jǐn guǎn shí jiān jǐn pò ， lín xuān què bù gǎn qīng yì dòng shǒu ， bù guò liǎn shàng ， què mǎn hán jiè bèi zhī sè ， gēn rú lín dà dí chà bu duō 。
尽管时间紧迫，林轩却不敢轻易动手，不过脸上，却满含戒备之色，跟如临大敌差不多。
Despite the pressing time, Lin Xuan did not dare to act rashly. However, his face was filled with a wary expression, akin to facing an enemy.
shì shí yě shì rú cǐ ， suī rán qǔ bǎo hái xū yào fèi yī fān bō zhé ， dàn wú yí bǎo wù jiù zài cǐ chù ， miàn duì xiān rén de yí wù ， bié shuō lín xuān yǔ wàng tíng lóu yǐ qián cóng wèi jiàn guò ， sī háo jiāo qíng yě wú ， jiù suàn shì péng yǒu ， shí yǒu ** yě huì fān liǎn de 。
事实也是如此，虽然取宝还需要费一番波折，但无疑宝物就在此处，面对仙人的遗物，别说林轩与望亭楼以前从未见过，丝毫交情也无，就算是朋友，十有**也会翻脸的。
Indeed, although obtaining the treasure would require some effort, the treasure was undoubtedly here. Facing the remains of a cultivator, even if Lin Xuan and Watingting Lou had never met before or had any connection, friends would still turn against each other given the right circumstances.
lì zì dāng tóu ， zuò wèi xiū xiān zhě ， yòu yǒu jǐ rén néng gòu zuò dào qīng xīn guǎ yù ne ？
利字当头，做为修仙者，又有几人能够做到清心寡欲呢？
With self-interest at stake, how many cultivators could remain pure in their desires?
zhè zhǒng shí hòu ， méi yǒu shén me dào lǐ hǎo jiǎng ， gèng bù kě néng zūn cóng xiān lái hòu dào ， shuí yǒu shí lì ， bǎo wù jiù huì luò rù shéi de shǒu lǐ 。
这种时候，没有什么道理好讲，更不可能遵从先来后到，谁有实力，宝物就会落入谁的手里。
There was no room for reason at such times; it was impossible to follow the order of arrival. The one with power would take the treasure.
cóng lín fǎ zé ， xiū xiān jiè zì gǔ yǐ lái dōu shì rú cǐ de 。
丛林法则，修仙界自古以来都是如此的。
The law of the jungle has always been this way in the cultivation world.
wàng tíng lóu de mù guāng zài lín xuān liǎn shàng sǎo guò ， yǎn zhōng tóng yàng lù chū jǐ fēn chà yì zhī sè ， méi xiǎng dào zhè xiǎo zi dǎo shì qiǎng xiān le 。
望亭楼的目光在林轩脸上扫过，眼中同样露出几分诧异之色，没想到这小子倒是抢先了。
Watingting Lou's gaze swept over Lin Xuan's face, revealing a hint of surprise. He did not expect this young man to have acted first.
rán ér yǔ lín xuān mǎn hán jiè bèi bù tóng ， tā de liǎn shàng què lù chū xián shì de xiào róng ， fǎng fú zhì zhū zài wò ， yòu fǎng fú yīn wèi bié de shén me 。
然而与林轩满含戒备不同，他的脸上却露出闲适的笑容，仿佛智珠在握，又仿佛因为别的什么。
However, unlike Lin Xuan's wary expression, his face showed an easy smile, as if he had all the answers or was waiting for something else.
“ lín dào yǒu ， kě yǒu xìng qù yǔ wǒ hé zuò ？” wàng tíng lóu chū rén yì liào de kāi kǒu le 。
“林道友，可有兴趣与我合作？”望亭楼出人意料的开口了。
"Friend Daoist Lin, are you interested in collaborating?" Watingting Lou unexpectedly spoke up.
