Chapter 331: The Return of the Spirit Lance

Chapter 331: The Return of the Spirit Lance

Xue Yan's pupils constricted.

Surrender or death? This mysterious person, who seemed to be the Spirit Lance, actually wanted him to surrender?

For a moment, Xue Yan couldn't decide whether to call the other party confident or foolish, but he could sense the killing intent emanating from the mysterious figure.

If he didn't agree to surrender, he feared he would truly die.

"Xue Yan, I'll give you five seconds to consider. If you don't agree, then go to hell," Li Yuan said coldly, "Five, four, three..."

Whoosh!

"I am willing to surrender," Xue Yan suddenly knelt on one knee and said in a deep voice, "I, Xue Yan of the Thousand Demon Civilization, am willing to submit to my master."

However, Xue Yan's heart was filled with coldness and murderous intent.

Master? Once he escapes this predicament and leaves the Ming Xu Star Realm, he must find a way to kill this idiot.

Of course, Xue Yan also guessed that the mysterious person before him had most likely obtained the treasures of the Civilization Mothership, which was why he had such permissions.

But!

So what if he obtained the treasure? As long as Xue Yan escapes and returns to the Thousand Demon Civilization, the other party wouldn't be able to do anything to him.

A true man can bow when necessary and rise again. As long as he survives, Xue Yan doesn't mind temporarily lowering his head.

"Damn it! If it weren't for encountering those idiots like the Thousand Scale Emperor and the Sky Serpent Sovereign, who used up my life-saving treasure, I could have escaped too," Xue Yan cursed inwardly.

Previously, when he had just entered the Sacred Land, he had used up the life-saving treasure bestowed upon him by his master, Bei Yue.

"Good."

"This is the right thing to do, Xue Yan. You are a talented individual, and talent is precious," Li Yuan said with a smile.

How could he not understand Xue Yan's thoughts? It was likely that he was only pretending to submit while planning to turn against him.

"Words are not enough proof," Li Yuan looked down at him, "Make a Law Oath."

Upon hearing this, Xue Yan's heart coldly scoffed, "As expected, he's an idiot. A Law Oath? The Oath won't take effect until I become a deity, and even if I break the Law Oath, it won't take my life."

A Law Oath did have binding power, but it couldn't restrict one's inner thoughts, nor would it directly kill those who swore it.

If one were to break a Law Oath, the most severe backlash would be a significant reduction in the speed of comprehending the mysteries of the Law.

Compared to becoming a servant, one's life was naturally more important.

But for Xue Yan, his goal had always been to become a Fifth Rank Deity... He wasn't the least bit afraid of a Law Oath.

Those who feared Law Oaths were usually those who desperately craved power.

"A Law Oath?"

Xue Yan's face seemed to show a hint of struggle, and after hesitating for a long time, he said, "I don't know what my master's name is."

"Spirit Lance," Li Yuan said coldly, "What's the matter? Is making a Law Oath so difficult for you?"

Up to this point, Li Yuan had not revealed his identity as Li Yuan.

He was concerned that Xue Yan might have some secret communication treasure on him, so he was being cautious until he had complete control over the situation.

Xue Yan's face showed signs of struggle, and finally, it seemed like he had made up his mind. He slowly said, "I am willing to swear by the Law of the Dao..."

He quickly made the Law Oath.

"Good."

"Xue Yan, now release your soul's resistance, I need to set up a restriction in your soul to prevent you from betraying me," Li Yuan said coldly.

"Soul Restriction?" Xue Yan's expression changed, and this time, he was truly shocked.

He was well aware that among the deities, there were many treasures that could control servants. If he were to betray, the restriction would activate, and the consequences for the servant would be dire.

"What's the matter? Are you unwilling to submit to me in your heart, even though you're pretending on the outside?" Li Yuan stared at him coldly.

"Rest assured, this restriction won't harm you, nor will it affect you. After setting up this restriction, I'll send you back to the Thousand Demon Civilization so you can continue to provide me with intelligence," Li Yuan said coldly, offering him a tempting promise.

Xue Yan's heart stirred, and he was moved. He had originally thought that Spirit Lance would take him back to the Seven Star Civilization. If he was sent back... Soul Restriction?

In the Thousand Demon Civilization, there were several deities, so how could they not remove a Soul Restriction set up by a Second Rank life?

In any case, Xue Yan's heart rose with a glimmer of hope.

"I am naturally willing to submit to my master," Xue Yan said in a deep voice, "Good, I'll release the restriction, but I hope my master will be careful... in setting up the Soul Restriction, or I might be injured."

If his body was injured, it could be easily healed with Primordial Energy.

