"My terms are few and simple—only two." Wang Juechu's face was expressionless.
"First, your forces must withdraw from our sphere of influence. This withdrawal shall be conducted in stages, under the supervision of our disciples." His tone was stiff and unyielding.
"Agreed. No objection." Jia Tianlong consented without hesitation.
Seeing his ready compliance, Wang Juechu gave a cold smile, then articulated the second condition—one that took the Gang Leader completely by surprise.
"Second, both sides must engage in a Death Pact Blood Duel here. Only after its conclusion may you leave."
"A Death Pact Duel?"
"Is he serious?"
"He can't be sane!"
The declaration ignited a firestorm of reactions among the assembled forces. Expressions varied wildly—some blanched as though confronted by a venomous scorpion, while others brightened with barely concealed excitement, eager for bloodshed.
Jia Tianlong's expression shifted momentarily, but he quickly composed himself.
"I trust I heard correctly? Both parties sign a death pact, and only one side leaves the arena alive?" He forced a casual laugh, as if the matter were of little consequence.
"Precisely. This is the death duel required to avenge the blood debt owed by Sect Leader Wu and the others. You and I must both participate." Wang Juechu's hand tightened on his sword hilt, his cold gaze boring into the Gang Leader.
Jia Tianlong chuckled but offered no immediate answer, his eyes flickering as he deliberated. The Death Pact Blood Duel was not a matter to be taken lightly, and he would require careful consideration before responding.
The commotion surrounding the announcement drew Han Li's attention. He tugged at Li Feiyu's sleeve.
"What is a Death Pact Duel? It seems to be something of great significance."
"You cannot be serious—you don't even know what a Death Pact Duel is?" Li Feiyu stared at him as though witnessing a ghost, his face a portrait of disbelief. "It's the most infamous method of settling disputes in the martial world!"
"Obviously, you know I'm unfamiliar with these martial world affairs. What's so strange about not knowing this?" Han Li replied with mild irritation.
"Ah, right—I almost forgot." Li Feiyu scratched his head sheepishly.
"A Death Pact Duel requires both parties, bound by deep enmity, to sign a document known as the Death Pact before the fight begins. It declares that once both parties enter the arena, only one side may emerge alive. Should anyone flee during the duel, they will not only be stripped of all honor and reviled, but hunted down by every martial artist in the realm. The entire martial world considers the Death Pact Duel a sacred rite—anyone who desecrates it deserves death as a warning to others."
"Moreover, these duels typically involve large numbers of combatants, making them exceptionally bloody and cruel. In recent years, few have dared to invoke such a method." Li Feiyu spoke slowly and in detail.
Han Li frowned upon hearing this. Understanding the nature of the Death Pact Duel, he found Wang Juechu's sudden proposal puzzling. To him, such a duel was obviously a mutually destructive gambit—why not simply let the enemy withdraw and be done with it, rather than risk unnecessary complications?
"Very well. I agree. The Death Pact Blood Duel shall proceed." After repeated deliberation, his gaze lingering several times upon the Golden Light Master, Jia Tianlong reached his decision.
He understood that Wang Juechu intended to use this opportunity to eliminate him. But did he not, in turn, wish to use this very chance to wipe out the Seven Mysteries' remaining elite in one stroke?
He knew Wang Juechu's strategy—relying on his three hidden grand-uncles as his trump card. But Jia Tianlong had long since learned the details through planted spies and had prepared accordingly.
Now, with a cultivator capable of the flying sword technique as his own trump card, combined with the advantage of preparation against the unprepared, his chances of victory in the Death Pact Duel were better than nine in ten.
As long as he eliminated Wang Juechu along with the Seven Mysteries' remaining experts during the duel, the failure of tonight's grand plan would be of little consequence. The next time he attacked, the sect would have no power to resist. Cultivating top-tier experts was not something that could be accomplished in a year or two.
It was precisely this calculated risk-taking—contrary to his usual habit of deliberation—that led Jia Tianlong to agree to sign the Death Pact.
"Sect Leader Wang! According to the rules of the Death Pact Duel, since you proposed the time and place, and I have not objected, then the number of combatants and the mode of battle shall be decided by me. Correct?" Jia Tianlong's smile did not reach his eyes.
"Hmph. Correct." Wang Juechu agreed reluctantly.
"Then I propose one hundred combatants in total—fifty from each side—engaged in a free-for-all melee." The Gang Leader stated his terms without hesitation.
"Fifty? A melee?" A flicker of surprise crossed Wang Juechu's icy features.
In a typical Death Pact Duel, both sides usually limited themselves to twenty or thirty fighters to preserve their strength. A melee format was exceedingly rare; one-on-one duels were far more common.
But since he had been the one to propose the duel, he could not renege. Moreover, he had absolute confidence in his three grand-uncles, believing that even in a melee, victory would be his.
Besides, as long as Jia Tianlong was killed, any price was worth paying. Once the cunning Gang Leader fell, his unruly subordinates would surely fracture and turn upon one another, vying for leadership. They would have no attention to spare for a weakened Seven Mysteries, granting the sect a chance to recover.
At this thought, the Sect Leader nodded in agreement.
"Prepare the arena! Bring forth the Death Pact documents!" Wang Juechu barked the command into the darkness behind him.