"Of course." Ye Lanshan was quite confident about this. Not to mention her own alchemy skills, she had Sikong Kuang in her space—with someone so formidable, healing the beast's injuries would be a piece of cake.
The beast, seeing Ye Lanshan's calm demeanor, knew she must have a way to cure his wounds, yet a hint of doubt lingered in his heart. After all, he had nursed this injury for centuries without any improvement.
Ye Lanshan caught the faint skepticism in his eyes and curled her lips into a smile. "I have the most powerful alchemist on this continent in my hands. If even I can't heal you, then no one on this continent truly can."
"Hmph, anyone can talk big. If you really want to strike a deal with me, there's a price to pay." By now, the beast had broken free from the binding talisman. He rose gracefully, exuding the authority of a ruler.
Ye Lanshan narrowed her eyes and released the Wu Jiao. With the phoenix and the Wu Jiao, she formed a triangular formation, surrounding the beast. "I think even if I can't heal you, you won't be able to escape."
"The Wu Jiao clan? Looks like you haven't escaped the hunt either." The beast chuckled at the sight of the Wu Jiao, his eyes full of mockery.
"Don't say that. Our Wu Jiao clan hasn't been wiped out." The Wu Jiao was clearly struggling against the oppressive aura the beast emitted.
"Not wiped out? If you weren't, why would you have fled to this continent?" The beast clearly didn't believe it.
"That's a long story. But in short, I came down to find the destined one who can save our clan." The Wu Jiao, thinking of something, exuded a trace of sorrow, but quickly suppressed it.
"So, according to you, she's the one who can save your clan?" The beast pointed at Ye Lanshan, showing a flicker of interest.
"Of course." The Wu Jiao was absolutely certain of this.
The beast's gaze at her grew intensely fervent. "I'll help you, but you must do me a favor."
Ye Lanshan felt a pang of unease at his burning stare, but ultimately nodded in agreement. "Fine, name your terms."
"I want you to help me take revenge." When the beast spoke of revenge, his eyes flashed with hatred, and his entire body erupted with a massive killing intent that pressed uncomfortably on Ye Lanshan.
"Well, you know I'm not that strong. To be honest, if you weren't severely injured, I doubt I'd even be a match for you, let alone the one who hurt you. I'd probably be crushed into dust the moment I stood before them."
Ye Lanshan flatly refused him. She already had enough troubles and didn't want to dive into new ones.
"No rush. I can help you grow stronger. When you're powerful enough, just destroy my enemy's forces. You don't need to handle the rest." The beast spoke elegantly. If his eyes were red instead of purple, he'd be the spitting image of a vampire count.
"I'm just someone from a low-level continent. Why choose me?" Ye Lanshan didn't agree immediately. Even without him, conquering the Moon Kingdom wouldn't be too hard—it would just take more time.
"Because you're from the Spirit Clan. Spirit Clan members can dual-cultivate and have high talent." The beast stated his reason without hesitation.
"I don't buy it. If it were that simple, you'd have agreed earlier, not waited for the Wu Jiao to show up." Ye Lanshan didn't believe the excuse he offered.
"Fine, I can't fool you. It's because you're the one who can save the Wu Jiao clan. The ones who tried to wipe them out are my enemies. If you want to protect the Wu Jiao, you'll inevitably clash with them. That's why I chose you—because sooner or later, you'll fight to the death."
The beast looked up at the sky, suppressing the deep-seated hatred in his eyes.
"Deal. But you should at least tell me what you're worth." After much thought, Ye Lanshan decided it didn't matter. She'd have to face his so-called enemy eventually anyway, so she might as well bring him to her side early.
At least he knew something about that enemy. With him around, even if she went to that continent, she wouldn't be completely in the dark.
"I'll offer an equal contract." The beast didn't hesitate to propose an equal contract.
Ye Lanshan stared into the beast's eyes for a long time before finally agreeing without hesitation.
The Wu Jiao shot her a resentful look. When they had first signed their contract, it was also an equal one, but Ye Lanshan had objected fiercely. Now, with the beast, she agreed so readily—how could he not feel wronged?
Ye Lanshan didn't notice his grievance at the moment, focusing instead on signing the equal contract with the beast.
"Since we're allies now, it's my duty to help heal your wounds." Ye Lanshan didn't immediately ask the beast to help her attack the Moon Kingdom but instead brought up his injury, warming his heart.
"But this doesn't seem like a good place to treat wounds." Ye Lanshan surveyed the area. Though the white mist had thinned, it was still hazy and obstructive.
"Come to my place." The phoenix, who had been silent for a while, spoke crisply.
"Yeah, that works." Ye Lanshan nodded and led them toward the phoenix's resting spot.
"Such a vast pool of magma—truly fitting for you." The beast's mouth twitched at the sight of the churning lava.
"Still better than your Misty Forest." The phoenix replied flatly, showing no fondness for the beast.
"And who is this?" In the blink of an eye, Ye Lanshan had brought an old man from a secluded corner.
Ye Lanshan was a bit troubled. She didn't want to reveal her space, but if she didn't, how could she explain Sikong Kuang's sudden appearance when no one else was around?
Fortunately, the beast wasn't one to pry. Seeing her hesitation, he tactfully dropped the subject.
"This, this, this." But while the beast remained calm, Sikong Kuang was anything but. He pointed at the beast, mouth agape, struggling to form words.
Ye Lanshan shot the beast a sharp glare, thinking he had startled Sikong Kuang.
"Is this a divine beast?" Sikong Kuang finally managed to blurt out.
"Yeah, something like that." Ye Lanshan said vaguely.
The beast was about to retort, but Ye Lanshan silenced him with a threatening look, forbidding him from revealing his true identity.