Chapter 44 – Beast Contract

Kieran was currently in conflict. After several days of traveling with Luna, he found an island with a high concentration of crystal essence and wanted to explore it, but the problem was Luna.

Luna was wailing as if she was crying, sending wave after wave of energy into Kieran.

"I tell you, I'll come back. I'm only going to explore for a few days."

Luna's wails were getting louder and louder.

*sigh*

"How am I going to convince her."

"It's truly amazing that she has become so attached to you in such a short period."

"Yes, I don't know what I'm going to do when I have to leave."

Hearing his words, Luna's wails grew even louder.

He could hear her crying in his mind with each wave of energy she sent him.

"Although I wouldn't recommend it since a spiritual whale has very little combat ability and can't leave the water, it is possible to form a beast contract with her."

"A beast contract? Isn't that only possible by those with this type of ability?"

"No, there is, of course, a difference between the two. Those who have the beast contract ability can form multiple contracts and undo them as they see fit. For all other cultivators, it is possible to form a beast contract only once in their entire life."

"How do I do that?"

"You can't yet. Luna is a Bronze rank. It's impossible for you to form a contract with her until you reach the same rank or a higher rank than her."

"Okay, I'll wait until I reach Bronze rank to form a contract with her before I leave."

"Are you sure about that? You can only form one contract in your entire life."

"I'm sure! Are you okay with it, Luna?"

A happy wail came from Luna as she expelled water from her blowhole.

"Alright, then, wait for me here patiently. I'll be back in a few days."

He turned around and started to enter the island. After he took only a few steps away from Luna, the crying wails came back once again.

*sigh*

'Don’t turn around. Don’t turn around.'

Kieran chants in his head as he moves away without turning back.

***

The island had a large forest surrounding a huge mountain more than 10,000 meters high, whose top was hidden by the clouds that he could see in the distance.

He was walking quietly through the forest, holding Shard of a Broken World in his right hand while his left hand was stretched out in front of him. A circle of crystal essence was forming above his palm. Every few seconds, he was controlling his crystal essence to scan the area around him. Although he spent a lot of time on the sea with Luna, most of his time, he was training his two techniques and learning to control his crystal essence.

Thanks to Runihoril's advice, the current range he could reach with his crystal sense was 50 meters around his body, and he could estimate the cultivation level by feeling the crystal essence of a crystal beast.

Kieran stared at the circle that extended from his palm with a sigh.

"It would be nice if I could spread my crystal sense all over the island."

"At your current rank, it's impossible. If you manage to better control your crystal essence, you could extend it up to a maximum of 100 meters at your current rank."

"You could let me hope."

"Your crystal sense covers enough range. Most crystal beasts don't know how to use crystal sense until they reach Gold rank. You will have an advantage over them."

"I guess. Anyway, the crystal essence on this island is much richer than any other we've seen so far."

"There must be a vein of crystal essence flowing under this mountain. It's not just the crystal essence that's in abundance here. There's also a high concentration of earth element that fills the whole island."

"Does that mean earth elemental stones can be found here?"

"It's possible."

Kieran’s eyes began to shine as excitement invaded his body.

"Why are you so happy?"

"I need an earth elemental stone to evolve my crystal tree into the Bronze rank."

"Have you already chosen an evolution path for your crystal trees?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure of yourself? Once you take a path you won't be able to turn back, some path of evolution ends the moment it begins. You shouldn't rush your choice."

"I am sure."

"Okay, I won't try to change your mind."

He looked at the mountain in the distance before turning towards Runihoril.

"Do you have any idea where an earth elemental stone could form?"

"All the earth element of this island seems to converge towards the mountain. If I'm not mistaken, everything converges toward its summit. That's where you can find an elemental earth stone."

Kieran sighed, "Looks like I have no choice but to climb the mountain."

"You stayed on the sea for a long time. A walk in the mountains will do you good."

He started to move towards the mountain range, discouraged.

***

Inside a huge cave at the top of the mountain, a massive beast was lying down, slowly moving its body, each of its movements causing a slight tremor, and with each of its breaths, the crystal essence in the surroundings became rarefied.

The beast suddenly opened its eyes, revealing a pair of slit golden eyes. The beast rose slowly, causing the whole cave to shake.

The beast measured 30 meters in height. It possessed a long body, measuring 60 meters from the top of its head to the tip of its thick tail.

Its body looked like a wingless dragon. It was covered with dull yellow and brown scales, pieces of rock resembling scales forming from his four legs spreading all the way down its body to its tail. Horns made of rock pointed forward on its head and under its jaws. Every muscle in its body seemed to contain devastating power. Large protruding claws adorned each of its legs, and its long thick tail had rock spikes at the end.

A powerful crystal essence emanated from the beast stretching for 1 kilometer. When something came into contact with its crystal essence, the beast's body exuded a bloody aura as a deep roar echoed throughout the mountain.