Chapter 58: The New Spirit Beast and the Function Bar

The three strands of spiritual chains flickered and vanished in an instant.

But even this brief moment consumed nearly an hour of Ji Chang's time.

Previously, he had closed his eyes, trying to sense and explore the unique connection with the hornets and wolf spiders with great effort.

In the end, under his persistent efforts, he managed to grasp a faint opportunity within his own body and materialize the special connection with the hornets and wolf spiders.

It was the sight of the first two strands of spiritual chains that had just appeared.

After seizing this opportunity, Ji Chang felt as if he had opened the door to a new world.

While he didn't sense an enhancement in his spiritual power within, he felt a deeper connection with his own spiritual energy.

If in the past, his spiritual power was like an energy he could control and manipulate, now it was more akin to a familiar companion.

It was more than just a relationship of control.

With this change, Ji Chang could easily sense the kind of connection he had with the hornets and wolf spiders.

Previously, this connection had felt ethereal and elusive to Ji Chang, but now, it had congealed into spiritual chains that he could tangibly perceive.

Building upon this foundation, Ji Chang expended the remaining specks of his spiritual power to concentrate on forming the third strand of spiritual chain, following the path of the first two chains.

Through a process of constant compression, squeezing, recovery, and then compression once more...

Through this continuous repetition, Ji Chang finally succeeded in forming the third strand of spiritual chain.

Although this third strand of spiritual chain felt much weaker compared to the previous two, it was still a result of Ji Chang's utmost efforts.

If he continued any longer, he feared he might collapse on the spot.

The exhaustion brought on by depleting his spiritual power had left Ji Chang feeling dizzy and drained, pushing him to his limits.

Just as the third strand of spiritual chain successfully solidified, all three strands of spiritual chains appeared simultaneously.

...

"I wonder if this level of spiritual chain can bond with you! Success or failure hinges on this moment!"

Not long after, Ji Chang took a deep breath.

The next moment, accompanied by a soft shout from Ji Chang, the newly formed third strand of spiritual chain surged forth from his body once more.

As the spiritual chain emerged, it headed straight towards the body of the cat!

Buzz~!

The moment the chain of gathered spiritual energy entered the cat's body, Ji Chang's head rang with a thunderous explosion.

An intense pain swept through his entire body!

"Ah~!"

The agony in his distance caused Ji Chang to cry out involuntarily.

However, Ji Chang paid no heed to any of this.

At this moment, he stared intently at the window in front of him.

He was waiting for the golden subtitles to flash like they did when he formed contracts with the hornets and wolf spiders.

But as time ticked away, Ji Chang didn't witness the familiar scene.

"Have I failed?"

Seeing this, Ji Chang couldn't help but smile wryly.

Soon after, a familiar voice, Huang Mang's voice, rang in his ears.

"Ji-ge, what happened to you? What's wrong? Something happened!"

Huang Mang immediately caught Ji Chang, who had lost control of his body, and shouted anxiously.

At the moment of Ji Chang's cry, Huang Mang had already leaped down from the stove and climbed up the spider's leg while shouting.

Just as Ji Chang heard Huang Mang's voice, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a line of golden text on his window.

"Ding!"

"Successful Contract with Cat!"

Immediately, another familiar window appeared in his line of sight!

[Host]

Name: Ji Chang

Age: 19

Spirit Beasts: Hornets, Wolf Spiders, Cat

Function 1: Mutual Nourishment

Function: (To be gradually unlocked as the host's strength improves)

In that fleeting moment when the golden text shimmered on the window, Ji Chang felt the depleted spiritual energy within him grow rapidly like shoots after rain.

After a few breaths, Ji Chang's previously exhausted spiritual energy was restored to its original state!

"Ji-ge, Ji-ge, what's going on here!" Huang Mang exclaimed in surprise as he saw Ji Chang regaining consciousness.

"Hehe, it's alright. I just forcefully succeeded in subduing this cat!" Ji Chang returned to his senses, stood up, and licked his chapped lips.

"What? Subsubduingsubduing the cat? This one?" Hearing Ji Chang's words, Huang Mang was astonished, his face full of disbelief.

Subconsciously, Huang Mang reached out and placed his hand on Ji Chang's forehead.

He even wondered if his big brother Ji had... lost his mind.

After all, he thought Ji Chang had just fainted...

"Get lost, you idiot. I'm serious!" Ji Chang brushed away Huang Mang's hand and said with a wry smile.

As Ji Chang's voice fell, he once again extended his hand, and the pure spiritual energy converged towards the cat nearby.

Before long, the struggling cat managed to stand up.

Watching Ji Chang's actions and the cat standing up, Huang Mang didn't know how to express his emotions for a moment.

After a long while, Huang Mang finally managed to blurt out, "Holy crap!"

Seeing Huang Mang's face turning red from holding in his words, Ji Chang couldn't help but smirk. "Subduing this cat nearly cost me my life, you know! But thankfully, I succeeded in the end!"

Now thinking back to that scene just now, Ji Chang couldn't help but shudder with fear.

The sensation of his spiritual power depleting had been excruciating, tearing at his heart and lungs!

Excessive use of spiritual power could have lasting consequences, and once it was taken to a certain extreme, Ji Chang didn't know what the outcome might be...

...

"Mangzi, don't stand there dumbfounded. Go and fetch a bottle of water from the cupboard!"

Not long after, Ji Chang told Huang Mang, who was staring blankly at the cat, "The cat is still very weak right now, and it seems to be showing signs of dehydration!"

At this moment, the cat's fur resembled an oversized piece of clothing, draping over its body.

In addition to that, its eyes were deeply sunken, displaying an unhealthy appearance.

"Alright, I was wondering why this cat seemed less and less like a cat..." After hearing Ji Chang's words, Huang Mang finally snapped out of his daze and responded.

As Ji Chang commanded the wolf spider to climb up to the cupboard with Huang Mang to fetch water, he activated the virtual page on the window with a thought.

Because when he successfully established a contract with the cat, he noticed a change in the previously unchanged "Function" section on the virtual page.

"Function 1: Mutual Nourishment (Connection not established) Depending on the current strength level, it can establish a connection with the residual ant spirit and acquire the Mutual Nourishment skill—Infinite Strength (obtaining four hundred times one's own strength for a certain period)."

"Mutually nourish the ant, yes or no."

When Ji Chang examined the information on the virtual page's function section, the page jumped, revealing a selection option.

"Mutually nourish the ant, acquire the Infinite Strength mutual nourishment skill... obtaining four hundred times one's own strength for a certain period!"

"What the hell?"

Seeing the information on the window, Ji Chang couldn't help but widen his eyes.