"Master Yi, do you have any plans moving forward?"
Back in the underground parking garage, after Yi Tianxing returned, the others had also made their way back down from the surface. Some remained silent, some wept softly, and some chain-smoked desperately. The flickering firelight cast pale, desperate, bewildered, fearful, and helpless expressions on everyone's faces.
No one was in the mood to talk.
Yi Tianxing sat off to the side, lighting a small fire of his own. He sat with Zhao Ziyan and Tang Zitong, holding an iron bar to roast bread over the flames, and tossed several sweet potatoes into the fire to cook. He had always liked sweet potatoes. When stocking supplies, he had made sure to buy some—they could be eaten raw or cooked, tasted decent, and were a solid food source in dire times.
Suddenly, Li Zhilin walked over and sat down in front of the fire, his gaze burning with intensity as he looked at Yi Tianxing.
"If you have something to say, just say it."
Yi Tianxing gave Li Zhilin a meaningful glance.
This one's smart—that was his first impression. Keen mind, perceptive, able to notice things others overlook. During the evacuation and escape, it had become obvious that even professors and mentors deferred to him—he was the one making the calls. That said a lot. To the faculty and students, he was someone they trusted—someone they believed could lead them to survival.
And a smart man like that—especially one who had awakened a Life Aperture—wouldn't come over just to say hello. There was clearly more to it.
"My name is Li Zhilin. I want to follow you," he said decisively, without hesitation.
"Why?" Yi Tianxing looked at the young man before him with interest. Though still a student, there was a sharpness in his eyes that left a strong first impression. Yi wasn't surprised by his request—he had anticipated this the moment Li Zhilin approached. His experiences as a child had long made him far more mature and composed than his peers. Most things didn't show on his face anymore.
"Because following you means I get to eat sweet potatoes."
Li Zhilin glanced at the sweet potatoes roasting in the fire and dropped that line out of nowhere.
It was an amusing comment—crude on the surface, yet it carried profound meaning.
"I have sweet potatoes. Why should I give them to you?" Yi Tianxing replied calmly, flipping one of the roasting sweet potatoes.
Zhao Ziyan, Tang Zitong, and several others all looked at Li Zhilin, curious about how he would respond.
Others in the garage also turned to watch.
Yi Tianxing had become something of a spiritual pillar among them. His every move stirred people's emotions and tightened nerves.
"With your insight, Master Yi, I'm sure you've already realized—we're now in an apocalypse. No one can say how this will develop. No one knows what disasters tomorrow may bring. The destruction of human civilization is no longer a hypothesis—it's happening right now. At this point, the most important thing is staying alive. The old order is gone. Chaos will be our future."
Li Zhilin adjusted his glasses, speaking confidently, "In such a chaotic world, the best way to survive—or even thrive—is to possess great personal power. The second-best way is to align with the strong. In a world like this, individual strength is nothing unless you're invincible. Only through group unity can one ensure survival."
"I know I won't survive long alone in this chaos."
"But you, Yi Tianxing, are a top-tier master of the Exorcist world. A man rumored to possess the legendary Yin-Yang Eyes. You're the perfect person to rely on."
Every word was filled with conviction, and it was clear he had done his homework. In just a short time, he'd already grasped much of Yi Tianxing's past—his skills, background, and reputation. His understanding of the apocalypse and the analysis of survival strategy were strikingly clear-headed.
Many survivors were still in shock, paralyzed by fear and confusion. But Li Zhilin had already begun adapting to this new, chaotic reality. He understood that even those with Life Apertures could die at any moment—whether to monsters or disasters. No one knew what was coming next.
But Yi Tianxing—he was powerful. And what's more, he had displayed overwhelming strength, slaying monsters like cutting wheat. That sight still echoed vividly in everyone's mind.
"I have sweet potatoes. Why should I give them to you?" Yi Tianxing repeated, his voice calm as ever, flipping the roasting tuber again.
"I don't claim to be the smartest man alive, but I know I can hold my own. I've awakened powers, I can strategize, and I can fight. I used to be the president of the student council, managing logistics and internal planning. I know how to run things," Li Zhilin said as he pushed his glasses up once more.
Yi Tianxing didn't respond immediately. He remained impassive.
"I know you won't trust mere words of loyalty. But this…" Li Zhilin continued, reaching into his backpack and pulling out a strange scroll that flickered faintly with hidden light.
It was clear this was no ordinary item. It must have fallen from the sky during the great catastrophe or been looted from a monster. A real treasure.
Yi Tianxing said nothing, waiting for him to go on.
"This fell from the sky at the start of the cataclysm—landed right at my feet. I picked it up and found it was no ordinary scroll. It's a Contract Scroll. With this, we can sign a binding agreement. Once the contract is sealed, it can't be broken. Violating it brings terrible consequences."
"With this, you can rest assured, Master Yi."
He had been saving this scroll for the right moment—a gamble that might one day pay off. And now, it had.
Signing it would mean he could no longer go back. It was an unshakable commitment—a pledge of loyalty.
"A good item," Yi Tianxing said. "You really plan to sign it? Are you sure? Once you do, there's no backing out. I'll give you one chance. Take this sweet potato, go back, and pretend this conversation never happened."
"I'll eat the sweet potato—but I want to eat it with peace of mind," Li Zhilin replied with a grin.
"You're sure?" Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed with a strange light, his voice carrying an invisible pressure that made others instinctively tremble.
"I believe in you, Master Yi. You can keep me alive in this hellscape. I don't want to die—not yet. I still have things I need to do. Besides, this world is too fascinating—even contracts like this exist. I'm not dying before I understand more of it."
Yi Tianxing looked at him deeply. This guy has a story.
Without hesitation, he took the scroll. It unfolded into a blank contract page—empty white parchment. All it needed was to be filled in. The terms could be written by will, and once agreed upon and signed, the contract would activate. Breaking it would affect both parties.
He activated it with a thought, and golden, ancient script began to etch itself onto the page:
1. The master of this contract is Yi Tianxing.2. The signee swears absolute loyalty and obedience to the master. No betrayal, no disloyalty.3. The master shall protect the signee, ensuring their survival as long as his own safety permits.4. The master shall not demean or humiliate the signee. The signee may refuse such orders.5. Violating the contract will incur divine punishment. The contract is permanent.
Once the terms were written, Yi Tianxing pressed his palm to the scroll, leaving behind a golden handprint. Then he tossed it to Li Zhilin.
"You still have a chance to back out," he said.
"I'll sign!" Li Zhilin scanned the terms. His eyes flickered briefly, but without hesitation, he pressed his hand down.
Whoosh! The contract glowed brightly, then instantly caught fire and vanished into thin air. But between them, a strange spiritual connection was now born.
"Guess I'm with you now," Li Zhilin said with a grin, sitting comfortably by the fire. He pulled out a roasted sweet potato and started eating like he'd always belonged. No awkwardness. Just a man who had sold himself, now freely eating from his new master's fire.
"Well, since you've sold yourself, I can't let you starve. From now on, call me Big Brother Yi. Take this technique manual, see if you can learn it. It'll improve your chances of survival."
Yi Tianxing chuckled, tossing over a copy of the "Sitting Oblivion Sutra" .
Since the contract was signed, his loyalty was now assured.