The Mirror Image Beast slowly opened its eyes—and froze.
Not only was it still alive, but its cultivation had surged from forty-two thousand years all the way to fifty-five thousand.
So… the ancestor really did take a liking to it? Came all this way just to deliver a fortuitous encounter and adopt it as a godson?
Then shouldn't it properly bow down and express its gratitude? A direct power-up of over ten thousand years—hell, this was even better than a real father!
But speaking of that, was the woman beside godfather just now… godmother? Sure, it wasn't used to human appearances, but that presence, that gaze—authentic!
Wait, no—this is godfather we're talking about. No impure thoughts allowed…
At that moment, Zhou Sichen—who had just finished the absorption and now shared a spiritual connection with the Mirror Image Beast—froze mid-smile. He had just been admiring the strength and uniqueness of this spirit beast, but his expression turned stiff.
…So this damn thing is a hardcore fantasist?
Never mind the "relationship" between Honghong and himself, but it actually dared to entertain the idea of seducing her?
Zhou Sichen narrowed his eyes slightly. Perhaps his previous contract beasts had all been too well-behaved, so this one had caught him off guard.
Still, it didn't matter. The Book of Contracts didn't have just one isolated space. Each contracted spirit beast had its own soul ring-like pocket dimension for rest and cultivation.
But there was also a shared realm—a communal space where they could gather, spar, and train when idle.
Naturally, they could also chat and share stories. In fact, A'da and the others had told Honghong how they were contracted during one such casual conversation.
As for now? Chatting? First, it was time to give this Mirror Image Beast a full course on love and discipline.
The fantasizing beast suddenly saw its vision blur—and the next moment, it was standing inside a vast, expansive space.
Within seconds, an Ice Jade Scorpion, a Hell Phoenix, a Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear, and its "godmother" all appeared in this shared dimension.
The Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear cracked its knuckles menacingly. "Newbie. You want a one-on-one, or an all-out brawl?"
[This line is in the spirit beast language]
The Mirror Image Beast blinked, stunned. It looked at the three terrifying beasts, each exuding immense pressure as if dreadful creatures lurked behind them, and then at the killing intent on godmother's face.
Instinctively, it stammered, "O-One-on-one…?"
Bear One grinned coldly. "Great. You one-on-one all of us!"
Mirror Image Beast: "…"
What followed were the beast's wails and screams echoing throughout the space.
Devoid of any more dragon blood, its combat strength was now mediocre at best. In the face of these top-tier spirit beasts, it was nothing more than a punching bag.
The bone-chilling freeze of Ultimate Ice, soul-burning hellfire, the flesh-rending Terrorclaws, and those deceptively delicate jade-like slaps…
And worst of all—within the Book of Contracts, it couldn't even die. Not only could it clearly feel every kind of pain, but it would automatically regenerate too…
Back in the real world, Zhou Sichen—no longer fused with any spirit beast—stood in his original appearance. Hearing the Mirror Image Beast's screams from the Book of Contracts, a smile finally crept onto his lips.
He began inspecting the ice chamber hidden deep underground.
Thanks to the Mirror Image Beast's memories, Zhou Sichen had uncovered this chamber's secret: not only did it house the corpse of the Frost Dragon, but it also contained a spirit bone left behind.
From what he gathered, the Frost Dragon had likely perished during a failed attempt to break through to the hundred-thousand-year level, struck down during the tribulation.
What remained was a top-tier Torso Bone nearing the hundred-thousand-year mark—precisely 99,999 years old.
Given the level of the Frost Dragon, this spirit bone was undoubtedly among the finest. Though just shy of the legendary 100,000-year threshold, its value and power boost for a Spirit Master would still be immense.
Reaching a specific spot, Zhou Sichen summoned a crystalline cube. With a tap of his fingers, the cube unfolded from his right hand, encasing his entire body.
The Infinite Transforming Core, now a level-seven Soul Tool, allowed Zhou Sichen to crush any Spirit Master below Rank 70 so long as he had soul power.
He raised his right hand, which morphed into a crystalline blade.
Crouching down, Zhou Sichen began digging. Before long, he unearthed a translucent ice-blue bone—the Frost Dragon's torso bone.
He retrieved a jade box, carefully placed the bone inside, and then stored it within his soul tool.
If the powerful Mirror Image Beast was a surprising bonus, then this spirit bone was a surprise within a surprise.
The only downside? The spirit bone's age was relatively low for his current level, and its attributes didn't suit his sister. Not even Xian Meng or Ma Xiaotao would find it suitable.
However… there was someone it might suit—Ling Luochen.
Still, Zhou Sichen knew Ling Luochen always acted cool and reserved. Though she was more friendly and smiled more often around him than others, that was about it—nothing further.
Under such circumstances, Zhou Sichen had no intention of shamelessly gifting a spirit bone. It simply wasn't necessary.
What he didn't know, though, was that Ling Luochen had already been captivated by him. Her aloofness was just an act—mainly because he was surrounded by too many stunning women.
As a latecomer, how could she muster the courage to throw herself at someone already swarmed with beauties?
