"?"
"??"
"???"
The ferocious beasts were all baffled.
Zi JI sighed softly. "After all, this is a martial soul that has never appeared in history. Besides, little Jiuxiao just said that either party can cancel the contract at any time."
She had not ventured outside in a long time either, and Jin Jiuxiao happened to be heading to the human world.
Di Tian had also agreed.
Xiong Jun and the Scarlet King were too impulsive, while the Myriad Demon King could not leave.
Bi Ji was a soul beast devoted purely to life and healing. If they encountered real danger, she would be powerless to help.
It was even less possible for Di Tian to become Jin Jiuxiao's Pokémon and accompany him into the human world.
He had to stand guard over the Star Dou Great Forest. Their lord's safety took precedence over everything.
Looking through all the options, wasn't she, Zi JI, the most suitable?
Concern for Jin Jiuxiao was one reason, and testing the Poké Ball's effects was another. And then there was...
"Zi JI, you!" Bi Ji clenched her teeth, pointing at Zi JI but leaving her words unspoken.
Over the past few thousand years, Jin Jiuxiao had often made the two of them laugh.
Having a little brother like him suddenly appear amid those long, boring years naturally brought them joy.
Zi JI strolled behind Jin Jiuxiao, rested both hands on his shoulders, and leaned down slightly, nestling her chin against his shoulder as she winked at Bi Ji.
"What do you think, little Jiuxiao?"
"Want to give it a try with your big sister?"
"I'm a two-hundred-thousand-year Hell Demon Dragon King, you know. This will be the perfect chance to test whether your martial soul's contract fails when the gap in strength between the parties is too great."
Jin Jiuxiao turned his head slightly, meeting Zi JI's slit-pupiled purple dragon eyes. "We can give it a try."
"Jiuxiao, go ahead and try forming the contract." Di Tian was quite curious too.
If the contract could succeed across such an enormous gap in cultivation, that would mean forcible capture could bridge the same gap.
The difficult part was figuring out how to let Jin Jiuxiao defeat those gods perched high above them.
But it was still too early to consider that. If Zi JI was willing, they could have her accompany Jin Jiuxiao on a trip to the human world.
It would only take a few decades at most. For soul beasts like them, that little stretch of cultivation time hardly mattered.
"All right, Uncle Di Tian." Jin Jiuxiao mobilized his soul power.
A contract made of soul power materialized before him and Zi JI.
The two signed it one after the other.
"Big Sister Zi JI, don't resist."
"The final step is to bring you inside the Poké Ball. Only then will the contract be complete."
"One more thing: if the contracted party doesn't want to enter the Poké Ball, I can't force them inside either."
Hearing Jin Jiuxiao's additional explanation, the other ferocious beasts silently nodded.
Those restrictions did indeed accord with the spirit of a contract.
Both parties stood on equal footing, in a mutually beneficial relationship rather than one of simple exploitation.
If either party was unwilling, they could terminate the contract.
At his words, Zi JI released Jin Jiuxiao and stood opposite him. "All right~ Your big sister won't resist."
"..." Jin Jiuxiao suddenly shivered. Why did he get the feeling Zi JI was thinking about something rather improper?
Still, testing the Poké Ball's various effects mattered most right now, so he did not dwell on it.
He raised his hand and threw the Poké Ball toward Zi JI.
As the Poké Ball flew near Zi JI, it suddenly opened and drew her inside.
A scarlet soul ring emerged above the Poké Ball, bearing two golden markings.
That meant this first soul ring was a two-hundred-thousand-year ferocious beast soul ring!
Feeling his strength surge, Jin Jiuxiao immediately sat cross-legged and began cultivating.
His soul power level shot straight up to sixteen, while all his physical attributes climbed rapidly under the enhancement of Zi JI's Two-Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
Seeing this, the other ferocious beasts did not rashly disturb him.
They quietly waited for Jin Jiuxiao to adjust to this sudden surge of power, discussing it only in hushed voices.
"It really is a Two-Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring. If Jiuxiao captured a god, wouldn't that mean his first soul ring could be a god ring too?"
Xiong Jun could not help muttering as he looked at the scarlet soul ring with its two golden markings.
"Why stop there?" The Myriad Demon King chuckled. "If he captured nine gods and became a god himself, that would make a full ten god rings."
"Just how powerful would he be?"
The Scarlet King's attention lay elsewhere. "That's something to consider later. He still has his first martial soul."
"With the attribute enhancements from a Two-Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring, the first soul ring he can condense won't be limited to a hundred years anymore."
Di Tian also kept his voice very soft. "Judging by the current situation, once Zi JI was captured as a Pokémon and Jiuxiao obtained his first soul ring, he was able to break through his bottleneck normally."
"Apart from the lack of a soul bone, there's little difference between this and directly absorbing a Two-Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring."
He could "see" it clearly. Jin Jiuxiao had used the vast majority of the soul ring's soul power to strengthen himself, absorbing only a tiny portion to increase his soul power level.
Bi Ji did not join the conversation. What she was curious about now was what the inside of that Poké Ball actually looked like.
Was it like a sea of consciousness? Or an independent space?
What did it feel like to stay inside?
Only after quite a while did Jin Jiuxiao slowly open his eyes and exhale at length. "Phew~ It worked."
He summoned the Poké Ball and tossed it forward. "Come out, Hell Demon Dragon King!"
The Poké Ball opened, and a streak of light shot out.
It transformed into Zi JI's figure.
Zi JI was visibly dazed by the change in surroundings. Once she recovered, she could not help chiding Jin Jiuxiao. "Little Jiuxiao, I was only halfway through decorating. Why did you summon me out already?"
"Decorating?" Jin Jiuxiao was equally confused. "Decorating what?"
"Your Poké Ball contains an independent pocket dimension. It's essentially my 'room,' and I can arrange the scenery however I like."
Zi JI found it rather entertaining.
Still, staying inside alone for a long time certainly would not do.
"Oh, I see..." Now Jin Jiuxiao understood.
No wonder Zi JI had not urged him to hurry despite all the time that had passed.
She had been busy playing inside the Poké Ball.
"According to what Jiuxiao said earlier, you should be able to cancel the contract yourself now, Zi JI?" Bi Ji asked curiously.
Zi JI gave a definite answer. "I can cancel it whenever I want."
"But I don't recommend canceling the contract right now."
"Or rather, I suppose I'll have to accompany little Jiuxiao to the human world."
"What do you mean?" Bi Ji did not quite understand.
The other ferocious beasts had the same question.
"Big Sister Zi JI, let me explain." Jin Jiuxiao took over. "The contract is equal. After Big Sister Zi JI and I successfully formed it, I also received her enhancement."
"It's equivalent to the attribute boost a human gets from absorbing a Two-Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring."
"If Big Sister Zi JI cancels the contract, I'll suffer a certain amount of backlash."
"That also means I'll lose the Two-Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring Big Sister Zi JI gave me, along with the increase in level it brought."
After contracting Zi JI, he had also sensed one critically important effect.
It was an effect that would truly change the fate of the ferocious beasts!
Before you continue