The Promise of the Far North

The morning sunlight spilled through the window, landing on the face of Bai Lan.

He opened his eyes, sat up, and rubbed them.

Beside his pillow, the Contract Book lay quietly, the silver-purple mark on the second page glowing faintly, as if telling him that everything from last night was real.

"Yinye," he called out softly.

A flash of silver light appeared.

A woman stood before him.

Her long, silver-purple hair cascaded down like a waterfall, shimmering with a faint glow in the morning light.

Those silver-purple eyes watched him quietly, carrying a gentle smile.

"Good morning, Master."

Bai Lan looked at her, suddenly feeling a bit dazed.

He had already seen her last night inside the Contract Space.

But now, seeing her again in reality, he was still struck by her beauty.

"Morning." He stood up. "Let's go, we need to find the Dean."

Dean's office.

Yan Shaozhe was sitting behind his desk, flipping through files. Hearing a knock, he didn't even look up. "Come in."

The door pushed open, and Bai Lan walked in.

Yan Shaozhe raised his head, about to speak.

Then, he froze.

Because following behind Bai Lan was a woman.

A woman he had never seen before.

With long silver-purple hair and silver-purple eyes, she was surrounded by faint, lingering spatial fluctuations. Just standing there, she made one feel an urge to submit.

"Bai Lan, who is this..."

Bai Lan walked up to him and said calmly:

"Dean, this is Yinye."

"My second Contract Beast."

Yan Shaozhe frowned. "Second Contract Beast? Don't you already have Yinxing?"

Bai Lan nodded. "As of yesterday, yes."

He paused, then continued:

"But last night, they fused."

Yan Shaozhe's pupils constricted.

Fused?

"What do you mean?"

Bai Lan raised his hand, and the Contract Book materialized in his palm.

The pages flipped open, and the silver-purple mark on the second page began to glow slowly.

"Yinxing and Youye are both of the Void attribute," he explained. "Last night, the Contract Book suddenly reacted, guiding them to fuse and become a new, independent entity."

"That is her, Yinye."

Yan Shaozhe fell silent.

He looked at the woman before him, at her silver-purple eyes, and at the faint spatial fluctuations surrounding her.

He could sense that this woman was strong.

Extremely strong.

Stronger than the vast majority of Soul Beasts he had ever encountered.

"How... how many years of cultivation does she have?" he asked.

Bai Lan did not hide it. "Four hundred thousand years."

Yan Shaozhe gasped.

Four hundred thousand years.

Void attribute.

Born from fusion.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart.

"Then what about Yinxing and Youye?" he asked. "Are they..."

"It's still there." Yinye spoke, her voice cold yet gentle. "As long as Master wishes, we can separate at any time."

She raised her hand.

Silver light and purple light flickered simultaneously.

The next second—

Yinxing and Youye appeared at her sides at the same time.

One had silver hair and silver eyes, as cold and clear as the moon.

The other had purple hair and purple eyes, as deep as the night.

The three of them stood together like three flowers of different colors blooming from the same branch.

Yan Shaozhe was stunned.

He looked at Yinxing, then at Youye, and finally back at Yinye.

"This..."

Bai Lan explained, "They can switch freely. When fused, they are Yinye, at four hundred thousand years. When separated, they are Yinxing and Youye, each retaining their original age and abilities."

Yan Shaozhe remained silent for a long time.

Then, he spoke slowly:

"Bai Lan, you really... make this old bag of bones not know what to say."

Bai Lan smiled and put away the Contract Book.

Yinxing and Youye turned into two rays of light, merging into Yinye's body.

Yinye also turned into a silver-purple light, returning to the Contract Book.

Only Yan Shaozhe and Bai Lan remained in the office.

"Dean." Bai Lan began, "I came to see you today for another matter."

Yan Shaozhe looked at him. "Speak."

Bai Lan's gaze was calm.

"After Yinxing and Youye fused, a contract slot opened up."

Yan Shaozhe's eyes lit up.

"In other words...!"

Bai Lan nodded. "I can now contract a third Soul Beast."

Yan Shaozhe stood up abruptly.

Good heavens, this good news had come far too suddenly!

He walked to the window, turned his back to Bai Lan, and remained silent for a few seconds.

Then, he turned around.

"Ice attribute." He said. "Have you decided?"

Bai Lan nodded. "I have decided."

Yan Shaozhe took a deep breath.

"Good." He said. "Then let's go find Elder Mu."

Sea God Pavilion.

Elder Mu sat by the window, holding a cup of hot tea in his hands.

The sunlight spilled over him, warm and cozy.

Hearing footsteps, he turned his head.

"Shaozhe? Bai Lan?" He raised an eyebrow slightly. "Coming over so early, is something the matter?"

Yan Shaozhe walked up to him and bowed.

"Teacher, there is something I must tell you."

Elder Mu nodded, signaling for him to continue.

Yan Shaozhe recounted Bai Lan's experience from last night.

The fusion.

Four hundred thousand years.

The vacant contract slot.

The plan to contract an ice-attribute Soul Beast.

After listening, Elder Mu fell silent.

A long, long silence.

Then, he looked at Bai Lan and spoke slowly:

"Four hundred thousand years?"

Bai Lan nodded.

Elder Mu smiled.

That smile carried a hint of complexity.

"Kid," he said, "do you know what the concept of four hundred thousand years is?"

Bai Lan thought for a moment and said, "I know, she is very strong!"

Elder Mu was amused to the point of laughter.

"More than just very strong," he shook his head, "it is already at a level even more outrageous than before!"

He stood up and walked to the window.

"Di Tian, seven or eight hundred thousand years, the number one fierce beast on the continent."

"Yinye, four hundred thousand years, Void Shadow attribute."

He looked at the lake outside the window, his gaze profound:

"If she were willing to go to the Star Dou Great Forest now, even Di Tian would have to welcome her personally."

Bai Lan fell silent.

Elder Mu turned around and looked at him.

"However, you didn't come to find me just to talk about this, did you?"

Bai Lan nodded.

"Elder Mu, I want to contract an ice-attribute Soul Beast."

"To help Senior Ma Xiaotao."

Elder Mu looked at Yan Shaozhe.

Yan Shaozhe nodded slightly.

Elder Mu was silent for a few seconds.

Then, he spoke:

"There are indeed ice-attribute Soul Beasts."

"And there is a place that has two of them, very suitable for you."

Bai Lan's heart stirred.

"Where?"

Elder Mu looked at him and slowly uttered four words:

"The Extreme North."

Bai Lan's heart skipped a beat.

The Extreme North.

Ice Empress.

Snow Empress.

This was exactly what he had been waiting for.

Elder Mu continued:

"There are three fierce beasts in the Extreme North, known as the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Extreme North."

"Ice Empress, four hundred thousand years, Ice Jade Empress Scorpion."

"Snow Empress, seven hundred thousand years, Ice Heaven Snow Maiden."

"And there is also the Titan Snow Demon King, also several hundred thousand years old."

He looked at Bai Lan, his gaze profound:

"If you can contract one of them, the Ultimate Ice will be within your reach."

Bai Lan took a deep breath.

"Elder Mu, can they... be contracted?"

Elder Mu smiled.

"Under normal circumstances, no."

"How could a four hundred thousand-year-old fierce beast be willing to become a Contract Beast for a human?"

He paused, then shifted the tone:

"But—"

"They have a problem."

Bai Lan pressed, "What problem?"

Elder Mu walked to the window and gazed toward the north.

"Heavenly Tribulation!"