"Master."
She spoke.
Her voice was both as cool as Yinxing's and as deep as Youye's, yet it had an entirely new quality to it.
Noble and gentle, it was impossible to stop listening once you heard it.
Bai Lan took a deep breath.
"Y-you are..."
The woman smiled softly.
Her smile held both Yinxing's gentleness and Youye's coolness, fused together like moonlight spilling over an abyss.
"I am Yinxing."
She spoke.
"And I am Youye."
She raised a hand and placed it lightly over her heart.
"But I am no longer either of them."
"I am a new existence."
She looked at Bai Lan, light glimmering in her silver-violet eyes.
"Master, you may give me a new name."
Bai Lan was silent for a long time.
He looked at the woman before him.
Silver-violet hair.
Silver-violet eyes.
An aura that held both coolness and depth.
A presence where nobility and gentleness blended together.
He thought for a moment, then spoke:
"Yinye."
"Silver, and night."
The woman paused, slightly taken aback.
Then she smiled.
This time, her smile was deeper and gentler.
"Yinye..." she murmured. "The night from Yinxing and Youye..."
She raised her head and looked at Bai Lan.
"I like this name."
Bai Lan nodded.
He lowered his gaze to the Contract Book in his hand.
The marks on the second and third pages had disappeared.
In their place was a completely new mark.
Silver-violet light slowly swirled around it.
A line of text appeared beside it:
[Contract Beast: Void Shadow Empress] [Age: 400,000 years] [Status: Contracted] [Abilities: Void Dominator, Shadow Dominator, Space Folding: Ultimate, Dimensional Slash: Annihilation, Void Domain: Ultimate, Shadow Sky Curtain: Ultimate, Void Walk: Ultimate, Shadow Clone: God, Breath Nullification, Spacetime Displacement, Void Devour, Shadow Rebirth, Space Solidification, Shadow Avatar, Fusion Talent: Void Shadow Realm] [Void Dominator: Freely controls the space within a thousand meters, folding, twisting, tearing, and reshaping it] [Shadow Dominator: Freely controls the shadows within a thousand meters, turning them into tangible attacks or defenses] [Space Folding: Ultimate: Can fold any space to achieve teleportation over extremely long distances] [Dimensional Slash: Annihilation: Unleashes a dimensional slash that can cut through all matter and even cleave spatial barriers] [Void Domain: Ultimate: Unfurls a void domain in which she has complete control over space, preventing enemies from using any spatial abilities] [Shadow Sky Curtain: Ultimate: Unfurls a shadow sky curtain that suppresses all non-shadow attributes within it] [Void Walk: Ultimate: Can move freely through the void, ignoring all terrain obstacles and bringing allies along] [Shadow Clone: God: Can create up to nine clones, each with ninety percent of the original's strength. They can fight independently and inherit all abilities] [Breath Nullification: Passive ability. Her presence completely blends into the world, rendering all methods of detection ineffective] [Spacetime Displacement: Temporarily displaces a target, making attacks always miss its true position] [Void Devour: Opens a void entrance to devour any attack or enemy] [Shadow Rebirth: Can revive endlessly as long as even a trace of shadow remains] [Space Solidification: Solidifies the surrounding space, imprisoning all enemies] [Shadow Avatar: Turns her body into shadow, granting immunity to all physical attacks] [Fusion Talent: Void Shadow Realm: Unfurls an independent world where the void and shadows are fused. Once enemies are drawn inside, she gains complete control over their life and death] [Evolution Count: 3/3 (Reach level forty to unlock the next evolution)] [Special Ability: Fusion Differentiation] [Fusion Differentiation: Can separate back into Yinxing and Youye at any time. After separating, they retain all the memories and emotions they experienced while fused. When either one fights alone, she can call upon the full strength of a four-hundred-thousand-year entity. When both fight at once, their strength is split evenly between them (two hundred thousand years each).]
Four hundred thousand years.
Void Shadow Empress.
Yinye.
Bai Lan stared at the words, unable to speak for a long time.
