Immortal Venerable's Order
Chapter 261 - 259: Equivalent Exchange

Chapter 261: Chapter 259: Equivalent Exchange

"Eh..."

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion exclaimed in surprise, "You’ve heard of the Transformation Grass?"

Yan Rufeng smiled but said nothing.

"Human boy, why aren’t you speaking?"

"Lion King, I have heard of the Transformation Grass, but it’s not on Cangmang Star."

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion hurriedly asked, "Then where is it?"

Yan Rufeng clasped one hand behind his back, and said casually, "The Immortal Realm, Dragon Valley."

"What?"

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion slumped to the ground, feeling despondent.

"The Immortal Realm is an unreachable place. Even after thousands of years of cultivation, few of us Demon Beasts can ascend there. It seems transformation is hopeless."

Yan Rufeng smiled faintly.

"Lion King, don’t lose heart. I can take you to the Immortal Realm, you know!"

"Ha ha!"

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion’s laughter was cold and eerie.

"Boy, stop deceiving me. If you could take me to the Immortal Realm, why are you still here?"

Yan Rufeng said calmly, "Lion King, you’ll only have one chance. If you don’t believe me, I’ll leave now."

Yan Rufeng grabbed Yi Mu’s hand and turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Yan Rufeng’s lips curled up in a mischievous smile.

"Lion King, do you have something else?"

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion spoke slowly, "Human boy, can you really take me to the Immortal Realm?"

Yan Rufeng spoke softly, "Why should I take you to the Immortal Realm?"

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion thought for a long time but couldn’t come up with an answer.

Seeing this, Yan Rufeng smiled and said, "Lion King, if you truly want to go to the Immortal Realm, there’s only one way."

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion perked up, "What way?"

Yan Rufeng said seriously, "Swear allegiance to me."

"Roar, howwwl!"

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion was furious and roared, "Despised human, you want me to swear allegiance to you? Dream on!"

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion opened its huge maw, rushing in to swallow Yan Rufeng at once.

"Ah..."

Yi Mu closed his eyes in fright.

Yan Rufeng remained calm. A light appeared, and something appeared in his hand. The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion immediately stopped in its tracks and exclaimed, "Seven-Star Fushen!"

Yan Rufeng waved his hand and said, "Lion King, to be precise, this is a Nine-Star Fushen."

"Nine-Star Fushen?"

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion tilted its head and gazed at the Nine-Star Fushen in Yan Rufeng’s hand, eyes full of doubt.

The Seven-Star Fushen had been collected in Rufeng’s Spiritual Grass Garden within the Purple Mansion and now cultivated into a garden full of Nine-Star Fushens with nine diamond-shaped leaves each.

Discovering that Demon Beasts, after consuming the Seven-Star Fushen, could enhance their Divine Soul and even speak human language, Yan Rufeng had begun to ponder.

"Now that the Seven-Star Fushen has been cultivated into the Nine-Star Fushen, I’m curious if consuming it will make Demon Beasts as intelligent as Demon Beasts..."

Yan Rufeng smiled calmly.

"Lion King, if you swear allegiance to me, this Nine-Star Fushen is yours. Of course, with your strength, you could also rob it from my hand. But as for going to Dragon Valley in the Immortal Realm, forget it."

After a moment, the Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion said, "Human boy, I can already speak. This Nine-Star Fushen likely has no use for me anymore. You may leave. I won’t swear allegiance to a human!"

Yan Rufeng smiled faintly.

"Lion King, what if I told you that after consuming this Nine-Star Fushen, you would become even more intelligent, would you still consume it?"

This time, the Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion was no longer calm, and said, "I admit we Demon Beasts are not as cunning as you humans. But even if consuming the Nine-Star Fushen would make me smarter, I still wouldn’t swear allegiance to you."

"Ha ha..."

Yan Rufeng laughed heartily, "Lion King, I will now give you the Nine-Star Fushen. After you consume it, you can decide whether to swear allegiance to me or not."

With a gentle wave, the dazzling Nine-Star Fushen floated in front of the Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion.

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion didn’t hesitate and swallowed the Nine-Star Fushen in an instant.

After a quarter-hour, Yan Rufeng said slowly, "Lion King, do you think it’s necessary to swear allegiance to me now?"

"Ha ha..."

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion laughed up to the sky and said, "Human boy, this swearing allegiance isn’t as simple as merely swearing allegiance, right?"

Yan Rufeng replied calmly, "Lion King, you’re right. What you think is exactly what I intend. You can refuse, but I’m afraid your Demon Beast clan won’t get such an opportunity again."

After a long while, the Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion finally said, "I will swear allegiance to you, but I have a condition!"

Yan Rufeng asked, "What condition? Feel free to speak."

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion said slowly, "After I swear allegiance to you, I hope you will provide our Demon Beast clan with more Nine-Star Fushens and lead us to Dragon Valley in the Immortal Realm to seek the Transformation Grass."

Yan Rufeng said lightly, "Lion King, as long as you can persuade the other kings to follow me, you can have as many Nine-Star Fushens as you want. As for the Immortal Realm, I always intended to go there, so you needn’t worry about that."

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion lowered its head in contemplation, "Persuading them is too difficult. Few can even understand human words. But if they could consume the Nine-Star Fushen, that would be different. Yet, without allegiance, would a human boy give them to me? Moreover, in the entire Demon Beast Forest, there are scarcely any Seven-Star Fushens, let alone Nine-Star Fushens. Does he really have that many..."

Yan Rufeng seemed to have guessed what the Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion was thinking.

"Lion King, I can give you one hundred Nine-Star Fushens first. Do you think that’s enough?"

"One hundred?"

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion roared.

"Not enough?" Yan Rufeng asked again.

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion jumped up with excitement.

"Enough, enough."

Yan Rufeng continued, "Lion King, since it’s settled, I will now give you the Nine-Star Fushens."

A flash of white light, and there were exactly one hundred Nine-Star Fushens floating in front of the Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion. Gazing at the dazzlingly brilliant Nine-Star Fushens, the Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion prostrated itself on the ground and murmured, "I, Flame Little Vajra, swear to the heavens, from this moment on, I pledge allegiance to Yan Rufeng. During the days of following the master, the master is supreme. I will always protect the master, solve any troubles for the master. If I break this oath, my soul will scatter and perish!"

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion had sworn an oath contract. Once such a contract was made, no matter how great its achievements or strength, it couldn’t break the oath, or it would face divine retribution, even in the Holy Domain.

Yan Rufeng called out, "Flame Little Vajra?"

"Master, Little Vajra is here."

Yan Rufeng smiled, "I don’t like your name."

"Please, Master, give me a new name!"

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion replied respectfully.

Yan Rufeng thought for a moment.

"From now on, you shall be called Fiery Flame Cat."

The Nine-headed Fiery Flame Lion respectfully said, "Fiery Flame Cat thanks the master for the name!"

"Pfft!!"

Yi Mu, who was beside Yan Rufeng, couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

"Brother Rufeng, it’s as big as a mountain, yet you named it ’Cat’..."