Swallow it.

A storm of turbulent emotions raged within Jiang Yan's heart. Those fragments of memory flickered like distant beacons cutting through a dense fog.

Who on earth was that masked figure in the black robe?

Was the black flower a black resurrection flower precisely because it had been tainted by demonic energy?

Then, whom did the robed figure intend for the black flower to protect?

And why did the figure seemingly vanish into thin air, never to appear again?

Every single one of these questions remained an impenetrable mystery, shrouded in fog and impossible to fathom.

Jiang Yan's gaze fell heavily upon the little coal ball resting in the palm of his hand.

From the information gathered in those memory fragments, he had confirmed beyond a doubt that this little coal ball was indeed the black flower.

"Black Attire, White Attire, this is the one I am looking for. How am I supposed to forge a soul contract with it?"

Hearing this, Black Attire replied with an expressionless face:

"The method to bind it is quite simple—either you swallow it, or it swallows you."

Seeing that Black Attire did not appear to be joking, Jiang Yan turned his gaze toward White Attire.

White Attire nodded slightly in agreement, "What Black Attire said is correct."

Lifting the little coal ball in his cupped hands, Jiang Yan asked expectantly, "Momo, are you willing to forge a soul contract with me?"

However, the little coal ball remained entirely silent, resembling a cold stone that stubbornly refused to respond.

Jiang Yan frowned slightly. This silence felt profoundly unnatural for a black flower that was usually so talkative and perpetually on the verge of tears.

"Momo, since you aren't saying anything, I'll take your silence as consent."

"You're far too small; there's no way you could possibly swallow me."

"So, I suppose I shall have to swallow you instead. Don't worry, it won't hurt at all."

As his voice trailed off, Jiang Yan swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and prepared to bring the little coal ball to his lips.

Yet, at that very crucial moment, the little coal ball suddenly sprang to life as if possessed by a will of its own, nimbly leaping away from his palm and escaping.

Immediately following this, an astonishing transformation occurred. The tiny coal ball rapidly expanded, swelling within the span of a breath into a massive sphere roughly the size of a small bedroom.

Upon seeing this, Black Attire and White Attire instantly unleashed their movement techniques, retreating swiftly to a safe distance.

As for Jiang Yan, he felt as though he had been swallowed whole in that fleeting instant, vanishing entirely from where he stood.

When he finally regained his composure, he found himself trapped deep within the colossal coal ball, surrounded by an absolute, impenetrable darkness where he could not even see his own hand in front of his face.

"Momo?" Jiang Yan called out tentatively.

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed through the dark: "You are the one who wishes to forge a contract with me?"

There was no mistaking that voice; it belonged to the black flower. A surge of joy washed over Jiang Yan as he hurriedly replied, "Momo, it's me, Jiang Yan. I've come to take you home."

Yet, the voice from the darkness responded with cold detachment: "Jiang Yan? I don't know you."

The black flower's words caused Jiang Yan's heart to sink heavily.

He thought with a bitter sigh, Good heavens, are you deliberately trying to crank up the difficulty for me?

"Momo, won't you think about it a little harder?" Refusing to give up, Jiang Yan gently guided the conversation.

"Do you remember the Desert of Death?"

"Do you remember Dragon Lord, the one who pulled you out of the soil?"

"Oh, right... you used to call him Daddy Dragon..."

"Daddy Dragon..." The black flower's voice finally showed a hint of fluctuation. Those two words seemed to touch upon a soft spot deep within its heart.

Jiang Yan seized the moment. "That's right, Daddy Dragon! He is still waiting for you to return to the mortal realm."

As his words faded, a faint, weak glow began to illuminate the interior of the giant coal ball.

Although the light remained dim, it was more than enough for Jiang Yan to discern Momo's figure.

Jiang Yan was struck dumb with astonishment. Would someone please explain why the entity standing before him was a young man who looked precisely like an exact replica of himself?

This young man was dressed in flowing black robes, exuding an air of profound and unfathomable mystery.

"You are Momo?" Jiang Yan asked, his voice laced with shock and disbelief.

The black-robed man replied coldly, "If you can defeat me, the contract will naturally be established."

Before his voice died away, a long black sword materialized out of thin air, dropping squarely at Jiang Yan's feet.

Jiang Yan bent down to retrieve the sword from the ground. "Very well, make your move."

The black-robed man flicked his wrist, and a thick, thorny black vine instantly lashed out with ferocious speed, striking toward Jiang Yan like a vicious, striking viper.

Jiang Yan cursed inwardly. What the hell? The guy isn't even using a sword!

Realizing the vine was about to strike his body, Jiang Yan hurriedly raised his sword to parry. The blade collided with the thorny vine in a violent crash, producing a harsh, metallic screech.

*Clang—!* With a crisp snap, Jiang Yan's sword was cleanly severed in two by the relentless vine.

Seriously? Was this sword really that fragile?

Was the disparity in their strength not a bit too absurd?

As the vine wound back for another strike, Jiang Yan tossed the broken blade aside in frustration and broke into a sprint.

No, this won't do. I need to come up with a plan...

"Hey, hey, hey! Momo, that's hardly playing fair!"

"Handing me a broken piece of junk—isn't this just like throwing an egg against a boulder?"