384: Chapter 384 Contractual Life Stealing Technique

Hearing Wanyan Lin speak this way, a bitter smile curled at the corner of Feng Ming's mouth. "Forget it, I'll just take your words as being sincere."

After saying that, he looked at the thin but stubborn figure of the woman before him, his tone softening slightly: "In the future, once your great vengeance is fulfilled and the sea of blood is avenged, you can do as you please, go where you want to go, and no one will ever threaten you again."

Wanyan Lin was momentarily stunned, her eyes growing slightly warm. She quickly lowered her head and said, "Young Master is deeply affectionate and righteous. If the day truly comes when my blood vengeance can be avenged and I can personally slay my enemies, I will never leave Young Master's side. Even if I only stay by your side as a Maid serving tea and water, I would surely be content."

Hearing this, Feng Ming let out a light laugh instead, his gaze open and serious: "When that time truly comes, if you still don't want to leave..." He paused, each word falling clearly: "I will marry you."

"Young Master!" Wanyan Lin gave a soft cry, her beautiful face instantly flushed crimson, even the tips of her ears burning hot as she lowered her head in a fluster.

Seeing this, Feng Ming explained softly, "My premise is that if at that time you still don't want to leave, I will marry you. But the world is unpredictable and people change. Even if you are steadfast now, it doesn't mean you won't change in the future. However, my promise stands here: as long as you are willing, I will marry you."

As his voice fell, Feng Ming said no more. Although they hadn't known each other long, spending time with Wanyan Lin was relaxed and pleasant.

However, as he said, it was too early to say anything now. The road ahead was vast and full of variables; no one could predict what choice Wanyan Lin would ultimately make in the future. Everything would eventually be left to time to prove and test.

Feng Ming composed himself, his gaze falling on the rewards the System had just issued. The Dragon and Phoenix Reversal Art and the cultivation spirit fruit were both old items he had already obtained, so they held little novelty.

Only that scroll of the Contract Life-Stealing Art possessed an eerie aura, profound and mysterious; it was something he had never seen before.

A contract? Feng Ming's heart stirred, and he immediately focused his mind to check. The next moment, a cold and domineering stream of information flooded directly into his mind.

【Contract Life-Stealing Art】

Rank: Supreme Forbidden Secret Technique

Type: Contract Scroll

Effect: After use, one can forcibly bind their own life with someone with whom they share a Karmic bond.

【Effect Description】

After a successful binding, the binder can seize half of the bound person's Lifespan in real-time. The bound person's Lifespan is permanently halved.

【Kind Reminder】

Once the Life-Stealing Art is performed, it can never be reversed.

If the bound person dies, the binder falls with them; only when both die together will the contract automatically dissipate.

The binding target is limited only to those with a Karmic connection to the Host, otherwise, it will not take effect. The bound person cannot resist, nor can they detect the existence of the contract; they can only perceive their own Lifespan being halved for no apparent reason.

【Status Explanation】

If the binder actively seeks death—for example: self-detonation in battle, suicide by poison, or forcibly self-destructing their Dao Foundation—they will not die immediately. Instead, they will continuously overdraw the bound person's Lifespan until the other party's Lifespan is exhausted, at which point both will go to the Yellow Springs together.

After reading these lines of description, Feng Ming's face suddenly changed, and a storm surged in his heart. What kind of technique was this?

Stealing others' lives, pilfering life and death, sharing glory and ruin? No wonder it was called the Life-Stealing Art.

Moreover, this effect actually had a subtle similarity to another secret technique in his hand, Longevity Equal to the Sovereign; both were ruthless methods of mutual destruction.

But the problem was, did he dare use it? Since obtaining Longevity Equal to the Sovereign, it had been kept on a high shelf, with never an opportunity to use it.

This Life-Stealing Art seemed the same. He was not yet twenty, yet his Cultivation had already reached the Mahayana Realm. His path ahead was glorious and his Lifespan long. If he truly chose someone at random to bind his Lifespan to, wouldn't he lose out tremendously? No matter how he calculated it, it wasn't worth it.

At this thought, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck Feng Ming's mind, and he abruptly remembered someone.

"Right, I'm not suitable, but King Xibei is! This thing is practically tailor-made for him!"

King Xibei's Lifespan was now nearing its end, his lamp running out of oil. If he could use this method to steal another's Lifespan, wouldn't he be able to perform a Heaven-Defying life extension and live on for a long time?

Imagine if King Xibei used this art to bind with Xun Yu. Xun Yu was in his prime with a deep Foundation, possessing at least several hundred years of Lifespan. Giving half to King Xibei would be enough to let him live for several hundred more years. In this way, wouldn't King Xibei not have to die?

Feng Ming felt as if his horizons had suddenly broadened, as if he had discovered a new continent. In the entire world, there was no user more suitable for this scroll of forbidden secret technique than King Xibei.

But then he thought, if one day he himself was in a desperate situation with death being certain, could he use this art to bind a powerful enemy and drag them down with him to the grave?

More importantly, this secret technique had no restrictions on the target's strength; as long as there was Karma, it could be bound. In contrast, Longevity Equal to the Sovereign had strict requirements for the opponent's cultivation.

For a moment, Feng Ming was hesitant. Should he keep it for himself as a trump card for mutual destruction in a desperate situation, or give it to King Xibei as an earth-shattering investment in a favor?

Feng Ming raised his hand and downed two gulps of strong wine, forcing his mind to calm down as he carefully weighed the pros and cons. Compared to Longevity Equal to the Sovereign, the advantage of the Life-Stealing Art lay only in being able to drag down a powerful enemy far beyond his own Realm to death.

But looking at the present, what enemy did he have who could force him to use such a method of mutual destruction? At least for now, there wasn't a single one.

However, if he gave it to King Xibei now, it would surely earn him the immense gratitude and unwavering assistance of this ninth-rank giant. Feng Ming knew better than anyone how great the benefits of a ninth-rank powerhouse's help were.

Back then, a single ninth-rank puppet had allowed him to act without restraint in Liangzhou City with no one daring to provoke him; that was the most direct proof. If he could gain the sincere help of a big shot like King Xibei, his future path of cultivation would surely be countless times smoother.

But if he kept it for himself... if the day truly came when he had to perish together with an enemy, he could drag his foe to death, but what about his family? What about his relatives and descendants? Who would protect them?

Thinking of this, Feng Ming had already made his decision. He already had the trump card of Longevity Equal to the Sovereign; having one more scroll of the Life-Stealing Art was merely icing on the cake.

It was better to take it out and make a guaranteed profitable investment. At the very least, if King Xibei lived, he could protect the stability of the Feng family for a lifetime and ensure a smooth path for his descendants.

No matter how he looked at it, investing in visible benefits before his eyes was much wiser than betting on an illusory desperate situation. Moreover, since Longevity Equal to the Sovereign had been useless so far, this Life-Stealing Art would likely be the same.

His mind made up, Feng Ming no longer hesitated. He immediately stood up and pushed the door open.

A moment later, he had found Xun Luoyuan. "I have a way to let your father live. Take me to see him immediately."

Xun Luoyuan was first taken aback, but seeing Feng Ming's solemn expression and that he wasn't joking, she immediately nodded heavily and turned to lead the way.

...