Ascension of The Unholy Immortal-Chapter 415: Speak your terms

Liang's gaze flicked to him at last, and for the first time, his presence surged—like a tsunami crashing down upon a coastal city.

"What you call 'possible' is merely the measure of your understanding."

What Tian Shu didn't know… was that Liang wasn't using pure Formation Arts at all.

What he had just witnessed—those impossibly intricate runes, that fifth-dimensional structure, the seamless manipulation of space and law—wasn't something derived from any ancient formation manual.

To the world, to Tian Shu, it appeared as though an unknown formation had manifested—subtle, yet overwhelming. But that wasn't what had happened.

The truth was something no one in this domain—perhaps no one in this era—had ever seen:

Liang had invoked the Universe Law.

Not a domain of fire or ice, not merely the manipulation of time or space. Universe Law did not command a force. It did not dominate a single concept.

Instead, it governed how all laws interacted.

The rhythm between cause and effect.

The hidden gears that connected soul to matter, intention to consequence.

A scaffolding upon which all other principles found meaning.

By contrast, the Void Law controlled space. The Chaos Law shattered structure to birth unpredictability. Elemental Laws shaped the raw fabric of the world.

But Universe Law was different.

It didn't control what happened. It defined why things happened the way they did.

It was not louder. It was deeper.

Not more destructive—but infinitely more precise.

And now, for the first time, it had touched the battlefield.

Liang took another step.

Space folded beneath his feet like rippling water. The puppet with the cannon tried to retreat, but Liang raised his palm—and clenched.

A rune cage manifested instantly around it, forming a suppression cube locked with divine inscriptions. The puppet screeched, its circuits short-circuiting in succession before it was crushed inward—imploding silently like a collapsing star.

Tian Shu roared.

Blood sprayed from his lips as he poured his life force directly into the remaining two puppets, forcing them into berserk mode. The phantom reformed, shrieking as its ghost energy blazed like a violet sun. The skeletal warrior drew a second blade, leaping with momentum that shook the heavens.

But Liang's expression didn't change.

He moved once.

And in that single motion—he vanished.

Tian Shu's spiritual sense flared wildly, trying to trace him, but the world around him warped, rippled… and inverted.

"This is… a domain?"

It was more than that. It was a miniature realm, forged entirely of formations—array upon array, rotating like a grand celestial engine. He couldn't sense the sky or ground. All was formation space—layers of reality shifting like a kaleidoscope of infinite logic.

This was the Universe Domain—one of Liang's ultimate techniques, with the Universe Rune as its core.

Liang's voice echoed from all directions.

"You borrowed ghost essence, constructed powerful puppets, and manipulated soul techniques far beyond your level. Impressive, yes. But in the end… you've forgotten one truth."

A rune lit up above Tian Shu, then another below, followed by thousands more surrounding him—each blooming like a star.

"No matter how high you reach, if the foundation is flawed—"

BOOM.

The world constricted.

"—collapse is inevitable."

The runes activated in unison. The very spiritual energy animating Tian Shu's puppets began to invert. Their cores twisted. One let out a mechanical death-scream as its joints fused and ruptured. The ghostly phantom flickered, then exploded into a cascade of soul ash.

The skeletal warrior, last of the trio, charged in a desperate, wild arc.

Liang appeared beside it, palm open, a yin-gold rune glowing in his hand.

He pressed it to the puppet's chest.

"Return to silence."

CRACK.

The rune flared. The puppet froze mid-swing, shuddered… then fell apart like fractured porcelain.

All was still.

Tian Shu dropped to one knee, blood dripping from his lips.

He raised his head slowly, eyes filled with disbelief, defiance… and fear.

Liang stepped out of the fading array world, walking toward him calmly, hands clasped behind his back.

"You won't kill me…" Tian Shu rasped. "You still need something…"

Liang nodded. "You're right. I do need something from you."

He took another step forward, still composed.

"But I'm not unreasonable," he continued. "I'll give you a chance. Walk away with your life… and even a gift, if you cooperate."

Tian Shu's brow twitched. Inwardly, he cursed. This bastard…

Liang didn't give him a chance to speak.

"Start talking," he said. "Everything—your puppet techniques, how they're refined and controlled. Then the Ghost Dao cultivation method—its structure, its foundation, and how you advanced in it."

He tilted his head slightly. His tone remained calm—but now carried an unmistakable edge. "And you'll hand it over. All of it."

Tian Shu said nothing. But the sneer forming at the corner of his mouth said enough.

"I'll talk," he said. "But not before we make a soul contract."

Liang's gaze sharpened. Tian Shu continued, his voice firm.

"You will swear not to harm me in any way—not now, not in the future. You will not send anyone after me, nor will you leak a single word about my identity or what I reveal here. In return, I'll swear the same."

A tense silence followed. The wind stirred the hem of Liang's robes as he studied Tian Shu in silence.

Then, slowly, a strange look crossed his face—a mix of amusement and curiosity.

"You're cautious," Liang said. "Good. I'd be disappointed if you were naive."

He reached into his sleeve and withdrew a jade slip etched with soul marks.

"Fine," he said. "Let's bind it in blood and soul."

Liang crushed the jade slip between his fingers. A faint pulse of soul force rippled through the air, and from the fragments, golden runes emerged, drifting between them like fireflies.

"Speak your terms," he said.

Tian Shu bit the tip of his finger, a drop of crimson essence forming. "I, Tian Shu, swear upon my soul. From this day forward, I shall not harm Liang, nor reveal any information about him or this exchange to any third party. I shall not pursue vengeance, nor act in ways that will endanger him through direct or indirect means."

The runes flared as they absorbed his words.

Liang nodded, then extended his hand.

"I, Liang Yun, swear upon my soul. I shall not harm Tian Shu from this day forth—neither by my own hand, nor through agents or schemes. I shall not leak his secrets, nor shall I seek to exploit him once this agreement is sealed."

The golden runes spun faster, then collapsed inward with a soft chime. A thin red thread of light connected their hearts for a brief breath—then vanished into the void. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

The soul contract was made.