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[bendera]
BLOOD-BINDING THE STAR BEAST
The following morning, a delicate mist still clung to the ancient canopy as sunlight slowly pierced the forest’s gloom. The melodious chirping of heavenly birds resonated, welcoming the dawn. Ken stood leaning against the trunk of a colossal tree, his tranquil eyes observing Princess Diyah, who was busily preparing a humble breakfast from their remaining provisions. In another corner, Uncle Tom and his two guards were inspecting their armaments, preparing to resume their flight toward the Ice Kingdom.
Once Princess Elisha awoke and ravenously devoured her breakfast, the small vanguard wasted no time and immediately resumed their journey through the wilderness.
As the sun crawled to its zenith and scorched their crowns, the overland journey that took hours began to feel grueling. Ken, who was walking and leading in the front, looked back. His eyes caught the undeniable exhaustion painted on Diyah’s visage. The woman kept forcing herself to walk uphill while carrying Elisha on her back.
Seeing this, Ken raised a single hand. “We should halt and rest here for a moment.”
”What is it, My Lord?” Uncle Tom asked, instantly halting his steps and adopting a vigilant stance.
”There are no enemies, Uncle. I merely wish to speak with this Little Princess for a moment,” Ken replied as he approached Elisha. “Hey, didn’t you tell me that you loved wandering and seeing the outside world?” he asked, lowering his posture to look at Elisha.
”That’s right, Big Brother!” Elisha answered with a broad smile, though her breath was slightly ragged.
Ken offered a faint smirk. “Very well, then…”
Ken rotated his wrist. The void before them instantly distorted. A pillar of silver light erupted from his Spatial Ring, and a spiritual creature leaped out, landing gracefully upon the grass.
The entire vanguard gasped and staggered backward at the sight of the exotic beast.
”A-a Heavenly Wolf Star Monster!” Uncle Tom exclaimed, his eyes widening as he recognized the rare monster race before him.
”Wah! What is this, Big Brother?!” Elisha asked. The little girl took a step back, hiding behind her sister’s legs, terrified yet mesmerized by the glossy silver-furred wolf whose sheer size rivaled an adult stallion. “Does… does it bite? Is it dangerous?” Elisha looked up at Ken.
With a reassuring smile, Ken said, “He is absolutely not dangerous. How about it, do you like him? Starting today, he belongs to you.”
Hearing this, Elisha stared intently at Ken with her wide, doe-like eyes. “Seriously?! Big Brother is really giving him to me?” she asked to confirm.
”Yes. This is a Heavenly Wolf Star Monster. He shall become your loyal mount and accompany you wherever you go,” Ken explained. “However, for him to obey you absolutely, you must forge a Contract Seal with him first.” Ken snapped his fingers. “Kirin! Come here.”
Heeding his master’s call, the monster named Kirin obediently padded toward Ken. Ken retrieved a sweet-scented spiritual fruit and fed it to the wolf.
”Forge a contract?! How do I do that, Big Brother?” Elisha asked, doing tiny hops, her fear entirely vaporized by bubbling enthusiasm.
”I shall guide you through it,” Ken replied. He locked his gaze with Kirin’s. “Kirin, from this second onward, I command you to accompany and protect this little girl with your very life.”
Miraculously, as if comprehending the Supreme Leader’s absolute edict, the Heavenly Wolf lowered its posture and bowed its head before Ken.
”Little Princess, come here,” Ken beckoned, positioning Elisha to stand directly in front of Kirin. Ken immediately channeled his energy to activate the spiritual Contract Seal formation. “Extend your right palm.”
Ken grasped Elisha’s tiny hand. With a lightning-fast, painless motion, he grazed the tip of the girl’s index finger using his Qi energy. A single drop of pure blood seeped out. Ken guided Elisha’s hand, pressing that drop of blood against Kirin’s forehead, directly atop the luminous seal formation he had conjured.
