Chapter 517 - 509: Ancient Will, Illusion Spirit Contract

Chapter 517: Chapter 509: Ancient Will, Illusion Spirit Contract

"Is... is all of this real?" Two shimmering points of light slid from the corners of Xiaohai’s eyes. Its nose tingled as it looked at Mu Chen. "So I’m not alone. So there’s someone else like me in this world. I finally, finally have someone I can confide in... I finally don’t have to bury everything in my heart anymore. But... you really won’t be disgusted by me? By the way I look... by my weakness..."

"I’ve already seen and heard everything about you. What I’m saying isn’t just on a whim; I’ve given it careful thought. Also, I’m not a Magical Beast. I’m a human who came to Holy Beast Mountain looking for a Magical Beast partner. Will you be my partner?"

"Partner?!"

"Partner!"

That sunny, gentle face; that sincere and earnest smile; that warm, broad palm; those light, caring words—all of it was deeply and firmly engraved in the depths of Xiaohai’s eyes, seared into its heart.

"I will!! Take me with you!! I want to become stronger!! I want to be your partner!! Even if you’re a human!! The kind of human the Clan Master warned us about!! But you’re the only one who has ever accepted me!!"

There were no more obstacles, no more suspicions. Even though this was the first day it had ever met Mu Chen, the first day it had ever seen him, the first day it had ever heard his words, it threw itself at him without a second thought. Its body was a little clumsy, a little ugly, a little weak, but Mu Chen was like the last glimmer of light, the last trace of warmth in its withered, dark world. It wanted to desperately hold on, to become his partner, to become his strength—no matter how weak, how limited that strength was...

DING!

Like the sound of a water droplet falling into a spring, a light, clear chime rang out. Ripples of glistening light spread out from Mu Chen and Xiaohai, washing over the surrounding flowers and trees. Countless flowerbeds grew at a visible rate, and an immensely vast Life Aura swept out, shrouding the entire field of flowers in a translucent, fluorescent glow!

In an instant, Mu Chen and Xiaohai’s bodies erupted with a brilliant white light, as if a sun had appeared in the middle of the flower garden! But it only radiated a gentle halo, devoid of any destructive heat.

Their expressions were serene and peaceful. Though stubborn tear tracks still stained Xiaohai’s cheeks, though it still looked so ugly, it was smiling! A smile from the bottom of its heart!

Suddenly, a divine and holy light burst from between Xiaohai’s brows! An ethereal voice came from its throat—no! It was being chanted!!

"Oh, great God of Nature! Please heed my call! In my moment of deepest sorrow! In my moment of greatest joy! Bathe the earth in Your great, divine light! I offer light as the gate! And time and space as the boundary! To cross all barriers of this world! To pierce all obstacles of this world! With my past life! This life! And all my future lives, I will guard the one I love! For all eternity! Please, shatter the walls of time, traverse the vastness of antiquity, and grant me the ultimate power of a Guardian!!! Descend! Illusion! Spirit! Contract!"

As the words fell, phenomena abounded! A massive pillar of white light—filled with an astonishingly firm will, an astonishingly sincere heart, and an astonishingly divine Life Aura—rose to the Azure Sky in prayer. It broke through the clouds, pierced the heavens, and passed through the barriers of space. It shot from Holy Beast Mountain, through the dimensions of several Independent Spaces, and into the Extreme Martial Continent... It soared into the firmament, and the sky... split open!!

At the same time, in every corner of the Extreme Martial Continent—whether in the remote Xuanling Empire, the Central State Region teeming with experts, or the nearby Holy Tomb Mountain—everyone stopped what they were doing. They looked up at the slender beam of light, which nonetheless contained an infinite will. Their eyes held nothing but shock! Nothing but astonishment! There was no room for any other emotion!

Within Holy Tomb Mountain, Dilaka, who had been sitting in the Elder’s seat monitoring the mountain’s interior, was suddenly startled. In a flash, he broke through the barrier of the Elder Space and appeared directly in the Inner Holy Tomb Mountain. He looked up at the sky, his sharp eyes constricting repeatedly.