“ hé zuò ？” lín xuān yī dāi ， liǎn shàng bù yóu de lù chū jǐ fēn gǔ guài 。
“合作？”林轩一呆，脸上不由得露出几分古怪。
"Collaborate?" Lin Xuan was taken aback and a strange look appeared on his face.
“ bù cuò ， hé zuò ， nǐ wǒ lián shǒu chú qù nà gǔ mó 。” wàng tíng lóu shén sè píng dàn de shuō 。
“不错，合作，你我联手除去那古魔。”望亭楼神色平淡的说。
"Yes, collaborate. Let's join forces to eliminate that ancient demon," Watingting Lou said with a calm expression.
“ hēng ， gé xià yǔ gǔ mó bú shì yì qǐ lái de ？”
“哼，阁下与古魔不是一起来的？”
"Humph! You were with the ancient demon, weren't you?"
“ dào yǒu hé bì míng zhī gù wèn ne ， yǐ nǐ de chéng fǔ ， nán dào kàn bù chū wǒ yǔ cǐ liáo ， shì zài xū yǔ wēi yí ， rú jīn jì rán jiàn dào le bǎo wù ， zì rán méi yǒu bì yào zài wěi zhuāng xià qù le 。”
“道友何必明知故问呢，以你的城府，难道看不出我与此獠，是在虚与委蛇，如今既然见到了宝物，自然没有必要再伪装下去了。”
"Why ask something so obvious? With your depth of mind, shouldn't it be clear that I'm just playing along? Now that we've seen the treasure, there's no need to pretend anymore."
tīng le duì fāng de yán yǔ ， lín xuān de biǎo qíng yīn mái xià qù ， rú cǐ biàn gù ， zhe shí yǒu xiē dà chū yù liào de ， cóng zhí jué lái shuō ， lín xuān jué de wàng tíng lóu méi yǒu sā huǎng ， yǐ tā de xiū wèi ， yòu hé bì yǔ gǔ mó hé zuò ， fēi shēng líng jiè yě yǒu bā chéng de bǎ wò 。
听了对方的言语，林轩的表情阴霾下去，如此变故，着实有些大出预料的，从直觉来说，林轩觉得望亭楼没有撒谎，以他的修为，又何必与古魔合作，飞升灵界也有八成的把握。
Hearing his words, Lin Xuan's expression darkened. Such a sudden change was beyond what he had anticipated. From his intuition, Lin Xuan felt Watingting Lou wasn't lying. With his cultivation level, why would he collaborate with an ancient demon? He had an 80% chance of ascending to the Spirit Realm.
yào zhī dào duì yú rén lèi xiū xiān zhě ， nǎ pà běn shēn de gōng fǎ ， jiù shì xiū mó ， kě bù dào wàn bù dé yǐ ， yě méi yǒu rén yuàn yì fēi shēng dào mó jiè qù 。
要知道对于人类修仙者，哪怕本身的功法，就是修魔，可不到万不得已，也没有人愿意飞升到魔界去。
After all, for human cultivators, even if their techniques were for cultivating demons, few would willingly ascend to the Demon Realm unless absolutely necessary.
“ yǔ gé xià hé zuò ， dào wú bù kě ， rán ér gé xià bǎi shì lí hé hòu qī ， shí lì yuǎn fēi lín mǒu kě bǐ ， děng miè shā le gǔ mó ， xiān rén bǎo wù hái bú shì rù nǐ náng zhōng ， lín mǒu kě bù xiǎng jiǎo miǎn sǐ ， zǒu gǒu pēng 。”
“与阁下合作，倒无不可，然而阁下百是离合后期，实力远非林某可比，等灭杀了古魔，仙人宝物还不是入你囊中，林某可不想狡免死，走狗烹。”
"Collaborating with you is fine. However, your cultivation level is late-stage Separation Formation, far beyond mine. After we kill the ancient demon, the treasure will be yours anyway. I don't want to end up like a rabbit that escapes but sees its hunter."
