Volume One, Chapter 20: Chiyou Strikes to Shatter the Witchcraft! Summoning a Mighty Lord!

"Hmph, do you think you can command this Demon God all by yourself?"

Chi You finally spoke, his voice brimming with disdain and mockery. "I, Chi You, have fought countless battles in my life; when have I ever been at the beck and call of another?"

Zhu Youjian felt a chill run through him. It seemed he had summoned a temperamental master this time. It appeared that the mythical figures he summoned would not always be submissive to his commands. However, the fate of the Shengming Empire rested in his hands at this very moment; he could neither retreat nor afford to fail.

Thus, he spoke again, his tone even more sincere: "Great Demon God, I do not intend to order you, but rather to implore your assistance. The safety of the billions of souls in my Shengming Empire hangs upon your whim."

Yet, seeing Zhu Youjian’s sincerity, the Great Demon God Chi You remained unmoved. With his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze was as cold as ice. To him, Zhu Youjian’s pleas were nothing more than insignificant dust.

"I will build temples for you and offer incense!"

"Build temples? Hmph, those are merely the delusions of mortals."

"I will help you rebuild the Jiuli Tribe!"

"The Jiuli Tribe? If the people themselves have long since vanished with the wind, what meaning is there in rebuilding it?"

Chi You’s voice carried a trace of contempt, scoffing at the conditions proposed by Zhu Youjian. Zhu Youjian was burning with anxiety. If he could not persuade Chi You to act, the Shengming Empire would face an unprecedented crisis. He looked up at the blood-red moon, seeing dense swarms of gu-insects falling from it like a black curtain of rain. Those insects writhed, emitting a nauseating aura, as if intending to devour every living thing.

"Great Demon God! I, Zhu Youjian, swear as the Emperor of Shengming that if you are willing to help, I will certainly find the whereabouts of Yan and Huang for you!"

Gritting his teeth, Zhu Youjian uttered the promise he had not wanted to make lightly. Chi You might be indifferent to all else, but he would never abandon his hatred for Yan and Huang! Sure enough, upon hearing this, a flicker of emotion finally crossed Chi You’s eyes.

He stared at Zhu Youjian, as if trying to pierce through to his soul. "In this world, no one has ever dared to deceive this Demon God. Do you know what the consequences are if you are lying to me?"

Zhu Youjian felt a shudder, but he dared not show the slightest hesitation, nodding hurriedly. "Rest assured, Great Demon God. I, Zhu Youjian, keep my word and will not fail your trust."

However, in his heart, Zhu Youjian was already calculating a different path. An ancient demon god like Chi You was certainly not someone he could easily control at his current level. But the situation allowed no time for deep thought; if he could just survive this crisis, he would gain a chance to breathe. As for Chi You’s promise... he hadn't specified how many days it would take to find them. Searching for a day counted, searching for a year counted, and searching for a lifetime counted—that wasn't breaking his word, right? In any case, he could only summon Chi You for three days; once the time was up, Chi You would be returned to the system. When he became powerful enough in the future, he could just summon him again!

Besides, even if Chi You remained restless, winning the contest against the Yao-Qing would earn him one hundred thousand National Fortune points!

By then, he would have gathered two hundred thousand, enough to summon another mythical figure to pit against Chi You. With this thought, a look of resolve flashed in Zhu Youjian’s eyes. He looked at Chi You, his tone filled with unquestionable firmness: "Great Demon God, my life and the future of Shengming rest on your decision right now. Please, you must help me!"

Hearing Zhu Youjian’s promise and plea, Chi You finally made a move. He slowly raised his right hand, and the Tiger-Soul Blade appeared in mid-air, condensing supreme demonic energy that seemed ready to swallow the very heavens and earth. The energy contained Chi You’s boundless rage and power, as if intending to reduce everything in the world to nothingness.

"If you deceive me, I will cast you into the infinite hell!" Chi You’s voice carried a chilling edge.

However, Zhu Youjian could no longer care about such things. Joy surged in his heart as he nodded frantically. "Rest assured, Great Demon God, I, Zhu Youjian, will not forget."

