Ye Ling quietly gazed at its lonely, aggrieved expression, sorting out two things in her mind.
First, this little dragon indeed possessed the pure bloodline of a true dragon, and was absolutely not a demon beast in disguise.
Second, it was also a fact that its cultivation was low, only at the early-stage Xiantian Realm.
For its parents to spare no expense, depleting their own source energy and exhausting countless resources just to revive a stillborn egg, showed that they loved it to the extreme.
Yet ever since they met, she had never seen any dragon elders guarding it. It seemed its parents were not by its side now.
The tense wariness in Ye Ling's heart quietly dissipated. Seeing the little dragon's downcast figure, she uncontrollably raised her hand.
She gently placed her hand on the little dragon's rounded head, softly caressing the smooth, delicate green-gold dragon scales.
The little dragon, whose eyes had just been filled with mist and looked ready to cry, instantly stopped sobbing. Its bright dragon eyes locked onto Ye Ling without blinking as it spoke in a soft, sweet voice.
“Sister, your hand smells so nice.”
As it spoke, it slightly raised its head, its warm nose continuously sniffing her palm, greedy for the clean, refreshing scent that belonged uniquely to her.
Ye Ling suddenly snapped out of it and hurriedly withdrew her hand, inwardly astonished at how she had instinctively made such an intimate gesture.
Seeing her suddenly withdraw her hand, the little dragon's tail drooped slightly, its face filled with confusion.
“Sister, why did you pull your hand back? I haven't smelled enough of your scent yet.”
Ye Ling forced down the softness in her heart and pretended to be calm as she changed the subject.
“Let's not talk about that. Explain to me clearly why you insist on making me your human pet.”
The little dragon tilted its small horns, its eyes filled with innocence. “A human pet is a companion who can be by my side all the time and play with me every day. That's how it's recorded in my bloodline memories.”
Hearing this, Ye Ling fell into deep thought, recalling an ancient legend from long ago.
Before the rise of humanity, the Xuantian Continent was ruled by myriad demons. There were several earth-shaking demon races revered as supreme demon races.
Those powerful demon beasts would often select human geniuses to stay by their young as companions. Although they were called human pets, in that era, it was actually an opportunity that countless humans fought for.
Looking at the naive little dragon before her, she understood.
It seemed this true dragon had not been born for very long, and its inherited memories only retained ancient information from the primeval era.
It was completely unaware that the world had long since changed. Humanity had risen to become the rulers of the continent, while the demon races had mostly gone into hiding, and the custom of having human pets had long since vanished.
“I understand what a human pet means in your memories, but it is absolutely impossible for me to be your human pet.”
“I am myself, and I have my own path of cultivation.”
Ye Ling lightly pressed one hand on the Qinglan Sword at her waist, her gaze drifting toward the rolling green peaks outside the courtyard. A majestic, invisible Sword Force slowly coiled around her body, her tone exceptionally firm.
“My ultimate destination is the peak of the sword path.”
As her voice fell, the determination to seek the Dao in her heart was unleashed without reservation, and the sword intent within her body surged uncontrollably.
Her Sword Force, which was originally at Two and a Half Layers, actually climbed directly to Three Layers of Sword Force.
In an instant, a cold and sharp green sword intent swept through the entire small courtyard. The bamboo branches trembled slightly, and the air hummed softly as it was sliced by the sword pressure.
A moment later, Ye Ling focused her mind and reined in the surging sword intent. Quiet returned to the surroundings, and the intimidating sharpness vanished without a trace.
Beside her, the little dragon watched the entire process clearly.
Before this, it had only been greedy for the alluring spiritual scent on Ye Ling.
But at that moment, Ye Ling's image—holding the sword path in her heart and radiating soaring sharpness—was deeply branded into its mind.
The little dragon's clear eyes sparkled, with only one thought left in its heart: Sister is so cool.
Once Ye Ling's aura had completely settled, the little dragon wiggled its body to get closer and whispered, “Sister, if you don't want to be my human pet, can I follow you all the time?”
“There was no one to accompany me in the Bailing Secret Realm. It was so boring.”
Ye Ling was slightly startled upon hearing this, and she fell into deep thought.
The little dragon's cultivation was only at the early-stage Xiantian Realm, but its true form was a true dragon. Its identity was far too precious.
Nowadays, the true dragon race was already difficult to trace. If its whereabouts were exposed, it would inevitably attract the greed of countless powerhouses.
With her current strength, she could not protect it at all. These various concerns made her hesitate.
The little dragon keenly sensed Ye Ling's hesitation, and its eyes lit up slightly. Hesitation meant there was a chance.
It quickly proposed, “Sister, why don't we become lifelong partners?”
“Lifelong partners?” Ye Ling repeated in a low voice, her heart stirring slightly.
Seeing her attitude soften, the little dragon hurriedly explained, “Partners mean being together for a long time, the kind that never separates for a lifetime!”
Before its voice even faded, the little dragon's figure suddenly soared into the air. It went straight forward and gently pressed its warm head against Ye Ling's forehead.
In an instant, a strand of the little dragon's pure source soul surged out from its forehead, lingering where they met.
Ye Ling's own soul was involuntarily drawn by this power, and she was suddenly shocked.
“This is... a Lifebound Contract!”
Ye Ling instantly recognized the type of contract. Between humans and the demon race, there were three types of contracts in total.
The first was the Master-Servant Contract, where the contract holder controlled the other's life. Only if the master died could the servant break free from the shackles.
The second was the Equality Contract, where neither side suppressed the other. Either party could actively propose to dissolve the contract, and if one party perished, the other would suffer a significant soul backlash.
The last was the Lifebound Contract. The conditions to form this contract were extremely harsh; both parties had to be completely willing for the contract to activate.
Once the contract was formed, the destinies of the two would be tightly bound together.
The demon beast's originally endless lifespan would be constrained. In return, whenever the human's cultivation made a breakthrough, the demon beast would receive feedback from the source, making its cultivation speed far superior to bitter solitary training.
As for the human side, their physical body would be continuously strengthened, and their lifespan could also be slightly extended. Looking at the benefits alone, it was of immense advantage to humans.
However, this contract came with coexisting risks, with both pros and cons.
If either party to the contract encountered a life-or-death crisis, the other would suffer severe soul trauma.
For the demon beast, it was even more of an unpredictable fate. If the companion human met an early demise, the demon beast would suffer irreparable source damage, and its long lifespan would also be shortened accordingly.
Ye Ling was well aware of all the pros and cons of the Lifebound Contract. Looking at the little dragon pressing its forehead against hers and gazing at her with eyes full of anticipation, her thoughts were in disarray.
She was not sure if the little fellow understood the hidden dangers of this contract, so she spoke softly to ask.
“Do you know the price represented by a Lifebound Contract?”
“Once the contract is formed, if something unfortunate happens to me, you will suffer an irreparable, severe wound to your source.”
“As a member of the dragon race, you naturally have a long lifespan. Even if you just quietly bide your time, your cultivation will steadily increase. There is really no need to gamble your own source and take such a huge risk to form a contract with me.”
The little dragon immediately shook its whiskers, its clear eyes looking at Ye Ling seriously. “Sister, I know.”
“My bloodline memories record all the gains and losses of the contract very clearly, but I still want to form a Lifebound Contract with you.”
“I believe in you, Sister.”
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