“ nà dào yǒu yì yù rú hé ？” wàng tíng lóu liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī kǔ xiào zhī sè ：“ jiù suàn wǒ shuō jiāng xiān rén zhī bǎo gǒng shǒu xiàng ràng ， dào yǒu dà gài yě bù xìn de 。”
“那道友意欲如何？”望亭楼脸上露出一丝苦笑之色：“就算我说将仙人之宝拱手相让，道友大概也不信的。”
"What do you propose?" Watingting Lou's face showed a hint of bitterness: "Even if I offer to hand over the treasure, you probably wouldn't believe me."
“ fèi huà ， dào yǒu táng táng rén jiè dì yī gāo shǒu ， jìn xiū luó zhī mén bù wèi bǎo wù ， zǒng bù céng xián guàng lái de 。” lín xuān méi hǎo qì de shuō 。
“废话，道友堂堂人界第一高手，进修罗之门不为宝物，总不曾闲逛来的。”林轩没好气的说。
"Rubbish! You are the first powerhouse in the human world. Why would you come here just for trivialities?" Lin Xuan said irritably.
cǐ shí cǐ kè ， yǐ méi yǒu shí jiān xū yǔ wēi yí ， hé kuàng duì fāng nǎi shì huó le jìn liǎng qiān nián de guài wù ， pǔ tōng de huǎng yán ， yòu zěn me kě néng jiāng tā piàn zhù 。
此时此刻，已没有时间虚与委蛇，何况对方乃是活了近两千年的怪物，普通的谎言，又怎么可能将他骗住。
There was no time for pretense now. Besides, Watingting Lou had lived nearly two thousand years and was a monster. Ordinary lies wouldn't fool him.
míng rén miàn qián bù shuō àn huà jiù shì zhè ge dào lǐ le 。
明人面前不说暗话就是这个道理了。
One should not hide the truth from a wise man.
“ jì rán rú cǐ ， nà hái yǒu shén me hǎo shuō ， bǎo wù wàng mǒu shì zhì zài bì děi ， bù guò gé xià yě wú xū wàng zì fěi bó ， nǐ kě bú shì pǔ tōng de xiū xiān zhě ， dāng nián wàn fú zōng de huì tōng ， jiù shì sǐ zài nǐ shǒu zhōng ， ér qiě dào yǒu nà shí hòu ， hǎo xiàng cái yuán yīng qī ……”
“既然如此，那还有什么好说，宝物望某是志在必得，不过阁下也无须妄自菲薄，你可不是普通的修仙者，当年万佛宗的慧通，就是死在你手中，而且道友那时候，好像才元婴期……”
"Alright, then what's left to say? I must get this treasure, but you don't need to undervalue yourself. You're no ordinary cultivator; Huìtōng of the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect died at your hands many years ago. And back then, you were only an infantile spirit!"
huà yīn wèi luò ， lín xuān yǐ bó rán sè biàn le ， zhè jiā huo zěn me xiǎo de ？
话音未落，林轩已勃然色变了，这家伙怎么晓得？
Before he could finish speaking, Lin Xuan's expression changed dramatically. How did this guy know?
“ hē hē ， dào yǒu rú cǐ biǎo qíng ， kàn lái wǒ zhè fān mào zhà nǐ de yán yǔ ， sì hū dào yě méi yǒu shuō cuò 。” zhè yī huí ， tíng lóu de yǔ qì dài shàng le jǐ fēn tiáo kǎn zhī sè 。
“呵呵，道友如此表情，看来我这番冒诈你的言语，似乎倒也没有说错。”这一回，亭楼的语气带上了几分调侃之色。
"Haha, your reaction suggests that my pretense wasn't entirely wrong," Watingting Lou said with a hint of mockery.
