Kate's expression changed as the environment suddenly grew icy. Frost began to creep across the floor, and even the duo felt their hearts started to freeze. Her eyes were blazing with fierceness; the calmness she once wore was now replaced by a chilling glare.
"YOU BOTH ARE TRULY BOLD TO CONTINUE THIS TRICK. I SHOULD HAVE TAUGHT YOU A LESSON MUCH EARLIER!" Kate roared, her fury now unrestrained. A whip unfurled in her hand once more, but this time its aura was wholly different—it seemed ready to tear them apart, to truly fulfill its purpose.
"No! It hasn't come to this, Young Miss Kate. It's really not us this time!" Blood interjected quickly, repressing her rage as she raised the weapon. She looked truly enraged now; her overbearing aura of the Silver Realm began to press down upon them like mountain.
Blood knew with certainty that he was no match for her, even with Ballock at his side and their newly gained strength. The young miss was far beyond them, a cultivator of the Silver Realm, and they couldn't defeat her no matter what they tried. So, he tried to make the matter clear.
However, Kate spoke first before he could. "If it wasn't you, then who is it this time?" her icy voice rang out as she stepped back warily from the translucent portal, suspicion began to flicker in her eyes as if expecting another person to emerge.
"I honestly cannot say more than this, or there will be severe consequences for both of us." Blood admitted, wanting to drag the matter while he secretly planned his escape.
But before he could feel relieved, he saw her whip twitching. He was now clearly in a pinch.
"No matter what, you must sign this contract if you want to hear more from me." Blood pressed, collecting a slate from the air and refusing to explain further.
Kate mused coldly, her voice still sharp as ice. "You have no say in this. You had better start speaking while I am still at ease. You will be truly overwhelmed once I begin."
The air between them grew tense, stiffened by the unpleasant pressure radiating from Kate. Her aura weighed upon them like an icy shroud. Blood knew he was lacking, and this young lady was dangerously unpredictable—she could lash out at any moment, and he would be the one to suffer the brunt of it.
Yet, despite the suffocating tension, he persisted, unwilling to yield so easily.
Gritting his teeth under the pressure, he went to say, "There will be no progress unless young miss signs the contract. And another thing—you must understand that I lose the same whether I tell you or not.
"Besides, the moment something happens to me, the portal collapses instantly. I am certain your obsession lies with the portal, not with me. There is no way you are truly interested in me." Blood sneered coolly, though his voice trembled toward the end.
There was no way the young miss was interested in him; her attention had been wholly consumed by the portal the moment it flared into existence. He and Ballock were the only link she had to the portal's entrance, and perhaps that was the sole reason she bothered to speak with them at all.
Blood knew this, and he understood that the portal was his only leverage which he could exploit to stand against her.
"Empty talk!" Kate spat, gritting her teeth as her eyes narrowed toward the contract's terms.
The portal's entrance pulsed strangely, radiating a sophisticated energy that could not be ignored. No matter how much they had disrespected her, Kate couldn't deny her interest. She had to see this through to the end.
Furthermore, contracts were pacts, etched with runes to seal agreements between two or more entities. Once signed, their terms became binding, and no one could go against them without dire consequence. Across the world, such contracts were used to secure deals, and many variations existed—each carrying its own terms.
Blood intended to utilize the power of a contract to conceal the portal. There was no way he would allow free passage into that place. It would be the same as allowing hidden treasuries to slip away very easily.
"Never!" Kate snapped the instant her eyes fell upon the third term of the contract.
"So, without your permission I won't be able to access the portal? Is that it? Won't this make you the overall master of everything inside the realm?" She frowned, her eyes knitting with threat, her tone dripping with disbelief.
This guy can't be serious! There was no way she would agree to that.
"That's all I ask, and only then will I speak further. It is not that I care for you though, but there are powerful entities within. The moment you step into that portal without our guidance, I assure you—you will die." Blood declared, his voice now firm, as he sparred with her in words.
