I Have 10 Equipment Slots

Chapter 415: Chapter 238: So Close

From the perspective of the Four Races—the Three Eyes, Two Ears, Toothless, and Hidden Spirit—Gu Zheng had likely refused to help simply because he hadn’t been offered anything in return.

It wasn’t that they were judging a noble man by their own petty standards; leaving the Ice Prison was just that important to them.

They had waited for thirty thousand years. To escape, they were willing to pay any price.

Pledging allegiance to a powerful expert who could lead them out was, in itself, the greatest reward.

The members of these four races all suffered from a Cold Poison that flared up once every ten years. Yet, the fact that they had endured for so long without being wiped out spoke volumes of their resilience.

In other words, the collective strength of their four races was more than enough to prove their worth.cv

Not to mention, Gu Zheng had given them an Antitoxic Pearl free of charge, which could purge the debilitating Cold Poison.

This act alone was a testament to Gu Zheng’s character, proving he was worthy of their fealty.

...

"Everyone, please rise."

Gu Zheng mused for a moment before amplifying his voice with Divine Wondrous power. "I am truly not deceiving you. I do not know the way out. Even if you offer up your Divine Souls, the result will be the same. I cannot lead you away from here. Unless..."

"Unless what?" Wutai City couldn’t help but ask. "Sir, please just give the command. If it’s something we can do, we will face any danger without hesitation. Even if we can’t, we will find a way to do it by any means necessary."

"Unless I break through to the True Body Realm—the Fifth Realm," Gu Zheng explained. "A breakthrough to the True Body Realm would allow me to shatter the void, which should be a way out. But reaching the True Body Realm is no easy feat. The four of you Clan Leaders must understand the difficulties involved. It could take decades, even centuries, and still not be achievable."

"...At least now we have a direction," Bo Taixing’s voice boomed, amplified by Divine Wondrous power. He spoke with a grave expression. "Since our ancestors prophesied that you would arrive in this place, and you have indeed come as foretold, it proves their prophecy was correct. You will surely be able to lead us away, Sir! The method to escape is perhaps for you to break through to the Fifth Realm."

Gu Zheng was speechless.

"Yes! We believe that you can definitely break through to the Fifth Realm, Sir!" Sen Taibai added in agreement.

"To show our sincerity, we can offer our Divine Souls to you now," Ji Taihao said in a low, serious voice.

"Even if you offer up your Divine Souls, I haven’t cultivated the necessary True Skill or Secret Technique to accept them," Gu Zheng couldn’t help but point out.

"We’ve thought of that as well," Bo Taixing replied. "Our ancestors left behind the Soul Illumination Technique long ago. Once successfully cultivated, this Secret Technique allows you to illuminate another’s Divine Soul and imprint upon it a contractual Soul Seal. By controlling the Soul Seal, you can command the life and death of the one who bears it."

’A simplified version of the Nether Heart Slave Seal?’

Gu Zheng was slightly surprised, but he kept his expression neutral. "Have you all truly thought this through? Just as Clan Leader Taixing said, once the Soul Seal is in place, your lives and deaths will no longer be your own. From this day forward, you will be subject to my control."

"We have!"

Sen Taibai, Wutai City, Bo Taixing, and Ji Taihao declared in unison.

In truth, this was not their own idea, but a directive left by their ancestors.

Pledging allegiance to Gu Zheng was, in itself, part of the prophecy.

The prophecy also stated that by following Gu Zheng, they would not only escape the Ice Prison, but their names would also be celebrated for generations to come.

There was no downside, only a wealth of benefits.

Gu Zheng’s arrival, just as foretold, and his selfless gift of the Antitoxic Pearl had spurred them to make their decision without hesitation.

They had waited thirty thousand years; they didn’t want to wait a moment longer.

...

"Fine." Gu Zheng considered for a moment, then cast aside his hesitation. "Then it’s settled. I’ll cultivate the Soul Illumination Technique first. You all go and gather Ice Dragon Fruit. The Ice Dragon Fruit will be a great help in my breakthrough to the Fifth Realm."

’Ice Dragon Fruit?’

Sen Taibai, Wutai City, and the other two were stunned for a second before their expressions turned serious. "Understood!" they responded.

With that, the four leaders rose to their feet, and the others followed suit.

"We’ll return to our clan’s territory at once and bring back all the Ice Dragon Fruit," Sen Taibai said.

"I as well," Wutai City chimed in.

Ji Taihao thought for a moment, then added, "In addition to the Ice Dragon Fruit, I also have a Thousand Souls Pearl. It should aid in cultivating the Soul Illumination Technique."

"Good." Gu Zheng nodded. "On your journey, be wary of the Undead Race Great Monarchs. They may try to ambush you."

"Understood!"

Ji Taihao, Sen Taibai, and the others replied in unison.

Then, they took their leave.

Bo Taixing also turned to depart, but he quickly returned and handed Gu Zheng a Black Card made of a material that was neither metal nor jade. "The method for cultivating the Soul Illumination Technique is recorded on this."

Gu Zheng gestured, and the Black Card flew into his hand. After sensing the energy fluctuations within, he applied his Shadow ability to the card and began reading the information it contained.

Instantly, the complete Secret Technique for illuminating Divine Souls and imprinting Soul Seals flooded his mind.

Gu Zheng recited it once to commit it to memory, then began his first attempt at cultivating it.

As soon as he began, the technique unfolded with practiced ease.

The Soul Illumination Technique: a method for illuminating the Divine Soul.

It was indeed similar to the Nether Heart Slave Seal, only significantly weaker.

Thanks to his prior experience with the Nether Heart Slave Seal, Gu Zheng’s progress in cultivating this new Secret Technique was incredibly fast.

By the time Ji Taihao returned, he had already reached Minor Achievement in the Soul Illumination Technique.

Then, with the aid of the Thousand Souls Pearl, his progress surged once more. It would be no exaggeration to say it advanced at a breathtaking pace.

In a mere three days, Gu Zheng had completely mastered the Secret Technique.

Afterwards, he began the process of illuminating the Divine Soul of every single Alien from the four races—the Two Ears, Three Eyes, Hidden Spirit, and Toothless—and imprinting them with the contractual seal.

The Soul Illumination Technique was faster and far less difficult to perform than the Nether Heart Slave Seal. Furthermore, with the four Clan Leaders—Bo Taixing, Ji Taihao, Sen Taibai, and Wutai City—taking the lead, not a single person resisted or showed any unwillingness.

They lined up, entering and exiting the cavern one by one, allowing Gu Zheng to complete the contractual imprinting.

In total, the members of the four races—the Two Ears, Three Eyes, Hidden Spirit, and Toothless—numbered five hundred and eight.

Gu Zheng finished imprinting all five hundred-plus people in less than two days.

By then, Gu Zheng truly understood the depth of their determination. Bo Taixing, Ji Taihao, and the others weren’t just making a show—their resolve was absolute.