1: The aloof school beauty's spirit touches the principal's heart.

City Martial Arts Square.

On the central white jade platform, a stunningly beautiful young girl with hair like a cascading waterfall and eyes like morning stars sat cross-legged.

She closed her eyes in concentration, her entire body emitting a faint shimmering light.

This was the sign of a Spirit Contractor, an ultra-rare class, initiating a Spirit Contract.

As the glow intensified, it made the beautiful girl look like a divine goddess from the heavens.

A hundred meters below the platform, more and more spectators gathered to witness the ceremony.

"Is this Chiyang First High School's 'Commoner School Beauty,' Ning Xiwei? She's too beautiful, like a banished immortal descended to earth."

"Not only is she breathtakingly beautiful, but she also awakened the ultra-rare Spirit Contractor class. She truly has both beauty and strength. If I could marry her, I'd be willing to give up thirty years of my life."

"Get lost! You're not even fit to carry her shoes. Once she successfully forms a Spirit Contract, her strength will skyrocket. Everyone she meets in the future will be a top-tier genius!"

"The name Spirit Contractor is only one word different from my Spirit Caller class, but I can only summon ordinary creatures, while they summon ancient ones. I'm dying of envy!"

"Exactly. I heard that two years ago, a genius from the Imperial Capital also awakened as a Spirit Contractor. He contracted a Blazing Flood Dragon in public and has already earned a title this year."

"Damn, what's even more infuriating is that Spirit Contractors can fuse with their summons. Their combat power is unparalleled, allowing them to fight across ranks!"

"The Principal of Chiyang First High School has hit the jackpot this time. By convincing Ning Xiwei to perform the contract in public, the school's reputation will likely spread across the entire Empire. Look, that bald guy up there—his face is practically splitting from grinning!"

Within the crowd, people from various factions whispered among themselves.

People were still streaming into the square, which was already packed so tightly that not a drop of water could trickle through.

As time passed, the light surrounding Ning Xiwei on the white jade platform grew more dazzling, signaling that the Spirit Contract Portal was nearing completion.

Principal, seated in the high VIP section, watched the incomparably radiant Ning Xiwei with eyes full of excitement.

"It was worth using my past mentorship to convince Student Ning to perform the contract publicly. Now let's see who dares to say Chiyang First High School doesn't live up to its name!"

The Principals of the Second, Third, and Seventh High Schools sitting beside him watched Ning Xiwei, who was radiating light like a blazing sun. Their eyes were filled with envy, wishing they could switch places with the bald man they usually detested.

The sight of his old friends' overflowing envy made Principal's smile widen even further.

At this moment, the three people in the main VIP seats were staring intently at Ning Xiwei, not relaxing for a second.

As the admissions directors of the Empire's three supreme academies, they had to immediately determine Ning Xiwei's contract potential and then sign this favored daughter of heaven with the most suitable contract!

Buzz—

The radiance surrounding Ning Xiwei suddenly shot into the sky, transforming into a crystalline pillar of light that pierced through the layers of clouds!

The clouds burst apart with a grand momentum.

Immediately after, countless rainbows appeared in mid-air, flowing and encircling Ning Xiwei.

Everyone in the audience was stunned!

"It even pierced the clouds in the sky, and there are rainbows accompanying it."

"My god, is the spectacle of a Spirit Contractor's contract always this massive?"

The admissions directors of the three supreme academies looked at each other, their faces filled with shock.

"This is the second time I've witnessed a Spirit Contractor opening a Spirit Contract Portal. This scene is truly a world wonder. We at the God of War Academy claim Student Ning Xiwei."

"Humph, your God of War Academy should get in line behind our War Academy!"

Suddenly—

The rainbows surrounding Ning Xiwei suddenly dimmed and vanished, replaced by a sudden streak of crimson in the air.

As this crimson streak appeared, even the light began to retreat.

In the blink of an eye, the entire city seemed to darken.

