Ormund’s eyes widened.
’Another Divine Contract?’
That couldn’t be right. The ancient legends passed down through the Greatfang Tiger Tribe clearly stated: a Divine Contract could only be used once in a lifeti. Yet, he was certain Ethan had already ford an Equal Contract with him—not a Binding one. Ethan hadn’t forced him into servitude. It was that rare generosity, that freedom of choice, that had earned Ormund’s loyalty and convinced him to serve willingly as his mount.
But now... here Ethan was again, forming another contract. And with a creature as elusive and powerful as this one?
No. Ethan hadn’t called them Violet Lightning Cloud Beasts. He’d referred to them as sothing else—Illusionary Qilin.
What in the world was that species? Ormund made a ntal note to dig through the tribal records when he returned. If this species was real—and clearly, it was—then the Greatfangs needed to be aware of them.
While Ormund’s thoughts raced, the elder Qilin moved.
Without a word, it opened its mouth and spat out a mouthful of vital blood. The crimson essence floated over to the hovering contract scroll, soaking into it like mist, the air humming with raw spiritual power. A buzzing sound filled the sky, followed by a sharp flash of red.
"Contract established..." A voice echoed, deep and ethereal, resonating from all directions.
Ethan smiled.
The elder Qilin, now solemn and dignified, shed its prior aloofness. It lowered its head slightly in a respectful bow—acknowledgnt of Ethan’s worth. Then it turned toward the crowd behind it. Its voice echoed like distant thunder.
"Children... For ten thousand years, our tribe has lived in hiding. But today, you will reclaim your true forms. Leave behind the na ’Violet Lightning Cloud Beast.’ From this mont on, you are Qilin—true Illusionary Qilin. Step forward... and reclaim our heritage."
As the last word faded, a thunderous roar erupted from the gathered beasts.
All twenty thousand of them began to tremble.
Starting at their tails, their thick violet fur began to shimr and peel away like smoke. Underneath, rows of radiant purple scales erged, glowing with celestial light. The transformation moved forward along their bodies, as if so invisible hand was painting them anew. Two majestic horns slowly pushed through their foreheads, completing their evolution.
Ethan stood still, awestruck. Even his Soul Sense hadn’t detected their disguises. Their forr forms had been shaped entirely by the power of their horns. Now, with the horns regrown and stabilized, their aura surged—and kept rising.
Every single one of them ascended to Peak-Tier Transcendent rank.
Even more staggering: ten among them broke through into the Initial Limbo rank.
Ormund stood frozen, mouth slightly open.
Was this their true strength?
Back in the Greatfang Tribe, even the strongest adult tigers could only reach Peak-Tier Sovereign. That was already considered royal class—second only to the divine bloodline. But these creatures? They had left that level behind entirely.
With power like this, the Illusionary Qilin could easily stand at the pinnacle of the Sea of Death’s entire beast race.
Ethan could hardly contain his joy. Twenty thousand Transcendent-rank beasts... The implications were staggering. In Beastfall City, even counting every force combined, there were fewer than a hundred Transcendent-rank individuals. Limbo-rank? Barely ten.
This wasn’t just a victory—it was a miracle.
He couldn’t help but scoff a little, thinking of the Central Dominion Guard. Compared to what he now commanded, they were a scattered mix of Exalted-rank, with only a handful of Sovereign-rank warriors. The gap in power was laughable.
Below, the elder Qilin’s voice rang again.
"Ancestor... we depart now. The day we return will be the day the Illusionary Qilin na echoes across the world once more."
A thousand voices responded.
"To be known across the world—"
"To see the light of day—!"
The chant rose into a deafening roar. All twenty thousand Qilin joined in unison, shaking the heavens themselves. Ethan watched them—saw the fire in their eyes, the fierce pride that had long been buried, now reignited. These creatures had endured isolation and suppression, but they had never lost their dignity.
And now, with a single breakthrough, they were ready to soar.
So of the Qilin turned to look at Ethan, gratitude shimring in their eyes. They weren’t just obeying a leader. They respected him.
Ethan chuckled to himself. If not for the elder Qilin’s restraint, these beasts might’ve rebelled long ago just for a glimpse of the outside world. His arrival had simply given them the excuse they needed.
Down below, the remaining unawakened beasts—still shimring, half-transford—stared upward in envy.
"Haha... Don’t worry, I’ll co back for you!" Ethan called down, grinning.
A wave of excited roars answered him.
"Hmph. Enough." The elder Qilin gave Ethan a sharp glare before exhaling a stream of white mist, which rolled down the mountain and re-concealed the hidden sanctuary.
