Luo has already appeared here...’
’...then the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder is most likely already in Zhuge Xian’Er’s hands.’
Because of the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder, the situation had begun to change, slowly spiraling in a direction that Shen Lang could no longer control.
Qian Luo’s appearance was a variable Shen Lang hadn’t accounted for.
After all, it hadn’t been long since he had entrusted the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder to Qian Luo.
Besides, Qian Luo was a Master of One Peak in the Holy Light Sect. He wasn’t a fool; he knew how powerful the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder was and would have acted with extreme caution.
He never expected that even the people of the Holy Light Sect hadn’t noticed anything, yet an outsider like Zhuge Xian’Er had captured him so easily...
’This Zhuge Xian’Er is truly remarkable!’
At that moment, the faces of the three Elder Ancestors behind Shen Lang drained of color, and they each became extremely uneasy.
Shen Lang had already told them about Qian Luo, so they also knew about the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder!
The Silent Extinction Divine Thunder was not something to be trifled with...
Especially since they had learned from Shen Lang that it was one of the three remaining Silent Extinction Divine Thunder Kings from the North Netherworld Extreme Heaven Sect!
In the face of something like that, even a King Martial Realm expert was fragile to the point of being unable to withstand a single blow.
"My lord, this has nothing to do with me! I didn’t say or do anything... and I was so careful! Even those old monsters from the Holy Light Sect didn’t notice a thing!" Qian Luo wailed miserably the moment he appeared.
Zhuge Xian’Er smiled faintly and said, "It was merely a coincidence. That day, Xian’Er happened to be in the Holy Light Sect’s forbidden grounds. I suddenly felt my mind grow restless, so I decided to check on the situation there."
"I have practiced a Cultivation Technique that can expand my Divine Sense several times over for a short period, allowing me to sense the heartbeat and blood flow of anyone within a ten-li radius. Although Qian Luo was well hidden, the matter was of great importance, so his heart was racing, which allowed me to discover the anomaly."
"Afterward, I used the Mind Control Technique to make him reveal Brother Shen’s plan, and I obtained this item."
As she spoke, Zhuge Xian’Er extended her right hand, her palm open and flat.
Resting on her palm was the very same Silent Extinction Divine Thunder she had taken from Qian Luo!
Shen Lang glanced at the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder, his expression unchanging, and said nothing.
But the three Elder Ancestors behind him jumped in fright!
Their hearts were already pounding with worry that this thing had fallen into Zhuge Xian’Er’s hands, and now she had actually taken it out!
Holy hell, this was enough to scare a man to death!
If that Silent Extinction Divine Thunder were to detonate, the entire Dark Moon Abyss would be razed to the ground, and not a single person here would escape!
Although the Defense Power of the Array within an Array below was astonishing, it was primarily a Killing Array, not a Defensive Array.
To withstand a Silent Extinction Divine Thunder of this magnitude was likely...
The three Elder Ancestors’ faces turned deathly pale as they fell into a panic.
Within the Grand Array, the Elder Ancestors maintaining the Array were also thrown into chaos.
It couldn’t be helped. In the face of such a thing, an ordinary person simply couldn’t remain calm.
The Elder Ancestor of the Xiu Hua Sect, Gong Lanyan, sighed and said, "You old monsters have truly lived all these years for nothing. What’s there to be afraid of? If she really dares to use that Silent Extinction Divine Thunder, we’ll all just die together. Do you really think that with her Cultivation at the King Martial Realm Second Heaven, she could escape the range of the Energy Burst in such a short time?"
"You should all learn from Xiaolang. Look at him, his expression hasn’t changed from the very beginning. He hasn’t even blinked."
Gong Lanyan’s words made the group of old men blush with shame.
Just then, Zhuge Xian’Er closed her hand, gripping the terrifying Silent Extinction Divine Thunder in her palm.
She said softly, "Xian’Er deeply admires Brother Shen’s methods. If Qian Luo had truly managed to plant this Silent Extinction Divine Thunder in the Holy Light Sect, then with but a thought from you, I’m afraid not a single one of us, including the entire Holy Light Sect, would have escaped."
