The massive, strange Contract Array Plate enveloped the three of them and swiftly ascended into the Azure Sky, trailing a perfectly round, black-and-white pillar of light. A thin layer of gray mist shrouded the pillar’s perimeter, making it flicker in and out of sight, lending it an air of profound mystery.

The Snow Qilin was utterly astonished. Even it didn’t understand why it had subconsciously accepted the Contract. It was too late to back out now, as the Ghost Qilin and the Nether Qilin were already growing ethereal, turning into a state resembling mist.

The Ghost Qilin spoke slowly, its ethereal voice like a call from ancient times, "My King, from this day forward, I wish to become your mightiest arm, to shatter all barriers before you and pave your path to the Divine Beings. Please accept my sincere offering. Let me become your greatest strength!"

As soon as its words fell, another ethereal call rang out, "My King, from this day forward, I wish to become your sharpest horn, to tear asunder all obstacles before you and slash open the gate to the Divine Beings. Please accept my sincere offering. Let me become your greatest strength!"

These two calls from a primeval age lingered throughout Netherworld Purgatory for a long, long time. They only began to fade after the figures of the Ghost and Nether Qilins had completely atomized, burrowing into the Snow Qilin’s body like Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.

SHIING! Like a sharp blade being drawn from its sheath, the Snow Qilin felt a terrifying power about to erupt from its golden pupils. And erupt it did. Two beams of light, like solid golden pillars, shot out from the Snow Qilin’s eyes, extending for hundreds of meters before halting.

"ROOOAR!!!"

Feeling the immense power within its body, the Snow Qilin tilted its head back and let out a heaven-shaking roar, as if to expel the pent-up energy from its chest. But this single roar was enough to make the very space of Netherworld Purgatory tremble and distort.

The ground began to crumble and countless rocks tumbled down. The terrifying sonic vortex had long since ravaged the vegetation, turning it all to dust. But this was only the beginning. As if the impact of the power was too intense, clouds of blackish-gray mist began to seep from the Snow Qilin’s body, wrapping it tightly. At first, the mist was faint and thin, but as more and more of it was released, the fog enveloping the Snow Qilin grew denser. It thickened until the Snow Qilin’s figure could no longer be seen from the outside, and only then did the monstrously terrifying power slowly dissipate into the world. Looking at it from a distance now, the cloud of mist enshrouding the Snow Qilin wasn’t a screen of light at all—it was clearly a gigantic egg!

...

While the Snow Qilin was undergoing its baptism of power, Mu Chen and Wan Xian’Er had come to a halt in mid-air. They stared blankly in the direction of the Snow Qilin. Wan Xian’Er frowned. "Something seems to have happened over there."

Mu Chen grunted in acknowledgment, a thoughtful look in his purple eyes. ’A moment ago, I clearly sensed three auras over there. Two of them were so terrifying my very soul trembled. But now, all three have vanished simultaneously. Before they disappeared, I could feel Xiaobai’s power skyrocketing at an incredible rate... What on earth is going on?’

Wan Xian’Er said, "You and Xiaobai should have a spiritual link, right?"

Mu Chen nodded. "That’s exactly why I didn’t go over there immediately. Not only has my spiritual link with Xiaobai not weakened, but it’s actually getting stronger and stronger. The problem is, I can’t contact it."

"I see." Wan Xian’Er shook her head. "I’ve never contracted a Magical Beast, so I don’t understand what’s happening either. But my gut tells me it’s probably not a bad thing."

Mu Chen forced a smile. "I hope so."

The two were still flying rapidly southward. With a thought, Mu Chen summoned the milky-white Scroll that was inscribed with a map. After glancing at a marked point on it, Mu Chen shifted his gaze to a vast forest ahead.

"Wow, a green forest."

Wan Xian’Er was rather surprised. Ever since they had entered this place, the scenery had been either black or gray. She had a strong aversion to such dreary colors. But now, a patch of green had appeared in this oppressive space. Not only that, but the greenery was so vibrant and full of life, like a flower blooming in the crack of a rock, that it naturally lifted one’s spirits.

Unlike Wan Xian’Er’s surprise, Mu Chen was more astonished that the green woods actually contained pure Primordial Power. This discovery made his already unsettled heart race with excitement once more.

’Such pure Wood Elemental Power... To think it can manifest in this way.’

His demonic purple pupils flickered incessantly with excitement, and in response, the Extreme Ice Dantian inside Mu Chen’s body began to hum at a high frequency.

"You... have finally come. I have been waiting for you..."

The ethereal and crisp voice once again entered Mu Chen’s ears. Not only that, but this time, Mu Chen could clearly sense the source of the voice—it was the green forest right in front of him!

’Who are you?’ Mu Chen tried to communicate with it using his Spiritual Power. Just as he expected, the ethereal and crisp voice was able to perceive the words he transmitted.

