Within the sea of consciousness, Tian Meng was left speechless, his mouth agape as he stared at Zhou Sichen in disbelief.
Elder Yi also looked on with eyes full of admiration. Even he couldn't help but be surprised by this unique and powerful ability Zhou Sichen had manifested.
After his spiritual power reached the realm of Tangible yet Formless, Zhou Sichen had infused it with his own Will, resulting in the emergence of what could now be called Sovereign of All.
But Zhou Sichen's Sovereign of All differed greatly from Elder Mu's. His was forceful, domineering—an absolute and unquestionable form of control.
Zhou Sichen's Sovereign of All merged spirit power, spiritual energy, and even a soul force so overwhelming it resembled that of a supreme ruler.
It resembled a domain—a personal territory ruled entirely by Zhou Sichen's will. Within it, his dominance was absolute, and all would be compelled to bow before him.
He never doubted himself. In future battles, once Sovereign of All was activated, any enemy facing Zhou Sichen would feel as though they were standing before a true monarch—instinctively compelled to kneel in reverence.
It would strike at their spirit, their will, even their soul, unleashing unrelenting pressure.
To those with weak conviction, Zhou Sichen's Sovereign of All might crush them entirely—shattering their minds, plunging them into despair, and driving them to kneel in submission.
And at this very moment, even the Lovesick Heartbreak Crimson, an emperor among immortal herbs, felt something similar. Though it held the title of herb emperor, it couldn't help but sway slightly under the weight of this unmatched aura.
Despite having no true sentience, it instinctively resisted. It sensed in Zhou Sichen a presence akin to its own—a sovereign spirit. How could it, also a monarch, possibly submit?
Even if its dominion only extended to plants, its pride as the ruler of herbs was inviolable.
Though it could feel Zhou Sichen's blazing, sincere, and passionate "love," it could not accept the oppressive aura imposed upon it through his Sovereign of All.
Even if Zhou Sichen's "domain" had just been formed and was still unstable, the Lovesick Heartbreak Crimson felt deeply provoked.
Youyou and Jiaojiao, who had been watching this unfold, now felt immense pressure themselves—despite not being the targets of this aura.
Youyou murmured, stunned, "He... How is this even possible..."
Jiaojiao was no better. "S-So powerful..."
The Lovesick Heartbreak Crimson began to shimmer, releasing an intense crimson light. It initiated a countermeasure.
As a crimson aura bloomed, a regal feminine figure clad in a flowing red gown appeared—like an empress descending from the heavens. In that moment, the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well fell into complete silence.
Their emperor... had awakened.
Though the presence was faint, seemingly on the verge of vanishing, the imperial pressure radiating from this illusionary figure was unmistakable.
Youyou and Jiaojiao froze in place. Beneath this imperial aura, the two 100,000-year-old immortal herbs instinctively lowered their heads in reverence.
And they weren't alone.
Every other herb, spiritual medicine, and plant—whether conscious or dormant—within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well bowed down, completely subservient.
Zhou Sichen looked at the noble, elegant, and awe-inspiring phantom before him, momentarily stunned.
He hadn't expected this outcome. His original plan had been to find a loophole—using self-love in place of romantic love. After all, he wasn't wrong: If you can't love yourself, how can you love anyone else?
In the process of convincing himself of this mindset, Zhou Sichen had unknowingly strengthened his will, which then naturally condensed into a complete manifestation—thus giving birth to his Sovereign of All.
It had been a fortuitous mistake. Even if he failed to obtain the Lovesick Heartbreak Crimson, this unexpected gift was already a massive gain.
But before he could celebrate, something even more shocking occurred—the Lovesick Heartbreak Crimson, under the immense pressure of his Sovereign of All, had begun to develop sentience.
Yet it wasn't the same as Youyou and Jiaojiao. This was something deeper—a self-protective consciousness, born from its identity as the emperor among immortal herbs.
Two imperial auras collided—the sovereign phantom's cold, clear eyes locked onto Zhou Sichen.
