Chapter 1240: Buying Time

The black-robed bald man, however, was unfazed from beginning to end. His expression remained the same even if the black dragon he had transformed into was destroyed, or when he was blown away and sent flying by Tang Xiu's sword strike. Not even a single trace of uneasiness appeared even when Tang Xiu came to his front.

"You won't dare kill me."

He stated indifferently at the moment he retreated.

Tang Xu frowned and slashed his sword forward, but he instantly tilted the trajectory slightly. The sword light that was supposed to cut off the man's right shoulder changed direction and only severed his right arm.

"Why wouldn't I dare?" Tang Xiu halted his advance and coldly asked, staring at the black-robed bald man tens of meters away.

The bald man's brows tightened before he quickly grabbed his severed right arm and pressed it again its stump. A black smoke surged on his right arm and half a minute later, he gently moved his lower right arm. It was obvious that the body part had already reconnected.

"If I'm not mistaken, Chen Zhizhong is your disciple. I've cast a Link Hex on him that makes his life and death connected to mine. Tang Xiu, I don't think you'll kill your own disciple, will you?" the black-robed bald man stated lightly.

Link spell?

Tang Xiu had no idea about this kind of Link Hex or whatever. But his intuition told him that the spell was similar to the "Life Sharing Spell" he knew about. Once the caster cast this spell on someone, the caster and the target would share their lives and die together. The death of one would cause the death of the other.

"What exactly do you want?" asked Tang Xiu indifferently.

The black-robed bald man replied with similar indifference, "Let me introduce myself. I'm Helios Luna—a retired Elder of the Celestial Wizard Clan."

"Heh, I didn't expect that someone from Celestial Wizard Clan dares to come out and make a mess outside." Tang Xiu sneered. "Haven't those assassin organizations all over the world brought disasters to your clan?"

"Can you even see through the heritage and foundation of the Celestial Wizard Clan?" Helios Luna shook his head and smilingly said, "The reason why I came out is to make you stop putting the bounty reward. It isn't that my Celestial Wizard Clan fears to face troublesome things. We just don't bother to care about such mundane things."

"Anyhow, why are you're so sure that I really care about Chen Zhizhong's life and death?" Tang Xiu asked, "He's just my in-name disciple."

"I've had you investigated ever since I came outside," Helios Luna said. "You piqued my interest. I even hold a bit of admiration toward you. So young, yet steadfastly standing up for justice and morality with quite a benevolent character. Even though you're very powerful, you still guard China and its people. You have even done a lot of things for your friends. How can a young man who cares about others a lot possibly abandon the life of his own disciple?"

Tang Xiu let out a mocking smile and said, "You think you really know me, don't you?"

"I dare not say that I know you very well," Helios Luna replied, "But I think I can see through your character, at least a bit. I just said that I'm very interested in you because of your cultivation and the force behind you. I'd love to hear it if you'd care to tell me."

"You're not qualified to know anything about my heritage." Tang Xiu shook his head.

Having said that, he didn't bother paying attention to Helios Luna anymore but flew to the altar. He then looked at Chen Zhizhong, whose body was impaled by 13 blades. Traces of his blood sled down the blades and finally merged into the inscribed array pattern on the altar that faintly radiated sanguine light.

"Mas... Master..."

Chen Zhizhong raised his head in difficulty and, with his blurred eyes, he was barely able to see Tang Xiu's face.

Tang Xiu sighed inwardly and used his spiritual sense to permeate the array pattern on the altar. What he found made the murderous intent in his heart grew more intense. He then shifted at Helios Luna, who followed him and folded his arms while smiling.

This array was usually used by evil cultivators and meant to sacrifice and refine souls. Once the person used as the sacrificial offering lost all his blood into the array, their three souls and seven spirits would be ruthlessly extracted out of his body and became the offerings. And once the caster who held the offerings devoured these sacrificed souls, the caster could rob all the cultivation and memory of the victim and made his own power skyrocket.

It was an utterly sinister and evil method.

Tang Xiu had never thought that some people in the Celestial Wizard Clan would know this evil hex. He could have understood it if it was in the Immortal World since there were countless practitioners and the widely spread magical arts over there. But this place was Earth. Those who could study this evil spell could be called as peerless fiends because they should have done cruel experiments with countless creatures and souls.

"Listen carefully about the secret art I'm about to teach you. Give your all to cultivate it and make the best use of time as much as you can. You'll be able to make up for the lost life force and even obtain enormous benefits." Tang Xiu transmitted his voice to Chen Zhizhong's ear. After seeing him blink his eye as a sign, he then transmitted the secret art to him.

Tang Xiu then shifted to look at Helios Luna and said, "I can honestly say that your investigation and analysis of my personality are on the mark. Let's talk about the deal now. What you do you want from me before you let my disciple go?"

