socalfunplaces Chapter 368: Heavenly Dao Oath, I Refuse
Chapter 368: Heavenly Dao Oath, I Refuse
The moment Yang Chan asked how to leave using the Taiyin Order, the top floor of the high tower fell silent.
For the Black Dragon, answering the other questions was of no consequence; they were hardly useful pieces of information. But when the method of leaving Taiyin Heaven was brought up, he went silent.
From the entire process of Yang Chan ascending the tower and their subsequent conversation, he knew Yang Chan would never take him along.
It wouldn’t matter what persuasion tactics or tempting Cultivation Techniques he offered.
Yang Chan hadn’t asked any follow-up questions about the treasures he had mentioned before, like the Profound Celestial Divine Scripture or the Profound Celestial Divine Pills. It was the same with the tales of the Profound Celestial Divine Monarch; Yang Chan had completely ignored the hooks the dragon had deliberately left for him.
According to his plan, if Yang Chan had been lured by these things, he would have inevitably fallen under the dragon’s control. Even in the worst-case scenario, he would at least be able to leave this godforsaken tower. No matter how you looked at it, he would have come out way ahead.
But Yang Chan didn’t play by the book. He directly asked for the way to leave, apparently unimpressed by any of the grand promises the dragon had made. One could even say he was completely indifferent.
He had an air about him that said, ’If you’re willing to talk, I’ll listen. If not, then forget it.’
"When you leave Taiyin Heaven, can you take me with you?"
The Black Dragon didn’t answer Yang Chan’s question directly, asking one of his own instead.
His enormous draconic eyes stared at Yang Chan, waiting for his response.
"I won’t."
Yang Chan shook his head decisively, making no effort to hide his intentions. There was no need to.
"I’ve read in the records that a powerful Soul Body can take over another’s body to be reborn."
"To me, you are the greatest potential threat. Here in this tower, you’re bound by numerous restrictions and can’t harm me. But who knows what would happen after we leave Taiyin Heaven!"
Yang Chan continued speaking. There was no way he would keep such a huge liability by his side.
’Many people dream of having a wise old master to guide them on their path of cultivation, but I know better. Those "wise old masters" are often the greatest danger of all.’
’Even the wise old master who mentored the Flame Emperor would have attempted possession if given the chance. The Flame Emperor would have been forced to transmigrate all over again—or more likely, his soul would have been utterly obliterated.’
’I would never bring along such a huge, uncontrollable threat.’
’In truth, I don’t even want to deal with a potential liability like Princess Lan Yue, and that’s despite having control over her life and death. It’s just too much trouble. If any trace of her led back to me in the future, before my Cultivation was high enough to be invincible, I would have to eliminate the problem.’
"What if I swear a Heavenly Dao oath on my Soul Body? I would vow not to act against you after we leave. I could even help you a few times, provide you with Cultivation Techniques, and guide you to a land suitable for Martial Arts Cultivation."
The Black Dragon said slowly, unwilling to give up this opportunity.
He had waited in this tower for countless years for a Taiyin Order to appear and for the tower to open. This was quite possibly his only chance to escape, and he would not let it go.
Thus, his promises were many, and one could even say they were extremely generous.
An ordinary person would have agreed long ago.
"I refuse."
Yang Chan’s stance remained unchanged.
’The Black Dragon’s Cultivation is immense. Even if he’s restricted, a being like that likely has countless ways to break those restrictions. So, it’s not even a consideration.’
’Besides, I have no idea how binding a Heavenly Dao oath would truly be for him. I’m not interested in finding out.’
’Even if the Heavenly Dao oath worked, if the restrictions weren’t absolute, I’d still have to face the Black Dragon’s retaliation.’
’I remember his attitude and curses very clearly from the moment I acted. Given his behavior, I have very little faith in his word.’
’You can glean a lot about a person’s character from their actions and speech. While it’s not a hard and fast rule, there’s no need for me to take such a risk.’
"The path of Martial Arts Cultivation is exceedingly difficult. Without my help, you’ll struggle to even complete the Body Tempering Stage, let alone the realms that follow: Refining Divine Acupoints, Divine Forging Sea, and Nourishing Divine Body."
"The path forward for cultivation on the Taiyu Divine Continent is severed. Only with my help can you continue to advance."
Seeing that his previous offer of benefits had failed, the Black Dragon posed a more pragmatic problem.
He believed that anyone passionate about Martial Arts Cultivation would not want their path to be cut off. Even he himself, upon learning this, would surely agree—albeit with many restrictions in place, but it would still be acceptable to him.
Besides, for some of the restrictions he expected Yang Chan to propose, he had already devised countermeasures.
"I refuse."
Yang Chan refused again. Such a condition held little appeal for him.
’I wouldn’t even dare to practice a Cultivation Technique from the Black Dragon. Even with my panel, if it failed to identify a hidden problem within the technique, I’d be the one to suffer.’
’Some Cultivation Techniques are incomplete and will endanger your life if you practice them. Others seem fine on the surface, but practicing them turns you into a cultivation cauldron for someone else. A technique like that would probably appear normal even on my panel.’
’In comparison, an incomplete technique would be easier to handle; the panel’s point-adding function could bypass the flaws. But if the technique itself is flawless, yet its ultimate purpose is malicious, then the gains would not be worth the losses.’
’Furthermore, even if the Black Dragon’s Cultivation Technique was fine and he didn’t break his promise, his release would likely upset the balance of the entire Taiyu Divine Continent.’
’The emergence of such a master would likely stir up great turmoil, perhaps even a complete restructuring of the continent’s powers. The Cyan Yuan Sect would almost certainly be affected, which runs completely counter to my plan for steady and peaceful development.’
’Right now, my Cultivation is only at the Inner Refining of the Lungs and Spleens. I’m still a ways off from the Inner Refining of the Five Viscera, let alone the levels of Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster or the Martial Saint Realm. It will take me a very long time just to reach the Peak of the Body Tempering Stage, so I’m in no rush.’
"You... What do you want? Name your conditions. We can negotiate."
The Black Dragon wanted to start cursing again. As a dragon, his temper was far from good. However, seeing the Flying Needle in Yang Chan’s hand, he decided it was better to remain civilized.
He also wanted to see what kind of conditions Yang Chan was after. If they were within an acceptable range, he wouldn’t mind enduring a bit of hardship.
"I think it’s best if we just leave each other in peace."
"You stay in your high tower and wait for the next person of destiny, and I’ll return to where I came from. We can go our separate ways and mind our own business."
Yang Chan said slowly.
He had no desire to fight the profoundly powerful Black Dragon before him. He had no idea if his opponent possessed some special Secret Technique that could take him down with him in its final moments. Such a risk was not out of the question.
Although the Black Dragon was sealed by the chains in the high tower and unable to leave, that didn’t mean it couldn’t unleash some of its power in a desperate, last-ditch struggle.
The immense sense of danger he felt when nearing the Black Dragon was proof enough. It was highly likely that if he got too close, a terrifying power would erupt from the dragon—a power that could threaten his very life.
Compared to such a profoundly cultivated being, Yang Chan felt that his own level, Inner Refining of the Lungs and Spleens, was no different from someone who had just begun their Martial Arts Cultivation. He was still incredibly weak. ’There’s no need to take such a huge risk just to kill the Black Dragon.’
’There’s really no need at all!’