But if his soul was injured, it could result in severe damage to his Essence Energy, or even turn him into an idiot or cause his soul to collapse.

"Rest assured."

"Relax and don't resist," Li Yuan looked down at him, secretly using the 'Nine Refinements of Soul Mind' technique.

Whoosh~

An invisible wave of psychic energy swept through, as if a sharp needle directly penetrated Xue Yan's soul.

"Ah~" Xue Yan felt excruciating soul pain.

"Don't struggle. It's normal to feel pain. It's just a restriction, and it will be over soon. If you struggle, don't blame me if your soul collapses," Li Yuan said coldly, continuing to deceive him.

In truth, if Xue Yan resisted with all his might, it would be difficult for Li Yuan to control him completely. At the very least, Xue Yan could self-destruct his soul, and their power wasn't far apart.

After all, Li Yuan was only a Flying Heaven Rank soul, stronger than Xue Yan but not by a large margin.

Demigods and Ethereal Deities could control their enemies' souls by first severely damaging them with soul attacks, rendering them unable to struggle... But Li Yuan couldn't do this.

However, Li Yuan was good at deception.

As expected, under Li Yuan's coercion, Xue Yan dared not resist, enduring the excruciating soul pain and allowing Li Yuan to continue acting within his soul... The entire process lasted about ten minutes.

Suddenly, Blood Flames vaguely sensed something was off. He felt numerous thoughts involuntarily rising within his heart, and a glimmer of light burst forth from his eyes, accompanied by a hint of fear:

"Not right! Not right! Spirit Gun, this isn't a Soul Restriction - it's the Heart and Soul Control Method mentioned by my Master!"

"No!"

"I absolutely refuse to be controlled by Heart and Soul!!" Blood Flames abruptly burst out in a furious roar, his eyes flashing with determination.

Surface submission? Being bound by a Soul Restriction? Blood Flames thought he might still have a chance to break free in the future.

But being controlled by Heart and Soul? That would be the end of everything!

Whack!

A palm slapped down on Blood Flames' body, sending his newly recovered physique crashing to the ground, spewing out a mouthful of fresh blood, utterly powerless to resist.

"Realized?"

"Too late!" Li Yuan's voice was icy cold as nine thoughts burst into Blood Flames' soul like a raging torrent.

The final step of Heart and Soul Control had begun - Controlling the Heart.

"Ah!" Blood Flames wanted to struggle, to self-destruct his soul, but to his horror, he discovered he could no longer manipulate his soul.

In the previous ten minutes, he had let Li Yuan exert his control... and had already lost autonomous control over his soul.

"Finished!!" Blood Flames' heart was filled with despair, and boundless hatred: "Unforgivable, unforgivable."

"Damnable Spirit Gun, capable of exerting Heart and Soul Control? Deceiving me?"

He would rather die than be controlled by Heart and Soul.

...

One minute later.

"Master!" Blood Flames, covered in blood, knelt on the ground, his eyes filled with reverence: "Blood Flames, at your service, Master."

This time, it was genuinely from the heart.

"Ha ha, good." Li Yuan revealed a smile, with a hint of fatigue in his eyes.

Exerting Heart and Soul Control once was extremely draining.

But the payoff was worth it; through the Heart and Soul Imprint, Li Yuan could clearly sense Blood Flames' thoughts, which were now absolutely submissive from the heart.

This was true enslavement.

Like Soul Restrictions, Law Oaths, or Servant Contracts, none could control a servant's inner thoughts... Only Heart and Soul Control could directly alter a person's inner self.

"The number one Source Warrior of the current Million Demon Civilization, now under my control." Li Yuan smiled.

Li Yuan also felt a hint of vigilance in his heart: "In the future, I must guard against enemies and never be controlled by Heart and Soul... Once controlled, it's almost equivalent to death."

"No, it's more terrifying than death."

With a single order from the Master, a servant would kill their spouse or children without hesitation, and would genuinely believe it was the right thing to do.

How frightening was that?

Of course.

Heart and Soul Control wasn't absolute; there were four methods to lift it. The first was for the Master to lift the control.

The second was to kill the Master; with the Master's death, the servant's Heart and Soul Imprint would naturally dissipate.

The third was for the servant's power to grow, and as their soul's strength increased, they could break through the Heart and Soul Imprint's seal, unknowingly regaining their freedom.

The fourth was for an extremely powerful being, well-versed in souls, to help break the Heart and Soul Imprint.

