Mental Contract (First Update)

Zi Ling bit her lip in pain, tears brimming in her eyes, but she did not dare make a sound.

"Other than that, is there any other way?" Huo Yuhao asked.

"Well... there is. There's a kind of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures called Crystal Dragon Blood Ginseng. It has the miraculous effect of 'nourishing the Divine Soul and remolding the true body,' and it can resolve her internal injuries," Zi Ling said.

"If you need it, I can take you to find it. I have a strong ability to seek out treasures," Zi Ling said.

Better to shift the disaster elsewhere—better a dead fellow cultivator than a dead me.

Crystal Dragon Blood Ginseng?

The Ice and Snow Two Emperors had heard of another herb with miraculous effects.

"The Crystal Dragon Blood Ginseng has already been used," Huo Yuhao said calmly.

What?!

Zi Ling was struck as if by a bolt from the blue, frozen on the spot.

"Y-you mean..."

"Two identical immortal herbs will not appear in similar eras," Huo Yuhao said.

He had used the Crystal Dragon Blood Ginseng to nourish Old Yi's Divine Soul, so that option was immediately ruled out.

"Other than that, are there any other methods?" Huo Yuhao stared at Zi Ling with bright, piercing eyes.

"There... there are. Other than that... um..." Zi Ling stammered, her eyes darting about before she suddenly thought of something.

"Lovesick Heartbreak Red! Yes, it's the King of Flowers. It has the heaven-defying ability to grow flesh on bones and revive the dead. Treating such minor internal injuries would be effortless," Zi Ling said with a resolute expression.

"Didn't you leave out one more?" Huo Yuhao gazed at her.

"Did I? Let me think... In any case, there's definitely a way." Zi Ling looked around and changed the subject.

"There is also the Ten Thousand Year Ninth Grade Ginseng King, which has the same effects as the Crystal Dragon Blood Ginseng. Why should I seek something far away when it is right nearby?" Huo Yuhao said calmly.

"I-I'm not suitable for this." Zi Ling's voice trembled in fright at his words.

"I... Don't let my mere ten-thousand-year cultivation fool you. If an ordinary soul beast consumed me, it could immediately advance to a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. But Snow Empress is not suited for it."

"Look, she has only just passed her Heavenly Tribulation. If she consumes me, even if her injuries are healed, it will inevitably draw the next round of Heavenly Tribulation. The losses would far outweigh the gains!" Zi Ling shook her head repeatedly.

When Snow Empress heard this, she knew it was indeed true.

She currently had a cultivation of 670,000 years. Although this ginseng herb had only ten thousand years of cultivation, its medicinal effects could absolutely equal a hundred-thousand-year one.

If she consumed the entire herb, once her cultivation crossed the 700,000-year threshold, it would draw a terrifying Heavenly Tribulation.

As she was now, if she faced the 700,000 Year Calamity head-on, she could not say she had much confidence.

"A hundred-thousand-year increase in cultivation—that's such a good thing. Why would it be unsuitable?" Huo Yuhao said calmly, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes.

Zi Ling completely broke down from fright.

"I-I still have a way to resolve her internal injuries, but you must promise not to kill me first." Zi Ling was on the verge of emotional collapse and could only reveal her trump card.

"Oh? Then tell me." Huo Yuhao said.

"I can use my own Essence Blood to help heal her internal injuries. The medicinal effects are mainly concentrated in my Essence Blood, so there's no need to take my life." Zi Ling looked as though she were about to cry.

"Besides, keeping me alive is very useful. I can also search everywhere for Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures."

Seeing this, Huo Yuhao thought of You You. Asking her to cough up a little pollen had been like asking for her life.

Ice Empress looked at Huo Yuhao as if confirming whether this would truly work.

"You may keep your life, but you must first heal Snow Empress's internal injuries," Huo Yuhao said.

"Alright." Zi Ling immediately wept with joy.

