Since the creature, named Anu, didn't understand what the Realm of Sages was, then it likely exceeded its understanding or was strictly human-based. In that case, he was out of luck for a method to ensure his survival even if the Calamity of Hell was deemed a failure.
"I don't have much lifeforce, and why me? You have about ten thousand or so other candidates above you," Wei Wuyin instantly questioned this entire thing. If lifeforce was all it needed, there was quite a bit just above ground. Devour or snatch away, and if it must be given willingly, he imagined barely anyone would refuse a dragon in hopes of a big boon.
Unfortunately, this dragon met Wei Wuyin, an existence that could give zero shits about this great fortune unless it could ensure his survival.
Anu's spiritual avatar slithered closer, revealing its exquisite spiritual form and bright golden eyes. It seemed to be inspecting Wei Wuyin, as if confirming its original assumption. Then within its gaze, a bright light of excitement flashed with a faint smile.
He had never seen a lizard smile before. It was very awkward at first to witness such a normal human reaction on a beast. Even Bai Lin only smiled with her eyes, or expressed happiness in its vocal cries, never a literal smile.
"You have lifeforce. A vast, unfathomable and inestimable amount of lifeforce within you!" Anu stated with certainty.
Inestimable amount of lifeforce? He immediately was taken aback, recalling his entire life. When did he become an Immortal? If so, Calamities of Hell come at me! But that was wishful thinking.
"Hm." He pondered for a moment and then touched his chest, feeling the powerful beasts of his flesh and blood heart. A mark had been placed in his heart by the Tree of Eden. It contained its inherent wood energies and lifeforce. Because of its creation, its physical body collapsed and killed millions.
He had tried to use this mark, this Mark of Eden, for a while now, but the lifeforce within was essentially useless. He was brimming his lifeforce, young and youthful with a healthy body and strong cultivation support. In fact, his lifespan already exceeds his cultivation level.
When he tried to draw out the lifeforce within, it did nothing to his physical body. It was likely because his current lifeforce was like a cup filled with water, more water didn't help and simply spilled over.
Normally, this would excite cultivators because if they get old, if they refined this lifeforce into their body, they could live far, far longer than average. Unfortunately, with the Calamities of Hell hung over his head, his existing lifespan wasn't the issue, it was not being obliterated in mind, body and soul due to failure. A total death.
No amount of lifeforce will help that.
As for the wood energies, they would be useful if he needed wood energies for his cultivation. He didn't. While it may have been useful in the early and middle stages of the Qi Condensation Realm, the Ninth Stage required something more than just wood energy to reach it.
Wei Wuyin frowned. If it needed lifeforce, then he could give away quite a bit with no loss to himself. While he didn't know how much lifeforce was stored in the Mark of Eden, he knew that the Tree of Eden was not near death. If he made an educated guess, maybe a few hundred thousand years might be it. And even then, that could be incredibly low-balling it. He truly didn't know the exact amount.
"How much do you need? And what can you offer?" He asked. Without needing to worry about experiencing a loss in this exchange, he could use this to gain as much as possible.
Anu's eyes flashed with excitement. Wei Wuyin's willingness to exchange was godsend, a lifeline in a dark time. "Ten thousand years of lifeforce! I can offer anything from methods unique to my race, arts, and even my blood essence! With it, you can harness the strength of a True Dragon!" Was his reply.
Wei Wuyin decisively said, "Too much."
Anu's spiritual avatar revealed a shocked expression as if in disbelief at Wei Wuyin's refusal. Unlike Wei Wuyin, he could sense the dense and vibrant lifeforce emitted from his heart. It seemed endless. By his own estimate, ten thousand years was minor and insignificant.
"Is it too difficult to give so much?" Anu questioned.
Wei Wuyin shook his head, "No. It's super easy, barely an inconvenience."
"Then why?!" Anu felt exasperated by such a casual response. Super easy? Barely an inconvenience? Then why refuse?!
Wei Wuyin shrugged, "I don't know you. I don't feel comfortable giving you that much."
Anu's avatar started to distort in chaos, nearly losing its form. He was choked with frustration. I'm offering you everything I can, but you want to limit what I desire?!
However, Wei Wuyin didn't care. This Anu was an existence that exceeded every facet of his imagination. He didn't know why it couldn't forcefully take his lifeforce or others for that matter. Even Evil Cultivators had means to extend their lives by plundering others, but this dragon seemed unable or unwilling.
Regardless of which, he didn't want to do a deal that immediately gave him everything he wanted. Who knew if he would kill him after. So he said, "I'll give you a thousand. In a few decades or centuries, you can find me again, and we can do another deal. Alright?"
While he didn't know if he would live for a century, this way, the dragon would need him.
Anu grumbled as a result, but his desperation was clear as he nodded in defeat. This even made Wei Wuyin feel somewhat bad for this dragon. Was it too good-hearted, naive, or something else entirely? If it's something else, the only thing he could conceive was that it was near death, true death and needed lifeforce to survive. In that case, he'll extort the maximum without any guilt.
"We'll do three drops of your essence blood, the spell or art you used to freeze my body, and the method to use your essence blood." Wei Wuyin knew that essence blood originated from a beast's heart and it constituted the most condensed form of their bloodline power. Bai Lin consumed a fruit that changed her essence blood, hence the awakening of her profound powers.
This wasn't limited to merely beasts, but humans could have a bloodline and even essence blood. Han Yu, his subordinate in the Scarlet Solaris Sect that detonated himself in an attempt to kill Mei Mei, had an Aquatic Bloodline that helped his cultivation. He could even breath underwater, but he was mostly human with tiny aquatic augmentations.
If he found a means to use Anu's essence blood, couldn't he gain the abilities of a True Dragon that he mentioned? If so, could this improve his chances of survival? While these were all uncertainties, he felt he needed to at least try.
That spell or art that froze his mind, body, and soul was something he absolutely needed to walk away with today. How fearsome was that? A mere gaze and he could render cultivators frozen!
Anu's lizard face contorted somewhat. Wei Wuyin greed knew no limits with his demands. He wanted to negotiate but…
"Take it or leave it. And, we'll be doing a Spirit Oath. For a thousand years, you can't bring harm to me, personally or by proxy willfully." This was his final straw. While he wasn't entirely sure that a Spirit Oath would affect a beast, he had to try. He didn't have any other knowledge of other oaths except the Heavenly Oath. According to the Scripture of Sin, he couldn't perform that under any circumstance otherwise his identity as an Inheritor of Sin would be revealed.
Because the Heavenly Daos were an arbiter in deciding the fairness of the oath, it closely watched the participants down to even their thoughts. This was far too intrusive and unable to conceal his status.
Anu begrudgingly shuffled its body, but in the end, "Fine." He had to agree.
Wei Wuyin nodded. "Oh, be sure your essence blood is fully refined, removing any of your will or marks of yours."
Anu's eyes bulged. He was near death's door, if it wasn't for this, he wouldn't mind biting off this human's head for lunch. Yet he could only grumble to himself, cursing Wei Wuyin's greedy ancestors who taught him how to snatch a mile when offered an inch.
Wei Wuyin smiled. "Let's begin, shall we?"