"'Heart and Soul Nine Refinements' is a technique created by a powerful being among the Heavenly Gods." Li Yuan thought to himself: "Even if the Heart and Soul Imprint I've laid down is weak, at the very least, a True God at the peak would be needed to unlock it without harming Blood Flames' soul."

Naturally, if Blood Flames wanted to regain his freedom by himself, becoming a Virtual God at the peak would be sufficient... After all, Li Yuan's exerted Heart and Soul Imprint was only 'Half-God level'."

"No rush."

"Blood Flames will take a long time to become a Half-God at the peak."

"I'll wait until my power grows stronger, refine the 'Virtual God-level Heart and Soul Imprint,' and then re-imprint it on his soul." Li Yuan thought to himself.

Heart and Soul Control wasn't a one-time, permanent solution, but its benefits were immense, allowing for the gain of an absolutely loyal servant.

"Blood Flames."

"I'll let you leave soon."

"Upon returning to the Million Demon Civilization, focus on your cultivation." Li Yuan instructed: "I'll have the Seven Star Civilization's intelligence network secretly contact you, periodically sending back some intelligence. Remember, before breaking through to the God Realm... don't forget to send me a message."

With Blood Flames' talent, even under the influence of the Heart and Soul Imprint, which greatly reduced his potential, he still had hopes of becoming a God.

And Li Yuan would continue to assist him.

"Yes, Master." Blood Flames replied respectfully: "Master, do you need the inheritance and treasures I previously obtained?"

"No need."

"This time, you're not returning as a failure, but as a success." Li Yuan shook his head: "When you return, don't reveal the secrets of the Mother Ship's inner layers... Just tell the Million Demon Civilization and the Heavenly Law Civilization that the Mother Ship contains the inheritances of the Six God Realms..."

In the future, the Seven Star Civilization would inevitably have geniuses coming to receive the Mother Ship's Divine Inheritances. The news of the God Realms' inheritances would eventually spread.

So, concealing Blood Flames' identity was crucial.

"Also, don't stay in the Ming Yu Star Realm anymore." Li Yuan entrusted: "Directly return to the Million Demon Civilization."

"Yes." Blood Flames nodded.

Time passed.

Li Yuan arranged all the details for Blood Flames... Using the Mother Ship's authority, he let Blood Flames leave the ship.

"The plan is set in motion."

"If one day, Blood Flames becomes the leader of the Million Demon Civilization, that would be great."

"Li Yuan's eyes held a glimmer of anticipation.

The Thousand Demon Civilization posed a significant threat to the Seven Star Civilization, and the century-old enmity between them, especially the grudge over the destruction of the Flying Star, fueled the Seven Star Civilization's intense desire for revenge.

The Thousand Demon Civilization also yearned to annihilate the Seven Star Civilization.

...

Soon after, Li Yuan once again suppressed the Thousand Scale Emperor, employing the same technique as before.

However, the process was far more challenging.

The Thousand Scale Emperor's strength was formidable, with a Life Tier of 36, and the recent inheritance he had acquired made it a one-sided battle. Li Yuan found himself at an absolute disadvantage.

The fundamental disparity was evident.

Li Yuan was forced to utilize his mothership access to thoroughly suppress the Thousand Scale Emperor.

But!

After being completely suppressed, the Thousand Scale Emperor was surprisingly compliant. Li Yuan easily controlled him using the Soul Heart Mark.

'Master,' the Thousand Scale Emperor, resembling a fire qilin, respectfully addressed Li Yuan.

'Can you control the Ruin Beast Tribe alone?' Li Yuan inquired.

'Yes,' the Thousand Scale Emperor replied confidently.

'You don't need to give me the inheritance you obtained. Keep it for yourself, cultivate it well, and strive to become a demigod in the future,' Li Yuan waved his hand. 'Additionally, you can choose to learn some of these Fifth Level Star Arts and Sixth Level Star Arts.'

Whoosh!

Li Yuan handed over some Star Arts to the Thousand Scale Emperor.

Due to the influence of the Law Oath, Li Yuan dared not disclose Star Arts above the Seventh Level. However, for those below the Seventh Star Arts, Chou Bingzun allowed Li Yuan to spread them freely, teaching them to anyone he wished.

'Thank you, Master,' the Thousand Scale Emperor felt that his master treated him, a servant, extremely well.

'Let's go. First, we'll deal with the Sky Serpent Sovereign,' Li Yuan smiled.

'That idiot,' the Thousand Scale Emperor's eyes flashed with a hint of murderous intent. 'He dared to plot against the master, and I'll kill him without the master having to lift a finger.'

In the past, the three Beast Sovereigns were like brothers... But at this moment, Li Yuan's enemies became the Thousand Scale Emperor's enemies.