lín xuān tóng kǒng wēi suō ， dà yì le ， yuán lái duì fāng yě bù qīng chǔ ， shì yòng yán yǔ é zì jǐ de 。
林轩瞳孔微缩，大意了，原来对方也不清楚，是用言语讹自己的。
Lin Xuan's pupils constricted; he had been too careless. It turned out the other party was also unaware and was using words to deceive him.
lín xuān yī zhèn ào nǎo ， shuǎ xīn jī ， zì jǐ xiàng lái shì wú wǎng ér bù lì ， méi xiǎng dào què zāi zài zhè lǐ ， wàng tíng lóu kàn shì lǎo shí ， méi xiǎng dào jiǎo huá dào rú cǐ jìng dì ， bù guò zǐ xì xiǎng xiǎng ， yě bù xī qí ， duì fāng nǎi shì huó le jìn liǎng qiān nián de lǎo guài wù ， wēi zhèn tiān yún shí èr zhōu rú cǐ zhī jiǔ ， suǒ kào de ， yòu zěn me kě néng quán shì shí lì ， kěn dìng yě yōng yǒu fēi cháng shēn chén de xīn jī 。
林轩一阵懊恼，耍心机，自己向来是无往而不利，没想到却栽在这里，望亭楼看似老实，没想到狡猾到如此境地，不过仔细想想，也不稀奇，对方乃是活了近两千年的老怪物，威震天云十二州如此之久，所靠的，又怎么可能全是实力，肯定也拥有非常深沉的心机。
Lin Xuan felt frustrated. Playing mind games was always beneficial for him, but this time, it backfired. Watingting Lou seemed honest on the surface, yet his cunning was beyond imagination. But upon reflection, it wasn't surprising; he had lived nearly two thousand years and had shaken the Twelve States of Tianyun with his might. His cunning couldn't be solely attributed to power.
“ hǎo ba ， wǒ yǔ nǐ lián shǒu ， yě bù xū yào nǐ ràng bǎo wù ， zhè ge tiáo jiàn gēn běn jiù shì bù xiàn shí de ， wǒ zhǐ yào gé xià yí gè chéng nuò 。” lín xuān huǎn huǎn de kāi kǒu le 。
“好吧，我与你联手，也不需要你让宝物，这个条件根本就是不现实的，我只要阁下一个承诺。”林轩缓缓的开口了。
"Alright, I'll join you. However, there's no need for you to hand over the treasure. This condition is unrealistic. I just want a promise from you," Lin Xuan said slowly.
“ chéng nuò ？”
“承诺？”
"A promise?"
“ bù cuò ， miè shā le gǔ mó ， wǒ men gè píng shǒu duàn zhēng qiǎng bǎo wù ， dàn bù guǎn jié guǒ rú hé ， dào yǒu dōu bù xǔ shāng wǒ xìng mìng lái zhe ， kǒu shuō wú píng ， wǒ yào dào yǒu fā xià xīn mó zhī shì 。”
“不错，灭杀了古魔，我们各凭手段争抢宝物，但不管结果如何，道友都不许伤我性命来着，口说无凭，我要道友发下心魔之誓。”
"Yes, after we kill the ancient demon, we will compete for the treasure using our own means. But regardless of the outcome, you mustn't harm my life."
“ xīn mó zhī shì ？” wàng tíng lóu dà gǎn è rán ：“ dào yǒu zhè huà hé yì ， xiū wèi dào le nǐ wǒ zhè yàng de jìng dì ， xīn mó zhī shì hái yǒu shén me yòng chǔ ， nán dào nǐ jiù bù pà wàng mǒu shí yán ér féi me ？”
“心魔之誓？”望亭楼大感愕然：“道友这话何意，修为到了你我这样的境地，心魔之誓还有什么用处，难道你就不怕望某食言而肥么？”
"Promise?" Watingting Lou was taken aback: "What do you mean? With our cultivation levels, what use is a heart demon vow? Don't you fear that I might break it?"
