Chapter 81: Spirit Animal Blood Pact!
"No, I -I'll never harm another soul again. Please, you must believe me!"
The parasite sobbed pitifully, with a face full of pleading.
Ling Feng, clutching the golden needle, waited for the right moment before speaking, "I may spare you, but on one condition: you must form a blood pact with me. Only then can I be certain that you won't harm anyone in the future."
"Blood pact?" The parasite blinked its small eyes. "What's a blood pact?"
"It means you must stay by my side from now on, do you understand?"
"Is that so? Well, I'm feeling hungry now. Can I eat..." The parasite raised its gaze to assess Ling Feng, its voice tinged with timidity, as if afraid Ling Feng might punish it for its greediness.
"I won't let you starve!"
Ling Feng raised an eyebrow, swiftly agreeing. With few friends around but plenty of foes, he had no shortage of "food" to offer this little bug.
"Okay then, I'll form a blood pact with you!" The parasite, reassured that it wouldn't go hungry, eagerly consented.
Ling Feng felt secretly delighted, he hadn't anticipated the parasite to be so easily deceived. Maintaining a composed demeanor, he simply remarked, "Alright, I will now imprint the pact mark into your body. Don't resist."
"Okay, okay." The parasite nodded eagerly, fearing Ling Feng might reconsider and end its life.
Taking a deep breath, Ling Feng performed the hand gestures for the spirit animal pact. Soon after, he activated his true qi and inscribed a mark. Following that, he bit his fingertip, allowing the mark to merge with his blood. It shimmered with a red light before being infused into the parasite's body.
The parasite watched with curiosity as the mark appeared, offering no resistance as the droplet of blood-red ink merged into its body.
Soon after, the blood-red mark faded away, and Ling Feng sensed a subtle, almost imperceptible link forming with the parasite in his mind. He could faintly perceive the creature's condition.
Ling Feng had only utilized a basic master-servant contract. With the advanced contracts employed by beast tamers, this connection would be even stronger, allowing for complete control over the spiritual beast's every movement.
"Done."
As Ling Feng put away the golden needle, he observed the puncture marks on the parasite's body. They swiftly healed at a visible speed, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished, leaving no trace of injury.
Once more, Ling Feng couldn't help but marvel. This parasite must be an ancient species with remarkably potent bloodlines. Otherwise, how could it possess such extraordinary abilities?
"Wow, I'm finally free!"
With its translucent purple wings flapping, the parasite circled around Ling Feng before obediently landing on his shoulder.
No larger than a thumbnail, the creature resembled a purple crystal in its entirety. If it weren't for its size, one might mistake it for a beautiful badge rather than a bug resting on Ling Feng's shoulder.
"Now that you're my spiritual pet, let's give you a name," Ling Feng remarked, casting a glance at the parasite. "By the way, do you already have a name?"
"No, I don't," the parasite replied sadly, "When I woke up, I was all alone, no father, no mother to care for me, sobs..." It began to sob loudly.
"Alright, alright," Ling Feng said, rolling his eyes. "From now on, you'll be called Zifeng[1]. How does that sound?"
"Sounds good! Sounds good!" Zifeng eagerly agreed, nodding. "I have a name now, yay!"
"Zifeng, from now on, you'll stay attached to my chest like this on my clothes. Don't move around recklessly, and you're not allowed to use your abilities or communicate with others without my permission. People outside might not be as friendly as me, and if you're discovered, you could be in danger at any moment."
"Okie dokie." Zifeng nodded eagerly. "Master, I'll listen to you!"
"Good," Ling Feng said, pleased with successfully coaxing Zifeng into compliance. Then, he turned his gaze to Yue Zhonglian, who remained unconscious nearby.
Checking the time, Ling Feng noted that it was about time for the Cangqiong sect leader to wake up.
Sure enough, about half a quarter-hour later, Yue Zhonglian slowly regained consciousness.
"Ugh..."
He groaned softly, his awareness emerging from a void where he had believed himself to be dead.
To his surprise, he found himself waking up once again.
Opening his eyes, Yue Zhonglian saw a slightly pale face.
It was Ling Feng.
Excessive use of the Eye of Plunder had left Ling Feng extremely weak at that moment.