'Alright,' Li Yuan smiled. 'I'll leave it to you, then.'

The two quickly left the inner layer and flew towards the outer layer of the mothership.

...

In the outer layer, a meditation room.

The Sky Serpent Sovereign lay quietly in the room.

'Damn it! The passage hasn't opened, and I've been unable to leave the mothership for so long,' the Sky Serpent Sovereign cursed inwardly. 'Hasn't the Thousand Scales entered the control chamber yet?'

If the exit passage were open, he would have fled long ago.

'But I've been hiding here, so even the Spirit Lance won't be able to find me,' the Sky Serpent Sovereign muttered to himself.

Suddenly—

'Boom!' The meditation room's door burst open, startling the Sky Serpent Sovereign. His heart raced with tension as he turned to look.

Upon seeing the figure at the door, the Sky Serpent Sovereign's heart relaxed, and he smiled. 'Brother Thousand Scales, you're out? How was it?'

'I've taken care of the Spirit Lance.'

'And you've obtained the inner layer inheritance. Come out,' the Thousand Scale Emperor said enthusiastically.

'Okay,' the Sky Serpent Sovereign replied without hesitation, and with a swift movement, he flew towards the Thousand Scale Emperor.

Completely unprepared.

The long years of companionship had made him quite trusting of the Thousand Scale Emperor.

Just as the two approached each other—

'Roar!' The Thousand Scale Emperor suddenly opened his mouth wide, viciously biting towards the Sky Serpent Sovereign's neck.

Whoosh!

'Whoosh!' Two hooves fiercely clawed at the Sky Serpent Sovereign's chest and heart.

Puchi! A spray of blood erupted.

'Thousand Scales!!' The Sky Serpent Sovereign was instantly critically injured, completely stunned, and unable to believe it.

'Dare to pursue the master? Die!' The Thousand Scale Emperor's eyes turned icy with murderous intent.

Boom!

The secret room's door slammed shut, preventing the Sky Serpent Sovereign from escaping even if he wanted to.

...

Two minutes later—

'Boom!' The door burst open, and the Thousand Scale Emperor, covered in blood, flew out of the secret room and respectfully approached Li Yuan.

'Very good,' Li Yuan said, collecting the artifact and becoming increasingly pleased with the Thousand Scale Emperor.

The Thousand Scale Emperor's strength was formidable.

With this servant by his side, the Ming Xu World would be as stable as Mount Tai. Even if Li Yuan left, the Heavenly Virtue Civilization would not be able to stir up any trouble.

The drawback was that he could only stay in the Ming Xu World.

As for the Sky Serpent Sovereign? Li Yuan had never considered enslaving him; it would be a waste of a slot.

'Wait for Xue Yan to eliminate his suspicions.'

'Let's continue our secluded cultivation for two more days inside the mothership,' Li Yuan said softly.

'Yes,' the Thousand Scale Emperor naturally obeyed.

...

Inside the meditation room, Li Yuan was unwilling to waste time and continued his diligent cultivation.

Although the observation and contemplation were painful, he couldn't slack off.

Grasping the mysteries of heaven and earth, observing various auxiliary cultivation treasures, and accumulating knowledge day by day.

Two days later—

'Let's go,' Li Yuan said, transforming into radiant light and flying towards the passage. The Thousand Scale Emperor quickly followed.

...

On the majestic Ming Mountain, which was thousands of kilometers tall.

The once beautiful Sky Serpent Lake had become dilapidated.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two figures burst out from the bottom and soared out of the water.

'Thousand Scales, do you remember my instructions?' Li Yuan looked at the Thousand Scale Emperor.

'I do.'

The Thousand Scale Emperor nodded respectfully. 'Master, I'll quickly gather the Flying Heaven Rank Beast Kings of the Ruin Beast Tribe and lead them to attack the Heavenly Virtue Civilization's base.'

"With this, we can not only destroy the Heavenly Virtue Civilization, but also significantly weaken the Ruin Beast Tribe's forces without them even realizing it." The Thousand Scale Emperor solemnly declared, "Everything is for the Seven Star Civilization."

Now, the Thousand Scale Emperor also considered himself a member of the Seven Star Civilization.

Li Yuan nodded in satisfaction.

Destroying the base of the Heavenly Virtue Civilization wasn't difficult. With the might of the mothership, its long-range cannons could decimate most of the lower-ranked Skysoar Warriors from afar.

But!

Exposing the fact that the Seven Star Civilization had complete control over the mothership would significantly increase the risk of Xue Yan's exposure.

Moreover, the remaining forces of the Ruin Beast Tribe were still too powerful.

