Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Roar of Ice

"It's already too late. You might as well surrender and obediently become my mount," Lin Yanghao declared. Without wasting further words on the Celestial Frost Saber Tiger, he focused on subduing it without delay.

Had it not been for the Beast Control Ring, Lin Yanghao would, at best, be able to fight the Celestial Frost Saber Tiger to a draw. He would never have subdued the beast so easily otherwise.

Lin Yanghao was well aware of the method for forming a master-servant bond with a spirit beast; otherwise, he would not have gone to such lengths. With decisive resolve, he forced out a drop of his own essence blood—after all, not only spirit beasts possess such blood; human cultivators do as well.

"With my blood as the foundation and my spirit as the guide, today I form a master-servant contract with you. Henceforth, you shall never again harbor thoughts of rebellion. Now, obey!"

The drop of blood in Lin Yanghao’s palm instantly transformed into a streak of crimson light and shot into the Beast Control Ring, coalescing into a blood-red beast sigil.

As the seal was completed, an irrepressible smile appeared on Lin Yanghao’s face—a clear sign of success. From this moment on, the Celestial Frost Saber Tiger would be his mount.

There were different types of contracts between humans and spirit beasts: equal contracts and unequal ones. The nature of the contract determined the respective status of master and beast.

The Celestial Frost Saber Tiger let out a low, reluctant growl of submission, yet its heart seethed with rage. Its desire to swallow Lin Yanghao alive was nearly uncontrollable, but the constraints of the master-servant contract prevented any rash actions.

"Hmph, once I recover my strength, your death will come swiftly, and today’s humiliation will be repaid a hundredfold!" The tiger’s thoughts were filled with fury. What Lin Yanghao did not know was that if a spirit beast entered into a master-servant contract with a human, the beast’s cultivation could not far exceed the human’s. If it did, the beast could easily break the contract’s shackles, or even reverse it, turning master into servant.

Among beastkind, nothing was considered more shameful than being forced into a master-servant contract with a human. The old man who had first captured the Celestial Frost Saber Tiger had already driven it nearly mad; now, being bound to Lin Yanghao was the ultimate disgrace.

Despite the barely concealed fury in the beast’s eyes, Lin Yanghao was unmoved. After all, he had forced the contract upon it; resentment was only natural.

"Tell me," Lin Yanghao questioned, "aren’t you an immortal beast? Why is your power so diminished?"

Even the weakest immortal beast should not be so feeble, Lin Yanghao thought. There had to be more to the story.

The question seemed to reignite the beast’s anger, momentarily making it forget its recent humiliation. Witnessing the dramatic shift in the tiger’s demeanor, Lin Yanghao was startled—what had this beast endured to end up in such a state?

"That damned old man tricked me again," the tiger growled in despair. "He cast a barrier around the entire Dragon Martial Continent, but it only affects beasts. That old monster’s power is unfathomable; even an Immortal Lord couldn’t lay a barrier over an entire continent. If the barrier only trapped me, I could have managed. But this one attacks any beast that approaches. If not for my immortal beast cultivation, I’d have been slain outright. Even so, I was gravely wounded and my power fell to that of a high-grade lesser spirit beast. Otherwise, you could never have forced a contract upon me." With that, the tiger turned its head away, lost in thought.

"Calling you ‘Celestial Frost Saber Tiger’ every time is too cumbersome," Lin Yanghao said. "As my mount, you deserve a proper name. From now on, you’ll be called Little Tiger. How’s that?"

He said this deliberately, hoping to lighten the tense atmosphere.

The Celestial Frost Saber Tiger nearly stumbled in disbelief. "Little Tiger"? Was this really the distinguished name Lin Yanghao had in mind?

"Alright then, your name will be Icehowl from now on!" Lin Yanghao couldn’t help but laugh aloud at the beast’s comical reaction.

"Icehowl—now that’s a fine name," the tiger thought, secretly pleased. "It’s bold and suits my identity as an immortal beast. Who would have thought this boy, Lin Yanghao, would be so skilled at naming?" Icehowl accepted the new name with satisfaction.

"Icehowl, since you can’t pass through the barrier, how am I supposed to get you out of here?" Of course, Lin Yanghao could not reveal the existence of the Chaos Ring—especially not to Icehowl, who still harbored deep resentment. He dared not take such a risk.

"If I knew how to escape, would I have waited here all this time, reduced to such a state?" Icehowl scoffed. Despite the contract, the only true restriction was that he could not harm Lin Yanghao; in every other respect, he still far surpassed his new master.

Secretly, Icehowl was elated. Though his power had fallen, in all other aspects he outstripped Lin Yanghao by severalfold. Once his strength returned, it would not take long to break free from Lin Yanghao’s control—of this, he was utterly confident.

"Don’t worry," Lin Yanghao said. "Within ten years, or fifty at most, I’ll dissolve the contract and grant you your freedom. My word is my bond. What do you say?"

With the support of the Chaos Ring and the “Chaos Divine Spirit Art,” Lin Yanghao was confident that his power would grow swiftly. Icehowl, now only a high-grade lesser spirit beast, might never recover his former might. Within ten to fifty years, Lin Yanghao was sure he could secure his own safety—perhaps even find a better beast companion.

Icehowl was tempted by the offer. If Lin Yanghao spoke the truth, then waiting a decade or five was but a fleeting moment for one such as himself. There would be no need to risk everything to escape.