This Contract Seal engraving… it looks absolutely nothing like the standard Contract Seal techniques utilized by beast tamers on this continent! Its level of complexity is utterly beyond mortal logic, Uncle Tom thought, observing closely, once again left in profound awe by the mysteries of the youth before him.
A golden light pulsed for a fleeting moment before sinking into Kirin’s forehead and Elisha’s hand, flawlessly binding their souls.
”It is done. Now, you and Kirin are spiritually bound. You may ride him across the most treacherous terrain without fear of falling,” Ken told Elisha. “Furthermore, as a Heavenly Wolf race, he possesses the ability to manipulate his physical size. His current form is his base size, or One-Tail. When you are in peril, he can evolve using his Combat Mode,” Ken continued, detailing its functions.
Ken turned to the wolf. “Kirin, manifest your Ten-Tail form.”
Responding to the command, Kirin’s body instantaneously emitted a dense silver mist. Its bones and muscles cracked and expanded, massively enlarging to ten times its original size. Its silhouette now towered, blotting out the sunlight like a colossal forest behemoth.
Everyone held their breath in sheer awe, witnessing the epic transformation.
”Wah! So cool! But… he became so huge,” Elisha gasped, looking up with a hint of dread.
”Now, unleash your Combat Mode, Kirin!” Ken decreed.
A wolf’s roar shook the very foundations of the forest. Not only did Kirin’s colossal size remain, but its entire body was now encased in a natural protective armor of tough, golden-crimson scales radiating a terrifying, scorching heat.
The energy pressure of a Heavenly Star Monster in this form… is truly equivalent to a King-level Cultivator! Uncle Tom thought, gulping hard at the absolute combat prowess Ken had just casually gifted away for nothing.
”Its power and visage are far too terrifying!” Diyah remarked, a mix of awe and anxiety in her voice. “Will this form truly not pose a threat to Elisha, Brother Ken?” she asked, pulling her sister close to protect her.
”Absolutely not. Once the blood oath is forged, its soul is bound to protect Elisha with absolute certainty, even if it means sacrificing its own core of life,” Ken explained, offering Diyah an absolute guarantee. Ken snapped his fingers once more. “Return to your base form, Kirin.”
The silver mist enveloped it once more, and Kirin shrank back into its One-Tail form—a size slightly larger and more imposing than a mature war stallion.
”Wah! Hey, good boy! Your name is Kirin, right?” Elisha hesitated no longer. She stepped forward and affectionately stroked the wolf’s silver mane. “My name is Elisha. From now on, you must call me Elisha, okay! Hehehe,” she babbled cheerfully.
Seeing their logistical dilemma resolved, Ken nodded in satisfaction. “With Kirin’s aid, we can significantly accelerate our pace traversing this forest. And most importantly… the Princess’s arms can now rest and avoid cramping from forcing herself to carry her,” Ken stated casually, turning to shoot Princess Diyah a meaningful, faint smirk.
Hearing those words, Diyah’s breath hitched. Hah! So… did he deliberately summon this astronomically precious, rare monster solely because he noticed I was exhausted carrying Elisha all this time? Diyah mused, her heart warming as a sweet, subconscious smile blossomed upon her lips.
”Now, try climbing onto his back. Slowly, your souls will harmonize, and you will intrinsically understand his movements,” Ken instructed Elisha. “Come, we do not have the luxury of time. We must resume our journey.”
”As you command, My Lord!” Uncle Tom replied, profoundly relieved.
”Sister Diyah! Come here, ride with me!” Elisha cheered brightly after successfully clambering up and settling comfortably upon Kirin’s soft fur saddle.
Hearing her sister’s invitation, Princess Diyah glanced at Ken for a fleeting second to silently request permission. Ken merely replied with a soft nod. Diyah returned the smile, then gracefully mounted Kirin, sitting directly behind her sister.
The journey resumed at a vastly more efficient velocity. As they advanced side-by-side through the rows of pine trees, Ken matched his pace with Uncle Tom to initiate a covert interrogation.
