The moonlight filtered gently through the leaves, casting an ethereal silver glow over the riverbank.
Zhu Zhuqing blinked rapidly, her vision blurry from exhaustion, pain, and disbelief.
She saw her sister, Zhu Zhuyun, being carried like a sack of vegetables under the arm of a smiling white-haired stranger.
His presence was casual, almost lazy, but every inch of his bearing exuded confidence. No, it was more than that.
It was sovereignty.
His aura was screaming 'I, alone, am the honored one'!
He wore a black jacket trimmed in silver-blue, with a faint shimmering symbol of a '∞' — mobius strip or a symbol signifying infinity — glowing on his chest.
His white hair was like snow under moonlight, and his sunglasses reflected the moon with a mirror-like sheen. His jawline was sharp, his smile was teasing, and those slightly curled lips exuded an unreasonable charm.
Zhu Zhuqing's heart skipped a beat, her breath taken.
'There is actually such a handsome man in this world?'
She couldn't help but think so, subconsciously.
From the moment she saw him, she felt strangely close to him, and even thought that this man will never harm her.
This was a strange feeling to Zhu Zhuqing.
"Oh? Are both the pretty cat girls too stunned to speak?" Rayne chuckled, gently dropping Zhu Zhuyun onto her feet, "I suppose I am a bit too dazzling."
Zhu Zhuyun recovered quickly, face turning red not out of shame but indignation.
She swiftly leapt backward, claws forming on her fingers as her martial soul activated.
"Who are you?!"
Her voice trembled slightly. Not from fear. From the pressure that casually radiated off this young man like sunlight off a mountain.
Zhu Zhuqing forced herself to sit up, her breathing ragged. "You... you're not from Star Dou Empire. Who are you…?"
The young man chuckled again and extended a polite, mocking bow.
"Rayne Ashburn. A member of Ouroboros Tower. Would-be destroyer of outdated systems. A friend to beautiful sisters lost in the wild."
"You can call me brother Rayne, if you don't mind."
Zhu Zhuyun's eyes widened. Even Zhu Zhuqing's breath hitched.
Ouroboros Tower?!
The name was known across the continent. In just three short years, it had grown from a mysterious organization into an world dominating level force that not even the Three Great Sects dared provoke.
Its headquarters, Ouroboros City, was said to be the most advanced, most secure, and most bizarre city in the known world, filled with flying machines, intelligent tools, and soul engineers trained in the lost knowledge of crafting soul guidance devices.
What these sisters didn't know was that,
At the head of Ouroboros Tower… was this man — Rayne.
Zhu Zhuyun immediately dropped into a defensive stance. "Why are you here?"
Rayne tilted his head, amused.
"Why wouldn't I be here? It's not as if this is a restricted area or something."
"You think it's coincidence that the Star Dou Empire sent Soul Kings and Ancestors to chase down a little girl?"
He turned to Zhu Zhuqing, his voice softening slightly.
"You're strong. Determined. Gifted. But not very bright in the head, it seems. You'd have died many times over, if your sister wasn't pulling her punches."
Zhu Zhuyun's eyes widened, "You… you knew?"
Rayne's smile deepened. "Please. I know the difference between a killing strike and a theatrical one."
Zhu Zhuyun frowned. "What do you want?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he reached into a red-gold spatial portal that appeared behind him, and pulled out a bright object, that seemed to be a nine-colored sheet of paper with gold outlines.
The moment it appeared, the air itself seemed to freeze. The world, it's fundamental laws, resonating with it.
Mysterious runes were floating around this page.
Upon it was a glowing Nine-colored Sigil of a twelve pointed star — infused with the very essence of divine law.
The Super Divine Tool of the God of Contracts.
The Divine Contract!
"This," Rayne said calmly, "is a divine contract invitation. To Ouroboros Tower."
He let the words settle. The night grew deathly still.
Zhu Zhuyun's pupils shrank. "Why… us?"
Zhu Zhuqing looked equally confused.
