Chapter 825. The Pact and Pace

Chapter 825: 825. The Pact and Pace

A full cycle of the four seasons had passed since the enigmatic Sky Demoness forged her pact with Tyler.

It was less of a simple alliance and more of a binding covenant—she had pledged her immense resources and formidable presence to his cause, and in return, he was to pave her blood-soaked path to the seat of the Patriarch within the illustrious Murong Clan.

Over these past twelve months, witnessing the grand design taking shape before her very eyes, she had gradually come to comprehend the sheer, heaven-defying magnitude of Tyler’s ambitions.

The myriad floating platforms suspended in the air, glowing with profound runic inscriptions, made his intentions glaringly obvious to anyone with the eyes to see. He was not merely forging a magical treasure; he was constructing an edifice that would overturn the very laws of this mortal realm.

Yet, only Tyler possessed the true breadth of vision to understand that such a creation was merely mundane within the grand expanse of the Boundless World.

In that higher dimension, floating cities traversing the endless astral seas were a common sight. Though considered precious even there, he had witnessed tens of thousands of these majestic sky-fortresses drifting like clouds and had even counted several within his own personal domain. To him, this current endeavor was merely reconstructing a fraction of it.

Deep within the heavily warded confines of Tyler’s lab, the air hummed with the rich, almost suffocating density of gathered spiritual energy.

"Tell me truly, what is the ultimate scale of this formation?" the Sky Demoness asked, her voice breaking the rhythmic chanting of the array. She lounged gracefully, draped in a loose, silken robe of pale moonlight white that resembled casual sleepwear, yet radiated a subtle defensive aura.

In truth, her days were often spent wandering the vibrant entertainment district hubs, only returning to recline lazily and watch Tyler’s unceasing toil. Yet, beneath her carefree facade lay a deep, grudging admiration for his monstrous work ethic. She had not been entirely idle; utilizing the sweeping influence of the Murong Clan, she had covertly funneled mountains of rare heavenly materials into his hands.

"The initial scale? Roughly the size of a mortal metropolis," Tyler replied without turning his gaze from the flickering spatial runes.

The Sky Demoness’s breath hitched, her beautiful eyes widening in shock. "A city-sized array?"

"Honestly... I still find it lamentably small," Tyler muttered, his brows furrowing in dissatisfaction as he adjusted a spiritual node.

A delicate sigh escaped her lips, carrying a mix of exasperation and awe. With a flick of her jade-like wrist, a streak of emerald light shot through the air toward him. Tyler didn’t even blink, catching the object in his mouth and swallowing it whole.

It was a Supreme-grade Spirit Replenishing Pill.

The moment it entered his stomach, a surging torrent of pure, unadulterated spiritual energy exploded within his meridians, instantly washing away the accumulated fatigue of countless sleepless nights. During her rare moments of boredom, she refined these priceless, heaven-defying pills specifically for his consumption, treating them as little more than casual snacks.

Her mesmerizing gaze then drifted across the sprawling workshop, landing upon the silent, imposing figure of Hazel Sky.

"Speaking of profound mysteries, exactly what realm of cultivation has that corpse puppet of yours reached?" she asked, a hint of lingering wariness in her tone.

"When I casually tried to grope her other day, her automatic defensive wards instantly rebounded my spiritual sense. The sheer killing intent was suffocatingly powerful." She watched as the lifeless girl mechanically, yet flawlessly, adjusted a complex gathering formation under Tyler’s remote mental command.

"Her physical strength are far beyond my current estimations," Tyler admitted, a complex light flashing in his eyes. "I haven’t fully unraveled her secrets yet. She is an ancient corpse, left behind from an era long forgotten."

Suddenly, Tyler’s hands stopped their rapid weaving of hand seals. A frown marred his face.

"Has a bottleneck appeared in the array?" she inquired, sitting up slightly.

"No, it is a matter of geography. I completely overlooked the physical foundation," Tyler said, shaking his head. "I need to purchase a city, or better yet, an isolated island in the sea to anchor the spatial coordinates."

The Sky Demoness blinked, then a sudden burst of laughter echoed like silver chimes.

"Truly, your mind is entirely consumed by the Dao of Formations! Why go through the trouble of hiring mortal sects to raise land from the sea when I have a far superior solution? Within the vast territories of the Murong Clan, we possess countless archipelagos."

"The Murong Clan has many islands, yes, but drawing their attention now would be disastrous," Tyler pointed out logically.

"I mean an island that belongs solely to my personal fiefdom," she clarified, stepping closer. "You can occupy it, expand its spiritual veins, and use it entirely as you please. You are finally preparing for the grand test run, are you not?"

"I am," Tyler nodded slowly, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "But a phenomenon of this magnitude must be concealed from the prying eyes of the old monsters of this continent. It must remain an absolute secret until the final product."

A supremely confident smirk tugged at the corners of the Sky Demoness’s lips, radiating an arrogant charm. "Leave the heavens’ concealment to me. I have my ways to blind even the most perceptive of the Heavenly Dao."

Tyler nodded once, the motion calm and unhurried.

He crossed the short distance between them. Without another word he bent down and claimed her lips. The kiss was neither hurried nor hesitant; after a full year of living under the same roof, such intimacy had become an accepted part of their pact. She did not push him away. She never did. Yet when his hand slid lower, seeking more, she turned her face just enough to break the contact and whispered against his mouth.