"Who am I? You already have the answer in your heart, don’t you? Come inside. All of your questions will be answered." The ethereal and crisp voice once again entered Mu Chen’s Sea of Souls. Mu Chen had only ever used this method of communication with the Profound Old Ghost, the Sun and Moon Immortal Spirit, and the Snow Qilin. Although he couldn’t be certain that the owner of this voice was what he had been searching for, Mu Chen was sure of one thing: it wasn’t human...

’It’s been waiting for me... Why would it say that?’

Seeing the puzzled look on Mu Chen’s face, Wan Xian’Er asked softly, "Who is it?"

Mu Chen turned and smiled. "Oh, it’s something I desperately need. It’s also the thing my Master told me to find."

With that, Mu Chen took Wan Xian’Er’s hand, kicked off the air, and dove toward the green forest. The closer he got to it, the more excited his Extreme Ice Dantian became. If Mu Chen still didn’t understand what was hidden in this forest by now, he’d have to be a complete fool.

PAT.

Their feet touched the ground as Mu Chen and Wan Xian’Er entered the depths of the green forest. A forest so full of life would normally be home to countless powerful Magical Beasts, but from Mu Chen’s observations, it seemed there were no other Magical Beasts in this space besides the two Overlords. ’It makes sense,’ he thought. ’Judging by the clear-cut division of black and gray territory, any other Magical Beast that dared to appear in their domain would have been slaughtered without hesitation. The majesty of a Holy Beast is sacred and inviolable. If the link to Xiaobai wasn’t still there, I would have subconsciously assumed it was already in danger.’

Lifting his eyes to survey his surroundings, Mu Chen followed the senses of his Extreme Ice Dantian and slowly paced in one direction. It wasn’t that he couldn’t fly; it was that he didn’t know where the Profound Old Ghost had placed the Seal all those years ago. The forest was immense when viewed from the sky, and walking into it was even more disorienting. Every tree looked incredibly similar, so along the way, Wan Xian’Er continuously left markings under Mu Chen’s guidance.

"Ah!"

Wan Xian’Er, who was in the middle of making a mark, suddenly cried out in alarm. Mu Chen instinctively flashed to her side, shielding her with his body. "What’s wrong?"

Seeing Mu Chen’s reaction, Wan Xian’Er felt a flicker of warmth in her heart for some reason. Throughout their journey, Mu Chen had been like a protective older brother, looking after her, keeping her safe, and explaining all sorts of interesting things she never knew. Though they were close in age, a seed of reliance on him had already taken root in her heart.

"I was just making a mark, but when I turned to look, I found the previous ones had all disappeared. It’s like these trees have a terrifyingly fast regenerative ability," Wan Xian’Er said, pointing to the mark she had just made.

Mu Chen glanced at the mark and saw that it was just as Wan Xian’Er had said. The freshly carved notch had already faded to a white scratch, and even that scratch healed completely over the next few seconds.

"The Life Force is so vigorous," Wan Xian’Er said in amazement, stroking the vibrant tree trunk.

Mu Chen stared for a moment with his demonic purple pupils, then suddenly chuckled. Wan Xian’Er was taken aback and turned her head to ask, "Mu Chen, what are you laughing at?"

Mu Chen shook his head. "I’m laughing because we’ve both been tricked."

"Tricked? What do you mean?" Wan Xian’Er was puzzled.

Instead of answering, Mu Chen took Wan Xian’Er’s hand and said, "In a moment, focus all of your Spiritual Power on my eyes."

Wan Xian’Er was startled by his words but nodded anyway. In her heart, she believed there was a reason behind every one of Mu Chen’s instructions. Gradually, she had even grown accustomed to following his lead.

"Purple Sky Demon Pupils, activate!"

After telling Wan Xian’Er what to do, Mu Chen gave a soft shout. A demonic purple light suddenly suffused his pupils, and the six ice-blue, snowflake-like Ice Crystal Marks began to spin rapidly. He had become suspicious earlier. When looking down from high above, all the trees in the entire green forest were exactly the same height. This was clearly contrary to common sense. Even if the region was the same, the nutrients in the soil would not be so evenly distributed. Moreover, each sapling would have a different constitution, resulting in trees of varying heights and thicknesses.

But after walking in the forest for so long, every tree he saw was almost identical in height and thickness, even down to some of the most minor details. This turned Mu Chen’s suspicion into certainty.

Pushing his Purple Sky Demon Pupils to their limit, the surrounding green forest gradually dissolved into a thick mist in Mu Chen’s eyes. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and he chuckled. "Just as I thought. Disperse!"

With a great shout, the six Ice Crystal Marks in Mu Chen’s eyes spun so fast they merged into a single sky-blue ring of light. The dense fog that only he could see instantly receded in all directions. Wan Xian’Er, who had focused all her Spiritual Power on his eyes, followed his line of sight and saw the true scene hidden by the illusion. Her small, rosy lips instantly formed an "O" shape. In her eyes, all the surrounding greenery had vanished. In its place stood a single, ancient tree as vast as a mountain range—a truly colossal, sky-piercing tree!

"It’s huge!"