The morning sun cast a warm, golden hue across the dense, towering canopy of the Star Dou Great Forest. The air within the core region was thick, heavy with an ancient spiritual resonance that caused the very leaves to shimmer with a faint, emerald glow. Deep within this secluded sanctuary, Zhang Tian stepped out from the crystal-lined entrance of Jin Xi's den. He stretched his arms casually, taking in a deep breath of the crisp, untainted air.
Beside him, Jin Xi practically bounced on her toes, her golden hair catching the sunlight. She wore a bright, cheerful expression, her voluptuous figure clad in a simple yellow dress that did little to hide her breathtaking curves. She clung to Zhang Tian's arm, her soft, heavy breasts pressing affectionately against his side as they began their walk toward the shimmering expanse of the Lake of Life.
"You slept well, Hubby?" Jin Xi asked, her golden eyes looking up at him with unhidden adoration.
"Very well, my dear," Zhang Tian replied, a relaxed smile touching his handsome features. The previous night had been spent cuddling in the soft, glowing moss of her den, indulging in sweet, romantic affection. He had thoroughly enjoyed the warmth of her body, his hands freely exploring her soft curves without crossing the final line into outright debauchery. It had been a refreshing change of pace, a moment of tranquil connection that settled his own turbulent vital essence.
They emerged from the thick treeline and stepped onto the lush, grassy banks of the lake. The serene atmosphere, however, was instantly broken by the arrival of the forest's apex predators.
They had sensed his approach long before he cleared the trees. The Fierce Spirit Beasts of the core region did not hide their presence. They gathered near the water's edge, their towering, intimidating forms casting long shadows across the grass.
Di Tian, the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, stood at the forefront in his dark-robed human guise, his golden eyes fixed upon Zhang Tian with a heavy, scrutinizing stare.
Beside him, Bi Ji, the Emerald Swan, offered a polite, maternal nod, her green dress fluttering in the gentle breeze.
To their right, Xiong Jun, the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear, crossed his massive, tree-trunk-like arms, his beady eyes glaring with unconcealed suspicion.
The shadowy, spectral form of Yao Ling swayed silently in the background, while Zi Ji, the Hell Dragon, watched the human with a cold, calculating hiss escaping her lips.
It was a surprise meeting for these ancient beings. They had not expected this human, even with his unique relationship to their Emperor Auspicious Beast, to casually stroll up to them in the broad daylight as if he were wandering through a public garden.
"Human," Di Tian spoke, his voice a deep, resonant rumble that seemed to vibrate through the very earth beneath their feet. "You walk openly in our most sacred domain. You have spent your time with Xi'er, yet you did not depart. What business do you have with us today?"
Zhang Tian did not display a single ounce of fear. He released Jin Xi's arm and took a step forward, his posture entirely relaxed, his hands resting casually behind his back.
"I am here to propose a transaction, Lord Di Tian," Zhang Tian stated smoothly, his icy blue eyes meeting the gaze of the Beast God without flinching. "I mentioned yesterday that I have developed a new, revolutionary method of cultivation. The Origin Blood Resonance Pact, combined with my Human Spirit Bone Condensation Technique. I am not here merely to boast of my theories. I am here to put them into practice."
Xiong Jun let out a harsh, grating snort, his massive claws digging deep furrows into the grassy bank. "You want to practice your human tricks here? You want to take our blood essence for your own power? You possess great nerve, fleshling!"
"Peace, Xiong Jun," Bi Ji admonished gently, though she kept a watchful eye on Zhang Tian. She stepped forward, her aura radiating a soothing, calming intent. "He is not asking for our blood essence for reasons like that. Let him explain his intent."
Zhang Tian offered Bi Ji a respectful nod. He remembered her patient guidance, teaching him the most refined, acute methods to control and manipulate Life Spirit Energy. In return, he had shared his own foundational theories on utilizing that same life energy for devastating offensive strikes, elevating her combat prowess significantly. In a way, they were peers who had exchanged valuable knowledge.
