Long Haochen's Mount Partner (4)

The old man said blandly, "Give it up. This wasn't your choice, and it won't affect your future cultivation. Even if you acquired a Magic Beast through hunting, it would be far stronger than this mutated Earthfire Lizard."

Long Haochen lowered his head and looked into the Earthfire Lizard's eyes. Because they had a contract, he could sense its emotions at that moment.

It was as though the little fellow understood their conversation. Its emotions were filled with fear, loneliness, pain, and unwillingness.

Of course Long Haochen wanted a powerful mount partner, but as he sensed the Earthfire Lizard's shifting emotions, he recalled how he had felt when both his parents left him behind on Odin Mountain. Hadn't he felt the same way then? It was my partner! How could I abandon it like this?

"Senior, is there truly no other way? I can't abandon it." Long Haochen bent down without the slightest aversion to the filth or dark-red blood flowing from the Earthfire Lizard, and gathered it into his arms.

The Earthfire Lizard's emotions immediately steadied considerably once Long Haochen held it. It pressed its head tightly against his chest without moving, like a child who had found family. Its two not particularly sturdy foreclaws clung to Long Haochen's shoulders, its claws tightly hooked into his clothes.

The old man hesitated, then sighed softly. "You are a kind-hearted child. It isn't that there's no way, but it would cause enormous harm to you."

Holding the Earthfire Lizard, which weighed only around fifty jin, Long Haochen felt its heartbeat. He pressed his lips together and said, "Please guide me, Senior."

The old man said gravely, "There is only one way to let it leave here alive: change its constitution. Only by turning darkness into light can it depart safely."

Ye Hua said in shock, "Senior, that seems impossible. How can a Dark Constitution be transformed into light?"

The old man said, "We certainly cannot do it, but he might be able to. Because of the Equal Contract, this Earthfire Lizard will be far more receptive to energy transmitted by him. However, the child must infuse his own blood, filled with the Light Attribute, into the Earthfire Lizard's body and thoroughly wash away its Dark Constitution."

Ye Hua sucked in a cold breath, several traces of confusion appearing on his icy face. "How much blood would that take?"

The old man shook his head. "I don't know either. It depends on how receptive the Earthfire Lizard is to his blood, and on the intensity of the light energy contained within it. But whether it succeeds or not, this child's vital essence will be severely depleted. In my view, it truly isn't worth it for a Level Two Magic Beast."

"Haochen." Ye Hua turned toward Long Haochen, about to say something, but for the first time ever, Long Haochen interrupted him.

"Teacher, there's no need to say anything. I've already decided. The contract has been formed; this is the fate between me and it. If I abandon it simply because it is weak, even endangering its life, then how could I still deserve to be a Guardian Knight?" As Long Haochen spoke resolutely, he hugged the Earthfire Lizard tighter. He bowed slightly and saluted the old man. "Please instruct me, Senior, on what I must do."

The old man sighed. "Your character is truly rare, child. Though you have not gained a powerful mount partner this time, your future achievements will likewise be beyond measure. The method is simple. Activate your Equal Contract, then drip your blood into the contract rune on its body."

"Thank you, Senior." Long Haochen answered, slowly crouching down and placing the Earthfire Lizard on the ground.

The Earthfire Lizard raised its head and looked at Long Haochen, continuously making whimpering sounds.

"Don't be afraid. I'll do everything I can to save you. You are already my partner. If I cannot even protect you, what kind of Guardian Knight would I be?"

Long Haochen sat cross-legged before the Earthfire Lizard. With a movement of his mind, he activated the Equal Contract between them.

The Equal Contract was also called the Equal Summoning Contract. It was primarily led by humans, and activating the contract was equivalent to issuing a summons to a Magic Beast.

A point of purple light lit up on Long Haochen's forehead. The purple glow gradually expanded, becoming a fingernail-sized purple speck that flickered in and out of sight on his forehead.

"Eh?" The one-eyed old man said to Ye Hua in some surprise, "How strange. Their contract runes seem remarkably complex."

The stronger the Magic Beast a human formed a contract with, the more complex the contract runes that appeared on their respective bodies would be.

Ye Hua said doubtfully, "No, it's just a simple point of light, isn't it?"

The old man shook his head. "No, it isn't that simple. The rune is concealed by that purple glow. Though I cannot see exactly what it is, it is certainly not simple. Look at that Earthfire Lizard."

As Long Haochen activated the contract, a contract rune appeared on his forehead—and one appeared on the Earthfire Lizard as well.

Ordinarily, whether human or Magic Beast, contract runes appeared on the head. But this Earthfire Lizard was different. A purple pattern of light more than a foot in diameter slowly emerged from its back, nearly covering its entire back. Misty purple light lay over it like a layer of fog. Though it was many times larger than the rune on Long Haochen's forehead, it was still impossible to make out its shape beneath that purple mist.

Long Haochen said gently to the Earthfire Lizard, "Little fellow, don't be afraid. I'll use the Light Attribute in my blood to change your constitution. I don't know whether it will be painful, but you must endure it, all right?"

The Earthfire Lizard actually nodded at his words with remarkable understanding. Its pair of red eyes were filled with gratitude and affection.

Long Haochen raised both hands and flicked his left index finger. At once, a faint golden radiance lit up at his fingertip, a two-inch-long golden glow pulsing there. Releasing spiritual energy externally—this was the mark of a Fourth Order Great Knight. Although Third Order Knights could also release spiritual energy through skills such as Light Slash Sword, it was clearly not on the same level as a Fourth Order Great Knight releasing spiritual energy without using a skill.

The golden light flashed, and Long Haochen cut open his right wrist. Blood immediately surged out, almost instantly forming a stream that flowed down into the enormous rune on the Earthfire Lizard's back.

"Wuu—" With a miserable cry, the Earthfire Lizard threw back its head, its body trembling violently. Its four claws dug hard into the Ancient Elf Rune on the ground, forcibly keeping its body from moving.

Surprise appeared once more in the old man's one eye. "This Earthfire Lizard is truly intelligent. It seems it should not be as simple as it appears on the surface."

Ye Hua gave a bitter smile. "Let's hope so." He truly wanted to stop Long Haochen from doing this. A Level Two Earthfire Lizard simply wasn't worth it! What was more, the Demon Hunter Group Selection Competition would begin in half a year. If Long Haochen's vital essence was severely depleted at a time like this, it was uncertain whether he could even recover within half a year. But could he really stop his disciple? He could not. To him, Long Haochen's spirit of never abandoning, never giving up was even more precious than the position of chief of the Demon Hunter Squad.

Long Haochen's blood fell into the rune on the Earthfire Lizard's back and instantly melted into it. Rings of pale golden halos spread outward from the purple rune, covering the Earthfire Lizard's entire body.

Whenever a ring of golden light flowed past, the Earthfire Lizard's body would shudder violently as though struck by lightning. Yet it still did not move.

As those layers of golden halos continued to flow, dense dark energy, accompanied by a fierce and savage aura, gradually crumbled away from the Earthfire Lizard's body.