Beast Tamer Ascension

Vol 3 Chapter 16: Hoping to Escape

Huan Gongming had high hopes for Lin Jing.

"After returning to the sect, leave behind the Zhuyan Phantom and immediately enter the Thousand Illusions Paradise to learn the Inverse Void Art. I also want to see what kind of power a Zhuyan Phantom, transformed from illusion to reality, will possess… As for the Three Heads and Six Arms Technique, there's no rush."

The Three Heads and Six Arms Technique was well-known across various ancient texts, practiced by both humans and demons alike.

Its core was to grant the user three heads and six arms, allowing for the perfect control of multiple weapons and magical artifacts, significantly boosting combat prowess.

However, the disciples of Thousand Illusions Mountain did not rely on weapons or magical artifacts, nor was the sect's foundation built upon them. Moreover, this technique was said to be incredibly difficult to master, so Huan Gongming didn’t have high expectations for it.

Compared to the Three Heads and Six Arms, what he truly looked forward to was the Zhuyan Phantom—after all, phantom beasts were the cornerstone of Thousand Illusions Mountain!

Although Lin Jing’s Zhuyan manifestation was incomplete, it was a solid start. Using this as a foundation, with years of exploration in the Demon Ancestor’s Ruins, they would eventually create a Zhuyan Phantom with a complete divine presence!

"Understood." Lin Jing sighed inwardly.

After his journey to the Demon Ancestor’s Ruins, Lin Jing successfully obtained the status of a core disciple.

Ascending to core disciple status meant he could immediately begin learning the Inverse Void Art, which made him happy. However, the sect master of Thousand Illusions Mountain intended to wait for the Nascent Soul Patriarch to emerge from seclusion and introduce him as the patriarch's disciple. That part, Lin Jing was not too thrilled about.

"I'm not the hope of the sect."

"I'm here to steal techniques."

What worried him now was that while his illusion techniques could deceive even perfected Nascent Soul illusion cultivators, he had no guarantee they would fool a Nascent Soul cultivator who had spent a thousand years refining the Illusionary Path.

After all, this wasn’t just any Nascent Soul cultivator—it was one who specialized in illusions.

If his deception worked, everything would be fine. But if his identity was exposed, he would be in deep trouble.@@novelbin@@

Thousand Illusions Mountain was still searching for him—not out of their own will, but under pressure from others. Lin Jing didn’t dare gamble on what would happen if their patriarch saw through him…

After all, no one would want to keep a fugitive from the Yin Corpse Sect, a walking disaster, right next to them.

"As soon as I master the Inverse Void Art, I need to run. I can't wait for Thousand Illusions Mountain’s Nascent Soul Patriarch to leave seclusion."

Upon returning to Thousand Illusions Mountain, Lin Jing immediately used the Soul Infusion Art to imbue the Zhuyan Phantom’s divine presence into the sect.

Then, wasting no time, he took the Inverse Void Art cultivation manual and entered the sect’s training paradise.

This was a naturally occurring illusionary realm.

Both real and false, both solid and ethereal.

Cultivating illusions here provided tremendous benefits. It was said that the Inverse Void Art could only be successfully cultivated within this place.

Meanwhile, as Lin Jing entered the Thousand Illusions Paradise, his second identity—Huang Yu—was making waves in Senluo Path.

Inside the Demon Ancestor’s Ruins, the fact that he had "perfectly" materialized the Zhuyan Phantom, an ancient relic beast, spread like wildfire. Every sect, big and small, within Senluo Path had heard of the genius disciple from Thousand Illusions Mountain. ʀÄ₦Ő𝐁Ёṡ

Even the Senluo Hall, a faction composed entirely of weak cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage, had heard of the illusionary prodigy named Gongming.

Many believed that Thousand Illusions Mountain was destined to become a core force within Luosha Sect in the future.

Of course, the place where Gongming’s name was mentioned the least was Luosha Sect itself.

Meanwhile, Thousand Illusions Mountain gained a Zhuyan Stone Statue.

Anyone who locked eyes with it felt as if they were staring at an incredibly terrifying primordial beast, sending chills down their spine.

