"By the way, what level are you at?"
Bai Hao probed inwardly, determined not to miss the chance to learn more about her.
Judging by appearances, her strength must be considerable—otherwise, a Spirit Emperor realm expert wouldn't be chasing after her. That meant her perspective on this world was far broader than his own, seeing as he was still new to everything here. It would be a waste not to use this opportunity to learn from her.
Yet the spiritual contract mark remained as still as stagnant water, without a single ripple. Elisa stayed silent, giving no sign she intended to respond.
Bai Hao's lips curved into a slightly awkward, cold smile—but the chill transmitted through the spiritual bond carried clear emotional weight. "If you won't answer my question, I'll have no choice but to turn you over to the authorities. I'm sure that beautiful Spirit Empress would be delighted to take you in."
Are you threatening me?
Elisa's voice grew colder still from within the spirit pact mark.
Bai Hao paid no mind. With her fate in his hands, there was no need to overcomplicate things. "If you don't want to answer, then yes—you can think of it that way."
Another suffocating silence followed.
After a moment, Elisa finally relented.
"I'm a high-level Holy Spirit. On any other day, killing you a thousand times over would be as easy as drinking water."
Her tone was thick with resentment, and one could easily picture her grinding her teeth as she spoke.
"That's quite something."
Bai Hao replied casually, though inwardly he was genuinely shocked. He could barely handle an ordinary low-level Spirit Master, let alone a high-level Holy Spirit. In the past, she could have killed him without breaking a sweat.
But now their positions were reversed. Bound by the spiritual contract, she couldn't harm him—and because she was being hunted, she was forced to submit to his will.
"Wouldn't it have been better to be cooperative from the start? As long as you behave, I won't hand you over."
Elisa didn't respond, but her emotional fluctuations were intense. A muffled hum emanated from the mark, her feelings roiling like a raging storm. If not for the contract restraining her, this fragile body would likely have been torn apart by the force of her will.
...
Bang!
A twisted, foul-smelling alien beast was crushed into the jagged rock ground beneath delicate feet. The sound of cracking bones sent shivers down the spine.
Zhi Youyue's eyes gleamed like lightning as she scanned the dark, gloomy rift valley. Her beautiful face was etched with icy resolve and frustration.
"Where did that Demon Spirit Clan woman run off to? We've searched the entire secret realm and found no trace of her!"
In her hunt for Elisa, she'd even rooted out several hidden alien operatives who hadn't yet made their move—but still, no sign of her target.
The other races hadn't sent any Saint-level experts; such beings were rare and served as the backbone of their peoples. While Emperor-grade talents were precious, with a few appearing every year or two, they weren't worth deploying top forces over. Only if an Emperor-grade Spirit Master emerged—rather than just a Spirit Envoy—would they draw greater attention.
The difference between an Emperor-grade Spirit Master and an Emperor-grade Spirit Envoy was like heaven and earth. The former had unparalleled potential and growth prospects, while the latter, though gifted, had a clear upper limit that didn't inspire excessive fear. Even so, Emperor-grade talents of any kind were almost guaranteed to reach Spirit Emperor level once fully grown—so other races would always try to eliminate them early, rather than leave a future threat.
In this case, Elisa hadn't even been necessary; the other races' highest operatives were only low-level Holy Spirits. But she'd been nearby in Suzhou and Hangzhou, and the bounty for killing an Emperor-grade Demon Clan talent was substantial—so she'd decided to join in.
She'd never imagined two human Spirit Emperors would appear out of nowhere, pushing her into such a desperate predicament—and forcing her to become bound to a human youth. For her, this was worse than death. If she could turn back time, she'd never set foot in Suzhou or Hangzhou again.
But there were no second chances in this world.
"Losing track of a single Holy Spirit isn't a catastrophe—as long as the Emperor-grade awakener is safe."
Zhi Youyue's dark eyes flashed, though she sighed inwardly. "Still, letting a Holy Spirit slip through my fingers will no doubt make me the subject of ridicule."
Standing beside her was Xiao Chunan, his arms transformed into dragon limbs, supporting himself with one hand. Zhi Youyue had just intervened to save him from an alien attack—the aftershock alone had shattered the bone in his dragon arm. For an ordinary person, their entire limb would have been reduced to dust.
Now that she'd found the Emperor-grade Spirit Envoy, Zhi Youyue had no intention of continuing her pursuit of Elisa. Her top priority was getting Xiao Chunan to safety; concerns about her reputation would have to wait.
She glanced at the disheveled Xiao Chunan and spoke in a clear, cold, decisive tone. "Come with me first. We'll discuss everything else later."
Like a ghost, she drifted to his side. Before he could react, a warm yet terrifyingly powerful hand rested on his shoulder. The air rippled like water, and in the next moment, both figures vanished from the oppressive atmosphere of the secret realm—leaving only a faint echo of spiritual pressure behind.
...
Hiding behind a rock crevice, Bai Hao caught sight of that familiar streak of brilliant light cutting through the dark sky above Weeping Sky Gorge, eventually disappearing toward one of the realm's exits.
"Sigh, when did I become the one left behind to fend for myself?"
He muttered under his breath, his tone a mix of envy and helplessness.
Looking around, the vast Weeping Sky Gorge lay deathly still. The fierce mountain apes that once clung to high cliffs, and the strange beasts that roamed near the streams, had all vanished—cowering deep in cave crevices, trembling in silence. Not a single beast could be seen anywhere along the stream banks. The aura of the powerful beings had been so overwhelming that even low-level creatures dared not show themselves.
"What rotten luck. Looks like we'll have to wait until everyone's gone."
Gao Lan, with his Saint Spirit realm abilities, could easily spot Bai Hao moving below—but he simply assumed the boy was unwilling to abandon his exam results. He wouldn't force Bai Hao to leave; it was his choice, and an outsider had no right to interfere. After all, he'd already warned him about the dangers—they were all adults who needed to take responsibility for their actions.
Gao Lan worked efficiently, evacuating all students from Weeping Sky Gorge within half an hour. Before leaving the realm, he looked down from the cliff at Bai Hao, still wandering below, and shook his head in bemusement.
"Why risk your life for an exam? The Xia Kingdom Education Bureau has provisions for special cases—they might arrange a retest in another secret realm. Any other realm would be better than this godforsaken place."
"Stubborn kid. I've done all I can—you chose this path yourself... good luck."
Even for a Holy Spirit like Gao Lan, dangerous terrain like Weeping Sky Gorge required caution. Falling from tens or hundreds of meters would injure even a Holy Spirit without proper protection—and as a support-type spirit user with limited physical strength, a misstep could spell disaster.
Gao Lan shook his head, turned, and left the secret realm. His figure slowly faded into the glowing halo at the exit.
With him gone, and any others who might have escaped long since fled, no one would care whether Bai Hao lived or died.