Rayne smirked. "Because I like you two? You two are strong willed, but without the opportunity to be truly free. Because your clan is leashed by a rotting Empire. Because I like girls with sharp claws and soft hearts."
"Basically, I like you two."
Zhu Zhuyun flushed. "You—!"
"But most importantly." He continued, brushing dust off his shoulder.
"Because I can give you something neither the Star Dou Empire, nor your Clan, nor that pathetic Dai Royal Family ever will."
He turned slowly.
"Freedom. Power. Legacy. I'll give you the opportunity to gain it by your own efforts, without any oppression from those that seek to keep you down."
Zhu Zhuqing's heart pounded.
"You two are warriors born of shadow. One trained to kill her own blood, despite being unwilling to do so. The other trained to escape her own fate, but not understanding how to do it properly. You want to live for yourselves? Then make a choice."
He extended the Divine Contract to them.
Zhu Zhuyun was trembling now. From emotion, not fear.
In front of this man, all her hesitation seems to be cleared.
All her worries about her clan, the deterrence from Dai Family, the vast power of Star Dou Empire...
All these worries seem to be non-existent in this man's presence.
She had a feeling that, if she gambled her future on this man, then the results would be something she can accept.
"Our Clan…" she whispered. "We're nothing but breeders and tools to the Imperial Family. Trained to serve and die. I... I want to end that."
Zhu Zhuqing looked at her sister, stunned.
"Sister… you—"
"I always knew," Zhu Zhuyun said softly, eyes glimmering. "I never hated you. I just wanted you to run. So you wouldn't end up like me."
Rayne sighed dramatically. "Touching. But I have things to attend to, back at the headquarters. So, choose now. Or I'll toss you both into a soul beast nest and see who gets eaten first."
He smiled sweetly.
Zhu Zhuyun bit her lip. Zhu Zhuqing looked at her, then at Rayne… and slowly stood up.
She didn't know why, but she didn't feel any fear or wariness towards Rayne at all.
If anything, she has this strange, but uncontrollable desire to get close to him.
It's as if, they had know each other for a very long time.
And... She felt a sense of absolute security from this white haired young man.
"I'll join." Zhu Zhuqing said firmly.
Zhu Zhuyun hesitated… then laughed bitterly.
"Fine. I'll take this gamble too."
Rayne's smile widened. "Good girls."
He snapped his fingers.
Boom!
A distortion in space appeared behind him — a portal rippling with silver, blue, and violet hues.
"Welcome to Ouroboros Tower. From this moment on, you are no longer pawns or empress candidates of the Empire. You are mine."
This confident voice made the hearts of the two cat women beat rapidly.
Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun exchanged a look.
The first true look they'd shared in years.
Not as enemies. Not as rivals.
But as sisters.
Together, they stepped through the portal.
And behind them, Rayne followed—arms casually behind his head, humming a strange tune.
"Cat girl, I got her. It's even a buy one get one free deal. Magnificent."
A low murmur escaped his lips, destined to not reach the ears of two Zhu sisters.
...
The moment Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun stepped through the silver-rippling portal, the world around them changed.
Gone was the thick canopy of Great Star Dou Forest, the scent of moss, blood, and sweat.
What greeted them instead was a wide, panoramic sky of soft lavender and streaks of gold, painting a breathtaking dusk over an alien land.
Beneath their feet was a smooth black metallic road lined with glowing blue veins of light.
Before them stood a massive city — no, a colossus of architectural marvels — rising into the heavens like a deity's personal palace.
Ouroboros City.
A city birthed not from stone, but from dreams and divine vision.
It is said to be created by the hands of God himself.
A dream-like place that cannot be found anywhere else on the planet.
Floating towers hovered effortlessly in the air, connected by glowing bridges of condensed soul energy.
Glistening skyscrapers of black obsidian and silver glass rose in elegant spirals, inscribed with rotating runes. Soul Guide trains zipped through the air, leaving trails of mist behind them.
Elemental energy in the surroundings… was terrifyingly dense.
Every breath the sisters took felt like they were drinking an elixir. Their bones hummed. Their veins prickled. Their martial souls stirred with excitement.