"Just use one of my girls."

Her breath was warm. Tyler’s reply came just as soft.

"You sure? We could both enjoy them."

"No way. We almost crossed that line last time."

"You were the one who lost control."

Even as he spoke, one hand cupped the soft curve of her breast through the thin fabric of her robes while the other drifted lower, resting against the heat between her thighs. She sucked in a sharp breath. Her eyes pleaded with him to stop, yet her own hand betrayed her, sliding down the front of his trousers and pressing against the hard length there. For a moment neither of them moved. Then Tyler exhaled and withdrew his hands.

The loss of contact left a flicker of disappointment in her gaze, but she understood the fault was hers. She had drawn the boundary; he had simply respected it.

"All right," Tyler said, his voice returning to its usual calm tone. "Pack your things. We’re leaving for the Murong Family."

He had barely finished speaking when the laboratory doors suddenly slammed open.

The three Sinclair sisters rushed inside together, moving so quickly that their usual composed expressions had completely disappeared. They were always together, but this time there was genuine urgency in their eyes.

The Sky Demoness, who had been sitting nearby, glanced at them and couldn’t help but chuckle.

"These three really don’t know how to go anywhere alone."

Normally, the sisters would have protested at such a remark. This time, however, none of them paid attention to her teasing.

Lala immediately stepped forward and dropped to one knee.

"Master!"

Tyler’s expression changed.

"What happened?"

"Senior Suzuka is breaking through!"

The instant those words entered his ears, Tyler’s eyes sharpened.

"Finally."

Suzuka had been in seclusion for quite some time. After obtaining the Flawless Golden Core Pill, Tyler had expected her to attempt her breakthrough sooner or later. With her cultivation already at the peak of Foundation Establishment, forming a Golden Core should have been the natural next step.

However, Lala’s next words immediately made him realize that something was wrong.

"B-but... things don’t seem to be going well."

Tyler’s relaxed expression vanished.

"Take me there."

He didn’t waste another breath.

His figure flashed, and he instantly appeared outside Suzuka’s cultivation chamber. The Sinclair sisters and Sky Demoness followed closely behind.

The moment Tyler arrived, he sensed the abnormal fluctuations in the surrounding spiritual energy.

The normally stable spiritual energy around the chamber had become chaotic. It surged violently for several breaths before suddenly becoming silent, only to erupt again moments later.

The pressure within the chamber was also strange.

It wasn’t simply the pressure of a cultivator breaking through.

There was something else mixed within it.

The Sky Demoness narrowed her eyes as she carefully sensed the fluctuations.

Her expression gradually became serious.

"This is..."

She immediately recognized the problem.

"An unstable Golden Core."

Tyler nodded.

His spiritual sense penetrated the chamber.

Inside, Suzuka sat cross-legged with her eyes tightly shut. Her face was pale, and beads of sweat covered her forehead. Spiritual energy surged through her meridians in an irregular manner, sometimes gathering toward her dantian and sometimes violently scattering.

The Golden Core inside her body had already begun to take shape.

However, it was unstable.

A Golden Core was not something that could simply be forced into existence. A cultivator’s foundation, state of mind, comprehension, and will all played an important role.

If the foundation was unstable, the core would collapse.

If the mind wavered, the core would become distorted.

And if the cultivator’s heart was unable to overcome its own weakness, another danger would appear.

The Sky Demoness’s expression became solemn.

"She is undergoing a Heart Demon Tribulation?"

Tyler stared at Suzuka through the formation.

"As expected."

His voice was calm, but his eyes carried a trace of concern.

"She is going through a Heart Demon Tribulation."

The Sinclair sisters looked at one another anxiously.

Lala clenched her fists.

"Master, can we help Senior Suzuka?"

"No."

Tyler shook his head.

"A Heart Demon comes from within. External interference will only make things worse."

The Sky Demoness nodded slowly.

"That’s right. Once the Heart Demon appears, the cultivator must overcome it personally. If someone else interferes, the backlash can become even more dangerous."

Tyler remained silent.

He understood this better than anyone.

Suzuka’s breakthrough was not merely a matter of accumulating spiritual energy. Her cultivation had reached the point where her greatest obstacle was no longer her body.

It was her heart.

A Heart Demon was born from regrets, fear, obsession, guilt, desire, or unresolved attachments. It could take any form and create an illusion so convincing that even a cultivator with powerful spiritual sense might be unable to distinguish it from reality.

For Suzuka, Tyler had a vague idea of what might appear.

He glanced toward the closed cultivation chamber.

"Everyone, stay outside."

The Sinclair sisters immediately nodded.

The Sky Demoness crossed her arms and looked at Tyler.

"You seem worried."

"Of course."

Tyler’s voice remained calm.

"She is important to me."

Inside the chamber, Suzuka’s aura suddenly surged.

Boom!

A powerful wave of spiritual energy spread outward.

The unstable Golden Core trembled violently.

The surrounding formations flickered.

Tyler’s gaze became extremely sharp.

"It’s beginning."

The next moment, Suzuka’s consciousness completely sank into darkness.

Her Heart Demon Tribulation had officially begun.