"I am asking for partners, not prey," Zhang Tian clarified, his tone even and persuasive. "I require a select group of young Spirit Beasts from your forest. Beasts possessing exceptional, high-tier bloodlines. I intend to take them with me to Crimson Zenith City. There, I will sign blood contracts with them using the Origin Blood Resonance Pact."
He looked around at the towering figures, ensuring they grasped the weight of his words. "I guarantee their safety. Through this pact, they will share in my rapid cultivation speed, and the cultivation speed of my most trusted companions. They will grow and mature at a pace that far exceeds the natural progression of the wild. In exchange, I will utilize a single drop of their core blood essence to condense the specific Spirit Bones I require, entirely without causing them any lasting harm or claiming their lives."
The declaration hung heavily in the humid air of the lake. The Fierce Spirit Beasts exchanged long, tense glances. The concept was entirely foreign to their ancient instincts. For hundreds of thousands of years, humans had only ever brought death to their kind. The idea of sending their precious young into the heart of a human city, bound by some mysterious blood contract, felt akin to handing sheep over to a pack of starving wolves.
"Humans deceive. Humans lie," Yao Ling muttered from the shifting shadows, his spectral voice echoing with deep-seated distrust. "You take our young. You drain their essence. You break the pact and harvest their rings when they grow fat on your energy. It is a trap."
"Yao Ling is right," Zi Ji hissed, her violet scales shimmering. "Why should we hand over our most promising bloodlines to you? Your words are smooth, but your race is defined by treachery."
Zhang Tian remained unfazed by their hostility. He understood their deeply ingrained paranoia; it was a survival mechanism forged through eras of relentless slaughter.
"If my intention was simply to harvest rings and bones, I would not be standing here negotiating with you," Zhang Tian replied logically, his voice ringing with clear, undeniable reason. "I possess the strength to hunt what I need, or the wealth to employ armies to scour the continent for me. I am offering this pact because I want to permanently change the dynamic between our races. A successful contract proves that mutual growth is viable. It lays the foundation for a future where Spirit Masters seek partnerships instead of corpses."
Bi Ji looked at Zhang Tian, her emerald eyes filled with a complex mixture of hope and caution. She had spent countless hours training with him, feeling the pure, uncorrupted nature of his Life Spirit Energy. She knew he did not harbor the vile, tainted killing intent that usually saturated the souls of powerful human warriors.
"I believe his intentions hold merit," Bi Ji spoke up, her gentle voice cutting through the rising tension. She turned to face her fellow beasts. "He shared his deepest martial theories with me. He taught me to weaponize my own Life Attribute, granting me the strength to defend myself in ways I never thought possible. He did not withhold his knowledge, nor did he demand anything in return at the time. If this pact functions exactly as he claims, without causing harm, it could be a profound blessing for our entire race. It could stem the tide of the endless slaughter."
Xiong Jun growled, though his tone was slightly less aggressive in the face of Bi Ji's defense. "You are too trusting, Bi Ji. A few shared tricks do not erase the blood spilled by his kind."
Di Tian raised a hand, instantly silencing the grumbling bear. The Beast God stepped forward, closing the distance between himself and Zhang Tian. His golden eyes bore down on the human, searching for any flicker of deceit in the depths of his icy blue gaze.
"You ask for a monumental leap of faith, human," Di Tian rumbled, the sheer pressure of his aura causing the lake water to ripple outward. "You ask us to entrust the future of our most potent lineages into your hands, in a city we cannot monitor. Bi Ji's trust in you is commendable, but I am the guardian of this forest. I cannot rely solely on the pretty words of a mortal."
Di Tian's expression hardened into a mask of uncompromising authority. "I will agree to your proposal, but under one strict, non-negotiable condition."
"Name it," Zhang Tian replied evenly.
"I will personally mark every single young beast you select with my Dark Spatial Marks," Di Tian declared, his voice echoing with finality. "These marks will remain hidden deep within their spiritual resonance. They will act as my eyes and my tether. Through them, I will conduct random, unannounced checks on their condition and their lifestyle within your human city. If I sense even a fraction of suffering, if I detect that their vital essence is being improperly drained, or if you break this so-called pact to harm them..."
