Chapter 126 - A Bond of Frost
The frigid air of the subterranean grotto seemed to solidify as the Ice Whale Beast’s teeth sank into Ji Rufeng’s finger. A sharp, crystalline chill raced from the point of contact, surging through his meridians like a tidal wave of liquid nitrogen. Ji Rufeng, a proud genius of the Golden Core stage with a Single Ice Spiritual Root, found himself momentarily paralyzed. His instinct, honed by years of cultivation and combat, screamed at him to strike back. His left hand instinctively rose, spiritual pressure gathering in his palm as he prepared to blast the creature away.
"Rufeng, stay your hand! It is initiating a Spirit Beast Contract! This is a supreme opportunity—do not resist!" Hei Yan’s voice boomed through the cavern, carrying the authoritative weight of a Black Wolf Guard.
The warning struck Ji Rufeng like a bolt of lightning. He forced his surging spiritual power to subside, though his heart hammered against his ribs. He watched in a daze as a drop of his essence blood rose from the wound, glowing with a faint, silvery luminescence. The Ice Whale Beast did not swallow it; instead, the blood hovered between them, expanding into a complex, rotating geometric array of ancient runes. The light it emitted was not blinding, but rather a soft, ethereal blue that reflected off the surrounding ice walls, turning the grotto into a shimmering cathedral of frost.
As the contract finalized, a profound connection snapped into place. Ji Rufeng felt a sudden, vast consciousness brush against his own—a mind that was ancient yet strangely childlike, filled with a loneliness as deep as the polar seas. The Ice Whale let out a resonant, vibrating hum that shook the very foundations of the ice palace, its massive tail swishing in a rhythm of pure, unadulterated joy.
Li Xue watched the spectacle from the sidelines, her mouth slightly agape. She had seen many strange things since transmigrating into this world, but the sight of a legendary divine beast essentially mugging a cultivator for a contract was a new peak of absurdity. *Is this the legendary 'protagonist's luck' rubbing off on the people around me?* she wondered, a wry smile tugging at her lips. *In the stories, people spend decades hunting for a spirit beast, yet this one just falls into Rufeng’s lap because it’s bored.*
"I can't believe it," Li Xue whispered, turning to Hei Yan. "A divine guard of the God Realm... just like that?"
Hei Yan’s expression was uncharacteristically solemn. His deep, dark eyes remained fixed on the Ice Whale. "The Ice Whale Guard is one of the nine who served the Ancient God Palace. For it to appear here and bind itself to a mortal... it suggests that the gears of fate are turning faster than we anticipated." He paused, his gaze shifting to Li Xue with a look of profound realization. "First me, and now the Ice Whale. Two of the nine divine guards have manifested by your side, Master. This is no mere coincidence."
Meanwhile, the Ice Whale Beast’s massive form began to shimmer. In a swirl of frosty mist, its mountain-like body began to shrink, compressing until it was no larger than a small dolphin, though it retained its translucent, jewel-like appearance. It floated through the air as if the atmosphere were its natural ocean, circling Ji Rufeng with playful loops.
"Only with the Ice Heart Divine Art can I truly hope to shed this form and achieve a human transformation," the creature’s voice echoed directly in Ji Rufeng’s mind, sounding like the tinkling of wind chimes. "You must cultivate diligently, little partner! If you are too slow, I shall have to freeze you into a popsicle until you learn your lesson!"
Ji Rufeng wiped a bead of cold sweat from his brow, looking down at his healed finger. He felt the weight of the contract—a bond that granted him immense power but also tethered him to the whims of a divine brat. "I suppose I have no choice," he sighed, though a glint of excitement danced in his eyes. To have a Rank 4 beast—equivalent to a Core Formation master—as a companion was a boon few could dream of.
"Come," Hei Yan said, his tone turning sharp as he sensed a powerful presence emanating from the depths of the palace. "The master of this domain is aware of our presence. We must pay our respects."
The group moved forward, guided by the glowing moss and the natural luminescence of the ice. The air grew colder still, yet it was a 'clean' cold, devoid of malice. They eventually reached a grand archway made of solid, unmelting diamond-ice. Beyond it lay a hall so vast it seemed to contain its own sky, where a figure sat upon a throne of frozen mist.
As they stepped into the inner sanctum, a smaller spirit beast—a creature of pure frost known as Bing Yan—scurried toward the throne, whispering frantically to the seated figure. The atmosphere grew heavy with a spiritual pressure that made Li Xue’s knees tremble. This was not the aura of a mere cultivator; it was the vast, terrifying majesty of a being from the upper realms.
The figure on the throne, known as Heavenly Monarch Bing Yu, slowly opened his eyes. The gaze was like a winter storm, piercing through their very souls.