"Are you mocking me?" Shen Lang said, raising an eyebrow. "Now that you’ve foiled my backup plan and the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder is in your hands, those words aren’t exactly pleasant to hear."
Zhuge Xian’Er shook her head. "How would Xian’Er be qualified to mock Brother Shen? Foiling this move was a complete coincidence. In truth, the people of the Holy Light Sect don’t trust us. So for this entire period, we have mostly been arranged to stay outside the sect at Sheye Cliff, and we rarely enter the Holy Light Sect’s forbidden grounds."
"If Qian Luo had gone to the forbidden grounds a little earlier or a little later, he never would have run into me. And even if he had, if I hadn’t known of Brother Shen’s extraordinary methods and immediately investigated upon feeling uneasy, I would never have noticed anything abnormal about him."
Shen Lang raised an eyebrow. "Coincidence or not, you foiled it. It’s done, and I have nothing to be embarrassed about. Let him come over. Using him as a bargaining chip is useless. In fact... even with that thing in your hand, it’s still not enough of a chip."
The Silent Extinction Divine Thunder was incredibly powerful; that was beyond doubt.
However, as one of the three remaining Silent Extinction Divine Thunder Kings of the North Netherworld Extreme Heaven Sect, it wasn’t something that just anyone could obtain, infuse with their Divine Thought, and then control.
The creation of a Silent Extinction Divine Thunder was an utmost secret, and its activation likewise required a special technique.
Even if Zhuge Xian’Er had obtained the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder, if she didn’t know how to activate it, it was just a useless object that couldn’t affect the current situation.
But although Shen Lang said this, his gaze remained extremely cautious.
There were too many surprises in this world. After all, man proposes, but God disposes.
For anything, one could never be one hundred percent certain of success until the very end.
With Zhuge Xian’Er’s methods, since she had already brought Qian Luo out, it was impossible that she would try to threaten Shen Lang with a Silent Extinction Divine Thunder she couldn’t even activate.
Ten thousand years ago, the North Netherworld Extreme Heaven Sect had been wiped out by the Candle Dragon. Most of its members had died, and the rest had scattered like birds and beasts.
The number of North Netherworld Extreme Heaven Sect disciples currently hiding in the Four Wildernesss was by no means small.
Even if the Zhuge Xian’Er before him had some connection to the North Netherworld Extreme Heaven Sect and could activate the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder, it would be a perfectly normal turn of events.
Zhuge Xian’Er nodded slightly, then extended a hand and made a "go ahead" gesture toward Qian Luo.
Qian Luo stared at her blankly and pointed to his own nose. "Miss, are you letting me go? Are you really letting me go? Are you sure? What if..."
"Forget it. You’d better just keep him," Shen Lang interrupted, speaking to Zhuge Xian’Er with some resignation.
"Nooo!"
Qian Luo let out a wail and swooped down, leaving everyone unsure whether to laugh or cry.
At that moment, Zhuge Xian’Er’s expression turned grave.
She began to rotate her left palm over the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder, her five fingers continuously forming complex Hand Seals.
At that instant, the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder suddenly released a divine radiance!
Shen Lang’s heart sank. He could feel that the Divine Thought he had left inside the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder had been completely erased!
In an instant, he had lost control of the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder!
’Zhuge Xian’Er... she really does know how to use the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder!’
"Brother Shen must know by now that this object is under my control. In fact, my father has deep ties to the Sect that created this. Otherwise, I would have suffered a miserable defeat this time."
"My mother and I have depended on each other for a thousand years. If she cannot walk out of this Dark Moon Abyss, I will not live on alone."
Shen Lang said coldly, "Is that a threat?"
Zhuge Xian’Er shook her head. "This is not a threat; it’s a negotiation. When the Blood Ancestor Tomb appears, the world will fall into chaos. Brother Shen will need someone like me to help you share the burden and manage everything. The matter with the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder was merely to demonstrate my skills. After all, the person Brother Shen needs must be of some use."
"Let my mother and her two senior apprentice-uncles leave, and I am willing to sign a Soul Contract with Brother Shen, follow you, and help you rise to power in these chaotic times!"