The Eye of Plunder was initially capable of drawing the vital essence of flesh and blood from its target, converting it for personal empowerment, leading to increased prowess in subsequent use. However, Ling Feng had effectively sealed off Yue Zhonglian's soul and spirit, preventing any absorption. Hence, Ling Feng found himself weakened to such an extent.
"Young friend, I..."
"Rest assured, Sect Leader, I've taken care of the parasite within your body," Ling Feng assured slowly. "All that's needed now is for me to use the Life Creation Needle again to complete the vitality diagram for you. Then, naturally, you can regain your peak state."
Yue Zhonglian could hardly believe it; he never imagined that he had actually survived the near-death experience, narrowly escaping death.
"Thank you, young friend, thank you so much..."
Yue Zhonglian's face was brimmed with emotion, not out of fear of death but because of the numerous unfulfilled desires lingering in his heart.
Moreover, his own sons were simply inadequate to shoulder the responsibility of leading the Cangqiong Sect.
"Master, please refrain from speaking for the time being and don't worry about other matters. Rest well today, and I will come back tomorrow to administer another round of acupuncture."
Ling Feng took a deep breath, then bowed respectfully to Yue Zhonglian. "I'll take my leave now."
...
On the first floor of the Waterside Pavilion.
The sect leader's wife Hong Lian, Yue Yunlan, Elder Wen, Elder Liu, and several other high-ranking figures from various sects, all gathered in the hall, quietly awaiting the outcome.
In addition, two young men in their early twenties, with handsome and spirited appearances, were also present in the hall.
These two individuals were none other than Yue Zhonglian's eldest and third sons, Yue Chengjie and Yue Tianqun.
Since Yue Zhonglian fell ill, most of the affairs within the Cangqiong Sect had been overseen by these two. The brothers, busy competing for power and advantage, scarcely had time to attend to their father's illness.
However, today was an exceptionally crucial moment for Yue Zhonglian. Hence, apart from his second son, Yue Tengfeng, who was stationed as the Zhengyuan General at the border and unable to return to the sect, everyone else rushed over.
Madam Hong Lian held a string of Buddhist beads in her hand, silently offering prayers for the sect leader's well-being.
Yue Yunlan tightly gripped Qiao Qiao's arm, her anxiety so palpable that her forceful grasp caused Qiao Qiao's delicate face to pale.
As Qiao Qiao hesitated on whether to ask Miss to release her arm, a figure finally emerged from the staircase.
Swish!
Yue Yunlan dashed out like a gust of wind, her voice urgent as she inquired, "How is it?"
Upon spotting Yue Yunlan, Ling Feng displayed little surprise, merely nodding faintly and stating composedly, "The Sect Leader is now out of danger."
"Phew..."
Upon Ling Feng's words, Yue Yunlan visibly released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. With emotions running high, she seized Ling Feng's hands, exclaiming with excitement, "That's wonderful, absolutely wonderful!"
The sect leader's wife, overwhelmed with joy, tears streaming down her face, exclaimed, "Thank the heavens, it's truly marvelous, truly marvelous!"
"This kid, hahaha, I knew I hadn't misjudged you!"
Wen Tingguang laughed heartily. Initially, he had some doubts, but now, he could finally put his mind at ease.
Yue Chengjie and Yue Tianqun felt a mix of emotions upon hearing this news.
The competition for the position of sect leader had left them somewhat disoriented, but they weren't so desperate as to wish for their father's demise to such an extreme extent.
Knowing that their father could recover, they had to temporarily suppress their ambitions.
Caught off guard by Yue Yunlan's sudden grasp, Ling Feng felt a twinge of embarrassment. He cleared his throat and said, "Miss Yue, you..."
"Ah!"
Yue Yunlan only then realized her momentary loss of composure. Quickly releasing Ling Feng, she stepped back, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she covered her face. "I-I'll go up to check on my father first!"
After speaking, she dashed up the stairs as if fleeing the scene.
1. Zi means purple. As for the word 'Feng', The author used the word 'Feng' from Ling Feng, which means sharp point/sharp edge. It sounds similar to 'Mi Feng' which means honey bee. ☜
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