From the outside, a massive, light blue bubble covered a large area of Claude Canyon, and Zhang Ye was right at the edge of it, unable to break through its barrier no matter what he tried.
This was the application of water elements.
Knowing he couldn't break through, Zhang Ye stopped flying to reduce his mana consumption.
He immediately shielded the other three behind him and faced Hainowei, who was slowly gliding toward them through the air.
“Must you kill us?” Zhang Ye took the initiative to ask.
At the same time, his mind was racing, searching for a way out.
“Yes,” Hainowei replied with a nod, seemingly completely fearless, not worried at all that the four of them could break out of this bubble cage formed by water elements.
“What's the reason?” Zhang Ye suddenly smiled. “At least let us die with some understanding, right?”
The fact that she didn't strike immediately was a good sign. It showed that Hainowei's intent to kill them wasn't entirely absolute.
Hainowei looked at him and said slowly, “If I let you leave, I might be hunted down again. I cannot gamble, nor can I take that risk.”
“I do not trust humans, and I do not trust you.”
“Rest assured, I can grant you a painless death...” As she spoke, Hainowei prepared to strike.
The terrifying surge of water elements made Zhang Ye's eye twitch.
“Wait a moment!” Zhang Ye shouted hurriedly.
Hainowei raised her watery brow slightly, clearly growing impatient.
“You can't kill us,” Zhang Ye suddenly said with a confident smile.
“Oh?” Hainowei stared at him, letting out a cold laugh. “Even if the combined strength of you four were tripled, you still wouldn't be my match. Why are you so certain that I cannot kill you?”
Zhang Ye crossed his arms and smiled faintly. “How about we make a bet? If you can't kill us, you let us leave. What do you say?”
“Heh, if you really had that kind of ability, you would have left long ago. Why resort to this?” Hainowei was entirely unconvinced.
Zhang Ye smiled. “Since you're so confident, just tell me if you'll bet or not. After all, we're already dead in your eyes anyway, aren't we?”
“We're on the verge of death anyway, so why not show some of your merciful side?”
Hearing Zhang Ye's words, Hainowei frowned and snorted, “Sharp-tongued!”
“Fine, I will bet with you. If I cannot kill you, I will let you leave safely. But if I can...”
“...then I will not grant you a painless death. Instead, I will kill you in the most brutal way possible!”
“How about that?”
“Deal!” Zhang Ye agreed without a moment's hesitation.
This caught Hainowei off guard, and she felt a trace of doubt. What exactly was this guy planning?
However, she didn't believe that with her power, she wouldn't be able to kill these four little runts who hadn't even reached Saint-tier.
“Then let us begin...” As she spoke, surging water mana began to condense in Hainowei's hands. She was ready to kill, making Zhang Ye's heart skip a beat.
“Don't be in such a hurry, let me say a few words first,” Zhang Ye said, pressing his hands down to calm her.
“First of all, with your current power, trying to kill us is indeed a bit difficult. You're only at the pseudo-Saint-tier, after all. If we all join forces and activate the protective power on our bodies, we could defeat you if we put our lives on the line. So, if you want to kill us, you'll have to use your trump card.”
“And if I'm not mistaken, the price for using your trump card is incredibly high, isn't it?”
Hearing this, the veins on Hainowei's forehead throbbed. Her otherwise gentle face instantly turned ice-cold. “What do you know?!”
“Don't be nervous, hear me out first.” Zhang Ye shrugged with a relaxed expression.
“Of course, if you're willing to pay a massive price just to win this bet and kill us, I have nothing to say. But...”
“...is it worth it?”
“As I said before, we all have protective power on us. And this one here,” Zhang Ye said, wrapping an arm around Lina's shoulders as he smiled at Hainowei, “has the protective power of a Demigod on her. You should understand what that means.”
By now, Hainowei's face had darkened like a storm.
“This means...” Zhang Ye continued, “...even if you actually manage to kill us, you will face the relentless pursuit of the forces behind us!”
“You might even be hunted down by a Demigod!”
“Or, you might be killed on the spot by the Demigod's protective power!”
“You probably only recently went into seclusion here in Claude Canyon, which is why the outside world has no idea you exist. You did this to hide from humans.”
“Do you really want to be hunted by humans once again just because of us?”
“That is exactly why I must kill you!” Hainowei said through gritted teeth. Her trembling shoulders showed that her mind was far from calm.
Zhang Ye smiled and nodded. “That's true, but you actually have a better choice. For example...”
“...letting us leave.”
“We can swear on our lives that we will never actively compromise your safety.”
“I do not trust you!” Hainowei said coldly. “I will never trust any human again!”
Hearing this, Zhang Ye let out a soft sigh. “I know. You must have been deceived and hurt by humans. I cannot represent them, but I can apologize to you on their behalf.”
“You don't have to trust them, and you don't have to trust humans. But you can trust me.”
“On what grounds?” Hainowei stared into his eyes. “How do you guarantee that you are different from those other humans?”