Di Tian leaned in closer, the air around him crackling with dark, destructive energy. "...I will use those marks to tear a hole through space directly into your stronghold. And I will personally ensure that you pay the price for that betrayal with your life."
The threat was not an idle boast. It was a promise of swift, apocalyptic retribution from the most powerful entity currently walking the Douluo Continent.
Zhang Tian did not flinch. He did not bristle at the threat to his life. Instead, a calm, genuinely satisfied smile touched his lips.
"I find your terms entirely acceptable, Lord Di Tian," Zhang Tian responded casually, offering a brief, respectful nod. "It is a fair and logical precaution. In fact, I welcome your inspections. It will provide the ultimate, irrefutable proof to you and your peers that this contract is strictly binding even for me, its creator. I have no intention of exploiting or harming these beasts. Your spatial marks will serve as the perfect testament to the validity of the Origin Blood Resonance Pact."
Seeing the human accept the lethal condition with such effortless, unbothered grace caused a palpable shift in the atmosphere. The heavy, suffocating tension generated by Xiong Jun and Yao Ling began to slowly dissipate. The Fierce Spirit Beasts reasoned that if Di Tian held a direct, instant method of retaliation and surveillance, the lives of their young ones could be considered reasonably safe within the human's grasp.
"Very well," Di Tian grunted, stepping back and crossing his arms. "If you are willing to bear the weight of my scrutiny, we will allow you to take a selection of our young. However, the choice of which specific beasts you take must be discussed. We cannot simply hand over our most critical, central bloodlines for an untested experiment. The risk to our future generations is still too great."
Xiong Jun nodded vigorously. "He can have the common hounds and the ordinary rock-bears. They breed fast enough."
At this moment, Jin Xi stepped forward, puffing out her chest indignantly. She placed her hands on her hips, her heavy breasts bouncing slightly with the motion, and leveled a fierce glare at the towering bear.
"Absolutely not!" Jin Xi scolded them, her voice ringing with the spoiled, commanding authority of the Emperor Auspicious Beast. "He does not need common spirit beasts! He needs the absolute best! He requires exceptional, flawless bloodlines to condense the most powerful Spirit Bones! You will not insult my husband with mediocre offerings!"
The Fierce Spirit Beasts recoiled slightly, completely unable to argue against the adorable, yet surprisingly fierce, demands of their beloved destiny child.
"Xi'er, be reasonable," Zi Ji hissed softly. "Our highest-tier lineages reproduce incredibly slowly. Every single loss is a heavy blow to the stability of the forest."
"It is not a loss; it is an investment!" Jin Xi countered stubbornly. She turned to Zhang Tian, her expression softening instantly. "Hubby, tell them exactly what kind of bloodlines you need. I will make sure they fetch them for you."
Zhang Tian chuckled inwardly at her fierce protectiveness. He looked at the gathered beast kings and began to list his highly specific, carefully considered requirements.
"My preference leans heavily toward plant-type spirit beasts for certain applications, and beasts possessing profound, esoteric elemental controls for others," Zhang Tian explained, his tone shifting into an analytical, scholarly cadence.
He pointed toward his left leg. "For my left leg, I already possess a powerful bone, but I require a beast to form the contract and upgrade its potential. I need a Thunder Hell Prison Vine. It perfectly matches the lightning attribute I seek and it can grow quickly with my Spirit Bone and I already possess."
He then touched his temple. "For my skull, I require a beast with a pure, unadulterated Mental Attribute. Something akin to the lineage of the Monster Eyed Tree racial branch would be ideal."
He extended his left and right arms. "For my arms, it would be ones with rather rare attributes. I need one Spirit Beast that commands the Spatial Attribute, capable of tearing or distorting the fabric of reality. For the other, I need a Spirit Beast that wields the Time Attribute."
Finally, he gestured to his chest. "And for my torso, I require a creature of immense versatility. I need the Silver Moon Wolf King. I know this species possesses the incredible, innate power to control and seamlessly fuse seven distinct elements: water, fire, earth, wind, light, darkness, and lightning."
