7: Superior Gold and Thunder Dual Spiritual Roots

"Could it be that the thunder pearl blasted open a spatial fissure and transported me into a Secret Realm?"

Lin Luoxue recalled every detail before she lost consciousness and couldn't help but speculate.

The theories about spatial fissures and Secret Realms were things Lin Luoxue had read in some miscellaneous Cultivation Records within the Cloud Sword Sect's Library Pavilion.

Some Secret Realms existing within spatial gaps would, for various reasons, form spatial fissures in the outside world.

Those with good luck could enter a Secret Realm directly through these spatial fissures.

Therefore, Lin Luoxue suspected whether she had accidentally entered a Secret Realm through a spatial fissure.

On the other side, Zhang Daobai activated his Eye of Appraisal to check Lin Luoxue's status.

[Status: dantian rupture]

"It seems the pool of vitality cannot heal all injuries," Zhang Daobai muttered with some disappointment upon seeing this.

Although the 'Critically Wounded and Dying' and 'Death Countdown' status effects had disappeared, the 'dantian rupture' effect still remained.

This indicated that the pool of vitality was likely of little use for an injury like a dantian rupture.

Seeing that Lin Luoxue was no longer in mortal danger, Zhang Daobai exited the spirit taming space.

The reason he didn't summon Lin Luoxue out immediately was primarily because Zhang Daobai had a more important matter to attend to first.

"Spirit Fusion Contract Array, open!"

Zhang Daobai sat cross-legged and communicated with the book of contracts to open the Spirit Fusion Contract Array.

When the Spirit Fusion Contract Array was fully activated, Zhang Daobai suppressed his impatient heart and spoke: "Spirit Fusion!"

In the next second, strands of blood-red silk drifted out from the Spirit Fusion Contract Array and landed on Zhang Daobai's body.

At the same time, Zhang Daobai could clearly feel a gentle power flooding his entire body, remodeling his physique.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, after the last strand of blood silk integrated into Zhang Daobai's body—

With Zhang Daobai as the center, the Spiritual Qi within a radius of several hundred meters began to converge frantically toward him.

Before long, the Bottleneck that would have originally taken Zhang Daobai several months to overcome suddenly vanished. He successfully made a Breakthrough to the Late stage of Qi Refining, and his cultivation even advanced significantly further.

"Is this what it feels like to have high Aptitude?"

Zhang Daobai opened his eyes and felt the Spiritual Qi lingering around him, murmuring excitedly to himself.

"Eye of Appraisal!"

Zhang Daobai looked down at himself and activated the Eye of Appraisal.

[Human Race: Zhang Daobai]

[Gender: Male]

[Realm: Late stage of Qi Refining]

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

[Talents: Complete Understanding of the Way of the Sword, Immaculate Physical Body]

[Status: Just broke through, aura unstable]

[Comprehensive Evaluation: Six Stars]

"High Grade Metal and Lightning Dual Spiritual Roots! A Six-Star evaluation!"

After Zhang Daobai finished reading his basic information, a satisfied smile couldn't help but appear on his face.

Although his Aptitude and talents hadn't reached Lin Luoxue's height, they were already countless times better than before.

After putting away the Spirit Fusion Contract Array, Zhang Daobai tidied his clothing and then communicated with the spirit taming space to release Lin Luoxue.

Simultaneously, Lin Luoxue, who was exploring the spirit taming space, only felt her vision blur.

When she opened her eyes again, she immediately saw Zhang Daobai sitting by the campfire.

Across the blazing campfire, Zhang Daobai and Lin Luoxue sized each other up in silence.

"Was it you who saved me?"

Looking at Zhang Daobai's calm expression and combining it with the previous unusual occurrences, Lin Luoxue suddenly understood something.

Zhang Daobai nodded upon hearing this, then took a blanket from his Storage Pouch and threw it to Lin Luoxue.

After catching the blanket, Lin Luoxue looked at her torn clothes which revealed too much, and quietly wrapped the blanket around herself.

"Who are you? Why do I feel a mysterious connection between me and you?"

Lin Luoxue sat down wrapped in the blanket, looking at Zhang Daobai with a slight frown as she asked.

She was certain she absolutely did not know this man, nor did she have any relatives she had never met.

But for some reason, from the first moment she saw Zhang Daobai, she felt an involuntary sense of goodwill toward him in her heart.

This kind of emotion had never appeared since she was born, so she was sure something was definitely wrong with her.

If she hadn't used her Divine Sense to check her Soul, she would have thought she had been branded with a slave mark.

(A dantian rupture only means her cultivation is gone, but her Sea of Consciousness is fine, so her Divine Sense remains.)

"My name is Zhang Daobai, a Handyman who just withdrew from the Cloud Sword Sect. As for the connection you feel, it's because I formed a Contract with you."

"You should know that with the injuries you sustained in that thunderstorm earlier, you couldn't have survived. To save you, I could only choose this special method."

Zhang Daobai had already prepared his explanation and spoke in a gentle tone.

Listening to Zhang Daobai's words, Lin Luoxue pondered for a moment. She knew in her heart that under the circumstances where the thunder pearl was detonated, even with the protection of a Magic Treasure, she could never have survived.

Therefore, her previous guesses about spatial fissures and Secret Realms were likely all wrong.

And that space she was in earlier was most likely related to the person in front of her.

"What kind of Contract is this? Can it be dissolved?"

Although Lin Luoxue knew Zhang Daobai had saved her life, she was extremely resistant to having an invisible shackle placed upon her.

At the same time, she didn't know Zhang Daobai's character. If he were a scumbag like Yun Changqing, she would rather die than become a servant at someone's beck and call.

Zhang Daobai organized his thoughts and then began to explain the Spirit Taming Contract.

"This is a Spirit Taming Contract. So-called Spirit Taming..."

As Lin Luoxue listened to Zhang Daobai's explanation, the emotions on her face underwent changes she had never experienced before: confusion, solemnity, shock, suspicion, helplessness... Simply put, spirit taming was similar to Beast Taming, but the Spirit Taming Contract could bring benefits to both her and Zhang Daobai simultaneously.

Through the Spirit Taming Contract, Zhang Daobai could improve her Aptitude, talent, and even her cultivation, and he could also assist her in battle.

While she received these improvements, she could also provide feedback to Zhang Daobai, enhancing his talent and Aptitude, and assist him in battle as well.

However, like a Beast Taming Contract, she could not initiate an attack against Zhang Daobai, nor could she harbor killing intent; she would subconsciously develop a favorable impression of him.

Furthermore, if Zhang Daobai died, she would also die, whereas if she died, it would have basically no impact on Zhang Daobai.

The only thing that made her feel slightly better was that Zhang Daobai could not issue forced commands to her, though whether that was true or false remained to be seen.

"If I want to dissolve the Contract with you, will you kill me?" Lin Luoxue asked calmly after hearing Zhang Daobai's explanation.

Even though the Spirit Taming Contract sounded very good, Lin Luoxue was still unwilling to have an invisible shackle on her body.

"No, I will just keep you locked in the spirit taming space forever," Zhang Daobai replied very bluntly.