Published: February 10, 2025
A Contract Rune first appeared in the sea of consciousness.
Although Ye Zhongming's mental power was not as strong as that of the three-legged person, once the total amount of mental power reached a certain level, there would be a strong protective awareness, like a "shell" on the periphery of the mind. When faced with external mental power attacks, this shell would automatically activate its protective function.
However, when facing a mental power attack stronger than one's own, the time that this shell could provide protection was not long. For example, it might only be able to withstand the mental power of the three-legged person for perhaps one second, but that second would be enough for Ye Zhongming to sever the connection between them.
This was also the reason why that person said the contract could be terminated at any time; only when mental power reached a certain level could one perceive the existence of this shell.
The incoming energy did not recklessly crash into this shell but stayed there, forming a Contract Rune. After Ye Zhongming accepted it, both parties entered into a mental contract.
This was also a capability that could only be comprehended after mental power reached a certain level; it was not complicated. Essentially, it involved opening a certain degree of one's own spirit to allow the other party to "plant a seed." The purpose was mainly to sign certain contracts, which could prevent the other party from breaking promises, as doing so would result in extremely severe mental trauma. The more mental power one had, the greater the injury would be.
After signing the mental contract, Ye Zhongming released himself, and that power began to enter the sea of consciousness.
Ye Zhongming found it hard to describe the feeling at that moment with precise words—there was a warmth, a slight sting, a sense of floating, and a sense of intoxication... In short, he felt as if his spirit had been extracted, leading to a feeling of detachment and emptiness.
He didn't know how long it had been, but when that feeling disappeared, Ye Zhongming found everything around him had suddenly become incredibly clear. He was keeping his eyes closed, yet he could "see" everything around him with precision.
The stone patterns at the bottom of the Sacred Pool above him, the pockmarks on the nearby stone pillar, the dust in the cracks of the floor tiles, the pores on the face of the three-legged person...
He knew this was due to a significant increase in his mental power.
Ye Zhongming opened his eyes, and an invisible force surged violently outward from him, creating a gust of wind in the hall even though nothing was visible. The everlasting lamps in the area flickered wildly from the force.
This was a mental field, a mental field that was almost materialized.
"I do not possess the Great Thousand Soul Refining Technique, because when it comes to body techniques and soul techniques, even the most gifted individuals can only master one. However, soul techniques are fundamentally interconnected. If you fully grasp the mental power that I pass on to you, your soul technique can reach the highest level. As for whether you can achieve further breakthroughs, that will depend on your own talent and luck."
The three-legged person appeared even weaker than before, clearly having exhausted a considerable amount of energy upgrading Ye Zhongming's soul technique, the Great Thousand Soul Refining Technique.
"Can it be upgraded again?" Ye Zhongming frowned, previously it was stated that it was the highest level. What do you mean by saying there are higher levels now?
"Not in the way you understand it. In all of space-time, energy has no limits. When you think you've reached a maximum, it's merely that you can no longer find a way to progress. But there will inevitably be opportunities to break through limitations. Although such chances may not appear for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, we cannot deny their existence. Otherwise, how could so many levels in our respective power systems have emerged? They appeared only after breaking through one limitation after another. Perhaps millions of years ago, the highest level in the world was only level three."