The list hung in the air, greeted by a chorus of low, troubled groans from the Fierce Spirit Beasts.
"You ask for the very marrow of our forest, human," Yao Ling muttered, his shadowy form swaying agitatedly. "The Monster Eyed Tree is a rare offshoot. The Spatial and Time attribute beasts are notoriously difficult to find and even harder to breed. And the Silver Moon Wolf King... that is a proud, isolated lineage. They do not bow easily."
Di Tian frowned deeply. "These are indeed some of our most precious, rare species. They are not currently endangered, but their reproduction rates are incredibly slow. Handing them over to you, even with the marks in place, is a significant concession."
Bi Ji stepped forward once more, her gentle eyes scanning the faces of her peers. "It is a heavy price, yes. But think of the future. If this human speaks the truth, if this Origin Blood Resonance Pact truly allows our kind to grow stronger alongside humans without the threat of death... it is a blessing that could save countless thousands of our brethren in the generations to come. We must look beyond the immediate risk and see the overarching salvation he offers. We must trust him this one time."
Di Tian remained silent for a long moment, the weight of leadership pressing heavily upon his broad shoulders. He looked at Jin Xi, seeing the unwavering, absolute trust in her golden eyes, and then looked back at Zhang Tian, seeing nothing but calm, pragmatic resolve.
"Bi Ji speaks wisdom," Di Tian finally conceded, his deep voice cutting through the lingering doubts. "The potential reward outweighs the risk. We will gather the beasts you require, Zhang Tian. It will take us several days to locate and safely retrieve the most suitable, high-potential youths of these specific lineages from the deeper territories."
"Take the time you need, Lord Di Tian," Zhang Tian nodded respectfully. "I will wait here."
For the next roughly seven days, Zhang Tian remained within the tranquil confines of Jin Xi's glowing den. He did not waste the time idling. He sat cross-legged upon the soft moss, plunging himself into a state of deep, continuous cultivation. The core region of the Star Dou Great Forest was saturated with an incredibly dense, pure concentration of ambient Life Spirit Energy. He activated his Blood Silver God Tree spirit, utilizing his devouring capabilities at a very low, passive frequency to carefully, gently draw in the rich vitality from the surrounding air. He methodically refined this energy, using it to further widen his meridians and solidly stabilize his recently achieved level eighty cultivation base.
Jin Xi remained by his side throughout the week, often curling up next to him while he meditated, happily absorbing the faint, soothing overflow of his emerald life energy.
Exactly a week later, a low, resonant rumble echoed through the earth outside the den, signaling the return of the Beast God.
Zhang Tian opened his eyes, the icy blue depths clear and sharp. He stood up, smoothing his dark robes, and walked out of the cavern with Jin Xi trailing excitedly behind him.
The clearing by the Lake of Life was occupied. Di Tian and the other Fierce Spirit Beasts had returned, and standing nervously in the center of the grassy bank were five distinct, highly unusual Spirit Beasts.
Thanks to the tireless, personal efforts of Jin Xi, who had accompanied the Fierce Beasts and used her auspicious, destiny-laden aura to soothe and convince the selected creatures, these proud beasts had readily agreed to the prospect of this unprecedented contract. They looked at Zhang Tian with a mixture of natural apprehension and curious anticipation.
Zhang Tian walked forward, his analytical gaze sweeping over the gathered beasts, assessing their cultivation ages and foundational qualities.
The majority of the selected beasts were exceptionally robust, falling within the impressive range of thirty thousand to seventy thousand years of cultivation. This was an incredibly high starting point for a contract, ensuring that the blood essence they provided would be immensely potent.
The first beast he inspected was the only outlier in terms of age. It was a relatively small, violently crackling plant situated in a large, earthen pot. It was a Thunder Hell Prison Vine, possessing a cultivation of exactly five thousand years. Deep purple lightning continuously arced across its jagged, thorny vines.
'Perfect,' Zhang Tian thought, nodding in satisfaction. 'Its lower age makes its vital essence highly malleable. It will be flawless for initiating the resonance link with the existing, hundred-thousand-year-old bone in my left leg without causing a violent clash.'