Chi You formed seals with his hands and chanted, the demonic energy on the Tiger-Soul Blade growing ever more intense. In the distance, the blood-robed Shaman remained calm and composed. She was the third disciple of the Saint, a being one step away from the carp leaping over the dragon gate. Although she was slightly startled by the overwhelming demonic energy, she quickly regained her composure. After all, she did not believe the opponent could break her witchcraft—The Descent of the Blood Moon—by brute force alone. Even a phantom projection of her skill was not something a mere third-tier Spirit-Roaming cultivator could shatter. To break it, one had to be either far superior in cultivation or a master of witchcraft.

"Emperor Chongzhen, you are mistaken if you think you can forcefully break my Blood Moon with a third-tier demonic entity," the Blood Moon Shaman said, her expression one of indifference and disdain.

Chi You coldly glared at her. "An ant-like insect, daring to display your low-class witchcraft in front of me? You call yourself a practitioner of witchcraft just by gathering some dead bugs? How utterly laughable! Today, I shall show you what true witchcraft is!"

Chi You formed seals and chanted, an ancient and mysterious power of witchcraft surging within him. With a low roar, a black mist suddenly appeared in the sky, shimmering with eerie light as if countless vengeful souls were struggling within. A phantom of a banner emerged from the mist!

"This is... the Witch-Soul Banner?" The Blood Moon Shaman’s face changed drastically. She had not expected Chi You to wield such evil sorcery! The Witch-Soul Banner was an ancient, malevolent art capable of refining all living things within it. Yet, in the entire Shamanic Sect, only her master—that Saint of the Shamanic Sect—knew this technique! Moreover, the banner summoned by this demon clearly contained more vengeful souls and carried a heavier aura of slaughter than her master’s! How many living beings had this demon refined?

Those vengeful souls rolled and roared within the black mist, instantly devouring all the gu-insects. Light flickered within the darkness, accompanied by shrill, piercing screams, and the Descent of the Blood Moon was shattered in an instant. The Blood Moon Shaman turned pale; she had not imagined Chi You’s witchcraft to be so powerful. She gritted her teeth, staring at Chi You, wanting to say something but unable to utter a word.

Chi You, however, could not be bothered with her. He looked at Zhu Youjian and said, "I have done what I promised, and you must do what you promised. I give you one day. If you fail, go and die!"

Zhu Youjian felt a headache coming on. He had hoped to stall for three days until the system reclaimed Chi You, but he hadn't expected Chi You to allow only one day. He said helplessly, "One day? That is too tight! I beg the Great Demon God to grant me a few more days."

Chi You let out a cold snort. "You may also choose to die right now."

As he spoke, the Tiger-Soul Blade in his hand emitted a powerful, towering demonic energy once more, as if it would consume Zhu Youjian at any moment. Zhu Youjian’s mouth twitched, his heart filled with bitter regret. He truly hadn't expected to summon such a temperamental master. Having no choice, he agreed, "Fine... alright, I will do my best."

Immediately, Zhu Youjian looked at the Blood Moon Shaman and said, "Blood Moon Shaman, I have won the bet. It is time for your Yao-Qing to fulfill its promise."

The Blood Moon Shaman’s face turned grim. She looked at Zhu Youjian and replied, "Emperor Chongzhen, your Shengming has its methods. My Shamanic Sect keeps its word and will not go back on it."

"From today on, the Yao-Qing will return all the cities seized from your Shengming, retreat our armies by a million miles, and return all your captured soldiers and citizens. Furthermore, the Yao-Qing imperial court will compensate your Shengming with one hundred million Immortal Essence Stones."

Zhu Youjian felt a surge of joy, but he knew that empty words were not enough; a signed agreement was necessary to ensure the Yao-Qing would not renege. Moreover, with Shengming currently surrounded and under attack on all sides, his victory in the bet was a perfect opportunity to boost the prestige of his empire. He could not miss this chance to announce it to the world and bolster the morale of his troops.

"Words are empty. We must sign an agreement and announce it to the world."

The Blood Moon Shaman’s expression grew even uglier. "Emperor Chongzhen, you..."

But she represented her master, the Saint of the Shamanic Sect. She looked at her junior sister, the Fox-Heart Shaman, and said, "Fox-Heart, you shall sign the agreement with Shengming. My Yao-Qing admits defeat and will honor the terms, lest the world say our Shamanic Sect cannot afford to lose!"

Fox-Heart Shaman nodded slightly. "Yes, Third Sister."

[Ding: Host has won the contest against Yao-Qing. Reward: 100,000 National Fortune points!]