"Spirit Heart Amber"

In the silent forest, a figure lay quietly on the grassy ground.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the tree branches, illuminating his pale, handsome face. Morning dew slid from the tips of the leaves, dripping onto his dry, cracked lips.

Ronan awoke from his unconsciousness after his lips moved slightly.

"Cough cough."

Ronan struggled to sit up, and the next moment he couldn't help but press his hands to his head.

It looked as if countless tiny insects were hiding between his eyebrows and below his temples, jumping and throbbing as if they were about to burst through his skin at any moment.

At this moment, he felt as if countless pieces of information and knowledge were being forcibly stuffed into his mind, and that they were still being continuously stuffed into it.

This incredibly vast flow of information seemed to contain an ancient and complete tradition, but the tradition was still being passed on, and he could only decipher a small part of it.

"Lingling... heart."

Ronan took a deep breath, enduring the throbbing pain in his brain, and slowly stood up from the grass.

The dense free energy particles filling the surrounding environment announced that he had left the Hall of Spirits Space. Ronan examined himself; the Blue Snail within him was still there, but the Vitality Orb was dim to the point of near-dryness, emitting only a small amount of life energy to slowly repair the damage to his body.

The Ancient Demon God Body elevated Ronan's [Immaculate Body] to another level, but it also consumed an enormous amount of life energy.

Ronan took out healing potions from his personal Space Ring and drank them one after another.

As his condition gradually improved, Ronan's brain slowly regained its ability to think.

How long was I unconscious?

Ronan's last conscious thought before falling into a coma was of himself being enveloped by a membrane of light released by the Golden Ladybug and leaving.

He didn't know exactly how long the process took; he only knew that Evaqu was still inside when he left.

Ronan's eyes flickered a few times, then he spread out his mental energy, quickly determined a direction, and moved swiftly.

But before he could take more than a few steps, a strange movement came from between his eyebrows.

Ronan felt the massive Torrent of knowledge pouring into his mind suddenly stop.

Immediately afterwards, a beautiful Golden Ladybug the size of a fingernail flew out from between his eyebrows, fluttering its translucent wings, and hovered quietly in front of him.

The glow emanating from the Golden Ladybug illuminated the surrounding jungle in a serene and hazy atmosphere.

Ronan stopped in his tracks, staring intently at the ladybug before him. After a moment, he calmly uttered a name: "Alazan Dillingfascola Cakingston."

He clearly remembered the Dark Silver Tail-less Dragon's final, furious roar, and the name it kept cursing was this one.

As he spoke, the Golden Ladybug's wings fluttered slightly, and a piece of information flooded into Ronan's mind.

"The traitor of the Gorini Dragon Wizard, a former guardian of the Hall of Spirits."

Ronan frowned, silently reciting the fragmented information conveyed by the Golden Ladybug. His eyes flickered, and finally he looked up, "I understand."

But I need to confirm something now... my friend is still in danger.

He tried to bypass the Golden Ladybug in front of him to find the entrance to the Hall of Spirits Space that Evaqu had led him into.

The Golden Ladybug made no attempt to stop him, but a scene immediately appeared in Ronan's mind.

The scene depicted is the view from the stone statue plaza on the fifth level of the Hall of Spirits Space.

Ronan spotted Evaqu in the frame immediately.

His face was pale, and he leaned tightly against the stone statue of the Wolf Wizard Chief.

A white beam of light descended from the top of the Wolf Wizard Chief, firmly protecting Evaqu within. Despite the Dark Silver Tail-less Dragon, which the Golden Ladybug called Gorini, tearing and roaring wildly from the outside, it could not break through the white beam of light's defense.

"Yes, Evaqu passed the Wolf Wizard Chief's test and received his inheritance. He should be under his protection. I was just worrying about him for nothing."

Ronan relaxed slightly, but the next second he saw the tailless dragon suddenly abandon its attack on the white pillar of light, turn around and roar at the remaining seven stone statues in the square.

It seemed to be loudly proclaiming something.

Ronan frowned, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

He saw the white beam of light hanging from the Wolf Wizard Chief statue suddenly retract, and before Evaqu could react, the tailless dragon opened its mouth and spat out a ball of milky white light, then pounced on Evaqu.

Caught off guard, Evaqu was struck by the massive dragon shadow, which instantly transformed into countless viscous black liquids that desperately burrowed into his mouth, nose, and pores all over his body.

Ronan's drooping hands clenched tightly, and then he saw the milky white orb that the tailless dragon had spat out earlier split into six in mid-air, flying towards the other six stone statues besides the Dragon Wizard Chief Bahafos. The scene abruptly ended there and disappeared.