The twenty thousand transford Qilin, now glowing with streaks of purple rainbow light, began descending toward the ground.
"Hehe..." Ethan laughed awkwardly and turned to the speechless Central Dominion Guard. "Well, brothers? What are you waiting for?"
The group hesitated. Swap mounts? It seed like a dream. They looked back at their current companions—the loyal Cliffstriders they’d fought beside for years. mories surged. None of them moved.
Ethan’s smile twitched. Of course.
The Qilin opposite them watched with curiosity. At first confused, their expressions slowly shifted to understanding.
"Don’t worry!" Ethan raised his voice. "I’ll take care of your old comrades for now. Once we return to Beastfall City, they can retire peacefully. They’ve earned it."
His words carried a tinge of sorrow.
Bongo stepped forward. She dismounted, then gently ran her hand over the head of her Cliffstrider.
"You can finally rest now, old friend. Thank you... for everything," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes.
Across the Guard, a similar scene unfolded. So had been with their mounts for over a decade. These weren’t animals—they were comrades, family. Letting go wasn’t easy.
Julian stood atop Ormund’s back, blinking away a tear. "Central Dominion Guard! Form up! Communicate with the Illusionary Qilin—move!"
"Yes, Commander!"
They responded in unison, straightening their backs and marching forward toward the towering Qilin.
Their hearts pounded. Each Qilin stood twice as tall as a Cliffstrider, with eyes the size of lanterns and an aura that could crush stone. But the Qilin did not lash out. They waited, calm and majestic.
Pairings ford. Warriors and Qilin ca together. Each Guard mber sliced their palm, pressing their bloodied hands against the Qilin’s forehead.
"Concentric Contract!"
A shimring glow burst into the sky as twenty thousand contracts activated simultaneously. Unlike Binding Contracts, this pact had no force of control—only a mutual link. It allowed telepathic connection, a perfect bond of will and mind.
From behind, the elder Qilin’s voice rang again. "Julian. You haven’t chosen one?"
Julian looked down at his mount—the small, Swift Lightning Spotted Deer.
"I don’t need to," he replied calmly.
The elder Qilin raised a brow. "That deer can’t fly. Its strength isn’t much."
Julian shook his head. "I’ve ridden it since childhood. We grew up together. At worst..." He glanced sideways at Ethan, "I’ll train the next generation."
"Commander! We’re not switching either!" shouted the Guard behind him.
All two thousand soldiers dismounted from the Qilin they’d just bonded with.
A beat of silence. Then—laughter.
"Hahahaha! Kid, you’ve grown." A voice rang out—not from Julian or Ethan—but from the deer.
The Swift Lightning Spotted Deer... spoke.
It stepped forward, walking on air. Its body shimred, then began to transform. In a flash, it beca a sleek, black-scaled Qilin—silent and regal.
It hovered before the elder Qilin.
"Old Purple," it said. "It’s been a hundred years. Looks like I won the bet."
The elder Qilin stared in disbelief.
"You..." It blinked, then sighed. "It was my narrow-mindedness. Humans have both light and dark within them. I should’ve seen that."
"But tell , Old Black—after wandering all these years, what have you gained?"
Black Qilin grinned. "You’ll see."
Its body shifted again. In the blink of an eye, the beast beca a seventeen-year-old youth clad in black robes, his aura subdued yet imnse.
The elder Qilin gasped. "You—!"
"Co on," the youth smirked. "You transform too."
A soft sigh. "You know we can’t. Why mock ?"
"You never believed Regis back then. Thought he was exaggerating when he said he could extract ’his’ Soul Power. Well, believe it now. This kid, Ethan, isn’t just walking the sa path. He’s going even further."
The elder Qilin’s eyes darkened with thought. mories of ancient nas stirred. Regis... the Soul Power... the Blue Dragon.
"Yes," the Black Qilin said, reading his thoughts. "That Blue Dragon isn’t here to extract Soul Power—it’s here to obliterate that man. To divide his essence among us... all of us Illusionary Qilin. It only needs the Life Essence to rebuild its body."
"Enough!" the black-robed youth suddenly said, annoyed. "Don’t act like you ever supported . Back then, you tried everything to stop . If I hadn’t snuck out—would I have gained any of this?"
"But since you’re finally coming around..." he smirked and leaned closer, glancing at Ethan.
"I’ll tell you a secret."
His lips barely moved. Whatever he said next was telepathic—only for the elder Qilin’s ears.
And it was about Ethan.
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