The Contract

Carvings can be seen everywhere on the exterior walls of the ship's cabin. Although Su Ming stopped the large reliefs in the living area, the students turned to creating exquisite two-dimensional paintings.

Looking at these ubiquitous artistic creations, Su Ming could only shake his head helplessly and let them be.

Stacy came to Su Ming's side and they leaned against the railing together, gazing into the distance.

"That's amazing technology," Stacy exclaimed sincerely.

"Thank you for the compliment," Su Ming replied.

"No wonder when I first saw Zijin," Stacy said with a touch of emotion, "Her eyes truly shone. I didn't quite understand then, but seeing this now, I finally get it."

"Dr. Stacy," Su Ming turned his head, his expression serious, "There's something I'd like to ask you. Is there any way to resolve the current situation between Zijin and me?"

Instead of answering directly, Stacy asked, "You upgraded your White Bone Mark once, didn't you?"

"That upgrade significantly improved the efficiency and scale of energy circulation," Su Ming nodded, "But it didn't help our current state at all."

"That's right," Stacy affirmed. "Zijin's flaw stems from her soul. Theoretically, you can indeed separate, but without your support, her power will be greatly limited."

In the current perilous environment surrounded by powerful adversaries, this is clearly not a wise choice.

"Zijin —she actually cares about this a lot, doesn't she?" Su Ming said softly.

Stacy sighed. Since she reunited with Zige, Zige had never brought up the matter.

However, as a free individual, how could she not care that her own rights were being manipulated by another person?

"I know you're willing to give Zijin freedom, and I—do indeed have some ideas," Stacy said frankly. "Structural problems can ultimately only be improved through structural adjustments. But one..."

Her words suddenly stopped, and she seemed hesitant.

"Will there be side effects?" Su Ming noticed her hesitation.

"It's rare to have everything," Stacy continued, her tone becoming serious. "By releasing Zijin's freedom, you've only deepened the entanglement between you on a spiritual level."

"Stacy!" Zijin's voice suddenly came from behind them, tinged with a hint of exasperation.

Stacy turned around at the sound and saw the girl walking quickly towards her.

"Let me," Zijin took a deep breath, her gaze sweeping between Su Ming and Stacy, her tone resolute, "Talk to Su Ming about this alone."

Stacy glanced at Zijin, then at Su Ming, finally shrugged, and turned to walk away silently.

****

In the biting sea breeze, Zijin took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her turbulent emotions.

Su Ming watched her with great interest; it was quite rare to see this girl, who rarely showed her emotions.

"I'm saying, Zijin," he suddenly interjected, "You were looking at me from 'Omniscient Vision,' weren't you?"

Zijin didn't hide it; a slight smile played on her lips. "It's reasonable for me to observe the public area with my Omniscient Vision, isn't it?"

"Oh, right." Su Ming shrugged.

"I'm sorry." Zijin gently brushed her wind-blown hair aside, her tone becoming serious. "Regarding this matter, I wanted to—take the initiative to discuss it with you."

"I only meant to ask a question," Su Ming replied. "Stacy was trying to mention earlier was the Dragon Soul Contract, right?"

This is an ancient contract. Through a life-binding oath, humans partially merge with the soul of a dragon, thereby gaining access to a portion of the dragon's power.

"So you really are researching this issue too." Zijin sighed softly, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her. Su Ming had clearly been searching for a solution, which made her increasingly feel that she was unworthy of such a capable and considerate person who cared so much for her.

She is becoming increasingly vulnerable.

Zijin shook her head forcefully, forcibly suppressing the strange emotions rising in her heart.

"With Stacy's technical skills, and with the power of the Divine Favor Scepter," she turned to look at the churning icy sea on the other side, letting the howling sea wind mask her out-of-control tone, "There is indeed a way to activate the dragon nature within my soul, to form this pact with you, and to solve my current problem."

"Then..." Su Ming was about to reply.

Zijin's eyes dimmed, a hint of resolve in them, "I cannot make this contract with you!"

"Why?" Su Ming asked, puzzled.

"Dragon Soul Contract." Zijin rubbed her cheeks vigorously to clear her mind. "It allows me to share your soul power, and at the same time, it allows you to share my magical power—but this will interfere with, and even corrupt, your own original power!" She turned around, looking directly into Su Ming's eyes, her tone becoming extremely solemn. "For ordinary people, this is indeed a tremendous good thing, like signing a contract and instantly becoming a millionaire!"

She paused, then added, "But what if this person has the potential to become a billionaire?"

Su Ming possesses an extremely rare and powerful spatial force. This Dragon Soul Contract, instead of allowing him to deeply study and control the laws of space, will have unpredictable negative effects.

"Spatial power is crucial to our future path," Zijin said solemnly. "And I absolutely cannot let this cause you harm."

Su Ming remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded. "I understand."

Zige subconsciously reached out and pressed her hand to her chest. Through her clothes, she could clearly feel a slightly hard texture there.

Those were four dragon scales that had grown up and were now connected to her flesh and blood.

"My current form is actually incomplete, or rather, it needs correction." Zijin's voice lowered slightly. "But this correction can only be completed in the Land of Ancestral Spirits of Dragon Valley. It seemed unattainable before, but now..." Her gaze turned eastward, "Even if my negotiations with Dragon King Gelie ultimately break down, with our current strength, if we request entry into the Land of Ancestral Spirits, he will most likely agree!"

With Yinfei's betrayal, the Silver Dragon Guard's clear allegiance, and their own rapid rise in power, many factors have fundamentally changed.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Su Ming asked.

"Of course there is." Zijin nodded, a relaxed smile finally appearing on her face. "Let it go. This is purely a benefit for you, and—it's something I promised you a long time ago."

Su Ming was stunned for a moment, then remembered that Zijin had given him a riddle about her background before.