Beast Tamer Ascension

Vol 3 Chapter 36: The Most Dangerous Place

Ling Quan Zun-zhe’s face darkened as he stared at Lin Jing. "So, little guy, you didn’t withdraw from the battle for the Heavenly Treasure. Instead, you slaughtered your competitors and claimed the final prize?"

Lin Jing sighed helplessly. "It was self-defense, according to the rules of the secret realm."

"Senior Ling Quan, what do you think about what I just said…?" He was convinced that, in this world, debtors held the real power.

As long as a debt remained unpaid, the person who feared your death the most was your creditor.

And right now, he was the debtor.

Ling Quan Zun-zhe was the creditor.

Ling Quan Zun-zhe shook his head and said, "The secret realm descended upon the commercial district of Tianqing City. The Qingming Commerce Guild even sealed off the area. Any casual cultivator in the city can easily guess that you had dealings with them…"

"If I let you go, it would be the same as slapping Bai Xuan Zun-zhe in the face. He’d hold a grudge!"

"I need more payment!" He looked at Lin Jing. "Letting you escape secretly isn’t a problem, but your pill debt is still unpaid, and this will bring me some trouble. It’s only fair to ask for some compensation, right?"

"I won’t ask for much. Just promise to repay your debt within a year. For each year you delay, the amount of owed pills will double!"

"The hell kind of interest rate is that?" Lin Jing twitched.

"What do you say?" Ling Quan Zun-zhe stared at him. Compared to offending Tai Xuan Sect, he valued the Gluttonous Pill’s market potential even more.

In reality, letting Lin Jing go wasn’t a big deal.

But more than Tai Xuan Sect’s retaliation, he was worried about something else—

That Lin Jing would run off without paying his debt.

The debt for a single high-grade exotic fire wasn’t the real issue. The real problem was losing the exclusive selling rights for the Gluttonous Pill!

That was what really pained him as a businessman.

In his eyes, as long as he could secure the future supply of Gluttonous Pills, it was worth even offending Bai Xuan Zun-zhe.

After all, offending Bai Xuan Zun-zhe meant forging a stronger connection with Lin Jing.

A genius who had fought his way out of the Heavenly Treasure Secret Realm—regardless of his own background—must have an Alchemist Sovereign supporting him.

Between a common Nascent Soul cultivator and an Alchemist Sovereign, it was obvious who could bring in greater profits.

His condition for Lin Jing’s escape was merely a friendly gesture.

Moreover, he didn’t force Lin Jing into a formal contract but instead asked for a verbal promise, another sign of goodwill.

It was his way of saying—Remember, there’s an old, lonely merchant in Tianqing City waiting for you.

Lin Jing pondered briefly, then nodded. "Fine."

As long as he repaid it within a year, that was manageable.

For now, he truly didn’t have many Gluttonous Pills on hand.

After finalizing the deal, Ling Quan Zun-zhe soared into the sky. "Tai Xuan Dao is quite far from Qingming Dao. There are no teleportation arrays in Qingzhou. Even with a Nascent Soul cultivator’s full-speed travel, it will take some time to get here. Make good use of your time and leave this region as soon as possible."

Once Ling Quan Zun-zhe was gone, Lin Jing sighed in relief and returned to the Nameless Pill Pavilion to pack his belongings.

"Leaving? That’s not happening."

Immediately, he conjured an illusion—a perfect replica of himself.

In plain sight, the illusion soared into the sky and left Tianqing City under everyone’s watchful eyes.

Meanwhile, his real body never left.

Instead, he slipped into the Hourglass of Time and vanished from reality.

He had arranged to meet Senior Brother Ouyang here in the commercial district. If he left now, how would they meet?

Since he had to return eventually, why not just stay hidden?

"The most dangerous place is often the safest. As long as enough people witness my illusion leaving Tianqing City, even when Tai Xuan Sect’s cultivators arrive, they’ll be misled!"