Kate grimaced at his warning but soon puffed her chest defiantly. "Hehe! This is one of the funniest things I've heard yet. Since you don't care about me, you should simply let me explore the realm and die as you've said." she fired back, her sinister look unwavering.
"That would have been a pleasure," Blood said, his voice steady, "but it seems you still don't understand." He sighed.
"If you enter the realm and are killed—and undoubtedly you will be—then how are we to escape this place? Furthermore, there will be guards protecting this place. How are we to maneuver through them all?" He cleared his throat and pressed on.
"Let's make this simple. If you can send us out unseen, then you are free to enter as you wish. Your certain death won't be pinned upon us."
Kate suddenly fell into a long silence, her thoughts turning inward as she realized the weight of his words. Her lips twitched; it had been long since she had spoken so much.
If she entered the portal and perished, they would be trapped here, unable to leave. Worse still, if anyone saw them while escaping, they would be apprehended. And once her absence was discovered, she knew that woman would question them endlessly until she was found.
Besides, if she was never found, the punishment wouldn't fall upon them alone—it would extend to their families, and to all who had ever known them. Her father's rage was infamous, and she knew well how overbearing he could be. The entire region would be plunged into chaos if not wiped out entirely.
She scowled, but a thought soon popped in her mind. She kept it carefully to herself.
As if sensing the thoughts stirring within her, Ballock—who had been silently observing the exchange, finally spoke out.
"I know you must be wondering why we didn't simply exit through the portal entrance that brought us into the realm, since we clearly didn't enter from here, right? The truth is, we cannot. As we mentioned before, our situation is complicated.
"That entrance collapsed the instant we entered, and we suffered greatly before we finally discovered this exit. Trust me, it was no easy ordeal." Ballock's voice carried reflection, his mind lingering on the perilous struggle they had endured.
The contract that they presented was no ordinary one—it was a grade-6 contract that was discovered within the domain itself. Blood understood its significance, and yet he chose to use it regardless, determined to keep this matter bound between them.
The portal to the Red Domain—as Blood had named it—had to remain a secret at all costs. That place held potential far greater than any he had seen before. Furthermore, they had not even begun to explore its depths.
Kate, however, was taken aback as she finally recognized the contract's worth. It was astonishing that these kids could produce a grade six contract. As she analyzed its terms, she became cautious. She wondered what difficulty they had faced in there, and whether their words were truly genuine.
With her knowledge, she understood the gravity of such a contract. Grade-6 contracts were of immense importance—so much so that even top sects and clans didn't use them lightly. They were reserved only for the most significant of deals.
Moreover, she knew such contracts could only be broken by one with the soul strength of a sixth realm expert, or with the aid of someone at that level. Even with the help of the later, it was nevertheless difficult.
Realizing that they had reached a stalemate, and that Blood and Ballock would not yield, Kate finally agreed to sign the contract. Yet her scornful expression betrayed her disdain.
What Blood didn't know was that, despite the contract's formidable grade, Kate possessed a way to break it. She had never truly feared its binding power; she had only played along.
Although contracts were said to be unbreakable, there were those at the peak of the world who could defy such terms. Her father was one of them, and he had not kept this knowledge from her.
She gingerly signed the contract, her mind already calculating.
Likewise, what Kate did not realize was that the moment Blood brought forth the contract, the Blood Book panel appeared before him once again. It was a sight he had grown accustomed to.
[Grade 6 Sealing Contract identified]
[Recommended: Soul Bounding Contract]
[Purchase Amount: 10000 Exp]
[Description: Able to seal an impenetrable contract by transiting and merging into other contracts. Could be revoked when the Host wills]
[Abilities (1): Impenetrable]
[Abilities (2): Untraceable]
[Uniqueness: Can be used repeatedly, each time costs 10000 Exp]
[Limitations (1): Cannot be used by anyone other than the Host]