Lovebound Summoning Art

"Actually, this is a long-lost spell called: the Lovebound Summoning Art," Lord Hades replied.

"Lovebound... Summoning?" What kind of weird name is that?

"The Lovebound Summoning Art can condense the person you love in your heart into a physical body," Lord Hades explained. "And when you cast it, it forms a protective shell around your soul so even fire can't burn it."

"What!" Lily Bai shrieked. "The person I 'love' in my heart?"

"Yep. You can have him protect you, or do whatever you want with him—haha!"

"But Damian Black isn't someone I love! I can't wait to kill him!" Lily Bai's eyes widened.

"That, I have no idea about!" Lord Hades finished his transmission, then turned with a cheerful grin to Damian Black: "Your Majesty the Demon Emperor, look at this... she actually came back completely unharmed! Better to resolve grudges than make new ones—just let her go!"

Damian Black, not wanting to watch Lord Hades' performance any longer, turned and stepped onto the portal array, teleporting away.

Seeing him leave, Lily Bai grabbed Lord Hades and asked, "Lord Hades, Lord Hades, what's the deal with this Lovebound Summoning Art? I really don't love Damian Black! How could it have summoned him?"

Lord Hades said, "I don't get it either! I only deal with ghosts, not humans! And definitely not all this lovey-dovey stuff!"

"But—"

"Listen!" Lord Hades cut her off. "I just saved your life! When you go back, you must never tell anyone you came to the Underworld, and especially not that I know the Demon Emperor. Otherwise, I'll be in huge trouble! Got it?"

Lily Bai nodded, knelt down, and kowtowed to him: "Thank you, Lord Hades, for saving my life!"

When I get back, I'll worship at every Lord Hades temple I see! I'll be a lifelong believer!

And don't worry, I absolutely won't tell anyone!"

"Good!" Lord Hades beamed with a proud "auntie smile." "That's just what I like to hear! Let's go!"

"But that Love—"

But Lord Hades had already stepped onto the portal array.

Afraid she'd be left behind, Lily Bai hurried after him, leaving the Hell of Blazing Flames together.

After that teleportation, Lord Hades never appeared again.

He was gone.

Damian Black waited for her in the same room as before. When he saw her, he asked, "What did you and Lord Hades talk about for so long?"

"N-nothing... nothing..." Lily Bai suddenly found herself unable to meet his eyes.

Of course, she definitely didn't dare mention that weird 'Lovebound Summoning Art'... that had actually condensed him into a physical body.

"I didn't expect you to be so capable," Damian Black said coolly. "You actually survived a full hour in the Hell of Blazing Flames without a scratch."

"Of course!"

In reality, she didn't feel all that impressive.

She even suspected that the fire might've been fake.

She hadn't felt any heat at all.

Damian Black said nothing more. He used Swiftstride to bring her back onto the little boat, passed through multiple checkpoints, and returned with her to the human world.

Once outside, he told Lily Bai to take off the Shadow Cloak and stowed it in his Storage Pouch.

Then he returned Lily Bai's Demon-Binding Net to her.

"Consider yourself lucky," Damian Black said. "You're free to go!"

"You're really letting me go?"

"What else would I do?"

"I didn't expect... you actually keep your word!" Lily Bai stared at him suspiciously.

Damian Black turned and walked away.

Just like that, he let her go!

Just like that, he let her go?

Did she really escape death just like that?

Lily Bai pinched her own face, feeling like none of this was real.

Damian Black walked slowly a few steps, then paused, as if about to turn back and look at her.

Lily Bai sucked in a breath, quickly activated Swiftstride, burned several escape talismans, and fled without a trace.