Chapter 45: Chapter 44: Soul Contracting Gu Mother

After Wen Tao and Lin Zhuo finished explaining the ins and outs of being a Celestial Destiny Seeker to the newly awakened Zhong Yi, their task was essentially complete.

Lin Zhuo pulled at the red cord around her neck, untying the knuckle-sized Jade Pendant fastened to its end.

The Jade Pendant was shaped like half a watermelon and was entirely translucent. Zhong Yi could clearly see fine, reddish-orange patterns in its center.

The patterns formed an image that looked remarkably similar to the Order Beast Lin Zhuo had just summoned, the Crown of the Sun.

Lin Zhuo handed the half-watermelon-shaped Jade Pendant to Zhong Yi.

"Xiaoyi, this is an Instant Jade engraved with my Order Beast’s Beast Pattern. Keep it on you."

"If you’re ever in danger, touch this Instant Jade with your Soul Power. My Order Beast can project its power through it for a short time."

After finishing her words to Zhong Yi, Lin Zhuo pondered for a moment before turning to Wen Tao.

"Ah Tao, you should give your Instant Jade to Xiaoyi, too."

"Xiaoyi’s potential is too high, meaning he’s more likely to run into danger than an ordinary Celestial Destiny Seeker. I’m afraid I won’t be able to help him solve every problem on my own."

Instant Jade was a product of Secret Realms, a dual-element Soul Base Material of the Space and Soul Elements. It was only found in specific Secret Realms of the Fourth Level or higher.

A Celestial Destiny Seeker later discovered by chance that the Beast Pattern of an Order Beast, which contained the Power of Rules, could be imprinted onto an Instant Jade.

Using the Instant Jade as a medium, an Order Beast’s power could be projected across space for a short time.

This turned Instant Jade into the very foundation of a Celestial Destiny Seeker’s legacy of guardianship!

After all, every Celestial Destiny Seeker had their own business to attend to. It was impossible for them to follow their juniors around all day just to protect and train them.

To engrave an Order Beast’s Beast Pattern onto an Instant Jade, the Celestial Destiny Seeker’s strength had to reach the Mythical Tier.

Furthermore, they could only have one such Instant Jade active at a time, or it would interfere with their Order Beast’s Rule Authority.

Previously, Lin Zhuo had been worried that Wen Tao might try to snatch the role of Zhong Yi’s Guardian from her. Now, however, after some thought, she felt that even with both of them protecting him, it might not be enough.

After all, she and Wen Tao were merely Celestial Destiny Seekers from the previous generation!

As a Guardian Beast Master’s Tier increased, so too did their lifespan.

At thirty or forty years old, Lin Zhuo and Wen Tao were considered mere youths among Celestial Destiny Seekers.

Wen Tao didn’t wear his Instant Jade around his neck like Lin Zhuo; instead, he untied an equally knuckle-sized Instant Jade from his wrist.

This Instant Jade was carved to look like a cartoonish, chubby little dragon pulling a cart full of watermelons. Inside it were indistinct, ink-blue, dragon-shaped patterns.

As Wen Tao handed the Instant Jade to Zhong Yi, he also took a long, moon-white cord from his Storage Pouch, its color close to Zhong Yi’s skin tone.

"This cord is woven from the silk of an Eclipse Moon Ghost Silkworm. Thread the Instant Jades onto it and wear it. I guarantee this cord will never break, no matter the extremity of the environment."

Wen Tao was delighted at the prospect of becoming Zhong Yi’s Guardian alongside Lin Zhuo. He failed to notice, however, that both Zhong Yi’s and Zhong Ling’s gazes were fixed on the Instant Jades he and Lin Zhuo had produced.

In that moment, Zhong Yi understood why the goose-feather cushions inside Wen Tao’s Guardian Beast Carriage were embroidered with so many cartoon watermelons, a design that clashed terribly with the rest of the carriage’s decor!