He moved to the next creature. It was a massive, deeply rooted sapling that seemed to watch him with a hundred closed, slit-like markings running up its dark bark. It was the Monster Eyed Tree, possessing a solid cultivation of forty thousand years. The ambient air around it pulsed with a heavy, disorienting mental resonance. Zhang Tian knew its pure mental attribute would be the ideal foundation for condensing his Skull Spirit Bone.
He then turned his attention to the two beasts designated for his arms.
To his left hovered a sleek, incredibly sharp-looking creature that resembled a large, silver-plated praying mantis. It was a Void-Rending Mantis, boasting a cultivation of fifty thousand years. Its scythe-like forelegs shimmered with a strange, translucent distortion, capable of passively slicing through the fabric of space itself.
To his right rested a slow, heavily armored tortoise with a shell that gleamed with pale gold and stark white patterns. It was a Chrono-Scale Serpent-Tortoise, possessing a cultivation of sixty thousand years. The air immediately surrounding its shell seemed to blur and warp, creating a localized field where falling leaves seemed to drift at a drastically reduced, almost agonizingly slow pace.
'These two are exceptional,' Zhang Tian noted, deeply pleased by the selection. 'By forming pacts with the Void-Rending Mantis and the Chrono-Scale Serpent-Tortoise, I will be able to intricately analyze and eventually master the esoteric flows of spatial and temporal power far more effectively.'
Finally, he looked at the largest beast in the clearing. It was a majestic, breathtakingly beautiful creature. The Silver Moon Wolf King stood tall, its thick fur glowing with a pristine, silvery luminescence that rivaled the moonlight. It possessed a terrifying cultivation of seventy thousand years. As it breathed, faint traces of water, fire, earth, wind, light, darkness, and lightning visibly danced around its muzzle.
Zhang Tian knew that the physical boost provided by a wolf for a Torso Spirit Bone would not be as overwhelmingly massive as the raw, structural density he could have obtained by contracting a heavy, Dragon-Type Spirit Beast. However, he had his own, brilliant plans for this specific artifact. He intended to heavily enhance the power of this Torso Spirit Bone later by actively feeding it more of his own, diverse elemental attributes. He planned to utilize the Wolf King's inherent, miraculous ability to fuse different elements to thoroughly, seamlessly merge his own conflicting elemental powers within his core.
"These are excellent choices, Lord Di Tian," Zhang Tian commended, turning to the Beast God. "I accept them all readily. They will serve as the perfect pioneers for this new era."
Di Tian nodded curtly. "They have been informed of the pact. They are willing. But do not think the selection is over. There is one final beast."
Zhang Tian frowned slightly, confused. He had only requested five specific bloodlines to fill his remaining bone slots and link his existing leg bone. He didn't need a sixth.
Before he could ask, Jin Xi stepped out from behind the massive trunk of a nearby spirit tree. Perched comfortably upon her shoulder was a creature that instantly commanded the attention of every single entity in the clearing.
It was a bird, shaped somewhat like a hawk or a falcon, roughly two meters long with a formidable wingspan of four meters when fully extended. But its coloration was absolutely mesmerizing. Its entire body, from the tip of its sharp beak all the way down its back, was split perfectly down the middle. One half of its body was entirely, aggressively black, while the other half was a pristine, blinding white. Even more astonishingly, shimmering gold hairs were woven seamlessly throughout the white plumage, while gleaming silver hairs were woven distinctly throughout the black plumage.
It radiated an aura that felt ancient, primordial, and deeply unsettling.
"The Yin-Yang Chaos Bird," Yao Ling hissed from the shadows, his spectral form shivering violently.
Zhang Tian's eyes widened in genuine, profound shock as he recognized the legendary creature from the deepest, most obscure annals of ancient lore. It was also known as the Bird of Destiny. Its bloodline was born directly from the chaotic, swirling remnants of the yin and yang energy left behind when heaven and earth were originally separated. It was a cosmic anomaly; each planet could only ever host a single living specimen at any given time.