In the future, they would be hard to control.

Thus, Li Yuan's plan was to conceal himself, pretending to have only obtained one of the six Divine Heritages of the Spirit Lance.

Then, he would let the Thousand Scale Emperor lead the Ruin Beast Tribe to confront the Heavenly Virtue Civilization, gradually dismantling their forces without them even noticing.

Until the entire Ming Xu World, its territories, and resources were completely under the control of the Seven Star Civilization.

"Go." Li Yuan instructed, "For the next period, I'll remain in the Ming Xu World. If anything happens, you can contact me through the Soul Imprint."

Masters and their Soul Mind Servants could connect through their souls; the stronger their souls, the greater the distance they could communicate across.

If both souls were powerful enough, they could even communicate across different worlds.

"Yes, Master." The Thousand Scale Emperor nodded.

He then transformed into radiant light and departed.

The Thousand Scale Emperor had obtained the 'Mother Ship Map Access' from Li Yuan, allowing him to easily locate the Beast Kings... With his accumulated prestige as the Beast Emperor over the years, and the fall of the other two Beast Emperors, it was destined that he would easily gain control over the Ruin Beast Tribe.

"Let's head back." Li Yuan watched as the Thousand Scale Emperor left.

"This trip to Ming Mountain has been extremely fruitful. In terms of wealth and treasures, many Demigods in the Seven Star Civilization can't compare to me." Li Yuan thought, "As for heritage... In terms of height, perhaps even the entire civilization's accumulation can't match mine."

Calculating, Li Yuan had already obtained two True Deity Heritages, one from an Earth True Deity and one from a Wind True Deity.

"I also got this Spirit Beast, a future Peak True Deity." Li Yuan felt extremely confident.

"Next."

"I'll just cultivate step by step. Now, I'm already the first Origin Warrior of the civilization."

"In the future, I'll strive to become the strongest Skysoar Warrior and the strongest Demigod." Li Yuan thought, "I'm not competing with the geniuses in the history of the Seven Star Civilization."

"Instead, I'm competing with the geniuses of the Third and Fourth Ranks in the Divine Realm." Li Yuan's thoughts were clear.

Only the ultimate geniuses of the vast Divine Realm were Li Yuan's benchmark.

"Until one day, I'll eradicate all threats in the Star Realms, making my Seven Star Civilization truly powerful." Li Yuan's heart was filled with longing, "To become as powerful as the Immortal Ruin Civilization."

The Immortal Ruin Civilization was absolutely formidable.

For a long time, the Immortal Ruin Civilization never worried about invasions from other civilizations within the Dimensional Realm.

"Let's return to the Bright Moon Base."

"After settling everything in the Star Realm, I'll head back to the Xia Nation to meet Uncle and Aunt." Li Yuan knew.

After half a year without news, even if Yu Jinghe had sent back a message, the civilization's elite probably wouldn't reveal too much to Uncle and Aunt.

His family must be very worried.

Whoosh! Li Yuan transformed into radiant light and soared into the sky.

...

Just as Li Yuan flew out of the Celestial Serpent Lake.

Inside a Tier Four Warship in the Bright Moon Base, in the conference room, only a single Life Crystal remained.

"Yu Jinghe said the Spirit Lance is still alive."

"But after so long, there's still no news at all?" Tavarez sighed lightly.

"Perhaps the Spirit Lance was alive back then, but what about now?" Jiang Zai also shook his head.

As Skysoar Warriors, they couldn't leave the Ming Xu World, naturally worrying about the future.

They weren't afraid of death, but that didn't mean they wanted to die.

Suddenly.

"Boom!" The Life Crystal, which had been white for several months, burst into dazzling red light.

"Hmm?"

"What? The Life Crystal is back?" Tavarez and Jiang Zai were both surprised and delighted.

A huge light screen suddenly appeared in the center of the conference room, displaying a figure in black battle armor, seemingly flying at high speed.

"So excited?" Li Yuan's voice carried a hint of laughter, "Send a message to Demigods like Bai Shan and San Ye, telling them I've obtained the Deity Heritage and emerged alive."

"Soon, you'll also be able to enter the Sacred Land and try to receive the Deity Heritage."

There were many benefits within the civilization's mothership.

While Li Yuan didn't need them, they would be helpful to most Skysoar Warriors.

"Good! Good."

"Deity Heritage?" Tavarez and Jiang Zai were both surprised and delighted.

...

"The Spirit Lance has returned." This news spread at an astonishing speed to Fang Hai, Bai Shan, San Ye, and others.

Dong Fang Ji also learned of it soon after.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end