After saying this, Zhuge Xian’Er looked at Shen Lang quietly, her previously casual gaze turning resolute.
"No! Xian’Er, you can’t give yourself to him for my sake! If you do this, I would rather die in this Killing Array!"
Within the Grand Array, Shui Tianji once again cried out frantically.
Zhuge Xian’Er’s earlier words had stirred her heart, bringing all her buried emotions to the surface.
All the regret, all the self-blame, all the love...
Now, hearing that Zhuge Xian’Er was willing to offer herself up to save her, she could no longer control herself...
Zhuge Xian’Er gave a wry smile and said, "Mother, don’t worry. Although it’s a Soul Contract and I spoke of following him, it doesn’t mean I am giving away my life and everything I have."
"I hope this Soul Contract is one of equals, and I hope Brother Shen will not restrict my freedom. Our relationship will be one of cooperation. I can guarantee I will never betray you and will certainly do my utmost. That is all."
Shen Lang’s eyes flickered. "I have no interest in becoming a hegemon in chaotic times, but you guessed correctly. I am indeed building my own power and wish to recruit heroes from across the land."
"Then, I wonder, am I qualified? And what does Brother Shen think of my proposal?" Zhuge Xian’Er asked.
As she spoke, she flicked her hand. A piece of Beast Hide spun through the air and flew toward Shen Lang.
Shen Lang caught it and saw that it was a contract.
Written on the Beast Hide were just a few clauses, exactly what Zhuge Xian’Er had described.
It was a contract of equals, though the scales were tipped slightly in Shen Lang’s favor.
Though not a relationship of master and servant, it was like that of a general and a soldier.
Then, Zhuge Xian’Er added, "I spent over three hundred years building an organization called ’Night Soul,’ whose influence spreads throughout the entire Western Wilderness. Night Soul is currently controlled by Four King Martial Realm experts. Their combat strength might not be that great, but they are pervasive, and for the past few centuries, they have been observing the world’s situation and gathering all sorts of information for me."
"If Brother Shen is willing, ’Night Soul’ will naturally become a force under your command and swear fealty until death."
Zhuge Xian’Er, holding the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder, had complete control of the situation, yet she cast aside this ultimate trump card.
Instead, she used herself and the force she had built as bargaining chips—chips that were so incredibly tempting, they were nearly impossible to refuse.
A faint smile finally appeared on Shen Lang’s previously wooden face. He nodded and said, "Your proposal is one I cannot refuse... If you aren’t qualified, then no one in this world is."
"I, Shen Lang, have never been arrogant, but this is the first time someone has forcefully snatched control of a situation from me, leaving me with no other choice."
As he spoke, Shen Lang slit his fingertip and signed his name on the contract with flamboyant, flowing strokes...
The contract erupted in a brilliant flash, and two beams of light shot into Shen Lang’s and Zhuge Xian’Er’s bodies respectively.
In the unseen world, the two of them now shared a connection.
Although Zhuge Xian’Er had seized the initiative and led him step by step, Shen Lang felt no frustration or displeasure in his heart.
On the contrary, he was happier than he had ever been—a happiness that came from the bottom of his heart.
Whether it was how Zhuge Xian’Er had walked a tightrope, navigating the space between her family and Shen Lang...
...or how she had ultimately produced and taken control of the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder.
Everything she did flowed as smoothly as clouds and water, utterly perfect.
She had even used this opportunity to resolve the enmity between Shen Lang and Shui Tianji, using something like the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder as a threat, yet she had done it in a way that caused Shen Lang no resentment. He even felt it was perfectly justified.
And the terms she offered—who could possibly refuse?
In Shen Lang’s eyes, Zhuge Xian’Er’s emotional and intellectual intelligence had both reached a monstrous level.
In some aspects, even he was likely her inferior.
In this contest, who had won and who had lost was no longer meaningful.
It was the first time Shen Lang had the upper hand stolen from him, but what he had gained was far more, far greater, than just having the advantage!
A monstrous talent as stunningly brilliant as her was worth an army of a million men!
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