Is Your Contract a Pyramid Scheme?

Time: Ten Thousand Years Ago

Location: Worship Hall

The Starry Express arrived with a long whistle, dropping off Qian Renxue and Ma Xiaotao before vanishing through time and space.

At the same time, the Worship Hall detected the disturbance, and more than a dozen astonishing Titled Douluo auras immediately emerged.

One of them had even reached level 99, a Peerless Douluo.

"Who dares trespass here?"

Ma Xiaotao said uneasily, "Qian Renxue, Lin Yu dumped us in such a dangerous place and ran off by himself."

Qian Renxue smiled. "Don't be afraid. In this era, there is nowhere safer than this place."

When the solemn worship Douluo appeared, Ma Xiaotao was so nervous her heart nearly leaped into her throat.

"Greetings, Young Mistress."

It was like a gang of mobsters greeting their boss's daughter.

The worship Douluo all greeted Qian Renxue in unison.

Ma Xiaotao: ???

Then the worship Douluo parted, revealing the Peerless Douluo Qian Daoliu walking over from behind them.

This time, Qian Renxue greeted him. "Grandfather, it's been a long time."

Ma Xiaotao: !!!

So I'm the only clown here, huh.

Qian Daoliu looked at Qian Renxue fondly. "Xiaoxue, why have you come?"

Qian Renxue requested, "Grandfather, there is something only you can handle."

Qian Daoliu said, "Oh? What is it?"

Qian Renxue said, "It concerns the City of Slaughter."

Time: Ten Thousand Years Later

Location: Extreme North Plains

The Starry Express arrived with a long whistle. It sped across the icy plains as though it were traveling over ordinary flatland.

The surrounding soul beasts could not make sense of this massive object and hurriedly retreated.

Lin Yu sat on the sofa in his room. His room was in the first carriage behind the train, a sightseeing car with glass walls on both sides that offered a view of the scenery outside.

The Starry Express sped along at high speed. The white ice plains stretched endlessly, and the Extreme North Plains were equally vast. Viewed from the sky, the Starry Express looked utterly insignificant. Even after traveling day and night, it would not leave this region.

Snow Empress was not staying in the Spiritual Sea of Consciousness. Sitting beside Lin Yu on the sofa, she said, "I know this direction. I know where you're going."

She was immensely pleased with herself, having once again guessed Lin Yu's little scheme.

Lin Yu said, "Then why don't you ask whether I know the Ice Empress?"

Snow Empress said, "You can't hide it from me, just like how you know me, Qian Renxue, and Ma Xiaotao."

Lin Yu said, "I surrender. I don't want to talk to you."

Snow Empress said, "There is one thing I don't understand. The Ice Empress has nearly four hundred thousand years of cultivation. She has struggled beneath the Heavenly Tribulation and has constantly sought a way to overcome it. If you make a contract with her, will its terms be that you help her survive the Heavenly Tribulation?"

Lin Yu said, "The Heavenly Tribulation isn't so easy to overcome. You know that better than I do, and I won't face it head-on with her either. At this time, there is actually already a solution: have the Ice Empress seal her power and become a Soul Master's Martial Soul. As long as that Soul Master eventually becomes a god, the Ice Empress can ascend alongside them and overcome that unavoidable life-or-death calamity."

Snow Empress said, "Are you planning to use that method?"

Lin Yu said, "No. After all, that is someone else's method." He pointed outside the train window. "Do you see over there? Is there a human boy in Ice Silkworm attire gliding across the plains? His name is Huo Yuhao. A little later, he will go to the Ice Empress and carry out that method with her."

Snow Empress also noticed the human boy, and she sensed a familiar trace of aura from him. "Why does he seem to carry the aura of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm?"

Lin Yu said, "The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm has already fused with Huo Yuhao through that method, so he encouraged Huo Yuhao to seek out the Ice Empress."

Snow Empress said, "But the Starry Express is moving so fast that they are behind us now. You're going to beat them to it again."

She had already recognized Huo Yuhao as the boy who had competed with Lin Yu for the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Gel at the Hundred Treasures Fair.

Huo Yuhao was simply too unlucky. He had encountered Lin Yu, who possessed the Starry Express. Not only could it travel at incredible speed, but it could also freely pass through time and space.

When it came to seizing opportunities, Lin Yu had countless chances, while others did not have even the slightest chance.

At the same time, Huo Yuhao, who was gliding across the ice field with the aid of a Soul Tool, also saw the Starry Express speeding past.

"That's amazing! Is that a new Soul Tool? It can actually travel across the ice plains, and it's so fast."

"This is bad, little Yuhao. That train is headed straight for the Ice Empress's territory. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Brother Sky Dream, what bad feeling?"

"Hurry, hurry! Glide faster! I feel like my love is about to be stolen!"

Under the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's urging, Huo Yuhao glided with all his strength. But the Starry Express was simply too fast, and he could only watch its tail grow smaller and smaller in his sight.

Half a day later, the Starry Express stopped because a large number of Ice Jade Scorpions had blocked the path ahead.

Above the group of Ice Jade Scorpions, the Ice Empress floated into the air, looking down with a cold and arrogant expression.

She had known the moment the Starry Express entered her territory. Its whistle was far too loud, as though it were announcing to all four directions: I'm here.

But the Ice Empress did not know that Lin Yu had deliberately used this method to draw her out, and the results were excellent.

The Ice Empress said coldly, "Human, why have you entered my territory?"

Lin Yu stepped down from the carriage and smiled. "I came for you. I want to ask whether you are interested in becoming my Martial Soul."

Killing intent flashed in the Ice Empress's eyes. Becoming a Soul Master's Martial Soul was a form of sacrifice, one that meant permanently sacrificing oneself. Was this human saying he wanted to kill her?

But when Snow Empress stepped down from the Starry Express and stood beside Lin Yu, the Ice Empress's cold arrogance vanished completely, replaced by the disbelief of thawing ice and snow.

"Snow Empress, why are you with a human? Your aura is even linked to this human's. Could it be that you—"

The Ice Empress thought Snow Empress had met with misfortune, killed by this human and absorbed as a Soul Ring, with her current form merely being the manifestation of a soul skill.

Snow Empress said, "Ice Empress, I'm alive and well. You've got the wrong idea."

Only through their conversation did the Ice Empress accept an excessively unbelievable truth: when Snow Empress had been close to death, she had made a contract with Lin Yu. By giving up only a tiny portion of her power, they could share their lives, yet they remained independent individuals, unable to interfere with one another.

No matter how the Ice Empress thought about it, something felt wrong. "By paying the price of only a tiny bit of power, you can preserve the Snow Empress's life. And the contract you want to make with me is the same? You only want me to give up a little power, and you'll help me resolve my four-hundred-thousand-year Heavenly Tribulation?"

Lin Yu said, "Absolutely true. Once this chance is gone, it's gone. Sign quickly, sign now. A bright and beautiful future is waiting for you."