Then, the crimson gathered and grew larger until it was as vast as an abyss!

The youngest woman among the three admissions directors widened her beautiful eyes and trembled.

"This... this is!"

"Could it be..."

The tall man among the three directors spoke with a trembling voice, pointing at the crimson abyss in the sky with a face full of disbelief!

"That's right, it's the legendary Necrotic Abyss! The supreme holy land in the hearts of all Summoners and undead creatures!"

The most composed elder among the three now had eyes filled with nothing but shock.

He stood up unsteadily, staring fixedly at the crimson abyss in the sky, unwilling to blink even once!

He was actually fortunate enough to witness a legend with his own eyes!

Why was it a legend?

Because in the Necrotic Abyss... none but kings may enter, and none but emperors may survive!

It could be said that any creature living in the Necrotic Abyss naturally carries a royal aura and an imperial aura from birth.

Once that royal or imperial aura is released, the strength of opposing creatures plummet. In extreme cases, weaker beings might even be scared to death on the spot!

All three stared at the entrance of the crimson abyss and at Ning Xiwei, whose eyes were tightly shut.

This Ning Xiwei was truly full of surprises!

Not only did she awaken as an ultra-rare Spirit Contractor, but she could even form a contract within the Necrotic Abyss!

They now looked at Ning Xiwei as if she were a rare, priceless treasure!

No matter what, they had to get Student Ning Xiwei to enroll!

Almost simultaneously, the three of them dialed their superiors:

"Principal, we must show Student Ning Xiwei our utmost sincerity! What? Not worthy of the maximum offer? Do you even know about the Necrotic Abyss?!"

"Old Principal, hurry, hurry! Check what treasures we have left in the academy and bring them all out! Why? Look up the Necrotic Abyss!"

"Old Zhou, the Necrotic Abyss has appeared!"

Meanwhile, Principal of Chiyang First High School pulled another clump of hair from his thinning head and slapped his thigh, laughing loudly.

"Hahaha, a dragon has emerged from Chiyang First High School! Our school's name will surely be known throughout the entire Empire!"

Meanwhile, Ning Xiwei, at the center of the storm, was completely unaware of all this.

She was focusing all her strength on maintaining the Spirit Contract Portal.

Suddenly, she felt her Soul transcend, transforming into a spirit form as she entered another space.

When she opened her eyes, she saw only crimson and gloom.

It was incredibly eerie!

An invisible pressure washed over her, and she realized that if she weren't the one controlling the Spirit Contract Portal, she would have been obliterated the moment she entered this world.

"Which realm is this? Why isn't there a single trace of it in the historical records?"

The invisible pressure intensified, trying to push her out of this world.

"Hold on!"

Ning Xiwei gritted her teeth and encouraged herself.

She was born into poverty and had been alone since childhood. With her beauty coveted by countless people, if she didn't want to be treated as a plaything, she had to become stronger!

"No matter where this is, I must succeed in the Spirit Contract!"

Desperately resisting the invisible pressure, Ning Xiwei felt a splitting headache, yet she still maneuvered her spirit form to fly deeper into the realm.

The deeper she went, the stronger the pressure became, nearly solidifying into physical form.

Through her hazy vision, Ning Xiwei saw a purple-gold pillar of light connecting heaven and earth on a small hill a hundred meters away, extremely conspicuous.

At the same time, the Source Point between her brows, belonging to a Spirit Contractor, throbbed violently.

"It's there! There's a creature there that's causing my Source Point to fluctuate wildly!"

A mystical intuition told her that this was her destined contract creature!

Braving the pressure, Ning Xiwei broke through the nearly physical oppression of the world's will and stopped before the purple-gold pillar of light.

She clasped her hands in front of her chest, and the light between her brows flared brilliantly.

"Contract!"

As the words fell, she gradually lost consciousness. In that brief moment, she only had time to catch a glimpse.

She seemed to see a small creature and felt its smooth, bald skull.