“ xiǎng yào shí yán ， nà yě yóu de nǐ ， wǒ rú guǒ tí gèng kē kè de yāo qiú ， bǐ rú shuō jìn shén shù ， dào yǒu yòu bú shì shǎ guā ， néng dā yìng ma ， jì rán míng zhī dào méi yǒu yòng chǔ ， zài xià yòu hé bì duō fèi kǒu shé ， ér zhè xīn mó zhī shì zé gāng gāng hǎo ， bù cuò ， yǐ nǐ wǒ de xiū wèi jìng jiè ， zhǐ yào kěn huā fèi xiē lì qì ， yě bú shì bù néng jiāng shì yán jiě chú ， rán ér dào yǒu nǐ bú yào wàng le ， zhè xīn mó kě shì xū wú piāo miǎo zhī wù ， jiù suàn nǐ jiāng shì yán jiě chú ， píng shí huò xǔ bú huì yǒu shén me hài chù ， dàn dāng chōng guān tū pò píng jǐng de shí hòu ， shuō bù dìng pāo yòu huì sǐ huī fù rán le ……”
“想要食言，那也由得你，我如果提更苛刻的要求，比如说禁神术，道友又不是傻瓜，能答应吗，既然明知道没有用处，在下又何必多费口舌，而这心魔之誓则刚刚好，不错，以你我的修为境界，只要肯huā费些力气，也不是不能将誓言解除，然而道友你不要忘了，这心魔可是虚无缥缈之物，就算你将誓言解除，平时或许不会有什么害处，但当冲关突破瓶颈的时候，说不定抛又会死灰复燃了……”
"You can try breaking it if you want. If I had asked for more stringent conditions, like the禁神术 (Prohibition of Spirit Technique), would you have agreed? Knowing it's useless, why should I waste my words? But this heart demon vow is just right. With our cultivation levels, we could remove the oath with some effort. However, you mustn't forget that a heart demon is an intangible thing. Even if you remove the oath, there might still be repercussions when you push through your limits," Lin Xuan said with a smile.
“ hēng ， dào yǒu suǒ tí ， yě bù guò diǎn jí shàng de jì zǎi ér yǐ ， shuí zhī dào shì zhēn shì jiǎ ， yǒu jǐ fēn kě xìn ？” wàng tíng lóu bǎi le bǎi shǒu ， liǎn shàng lù chū bù yǐ wéi rán zhī sè 。
“哼，道友所提，也不过典籍上的记载而已，谁知道是真是假，有几分可信？”望亭楼摆了摆手，脸上露出不以为然之色。
"Humph! What you propose are just records from ancient texts; who knows if they're true or how much they can be trusted?" Watingting Lou waved his hand and showed an air of nonchalance on his face.
“ bù guǎn jǐ fēn kě xìn ， dào yǒu yuàn yì mào zhè ge xiǎn me ？” lín xuān wēi xiào zhe shuō ：“ nǐ wǒ wú yuān wú chóu ， zhī jiān de chōng tū bù guò shì wèi le zhēng qiǎng bǎo wù ， yǒu le xīn mó zhī shì de shù fù ， lín mǒu xiāng xìn wǒ de xiǎo mìng kě yǐ bǎo zhù ， yǐ dào yǒu de cōng míng ， xiǎng bì yě bù yuàn yì sǔn rén yòu sǔn jǐ ， rú jīn jiù kàn nǐ kěn bù kěn fā zhè ge shì 。”
“不管几分可信，道友愿意冒这个险么？”林轩微笑着说：“你我无冤无仇，之间的冲突不过是为了争抢宝物，有了心魔之誓的束缚，林某相信我的小命可以保住，以道友的聪明，想必也不愿意损人又损己，如今就看你肯不肯发这个誓。”
"Regardless of their credibility, do you want to take this risk?" Lin Xuan said with a smile: "We have no grudges. Our conflict is just over the treasure. With the heart demon vow as a constraint, I believe my life can be saved. You are smart enough not to harm yourself and others. Now it's up to you whether you want to take this oath."