’Is this... the Ancient Will? Little Muchen... is that you??’

...

"Old Di, you felt it too, I take it?"

At some unknown time, Master Ling had appeared beside Dilaka like a ghost, but his question received no response. Soon, Murong Yan, Shan Qiuhen, and a dozen other Elders whom Mu Chen had never seen all arrived. They stared at the beam of light piercing through space, their expressions tense.

"The Illusion Spirit Contract!! The legendary, supreme Illusion Spirit Contract!! It’s actually summoning the Ancient Will!! A Magical Beast is summoning the God of Nature?!"

Outside Holy Beast Mountain, Zhu Jiuqian spat out the mouthful of wine he had just taken. After a few violent coughs, he shot to his feet, wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth, and stared wide-eyed at the white pillar of light piercing the golden Mirror Screen, his hands clenched into tight fists.

"Illusion Spirit Contract? Why does that sound so familiar?" Feng Chaoming’s expression was conflicted. He seemed to be racking his brain but was coming up with nothing, so he had no choice but to ask.

Zhu Jiuqian didn’t hold back. "The Illusion Spirit Contract," he explained, "is the ultimate contract among Magical Beast contracts. There is no other!"

"The ultimate contract?!"

"Its existence is a miracle! I, Old Zhu, have lived on the Extreme Martial Continent for nearly ten thousand years and have seen countless things, but I’ve never heard of a single Magical Beast initiating this contract! And yet, its existence is absolutely real! There’s nothing illusory about it! Just like Soul Engraving, it’s a memory that every Magical Beast possesses!"

Zhu Jiuqian’s expression grew distant, yet his trance-like state revealed an extreme seriousness. "When emotions reach their deepest point, when prayer transcends all boundaries, when the call surpasses time and space, the Summoning Spell for the contract will emerge from your very soul! You must call it forth with your most sincere, most resolute, most intense, and most untainted will! If you are sincere, you will move heaven and earth, your call will reach the ears of the God of Nature, and this divine contract will be opened!"

"And if you aren’t sincere?"

"Not sincere?" Zhu Jiuqian sneered. "Blaspheming a god? The consequences are far worse than some minor punishment like having your body shattered and your soul dispersed! As for what they are, heheh... from ancient times to the present, not a single Magical Beast has dared to try! Because the moment this contract enters our consciousness, our souls are subjected to an unprecedented suppression. With that feeling of suffocation, it’s absolutely impossible to maintain a will that is pure and untainted."

"One more thing! This contract takes a very long time to complete! Magical Beasts cannot step inside the ritual, but humans are different. If a human enters and disrupts the contract, the damage to both the Magical Beast and the human being contracted is immense! It can even be life-threatening! If it were you, would you dare to summon it?"

"..." Feng Chaoming was silent for a moment, then asked in confusion, "Why would a human want to disrupt it?"

Slamming his Wine Gourd down in anger, Zhu Jiuqian cursed, "Why do you ask so much damn nonsense?! Of course, it’s because a Magical Beast in this state is a huge tonic for humans! If a Saint Realm Martial Artist were to consume it, they could advance a full rank! Who wouldn’t want a benefit like that? Good thing this is happening inside Holy Beast Mountain, otherwise, it would be a death wish! Dammit, what I want to know right now is which lucky little bastard has this kind of fortune! Judging by the intensity of that will, it doesn’t just lack impurities, it doesn’t have a single trace of fear! The chances of success are through the roof!"

Feng Chaoming said in astonishment, "Are you saying those little guys are the ones causing this commotion?"

Zhu Jiuqian retorted irritably, "Besides them, have any other humans entered the Inner Holy Beast Mountain?"

"No!" Feng Chaoming said firmly.

"Then what are you spouting nonsense for?! A contract is a contract, of course it’s signed with a person! Just watch! If it succeeds, the phenomenon that appears will be something you can brag about for the rest of your life!! Dammit! I’m going crazy here!!"

...

"Sigh... Extreme Martial Continent, what in the world is happening to you?"

Suddenly, an ancient voice that could no longer be restrained cut through the sky, emanating from the bamboo garden in the Inner Holy Tomb Mountain! The extreme shock and astonishment within it could not be concealed.

