Baize stood in the void above the ladder, its glazed golden pupils slowly scanning the crowd below.
When its gaze landed on Xue Mingzhao, its body suddenly froze slightly.
The human and the beast stared at each other, locked in a silent standoff.
The crowd below was completely baffled. They held their breath, their minds filled with confusion.
After a long while, Xue Mingzhao asked tentatively, “What's wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Baize shifted its gaze and turned to Shen Chaoyue, its voice steady and deep. “It was you who summoned me.”
Shen Chaoyue's gaze unconsciously swept over Xue Mingzhao as she bowed and replied respectfully, “Indeed, it was this disciple.”
Baize nodded slightly, its tone calm yet carrying an unquestionable majesty. “Your character is resilient and your Dao Heart is pure, but your spiritual root aptitude has some deficiencies. I bestow upon you a supreme-grade spiritual root. Henceforth, practice diligently and persevere. One day, you will surely comprehend the Great Dao and ascend.”
With that, a beam of clear light burst from between its brows and sank straight into Shen Chaoyue's dantian.
In an instant, golden light exploded, enveloping her entire body.
A moment later, the glow slowly receded. Her original high-grade gold spiritual root had undergone a complete transformation, turning into a supreme-grade gold spiritual root.
Shen Chaoyue could not hide the wild joy in her heart. She bowed solemnly and said, “This disciple thanks Lord Baize for the blessing!”
The eyes of everyone present widened in shock.
Upgrading from high-grade to supreme-grade was an opportunity that only came once in a thousand years.
Xue Mingzhao sighed with emotion inwardly. The female lead was indeed the favorite daughter of the Heavenly Dao.
She had missed out on the spiritual root tempering in the mystic realm, but the Heavenly Dao had turned right around and made it up to her.
And it was even a painless upgrade.
With the blessing complete, Baize turned its head slightly, about to disperse into spiritual light.
Just then, Xue Mingzhao murmured from below, “We clearly reached the top too. Why didn't the two of us get anything?”
Nan Mingzi was scared out of his wits. Taking a swift step forward, he reached out and firmly covered Xue Mingzhao's mouth. “Forgive her, Lord Baize! My disciple lacks a few brain cells and just speaks without thinking. Please do not lower yourself to a child's level!”
Su Ye's heart tightened, and he quickly stepped forward to explain in a panic, “Lord Baize! My sister has a quick tongue and didn't mean it that way. Please don't take it to heart!”
Huang Siqi raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. Was this girl insane? How dared she question an ancient divine beast!
Just as he was about to plead for mercy, he saw Baize's massive body suddenly stiffen.
It turned around, its glazed golden pupils locking tightly onto Xue Mingzhao's righteous gaze.
After a moment of silence, it finally spoke, its tone complex and even carrying a hint of caution: “...What do you want?”
The scene instantly fell dead silent.
Xue Mingzhao blinked and asked tentatively, “I can ask for anything?”
Shen Chaoyue stared at Xue Mingzhao's profile, feeling both panicked and furious. She was terrified that Baize would fly into a rage and vent its anger on everyone present.
To everyone's shock, Baize actually responded to her question, its tone even carrying a bit of hesitation: “...As long as it is within my power to give.”
Xue Mingzhao's eyes instantly lit up. She turned her head to look at Su Ye. “Brother, you choose first.”
Su Ye was sweating bullets. That was an ancient divine beast; his junior sister really had some nerve.
He secretly observed Baize. Seeing that its expression didn't seem like a joke and there was absolutely no sign of anger, he braced himself.
He braced himself and replied, “I am not picky. Whatever the Divine Beast bestows upon me, I will accept it all.”
Nan Mingzi wished he could go up and sew his two disciples' mouths shut. How could a divine beast's blessing be left to their choice?
Baize did not show any anger at all. It spoke calmly, “In that case, I shall bestow upon you a single drop of my essence blood. Once refined, your physical body's strength will directly leap to a whole new level.”
As soon as it finished speaking, a drop of essence blood flew out and integrated directly into Su Ye's sea of consciousness.
Su Ye beamed with joy and quickly bowed. “Thank you, Lord Divine Beast!”
Nan Mingzi let out a long sigh of relief in his heart. Fortunately, the divine beast was magnanimous and had not punished them, even granting Su Ye such a significant opportunity.
Baize's gaze fell back onto Xue Mingzhao. “And what do you want?”
