The fleeing Snow Qilin suddenly glanced back and muttered to itself, ’So they were following me after all? Are the owners of these two auras friend or foe? Why is my subconscious telling me not to run, as if they’re extremely important to me? Should I trust my subconscious or not?’

The Snow Qilin, having lost its past-life memories, was utterly bewildered. It was so confused that it gradually slowed to a halt. A few breaths later, its pupils abruptly constricted. It was too late to run. Two unprecedentedly large Spatial Rifts had torn open out of thin air right in front of it. The violent, tearing force of space sent the Snow Qilin staggering backward.

RRRIP! A tearing sound echoed from one of the rifts, followed by a primeval roar. "I’m finally out! The aura inside a Spatial Rift is just disgusting!"

Simultaneously, the other rift SHLICKED into a circular spatial tunnel. A black shadow WHOOSHED out of it. Two sonic booms, THUD THUD, reached the Snow Qilin’s ears as two terrifying cyclones erupted from the black shadow, sweeping out in all directions.

Of course, the black shadow wasn’t doing this intentionally. Its power was simply so immense that its every move could alter space itself. A gray figure leaped from the other rift after it was torn open. As soon as it appeared, it stared at the Snow Qilin with emotionless eyes and said with a hint of disappointment, "Hmph. So this is our king? Why is he so weak?"

The one who spoke was the Holy Beast Nether Qilin. The Ghost Qilin at its side rebuked it. "Nether, do not be disrespectful! You witnessed the King’s power before his reincarnation. He could have finished you with a single glance. The new king is merely a cub now, but look at his eyes and his horn. He has already advanced to this stage. If he weren’t the King, how could he have grown this much without our help? Furthermore!"

The Ghost Qilin took a step forward, glaring at the Nether Qilin with its cold, black eyes. "Remember this: the King’s will is sacred and inviolable! Otherwise, I won’t hesitate to deal with you right here and now!"

In the Ghost Qilin’s heart, the Snow Qilin was its god, its everything. It would not allow anyone to profane its god—not even the Nether Qilin, its own brother born alongside it.

Seeing the killing intent in the Ghost Qilin’s eyes, the Nether Qilin’s heart skipped a beat. Though it might curse the Ghost Qilin freely on a normal day, it knew the truth. Ghost and Nether... it’s no coincidence that "Ghost" comes before "Nether." When the Snow Qilin had created them, it had deliberately made the Ghost Qilin more powerful than the Nether Qilin. Not only that, but the Ghost Qilin’s intelligence far surpassed its own. If they truly came to blows, it would be no match for the Ghost Qilin. So, the Nether Qilin hurriedly nodded. "Ghost, brother! Of course not! I was just joking with the new king. Besides, I was also born from the Snow God’s body. Our souls are one. If I were seriously injured, the new king would also be affected. So, brother, you wouldn’t really kill me."

The killing intent faded from the Ghost Qilin’s eyes. It snorted coldly, "It’s good that you understand." With that, the Ghost Qilin reverently prostrated itself before the Snow Qilin, extending its left paw far out in front of it. Although the Nether Qilin grumbled, in its heart, it also deeply revered the Snow Qilin. After all, this was the Land Beast God—their god, and in a way, their father. So, after the Ghost Qilin prostrated itself, it too bowed down reverently, likewise extending its own left paw.

The Snow Qilin was now completely bewildered. These two mountain-sized Qilin Giant Beasts had just prostrated themselves before it. A human might not understand the significance of this gesture between Magical Beasts, but as a Magical Beast itself, the Snow Qilin inherently understood the meaning behind some of their postures.

This prostration was different from the usual gesture Magical Beasts used to show submission, though it was similar. Both signified surrender, but this posture was several levels higher than a normal one. The extended left paw meant, ’I am willing to offer you my everything.’ If the Snow Qilin were to extend its right paw now, a Contract would be formed instantly—a true ancient contract, a Sacrificial Contract.

Once the Contract was formed, the master could decide the servant’s fate at will. If they were allowed to live, it was like a Master-Servant Contract, where the master could command the servant. But that wasn’t the true purpose of this Contract. Its real function was sacrifice—to offer up the servant’s life and soul, transferring all of the servant’s power into the master’s body, to be completely absorbed and become part of the master’s strength. Moreover, the life-and-death aspect of this Contract wasn’t solely controlled by the master. If the servant willingly chose to die for the master, the effect would be even more perfect.

The Snow Qilin was dumbfounded. It asked blankly, ’What are you two...?’

The Ghost Qilin lifted its jet-black eyes and, softening its voice as much as possible, said, "To form a Sacrificial Contract."

The Snow Qilin looked even more confused. ’But we don’t know each other. And you’re both so powerful... Aren’t you afraid I’ll just sacrifice you to become my own power?’