“ hǎo ba ！”
“好吧！”
"Alright!"
wàng tíng lóu lüè yī sī suǒ ， jiù diǎn le diǎn tóu ， zhè xiǎo zi què shí cōng míng ， suǒ tí de yāo qiú ， zuì dà xiàn dù de bǎo zhàng le zì jǐ de lì yì ， yòu hé qíng hé lǐ 。
望亭楼略一思索，就点了点头，这小子确实聪明，所提的要求，最大限度的保障了自己的利益，又合情合理。
Watingting Lou nodded after a moment of thought. This young man was indeed clever; his demands maximized his benefits while being reasonable.
rú guǒ tā bù zhī qīng zhòng ， shī zi dà kāi kǒu ， nà bié shuō hé zuò ， shuō bù dìng zì jǐ hái huì dòng shā xīn le 。
如果他不知轻重，狮子大开口，那别说合作，说不定自己还会动杀心了。
If he had been less cautious, he might have demanded more, in which case, Watingting Lou would have considered killing him.
jiàn duì fāng tóng yì ， lín xuān yě sōng le kǒu qì ， xiàn zài de qíng kuàng què shí fù zá wú bǐ ， dàn tā bìng bù dǎ suàn jiāng xiān rén zhī bǎo fàng qì 。
见对方同意，林轩也松了口气，现在的情况确实复杂无比，但他并不打算将仙人之宝放弃。
Seeing the agreement, Lin Xuan felt relieved. The situation was complex, but he did not intend to give up on the treasure of a cultivator.
dāng rán ， yě méi yǒu bǎ wò qǔ dào shǒu lǐ ， zǒng ér yán zhī ， jiàn jī xíng shì 。
当然，也没有把握取到手里，总而言之，见机行事。
Of course, he didn't have much confidence in obtaining it either; he would act according to circumstances.
rú jīn shí jiān yǐ suǒ shèng bù duō ， wàng tíng lóu yě bù dān gē ， dāng jí jiù fā xià yí gè shì lái le 。
如今时间已所剩不多，望亭楼也不耽搁，当即就发下一个誓来了。
With time running short, Watingting Lou did not waste any more time and immediately took an oath.
lín xuān liǎn shàng lù chū mǎn yì zhī sè ， zhèng xiǎng shāng liáng yī huì er zěn me hé zuò ， wàng tíng lóu què kāi kǒu le ：“ dào yǒu jì yǒu chéng yì ， nà nǐ tiān jī fǔ zhōng de lìng yī wèi tóng bàn ， shì bú shì yě yīng gāi jiào chū lái le ？”
林轩脸上露出满意之色，正想商量一会儿怎么合作，望亭楼却开口了：“道友既有诚意，那你天机府中的另一位同伴，是不是也应该叫出来了？”
Lin Xuan's face showed satisfaction. Just as he was about to discuss their collaboration, Watingting Lou spoke up: "Since you are sincere, shouldn't your other companion in the Heavenly Fate Mansion be called out too?"
lìng yī biān ， hún niàn kōng jiān 。
另一边，魂念空间。
On the other side, in the Soul Perception Space:
“ zhēn mó zhī tǐ ， zhè xiǎo zi jū rán shì zhēn mó zhī tǐ 。”
“真魔之体，这小子居然是真魔之体。”
"True Demon Body! This boy is a True Demon Body."
guài xiào shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， nà xū yǐng zài yě wú fǎ yǎn shì xīn zhōng de jīng yà yǔ kuáng xǐ zhī sè ， jū rán dà shēng de jiào chū lái le 。
怪笑声传入耳朵，那虚影再也无法掩饰心中的惊讶与狂喜之色，居然大声的叫出来了。
Laughter echoed. The shadow could no longer hide its shock and joy; it loudly exclaimed.