Then he raised his head.
Yinye was still standing there, watching him.
"Master," she asked softly. "What are you thinking about?"
Bai Lan fell silent for a second.
Then he smiled.
"I was thinking..."
He looked into Yinye's silver-violet eyes.
"You two really have become one person."
Yinye lowered her head slightly, a faint smile on her lips.
"It feels strange," she said. "I'm one person, but I remember everything from two lives."
She raised her head and looked at Bai Lan.
"I remember how nervous Yinxing was when she first met you."
"I remember how unwilling Youye was to accept defeat when you beat her."
"I remember the way our hearts raced last night, when we lay beside you together."
Bai Lan paused, slightly taken aback.
Yinye continued:
"Those memories are mine."
"But they also feel like someone else's."
She looked at Bai Lan, light glimmering in her silver-violet eyes.
"Master, I need a little time to adjust."
Bai Lan nodded.
"There's no rush," he said. "Take your time."
Yinye smiled.
Her smile held both Yinxing's gentleness and Youye's coolness.
But there was something entirely new in it, too.
Something that belonged to Yinye alone.
"Master," she suddenly said.
"Hmm?"
Yinye looked at him, her gaze serious.
"Will you miss them?"
Bai Lan froze.
Yinye spoke softly:
"Yinxing and Youye."
"They're gone."
"Only I remain."
"Will you... miss them?"
Bai Lan was silent for a few seconds.
Then he stepped forward.
He reached out and gently placed a hand on Yinye's shoulder.
"You are them," he said. "They are you."
"As long as you're here, so are they."
Yinye froze.
She looked at Bai Lan, meeting his earnest gaze.
Then she smiled.
This time, she smiled like a child.
"Master," she said. "Thank you."
Bai Lan withdrew his hand and turned toward the depths of the Contract Space.
"Let's go," he said. "It's time to head back."
"There's a lot to do tomorrow."
Yinye nodded and followed him.
After a few steps, Bai Lan suddenly stopped.
He glanced back.
"Oh, right."
He looked at Yinye, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"Why don't you turn back into two people so I can see?"
Yinye paused, slightly taken aback.
Then she smiled.
A flash of silver light.
Yinxing and Youye appeared before him at the same time.
They stood on either side of him, watching.
Yinxing's face was faintly flushed.
Youye's expression was blank, but the tips of her ears were glowing.
Looking at them, Bai Lan suddenly felt a little dazed.
Just a moment ago, there had been one person.
Now there were two again.
"Master," Yinxing said softly. "We're still here. We always will be."
Youye nodded. "Mm. We're always here."
Bai Lan looked at them and smiled.
"Good," he said. "Come back."
They nodded, turning into two beams of light before fusing together again.
Yinye appeared before him once more.
"Master," she said. "We can separate whenever you want."
"And we can fuse again whenever you want."
Bai Lan nodded.
"Let's go."
He turned and continued walking.
Yinye followed behind him.
One in front and one behind, they disappeared into the depths of the Contract Space.
The next second.
Bai Lan opened his eyes.
He had returned to the dormitory.
He sat on the edge of the bed, the Contract Book still in his hand.
Moonlight still streamed in through the window.
The room was still quiet.
It was as if everything that had just happened had been a dream.
But the Contract Book in his hand told him.
It wasn't a dream.
He opened the book.
On the second page, a new mark was slowly glowing.
Silver-violet light.
Void Shadow Empress · Yinye.
Four hundred thousand years.
Bai Lan looked at the mark, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"Yinye..." he murmured.
The mark flickered faintly, as if responding.
Bai Lan closed the book and lay down on the bed.
He gazed at the ceiling.
So much had happened tonight.
Contract Beast fusion.
A four-hundred-thousand-year-old Ferocious Beast.
An available Contract slot.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
He'd deal with it tomorrow.
For tonight, he'd sleep.
Moonlight spilled in through the window.
The Contract Book rested quietly beside his pillow.
Silver-violet light flickered faintly.
As if guarding its master.
Before you continue