Choice Matters More Than Effort

The entire table of food was quickly wiped clean.

After the meal, Lin Jialu left impatiently.

She had probably gone to ask the hall master of the Haoyue City Magic Branch Hall for help.

Even if a Magic Retainer Contract with Talent Suppression Sharing existed, it was impossible for everyone to know about it.

At the very least, only an Eighth-Order Saint Magister or even a Ninth-Order Dharma God would know.

Now it was time to see just how deep the Mage Holy Temple's foundations ran!

Li Xin had not been idle either.

After returning to the Haoyue Branch Hall, she immediately sought out Nalan Shu and asked him to help apply for a second special retainer rune.

Though Nalan Shu was extremely curious, he ultimately agreed.

After all, Li Xin had displayed considerable talent. Having one more Retainer Knight would not be a bad thing.

The wait was quite long.

However, during that time, Ye Tian received a gift specially delivered by Lin Jialu.

Shield of Radiance!

That was right—it was the shield from the shop run by Lin Jialu's family.

Completely different from the standard-issue shields of the Haoyue Branch Hall, the Shield of Radiance was a genuine piece of Magic Equipment.

The Shield of Radiance was entirely dark silver in color.

It was round in shape, roughly two chi and five cun in diameter, making it a medium shield.

A round gemstone about the size of a goose egg was embedded at its center, shimmering with a pale golden glow.

With the gemstone at its center, a sun pattern had been inscribed across it.

The inside of the shield did not have a simple grip, but rather a metal gauntlet resembling an armguard.

As he held it in his hand, waves of light energy gradually spread out.

"She really is generous!"

Holding the Shield of Radiance, Ye Tian could not help murmuring softly.

Equipment could roughly be divided into ordinary equipment, alloy equipment, Magic Equipment, Spirit-Demon Equipment, brilliant equipment, Legendary Equipment, epic equipment, immortal equipment (Sub-Divine Artifacts), divine artifacts, pseudo-super divine artifacts, and super divine artifacts.

The Shield of Radiance before him was Spirit-Demon Equipment, and it was worth a great deal.

Yet Lin Jialu had simply given it away.

The Shield of Radiance itself could withstand impacts below three hundred spiritual energy. Once infused with spiritual energy, its defensive power would increase further.

The Light Spiritual Energy it emitted could resist the negative effects brought by most magic.

Furthermore, with the Gold-Melting Stone at its center, as long as the shield was not too badly damaged, it could repair itself.

It was no exaggeration to say that it could be used all the way to the Fifth Order.

"Lin Jialu really is generous!"

Upon learning of this, Li Xin could not help commenting.

Ye Tian smiled and nodded. "She said it was to thank me for saving her life, as well as for being willing to take her on as a retainer."

At that, Ye Tian's expression became somewhat strange.

Lin Jialu was clearly the one becoming his retainer, yet she was thanking him. No matter how he looked at it, it was rather odd.

But upon thinking it over carefully, it also made perfect sense.

Many times, choice mattered more than effort!

"Hmph, I don't believe it's just gratitude for saving her life!"

Li Xin snorted, though she did not dwell on it too much.

"By the way, how has little Haochen been lately? Has he adapted to life and studies in the Guardian Knight class?"

Thinking of something, Li Xin asked curiously.

"Haochen?"

Ye Tian considered it carefully, then smiled and shook his head. "I don't know either. On his first day of class, he was taken away by Instructor Ye Hua. He's probably undergoing some kind of secret special training somewhere right now."

"Instructor Ye Hua? Then little Haochen is quite lucky!"

Ye Tian very much agreed with Li Xin's assessment.

Ye Hua truly counted as an excellent teacher.

His Innate Internal Spiritual Energy was only nine. By all logic, he should never have been able to break through the Third Order in his lifetime, yet through hard work, he had reached the Fifth Order.

Not only that, but his theoretical knowledge was also exceedingly extensive.

He was not someone a certain master from Love Continent could compare to!

More than half a month later.

Nalan Shu returned first.

After obtaining that Retainer Knight Contract rune, Li Xin immediately called Lin Jialu over.

"Give it a try!"

Lin Jialu excitedly squeezed out a drop of blood.

Yet just as the blood fell onto the rune, it was directly repelled by a strange fluctuation.

"This..." Lin Jialu was dumbfounded.

"So it really won't work?"

Ye Tian murmured softly.

He had long been mentally prepared for this outcome.

It seemed that this rune could only accommodate the Light attribute. Professionals of other attributes simply could not form the contract.

"We can only wait for news from the Mage Holy Temple!"

Though Lin Jialu was somewhat unwilling to accept it, she could only wait patiently and pray that the news would be good.

Nearly another month passed.

Lin Jialu came to visit again.

"Little Brother Ye Tian, there's news!"

"Oh?"

Ye Tian, who had been meditating in the quiet room, slowly walked out.

When he opened the door, Lin Jialu and Li Xin were standing outside the residence.

"Come in first and tell me about it!"

Once the two women entered the residence one after the other, Ye Tian closed the door.

The moment he turned around, he saw Lin Jialu impatiently open her right hand. A Magic Scroll appeared in her palm.

"This is the Magic Retainer Contract Array diagram you mentioned, the one with Talent Suppression feedback!"

"It really exists!"

Ye Tian was clearly somewhat surprised as well.

Still, this was good news.

"Sister Lin, have you really thought this through?" Ye Tian asked one final time.

Lin Jialu did not answer. Instead, she showed her resolve through her actions.

She crouched on the ground and swiftly began inscribing the Magic Array according to the scroll.

About two hours later, she finally completed the entire Contract Array.

Almost the instant the inscription was finished, a circle of blue radiance rippled outward.

"It worked!"

Lin Jialu's face lit up with joy as she was the first to step into the Magic Array.

Seeing this, Ye Tian no longer hesitated. He too walked to the center of the array and stood face-to-face with Lin Jialu.

As the Contract Magic Array began to operate.

The runes on the ground transformed into the shape of a blue six-pointed star. Immediately afterward, two blue beams of light descended upon Ye Tian and Lin Jialu respectively.

Soft Water Elements blended together.

In the darkness, Ye Tian felt an extremely weak consciousness connect with his own.

The next moment.

Lin Jialu suddenly trembled, pain appearing on her face.

Another ring of blue radiance rippled outward as countless Water Elements began to gather.

"Mm, ah~~~"

Lin Jialu let out a soft moan.

Ye Tian, standing beside her, instinctively raised an eyebrow.

"Tch, what a shameless sound!" Li Xin could not help muttering under her breath.

Hearing that, Ye Tian could not help turning to look at her, his gaze carrying a hint of strangeness.

Noticing this, Li Xin was first stunned.

Then she asked uncertainly, "I wasn't like that before too, was I?"

Ye Tian chuckled and nodded.

Li Xin could no longer laugh.

As the two spoke, a blue halo formed from flowing water began to appear behind Lin Jialu, radiating light outward.

However, the process did not last long.

Very soon, the blue halo gradually dimmed.

Lin Jialu slowly opened her eyes. A faint blue glow flickered across her body, while her skin became even fairer and more supple. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

Nourished by the Water Elements, she seemed to have become even more radiant and alluring.