“ shuí …… shuí hái zài cǐ chù ？”
“谁……谁还在此处？”
"Who… who else is here?"
tián xiǎo jiàn de liǎn sè shuā de yī xià bái le ， máng xún shēng zhuǎn guò tóu qù ， gāng cái tā míng míng yòng shén shí zǎi zǐ xì xì de sǎo guò ， méi yǒu rén de 。
田小剑的脸色刷的一下白了，忙循声转过头去，刚才他明明用神识仔仔细细的扫过，没有人的。
Tian Xiaojian's face turned pale as he quickly turned his head to follow the sound. He had just used his divine sense to thoroughly scan the area, but there was no one.
ér qiě zhè ge kōng jiān bìng bù dà ， fāng yuán bù guò shí lǐ ， bù yòng shén shí ， píng yǎn lì yě néng gòu yī lǎn wú yú ， míng míng méi yǒu rén de 。
而且这个空间并不大，方圆不过十里，不用神识，凭眼力也能够一览无余，明明没有人的。
Moreover, this space wasn't large; it only covered ten miles in all directions. Without a divine sense, even with human eyesight, everything could be seen clearly, and yet, there was no one.
“ hē hē ， jǐ bǎi wàn nián le ， wǒ zì jǐ dōu bù zhī dào zài zhè lǐ děng le jiū jìng duō jiǔ ， tiān kě lián jiàn ， zhōng yú zài zhè lǐ děng lái le yí gè jù yǒu zhēn mó zhī tǐ de jiā huo 。” nà guài xiào de shēng yīn jì xù chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
“呵呵，几百万年了，我自己都不知道在这里等了究竟多久，天可怜见，终于在这里等来了一个具有真魔之体的家伙。”那怪笑的声音继续传入耳朵。
"Haha, for millions of years, I didn't know how long I had been waiting here. Heaven be praised, finally, I've waited out a True Demon Body," the laughter continued to echo.
Despite the pressing time, Lin Xuan did not dare to act rashly. However, his face was filled with a wary expression, akin to facing an enemy.
Indeed, although obtaining the treasure would require some effort, the treasure was undoubtedly here. Facing the remains of a cultivator, even if Lin Xuan and Watingting Lou had never met before or had any connection, friends would still turn against each other given the right circumstances.
With self-interest at stake, how many cultivators could remain pure in their desires?
There was no room for reason at such times; it was impossible to follow the order of arrival. The one with power would take the treasure.
The law of the jungle has always been this way in the cultivation world.
Watingting Lou's gaze swept over Lin Xuan's face, revealing a hint of surprise. He did not expect this young man to have acted first.
However, unlike Lin Xuan's wary expression, his face showed an easy smile, as if he had all the answers or was waiting for something else.
"Friend Daoist Lin, are you interested in collaborating?" Watingting Lou unexpectedly spoke up.
"Collaborate?" Lin Xuan was taken aback and a strange look appeared on his face.
"Yes, collaborate. Let's join forces to eliminate that ancient demon," Watingting Lou said with a calm expression.
"Humph! You were with the ancient demon, weren't you?"
"Why ask something so obvious? With your depth of mind, shouldn't it be clear that I'm just playing along? Now that we've seen the treasure, there's no need to pretend anymore."
Hearing his words, Lin Xuan's expression darkened. Such a sudden change was beyond what he had anticipated. From his intuition, Lin Xuan felt Watingting Lou wasn't lying. With his cultivation level, why would he collaborate with an ancient demon? He had an 80% chance of ascending to the Spirit Realm.
After all, for human cultivators, even if their techniques were for cultivating demons, few would willingly ascend to the Demon Realm unless absolutely necessary.
"Collaborating with you is fine. However, your cultivation level is late-stage Separation Formation, far beyond mine. After we kill the ancient demon, the treasure will be yours anyway. I don't want to end up like a rabbit that escapes but sees its hunter."
"What do you propose?" Watingting Lou's face showed a hint of bitterness: "Even if I offer to hand over the treasure, you probably wouldn't believe me."