On the flip side, if Zhou Sichen were even just slightly more proactive, she'd probably say yes without hesitation…
Sometimes, when you stack power, talent, and good looks into a top-tier package, it becomes irresistibly magnetic.
Even a genius at her level couldn't help but be drawn in—or even lose herself completely.
After storing the spirit bone, Zhou Sichen discovered another item beneath the pile of bones: an ice block containing the remaining blood essence of the Frost Dragon.
The Mirror Image Beast had already used part of it. The remaining portion could probably be used another 20 or 30 times…
Speaking of the Mirror Image Beast, Zhou Sichen still felt a bit surprised. This species was rare and powerful.
Very few records of them existed. The archive only mentioned some habits, how they were often shunned by other spirit beasts, and how the legendary Gourmet God from ten thousand years ago had absorbed a Mirror Image Beast's spirit ring and gained a nearly broken ability…
Now that Zhou Sichen had contracted this particular beast and learned its true abilities, he was honestly amazed.
Its power wasn't just as strong as he imagined—it was stronger.
The Mirror Image Beast could replicate the abilities of any spirit beast using their blood. If the source was weaker than itself, it could use its own foundation to amplify the power.
If the source was stronger, it could still replicate the power without any loss, using its own base strength to unleash the full potential.
In other words, the beast could copy the blood donor's ability without any restriction, limited only by its own strength and cultivation base.
And in the future, when Zhou Sichen fuses with it, he'd be able to replicate not just spirit beast abilities—but even a Spirit Master's martial soul and soul skills—without any loss in power.
If Zhou Sichen's own foundation was superior, the replicated ability could even become stronger than the original.
Furthermore, once the Mirror Image Beast broke through the 100,000-year level, it wouldn't be limited to copying one target at a time.
After breaking through, it could simultaneously replicate up to ten martial souls or spirit beast abilities—and store them permanently, no longer requiring access to the original blood source.
As long as it had sufficient soul power, it could freely switch between these stored powers—like swapping out armor plates.
One moment, fiery explosions. The next, blinding-speed hurricane strikes…
Zhou Sichen could then wield combinations like Elder Mu's Radiant Holy Dragon, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda of the Nine Treasure Clan, or Elder Zhuang's Tree of Life…
Open with a boost from the Glazed Pagoda, charge in with the Holy Dragon's might, and if injured, instantly heal with the Tree of Life…
In short, once the Mirror Image Beast advanced to 100,000 years, unless it encountered a truly overwhelming superpower—
It would be invincible.
Encountering a top-tier soul beast like the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear… as long as the Mirror Image Beast can obtain a single drop of its blood, it essentially becomes a hundred-thousand-year-old Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear.
By that logic, once it reaches the hundred-thousand-year level, the Mirror Image Beast would be virtually invincible among soul beasts of the same tier...
With such an utterly broken ability, it's no wonder no soul beast would want to see a creature like this grow to maturity.
A hundred-thousand-year-old Mirror Image Beast could become any top-tier soul beast that hasn't yet reached full maturity.
If it were to obtain a drop of blood from a ten-thousand-year-old Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, then in an instant—it would become a hundred-thousand-year-old Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.
In truth, this creature is the real bug of the soul beast world.
Regarding the Mirror Image Beast's ability, Zhou Sicheng saw immense potential. In the future, he could even use it to transform into anyone…
However, until the Mirror Image Beast reaches the hundred-thousand-year cultivation level, it still needs to use blood every time it wants to replicate another's abilities. Once the power is used up, it would require another drop of blood to use the ability again—there's no storage function yet.
Fortunately, at the speed Zhou Sicheng was progressing, it wouldn't take long for the Mirror Image Beast to reach that hundred-thousand-year milestone.
In the not-so-distant future, Zhou Sicheng would be able to unleash the true power of the Mirror Image Beast and let its brilliance shine across the world of soul beasts!
Moreover, an outrageous idea crossed Zhou Sicheng's mind. If the Mirror Image Beast is already so broken at a hundred-thousand years, what if… it could obtain a drop of divine blood from Wang Dong'er, who carried the bloodline of a God King? Or from the Emperor Auspicious Beast… or from Ah Yin, the Blue Silver Empress and mother of a God King…
Would the Mirror Image Beast be able to replicate godly bloodlines?
The mere thought brought a strange smile to Zhou Sicheng's lips.
Leaving aside other possibilities, if he could truly use the Emperor Auspicious Beast's blood to create a second one… even Di Tian would probably worship him, wouldn't he?
After all, a single Emperor Auspicious Beast brought tremendous fortune to the Star Dou Great Forest. Two of them? That would be double the luck…
Thinking of this, Zhou Sicheng couldn't help but smile subtly.
With this Mirror Image Beast by his side, never mind anything else—for the upcoming tournament alone, he could become the Mu En of two hundred years ago, reviving the glory of the Holy Light Dragon.
Hardly anyone knew how many descendants Elder Mu En actually had, so Zhou Sicheng could completely play the part of one…
At that thought, Zhou Sicheng couldn't help but laugh.
****
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