23: Chapter 23 The Contract is Formed, Contracted Creature: Primal Saliva]

Gu Changming blew the whistle of contract.

The moment the whistle sounded, an imperceptible faint golden light flowed out from it, winding toward that mass of struggling turbid water.

However, the very next second the golden light touched the creature's body—

"Pop."

A slight sound, like a bubble bursting.

The faint golden contract threads snapped inch by inch, dissipating into the air.

At the same time, a vague but violent and disdainful emotion was clearly transmitted to Gu Changming's consciousness.

That emotion was full of arrogance and mockery.

It was as if it were saying: What kind of thing are you? You actually want to contract me?

Gu Changming's face showed no anger at being rejected; even his eyes didn't flicker.

The right wrist holding his Tang sword moved slightly.

Puchi!

The blade stabbed into that turbid water-like body again without hesitation, aimed at a tricky angle.

The monster, shaped like turbid water, let out a painful hiss that could not be described by the cry of any known animal.

It contorted even more violently, its turbid water-like body rolling and thrashing in pain.

Gu Changming pulled out the Tang sword and, without pausing, brought the whistle to his lips again.

Whistle!

The second whistle sounded, and the faint golden contract threads emerged once more, attempting to connect.

The result was no surprise.

"Pop!"

The contract shattered again.

The emotion transmitted this time was even more irritable, almost breaking into a torrent of abuse in his consciousness, filled with chaos and profanity.

Seeing this, Gu Changming still didn't have much of a reaction; with a flip of his wrist, the Tang sword swept across.

This time the blade didn't pierce in, but was steadily placed against the thinnest part of that mass of "turbid water," which seemed to be its vital neck position.

Gu Changming lowered his head, calmly gazing at the creature, his eyes devoid of any threat or killing intent.

Then he picked up the whistle of contract again and blew it once more.

Whistle!

And this shift in movement also made the monster sense something.

That frantic cursing emotion came to an abrupt halt.

Looking at Gu Changming's expressionless face, it could clearly sense the other's meaning:

Agree to the contract.

Or, die!

Gu Changming maintained his posture of pressing down with the sword, waiting for the creature's choice.

He wasn't bluffing; if the other party was unwilling to accept the contract this time, he would simply finish it off.

He wasn't like those Spirit Tamers who relied on Mental Power suppression to achieve a contract, or had enough patience to wait for those Spirit Pets and monsters to change their attitude toward them.

His approach was simple: either listen to me and be my servant, or go die.

If the creature chose the latter, Gu Changming would actually admire it quite a bit.

And then he would cleanly send it on its final journey.

Although this thing looked strange and full of potential, if it truly couldn't listen to his words, Gu Changming would still kill it and then just go to the Inner Circle to contract one or two monsters like Shadow Wolves as his contracted pets.

The atmosphere fell into a stagnant silence.

That mass of "turbid water" stopped struggling and no longer transmitted any emotion.

Several seconds passed.

Gu Changming's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, as if his last bit of patience had run out, and then the wrist holding the sword applied slight pressure, the blade appearing as if it would cut down the next second.

At that very moment—

"Buzz..."

A low resonance, different from before, came from the core of that "turbid water."

The faint golden contract threads that had shattered repeatedly before emerged again, but this time, they didn't break. Instead, as if they had found their home, they quickly and steadily merged into that twisted form.

Golden light flowed, tracing a complex and ancient symbol on the turbid water-like surface, flickering a few times before finally vanishing completely.

The contract was established.

Almost simultaneously, a translucent system panel popped up before Gu Changming's eyes:

[Contract established.]

[Contracted Creature: Primal Saliva]

[Description: A strange existence formed by the convergence of ancient magic power and the lingering thoughts of thousands of living beings. It has no fixed form and possesses extremely strong mimicry and adaptability.]

[Core Skill: Mimicry Symbiosis - Can mimic other monster forms and acquire their core skills through contact and analysis.]

Seeing the introduction on the panel, Gu Changming's eyes suddenly lit up.

He looked at the "Primal Saliva" at his feet, which had gradually stopped contorting and become docile, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

This ability looks pretty good.

And Gu Changming also understood why the creature could endure so much in the previous battle, watching that Shadow Wolf be killed.

It turned out it had no connection to the Shadow Wolf clan at all; it had merely mimicked the form of a Ghost Wolf and then sent that Shadow Wolf out to die.

With the contract complete, Gu Changming finally turned his gaze to Ye Qing standing by the bushes.

He had long noticed her intrusion, but was too busy with the contract to pay attention.

Ye Qing was still immersed in the somewhat strange scene of subjugation just now. Seeing Gu Changming look over, she subconsciously opened her mouth but was momentarily at a loss for words.

She had followed him out of concern that he might be in danger, wanting to see if she could help, and completely hadn't expected to see this scene.

Gu Changming glanced at the "Primal Saliva" still twisting its form by his feet, and with a thought—

The creature quickly understood his meaning. Its turbid water-like body rapidly shrunk and shaped itself, its color darkening, and feather details were quickly outlined.

In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a jet-black crow with agile eyes. Then, lightly flapping its wings, it landed on Gu Changming's shoulder and quietly folded its wings.

Gu Changming raised his hand, his index finger lightly pressed against his lips, making a very clear gesture to Ye Qing.

"Shh."

Ye Qing's eyes flickered, and she also had some understanding in her heart.

She should be clear about what should and shouldn't be said regarding everything that had just happened.

Just as Gu Changming lowered his raised finger, rustling sounds and increasingly clear footsteps came from the nearby woods.

Wang Dongxin and Li Haoxing walked out one after the other, somewhat hurriedly parting the dense branches and leaves.

As soon as they appeared, they saw Gu Changming and Ye Qing standing face to face; the atmosphere seemed a bit subtle, and they couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.

Wang Dongxin's gaze quickly swept over the surroundings; besides some mess left by the battle, he didn't see the huge figure of that strange monster he had expected.

Suppressing the doubt in his heart, he looked at Gu Changming with some concern and asked, "Xiao Gu, are you okay? Just now... where's that thing?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Changming turned slightly, revealing his right shoulder that had been blocked before.

That crow with black wings instantly caught their eyes.

In an instant, their pupils shrank slightly, and they already understood in their hearts.

That monster's form was ever-changing, and now that an extra crow had appeared on Gu Changming's shoulder, the answer was self-evident.

Gu Changming's expression was as usual, his tone flat: "It escaped."