"To prevent you from running away, we need to sign a contract first," Huo Yuhao said solemnly.

"Alright... a contract?" Zi Ling was somewhat confused, but she still agreed.

To her, verbal constraints were nothing but a scrap of useless paper. They had no value whatsoever.

Huo Yuhao naturally saw through her little thoughts, but he did not expose them.

Then, vast gray, silent power enveloped Huo Yuhao's body. It was Undead Power from Electrolux.

He mobilized his Soul Power and cast Undead Magic, smoothly drafting a Mental Contract in the air as brilliant light radiated from it.

He had done this Mental Contract business many times before, and he was already thoroughly familiar with the process and procedures.

Zi Ling was dumbfounded at the sight.

Only then did she realize that she had gravely underestimated his methods. It was actually a Mental Contract!

If she signed it, she might not be able to escape for the rest of her life.

"Y-you... who exactly are you?" Zi Ling could not help asking in a trembling voice.

Who exactly was this human youth? Not only did he travel with the Ice and Snow Two Emperors, but he had also mastered the art of Mental Contracts.

"Huo Yuhao." Huo Yuhao answered calmly as the Mental Contract before him slowly unfurled.

"Alright, sign your true name here."

The gray, misty Mental Contract emitted grayish-white spiritual power, connecting to Zi Ling's brow and forming a mental bridge.

Meanwhile, in the Sea of Consciousness.

Zi Ling saw endless clauses appearing throughout the void, filling the heavens and covering the earth.

Huo Yuhao descended wrapped in gray mist. Purple-Gold Patterns glowed in his eyes, and a Gray Silent Divine Ring spread out behind him, as if a deity had descended into the mortal realm.

Before Zi Ling could even react, she heard the notification, "Contract established." Only then did she realize that she had signed it in a muddle.

The Mental Contract transformed into a gray, misty aura that wound around her Sea of Consciousness and merged with it.

Then, Zi Ling's consciousness was sent back to reality.

The real world.

Focus returned to Huo Yuhao's eyes.

The contract had been established.

He snapped his fingers, and the Mysterious Ice that had confined Zi Ling rapidly melted away, freeing her from her restraints.

She stood there blankly for several seconds before turning to look at Huo Yuhao.

"What exactly did you write into the contract clauses?"

"Hm? You didn't read them?" Huo Yuhao asked in surprise.

"It was all long-winded nonsense without any key points marked! How was I supposed to finish reading it?!" Zi Ling was practically about to cry from anger.

She did not even dare imagine what she had signed or what consequences it might bring later.

"Did you have the right to refuse?" Huo Yuhao said coldly.

Zi Ling gritted her teeth, but she had no choice.

That was right. She had no right to refuse at all. Even if she discovered problems in the clauses, what could she change?

Still, the fear of the unknown truly left her anxious and resentful.

"Hurry up." Huo Yuhao urged.

Zi Ling clenched her teeth and drew out three drops of Essence Blood, placing them in a Jade Bottle before handing it to Snow Empress.

For the first time, she hated a human this deeply.

Huo Yuhao stood by with his arms crossed.

In truth, those clauses were all part of the standard equal contract Huo Yuhao had used in the past. The specific terms had been discussed by him, Bi Ji, and the upper ranks of the Ferocious Beasts, with the interests of both sides taken into account. Its lengthy content and detailed structure were intended to prevent ill-intentioned humans from exploiting loopholes. After all, within the Soul Spirit System he had created, soul beasts were still the disadvantaged party.

Huo Yuhao could not be bothered to explain any of this.

He knew that even if he explained it, she would not believe him. It was better not to say anything and let it serve as a deterrent, making her afraid to run away carelessly.

Of course, if the contract had any binding force, it was that Huo Yuhao could sense her presence at any time through the Mental Contract.

After all, they had already caught such a divine medicine capable of saving the dying and healing the wounded. How could they possibly let it go for nothing?