But just as unconcealable was a deep-seated worry. Nameless stepped out of his bamboo hut and looked at the light in the sky. The universe of stars in his eyes dissipated, leaving his face full of confusion and sorrow.

’Ah, well. First things first, I should go restrain those old codgers outside. Otherwise, they’ll think Holy Tomb Mountain is up to some secret scheme.’ With that thought, Nameless’s divine gaze sharpened, and he declared, "Dilaka, Shan Qiuhen, Linghai, Murong Yan, all other Elders, and the Holy Punishment Elder Council of the Holy Punishment Field, are all to stand by outside Holy Tomb Mountain! If anyone tries to force their way into Holy Tomb Mountain, execute them! Regardless of who they are!"

!!

Hearing his voice, Dilaka, Shan Qiuhen, Linghai, and the others were all stunned. They exchanged glances, nodded, and then stepped forward. Space instantly shattered, and they vanished in the blink of an eye. At the same time, in the Inner Mountain, Outer Mountain, and Holy Punishment Field of Holy Tomb Mountain, all the Elder Councils rose to their feet simultaneously. Aside from one person in white, all the others were dressed in red.

"Go!"

With a low shout from the white-robed elder, all the red-robed figures vanished from the Elder Discussion Pavilion in an instant.

...

Within Holy Beast Mountain, in the territory of the Lightning Armor Dragon Family, hundreds of Lightning Armor Dragons were gathered outside the flower garden. The intense, dazzling white light prevented them from seeing anything inside. And yet, judging by its aura, the white light was so gentle, so warm!

Although it felt very comfortable, and although they didn’t know what was happening within, not a single one dared to take a step inside. Because from within that warm, gentle aura, they felt a tremor in their souls. It was the Ancient Will...

’Where am I...’

Mu Chen’s consciousness returned. But when he awoke, he found himself in a white ocean that radiated an ultimate aura of light and life. The water was warm and soft.

"Silly boy, you’re in your Sea of Spirit, of course."

"My Sea of Spirit... huh? Master!!"

The sudden voice filled Mu Chen with joy. The Profound Old Ghost’s figure quietly appeared, looking at Mu Chen with a proud expression. "So dependent on me," he chuckled. "When will you ever be like a true expert? Never mind, your Master didn’t come out to talk about this."

"Huh?" Mu Chen paused, then asked, "Master, aren’t you afraid ’he’ will detect you with his Spiritual Power?"

The Profound Old Ghost smiled. "When has your Master ever been afraid? I just didn’t want to cause you extra trouble. But that fellow isn’t around right now; it seems he’s gone out."

"Gone out?"

"You caused such a huge commotion in Holy Beast Mountain that you’ve alerted the entire Extreme Martial Continent. Countless powerful auras have gathered outside. He’s probably tearing his hair out right now; how could he possibly sit still?" the Profound Old Ghost said with a strange smile.

Mu Chen rubbed his nose. "I didn’t mean to, but Xiaohai..."

"Xiaohai? The name really suits him," the Profound Old Ghost said meaningfully. "Want to know what’s happening right now, Xiao Chenzi?"

He nodded without hesitation. Of course he wanted to know.

The Profound Old Ghost chuckled. "Alright then. But before that, your Master will tell you Xiaohai’s true identity. You’d better prepare yourself; his origins are not as simple as you think! And even if you saw it with your own eyes, you’d be kept in the dark by your own lack of knowledge."

"..." Mu Chen could only remain silent at that.

"His father was a true Lightning Armor Dragon, which is why the one you saw in that other Lightning Armor Dragon’s memories was so enormous. The Lightning Armor Dragons outside are actually the product of countless generations of diluted Bloodline Power. Even after living for so many years in a place like Holy Beast Mountain, which is rich in Primordial Power and has numerous Magical Beast legacies, there is still a slight gap between them and a true Lightning Armor Dragon. What’s more, his father also inherited a trace of the Purple Thunder Tyrant Dragon’s bloodline, which is why he seemed so belligerent and special."