Han Lian's mouth twitched. What was with this white polar bear? It ate her pill, then refused to form a contract.
Han Lian was ready to roll up her sleeves and beat the bear into submission, then contract it afterward. With Yun Chen backing her up, she was not worried about a sneak attack.
Seeing Han Lian's posture, Yun Chen understood she was determined to obtain this fifth-rank white polar bear. Given their standoff with the evil cultivators, adding a new ally was a good thing. He decided to bend the rules for once and help Han Lian secure the contract.
"Amitabha. I will lend you a hand."
Han Lian waved him off. "No need. Just watch. A contract beast should be taken down by its master."
At that moment, the white polar bear surfaced again. It swam to the edge of the ice lake, pushed with its hind legs, and clambered ashore. Under Han Lian and Yun Chen's gaze, it shook the water from its fur, then spoke.
"Human cultivator, your spiritual root aligns well with mine. If you keep your promises, I am willing to contract with you.
But as the ruler of this area, I will not accept a master–servant contract. Only an equal contract. If you refuse, we fight. That is my bottom line. I will not compromise."
Han Lian's mouth twitched again, but she nodded in the end. She wanted a helping hand, not dead weight. If the white polar bear were unwilling and tripped her up in battle, even if she could drag it to the grave with her, it would not be worth it. She intended to ascend.
That would betray her original purpose. Better to agree now and form an equal contract with the bear's full consent.
So Han Lian answered readily. Under Yun Chen Fózǐ's witness, she forged an equal contract with the fifth-rank white polar bear. When the contract seals sank into the brows of both human and bear, the pact was complete.
"Amitabha. Congratulations, Han Lian Daoyou, on gaining another ally."
Beaming, Han Lian rubbed the polar bear's head. "Likewise. Without you holding the field, this would not have gone so smoothly."
She smiled at the bear. "My dao title is Han Lian. You are my contract spirit beast, so take my 'Han' as your surname. I will call you Han Baifeng. How about it?"
The white polar bear shook its head, not quite used to Han Lian's touch. But it was clearly pleased to have a name.
"Human names carry meaning. What does this one mean?"
"'Han' marks your seniority in my sect. 'Bai' is for your white fur, since you are a white polar bear. 'Feng' means the summit of a mountain, signifying that you will one day stand at the peak of this realm. Satisfied?"
Han Lian had put thought into the name.
The newly named white polar bear, Han Baifeng, nodded in satisfaction. "From now on I am Han Baifeng. Let us depart."
Han Baifeng shook his head again.
Yun Chen Fózǐ smiled. "How did you know we were in a hurry? Where did you go just now?"
Baifeng turned to Yun Chen. "Cultivators who enter the secret realm do not linger here if they do not wish to fight me. I went back to collect the treasures I guard."
He was clearly pleased with Han Lian's terms. After personally verifying the pill's effects, he was ready to leave.
This time it was Han Lian's mouth that twitched. She unceremoniously vaulted onto Baifeng's back, beckoned Yun Chen up as well, and the three shot off at full speed toward Ran Xi's location.
With Baifeng, a local overlord, in the lead, they encountered almost no brainless snow beasts along the way. With Baifeng as the perfect navigator, they tore through the blizzard for two hours and arrived at Ran Xi's law house.
The moment they stopped before the vermilion doors, the doors opened. Ran Xi and Xun Kun were there to greet them.
Seeing the familiar black-and-white pair, Baifeng gave a shake, tossing Han Lian and Yun Chen off, then sat obediently behind Han Lian.
Yunxi and Xun Kun exchanged a look. Yunxi smiled. "You two also fell into the ice lake?"
"Also?"
Han Lian caught on that single word and suddenly understood. "You and Xun Kun fell into the ice lake when you first came in?"
Xun Kun nodded. "Yes. We also found your new friend, but it hid. Ran Xi was quite taken with its fur."
Baifeng flicked his ears, grateful he had not acted rashly. Otherwise he might have become a bear pelt. Do not ask why. Instinct told him the woman in white was even more frightening than his contractor. If he did not want an ugly death, it was best to stay hidden.
Hearing that Ran Xi and Xun Kun had seen Baifeng first, Han Lian arched a bold brow. "Seems my luck is good. Fortunately you spared its fur, so I had a chance to contract it."
Xun Kun chuckled. "Come inside. We have new findings to share."
The four and one bear entered the law house and headed to the second courtyard's reception room.
Baifeng sprawled wherever he pleased in the yard, fished a pill bottle from his inner space, tossed a pill into his mouth, and closed his eyes to refine it.
Seated, Xun Kun recounted what he and Ran Xi had experienced after entering the secret realm, especially the matter of the Hanbing Sect's Zou siblings, the crucial intelligence provided by the Snow Wolf King, and the eight Nascent Soul cultivators resting in the first courtyard.
"Amitabha. Ran Xi Daoyou's compassion averted a calamity. Otherwise the Nascent Soul cultivators here would have clashed with the snow wolves. Even without the hidden evil cultivators making a move, more than half would have died."
Han Lian's expression darkened. She pressed her lips together. "I did not know Hanbing Sect produced such fools. They were trying to drag everyone down with them. Were they bribed by the evil cultivators to stir up chaos?"
Ran Xi shook her head. "Uncertain. There was no time for a soul search. The Snow Wolf King killed them on the spot."
"They got what they deserved."
"Amitabha. In that case, we should head for the center of the secret realm as soon as possible. Who knows how long those Divine Transformation evil cultivators can be contained."
Xun Kun continued, "That place is effectively a land devoid of spiritual energy. Before we enter, we must prepare. We also do not know whether the Nascent Soul evil cultivators have begun hunting the cultivators in this realm. We need to spread word through those resting here, at least to keep the evil cultivators from sowing discord."
Yunxi felt the headache as well. Evil cultivators never played by common rules, and at the same level their lethality was greater. They would not show mercy to righteous cultivators.
"The evil cultivators want to contract the Misty Snow Domain's realm spirit and make the secret realm their mobile nest. They will not let the righteous cultivators leave alive. Without scruples, their methods will only grow more vicious. We must make everyone here realize this as quickly as possible."
Han Lian nodded. "I will handle it. Jihan Gate is the number one sect of the Northern Region. My words still carry weight."
As her voice fell, a thunderous boom rolled in from the distance.