All Things Are Contracts

Chapter 80: Three Flavors Fire Fusion Technique

“Senior, if there’s anything I can help with, I’ll do my best,” Zhanyue said. At this point, clinging to this mysterious spirit beast’s leg was the only way to ensure their safety.

“Come in,” the fire lynx tapped the ground with its paw, and a stone door rose from the ground. As the door slowly opened, the fire lynx walked in.

Zhanyue and Baizhi followed closely. Without the fire lynx’s protection, they’d be easy prey here, so there was nothing to fear.

Entering through the stone door, the two arrived in a new realm. It was a bright cave illuminated by fire basins around its walls. The cave was large, filled with various things: spirit herbs, spirit objects, and some animal skeletons. Clearly, this was the fire lynx’s lair.

Looking back at the stone door, Zhanyue showed a hint of envy.

“Kid, don’t get any ideas about Old Xiang’s stone door. This is my most prized possession,” the old lynx said nervously, noticing Zhanyue’s gaze.

Zhanyue laughed awkwardly, saying, “How could I? I just think the stone door is amazing.” Zhanyue remembered Doraemon’s Anywhere Door from childhood cartoons, which was similar in function to this stone door, though this one could only connect to this cave.

“You two are so weak, yet you dared to enter the Beast Gathering Formation. You’re really reckless,” the fire lynx shook its head, seeing Zhanyue’s true aura after he removed the armor.

“Beast Gathering Formation? Senior, do you mean the formation in the ancient city ruins? We didn’t know about it. How much do you know about this Azure Sky Secret Realm?” Zhanyue quickly asked, eager to learn about the secret realm’s origins.

The fire lynx shook its head, “I know what you want to know, but unfortunately, I don’t know. As far as I can remember, I was born here. I’ve recalled many things from my bloodline inheritance and guessed that I might be in a secret realm. But this realm is extremely large and very dangerous. I’ve tried to find a way out but failed.”

“Uh, Senior, you also know very little about this place?” Zhanyue felt somewhat disappointed. This fire lynx had lived for who knows how long, yet didn’t know the secret realm’s origins, having been born here.

“I only know that every so often, some humans like you come in. But their strength is generally poor, and few cross that river to come here. The high-level spirit beasts on this side rarely go to that barren land on the other side. It’s a sort of peaceful coexistence,” the fire lynx added.

“Senior, how large is this secret realm, and how many strong beings like you are there?” Zhanyue continued to ask. If the fire lynx didn’t know about the past, it should at least know about the current situation.

However, the fire lynx still shook its head, “No one knows how big this small world actually is, because even I don’t dare to venture into the deepest parts. In this area, I’m invincible. Even that Jade Calamity Beast avoids me. But in the depths of the secret realm, there are several auras that make even me shudder. Those must be Beast Emperor level existences.”

Spirit beasts of fifth, sixth, and seventh grades all qualify as Beast Kings, corresponding to human Profound Realms. Beast Emperors are naturally eighth-grade and above spirit beasts, corresponding to human Spirit God Realms.

“Then Senior, what’s the principle behind the blood moon at night in this secret realm? Why do those spirit beasts become frenzied at night?” Zhanyue asked again.

“The blood moon…” the fire lynx shook its head. “I don’t know. I only know it’s related to spirit beast bloodlines. Those with inferior bloodlines are affected by it. Spirit beasts like us with divine beast bloodlines aren’t affected at all.”

Zhanyue sighed. Even this senior before him had more questions than answers.

“Kid, stop asking this and that. I brought you here to help me,” the fire lynx rummaged through its treasure pile and pulled out a purple fruit. The fruit was about the size of a coconut, but its shell seemed to be some kind of metal.

“I got this fruit from the depths with great difficulty, but I can’t eat the flesh inside. We spirit beasts with divine beast bloodlines, although powerful, have a much harder time breaking through than other spirit beasts. This Diamond Fruit might be my key to breaking through to the eighth grade,” the fire lynx said.

