Chapter 89: Ebon Deity's Negotiation

Chapter 89: Ebon Deity's Negotiation (Thank You to 'Shenxiang Jiucang' Patron)

Faced with He Dayou’s sudden surge of strength, Zhang Yu’s lips curled into a faint smile. He’d already anticipated this.

“The competition team truly is formidable,” he mused. “They’ve improved so much in just days. He Dayou’s Physical Strength Level is actually slightly higher than mine now… but…”

Zhang Yu had deliberately chosen a strength contest to test his recent cultivation progress.

As he tensed his muscles, his body coiled like a twisted rope—every fiber compressing and levering against itself until explosive force erupted from his limbs, channeling into his palms.

With the boost of Level 10 Crimson Marrow Primordial Qi and his unparalleled control over his physique, the raw power he unleashed now far surpassed anyone with comparable Physical Strength.

Boom!

He Dayou felt an irresistible force slam into him, flipping him backward like a ragdoll before he crashed onto the ground.

The familiar blur of motion, the cold hardness of the floor, the searing pain across his body—He Dayou staggered up, dazed.

This scenario felt… eerily familiar.

Had he been defeated again?

Just like their last clash, after his Physical Strength Level had skyrocketed, he’d still lost?

He shot Zhang Yu a disbelieving glare. “How is his strength so much greater? Did his Physical Strength Level surpass mine?”

Nearby, Qian Shen and Zhao Tianxing exchanged astonished glances.

Qian Shen muttered, “Did Zhang Yu improve more than He Dayou?”

Zhao Tianxing wondered, “How? How many Physical Strength Levels has Zhang Yu gained in such a short time? Could his progress outpace even the Special Training Program?”

---

After school, He Dayou recounted the incident to Lan Ling at the sports team’s training ground.

Lan Ling frowned. “His Physical Strength Level couldn’t possibly exceed yours.”

“He bested you because his technique is superior. You…” She paused, then grabbed him with a flick of her wrist, rendering him limp as a puppet.

“You lack control over your muscles—especially the transplanted ones. You’re not harnessing your true strength,” she said, releasing him. “Continue your surgeries and training. Once you integrate more muscle fibers and master their power, you’ll surpass Zhang Yu for good.”

---

At sunset, Zhang Yu traced Crimson Marrow Primordial Qi through his body as he walked home.

The moment he opened his apartment door, he froze.

Sitting on his bed was a tattered cloth doll deity, its button eyes like black voids staring at him.

Ebon Deity?

The doll creaked, “My loyal servant, kneel before me. This is my wish.”

The Contractual Ritual roared in Zhang Yu’s mind, forcing him to one knee with a clang.

The doll cackled. “Never thought it’d come to this. In mere months, a random pawn I placed has grown into a force to reckon with.”

She sighed, her voice softening. “If I hadn’t heard you’d claimed first place in the martial arts competition at Songyang High…”

Her bitterness ebbed. She’d returned partly because of his rise, but mostly out of desperation—she couldn’t go back.

Once a titan of the Ebon Deity, she’d retired, only to lose everything in a failed investment. Forced back into the fray, she’d underestimated the Grand Sect’s anti-fraud advancements. Betrayed and stranded in Kunxu Realm’s first layer, her power had withered.

“Damn it… If I’m captured and deported, it’s over. Who sold me out?”
“My strength’s draining fast. My intellect’s dropping again. If this continues…”
“I’ll become a mindless toy.”

She eyed Zhang Yu, her last hope. “A penniless nobody who still took first in martial arts? He’s got potential I can exploit.”
“Heh. Thought I’d backed a loser, but I’ve struck gold.”

Yet her triumph faltered—Zhang Yu, who should’ve remained kneeling, was rising.

“What are you doing?!” she snapped. “Defy the Contractual Ritual’s backlash and you’ll die!”

Zhang Yu focused inward. After kneeling, the ritual’s icy grip had eased… but seconds later, it flared anew.

He realized: “Is it urging me to cultivate?”
“But the wish was to kneel. Are the wishes conflicting?”

Testing, he stood. The Contractual Ritual screamed, splitting into two forces—one demanding cultivation, the other obedience.

As he channeled Crimson Marrow Primordial Qi, the noise ceased. “Cultivation takes priority. Because it’s the earlier wish?”

The doll, now certain something was amiss, blurted, “I command you—harm me not!”

Too late. A palm wreathed in white Vitality Qi seized her.

“Let go!” she screeched.

His grip tightened, Vitality Qi crushing her like a training tool.

Zhang Yu mused, “The cultivation-related wishes override later ones. As long as I keep cultivating, contradictory commands are suppressed.”

He pressed the doll with Formless Cloud Qi, its fabric straining. “You said ‘harm me not’…”

The doll shuddered as pressure mounted.

Zhang Yu’s voice chilled. “So destroying this doll harms you, yes?”

Her mind raced. “He’s faster than I calculated. Or… has my intelligence dropped again?”

“Harm me, and the Contractual Ritual will kill you!” she warned.

Zhang Yu stayed silent. The ritual had roared when he threatened the doll—but he couldn’t show weakness. Channeling Level 10 Heavenly Martial Cultivation Heart Sutra, he radiated a killer’s resolve.

“Better we die together,” he said flatly. “What’s the point of living as your eternal servant?”

The doll felt his unyielding will—a man ready to burn the world down with her.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end