At once, the creature named Yang Lu, a deer-headed monster, turned pale, his expression filled with despair. Meanwhile, the large gray peacock, previously full of desolation, suddenly brightened, its gaze fixed on its companion—now fierce and bloodthirsty. After a brief exchange of glances, both erupted in a simultaneous roar. One instantly swelled to a hundred times its original size, a thick, earth-yellow armor adorned with long, sharp spines emerging on its surface. The other shook its wings, and the gray spiritual flames on its body transformed into a downpour of fire, rushing straight toward the other. As their forms surged and shifted, thunderous roars and explosive crashes reverberated throughout the space. Seeing this, the young man in black robes chuckled, turned around, and vanished completely—both himself and the blood-red giant seal beneath him—into the void behind him. A soft "pffft." Amidst the ripple of spatial disturbance, the young man materialized above a scattered heap of uneven stones on the Lei Ming Continent, cradling a slightly trembling, deep-green vial in his hands, and glanced around. He saw that the surroundings were empty, no one in sight, and with a cold laugh, he shook his sleeve, instantly transforming into a golden rainbow that surged skyward. Half a day later, the golden light settled upon a seemingly ordinary small mountain. As the young man materialized, he tossed a small,墨green bottle toward his chest. At once, the bottle spun around, its mouth facing downward, and a cascade of霞light rolled up, revealing a tall, humanoid figure staggering into view—though battered and wounded, his armor mostly torn—yet unmistakably the strange creature with a deer's head and a bear's body. "I was right," said the black-robed youth, glancing at the creature calmly. "You've indeed survived." "Yang Lu bows to the Master!" the deer-headed creature immediately knelt halfway before the young man. "Excellent," the youth remarked. "You are both perceptive and courageous. Had it not been for your early allegiance, I would not have found it so easy to break free." Rest assured, since you have fulfilled every task I have asked of you, I will certainly uphold my promise—your True-Soul Pill will surely be granted to you, and you will surely be brought back to the Immortal Realm. However, before that, I shall first require you to surrender part of your primary soul and sign the Spirit Servant Contract, so as to help sever all ties between you and this realm. The young man in black robes spoke calmly. "Yes, Master." Yang Lu hesitated only slightly before opening his mouth wide and expelling a glowing, pale green orb. Within the orb, a miniature deer-headed creature, reduced to a fraction of its original size, was clearly raising its head and roaring. "That is quite favorable for you. As long as you sign the contract on this Immortal Spirit Mirror, you will be free from the influence of the interface force and enter the Immortal Realm without any concerns. I, however, am not certain how many years it will take to re-refine and restore this precious artifact." The young man in black robes studied the orb intently, then opened his mouth and expelled a golden scroll shimmering with myriad streaks of radiance. "Relax your mind and don't resist—otherwise, I can't guarantee what might happen," the young man in black robes said, pressing a seal with his single hand, swiftly tapping the golden scroll with a finger. As stated in the above agreement, while spiritual servants are naturally subject to the commands of others, they are not bound to carry out orders that directly threaten their own lives—provided they are willing to pay a certain price. Moreover, the agreement is not permanent, and the document itself clearly outlines several conditions under which it may be terminated. Though it may seem stringent at first, it appears far from hopeless. This brings a quiet sense of satisfaction to the beast's heart. The young man in black robes seems to have anticipated this very thought, maintaining a composed expression, though his inner mind is filled with quiet scorn. After carefully reviewing the entire agreement and finding it genuinely sound—significantly more lenient than anticipated—Yang Lu immediately releases his mental tension and lets go of his focus. At the same time, as the resistance from the small creature within the light sphere vanishes, the golden seal characters flash briefly and then fade into its body. Upon a slight tremor of his own form, Yang Lu closes his eyes and collapses directly, rolling over. At that moment, the young man in black robes calmly rolled his sleeve, and with a flash of霞light, neatly retrieved the golden scroll. Only then did the luminous sphere enclosing the small creature take flight and re-enter the body of Yang Lu, vanishing without a trace. After an indeterminate length of time, when the creature finally steadied itself and rose to its feet, it felt as though its spirit was unchanged from before—yet a subtle, unfamiliar restraint seemed woven into its essence. This must be the binding power inscribed upon the golden scroll. It sighed quietly and paid the young man in black robes another respectful bow. The young man remained upright in his original position, as if he had never moved at all. "Very well," he said calmly, "since you have sealed the pact, I shall surely fulfill my