Chapter 173: Pet Contract

At this moment, however, Amber's situation seemed precarious. A giant grey eagle stood before it, looking down with a scrutinizing gaze, as if contemplating whether the small creature before it was edible.

Although Amber was stout, it paled in comparison to the grey eagle in front of it. Compared to the two fierce beasts, Amber was barely the size of the eagle's claw. This clearly indicated the immense size of the grey eagle.

Lu Ye recalled Li Baxian's earlier remark that, despite lacking disciples to oversee it, the Bixue Sect's outpost housed a formidable creature, making it generally unassailable for outer sects. It appeared this grey eagle was the very creature his Fourth Senior Brother had spoken of. Neither his Second Senior Sister nor his Fourth Senior Brother had specifically detailed the creature's nature before he entered. Given this, the grey eagle likely posed no significant threat to him.

With that thought, Lu Ye quickly stepped forward. The grey eagle sensed his presence, turned its head, and fixed its gaze on Lu Ye, its scrutiny intensifying. Amber also spotted Lu Ye, and with a swift turn, positioned itself between him and the grey eagle. Beside Amber, a cultivator watched the scene with a look of exasperation.

"Are you a senior brother from Cangming Mountain?" Lu Ye asked as he approached. The person's strength was considerable, at least a ninth-layer cultivator practicing an Earth-tier cultivation method; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to escort Amber all this way.

"Indeed," the person nodded slightly.

"Greetings, Senior Brother!" Lu Ye saluted. "Thank you for your tireless escort; I am truly grateful."

The person smiled, "It was merely on my way." He appraised Lu Ye from head to toe, then praised, "Junior Brother Yi Ye indeed possesses extraordinary charm and talent. The battle at Golden Light Peak inspired us all."

"Senior Brother, you flatter me," Lu Ye replied humbly. *Oh no,* he thought. *It seems I'll truly have to go by the name Yi Ye across Kyushu from now on.*

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries. The cultivator from Cangming Mountain then excused himself, having other matters to attend to, and Lu Ye once again expressed his heartfelt thanks.

Watching him depart, Lu Ye looked up at the grey eagle, which had remained standing nearby. The eagle also lowered its head, then bent down, gently nudging Lu Ye's head twice with its beak, its intention unclear. It then flapped its wings and soared away, quickly landing on a nearby peak.

Only after the grey eagle had left did Amber finally relax, walking over to Lu Ye and rubbing its large head against him.

"Let's go, I'll take you to the Bixue Sect!" Lu Ye patted Amber's head. He said this to Amber, but also to Yiyi.

Ignoring the surprised glances of the scattered cultivators along the way, Lu Ye returned directly to the Heavenly Secret Hall and began to tinker with the Heavenly Secret Pillar. Before he came in, his Second Senior Sister had told him to acquire a pet contract from here, but he had no idea how to obtain one. After a moment's thought, he spoke aloud, "Lu Ye, disciple of the Bixue Sect, respectfully requests one pet contract."

A warm sensation emanated from his battlefield imprint, and information he had never encountered before flooded his mind. In his consciousness, an ancient piece of beast-hide parchment seemed to appear. He quickly understood that this was a pet contract, designed to forge an indissoluble link between a cultivator and their beast companion. This bond would allow a beast companion to enter and exit the Spirit Stream Battlefield alongside its master. For instance, Amber, being a monster beast born within the Spirit Stream Battlefield, would be unable to leave it and travel to Kyushu without such a contract.

This was quite miraculous, reminding Lu Ye of the Heavenly Secret Contract Li Baxian had summoned previously. Neither the Heavenly Secret Contract nor the pet contract could simply appear out of thin air. Where did these things come from? Why could they be summoned merely by "respectfully requesting Heavenly Secret"? And what exactly was "Heavenly Secret"? Questions arose in Lu Ye's mind, but he didn't pursue them. He felt these objects undoubtedly held immense secrets that were still far beyond his comprehension.

Acquiring a pet contract came at a price: one hundred merit points, as the information Lu Ye had just received indicated. He then checked the information displayed on his battlefield imprint.

Name: Lu Ye.Identity: Bixue Sect Disciple.Cultivation: Sixty-four Orifices.Location: Spirit Stream Battlefield.Merit: Nine hundred and forty-three points.

His cultivation hadn't changed much; he had already opened sixty-three orifices during the battle against Dong Shuye. In the days since, he had only managed to open one additional orifice, primarily because he had been constantly on the run and fighting, leaving him with no spare spiritual energy for further orifice opening. His merit points, however, had seen a significant increase. He recalled having fewer than four hundred points after killing Dong Shuye, but now he was close to a thousand.

The majority of these points naturally came from the battle at Golden Light Peak. There, he fought forty-three consecutive battles, killing at least thirty enemies. Apart from the first one, who was a fifth-layer cultivator, all others were sixth-layer, each providing him with twelve merit points, and the final battle alone yielded twenty-one. From Golden Light Peak alone, he had accumulated approximately three hundred and sixty to seventy merit points, with the remaining points earned from killing enemies along his journey.

One hundred merit points was a considerable amount. While Lu Ye's total merit points were nearing a thousand, earning them had been far from easy, as they represented his combat achievements throughout his journey. Nevertheless, Yiyi and Amber had known him since his humblest beginnings, accompanying him on his journey, and Lu Ye's repeated escapes from mortal danger were often thanks to Amber's swiftness. Therefore, acquiring this pet contract was absolutely necessary, no matter the cost. Even if it demanded all his accumulated merit points, Lu Ye wouldn't hesitate or frown.

