Chapter 1207 Netherworld

The "Shattered Thunder Valley" at the edge of the Hidden Mist Village was filled with a scorching smell. Shangguan Mo squatted before a makeshift forging array, his fingertips carefully wrapping a piece of "Netherworld Iron Crystal" with a faint blue hue. Three days ago, rebel ninjas from the Hidden Mist Village raided a nearby supply village, stealing winter provisions and threatening to "raze the Shattered Thunder Valley in three days." The Netherworld Iron Crystal he held, recovered from the ruins, was the only material capable of fusing with the village's only remaining "Thunder Leopard," creating a powerful summoning beast. However, this "fusion of living matter and mineral" technique had never been successfully performed before. If care was taken, the Thunder Leopard would be slain by the backlash of the Iron Crystal.

"Brother Mo, do you really want to try? The Thunder Leopard is our village's last remaining fighting force!" Aji, the young man beside him, clutched a kunai, his voice tinged with anxiety. In the nearby enclosure, the Thunder Leopard paced restlessly, its silver-gray fur streaked with lightning-shaped patterns, and its left foreleg was still bandaged—a wound sustained during the previous fight against the rebel ninja.

Shangguan Mo didn't turn back, simply pouring chakra into the grooves of the refining array. The array pattern instantly lit up crimson. "If I don't try, are we waiting for the rebels to burn the village?" His gaze fell on the Nether Iron Crystal. This ore could absorb lightning chakra, and its hardness was comparable to the scales of a tailed beast. The Thunder Leopard was naturally capable of controlling Lightning Release. If the two could be fused, perhaps a summoned beast with invulnerability and amplified Lightning Release could be born. But he knew the greatest risk lay in the "contract resonance"—the iron crystal's malevolent energy and the Thunder Leopard's beast soul had to be balanced, otherwise it would only create an uncontrollable monster.

He took a deep breath and unlocked the door to the animal pen. The Thunder Leopard seemed to sense his determination and, instead of dodging, slowly walked to the center of the refining formation. Shangguan Mo pressed the Nether Iron Crystal to its forehead. The chakra at his fingertips transformed into a thin thread, connecting the Iron Crystal to the refining formation. "Ninjutsu? Crystal Beast Fusion!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crimson patterns of the refining array suddenly erupted, and the Nether Iron Crystal began to melt, transforming into a dark blue liquid that seeped down the Thunder Leopard's forehead and into its body. The Thunder Leopard let out a painful roar, its silver-gray fur instantly bristling, its lightning patterns becoming disordered, and even black blood seeped from the wound on its left foreleg—the iron crystal's malevolent energy was corroding its beast soul!

"Oh no! The evil spirit is too strong!" Aji exclaimed, about to rush forward, but was stopped by Shangguan Mo. Cold sweat oozed from his forehead, and chakra rushed into the Thunder Leopard's body, trying to suppress the evil spirit. "Thunder Leopard, concentrate! Use your Lightning Release to envelop the evil spirit, don't let it consume your consciousness!"

The Thunder Leopard seemed to understand his words, a glint of clarity flashing in its eyes. Its lightning chakra suddenly erupted, and silver-white lightning coiled around its body, creating a tug-of-war between it and the dark blue evil spirit. But the evil spirit grew stronger, and the dark blue liquid began to condense on its back, gradually forming a protruding iron crystal, making its movements increasingly stiff.

Shangguan Mo's chakra was about to be depleted when a record in an ancient book suddenly flashed through his mind: "The fusion of living bodies requires a contract as a guide. Only when humans and beasts are united can evil be transformed into benefit." He gritted his teeth, suddenly cut his palm, and dripped blood on the Thunder Leopard's forehead: "I, Shangguan Mo, am willing to sign a spirit beast contract with you. From now on, we will share life and death together!"

Blood seeped into the Thunder Leopard's body, instantly colliding with the Iron Crystal's malevolent energy and the Lightning Release's chakra. The patterns of the Refining Array suddenly changed color, from scarlet to a crisscross of silver and blue. Shangguan Mo's consciousness seemed to be drawn into a chaotic space—a place filled with violent lightning and icy malevolent energy. The Thunder Leopard's beast soul huddled in a corner, enveloped by layers of malevolent energy.