"This is…Impossible." Zhu Zhuqing whispered in awe.
Zhu Zhuyun's pupils shrank. "The elemental density here is easily thirty times that of any major sect or imperial capital…"
Rayne strolled out behind them, stretching lazily.
"Not bad for a bunch of abandoned scrap metal and some casual handiwork, right?" he said smugly.
"I designed it with quite a bit of flamboyance."
Zhu Zhuyun turned slowly. "You built this?"
Rayne flashed a grin. "Well, what can I say? I'm just that incredible. But yes. Ouroboros Tower was designed and built by yours truly — the God of Contracts."
He revealed this identity, so that these two women can have more trust in his capabilities.
After all, his God of Contracts incarnation has quite the track record against Star Dou Empire.
Sure enough.
Zhu Zhuqing's breath hitched.
"God of… Contracts?" she whispered with a bit of disbelief.
Rayne's expression didn't change. "Don't worry. I'm retired. At least that identity of mine."
As he said this, two figures descended from the sky — both women, both stunningly beautiful.
One had flowing crimson hair and eyes like embers. She wore an ornate flame-patterned robe and hovered in the air with heat waves dancing around her.
The other had sleek blue hair, and the air around her sparkled with mist. Her gown was elegant and icy, her gaze cool yet graceful.
"Huoling. Shuiying," Rayne called lazily. "Escort our new kittens to the residential tower. Give them the Yellow-level clearance."
The two women landed beside him with the elegance of gods.
"Yes, Husband." They said in unison, albeit playfully.
Rayne winced a bit at their call.
They usually call him by his name. But now, in the presence of Zhu sisters, they called him husband.
Their intent is quite clear, to which Rayne didn't have much reaction.
He never had the intention of keeping it hidden anyway.
Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun's jaws nearly dropped.
These women… they were both titled Douluo!
Their pressure wasn't hidden — they were overwhelming. At least Rank 96 or above!
And they just called him husband...?!
Zhu Zhuyun whispered in disbelief, "What is this man…"
"Come with us," Gu Shuiying said gently to the sisters. "You'll be registered into Ouroboros Tower officially. Then, you'll be granted cultivation resources, housing, and a class."
"A class?" Zhu Zhuqing asked.
Gu Huoling chuckled. "We train our people properly here. You'll undergo both individual and group training. You can request duels, sparring matches, and training from senior members."
Zhu Zhuyun frowned. "But we're from Star Dou Empire. Won't people see us as… outsiders?"
Rayne shrugged. "That's your Empire's worldview, not mine. In my city, power and achievements decides status. Status earns freedom."
Zhu Zhuqing looked up at the city in the distance again, where flying soul cannons guarded tall towers and elemental dragons swam through glowing clouds.
This was no mere organization.
It was a world unto itself.
"Let's go," Zhu Zhuyun finally said, gripping her sister's hand.
Zhu Zhuqing blinked at the sudden contact, then nodded.
The two followed Gu Shuiying and Gu Huoling down the radiant path.
As they walked toward the main gates, the stone road beneath their feet lit up with the ouroboros emblem.
[Authorization Level: Pending – Candidates under Observation]
Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun exchanged a look.
This was a gamble.
But if Rayne's words were even half-true… this was the chance of a lifetime.
Behind them, Rayne stood on a hovering platform, hands in his pockets, sunglasses gleaming under the setting sun.
He watched the sisters walk away with a lazy grin.
"Two pawns freed from the board," he murmured. "Let's see how far you two can climb."
"Zhuqing, you always kept going on about freedom in our past life. But your idea of freedom was just joining forces with a decadent Dai Mubai, not to free yourself completely from the shackles of Dai Family. While that is also a way out, it feels quite redundant when you look at your so-called attempts at freedom."
"In this life, I'll show you what being free truly means."
"As long as you're strong enough, you're the most free person in the world."
Then he vanished in a flash of light, returning to his observation deck.
....
Sorry for the late updates.
Have recovered from my illness, but have a lot of things pending in personal matters. Still, I'll try to update some more chapters.
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