At this moment, the Blood Ancestor was completely stunned. Zhang Fan's words left him utterly bewildered, and he could no longer discern Zhang Fan's identity.
He had initially assumed Zhang Fan was a genius cultivated by a super immortal sect from the cosmic starry sky. However, the secret information Zhang Fan had just revealed made him suspect he might have been mistaken.
Even the elders of his clan knew very little about Zhi Wu True Immortal, yet Zhang Fan could recount them all as if they were old acquaintances. He even managed to guess what treasures Zhi Wu True Immortal had left on Earth.
Furthermore, his address to Zhi Wu True Immortal was so casual, as if they had been friends for many years.
"Could he be the reincarnation of a mighty being, that's why he knows so much?" the Blood Ancestor could only speculate.
"You and that Arbitrator from the Holy See came for the opportunities left by Zhi Wu. Does that mean there are still quite a few Golden Core cultivators from the Wu Shan Star Domain lurking on Earth?" Zhang Fan asked.
"That is not the case. For Golden Core cultivators, even a single star system is still immensely vast. Finding Earth within a mere thousand years would likely be quite difficult," the Blood Ancestor replied, shaking his head.
"My true name is Xue Jing. I am a pure-blooded Undying Blood Race. The reason I was able to come to Earth a thousand years ago was because my elders opened a spatial passage for me, sending me directly here. That old fellow from the Holy See is the same, except he is a member of the Radiant Race."
"Although I haven't appeared in public for several centuries, I have a general understanding of the situation on Earth. To my knowledge, no Golden Core cultivators from the Wu Shan Star Domain have found the place of opportunity yet."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Fan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Although his strength had greatly increased, he still felt inadequate when facing a group of Golden Core cultivators.
"I have fulfilled Senior Saint Zhang's request. May Senior Saint Zhang spare my life?" the Blood Ancestor asked with a look of anticipation and sincerity in his eyes.
"A second-rate Golden Core realm cultivator is of great use to me now. Naturally, I won't kill you easily."
"I will give you two choices. First, become my subordinate and serve me for a hundred years. After a hundred years, I will grant you your freedom."
"Second, I will kill you and take your Golden Core to refine into a pill."
"Two choices, choose for yourself..." Zhang Fan said to Xue Jing, a peculiar smile in his eyes.
"I choose the first one!" Before Zhang Fan could finish speaking, Xue Jing hastily replied, his face filled with joy. A hundred years was not a long time for him. While pledging allegiance to Zhang Fan was somewhat humiliating, what was that compared to saving his life?
Moreover, in his heart, he had already concluded that Zhang Fan was definitely the reincarnation of a mighty being; otherwise, how could he possess such insight and talent? He could tell at a glance that Zhang Fan was different from him. Although he appeared young, including his dormant period, he had lived for over a thousand years. Yet, Zhang Fan's true age was just over twenty. At this age, his strength was already comparable to his peak power, and he dared not imagine Zhang Fan's future achievements. Following such an existence might even bring him considerable benefits.
As for Zhang Fan offering such a lenient condition, it was likely because his strength would rapidly increase. In a hundred years, his power would probably reach at least the Nascent Soul stage, at which point Xue Jing would be of little help by his side, and he would then be released.
"Since you agree, it's settled. Hand over a drop of your life essence blood and form a blood contract with me. Neither party can go back on their word." Zhang Fan flicked his finger, and a drop of scarlet blood emerged, hovering before Xue Jing.
Xue Jing was no longer surprised that Zhang Fan knew their Blood Race's secret technique for blood contracts, nor did he have any further qualms about the outcome. Therefore, he readily forced out a drop of his life essence blood. The two drops of essence blood merged, and both simultaneously performed the blood contract secret technique. In just a few minutes, the contract was completed.
Once the contract was established, their relationship was definitively clear, and Xue Jing's mindset began to shift involuntarily.
"Master, what are your plans next?" Xue Jing asked respectfully.
"You are currently heavily injured, and your strength is too weak to be of much help by my side. Stay here and recover. I have some matters to attend to back in Huaxia," Zhang Fan said after a period of contemplation.
The Blood Ancestor's current strength could at most rival that of a peak Core Condensation stage expert, and his combat ability was significantly inferior to Zhang Fan's. Following him would indeed be of little use. The Blood Ancestor seemed somewhat unwilling; he had slept for too long and was eager to see the world. However, upon considering his own strength, he could only nod in agreement with a sense of helplessness.
"Don't worry. You are a pure-blooded Undying Blood Race. As long as you have a large supply of strong individuals' blood, your injuries will recover quickly."
"When I return to Huaxia this time, it will surely be a bloody affair. I will collect the blood of some powerful individuals for you and refine a large quantity of Human Blood Pills. Your injuries will then recover rapidly." Zhang Fan said to comfort Xue Jing, whose mood seemed to be slightly downcast.
"Master is also an alchemist?" Xue Jing asked with surprise and joy.
Zhang Fan did not answer. He looked up towards the exit and said, "Let's go. Take me to see your tribesmen. If I go out alone, perhaps they will all become corpses."
"Yes." Xue Jing nodded obediently and followed behind Zhang Fan, rushing towards the exit.
The stone pillar passage was thousands of meters deep. When Zhang Fan fell from the top, it was like plummeting from a mountain thousands of meters high, falling freely in the air for a long time. However, on the way out, at their speed, Zhang Fan and Xue Jing reached the exit in mere breaths.
The three Blood Race princes who were guarding the exit, hearing movement from below the stone pillar, were about to investigate when they saw a familiar figure suddenly fly out of the exit.
"Senior Saint Zhang?" Seeing that Zhang Fan was actually alive, they were all incredulous and felt a sense of foreboding. If Zhang Fan was alive, did that mean their ancestor was already...
*Swish!*
Another figure in white robes shot out from the exit. Prince Xier and the others looked intently and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. As long as their ancestor was still alive, they felt secure.
"My lords, Senior Saint Zhang is indeed formidable, managing to escape the ancestor's suppression. The three of us will combine our strength to help the ancestor suppress him." Prince Xier said in a low voice, a sharp blood fiendish aura emanating from him, ready to strike and suppress Zhang Fan at any moment. The other two princes nodded in agreement, ready to act as soon as their ancestor gave the command.
...