Painting of the Nine Immortals
chapter-235

"I am willing to enter into an agreement with you and completely put my life in your hands. In this lifetime, I will never betray you."

Feng Jiu Ge’s visage was beautiful enough to bring all the men in the city to their knees. The way she spoke was slow but stable, exhibiting her determination and seriousness.

After she spoke, she kneeled onto the ground with one knee and lowered her head, suggesting that she has now willingly recognized Ling Xian as her Master.

"Huh?"

Ling Xian frowned and asked, "Are you sure this is what you want? I do not want to force you."

"Of course. I am doing this because I want to. You have helped me with my rebirth and my advancement in cultivation. I am willing to call you my Master and repay what you’ve done for me using the rest of my life." Feng Jiu Ge’s face was solemn.

She has made up her mind.

In the beginning, she wasn’t willing to forego her arrogance, but she compromised in order to regain her physical body. However, after Ling Xian offered his help despite her rejection, she was very touched.

On top of all that, the favors he did for her were wider than the sky. She grew up knowing what it means to be in debt of someone’s kindness. Naturally, she gave up her ego in order to repay the kindness.

"As long as you are sure." Ling Xian nodded. Though he didn’t care all that much about the phoenix wanting to recognize him as her Master, to be the owner of a rare phoenix still made him happy.

Feng Jiu Ge nodded and said, "I have thought it through. In this lifetime, I will have no regrets."

"Okay, since you have decided, then I won’t say any more."

A grin hung on Ling Xian’s face. "Don’t worry, since you entered the agreement with me, you will be able to leave this world. I also promise you that I will never ask you stay by my side. You can have your freedom without ever feeling like you are my spiritual beast or my servant."

"Thank you, Savior." Feng Jiu Ge was ecstatic, silently praising herself for correctly identifying him as a good person.

"I am very casual without much of a temper. I don’t follow a lot of rules either," Ling Xian softly smiled, "This means, though you have to admit me as your Master, you can live the way you used to. Don’t ever feel restrained."

"Okay, I will remember that."

Feng Jiu Ge raised her head up and said, "Please do what you have to do."

"Immortal, what should I do?" Ling Xian shifted his gaze towards Feng Qing Ming.

Feng Qing Ming glanced at Feng Jiu Ge with beaming eyes. "Let go of all your thoughts and let down all your guards."

"I…" Feng Jiu Ge hesitated before gritting her teeth, "Okay."

Then, she slowly closed her eyes and tried her best to let down her guards.

Seeing this, Feng Qing Ming smiled approvingly and said to Ling Xian, "Give me a drop of your spiritual blood."

Ling Xian nodded. He manipulated all the blood in his body and soon, a drop of golden blood dripped from his fingertip.

Instantly, a wave of spiritual energy began to disperse, shaking up the area.

The ancient majestic blood.

The overbearingness of the blood doesn’t need a lot of explanation. It is the most important part of his body.

"You sure are generous," Feng Qing Ming was little surprised. He didn’t think Ling Xian would give a drop of the majestic blood.

Ling Xian grinned, "I’ve heard stories about the different ways people try to tame beasts. I heard that the higher quality of blood the Master uses, the stronger the bond. If the blood is royal enough, nothing can break the bond unless the Master dies."

Then, he stared at Feng Jiu Ge and explained, "Don’t misinterpret. My intention isn’t to lock onto you tightly. I simply have my own worries. I hope you can understand."

His biggest worry was, of course, Painting of the Nine Immortals. Everything about this place required him to be highly cautious. There was no way he would ever let Feng Jiu Ge speak of it.

"I understand. Since I have already recognized you as my Master, I will follow your orders without complaint." Feng Jiu Ge’s lips curled up and revealed a faint smile.

She has now thoroughly thought this through. Since Ling Xian was the one who gave her this life, there was nothing wrong with calling him, Master. After all, she had a feeling that Ling Xian was not someone who makes promises he can’t keep or speak things he doesn’t mean. Since Ling Xian said she was free to do what she wanted to and won’t ask her to be a servant, then he really won’t.

She believed in Ling Xian.

"Immortal, it’s all up to you now." Ling Xian nodded, gesturing for Feng Qing Ming to make his move.

Feng Qing Ming stared at the two of them lovingly and retracted his smile. Then, he formed hand seals with both of his hands.

Instantly, a frown crawled onto Ling Xian’s face. He felt an irresistible amount of power surround him. It felt like fate, he had no way of defying it nor did he have the guts to.

At the same time, Feng Jiu Ge’s face turned pale. She felt the same force as Ling Xian, but the effects of it on her were a lot heavier.

Ling Xian was the Master; she was the servant.

Therefore, the bond that locked her down was much scarier.

"Ling Xian, use your blood and imprint a mark on her forehead."

Feng Qing Ming’s expression was heavy as he muttered more strange scriptures. Instantly, lights fell from the sky, lotuses shot up from the earth. Some kind of mysterious heavenly effect was taking place.

The beast taming array.

One of the rarest and one of the most mysterious arrays in the cultivation community.

This type of array cannot be used to fight wars nor can it be used as a defensive spell. However, it was a highly sought after array in the cultivation community.