This specific bird possessed a cultivation of around thirty thousand years, yet its sheer, conceptual presence felt heavier than the oldest beasts in the forest.
"I did not request this beast," Zhang Tian said slowly, his mind racing with the impossible implications of its appearance.
"We did not want to bring it to you," Di Tian growled, glaring at the bird with a mixture of deep respect and intense frustration. "The Yin-Yang Chaos Bird is an omen. It is deeply tied to the foundational energies of this world. Risking its life in a human contract is madness."
Bi Ji sighed softly, wringing her hands together. "We tried to forbid it, Zhang Tian. But the Bird of Destiny does not follow our commands. It follows the currents of fate."
Jin Xi reached up, gently stroking the bird's silver-laced black feathers. "It wanted to come, Hubby," she explained, her voice filled with quiet awe. "Ever since I spoke to the clans about your pact, it sought me out. Because I am the Auspicious Beast, and it is also a minor beast of destiny, we can share glimpses of the future. I shared the destiny I saw for you... and the Yin-Yang Chaos Bird immediately demanded to form a contract with you on its own initiative. It refused to take no for an answer."
The arrogant, majestic bird let out a sharp, piercing squawk, hopping down from Jin Xi's shoulder to land directly in front of Zhang Tian. It puffed out its chest, looking up at the human with an intelligent, demanding gaze that clearly stated it expected to be bound to his rising star.
Zhang Tian stared at the primordial creature. A slow, incredibly ambitious smile spread across his handsome face. He had filled all the standard, internal skeletal slots for his Spirit Bones. But there was one, highly coveted, and incredibly rare category of bone that did not occupy the standard six positions.
'An External Spirit Bone,' Zhang Tian realized, his heart hammering with sudden, intense excitement. 'I will use the blood essence of the Yin-Yang Chaos Bird to forcefully condense my first and only External Spirit Bone. It will manifest as wings upon my back, forged from the very remnants of primal chaos.'
"I accept your demand, little bird," Zhang Tian laughed softly, kneeling down to offer his hand to the creature. The bird nipped his finger gently, accepting the alliance.
Di Tian let out a long, heavy groan of exasperation, rubbing his temples as if staving off a severe headache. He was entirely helpless against the stubborn will of the destiny bird, but he refused to leave anything to chance.
"If the Bird of Destiny insists on this foolishness, I cannot stop it," Di Tian grumbled, his golden eyes flashing with dark power. He stepped forward, his aura flaring ominously. "But I will ensure its safety, and the safety of the others, with absolute prejudice."
The Beast God raised his hands, chanting a low, ancient draconic incantation. His fingers glowed with the suffocating, pitch-black energy of his Ultimate Darkness attribute, seamlessly merged with his profound mastery over Spatial Laws.
He moved among the six chosen beasts, pressing a glowing, dark claw mark onto the forehead of each one. The marks pulsed once before sinking deeply into their flesh, binding itself directly to their spiritual resonance and their vital essence.
"The Dark Spatial Marks are set," Di Tian declared, stepping back, his breathing slightly heavier from the exertion. He glared at Zhang Tian. "Remember our agreement, human. These marks are tied to my own soul. If their life force dwindles unnaturally, or if they suffer under your care, I will be standing in your city before you can blink."
"I would expect nothing less, Lord Di Tian," Zhang Tian replied calmly, standing up and brushing off his robes. "They will be treated as honored companions in my domain."
With the selections made and the formidable safety measures firmly in place, the stage was finally set. Zhang Tian had successfully secured the vital essence of the most exceptional bloodlines the forest had to offer. He was now fully prepared to return to the north, eager to execute the Origin Blood Resonance Pact and forge a new, heaven-defying arsenal of Spirit Bones that would elevate his power to unprecedented heights.
~~
A/N: Check out my other novels [Villain: Manipulating The Heroines Into Hating The Protagonist] and [Harem Master: Seduction System].
Also, check out 20 Chapters Ahead for this fanfic on my P.atreon. [Check Out Art Of Characters On My Patreon. It's Free To View btw.]
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