The Nether Qilin sounded perplexed. "But we are your power. Isn’t it normal for us to become your power?"

’My power?’ The Snow Qilin’s expression grew more doubtful. ’What is going on? My subconscious tells me that you’re familiar, but I have no memories to prove it.’

The Ghost Qilin and Nether Qilin exchanged a look. The Ghost Qilin asked, "You truly don’t remember who we are?"

The Snow Qilin looked at the expectant gazes of the Ghost Qilin and Nether Qilin, thought for a long time, and finally said, "Still nothing. From the moment I was born until now, you are the most powerful Magical Beasts I have ever seen."

The Ghost Qilin was surprised. "We are the most powerful Magical Beasts you’ve seen? Impossible. The most powerful Magical Beast you should have seen is the previous Lord Snow Qilin."

’The previous Lord Snow Qilin? Who’s that?’

The Ghost Qilin sighed. "Nether, perhaps something went wrong during our King’s reincarnation, causing him to not receive the inherited memories. Even so, for the new king to find his way to us... it must be the guidance of fate."

The Nether Qilin was also amazed. "Indeed. This space was completely sealed by the previous King. Forget the new king in his youth; not even a so-called Saint of the humans could set foot in here. How did the new king get in?"

The Ghost Qilin shook its head and said to the Snow Qilin, "It seems there truly was a problem with the transfer of the King’s memories. In that case, we must pass on the inherited memories to you in the previous King’s stead."

The Snow Qilin remained silent. It knew the actions of these two abnormally powerful Magical Beasts were not baseless. At their level, no Magical Beast would bow its proud head to another countless times weaker than itself—especially not an ancient Divine Beast like a Qilin!

"You may not be clear about your own identity," the Ghost Qilin said slowly. "I can only tell you that you are the god of all Land Magical Beasts on the Extreme Martial Continent—the Land Beast God, Snow Qilin! Since your life began at the same time as the Extreme Martial Continent itself, you can also be called a Primordial Divine Beast, the ruler of all Land Magical Beasts."

The Snow Qilin looked at its own white fur and asked blankly, ’Am I really that powerful?’

The Nether Qilin nodded. "More than just powerful. The King’s strength can sweep across the entire continent. Er... all Magical Beasts except for the Sea Beast God, Netherworld. Even the Sky Beast God, Nine Phoenixes, is slightly weaker than you. Furthermore, your lifespan is eternal, which is why you have survived from the birth of the Extreme Martial Continent to this very day."

Before the Snow Qilin could ask, the Ghost Qilin continued on its own, "However, the Extreme Martial Continent is a world made by the Creator God. In this world, everything has its limits. You, who possess an eternal lifespan, must face a cruel trial: reincarnation."

’Reincarnation?’ A faint fragment of a memory flickered in the Snow Qilin’s mind, but when it tried to grasp it, the fragment had already vanished.

The Ghost Qilin continued, "Correct. Reincarnation. Once every million years, you must exhaust all your power to reseal yourself, transforming into a new life to grow once more and become the new king. But a newly hatched king is like a newborn infant, possessing no memories. Therefore, before each reincarnation, the King seals a sliver of his consciousness within the eggshell. When the eggshell breaks and the Seal is undone, the previous King passes on much important information to the new king, so that he does not lose his way. But you, new king, seem not to have received the inherited memories from the previous King."

The Snow Qilin seemed to understand. ’Then, what are you?’

The Nether Qilin gave a human-like smile. "You must understand, the new king’s power is extremely weak after birth. Without special protection, any random Spirit Beast could threaten his life. So, before reincarnating, each generation of the King divides ninety percent of his power into two vessels. When the new king appears, these two power vessels will fuse directly with him, ultimately allowing the new king’s power to gain a firm foothold on the continent. This is how the King’s status has been maintained and not usurped, ensuring that Magical Beasts from other Domains do not lord over us Land Magical Beasts."

"And we are the power vessels left behind by the previous King. Your appearance is the signal for us to transform into your power, allowing you to ascend the throne and become the new king. So please, accept our sacrifice and allow us to fulfill our mission." The Ghost Qilin finished the Nether Qilin’s explanation and once again prostrated itself on the ground.

The Snow Qilin’s thoughts were in chaos. ’They say I’m the Land Beast God, born at the same time as the continent. Then why is the blood flowing in my veins identical to my father’s? Did they mistake me for someone else? Am I not this so-called king? What in the world is going on?’

While the Snow Qilin was lost in thought, its subconscious mind acted on its own. It silently extended its right paw, forming a precise triangular point with the left paws of the Ghost and Nether Qilins.

DING! A vast, strange Contract Array Plate instantly expanded from their three paws, growing to a range of several hundred meters and completely enveloping the trio. The Sacrificial Contract’s conditions were met!