”Uncle Tom, may I ask you something?” Ken called out, his gaze locked straight ahead. “Is it true that the elegant Princess Diyah is actually the biological daughter of the late General Wakan and Lady Hima?”
Uncle Tom was mildly startled hearing Ken cite that specific lineage, but he quickly nodded. “Your memory is razor-sharp, My Lord. It is the absolute truth. Princess Diyah is the flesh and blood of Lord Wakan and Lady Hima, who fell in battle in the past,” Uncle Tom answered while dodging a protruding branch.
”Then, what is the true stance of the royal upper echelon regarding Princess Diyah’s existence within the palace?” Ken asked seriously, attempting to map out the enemies lurking in the shadows.
Uncle Tom let out a long sigh, the heavy political burdens of his kingdom etched clearly onto his weathered visage. “On the surface, everything appears harmonious. His Majesty the King and the Queen raised and treated Princess Diyah exactly as if she were their own biological child. The royal family’s love for her is unquestionable. However… the Princess’s fate is incredibly tragic. Beyond the absolute aegis of the King, there is a nest of venomous vipers seeking to manipulate her as a political puppet. There are even numerous factions secretly plotting to eradicate her from the line of succession.”
Ken’s mind worked at blinding speed, assembling the fragments of the conflict. “Why are such intrigues permitted to fester, Uncle?”
”In accordance with our kingdom’s ancient laws, the moment Princess Diyah reaches the age of twenty-two, she holds the absolute mandate to ascend the throne as the Queen of the Ice Kingdom, succeeding His Majesty. Unfortunately, that sacred law is fiercely opposed by several powerful factions within the court,” Uncle Tom explained. “They resort to vile methods to cripple the Princess’s cultivation. That is why, as you can see, the Princess’s Star Seal remains stagnant at Tier 4. Meanwhile, the young nobles of her generation in the palace have soared to Tier 6, or even Tier 7.”
Uncle Tom shook his head in profound regret. “Ever since His Majesty’s health began to deteriorate and he fell gravely ill, the supply of cultivation resources for the Princess was systematically severed, preventing her prowess from advancing. The ultimate objective of those traitors is glaringly obvious: they wish to ensure Princess Diyah suffers a crushing, humiliating defeat in the Star Seal Cultivator Tournament.”
”Star Seal Cultivator Tournament? What does that entail, Uncle? I am hearing of such an event for the first time,” Ken interjected, his curiosity piqued.
”It is the grandest martial arts competition on a continental scale, where all prodigious youths between the ages of twenty and twenty-five from the five great kingdoms gather and clash, regardless of the boundaries of their power levels. This tournament is held once every five years,” Uncle Tom explained, sweeping aside foliage blocking their path.
”And because the Ice Kingdom possesses the honor of serving as the host this year, the entire royal council—including our own rotten internal faction—has unanimously ratified an absolute edict: Whichever youth from any kingdom’s team emerges as the champion of this tournament, shall be officially wedded to Princess Diyah.”
Uncle Tom looked at Ken with a visage painted with despair. “On one hand, due to His Majesty’s increasingly helpless condition, he desperately prays for a miracle where a representative from another kingdom—excluding the Fire Kingdom—emerges victorious, granting Princess Diyah and the Ice Kingdom a formidable ally for salvation. Yet, on the other hand, this serves as the most legal and flawless avenue for the Fire Kingdom and our internal traitors to usurp the Ice Kingdom without overtly deploying a military armada.”
…What a cowardly yet devastatingly effective political maneuver. If calculated by the military might of the Fire Kingdom’s armada currently spearheaded by those bastards, they should be capable of razing the Ice Kingdom’s defenses effortlessly at any given moment. So, why delay the invasion and trouble themselves with a political tournament route like this? Ken pondered inwardly. Are they deliberately stalling to await the full recovery of those Ten Demonic Dragons? Or… could this somehow be connected to the unification of that ‘Sacred Artifact’?! Ken’s senses sharpened, recognizing a conspiracy of a scale vastly more monumental than a mere usurpation of a throne.