Helios Luna smacked his lips and grinningly said, "Three conditions. Meet them and I'll release your disciple and guarantee that my Celestial Wizard Clan will never oppose you again in the future."

"State them!" Tang Xiu nodded.

"The first condition is about the Dark Shaman Clan," Helios Luna said. "They are traitors to my Celestial Wizard Clan and their entire clan must be punished. You must remain silent when many experts from my clan move to exterminate them!"

"Singluen is my friend and I'm the one who helped him become the Patriarch of Dark Shaman Clan." Tang Xiu sneered. "No, I get it now. The previous Sacred Flame group who came to the Dark Shaman Clan and invited them to capture Chen Zhizhong should be one of your plans, shouldn't it? If the Dark Shaman Clan were to get involved, then they would become my enemy, meaning that you wanted to use my hand to get rid of the Dark Shaman Clan."

Helios Luna raised his thumbs up and exclaimed, "The information I've gathered about you seems to be true, Tang Xiu. You're really smart, even smarter than I thought. I did really want to use your hand to get rid of them, the traitors of the clan. Unfortunately, they were wary of the Sacred Flame Organization and refused to get involved."

"It was really a good scheme, indeed." Tang Xiu sneered.

Helios Luna went on, "So... do you or do you not accept the first condition?"

Tang Xiu pondered for several minutes and replied with an ugly expression, "I agree, though I'm reluctant. But if the next demands you state makes it difficult for me to decide, you can expect that I'd rather have my disciple die here and refine your own soul to become a spirit artifact. You can expect to endure endless suffering for eternity."

Helios Luna's eye lit up and smilingly said, "Then, about the second condition. I need three spirit weapons since you can manufacture it."

"I can't manufacture any magic weapon for the time being." Tang Xiu shook his head and said, "A soul must be extracted for each refinement. I can't do it."

Helios Luna slowly turned around, pointed to the seaside and sneered. "I won't force you to extract someone's soul since I know about your personality. But that won't be a problem for you if I'm the one who extracts it from some others, right? I have many pirates here, and there are also a lot of those from the Sacred Flame. Don't you forget that these Sacred Flame's people were the ones who captured your disciple, so you don't have a problem with me taking their souls, right?"

"They are just machines whose objective is to get money." Tang Xiu lightly replied, "The one responsible for this farce is not them, but you alone. If I have to kill anyone, killing you is the best way to vent my anger."

"Then use my people!" Helios Luna stated again in a deep tone.

"I agree to refine you three spirit magic weapon as long as you give me the souls," Tang Xiu said. "But you must provide all the materials needed to make them."

Helios Luna didn't even ask Tang Xiu what materials needed and directly complied.

"What about the third condition?" asked Tang Xiu.

"A manual of cultivation art that can be practiced up until ascending to become Immortal," Helios Luna smilingly said. "I know that the Chinese Taoist school attaches great importance to the inheritance of the sect, but I have to get it. In fact, even if you don't trade with me, I can also get it, though the means would be far crueler and bloodier."

Tang Xiu's complexion became very ugly. After hesitating for a while, he said, "I will need to discuss this with the elders in my sect. If they agree, then it won't be a problem. But if they don't, then I can only sacrifice my disciple and exact revenge for him."

"Have it your will." Helios Luna accepted it offhandedly and smilingly said, "But I must warn you in advance that your time is running out. If you don't give me a reply within 2 days, Chen Zhizhong will be completely refined while still being alive until he dies. There's no use for you to regret anything at the time."

2 days, huh?

Tang Xiu inwardly sneered. Although Chen Zhizhong's talent was just average, it would only take him half a day to learn the secret art he just taught him. By then, this bastard would no longer act this rampant and arrogant.

In the distance, the experts of Sacred Flame and Tang Sect were going all out to commit slaughter on the island. The island itself had many inhabitants, many of whom were also wizards. However, their strength was just mediocre, so it was easy for the two sides to kill them.

Tang Xiu could tell that Helios Luna didn't even care about the life and death of these pirates. Those three conditions and the promise he gave him were the most important things in his eyes.

Whoosh!

A figure flickered and moved at the speed of lightning and quickly appeared in front of Tang Xiu. Chi Nan, who was covered with blood and looked a bit pale, respectfully reported, "We've removed all the enemies, Boss."

"Stand guard here to watch over Chen Zhizhong." Tang Xiu nodded at her in response and said, "I'll make a call first."

"Understood!"

Chi Nan nodded. After taking a Holy Healing pill Tang Xiu gave her, she then looked at Helios Luna and watched him over vigilantly like an enemy.

Tang Xiu flew away for a few kilometers before he grabbed his cell phone and dialed Singluen's number. Then, he spoke, "The retired Elder of Celestial Wizard Clan, Helios Luna, has a plan to massacre your Dark Shaman Clan. I just talked to him, and one of the conditions is that I must no longer aid you."