Chapter 670 - 663: Conditions
TAP!
Zhou Yuanjue’s hand slowly came to rest on the Seal crystal containing Ancestral Ji, and he applied a bit of pressure.
VMMMM!
The faint form of a Sacred Lotus Structure materialized around him, its countless Sacred Lotus Roots swaying as they wrapped around the Seal crystal.
GURGLE! GURGLE!
Stimulated by Zhou Yuanjue’s Power, the dormant cells making up the Seal crystal slowly revived, re-entering an active state. They squirmed like jelly before gradually peeling away from Ancestral Ji’s body like a liquid.
Compared to the conference happening outside, Zhou Yuanjue was far more interested in the history of the Celestial Demons, the coming Calamity, and the Primordial Ancestors’ knowledge of the True Realm and higher planes of existence.
These were the things he valued most.
Earth was too small, too fragile. His gaze had long since moved beyond it, toward a far vaster horizon.
SLOSH! SLOSH!
Gradually, all the activated cells sloughed off Ji’s body and gathered to one side. Under Zhou Yuanjue’s control, they re-entered a dormant state, forming a translucent crystal.
THUMP-THUMP! THUMP-THUMP!!
Meanwhile, Ji’s body began to revive. Freed from the cover of Zhou Yuanjue’s cells, her Energy was no longer being constantly converted and transferred to the True Realm by the Sacred Lotus Rebirth Ability they contained.
Her powerful heart began to beat once more, and blood rushed through her veins again. Each of her cells started to absorb Energy on its own. Ji’s almond-shaped eyes, naturally and intensely alluring, slowly opened, a trace of confusion flickering in her blood-red pupils.
’What is this...’
’Where am I?’
’What happened?’
Having just awakened from the Seal, both her body and consciousness were in a dazed state. Ji found her vision blurry, but it slowly sharpened with each passing moment.
And the first thing she saw when her consciousness cleared was Zhou Yuanjue’s calm face.
Her pupils constricted. A flood of chaotic memories instantly sorted themselves into a clear timeline.
’That’s right, Zhou Yuanjue sealed me.’
’And now he’s released me from the Seal? Did what I said back then actually work?’
’Does this mean the situation outside has been completely stabilized? Have all the remaining Primordial Ancestors been defeated?’
Ji’s heart jolted.
Although she had predicted this outcome, a whirlwind of emotions still churned within her.
She shifted her gaze, trying to get a look at her current surroundings.
But what she saw made her pupils constrict once more.
There, displayed like museum exhibits in the spacious secret chamber, were the figures of several Primordial Ancestors she knew all too well, frozen in various poses and expressions.
But what truly caught her eye was the enormous Seal crystal in the very center of the chamber.
Within the fifteen-meter-tall Seal crystal, an incredibly burly figure was frozen solid. It had four faces—front, back, left, and right—and six arms, a body like that of a Demon God. Even from a distance, she could feel the immense pressure faintly emanating from the massive form.
’Is that...’
’Did Mo even use his Illusion-Truth Fusion?’
’A fusion of four complete Primordial Ancestors... Ji, Sa, Mo, and Sai...’
’Power of that magnitude should have reached the level of a true True Realm Life, and yet it was still defeated?’
’She knew that, apart from the one time they had fused the power of all Twelve Primordial Ancestors—sacrificing a world, burning everything, and escaping the Holy Star into the vastness of space—Mo’s ability could fuse a maximum of six Primordial Ancestors. A power of that level had been enough for them to confront the terrifying Calamity and survive.’
’Could it be? Did this guy really become a true True Realm Life in just three years?’
’Or... has a very long time passed in this timeline?’
Ji’s gaze returned to Zhou Yuanjue’s impassive face, her mind in utter turmoil.
Seeing her expression, Zhou Yuanjue remained silent, giving her time to adjust and comprehend the situation.
Ji was silent for a long moment, gradually calming the storm of shock within her. Only then did she speak to Zhou Yuanjue. "How much time has passed?"
She assumed a considerable amount of time must have passed since her sealing. After all, the Primordial Ancestors would have banded together, and sealing all of them while completely stabilizing the situation in the real world would have been no easy task.
"Time? It’s been less than a month and a half, I’d say," Zhou Yuanjue replied.
Once again, Ji was left stunned.
’A month and a half...’
’All Twelve Primordial Ancestors sealed, including four who used Illusion-Truth Fusion.’
’That kind of efficiency...’
’The only way to describe that is with crushing ease, isn’t it?’
For a moment, Ji thought she must have misheard him.
But seeing Zhou Yuanjue’s earnest expression, she knew he had no reason to lie.
"You really are..."
Ji opened her mouth but was at a loss for words.
"By now, you should have a basic understanding of the situation, and you should also understand why I released you from your Seal."
"I need all the information you have: about your people, about the destruction of your home world, about the Calamity, and about your knowledge of the True Realm. In return, I can satisfy certain reasonable conditions."
Zhou Yuanjue said coolly, looking at Ji.
Among the Twelve Primordial Ancestors, Ji was the first to propose cooperation and the first to surrender without a fight. Even after suddenly regaining her immense power, she hadn’t lost herself or given in to the mad impulse to attack him. This proved she was indeed quite rational and a viable partner for cooperation.
"You wouldn’t agree to any overly harsh conditions, I imagine. After all, I’m your prisoner now."
"So, I will only propose conditions you can agree to."
"I don’t want to go back to being sealed. I want a certain degree of freedom. I can work for you, fight for you, be at your command, even act as your sparring partner. None of that is a problem. If I make any suspicious moves, you can inflict any punishment you see fit."
Ji said slowly, her eyes fixed on Zhou Yuanjue’s.
Hearing this, Zhou Yuanjue fell silent for a moment, appearing to consider the feasibility of her proposal. Finally, he spoke slowly. "I can agree to that condition. However, in return, you must also accept my control."
"I will need you to open up the structure of your life’s essence so I can implant a ’limitation’ within it."
This was actually an extremely harsh condition. Implanting a limitation in one’s life essence was equivalent to placing their True Spirit under his complete control. Under normal circumstances, even Zhou Yuanjue couldn’t do such a thing without the other party’s cooperation.
To a certain extent, it meant "enslavement."
"That’s not a problem."
However, what Zhou Yuanjue hadn’t expected was for Ji to agree to his demand so readily.