"All of it?" The Lifespan Demon's indifferent voice carried a faint ripple, as if it had stumbled upon something intriguing.
"How amusing. It's been ages since I last encountered someone willing to sacrifice their entire lifespan. The last time was two thousand years ago—a woman traded all her years to exchange for..."
"Uh, excuse me, Demon Lord, but could we speed this up? I'm in a hurry," Gu Qingfeng interjected impatiently.
If he weren’t worried about scaring the Lifespan Demon away, he’d have already started cursing.
*I’m here to trade lifespan, not listen to your damn stories. I’ve heard enough tales these past few days to make my ears rot.*
"Oh? It seems your beloved is on the brink of death. Keh keh keh... Human emotions are truly fascinating. To think you’d willingly give up your own life for another." The Lifespan Demon grew even more intrigued by Gu Qingfeng’s behavior.
*Damn it!*
Gu Qingfeng clenched his fists.
*That laugh is downright hideous. If I didn’t still need you, I’d have already torn into you!*
For a moment, he missed the Oath Demon—at least that one never wasted words.
"Two hundred years. Your remaining lifespan is only two hundred. Considering your physique and soul are somewhat unique, but your cultivation is lacking, I’ll compromise—you may exchange for twenty years."
"Wait, my body rivals that of a Dragon Transformation cultivator, and my soul has reached the Divine Unbreakable stage. Yet my lifespan is only two hundred years? On par with a Grandmaster? Are you joking?" Gu Qingfeng stared in disbelief.
"Your body may match Dragon Transformation, but it is not a true Dragon Transformation. That realm is a metamorphosis of life itself—you’ve merely achieved the strength, not the evolution. As for your soul, it cannot extend your lifespan, though it may persist in this world after death."
Gu Qingfeng finally understood. *So that’s how it works. Guess I’ll have to train harder—realm still matters.*
Still, this Lifespan Demon was one shrewd bastard.
*My body’s as tough as a Dragon Transformation expert, my soul rivals a god’s, and even if my cultivation’s a bit low, the exchange rate shouldn’t be the same as a damn Grandmaster’s!*
*Fine. Let’s test your limits. If you’re all bark and no bite, I’ll end you.*
"Alright, Demon Lord, twenty years it is. Hurry up and make the exchange," Gu Qingfeng urged.
The moment he spoke, a milky-white orb, the size of a fist, materialized in the void. It shimmered with a soft glow, radiating vitality.
*So this is the manifestation of lifespan?*
*Life essence is milky white, huh.*
Gu Qingfeng reached out, and the orb drifted into his palm. The instant it touched him, he felt an inexplicable, profound connection form between him and the Lifespan Demon.
In that moment, he realized—this was just like the Oath Demon’s "Oath Thread."
These Outer Realm Demons seemed to require some form of connection to interact with beings of this world. For the Lifespan Demon, that link was this orb of lifespan.
Through it, the demon could exert its power on this realm’s inhabitants—and collect their years.
*Which means... this dumbass has to deliver the goods before getting paid!*
"Keh keh keh..." Gu Qingfeng suddenly burst into wild laughter.
*An unexpected windfall! If the Lifespan Demon collected payment first, I’d never get the goods—because it couldn’t take my lifespan anyway. But with this rule in place... I can keep both the lifespan and the exchange!*
The Lifespan Demon watched Gu Qingfeng’s bizarre laughter with mild confusion. *Has humanity’s sense of humor changed so much since I last visited?*
But it paid little heed. Humans were mere ants to it. The odd behavior of one ant might briefly pique its interest, but boredom quickly followed.
"Then, your life... belongs to me now." The Lifespan Demon’s cold voice echoed like a divine decree. A massive, invisible scythe manifested in the void and slashed through Gu Qingfeng’s body!
The blade passed through him, leaving only the faintest sensation—like a breeze.
*Ding!*
[Host has been attacked by the Lifespan Demon.]
[Lifespan +200 years!]
Hearing the familiar system notification, Gu Qingfeng’s grin nearly split his face.
*My lifespan just doubled!*
*One hit was all it took. What if I get a few more? The Lifespan Demon’s scroll can be used infinitely—does that mean... immortality? Screw cultivation!*
His gaze toward the Lifespan Demon shifted—now gleaming like a starving wolf eyeing fresh prey.
The Lifespan Demon, in turn, studied Gu Qingfeng with a trace of doubt in its otherwise indifferent eyes.
*What just happened?*
*Why wasn’t his lifespan taken?*
*Not only that, but I feel like I lost a bit of my own...*
"Ahem... Demon Lord, didn’t you say you’d take all my lifespan? How come I’m still alive?" Gu Qingfeng activated his Oscar-worthy acting skills, feigning confusion.
"Human... what are you laughing at?"
"Huh?!" Gu Qingfeng hastily clamped a hand over his traitorous smirk. "I’m not laughing. Who’s laughing? Definitely not me."
The Lifespan Demon fell silent.
"Human, there is something unnatural about you. Your laughter carries the stench of a scheme fulfilled."
Gu Qingfeng wanted to slap himself. *No self-control at all.*
Since the jig was up, he dropped the act entirely, glaring at the demon with undisguised arrogance.
"Yeah, I’m laughing. What are you gonna do about it? You ask why? I laugh at your stupidity, your lack of wit, your utter idiocy! Not only did you fail to take my lifespan, you even lost some of your own! Keh keh keh... This is too rich!"
"Human! You dare?!" The Lifespan Demon roared in fury. A being of its stature had never been mocked so brazenly by an insect.
As its rage erupted, the heavens darkened. Clear skies vanished, replaced by thunderous clouds and crackling lightning.
An annihilating aura surged toward Gu Qingfeng.
His eyes lit up. *Is this idiot coming after me in person?*
But his excitement lasted less than a second. The storm dissipated abruptly, and in the sky above, an enormous silver eye emerged.
Within it, countless threads of law and reason intertwined, its gaze utterly cold and mechanical.
*The Eye of Heaven’s Law!*
Somehow, Gu Qingfeng knew its name the moment he saw it.
The Eye blazed with boundless silver radiance, illuminating the Lifespan Demon.
In that instant, the world itself rejected the demon violently—its invasive power had exceeded the limits, drawing the attention of Heaven’s Law.
With a furious howl, the demon snarled, "Damnable minor world’s Heaven’s Law! If not for the distance, I could crush you with a single hand!"
And you! A lowly ant like you dares to insult a supreme existence? Just you wait—don’t let this venerable one see you again, or else..."
The Heavenly Demon’s words were cut short as its projection was forcibly expelled by the Eye of Providence. Soon after, the Eye of Providence itself dissipated, and everything returned to tranquility, as if nothing had ever happened.
Gu Qingfeng stood still for a couple of seconds, scratched his head, and then resumed chanting his incantation.