"Rubbish! You are the first powerhouse in the human world. Why would you come here just for trivialities?" Lin Xuan said irritably.
There was no time for pretense now. Besides, Watingting Lou had lived nearly two thousand years and was a monster. Ordinary lies wouldn't fool him.
One should not hide the truth from a wise man.
"Alright, then what's left to say? I must get this treasure, but you don't need to undervalue yourself. You're no ordinary cultivator; Huìtōng of the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect died at your hands many years ago. And back then, you were only an infantile spirit!"
Before he could finish speaking, Lin Xuan's expression changed dramatically. How did this guy know?
"Haha, your reaction suggests that my pretense wasn't entirely wrong," Watingting Lou said with a hint of mockery.
Lin Xuan's pupils constricted; he had been too careless. It turned out the other party was also unaware and was using words to deceive him.
Lin Xuan felt frustrated. Playing mind games was always beneficial for him, but this time, it backfired. Watingting Lou seemed honest on the surface, yet his cunning was beyond imagination. But upon reflection, it wasn't surprising; he had lived nearly two thousand years and had shaken the Twelve States of Tianyun with his might. His cunning couldn't be solely attributed to power.
"Alright, I'll join you. However, there's no need for you to hand over the treasure. This condition is unrealistic. I just want a promise from you," Lin Xuan said slowly.
"A promise?"
"Yes, after we kill the ancient demon, we will compete for the treasure using our own means. But regardless of the outcome, you mustn't harm my life."
"Promise?" Watingting Lou was taken aback: "What do you mean? With our cultivation levels, what use is a heart demon vow? Don't you fear that I might break it?"
"You can try breaking it if you want. If I had asked for more stringent conditions, like the禁神术 (Prohibition of Spirit Technique), would you have agreed? Knowing it's useless, why should I waste my words? But this heart demon vow is just right. With our cultivation levels, we could remove the oath with some effort. However, you mustn't forget that a heart demon is an intangible thing. Even if you remove the oath, there might still be repercussions when you push through your limits," Lin Xuan said with a smile.
"Humph! What you propose are just records from ancient texts; who knows if they're true or how much they can be trusted?" Watingting Lou waved his hand and showed an air of nonchalance on his face.
"Regardless of their credibility, do you want to take this risk?" Lin Xuan said with a smile: "We have no grudges. Our conflict is just over the treasure. With the heart demon vow as a constraint, I believe my life can be saved. You are smart enough not to harm yourself and others. Now it's up to you whether you want to take this oath."
"Alright!"
Watingting Lou nodded after a moment of thought. This young man was indeed clever; his demands maximized his benefits while being reasonable.
If he had been less cautious, he might have demanded more, in which case, Watingting Lou would have considered killing him.
Seeing the agreement, Lin Xuan felt relieved. The situation was complex, but he did not intend to give up on the treasure of a cultivator.
Of course, he didn't have much confidence in obtaining it either; he would act according to circumstances.
With time running short, Watingting Lou did not waste any more time and immediately took an oath.
Lin Xuan's face showed satisfaction. Just as he was about to discuss their collaboration, Watingting Lou spoke up: "Since you are sincere, shouldn't your other companion in the Heavenly Fate Mansion be called out too?"
On the other side, in the Soul Perception Space:
"True Demon Body! This boy is a True Demon Body."
Laughter echoed. The shadow could no longer hide its shock and joy; it loudly exclaimed.
"Who… who else is here?"
Tian Xiaojian's face turned pale as he quickly turned his head to follow the sound. He had just used his divine sense to thoroughly scan the area, but there was no one.
Moreover, this space wasn't large; it only covered ten miles in all directions. Without a divine sense, even with human eyesight, everything could be seen clearly, and yet, there was no one.
"Haha, for millions of years, I didn't know how long I had been waiting here. Heaven be praised, finally, I've waited out a True Demon Body," the laughter continued to echo.