"Call--"

In the silent jungle, Ronan stood quietly, and after a few deep breaths, he regained his composure.

"So, it made some kind of deal with them. Evaqu was sacrificed to the shaman spirit he most revered?"

The Golden Ladybug hovered silently, offering no response.

Ronan was silent for a moment, then spoke in a low voice, "So, tell me where I should go now?"

The Golden Ladybug flew towards Ronan and disappeared back into his brow. The surrounding light receded, as if nothing had happened.

"All spirits... the tailless dragon Gorini, the chief sorcerer."

Ronan muttered these words to himself, and after a moment, he turned around and ran off into the distance.

"Click-clack—"

In the swamp filled with black liquid, the water level dropped rapidly, and the dried-up, faceless black stone statue reappeared. In a moment, countless cracks appeared on the stone statue, and finally, with a "bang," it exploded into countless fragments.

The void shattered by the stone golem, and a pair of rough, dark hands gripped the two sides of the void crack, slowly prying it open. Evaqu's figure, accompanied by incessant cursing, squeezed out from the opening.

"Only an idiot would think that person would come back!"

"He abandoned everyone long ago! Only a fool would think he could find the answer, and only an utterly stupid person would believe that once he finds the answer, he will come back with it to save everyone!!"

"A bunch of stubborn old fogies! Your brains, along with your bodies, have long been corroded away by the passage of time. Your wisdom is gone, leaving only rotten silt behind!"

"Evaqu" emerged step by step from the spatial rift, its face contorted.

At this moment, his body was still strong and majestic, but his demeanor and temperament seemed to have changed completely. There was an indescribable gloom and coldness between his brows, and the surrounding environment became gloomy under his influence.

Even that old fox Alazan is starting to fear annihilation and is planning his escape route. He used to be one of that man's most loyal followers.

Evaqu's face darkened, and as he thought of his "defeat" in the Hall of Spirits Space, his face became resentful and distorted.

If someone hadn't interfered and stolen the body he had already chosen just as he was about to succeed, he wouldn't be in this situation, having to mortgage a third of his soul just to barely get a body that can walk freely.

The condition of his physical body was irrelevant; the crucial point was that he was now bound to those foolish sorcerers within the Hall of Spirits Space. If he couldn't find a way to "rescue" the others, he would perish along with them as the Hall of Spirits collapsed! "Insidious and cunning fox, shameless old codger!"

Evaqu cursed through gritted teeth for a few moments before calming down.

Anyway, he finally got out.

"First try to recover your strength, then..."

A cold glint flashed in Evaqu's eyes. "Find the body chosen by Alazan."

As the oldest and most low-key and mysterious of the Twenty-Four Wizard Chiefs, Alazan has existed since the birth of the spirit priests, and he even participated in the entire construction of the Hall of Spirits.

He knew more secrets than anyone else, and he even outlived more than one Lord of Spirits.

Finding Alazan might be the key to resolving all his troubles.

If it were the most glorious era of all spirits, "Evaqu" would naturally not dare to directly provoke the other party. But now, the once most powerful and respected chief of priests is nothing more than a pitiful worm clinging to life under the threat of death.

"Perhaps I can even obtain the core inheritance of that immortal system."

Evaqu, as if contemplating a rosy future, curled his lips into a smile, his right fist slowly clenching. "Bahafves, one day, you too will bow your proud head before me. Heh heh."

"Evaqu" chuckled, raising his right hand and unleashing a destructive hurricane in the void, instantly leveling everything beneath and around him.

Once the raging storm subsided, the "Evaqu" could no longer be seen in the jungle where a section had been forcibly erased.

The seventh sunset after leaving the primeval forest.

"Boom!"

Ronan punched open the waist of a low mountain, sending a shower of rocks tumbling down. He then darted into a makeshift cave.

Ronan casually tossed out a few array plates, setting up simple [Protection] Rune Array around himself and at the cave entrance. He took a deep breath, sat cross-legged inside the damp cave, and quickly sank his mind into his Consciousness Space.

After seven days, the massive influx of knowledge that had been pouring into my mind was finally completed.

At this moment, in Ronan's Consciousness Space, a black dandelion was quietly blooming in the center of ten golden diamond-like Spiritual Power Crystal.

On a dandelion, a beautiful Golden Ladybug was perched, its antennae twitching occasionally, making it look quite docile.

Ronan looked at the dandelions and ladybugs in front of him, some thoughts silently swirling in his mind.

"The Spirit Heart Amber!"

He silently uttered four words.

The vast stream of knowledge forcibly poured into his mind eventually formed an ancient tradition.