Because the ability of this array could overcome even the most ferocious beast.

As long as it was used on a beast who’s capability is similar to the master’s, the array will force the beast to listen to its master. If the beast tries to challenge its Master in any way, the Master can agonize the beast by simply using the power of his mind.

It could be claimed that this array is the nightmare of all beasts, but the dream of all cultivators.

The beast taming array Feng Qing Ming was using was the best of all arrays of similar objectives. Its name was the Taming Three Thousand Beasts Array. It was an array he discovered after becoming an immortal.

A lot more powerful than regular beast taming arrays, once cast, there was no possible way of breaking free of it. There was also no requirement for cultivation levels for the Master or the beast.

Ling Xian and Feng Jiu Ge, for example, one was at the peak of the foundational level the other was in the intermediate stage of the completion level – the gap between the two is huge. A regular beast taming array would not allow the two to bond.

However, the Array of Taming Three Thousand Beasts allows this to happen. Even though the distance between Ling Xian and the phoenix was so great, it could easily lock the two together. On top of that, the phoenix had let its guard down before the array was cast, making the entire process even easier.

Ling Xian’s expression was gloomy. With his right index fingertip that had his blood on it, he pressed it between the brows of Feng Jiu Ge.

Instantly, Feng Jiu Ge’s body quivered in response to her reflex of wanting to resist.

Her white hair was in disarray as the Flame of Purity poured out of her.

After Feng Qing Ming unleashed this array, a mysterious and overpowering force hung in the air. Though her defense mechanism was very dominating, it could not lift the strange force.

"What kind of imprint should I make."

Staring at the shivering and the tightly shut eyes of Feng Jiu Ge, Ling Xian thought in silence for a while before finally deciding on what to write on her.

Xian*.

Not only was this his name, but it was also his dream. It was the best way to commemorate today’s event.

In the next moment, the space began to shake as an infinite amount of heavenly light surged.

The array has taken its effect, the bond has been established.

Feng Qing Ming exclaimed and smiled, "Good. Now if you want to, you can end her life with a mere thought."

"As long as she doesn’t speak to anyone about this place, I won’t hurt her." Ling Xian faintly smiled. Noticing how Feng Qing Ming seemed to have become fragile, he hurriedly asked out of worry, "Immortal, what is the matter?"

"Nothing. I just feel a little faint after casting the beast taming array. After I sleep it off, I will return to my normal self." Feng Qing Ming brandished his hand, "I will go rest. You can decide what to do from here."

"Please take your rest. Do not worry about anything else," Ling Xian said softly.

Feng Qing Ming nodded and floated away.

Just then, Feng Jiu Ge slowly opened her eyes. Staring at the handsome young man before her, she felt strangely close to him.

"You feel it too?" Ling Xian grinned. He too, felt like he could read Feng Jiu Ge’s mind as how she could read his.

Feng Jiu Ge’s lips curled up, displaying a bright and moving smile. "Yes. I belong to you now."

"You belong to me?"

Ling Xian bitterly chuckled. "Don’t ever say that. I don’t want you to do anything other than keeping this place a secret. This is why I had to do this."

"I understand. If you were really after me because you wanted a servant, I wouldn’t have agreed to being your servant." Feng Jiu Ge nodded gently, feeling various emotions.

Her entire experience today was a mix of up and down, despair and ecstasy.

If this were the olden days, with her personality, she would rather turn into a rock than admitting a human as her Master. But Ling Xian didn’t want anything in return and helped her out. This made her willing to fulfill his request.

Suddenly, she had a feeling that perhaps having Ling Xian as a Master was a good thing.

"Since the agreement has been established, you may leave. Go find your mother and father quickly, save them their worries." Ling Xian hid a small beam, indicating that Feng Jiu Ge can leave any time she wanted to.

Feng Jiu Ge was highly content, "Thank you, Savior."

"You don’t need to call me Savior anyways. Just call me Ling Xian. Though I am now considered to be your Master, I don’t plan on enslaving you. Therefore, we are equal in position." Ling Xian waved around his hand.

"I understand. But I feel uncomfortable calling you by your name, how about I call you Young Sir," Feng Jiu Ge grinned from ear to ear.

"Do as you will."

Ling Xian returned the smile and set an inhibition rule for Feng Jiu Ge.

Immediately, Feng Jiu Ge collapsed onto the ground as if she was just struck by lightning.

This inhibition rule was used so Feng Jiu Ge cannot speak a word about the Painting of the Nine Immortals.

The moment she tries to talk about this place or write down the location of this place, the inhibition spell would be triggered. When that happens, not only will she not be able to speak, her body will also explode.

This was the most powerful aspect of the Taming Three Thousand Beasts Array!

A regular beast taming array could only control beasts and cannot place inhibition spells in advance. However, this kind of array allows binds to be placed beforehand. If Feng Jiu Ge breaks it, she will die instantly.

This had to be done to ensure no information leaks.

"I have placed a bind in you. Don’t try to speak about this place no matter what. Or you will have to deal with the consequences yourself."

Ling Xian turned towards the Mount of the Healing Soul, leaving behind one phrase that echoed throughout the painting.

"You may now leave."

*Xian means "immortality" or "a celestial being".