But despite the coldness in that gaze, there was no killing intent, no hostility. In fact, buried deep within... was a complex, indescribable emotion.
A voice echoed directly into Zhou Sichen's heart:
"I felt your 'love.' It moved me. It made me question whether my long-held choice was even the right one."
"Under your overwhelming presence, I unknowingly awakened this will of mine. I don't even know if I'm still me. I don't know whether I should thank you... or resent you."
The voice did not come from her lips—it resonated directly within his soul, leaving Zhou Sichen speechless.
So... his Sovereign of All had awakened by chance, and now her emergence was a coincidence as well?
And looking at her now, aside from the innate majesty of an immortal herb emperor... she was, at her core, still just a delicate white flower.
In that case, wasn't this the perfect moment to persuade her?
Zhou Sichen stared straight into her eyes and projected his thoughts directly into the phantom's mind:
"Since your heart was swayed, and you were born because of me—if doubt fills your soul, why not come with me? Let us uncover the truth together and witness the intentions in my heart."
"To love others, one must first love oneself. If you've always lived for others, why not try—for once—to live for yourself?"
The Lovesick Heartbreak Crimson swayed gently. The illusionary empress showed a fleeting glimmer of longing... only for it to quickly be replaced by hesitation.
"If you pluck and consume me, I will vanish along with this will. Though I don't fear it, I still wish to see for myself what you truly desire—how your self-love can move even my heart."
Zhou Sichen smiled gently. "There's a way to have both. My Martial Soul is unique. Now that you've gained sentience, you are, in essence, a spirit beast."
"You can form a contract with me. You will remain yourself—unchanged. And we will share the closest bond possible. Together, you can witness my every thought, every action, firsthand."
The Lovesick Heartbreak Crimson wavered, the phantom falling into deep thought.
After a long silence, a single word echoed:
Zhou Sichen did not show outward excitement. Calmly, he raised his right hand. A golden book—radiant like it had been forged from divine metal—slowly appeared.
The Book of Contracts opened to its fourth page—a previously blank one. At its center was a complex, arcane pattern.
Activating his Martial Soul, Zhou Sichen caused the intricate formation to lift from the page, transforming into a brilliant golden magic circle.
He drew a drop of his blood, and under the pull of the magic circle, the Lovesick Heartbreak Crimson lifted from the obsidian stone it had grown on and floated gently into the center of the array.
The illusionary empress did not resist. She felt no discomfort—no danger.
In the next moment, a mysterious force surged through the formation. The phantom shimmered once, then dissolved into a radiant crimson glow, returning to the flower's body.
The empress vanished, and with her disappearance, the overwhelming imperial pressure also faded. Yet none of the other immortal herbs or spiritual plants moved. They remained kneeling, worshipping the direction of the Lovesick Heartbreak Crimson.
Their emperor... had awakened.
As time passed, a unique energy traveled through the connection between the golden formation and Zhou Sichen's Martial Soul, flowing through his entire body.
It was the power of the Lovesick Heartbreak Crimson, but it did not linger in his body. Instead, after washing through his meridians and strengthening every part of him, the energy gathered within the Book of Contracts.
The golden formation completely enveloped the herb. After an unknown amount of time, it dissolved into a deep crimson light, merging into the fourth page of the book.
Where there had once been nothing, now a flawless image of the Lovesick Heartbreak Crimson bloomed.
Four spirit rings rose from beneath Zhou Sichen's feet—black, black, black... and red.
His spirit power rose directly from rank 40 to rank 43.
One level came from acquiring the spirit ring; the other two were the result of his month-long accumulation and the enhancements received within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
The Book of Contracts Martial Soul had only one flaw: it could not provide Zhou Sichen with spirit bones. All the power of the contracted spirit beasts remained inherently theirs.
Which meant that apart from the spirit ring, Zhou Sichen hadn't "gained" anything else.
But that was only on the surface.
In truth, he had gained everything.
Because once she became his Contract Beast, everything that belonged to her... also belonged to him.
He could draw upon it freely, as if it were his own.
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