The Ascension of Contracted Spirits

Chapter 36 - 35: Lizard People_1

"What happened next?" Ye Hanjun asked.

"Next?" The Desert Witch seemed taken aback. She sighed despondently, "I wandered for more than a decade after that."

"You managed to survive before you even turned one and before you’d learned any skills?" Ye Hanjun asked, interested.

"Maybe it was luck. During my weakest period, I didn’t encounter any fatal wild beasts."

"Even though I could only find berries, wild grass, and tree bark to eat and was always starving, I managed to stay alive."

The Desert Witch spoke calmly, as if recounting some insignificant details:

"Sometimes, I felt as if death was constantly chasing me. This oppressive feeling continued day and night, until I understood my first skill."

"Limited by my innate defects, my skills were weak and could only provide basic protection and combat abilities."

"But I was content, avoiding movement at night and staying in half-closed caves as much as possible just to stay alive."

"During the day, I’d go out to find food. I wouldn’t go near the dens of dangerous creatures and would only move about in the safest areas."

"I managed to grow by picking up the leftovers of the monsters and eating the few edible plants I could find. That’s how I survived my weakest period."

"No wonder..."

Thinking about the core personality he had witnessed during the talent identification, Ye Hanjun seemed enlightened.

"Master, the story is long. Do you want to continue listening?"

The Desert Witch looked up, uncertain if she should continue her tale.

"No one can disturb us at present," Ye Hanjun responded nonchalantly.

Although he was collecting information, he remained alert. Everything around him, even the slightest rustling of grass, was noticed.

For now, there were no new visitors.

Jiang Haowen, Jiang Meng, and the others had moved further away, significantly distant from his location.

"Just like human mercenary groups, even among Fond Spirit ecosystems, different races may establish cooperative relationships.

"Around when I was five, I met such companions."

"One was a demi-human Cat Girl, another was a beautiful and intelligent Light Butterfly, and lastly a kind and honest Black Rhino."

"The Cat Girl was skilled in reconnaissance and guerilla warfare, serving as our ’eyes’ and ’claws’."

"The Light Butterfly was a great flyer and mastered healing skills; highly compatible with my attributes, it served as our ’staff’."

"The Black Rhino was a wild beast, quite slow-witted."

"But when danger arose, it was always the first to charge, without a doubt our ’spear’."

The Desert Witch seemed lost in memories, her turbid eyes reflecting the past, she sighed lightly:

"And me... I was mediocre in everything and weak in all respects."

"At first, I was the weakest in the group, but with time, through coordination and honing our skills, I gradually became both the ’shield’ and the ’mind’ of the team."

"Though we didn’t speak the same language, we hunted together, lived together, and spent six years this way."

At this point, the Desert Witch paused significantly. Her eyes filled with bloodshot regret, a chilling killing intent oozing out:

"But! Everything changed when I turned 12! I lost everything!"

"A horde of Lizard People attacked us. Using both their numerical superiority and higher rank, they slaughtered countless creatures."

"I watched as the Cat Girl, the Light Butterfly, and the Black Rhino died one after another."

"When it was my turn, either anger or sorrow stirred an unknown power within me. The Lizard Person that had captured me was severely injured by me, allowing me to escape and run desperately..."

"By the time I fully came to my senses, I had escaped the hunting grounds of the Lizard People, traversed dozens of miles, and entered the Giant Frog Marsh..."

"Lizard People?" Ye Hanjun stroked his chin, raising an eyebrow.

Sure enough, these bottom-dwelling demi-humans favored living in groups.

They typically conducted hunting activities during certain seasons each year, using this as a way to test whether their tribe members were fit for adulthood or to select the most capable warriors for greater glory.

It seemed like the Desert Witch and her three companions had encountered such a situation and suffered a tragic end.

But... a power surge?

Ye Hanjun’s eyes sparkled, but he remained patient, gesturing for the witch to continue.

"I lost my companions, and my happiness vanished once more."

"Suffering significant injuries, I subsisted in a daze."

"But disaster had just begun, at my worst state, I encountered human forces no weaker than the Lizard People."

"I had no power to resist. My hands were shackled, a metal tag hung around my neck, I lost my freedom and became a slave."

The Desert Witch then showed a mocking smile and sneered:

"I still remember their excited shouts when they found me."

"However, their laughter ceased immediately and turned into raging anger once they confirmed that I was a Grey Flash and inherently flawed."

"At that time, I couldn’t understand the language of humans."

"But as the clues piled up, I realized that they planned to squeeze out all my value."

"Since I wasn’t suitable as a contracted spirit, they decided to sell me as a sex slave to the black market auction houses who would then sell me at a high price to rich clients with specific tastes."