promises." As soon as he finished speaking, a ripple of energy surged before Yang Lu, and a golden pill, the size of an egg, appeared out of nowhere. This elixir appeared lifeless, yet its surface shimmered with a brilliant golden glow, with delicate strands of milky, auspicious qi swirling around and dancing about it, and a distinct, indescribable sandalwood fragrance radiating forth from within. Upon merely inhaling it, Yang Lu immediately felt an unparalleled sense of spiritual ease, as though his entire being were floating upward, soaring toward the heavens—so amazed and delighted that he could not help but be both startled and joyful. "This is the True Soul Elixir. You may take it immediately, or you may wait until we return to the Immortal Realm. If I were you, I would choose the latter. While this elixir will certainly enhance your spiritual strength, it will also generate a repelling effect against the laws of this realm, thereby significantly affecting your power." The young man in black robes spoke calmly and steadily. "Yes, Master. I shall take it later, so as to provide you with even greater support." After a brief moment of hesitation, Yang Lu said this respectfully and humbly. Then it opened its mouth again, spitting out a purple-red wooden box, and with a gentle touch of its golden essence, carefully sealed it within. "I'll enter the treasure vault to rest temporarily," the young black-robed figure said, nodding contentedly before giving an unceremonious command. "Yes, Master!" Yang Lu was momentarily startled but quickly bowed in agreement. When one appeared vaguely near the green bottle, merely glanced around, then sat cross-legged with a composed, expressionless demeanor. In the small bottle space. After the black-robed youth reappeared with a flash, he slightly surveyed the somewhat disheveled space left from the previous battle, then furrowed his brows slightly, waving his sleeve. Immediately, a surge of mist rolled through the surroundings, and all prior traces vanished, leaving only faint, ethereal impressions. With a single hand gesture, the black-robed youth summoned a flash of light from the sky, and a seven-colored cloud materialized, then swiftly descended. "Pop!" The colorful cloud instantly transformed into a soft, glowing cushion, which settled silently at his side without any movement. The youth's form blurred slightly, appearing silently upon the cushion, then settled cross-legged, closing his eyes to begin inward meditation. "Indeed, this has become quite troublesome." First, the法宝 of several members of the Jiao Chi clan exploded, injuring some of my vital energy. Then, I was further worn down by the relentless strain of the laws of magic. It seems that it will take several years before I can fully heal these internal injuries. Fortunately, this time, besides the scroll, my master also bestowed upon me this earth-shaking replica, though it's reportedly only one ten-thousandth the subtlety of the genuine article. Still, it has shortened my recovery time by over tenfold. As the young man with the black robe opened his eyes again, a strange murmuring escaped him. Then, he pressed a series of hand seals and recited words continuously. Suddenly, the space trembled slightly, and a green, hazy glow rolled out from the surrounding void, gradually revealing the faint silhouettes of countless rare flowers and herbs appearing one after another. In moments, they became dense and widespread, filling every corner of the space. The entire atmosphere now brimmed with vitality, as if the space itself had come to life. The young man in the black robe paused his incantation, then extended his hand into the air, and as the ink-green light in his palm flashed, a translucent ink bottle materialized before him. With a gentle flick, he tossed it upward. The image of the bottle shot skyward, vanishing into the mist within moments. "Rain!" With the golden glow surging across his body, the young man pressed a finger toward the heavens, then issued a low command. A deep rumble echoed. The clouds above surged and rolled, and suddenly, a colossal bottle-shaped silhouette, spanning a hundred zhang in diameter, appeared, its wide mouth now inverted downward. A soft "pffft" sound followed, as a tide of green liquid surged forth from the massive mouth and spread out, dispersing into a gentle, all-encompassing downpour of spiritual rain. An astonishing phenomenon unfolded. The spiritual flowers and rare herbs scattered throughout the space—once as delicate as a rabbit's ears—grew rapidly and visibly, as if nourished by the rain. In moments, towering flowers the size of large bowls and slender, tree-like spiritual herbs rose into view, their forms clearly visible. Moreover, these spiritual flowers and rare herbs had grown noticeably clearer and denser, exuding an astonishingly potent medicinal fragrance—so vivid and tangible as if they were solid. The young man in black robes, seeing this, showed no surprise. Instead, he altered his hand seal, and from among the flowers and herbs, slender streaks of green, fragrant qi began to surge forth, converging like a thousand streams flowing into his body. After drawing in a deep, rich breath of the medicinal aroma, the young man slowly closed his eyes, enveloped in the flowing qi. At that moment, the massive bottle-shaped silhouette in the sky suddenly burst and dissolved on its own.