With a slight mental command, a milky-white vortex appeared before the Heavenly Secret Pillar, slowly revolving. Simultaneously, Lu Ye's merit points decreased by one hundred. He reached into the vortex and retrieved an ancient piece of beast-hide parchment. Following the information he had received, he bit his fingertip, pressed a finger imprint onto the parchment, activated his spiritual energy, and then launched the parchment towards a bewildered Amber.

The parchment burst into flames, transforming into a streak of fire that enveloped Amber, dissolving into its body. Though Amber didn't understand what was happening, it remained still, as the fiery light caused it no harm whatsoever. A moment later, the flames dissipated. Lu Ye distinctly felt a new layer of connection between himself and Amber. This bond not only allowed them to sense each other when not too far apart, but Lu Ye also seemed able to perceive Amber's thoughts more clearly. This pet contract was indeed quite mystical.

Without further delay, Lu Ye led Amber back to the main Bixue Sect compound. After he had left, several heads cautiously poked out from the entrance of the Heavenly Secret Hall, peering inside. Seeing that it was empty, they finally confirmed that Lu Yi Ye of the Bixue Sect had indeed arrived at the outpost! The news quickly spread, and many scattered cultivators grew apprehensive...

In the main sect's Heavenly Secret Hall, his Second Senior Sister and Fourth Senior Brother were still waiting. Upon seeing Lu Ye and Amber appear together, Li Baxian smiled and asked, "Did you meet Little Gray?"

"Little Gray?" Lu Ye was momentarily stunned, then quickly realized Li Baxian was referring to the enormous grey eagle. His eye twitched involuntarily. "Who came up with that name?" To bestow such a casual name upon a beast so magnificent and awe-inspiring...

"That's our Senior Brother's beast companion from back then," Li Baxian explained with a smile. "After Senior Brother left the Spirit Stream Battlefield, it remained here at the outpost. That's why your Second Senior Sister told you not to worry about the outpost. Currently, the Bixue Sect's outpost has nothing of great value, and with Little Gray guarding it, outer sects rarely dare to trespass." As he spoke, he tossed a jade slip to Lu Ye. "I've detailed the general situation of the outpost inside. Take a look when you have time. As the outpost's guardian, cultivating here offers significant advantages, especially given your relatively low cultivation level right now."

Lu Ye took the jade slip and nodded slightly. Then, recalling something, he patted Amber's head. "Come out and say hello to my Second Senior Sister and Fourth Senior Brother."

Shui Yuan and Li Baxian looked at Amber with confusion, unsure how it was supposed to greet them. Soon, however, their expressions shifted to astonishment. Yiyi's figure slowly floated out, a touch shy, and she softly whispered, "Greetings, Second Senior Sister, greetings, Fourth Senior Brother!" Unsure how to address Shui Yuan and Li Baxian, she simply followed Lu Ye's lead.

During the battle at Golden Light Peak, Yiyi had remained hidden, primarily because her appearance wouldn't have been particularly helpful, and as a spirit body, it was inconvenient for her to reveal herself to others. Here, however, it didn't matter; both his Second Senior Sister and Fourth Senior Brother were their own people.

Li Baxian stared intently for a moment, then looked at Lu Ye, raising an eyebrow. "Well done, Junior Brother!" he said, with an expression that conveyed a shared understanding between men.

Lu Ye then explained, "Yiyi is a symbiotic spirit that accompanies Amber. She and Amber have helped me a great deal throughout my journey."

"A symbiotic spirit?" Shui Yuan asked curiously. Even with her vast experience, she had never encountered an existence like Yiyi. She stepped forward, intrigued, and gently pinched Yiyi's arm, surprised to find it felt no different from a solid body. Yet, she could discern that Yiyi was indeed a spirit body, capable of shifting between ethereal and tangible forms.

Shui Yuan and Li Baxian's scrutiny made Yiyi feel uneasy, and she looked to Lu Ye for help. Shui Yuan gently patted her head. "Since you are Junior Brother's companion, you are now a part of the Bixue Sect. From now on, consider this place your home."

Her words seemed to possess great comforting power. Yiyi stared intently at her, her eyes slowly reddening, before nodding vigorously. *From today onward, I have a home too!* she thought, filled with relief as she recalled her decision to leave Qingyun Mountain with Lu Ye.

Li Baxian winked at Lu Ye and began to walk outside. Lu Ye quickly followed suit.

Stepping out of the Heavenly Secret Hall, Li Baxian began, "Normally, once you join the sect, a tutor would be arranged to guide your cultivation, especially since you are currently at the fifth layer and should be deciding your future faction. However, as you can see, the Bixue Sect is in its current state, and it's unlikely anyone here can teach you much. While the old man is indeed powerful, he hasn't taught anyone in many years, and he's quite rigid, which makes him unsuitable for this task."

Suddenly, a small stone flew from an unknown direction, striking Li Baxian directly on the forehead with lightning speed. A large bump visibly swelled on Li Baxian's forehead. He, however, acted as if nothing had happened, turned around, and, sporting the new bump, looked at Lu Ye. "It's a good thing you've cultivated quite well on your own throughout this journey. However, the most pressing matter now is to determine your own faction. Have you given it careful consideration?"

"A weapon cultivator!" Lu Ye declared decisively, his gaze fixed on the prominent lump on Li Baxian's forehead.