Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1571 - 1571 0920 Just for Self-preservation

Chapter 1571: Chapter 0920: Just for Self-preservation Chapter 1571: Chapter 0920: Just for Self-preservation Chapter 0920: Solely for Self-Preservation

Huo Yunbiao, once the overlord of the Fiery Cloud Secret Realm, was extremely proud. There were few existences in the world that could make it submit and endure setbacks, and Qi Tian was one of them. Huo Yunbiao could never forget the process by which Qi Tian subdued it in the Fiery Cloud Secret Realm; even if it grew an extra dose of courage, it would not dare to defy Qi Tian’s orders. However, its fear was solely directed at Qi Tian, and it did not take Li Qingping—who it was holding in its mouth—seriously at all, especially after it had witnessed Qi Tian removing all of Li Qingping’s treasures. It felt even more confident that Li Qingping was no longer a threat to it.

Unable to vent the frustration Qi Tian had caused it, Huo Yunbiao turned its head and began to threaten Li Qingping. Biting off Li Qingping’s head was, of course, impossible, but it still let out a deep roar; its throat and the muscles around its skin all trembled.

Li Qingping instantly felt all this; the trembling muscles inside Huo Yunbiao’s mouth slapped against his face, and the beast’s deep roar, like a dawn bell or a dusk drum, caused his ears to ache. Li Qingping felt he was one step closer to death; although he could be certain that Qi Tian could control Huo Yunbiao, he couldn’t be one hundred percent sure that Qi Tian could fully restrain it at all times. It was very common in the Cultivation World for spirit beasts to occasionally disobey their masters for some reason. If Huo Yunbiao really decided to bite down, it was not entirely impossible for it to sever his head, and moreover, he had no way of knowing for certain if Qi Tian truly harbored intentions to kill him.

Releasing a tiger back to the mountains is like nurturing a threat; such simple logic is something Qi Tian surely understands. To exterminate him completely, taking advantage of the situation to have Huo Yunbiao bite off his head would be completely logical. It’s possible that Qi Tian had not acted yet not because he cared about Li Qingping’s life, but because he wanted Li Qingping to experience the terror of impending death over and over again before dying, to instill fear and desperation for mercy.

Li Qingping did not want to die. He was different from ordinary Nascent Soul Masters; many masters at his stage could no longer see the path ahead, choosing to give up further climbing higher peaks and attaining higher realms of cultivation. His objective in seeking breakthroughs was not principally to gain greater strength, but rather to live longer and more comfortably, to control a territory and revel in unmatched power—a temptation few could renounce or sever.

Speaking out loud like before was definitely not an option; Li Qingping had to consider Huo Yunbiao’s reaction. If he carelessly offended Huo Yunbiao, one bite could mean saying farewell to all his power and status.

There weren’t many options available to Li Qingping; he could only use the Sound Transmission Skill. However, there was a very apparent downside to this method: with his head still in Huo Yunbiao’s mouth, his vision was blocked, and he couldn’t determine Qi Tian’s exact location.

The Sound Transmission Skill transmitted sounds point-to-point. If he couldn’t deliver his words accurately to Qi Tian, no matter what he said would be in vain. Despite this drawback, Li Qingping had no choice but to attempt communication with Qi Tian. After all, it was an opportunity; if he gave up now, he really would find himself in an irreparable place.

“Qi Tian, can you hear me? I beseech you to grant me some face. If you can hear this, please, I implore you to respond to this old man.”

Qi Tian did not pretend to play the mute at this time. Li Qingping, when using the Sound Transmission Skill, couldn’t accurately transmit his words to him, but that didn’t matter. Qi Tian was constantly keeping the sensing function of the Heavenly Dao Engine activated for Spirit Qi. The moment Li Qingping utilized the Sound Transmission Skill, Qi Tian captured it instantly.

Qi Tian had never thought about killing Li Qingping, and he directly said, “Older brother, if there’s anything you want to say to me, just speak up. Your younger brother is all ears.”

Li Qingping didn’t dare to address Qi Tian as his brother anymore, and quickly transmitted his voice, “I earnestly request that you show mercy and spare my life. I am willing to pay a price that will satisfy you.”

Qi Tian laughed and said, “Older brother, are you joking? I have never thought about killing you. You are the sky of our side of the world. If you die, who will shelter us from the wind and rain? Who will help us resist the oppression of outside forces? So, older brother, just relax; you are not going to die anytime soon. Living another hundred and eighty years should be no problem.”

Li Qingping dared not believe what Qi Tian said. If Qi Tian really didn’t intend to kill him, why let Huo Yunbiao cling to his head without letting go? He continued to transmit his voice, “What do you want in order to let me go? Name your conditions.”

Qi Tian chuckled and said, “I know older brother is a straightforward person, and I don’t like to beat around the bush, so I’ll speak frankly. To let you go, my demands are not high, just two. First, I need to establish a firm relationship between the two of us. At the very least, I need to ensure that in the future you won’t come after me for today’s incident. You are a Master at the Second Level of the Nascent Soul Stage, with formidable strength. If you come to trouble me, I really can’t afford it.”

Li Qingping quickly said, “That’s easy to handle. I can swear an oath, and however you find it appropriate, I will use that method to swear the oath to set your mind at ease.”

Qi Tian laughed and said, “I don’t believe in swearing oaths. If you really want to put my mind at ease, please stop resisting and allow a trivial item to be inserted into your sea of consciousness. Rest assured, I have no other intentions. I’m only doing this to protect myself and nothing else.”

If his life were not still in Qi Tian’s hands, Li Qingping would definitely curse at this moment. Was what Qi Tian saying even human? Allowing him to let down his Divine Sense and permitting Qi Tian to implant something into his Divine Sense was no different from opening his own house door and letting a robber in. But given the circumstances, Li Qingping could not voice any complaints; he could only plead with Qi Tian.

“Can’t we agree on a different condition?”

Qi Tian said, “The first condition is a prerequisite for my peace of mind. If this condition is not met, talking about anything else is pointless.”

Li Qingping’s thoughts raced, and in an instant, thousands of ideas flashed through his mind. Nevertheless, no matter how hard he tried to imagine a solution, he was unable to break free from the perilous situation at hand. His fate being in Qi Tian’s hands meant he had no right to negotiate any terms unless he was willing to nobly face death.