“Diamond Fruit? You mean this metal ball-like fruit?” Zhanyue asked curiously. He took out his light-transmitting mirror, which actually identified it.

“God-Forging Steel, legendary top-tier material for forging divine artifacts. One finger of God-Forging Steel is worth 1 million points.” A “finger” referred to a unit of size, using a human thumb as reference. In other words, a piece of God-Forging Steel the size of a Ghost Shark clan member’s thumb was worth 1 million points. Zhanyue’s eyes widened. The metal outside this fruit was actually God-Forging Steel?

“The Diamond Fruit itself doesn’t have a shell, but it usually grows in areas rich in metal elements and absorbs surrounding rare metals to form its own protective shell. I think there must have been some God-Forging Steel around where it grew, which it absorbed to form its shell,” the fire lynx explained.

“To think such divine objects exist in the world! It’s truly eye-opening,” Zhanyue marveled. Beside him, Baizhi also came closer, examining the Diamond Fruit. She hadn’t seen such a divine object either.

“What’s so divine about it? I want to eat its flesh, but it’s difficult. This God-Forging Steel can’t be broken by brute force. The best way is to melt it with fire. The Diamond Fruit flesh inside isn’t afraid of high temperatures; no amount of heat can harm it,” the fire lynx said somewhat frustratedly. It was a fire-controlling divine beast, yet still couldn’t melt the Diamond Fruit’s shell.

“Senior called me here hoping I could help melt the fruit’s shell?” Zhanyue suddenly realized.

The fire lynx nodded, then looked dejected, “This girl has Vermilion Bird bloodline. If she could awaken the South Leaving Fire, melting it would be effortless. But she knows nothing, only passively using it in life-or-death situations. To trigger the South Leaving Fire passively, if not done properly, she might really die. Then I’d be a sinner to my clan, since the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord has shown kindness to our clan.”

“If you really mastered two extreme fires, you could do it too. But Solar Essence Fire isn’t True Solar Fire, and Earth Vein Ghost Fire isn’t True Yin Fire. They’re on the same level as my innate Star Flame Fire. Since I can’t melt this God-Forging Steel, naturally you can’t either,” the fire lynx explained.

“Then why did Senior ask me to come?” Zhanyue was confused. If the fire lynx had determined he couldn’t melt the God-Forging Steel either, how could he help?

“Hehe, my fire lynx clan has mastered the way of fire control since ancient times. We know countless fire techniques. Among them, there’s a very special technique called ‘Three Flavors Fire Fusion Technique’. It can fuse three fires of the same level into one. Of course, Three Flavors Fire and Three Realm True Fire are different things, don’t confuse them. I hope you and I can both learn the Three Flavors Fire Fusion Technique, then combine your two fires with my fire to refine that Diamond Fruit with the Three Flavors Fire,” the fire lynx explained.

If Three Realm True Fire, South Leaving Fire, True Solar and True Yin Fire are the highest-grade fires, then Solar Essence Fire, Earth Vein Ghost Fire, and Star Flame Fire are the next grade down. Fusing these three might achieve power comparable to the highest-grade fires.

“Alright, I agree, Senior. But I can’t stay in the secret realm for too long. I don’t know if there’s enough time,” Zhanyue said.

“There’s enough, definitely enough. You’re definitely not an ordinary person, kid. I believe in you,” the fire lynx actually didn’t know either, but at this moment, confidence was more important than anything. To save time, man and beast immediately began practicing the Three Flavors Fire Fusion Technique.

Beside them, Baizhi watched the two meditating, feeling bored. She took out her alchemy furnace and tried to improve some pills. Without enough materials, she couldn’t refine fifth-grade pills. After all, even a skilled housewife can’t cook without rice.

After meditating for a while, the fire lynx yawned and opened its eyes. Seeing Zhanyue still concentrating on cultivation, it nodded with satisfaction. He was indeed taking its matter seriously.

Then it walked over to Baizhi, watching her refine pills. Suddenly, its whole body shook, and it asked in a trembling voice, “Girl, how did the Heavenly King Bronze Cauldron end up in your hands?”