Moreover, it is a lineage related to the cultivation of the soul.

This inheritance was most likely given to him by the Golden Ladybug that took him away from the Hall of Spirits Space, the same one that the tailless dragon Gorini, who wanted to take over his body, spoke of—the ancient spirit shaman "Alazan".

"Is this a legacy... or a trap?"

"Was this bait you threw at me?"

Ronan tried to talk to the Golden Ladybug on the dandelion, but the ladybug remained silent.

An ancient tradition originating from spirit shamans, specializing in the cultivation of the soul.

It would be a lie for Ronan to say he wasn't tempted.

But having experienced the battle with Gorini, and having witnessed firsthand how Evaqu was mercilessly abandoned by the Wolf Wizard Chief he trusted, and sent away as a sacrifice.

He had many concerns in his heart.

He feared that if he left the wolf's mouth, he would fall into the tiger's mouth.

Perhaps sensing his hesitation, the Golden Ladybug perched on the Black Dandelion suddenly flapped its wings, then parted a point of golden light, quickly drawing faint traces of ancient characters in Ronan's Consciousness Space.

"Contract?"

Ronan frowned as he deciphered the meaning of the ancient text.

Is this your way of showing sincerity?

Ronan thought about it, but still refused.

"Unless you sign this contract with me."

Soul Contract is like a contract from a past life; the final interpretation always rests with the party who drafted it.

He casually drafted a "Master and Servant" contract that was almost entirely in his favor and tossed it at the Golden Ladybug, calmly saying, "You can choose not to accept it, and I will not attempt to cultivate this inheritance. Moreover, from now on, your existence will become the next intractable soul ailment that I urgently need to resolve."

"Buzz buzz buzz—"

The Golden Ladybug fluttered its wings within Ronan's Consciousness Space, conveying to him a series of obscure and unclear fluctuations of consciousness, revealing that its emotions were not very stable at the moment.

Ronan simply withdrew from the Consciousness Space, letting it "quiet down" on its own.

Inside the cave, Ronan gently turned his Space Ring, and a Communication Stone appeared in his hand.

It was the one Evaqu had given him before, but now that he was in the central region, the Communication Stone had lost its effectiveness.

Ronan stared at the Communication Stone in his hand for a long time, and finally silently crushed it into powder between his fingers and sprinkled it on the cave floor.

Having been possessed by the soul of an ancient evil dragon, Evaqu has most likely disappeared from this world completely, and Ronan cannot describe the complex feelings he has at this moment.

He watched as a devout believer was gradually destroyed by the very faith he had so desperately pursued.

He felt sorry for Evaqu.

"The so-called sacred temple where all spirits dwell is nothing but a carefully crafted deception by ambitious individuals."

Ronan couldn't help but mutter to himself, but an old voice suddenly popped into his mind and answered him.

"No.

It's just that time has made some people forget their original intentions.

"Who?!"

Ronan suddenly looked up, scanning his surroundings with a wary expression.

The next second, a beautiful Golden Ladybug flew out of his heart, accompanied by a faint, cold snort.

"You just signed the contract, and you've already forgotten about me?"

Ronan was taken aback, only then realizing that the Soul Contract he had just drafted had already been successfully concluded.

"... in the endless years."

Golden Ladybug hovered on Ronan's nose, and the aged voice continued to echo in Ronan's mind.

"Countless wizards have knelt at my feet, offering everything to become my disciples."

The voice grew angry.

"And you are the first person who needs me to sign a contract of servitude before you will inherit my mantle!!"

At this moment, Ronan could almost picture an old man, once highly respected and renowned, standing on the Wizard Pyramid, gripping his staff, stomping his feet, and glaring at him with a fierce expression.

"."

Ronan fell silent.

He drafted the Master and Servant contract on the premise that the other party had no ill intentions, but if the other party had no malice towards him, his behavior did seem a bit excessive.

Just as a dragon shows goodwill to an ant, but first has to lower its head and kiss the ant's feet for a long time, Ronan cautiously tried to break the awkwardness.

How should I address you?

"Didn't you already know that?"

The aged voice sounded somewhat weary, "You should really be grateful; I had no other choice but to accept you. Regarding * Spirit Heart Amber *."

The voice seemed to want to say something more to Ronan, but it seemed to have exhausted its strength. The Golden Ladybug in front of Ronan dimmed rapidly, and then, dragging its "tired" body, it wobbled back to his body.

When Ronan's mind returned to his Consciousness Space, he found that the other party was lying motionless on one of his Spiritual Power Crystal, as if he was "sound asleep".