“How do you guarantee that you will not deceive me?”
“And why should I gamble my life on whether you are worthy of trust?”
“Tell me, on what grounds!”
A terrifying wave of mana surged outward.
“On the grounds that I can hand my life over to you.”
“What?” Hainowei was momentarily stunned.
Not just her, but even Lina and the others stared at Zhang Ye in shock.
Zhang Ye opened his arms slightly. “I can open up my mind and let you enslave my soul.”
“If even this cannot earn your trust, then I have nothing left to say.”
“You can choose to strike. If you do, I guarantee that you will have to exhaust your ultimate trump card to kill us. And if that happens, you will either die outright or be left incredibly weak. How will you escape human pursuit then?”
“Or, you can choose to let us leave. In exchange, you will retain your peace, and you will have my soul and my submission.”
“In the future, I can even provide you with a safe and peaceful sanctuary. Why would you need to huddle in this tiny, cramped place, constantly worrying about outsiders intruding?”
“The choice is yours.”
“So now, please tell me, who wins and who loses this bet?”
Silence. A deathly silence!
Lina and the other two looked at Zhang Ye, desperately wanting to speak up, but Zhang Ye stopped them with a sharp glance.
With the system's analysis, he could easily rely on parsing to erase the enslavement mark later and find an opportunity to escape. But before that, he had to ensure the safety of Lina and the others.
He was waiting for Hainowei's answer.
Hainowei stared at him, looking directly into his eyes as if trying to see right through him. Zhang Ye met her gaze without the slightest fear, his eyes filled with resolve.
He naturally had the confidence to make such a decision.
Because he had the system. With analysis in hand, he didn't fear any enslavement or taboo!
After a long time, Hainowei finally let out a sigh.
She finally understood. When Zhang Ye said she couldn't kill them, it wasn't because her strength was insufficient. It was because... her situation and her choices did not allow it.
“You win. I indeed cannot kill you.”
Hearing this, Zhang Ye breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “So, do you need me to open my mind now and let you enslave me?”
Hainowei nodded. With a flick of her slender finger, a blue magic circle flew toward Zhang Ye.
Lina and the other two immediately tried to block it, but Zhang Ye stopped them.
Nan refused to listen, so Zhang Ye simply bound him to the spot.
They could only watch helplessly as the blue magic circle sank into Zhang Ye's chest. Zhang Ye's aura instantly plummeted, as if most of his strength had been drained, and he nearly tumbled out of the sky.
Forcing a smile, Zhang Ye said, “Can you let us leave now?”
Hainowei nodded.
Zhang Ye immediately prepared to lead everyone away, but when he turned around, he found himself bound by water currents, unable to move an inch.
Everyone was shocked, staring at Hainowei in anger and alarm.
A half-smile appeared on Hainowei's face. “I can let you leave, but that 'you' does not include you.”
Zhang Ye smiled bitterly. “Why is that? Haven't you already placed an enslavement imprint on my soul?”
“But I still do not feel at ease.”
“They follow your lead. Only with you in my hands do I have the ultimate bargaining chip.”
“Then what about our bet? You said you would let us leave. That 'us' includes Big Brother Ye!” Lina couldn't help but speak up.
Hainowei glanced at her. “A verbal bet, does anyone actually take that seriously?”
“Don't you humans love unilaterally tearing up agreements?”
“How could you...” Lina was fuming.
“Enough!” Zhang Ye quickly stopped Lina, then nodded to Hainowei. “I will stay. Let them go, and you cannot harm them.”
Hainowei giggled and smiled at Lina and the other two. “No wonder you follow his lead. Clearly, he is the only smart one among you.”
With a hook of her finger, Zhang Ye flew straight to her side. Lina and the other two rushed forward, but Zhang Ye called out to stop them.
“Be good, go back. Don't tell anyone, and don't worry about me. I'll be back soon.”
“Big Brother Ye...” Lina and Xi Ya bit their lips, tears on the verge of falling.
The veins on Nan's hands as he gripped his twin blades bulged.
Zhang Ye smiled at the three of them. “Be good, go back.”
“Tell Big Nana that I might have to skip class for a few days.”
“Before the Realm Bridge Secret Realm opens, I will stand before you completely unharmed.”
“But...” Lina wanted to say more.
Zhang Ye's face immediately darkened. “Go back right now, don't tell anyone, and don't make me repeat myself!”
Hearing this, the three of them instinctively stiffened, and finally, they gritted their teeth.
“Let's go!” Nan sheathed his blades, turned, and dashed outward. This time, there was no obstacle.
He feared that if he stayed a moment longer, he wouldn't be able to hold himself back from attacking.
Lina and Xi Ya could only leave at top speed, tears welling in their eyes.
Watching the three of them leave, Zhang Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief, a heartfelt smile appearing on his face once more.
“They abandoned you, yet you're happy?” Hainowei looked at Zhang Ye strangely.
Zhang Ye chuckled. “You wouldn't understand.”
...
...
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