Chapter 76: The Pact of Life and Death

"Fellow Daoist Duocai."

Just as Wang Liang was preparing to leave Jingyang Ridge to explore a nearby city, Life-and-Death Friend caught up with him. Knowing the explicit and implicit rules of this game, he refrained from the classic "Fellow Daoist, please stay" upon their first meeting, showing Wang Liang enough respect. This forced Wang Liang to halt and turn toward his acquaintance.

Life-and-Death Friend looked pale; it was evident that his gains from this outing had been meager. This was hardly surprising. He had spent years of effort on the Battle of Jingyang Ridge, lobbying this person and that, only for the organizational power to fall into Wang Liang's hands. Wang Liang had also scored higher points against the boss. To be denied what he sought after such an investment would demoralize anyone. Yet, he remained standing, displaying a commendable resilience.

After acknowledging Wang Liang, Life-and-Death Friend bowed. "Fellow Daoist Duocai, I have an impertinent request, though I am unsure if I should voice it."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't," Wang Liang replied.

Ignoring the comment, Life-and-Death Friend asked, "I wish to know, since you were the one who delivered the final blow to the Demon Tiger, did you happen to see any unusual items collected afterward?"

Wang Liang narrowed his eyes. The Demon Tiger Heaven-Swallowing Armor manifested on his body, and the Life-Severing Blade appeared in his hand. "Are you implying I pocketed something?"

"Certainly not. It is just that I initiated this quest specifically for an item on that tiger. If you happened to see it, I ask that you share that information."

Seeing the frustration on the other man's face, Wang Liang gave a heavy hum. "There were two token fragments that fell into the hands of City God Lu. You have a good relationship with him; why not ask him yourself?"

"My relationship with the City God is indeed good, but those two tokens have already been identified as linked to the Shinto of Jingyang Ridge. If I were to claim them, I would be bound to the ridge, unable to leave. That is not what I want. I have seen those tokens; they are clearly divided into three parts. I still ask that you..."

Wang Liang interrupted him. "What is this? Are you planning to take it by force?"

"No, no, no. That is not my intention at all." Seeing Xiao Hui appear behind Wang Liang, Life-and-Death Friend waved his hands frantically. "I only wish to trade with you. While this item has its uses, it does not suit your path. Let me explain: since my very first game, I have been pursuing a quest. I met Li Hongren in the game, who taught me a cultivation technique and promised to take me as a disciple once I ascended to immortality. However, there is a condition: before my ascension, I must have the star power of the Heavenly Injury Star enter my body to rewrite my star soul."

He lifted his head, a hint of pride in his voice. "You may not know who Li Hongren is. He was the first Heavenly Injury Star Lord, one of the three hundred and sixty-five orthodox deities sealed by Jiang Shang. This game was the best opportunity to acquire that star power. I just didn't expect to arrive half a step too late; by the time I entered, Wu Er had already died under the Demon Tiger. This accident gave me an opening: if I killed the tiger, I could obtain a sliver of that star power and follow in Wu Er's footsteps. But as you can see, I gained nothing. I beg you, considering the bleakness of my path, please help me."

Wang Liang was unmoved. He was no saint; he had rightfully obtained that third of a token, and he had no intention of handing it over for free. Without any visible signal, Xiao Hui appeared behind him and then vanished. Life-and-Death Friend felt an invisible pressure—he was being targeted. If Wang Liang attacked, Xiao Hui would strike simultaneously.

"Fellow Daoist, please, don't be like this," Life-and-Death Friend said quickly. "I have valuable items to trade. That token is of no use to you. Why not exchange it for something better? Don't worry, the provenance of what I have is extraordinary."

He produced a box, which was already open, revealing a pearl the size of a goose egg. "This is the Dragon Pearl from the White Dragon Temple. I traded for it from another player. It is a genuine Dragon Pearl. Although its internal power is exhausted, it can allow snakes, pythons, and dragon-kin to shed their skin and transform into dragons. Believe me, if I gave this to General Fish, he would absolutely help me secure those two token fragments. But as you know, those fragments are fused with the position of the Mountain God of Jingyang Ridge, so they are useless to me. I hope to trade this pearl for your fragment."

He placed the box on the ground and stepped back, showing no fear that Wang Liang would simply snatch it and flee.

Wang Liang hesitated for a moment before stepping forward to pick up the box. The moment he touched it, a system notification chimed.

[White Dragon Waste Pearl (Enhancement Item)]
[Quality: Purple]
[Function: A Dragon Pearl once worshipped at the White Dragon Temple. Due to a disaster at the temple, the site was abandoned and the pearl lost its power, falling into the mortal realm. When consumed by dragon-kin such as snakes, pythons, fish, or turtles, or creatures with "dragon" in their name like crocodiles or horses, it can raise their level by 10 to 15 (up to a cap of level 59) and transform their bloodline into that of a dragon.]
[Note 1: As this is a wasted pearl, there is a certain chance of failure. If it fails, the user will explode.]
[Note 2: Because the source is a White Dragon, there is a 70% chance of obtaining the White Dragon bloodline upon successful transformation.]

Wang Liang’s expression shifted as he weighed the pros and cons. Seeing his hesitation, Life-and-Death Friend sensed success. "Fellow Daoist, if that is not enough, I have one more thing, also from the White Dragon Temple: a blueprint for a Dragon-Transformation Pool. Build it according to the plans, and you will have a pool. It produces thirty liters of water daily. Consuming it will gradually imbue snakes, pythons, fish, turtles, and horses with dragon blood. While they cannot become dragons directly, it provides significant benefits."

Wang Liang thought of his residence. He had already caught every creature with spiritual potential near the Shaolin Temple on Mount Song; if he kept going, he would have to resort to the fish and turtles in the release pond. He had been fretting over where to keep these creatures, and this pool was exactly the opportunity he needed.

"Fine. It's a deal!"