Beast Tamer Ascension

Vol 3 Chapter 17: The Demon Court@@novelbin@@

"Greetings, fellow Daoists."

"I am but a wandering alchemist. By chance, I overheard your conversation just now and found it quite interesting. Would you mind if I joined in?"

"Since fate has brought us together, allow me to cover the cost of this meal."

As Lin Jing listened in, the group suddenly changed the topic, discussing a widowed female cultivator who had lost her husband. Feeling speechless, he stepped forward, hoping to steer the conversation back on track.

He truly knew little about the Beast Taming Sect’s movements in Qingzhou, the sect master's adopted daughter, or this so-called Demon Court.

The three cultivators at the table were all at Foundation Establishment and looked like rogue cultivators based on their attire. They turned to look at Lin Jing.

"You're treating?" The bearded man who had been speaking earlier was momentarily stunned before bursting into laughter.

"You said it yourself—fate has brought us together. No need for you to pay, Daoist friend. Sit down. Ask whatever you want. Are you interested in that widow too?"

"In that case, I’ll gladly accept," Lin Jing coughed lightly before sitting down.

"However, that’s not what I wanted to ask. It’s about your previous discussion. I overheard you mention that the Beast Taming Sect’s sect master has a daughter with half-demon blood, and I’m quite curious… Does that mean she has half-demon race bloodline or just half-demonic beast bloodline?"

Although both were referred to as half-demons, the distinction was vast!

Before the Immortal Palace was destroyed, demonic beasts could transform into humans and were collectively known as the demon race.

There were no reproductive barriers between demons and humans, and their offspring were known as half-demons.

Half-demons inherited the best traits of both races, making them incredibly powerful.

These half-demons had half demon race bloodline.

However, after the ancient Immortal Palace sealed off the demon bloodline, the demon race completely vanished.

As a result, half-demons with demon race blood also disappeared. Over time, demons and half-demons struggled to reproduce. Even when they did, their offspring were merely pure-blooded humans, with no trace of demonic ancestry.

With the demon race extinct, the definition of half-demon changed over time.

Now, the term referred to humans who had undergone a transformation—where their human blood was partially replaced with beast blood through special methods.

However, this type of half-demon was completely different from those with true demon race bloodline.

For example, the Zhuyan Ruins Lin Jing had previously explored had methods to alter bloodlines, but even if successful, it only granted demonic beast traits, not true demon bloodline.

Thus, over the years, the term half-demon had come to have two distinct meanings.

Lin Jing was aware that Sect Master Xu Xiaoyao had a daughter—an adopted one—but he didn’t know much about her. He only knew that she had left for Qingzhou a long time ago. 𝙧åɴŏꞖĚṨ

At the time, he had wondered whether sending a young girl to Qingzhou alone was too dangerous.

But now, it seemed that the sect master’s daughter had some connection to the Demon Court.

And if this Beast Taming Sect senior sister only possessed half-demonic beast bloodline, Lin Jing doubted that the Demon Court would value her so highly.

After all, while humans with beast bloodline were rare, they weren’t unheard of.

Many cultivators had beast-like traits simply because their bodies contained traces of demonic beast bloodline.

Yet, since the Beast Taming Sect’s senior sister had become one of the Demon Court’s Holy Maidens, Lin Jing was inclined to believe that she wasn’t just an ordinary half-demon.

It was likely that she possessed half-demon race bloodline.

Only then would the Demon Court, which sought to revive the demon race, take interest in her.

But that raised another question—hadn’t all demon race bloodlines disappeared?

The bearded cultivator took a sip of his wine and said,

"Of course, she has half demon race bloodline!"

"Relying on beast bloodline alone—even if it's demon ancestor bloodline—would never be enough to become a Demon Court Holy Maiden."

"That place is one of the strongest demonic beast forces, with a Demon Emperor overseeing it…"

"I heard that all three Holy Maidens of the Demon Court have half demon race bloodline!"

"You’re wondering how that’s possible, right? Didn’t the ancient Immortal Palace seal off demon bloodlines, making it impossible for new demons to be born?"

"Exactly." Lin Jing nodded.

"I’ve gossiped about this with others before," the bearded cultivator continued.

"Those three Holy Maidens were only recognized by the Demon Court in recent decades—they weren’t part of some ancient tradition. So, is it possible that over time, the world’s rules, rewritten by the Immortal Palace, are starting to weaken?"

"After all, the Immortal Palace has been gone for so long. Who’s to say their alterations to world laws were truly permanent?"

"Maybe full-blooded demons still can’t be born, but half-demons—those with half demon race bloodline—are starting to reappear. And this Beast Taming Sect’s sect master’s daughter? She had ancestral demon bloodline within her, and as the world’s rules loosened, her bloodline mutated, triggering a reversion to her ancestral form!"

"Reversion to an ancestral form… That does make sense," Lin Jing muttered.

It was possible that the sect master’s adopted daughter had awakened her half-demon bloodline at some point, catching the Demon Court’s attention and prompting them to bring her to Qingzhou for cultivation.

That could explain why she had left for Qingzhou at such a young age.

Perhaps, when she was born, she already exhibited signs of her half-demon heritage, leading her parents to abandon her, allowing the sect master to take her in.

Regardless of the details, it was clear that the Beast Taming Sect’s senior sister was thriving in Qingzhou. No wonder the sect master had brought a group over to establish themselves there.

For a brief moment, Lin Jing considered visiting the Beast Taming Sect’s Qingzhou branch to see the sect master.

But he quickly dismissed the idea.

The sect master's adopted daughter had likely gained her status due to her half-demon race bloodline, making her politically valuable within the Demon Court.

However, she wasn’t the only Holy Maiden—there were two others like her.

While she might have the authority to wipe out a Nascent Soul-level sect, she likely didn’t hold absolute power.

For someone like Lin Jing, who possessed a Longevity Body, approaching the Demon Court was too dangerous.

The court was filled with powerful demonic beasts, and there was no guarantee she could protect him.

If she had been a Holy Maiden of a human faction, even one of the Three Great Demonic Sects, like the Netherworld Hall, he would have considered seeking refuge.

But the Demon Court’s Holy Maidens?

Too risky.

Not just the beasts—even she might want to eat him.

The Beast Taming Sect’s downfall was no accident.

"…Sigh." Lin Jing let out a long sigh.

The world was vast, yet without strength, nowhere truly felt safe.

Still, keeping the Beast Taming Sect’s Qingzhou branch as a backup plan wasn’t a bad idea.

They were probably looking for him, too.

..........

In the end, Lin Jing set out for Tongtian Path, one of the Sixteen Paths of Qingzhou.

His goal was simple—form his core before anything else.

A month later, he left Senluo Path and entered Qingming Path. Unlike Senluo Path, which lay on Qingzhou’s outskirts, Qingming Path was rich in spiritual herbs and renowned for alchemy.

Lin Jing had intended to head straight to Tongtian Path, but along the way, he discovered something interesting in Qingming Path—prompting him to pause his journey.