Chapter 295 - Spiritual Blood Contract
The crippling pain surged through Xun whenever the filth touched his body. He screamed to Han Wu, desperation breaking through his voice. “Please take me away from here. Please, I beg you. We will both die if we stay!”
Han Wu lunged at the tail with his claws and all four arms, trying to tear it off, but it resisted every attempt. Xun held onto him as if his life depended on it—because it did.
A low growl rumbled from Han Wu as he spoke in Demonese. “I can avoid the filth, but you cannot. You will be the one dying here.”
He had mastered Demonese after spending time here.
Despair flickered across Xun’s face, but he refused to surrender. “Such misfortune! I warn you again. Bring me away, or we will die together!”
Xun aimed his tail at Han Wu’s heart and attempted to pierce it.
Han Wu sensed the tiny movement instantly and intercepted the tail with ease. The tail itself was rubbery and difficult to tear, but its tip was different. Han Wu seized it with his claws, gripping it with unyielding force. A sickening crack of bone echoed through the air, and Xun’s face flushed crimson with pain.
“Do you have any other tricks up your sleeve? If not, it’s my turn!” Han Wu raised one arm, summoned Soul Reaper, and swung it viciously at Xun.
Xun tried to block with his bone blades, but the Soul Reaper phased through them, then solidified again to slice through his body. The pain almost made Xun faint.
“Misfortune! Misfortune! Such misfortune!” Xun screamed like a frenzied demon as the Soul Reaper tore into his flesh. His blood dripped to the ground, drawing the Abomination closer, which vomited more filth before hurling it through the air.
Han Wu dodged each projectile with ease, while Xun was flung about like a ragdoll. He swung left and right as the acidic filth pelted him, burning his skin. At this point, Xun faced death from either blood loss or the corrosive assault.
Yet he still harbored untapped potential, and he refused to die here. Desperation clawing at his voice, he cried out one last time to Han Wu, “I surrender! I will pay any price for you to let me live!”
Han Wu’s gaze remained cold. “I wish nothing more than your death.”
Xun sensed his killing intent and used his final trump card. “No wait! I will recognize you as my master! I possess the ability to forsake my current form and become your shadow. That way, I can fight by your side! I can sign a Spiritual Blood Contract with you as my master! I will become your slave, and you will have absolute control over me.
“If you kill me, you gain nothing but a worthless corpse and a few enhanceable body parts that won’t suit you. If you accept the Spiritual Blood Contract, you will gain a powerful servant. Please, trust me—I do not want to die!”
Xun nearly screamed the final words, and Han Wu finally paused his swings. The proposition intrigued him. Xun’s power was considerable for a Demon Lord, and turning him into a slave would only strengthen Han Wu. Moreover, the Spiritual Blood Contract was unbreakable. Once signed, Xun would obey every command, even if he fled to another civilization.
“Don’t try to play games with me, or you will regret it,” Han Wu growled, beginning to forge the Spiritual Blood Contract.
Xun froze as he read the contract. It contained only one line: “The soul, life, and thoughts of the slave all belong to the master.”
That single sentence sealed every possibility of betrayal. If he signed, he would become Han Wu’s slave forever, in life and in death.
Han Wu handed him the contract, Soul Reaper in hand, ready to claim Xun’s soul at any moment. “It’s up to you if you want to sign it or not.”
The Abomination below vomited a torrent of filth in its hand and was about to hurl it into the air again. One touch of that filth would kill Xun without question.
“Fine! I’ll sign it,” Xun said, surrendering to preserve his life. As long as he lived, there was hope.
He signed the Spiritual Blood Contract. Strange runes erupted across his skin, spreading until his scarlet flesh darkened into an inky black. The scarlet-skinned, green-tailed Xun vanished, replaced by a living shadow. He grumbled softly and merged into Han Wu’s own shadow.
Han Wu noticed the transformation immediately—his shadow now bore Xun’s shape. At the same moment, a surge of strength flowed through him as Xun became his servant. All of his enhanceable body parts responded, and the four Swordwind Arms advanced to Stage 3.
Four traits appeared as options for his newly enhanced limbs.
[Option 1: Steelcutter – Channels the power of all four limbs into a single, devastating strike. Becomes stronger with each stage.]
[Option 2: Cursed Wind – Imbues wind blades with curses. Enemies struck have a chance to be cursed. If all four limbs share this trait, curse strength rises to 2,000%, and struck enemies are guaranteed to be cursed. Becomes stronger with each stage.]
[Option 3: Aura Wind – Infuses wind blades with aura. Increases all wind-attribute attack damage by 500%. If all four limbs share this trait, damage rises by 1,000%. Becomes stronger with each stage.]
[Option 4: Plague Wind – Imbues wind with plague. Enemies struck have a chance of infection. If all four limbs share this trait, the effect increases by 3,000%. Becomes stronger with each stage.]
Han Wu stared at the four traits in astonishment. Each trait was potent, and any single one could dramatically boost his combat power. After careful thought, he chose the first option.
Steelcutter was likely a trait born from Steely’s influence. Han Wu had seen its strength firsthand, and he trusted in its power. He gazed down at the massive Abomination beneath him after choosing Steelcutter.
The Abomination still flailed, trying to strike Han Wu from the air with its regurgitated filth. Han Wu took a deep breath. He did not have four greatswords at his disposal, so he summoned the Defiant Sword, Soul Shaver, and Soul Reaper. He channeled the wind’s power, condensing it across all four weapons, then fused them into a single massive wind blade stretching 100 meters.
He swung the immense wind blade downward, and it tore through everything in its path. Even the formidable Abomination sensed the attack’s strength and raised both arms to block it.
A loud crack resounded as the Abomination managed to fend off Steelcutter with its enormous arms. The blade, which had sliced through countless tough objects before, struggled against the Abomination’s sheer strength.
Han Wu activated the Defiant Sword’s special property and converted all the wind damage into slicing damage. Against its absolute sharpness, even the Abomination’s arm couldn’t hold it back. With a swift stroke, Han Wu severed one of the Abomination’s hundred-meter-long arms. The cut was as smooth as a polished mirror.
The Abomination only realized what had happened when a torrent of defiled blood and clumps of greasy fat burst from the stump. The foul liquid sprayed upward in a foul crimson geyser.
The volume was far too great for Han Wu to dodge entirely. One bead of blood splashed against him. His Dragon Scales withstood the corrosive fluid for three seconds, burning through half of it before the rest ate through the scales and sank into his flesh. His cells fought back in a desperate, furious repair, just barely neutralizing the remainder.
One drop of the Abomination’s blood can cut deep enough for me to see my own bones, he thought grimly.
Han Wu turned to leave at once, but Xun’s voice stopped him. “Master, we need to take the Abomination’s severed arm. If it reattaches it, all your effort will be wasted.”
Han Wu gave a curt nod and lunged for the arm while the Abomination was still howling in pain. The severed limb towered over him, its pinkie alone dwarfing his size, yet he grabbed hold and dragged it away.
Xun morphed into a rope and coiled himself tightly around the arm, lending his strength to the effort.
The Abomination snapped out of its pain and roared in outrage as it realized its arm was gone. Han Wu had taken it away with it!