6: Contract Forest Snow

After rushing to the small hill as fast as possible, Zhang Daobai looked at the scorched earth everywhere, feeling a lingering fear in his heart.

Stepping on the carbonized ground, Zhang Daobai searched toward the spot where Lin Luoxue had been.

He soon discovered a large crater, four or five meters wide, left in the ground at the center of the thunder pearl's explosion.

"I hope there's at least a bit of residue left."

Zhang Daobai took out an iron sword, jumped into the crater, and began rummaging through it with the sword.

*Clang!*

Suddenly, the sound of metal clashing rang out from the ground. Zhang Daobai hurriedly brushed away the soil, revealing a section of a sword tip.

"A Magical Artifact? No! It's a Magic Treasure!"

Zhang Daobai's eyes lit up at the sight. He quickly crouched down and pulled the longsword out of the earth.

Despite being struck by lightning and buried in the dirt, when Zhang Daobai picked it up and gave it a couple of shakes, the blade was spotless and completely undamaged.

"I'm rich! I'm rich!"

Zhang Daobai examined the longsword in his hand with burning eyes, certain that it was definitely at the level of a Magic Treasure—and not a Low Grade one either; it was at least Medium Grade.

[Magical Artifact, Magic Treasure, Spiritual Artifact, Spirit Treasure...]

With just this sword, Zhang Daobai wouldn't be able to afford it even if he worked as a Handyman in the Cloud Sword Sect for a hundred years.

Put it away! Put it away!

Snapping back to his senses, Zhang Daobai hurriedly put the precious sword into his Storage Pouch and continued digging in the crater.

Soon, in a corner, Zhang Daobai felt he had dug into something again.

So he quickly tossed the iron sword aside, crouched down, and began digging with his hands.

"This!?"

After clearing away the loose soil on the surface, Zhang Daobai was shocked to find that what was buried here was actually a hand.

Although there were many scorched scars on the hand, it was still easy to tell that it was a woman's hand.

Seeing this, Zhang Daobai quickly began digging with his hands.

Before long, Lin Luoxue, whose flesh was torn and covered in scorched scars, was dug out of the earth by Zhang Daobai.

"She's not dead yet!?"

After pulling Lin Luoxue out of the soil, Zhang Daobai stared wide-eyed at her, seeing that she still had a breath left.

"Eye of Appraisal!"

Seeing that Lin Luoxue was still breathing, Zhang Daobai quickly used the Eye of Appraisal to check her specific condition.

[Human Race: Lin Luoxue]

[Gender: Female]

[Aptitude: Top Grade Metal and Lightning Dual Spiritual Roots]

[Talents: Clear Sword Heart, Ice Muscle Jade Bone]

[Status: Critically injured and dying, dantian rupture, death countdown: 138 breaths]

[Treatment Plan: 1. Consume an 8th-Grade Nirvana Pill, 2. Consume a Nine-Revolution Soul-Returning Lotus...]

[Evolution Plan...]

[Comprehensive Evaluation: Eight Stars, Contractable]

Soon, the book of contracts fed the detected information back into Zhang Daobai's mind.

"Comprehensive Evaluation: Eight Stars!"

After reading Lin Luoxue's basic information, Zhang Daobai couldn't help but be stunned.

According to the evaluation standards of the book of contracts, a comprehensive evaluation of eight stars meant that, unless they possessed some exceptionally powerful talent, they could at least Cultivate to the Dao Integration Stage.

[Cultivation Realms: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Purple Mansion, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, Void Refining, Dao Integration, Mahayana, Undergoing Tribulation]

Especially the word "Contractable" after the eight-star evaluation immediately stirred Zhang Daobai's heart.

However, upon seeing the death countdown in Lin Luoxue's status, Zhang Daobai quickly cast aside his stray thoughts.

"8th-Grade Nirvana Pill!? Nine-Revolution Soul-Returning Lotus!?"

Looking at the treatment plans provided by the book of contracts, Zhang Daobai couldn't help but exclaim.

"If I freaking had those things, would I still be in such a miserable state?"

After snapping back to reality, Zhang Daobai couldn't help but complain.

Thus, Zhang Daobai started looking from the treatment plan with the lowest requirements.

[Treatment Plan: Place in the spirit taming space for nourishment]

Zhang Daobai: ...The requirements for this treatment plan are indeed as low as they can get.

However, there was another issue with this treatment plan: to enter the spirit taming space, she had to be his Spirit Tamer.

In other words, to place Lin Luoxue into the spirit taming space for nourishment, he first had to Contract her.

Thinking of this, Zhang Daobai looked down at the dying Lin Luoxue, thought for a moment, and then stood up.

"Spirit Fusion Contract Array, Open!"

As Zhang Daobai's voice fell, a crimson circular array rapidly expanded with him at the center, enveloping both him and Lin Luoxue.

There are two conditions for contracting a Spirit Tamer: first, the Spirit Tamer voluntarily Contracts with Zhang Daobai; second, the Spirit Tamer loses the ability to resist and is forcibly contracted by him.

Lin Luoxue's situation fell into the second category.

Since Lin Luoxue was unconscious, Zhang Daobai completed the Contract with her very smoothly.

When the Spirit Taming Contract took effect, Zhang Daobai immediately felt Lin Luoxue's near-death physical condition.

"Recall!"

Zhang Daobai quickly raised his hand and took Lin Luoxue into the spirit taming space.

When Lin Luoxue entered the spirit taming space, she fell directly into a jade-green lake.

Beside the lakeshore stood a stone tablet with the three large characters "pool of vitality" carved on it.

As Lin Luoxue fell into the pool of vitality, a majestic force of vitality surged into her body.

Under Zhang Daobai's gaze, the external wounds on Lin Luoxue's body healed rapidly at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Seeing this, Zhang Daobai finally withdrew his gaze with relief.

After settling Lin Luoxue properly, Zhang Daobai continued to dig around the spot where she had just been lying with his sword.

Seeing that nothing had been missed, Zhang Daobai put away his sword and jumped out of the crater.

"It's not safe to stay here for long!"

Zhang Daobai didn't know who Yun Changqing, the one who had confronted Lin Luoxue earlier, was.

But with such a large commotion occurring here, and it being not far from the Cloud Sword Sect, people would likely be drawn here soon. It was better to flee early.

After identifying the direction of Yunshan City, Zhang Daobai took out a wind movement talisman, slapped it onto himself, and charged into the mountain forest at top speed.

About half an hour after Zhang Daobai left, a group of Disciples wearing Cloud Sword Sect uniforms arrived in a hurry.

After inspecting the small hilltop and finding nothing of value, the group quickly left in disappointment.

The sun set behind the mountains, and night fell.

As it grew dark, Zhang Daobai stopped traveling and found a flat spot under a large tree to start a fire.

After sitting by the fire, Zhang Daobai's consciousness entered the spirit taming space to check on Lin Luoxue's condition.

Upon entering the spirit taming space, Zhang Daobai found that Lin Luoxue had already woken up, stepped out of the pool of vitality, and was exploring the space.

Inside the spirit taming space, Lin Luoxue was looking around with eyes full of confusion.

After waking up in the pool of vitality, Lin Luoxue felt that this place was very special.

Not only was it rich in Spiritual Qi, but it could also rapidly heal her injuries.

Yet at the same time, she was extremely puzzled: what exactly was this place? And why was she here?

Furthermore, after exploring for so long, she hadn't seen a single other living creature besides herself—not even an insect.