”Very well, Uncle, the red threads are becoming blatantly clear. From your personal perspective, have all the high-ranking officials in the Ice Kingdom covertly degenerated into the Fire Kingdom’s lapdogs?” Ken probed further.
”Not all of them, My Lord. There remain two Loyal Generals who have sealed their doors from the outside world, continuously guarding His Majesty day and night due to his critical condition. The rest? The vast majority have committed treason and directly lick the boots of the Fire Kingdom. While the remaining factions are merely a rabble of opportunists conspiring to topple the Princess purely out of a greedy lust to swallow the Ice Kingdom to gorge themselves,” Uncle Tom answered with utter disgust.
”I appreciate your comprehensive briefing, Uncle. Observing the patterns, the chronic affliction gnawing at every kingdom on this continent right now stems from the exact same root: traitors hiding beneath the covers,” Ken remarked, his tone shifting into glacial ice. “Yet, those opportunistic vermin fail to realize that the Demons of the Fire Kingdom will ultimately never permit them to live long enough to enjoy the absolute power they were promised!”
Catching the dense killing intent woven into Ken’s words, Uncle Tom instantaneously deduced the red thread behind their ambush. “My Lord… is this entire vile political intrigue connected to the mercenary bandit horde that ambushed and attempted to butcher us last night?” he asked, his voice trembling with dread.
”Yes! Absolutely, Uncle. Everything is interconnected. We shall see what kind of theatrical performance they are orchestrating later,” Ken replied cryptically. He then channeled his inner qi, accelerating his pace to catch up with Princess Diyah and Elisha ahead.
So… Lord Ken, who resides far from the epicenter of civilization, had already deduced the true identities of those who attacked us last night. This man is truly terrifying, Uncle Tom mused, shuddering in horror upon realizing how utterly transparent the continent’s intrigues were in the eyes of Ken.
At the vanguard, noticing that Ken and Uncle Tom had fallen significantly behind, Elisha gently patted Kirin’s neck to decelerate his sprint.
”Great Big Brother! Why are you walking as slowly as a tortoise?! Hahaha!” Elisha laughed crisply, teasing Ken, assuming it was her mount that was unfathomably swift and majestic. “Sister Diyah says we will soon cross the border and officially enter the lands of the Ice Kingdom! If you can run just a little faster, we will definitely reach the capital before dusk!” Elisha chattered, encouraging Ken.
Ken merely offered a faint smirk in response to the little girl’s teasing. “Is that so? My, how challenging. Very well then, hold on tight!”
SWOOSH!
Instantaneously, Ken detonated Qi energy within both of his legs. His mortal shell morphed into a blurred phantom slicing through the wind, vaulting over roots and boulders, instantly overtaking and leading the vanguard with a velocity that made Elisha’s eyes bulge in absolute awe.
Within the cultivation realm, movement speed is the absolute reflection of how profoundly one comprehends the heavenly laws. For mid-tier Star Seal Cultivators, they are capable of lightening their bodies and vaulting across the branches of ancient trees at a stable velocity ranging from forty to sixty kilometers per hour. However, that mortal boundary shatters completely when a cultivator successfully scales the apex and reaches the divine level of God King.
Sovereigns of the God King realm possess the absolute capacity to manipulate gravity and levitate, tearing through the heavens like comets at speeds exceeding one hundred kilometers per hour, relying purely on their spiritual energy reserves.
Naturally, a magical shortcut exists for those who have yet to graze the boundaries of godhood: utilizing a legendary artifact known as the Flying Wing Relic. Yet, such spatial heirlooms are as astronomically rare as a falling star in broad daylight. Their value is fantastically absurd; their bidding prices at the continent’s auction houses can pierce the tens of billions of gold coins, cementing them as exclusive heavenly treasures only untouchable emperors and kings could ever hope to grasp.