When Zhong Ling worked as a clerk at the Guardian Beast Shop, her favorite pastimes were reading romance novels and watching the adventure-romance movies that aired on Xin Xia TV Station’s Channel Six.

Whenever she saw a male and female Guardian Beast Master getting lost in each other on the back of a beast, Zhong Ling couldn’t help but cover her eyes with her hands.

Then, she would peek through a gap between her fingers just wide enough for her eyes.

At this moment, the young girl was already shipping Lin Zhuo and Wen Tao!

Zhong Yi very seriously took the two Instant Jades, threaded them onto the moon-white cord, tied a knot, and placed the necklace solemnly around his neck.

The two Instant Jades from Lin Zhuo and Wen Tao were, in essence, Zhong Yi’s two greatest safeguards for the future.

They would ensure he wouldn’t be helpless in the face of danger.

No matter how great his Talent was, and despite being able to complete a First Level Secret Realm with a 100% Secret Realm Exploration Level, Zhong Yi was still just a boy who had only recently awakened his Soul Base.

Zhong Yi might be able to handle a confrontation with an Extraordinary Level Guardian Beast Master.

But against a Fantasy Level Guardian Beast Master, he would have little room to resist, even if he used every trick up his sleeve.

Zhong Yi felt a heartfelt gratitude toward Lin Zhuo and Wen Tao for giving him these life-saving trump cards.

"Zhuo, I remember you have a Soul Contracting Gu Mother."

"You chose not to form a Contract with it back then. Why not give it to Zhong Yi?"

At Wen Tao’s reminder, Lin Zhuo suddenly recalled that she did indeed have such a Guardian Beast.

From a Storage Pouch embroidered with a field of watermelons, Lin Zhuo took out a wooden box that exuded a peculiar fragrance.

Lin Zhuo lifted her hand to open the box. Inside, Zhong Yi saw a finger-length worm. Its body was plump and translucent, but it was covered in vibrant red cilia.

The spots on the worm’s body where the vibrant red cilia grew were a dark red color with a faint, fluorescent quality.

The worm looked Bizarre, yet it had a hint of cuteness!

If the lights were out and the worm fanned out its vibrant red cilia, its fluorescent dark-red spots would make it look like a glowing strawberry.

Besides the worm itself, there were three vibrant red Insect Eggs beside it, stuck together with silken threads.

The three Insect Eggs were not only the size of pomegranate seeds but also looked exactly like them.

However, upon closer inspection, one could faintly see larvae squirming within the three crystal-clear, vibrant red Insect Eggs.

Zhong Yi used All Things Exploration to inspect the Insect Guardian Beast known as the Soul Contracting Gu Mother.

[Guardian Beast Name]: Soul Contracting Gu Mother

[Guardian Beast Species]: Thorn Gu Species / Mother Gu Species

[Guardian Beast Level]: Mortal Beast Level (1/10)

[Guardian Beast Type]: Soul Element

[Guardian Beast Quality]: Unranked

Skills:

[Soul-Stealing Soul Host]: Parasitizes a target’s Soul Base with its self-produced Insect Eggs. The eggs will rapidly connect to the target’s Soul Base and release a special pheromone to gain control over it.

With a single glance at the description, Zhong Yi roughly understood why Wen Tao had prompted Lin Zhuo to give him the Soul Contracting Gu Mother.

As the Soul Contracting Gu Mother squirmed, Zhong Yi could feel the Soul-Controlling Flower rooted in his soul taking a great interest in it.

This interest wasn’t the predatory hunger it had shown before; it was more like a child seeing dyed chicks for sale on the roadside and wanting to take one home as a pet.

Zhong Yi soothed the Soul-Controlling Flower as if placating a child, telling it that it could get acquainted with the Soul Contracting Gu Mother later when they returned.

The Soul-Controlling Flower immediately sent a wave of dependence and adoring affection toward Zhong Yi.

Then, it happily stretched its floral filaments across Zhong Yi’s soul, directing the small amount of Flowing Soul Soil it had secreted to patrol his soul.