Despite the phantom beast within the statue only possessing mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, it gave off a presence more frightening than a Nascent Soul Demon King.

This statue became a new study object for the core disciples of Thousand Illusions Mountain. Yet the more they observed it, the more shocked they were—none could understand how someone at mid-stage Foundation Establishment had achieved this.

And without a solid foundation in Thousand Transformations, fully replicating the Zhuyan Phantom was no easy task.

..........

Three months later.

The sect master, Huan Gongming, stood outside Thousand Illusions Paradise, frowning in confusion.

Logically speaking, since Lin Jing had comprehended the divine presence of the Zhuyan Phantom in such a short time within the Demon Ancestor’s Ruins, there was no reason why it should take him this long to learn the Inverse Void Art in the paradise.

The longest any core disciple had ever taken to learn it was two months.

Could it be that transforming the Zhuyan Phantom from illusion to reality was more difficult than expected?

With the intent to offer guidance to "Huang Yu," Huan Gongming entered the Thousand Illusions Paradise—only to find it completely empty.

“Hmm?”

“Where is he?”

The sect’s hope had already escaped.

Two kings cannot coexist. Lin Jing didn’t dare gamble on what would happen if he met the Thousand Illusions Mountain patriarch, so he chose the safest option—vanishing.

His goal was accomplished. That was enough!

.............

Meanwhile, on the road from Senluo Path to Tongtian Path, Lin Jing used the Layered Illusion Technique to overlay another identity on top of Huang Yu.

Now, he appeared as a Foundation Establishment realm alchemist, wearing the robes of a Firecloud Pill Sect disciple.

He wasn’t sure if Thousand Illusions Mountain would brand him a traitor, but either way, compared to Yin Corpse Sect, Thousand Illusions Mountain was far weaker.

At most, their strongest cultivator was a Nascent Soul, and it was unlikely that the Nascent Soul Patriarch would personally hunt down a disciple who left without explanation.

If they sent a Nascent Soul cultivator after him, it was even less likely they’d find him.

Even if Lin Jing openly flaunted Huang Yu’s identity, leaving traces and using Thousand Illusions Mountain’s techniques everywhere, there was no way Thousand Illusions Mountain could track him.

So being labeled a traitor of Thousand Illusions Mountain? He could live with that. It was certainly better than being a Longevity Body cultivator infested with rare Gu.

Now, disguised as an alchemist, even if someone powerful saw through his first identity, they would only discover Huang Yu—his true self, Lin Jing, was buried even deeper.

While it might not fool absolute powerhouses, any extra layer of security was worth the effort.

"Waiter, bring me a pot of Spirit Brew."

Stopping in a small town outside Senluo Path, Lin Jing tossed down some Spirit Stones and listened in on the tavern’s chatter.

In Qingzhou, there was no Tianji Pavilion’s World Report, so tavern gossip was often the best source of information.

He was searching for news about Exotic Flames—his top priority was finding a flame that burned lifespan to enhance his Fire Qilin Dragon.

As he listened, he overheard his own name—Huang Yu, Lin Jing—come up repeatedly.

Then, someone exclaimed,

"Did you hear? Lin Jing, the fugitive every sect is after—his sect, the Beast Taming Sect, has people in Qingzhou too!"

"Half a year ago, Luosha Sect tried to capture some Beast Taming Sect cultivators to interrogate them about Lin Jing, but guess what… they got wiped out. And they had a Nascent Soul cultivator!"

"What? Isn't Beast Taming Sect just a Nascent Soul-level sect from the Ancient Celestial Kingdom? How did they destroy Luosha Sect?"

"Because the Demon Court’s Holy Maiden is Beast Taming Sect’s sect master's daughter—Xu Xiaoyao! Luosha Sect was obliterated by the Demon Court! Can you believe it? The daughter of some small sect master from the Ancient Celestial Kingdom is actually one of the Demon Court’s Holy Maidens!"

Lin Jing nearly blacked out.

He had avoided the Beast Taming Sect in Qingzhou to keep them out of trouble…

And now he found out they had already allied with a power stronger than Yin Corpse Sect?!