Nan Mingzi looked at Xue Mingzhao, winking frantically and hinting with all his might: Quickly ask for a supreme-grade spiritual root! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Yet, Xue Mingzhao's next words were earth-shattering:
“I want you.”
The moment those words were spoken, the air grew so quiet that even breathing could be heard.
Nan Mingzi's legs went soft, and he almost knelt right there on the spot. Huang Siqi's heart leaped into his throat.
Shen Chaoyue and Yun Yanchen lowered their heads, not daring to look directly, both screaming in their hearts: Is this new disciple tired of living?!
Only Su Ye secretly gave her a thumbs-up, silently praising: Junior Sister is awesome! She actually dared to say such a thing!
After a long, agonizing wait, Huang Siqi plucked up his courage to look up, only to find to his surprise that not only was Baize not angry, but a hint of joy had actually flashed across its face.
It looked slightly flustered and hesitated, “R-Really?”
Xue Mingzhao stroked her chin and pondered in secret.
She had clearly seen how Baize had dodged and stiffened when it first saw her. She had intentionally made this unreasonable request as a test, and she hadn't expected to actually win the gamble!
She waved at Baize. “Come here.”
Baize's body suddenly shrank, turning into a small white puppy that leaped nimbly to Xue Mingzhao's side.
Before Xue Mingzhao could react, it took the initiative to bite her fingertip, establishing a bloodline covenant on the spot.
Nan Mingzi and Huang Siqi's pupils dilated in shock, their faces filled with disbelief.
The ancient auspicious beast Baize had actually taken the initiative to sign a bloodline covenant with a human!
Shen Chaoyue's mind exploded with a bang.
It was clearly she who had summoned the divine beast, so why did it end up in Xue Mingzhao's hands?
No, the most critical point was, how could a divine beast willingly contract with a human?
What on earth did the Divine Beast see in her?
It couldn't just be because she was bold and unafraid of death, right?
This was the first time Xue Mingzhao had contracted a beast. In an instant, her mind was tightly linked with Baize, and a wonderful sensation spread through her meridians to her entire body.
She patted the mini-Baize's small head, screaming in her heart at how cute it was.
Then she looked around at everyone. “Since Senior Sister has woken up and the blessing is over, if there's nothing else, we'll take our leave first.”
Nan Mingzi suddenly snapped out of it. “Ah? Yes, yes, yes!”
He was ecstatic in his heart. His newly recruited disciple had not only received a blessing but had also directly contracted the Divine Beast Baize!
This was enough for him to brag about in the sect for ten years!
Nan Mingzi excitedly summoned his flying spiritual tool, preparing to take his two disciples back.
“Wait!”
Huang Siqi stepped forward quickly to stop the three people and the beast.
The group turned around in unison. Staring at the puppy-like Baize, Huang Siqi braved the immense pressure and asked, “Lord Baize is the auspicious beast of the Heaven-Inquiring Ladder's blessing. If you take it away, will other cultivators still be able to receive blessings normally when they reach the top of the ladder in the future?”
The little Baize tilted its fluffy head and spat out two words crisply, “They cannot.”
The smile on Huang Siqi's face froze for a moment, and his body swayed slightly.
Seeing his dark expression, Baize added, “After establishing a bloodline covenant with my master, my divine power is bound to my master's cultivation level. Since her cultivation is currently shallow, my divine power has dropped accordingly, and I am unable to bestow blessings. Only when my master's cultivation increases and my divine power recovers can I bestow blessings once more.”
Huang Siqi's tense body relaxed slightly. “That is good.” Then he could not help but press further, “Then what realm must her cultivation reach before the blessing can be enabled again?”
Baize thought for a moment and answered seriously, “At the very least, she must reach the Nascent Soul realm to barely perform a single blessing.”
Huang Siqi's expression, which had just begun to improve, instantly collapsed. The Nascent Soul realm was not so easily reached, and moreover, Lin Yue possessed only a mixed spiritual root. This was practically no different from never being able to do it again.
Baize quietly looked at the worried Huang Siqi, utterly perplexed.
Before contracting with its master, over thousands and tens of thousands of years, very few cultivators had ever successfully reached the top and received a blessing.
Opportunities were hard to come by anyway; was this old man really that depressed?
Huang Siqi remained silent, watching the three people and the beast depart with a bitter face.
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