"What?!" Bibi Dong's deep purple eyes suddenly shrank.
She had long suspected Tang San had risen to great power, but she hadn't expected this much...
If what this boy said was true, then her dream of revenge might never be realized in her entire lifetime.
"Why should I believe you?" Bibi Dong's tone had clearly softened.
She seemed to have accepted the reality of her situation.
"Because of this…" Xu Cheng opened his palm, and a long staff suddenly appeared out of thin air.
"This is… the Scepter of Destruction! How do you have this? No—are you the inheritor of Destruction?!"
"It's always easier to talk to smart people." Xu Cheng smirked.
"That's right. Destruction has already named me his successor. Even the God of Emotions once approached me, hoping I'd inherit his mantle—but I declined."
Tian Meng whispered to Bing Di, "Didn't Rong Nianbing get so mad back then he nearly lost his Dao heart?"
Bing Di coughed awkwardly. "…I think so."
"The Scepter of Destruction… It's real. Unless the Divine Realm is in chaos and too preoccupied, an ultra-divine weapon like that wouldn't be in anyone else's hands. You are Destruction's chosen successor." Bibi Dong's expression turned grim.
"As long as you can help me kill Tang San, then everything is negotiable." As she spoke, a cold gleam of killing intent flashed in her eyes.
After all, most so-called inheritors merely gain the qualification to undergo a god's trial, and that's it. But someone who receives a divine weapon while still a soul master… was truly favored by a god. Their chance of becoming a god was almost 99%.
Even she—back then—never obtained a divine weapon.
If this kid really becomes the successor of Destruction, he might truly be capable of standing toe-to-toe with Tang San.
"Alright then. Since that's the case, let's sign the contract first." Xu Cheng smiled and used his spiritual power. Between them, a hexagram array formed. A parchment-like object slowly floated between them, gently rising and falling.
"Contract?" Bibi Dong's expression froze.
"Naturally. You were once a first-class deity. I'm just an ordinary soul master. Of course I need a little insurance." Xu Cheng chuckled.
"What's wrong? You're not planning to play me, are you…"
"Cough, of course not…" Bibi Dong clenched her silver teeth, took a deep breath, and picked up the parchment floating between them. Lines of text emerged.
But the more she read, the darker her expression became.
These were overlord clauses!
Back in the Slaughter City, she'd come across similar contracts used to enslave souls—those who signed became "soul servants" and were forced to fight for others. This contract… was almost identical!
It was practically a slave contract. Once she signed it, she'd be completely at Xu Cheng's mercy. Even if she regained her strength and became a god again, she wouldn't be able to escape, because the contract's binding level was terrifyingly high.
Even as a divine consciousness, she couldn't perceive the force behind this contract.
"Aren't you going too far?" Bibi Dong said coldly. "If you could treat me with sincerity, then once I regain my godhood, I wouldn't treat you poorly."
"Are you mistaking me for a charity?" Xu Cheng grinned.
At that moment, the spiritual world seemed to undergo a massive transformation.
Waves of translucent ripples radiated from under his feet, gradually turning crimson and slowly spreading across the entire mental realm.
The sun and moon hung high in the sky.
Casting down their opposing lights.
Even the sea of spiritual energy began to stir, as if a storm was about to break.
"This spiritual power…"
Bibi Dong's face twisted in shock.
Back when she first became a Titled Douluo, her spiritual power had not even come close to this level.
And yet judging by his aura and cultivation, this boy seemed to only be at the Soul Emperor level…
No wonder Electrolux had stood by passively—this kid was even more monstrous.
Bibi Dong gave a bitter smile. Of course. If someone like Destruction chose him personally, how could he be some average talent?
Under the terrifying pressure, even her divine consciousness was beginning to waver.
"I can throw you into the Nether Realm and wipe your consciousness clean. Or—you can sign the contract. Your choice, Your Holiness…" Xu Cheng said with a sweet smile.
He glanced at the rising sun and the bloody moon overhead. The oppressive aura of this ultimate martial soul… She'd never experienced anything like it in her previous life—not from Tang San's Blue Silver Emperor, the Clear Sky Hammer, or even her daughter's Angelic Martial Soul.
"…Fine."
It was as if Bibi Dong used all her strength to say that word.
Signing the contract meant her divine sense would become anchored to Xu Cheng's spiritual sea. Just like the others who resided here, if Xu Cheng were to die, she too would vanish completely.
Well, at least it was a second life.
She consoled herself.
Her red lips parted, and she bit her fair fingertip, drawing a bead of crimson blood which she pressed onto the parchment.
Xu Cheng followed suit.
Golden light flared from the parchment, enveloping the two of them.
When the golden glow faded, Xu Cheng looked at Bibi Dong and felt a strange connection inside his mind.
"Alright, don't bother me now," Bibi Dong said coldly, turning to retreat deeper into the mental realm to find her own domain.
But Xu Cheng stopped her from leaving.
"Your Holiness, what should you call me?" Xu Cheng asked with a smile.
"…Xu Cheng?" Bibi Dong was momentarily stunned. During the contract signing, she'd learned his name—the one she'd be loyal to for life.
"No, no. Think again. How should a divine servant refer to her master?" Xu Cheng's grin widened.
"…Don't even think about it!!!" Bibi Dong snapped, her deep purple eyes glaring coldly at him as if she wanted to eat him alive. But without her true body and divine power, now just a fragment of divine sense bound by contract, she looked more like a beautiful, ordinary woman—almost evoking a kind of pity.
"Is that so?" Xu Cheng's smile remained.
"I can always annul the contract, scrub your soul clean, and turn you into a real divine puppet. Maybe that version of you will be more obedient."
"You—!!!"
Bibi Dong was grinding her teeth hard enough to break them.
But after a long silence, she took a deep breath. Her pale cheeks turned slightly red. In a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, she muttered, "M-Master…"
"Good. Off you go."
Xu Cheng nodded slightly, his expression unchanged.
But inside, he felt… something strange.
To have crossed into a world ten thousand years later, and still be able to interact with such key figures… truly fascinating.
A deep purple streak of light flashed as Bibi Dong fled into the depths of the mental sea—leaving behind a lingering aura of bitter resentment.
(End of Chapter)