Ye Hanjun gently nodded, his eyes showing a hint of pity.

This world is like this, where the strong rule the weak at their will.

If you want to have a say, you must rely on the strength that can overthrow the order, with no shortcuts available.

"I heard that in the end, it was the senior students of Canghai Pavilion who saved you?"

"It’s those fools." The Desert Witch sneered, "They are too greedy. They dare to harbor wicked thoughts even when they encounter a beautiful woman who is alone."

"It’s a pity that I was weak and powerless at the time, unable to witness the full battle."

"By the time I came to, all that was left were bodies all over the ground."

"Quite a killing intent." Ye Hanjun remained calm and composed, "So, do you owe that woman a life?"

"Yes." The Desert Witch didn’t dodge the question and nodded:

"I fell into a deep sleep for some time, and when I woke up again, I was already in Canghai Pavilion."

"I stayed in the relief center for almost half a year, until today..."

Ye Hanjun pondered for a moment, then continued to ask:

"I roughly understand what happened in the past. What I’m interested in is, what changes has your body undergone after your first uncontrollable outbreak?"

"Changes?" The Desert Witch looked down, staring blankly at the iron chain on her chest, and replied in a bewildered manner:

"I was just weak, but after thousands of training sessions and real battles, I can at least skillfully control my capabilities."

"Since I lost control, my body feels like it’s filled with all sorts of messy things. They would suddenly cause sharp pains and constantly corrode my internal organs."

"When it accumulates after a certain period, it will explode, tearing my flesh, twisting my soul, driving me mad, and then plunging me into an unconscious state of destruction, instinctively attacking nearby creatures and even buildings."

"As I expected!" Ye Hanjun’s eyes brightened. He had predicted from the start that the purpose of the iron chain was to extract energy.

Although it would cause continuous pain to the witch, such damage was negligible compared to losing control and going on a rampage.

"Does the master know the cause of my disease?"

The desert witch raised her head. At a height of one meter, she was looking up at the nearly one hundred and nine meters tall Ye Hanjun, as if staring at a giant.

Her eyes were filled with curiosity. This question had obviously troubled her for a long time, keeping her up at night.

"Did everyone tell you that this was due to the Grey Flash, that your bloodline inherently has too much unpredictability... and so on?"

"Isn’t it?"

The Desert Witch’s pupils shrank, her breath held subconsciously.

"They’re right."

"But..."

Ye Hanjun smirked, watching the light in the witch’s eyes quickly dim and then quickly brighten, and he nonchalantly continued:

"A critical outbreak causing the physical condition to deteriorate, becoming unstable, and possibly turning into a bomb at any moment... these are indeed related to the Grey Flash."

"But the core issue is that people think the Grey Flash is useless and devoid of any potential to change. They always look down on you, ignore you, forget you, pity you... and are always biased against you."

"Including your people, who see you as an omen, a disgrace. They drove you away, banished you... and belittled you."

"But today I can tell you, you are actually a dusty gem. Inside, you are crystal clear and infinitely radiant!"

"A gem??"

The Desert Witch was stiff. She, who had never heard such an evaluation before, was first shocked and then puzzled.

"How could that be? How can I be a gem?"

"A Fond Spirit of a medium bloodline can grow to a Mud-cast fetus Perfection in five or six years."

"It took me 13 years to barely reach Mud-cast fetus Great Completion. With such a growth rate... am I still worthy of being called a ’gem’?"

"Remember, I said ’dusty’."

Ye Hanjun chuckled casually, not taking it to heart:

"Until you wipe off the dust on your surface, you will never know whether the core of your being is waste or gold."

"..." The Desert Witch fell silent, as if there was a dense fog in front of her eyes. She reached out to clear it, but it only passed through her fingers, and she couldn’t see the path in front of her at all.

"Don’t believe me?" Ye Hanjun snapped his fingers, about to speak.

Suddenly, a sharp pain came from his heart, as if a heavy hammer had hit him hard.

"Puff!"

Ye Hanjun’s body lost its balance, and he suddenly gripped the railing in front of him.

His head did not hit the railing, no blood was shed due to the close call.

A stream of crimson blood... splashed on the ground!

A string of blood, running down the corner of his mouth, slowly trickling...

"Cough...cough!"

Ye Hanjun coughed violently, his face was still as pale as frost under the reflection of the shadow, horrifying and shocking.

"Master, what’s wrong with you?!"

The Desert Witch was startled and yanked the chain, lunging two steps forwards.

She wanted to reach across the railing to help support Ye Hanjun.

Realizing she had no palms, only scorpion pincers and a scorpion tail, the action of assisting abruptly stopped.