Hidden within the alternate space of the Hourglass of Time, Lin Jing could patiently wait for Senior Brother Ouyang’s arrival.

———

Inside the Hourglass of Time—

A vast, sand-filled void.

Upon entering, Lin Jing felt no major difference from the outside world. If anything, the spiritual energy was even denser—far surpassing the Beast Taming Space of the Pine Leaf Mouse and the Dragon Carp, as well as the academy’s secret realm.

Regarding the flow of time—as the master of the Hourglass of Time, he could observe the outside world.

Everything outside moved painfully slow, forming a stark contrast with the rapid timeflow inside.

"This thing is incredible..." Lin Jing murmured, feeling his security greatly enhanced.

Unless an Void Mystical cultivator specializing in time-based techniques came looking for him, no one would ever find this place.

"More time for me."

"I’ll wait here until my meeting with Senior Brother Ouyang. Might as well use the time wisely."

"Beast Taming techniques, Illusion techniques... Never mind that, I should try this one instead. Can’t let it go to waste."

Sitting cross-legged in the sands of time, Lin Jing retrieved the Three Heads, Six Arms Technique he had obtained from the Demon Ancestor’s Ruins and began cultivating.

Meanwhile, he summoned the Pine Leaf Mouse, instructing it to plant trees and transform this barren wasteland into something slightly more pleasant.

———

At the same time—

A short while later—

A massive bird descended from the boundless skies above Tianqing City.

Riding atop it were Ouyang Hao and Xu Qingyao, who had come with him.

Because Xu Qingyao had accompanied him, they traveled aboard a Nascent Soul Demon Emperor, arriving far earlier than Ouyang Hao had expected—well before the agreed-upon time.

"The hell? What happened? Where’s the store? Where’s he???"

By now, the commercial district had reopened.

However, standing in front of the Nameless Pill Pavilion, Ouyang Hao fell into deep thought.

Because Lin Jing’s pill pavilion was now sealed shut.

Its walls were plastered with Tai Xuan Sect’s wanted posters.

And the wanted fugitive?

A Foundation Establishment alchemist, with an illusory face matching Lin Jing’s disguise.

"Hm?" Xu Qingyao raised an eyebrow at Ouyang Hao, clearly expecting an explanation.

Ouyang Hao quickly turned to a nearby shop and asked, "Fellow Daoist, what happened to the Nameless Pill Pavilion? Their contraceptive pills were great—I wanted to buy a few more."

"Why is the owner wanted? Did his pills kill someone?"

The False Core old man at the shop was momentarily stunned. Then he chuckled. "Fellow Daoist, you’re unaware? Not long ago, the owner of Nameless Pill Pavilion got caught up in a secret realm. Inside, he killed a Core Disciple of Tai Xuan Sect. Now, he’s being hunted by Tai Xuan Sect. As for the alchemist himself? He ran off as soon as he could!"

"Why does he keep entering secret realms? I haven’t even gone into one yet," Ouyang Hao muttered, running back to report to Xu Qingyao.

"What a troublemaker." Xu Qingyao sighed.

A wanted fugitive under his real identity.

Now forced into exile under a fake one.

How was this Beast Taming Sect’s Holy Son always getting himself into these disasters?

"What now?" Ouyang Hao was equally speechless.

Xu Qingyao smirked. "What else? We don’t know where he’s hiding, so let’s beat the crap out of Tai Xuan Sect’s Nascent Soul cultivator and force them to revoke the wanted notice."

"That way, the little rascal will feel safe enough to return."

"This was a fair fight in the secret realm—if they weren’t strong enough and died, what’s there to seek revenge for?!"

"They made me waste my time coming here. I’m pissed."

With that, she rolled up her sleeves and shot off like a meteor toward the Nascent Soul presences in the city.

"Wait—Senior Sister, wait!!"

Ouyang Hao was stunned.

Someone was definitely about to suffer.

Ever since joining the Demon Court, Senior Sister’s temper had grown worse and worse…

She was becoming a beast herself.