Beast Tamer Ascension

Vol 3 Chapter 9: The Demon Ancestor's Ruins

Outside Linlang City, in the Evergreen Forest.

"Damn that Lin Tian!"

Yanran, a disciple of the Flower Sect, furiously kicked a rock and punched a tree, looking like an aggrieved little wife. Her delicate face twisted with anger, contorted into a fierce expression.

The hem of her crimson dress fluttered as she landed atop a mountain peak, muttering to herself, "I can't just leave like this."

The Flower Sect’s secret technique for siphoning half a cultivator’s cultivation required time to set up... She had been so close to completing it and achieving her goal. But who could have expected that young master of the Lin family to sever the connection at the last moment, causing the technique to fail?

Against a cultivator who practiced the Immortal-Slaying Art, she had no confidence in attempting the secret technique again.

The effort she had already invested wasn’t the main issue—what truly mattered was that this failure would be a stain on her reputation, a laughingstock among her fellow sect sisters.

Wiping a leaf between her fingers, Yanran calmed her expression and spoke to herself, "I just have to make myself look like the victim. From the Lin family's perspective, this would be entirely Lin Tian's fault. As his properly wedded wife, I am the aggrieved party. I can use this as leverage to demand a huge compensation from the Lin family before leaving—otherwise, I'd be at a loss."

Rustle...

Just as Yanran was plotting how to further exploit the Lin family's wealth, the surrounding forest suddenly filled with rustling sounds. Heavy breathing, deep and menacing, accompanied the noise, making her frown.

"Demonic beasts? But isn't the Evergreen Forest supposed to be free of strong demonic beasts?" She expanded her spiritual sense outward to investigate. Through her divine perception, she scanned the area and immediately saw the source of the disturbance.

And then—she screamed in panic.

"A Demon Core Stage beast?! How is there a Demon Core Stage beast in this place?!"

Yanran’s pupils shrank instantly, her instincts screaming danger. Within her spiritual sense's reach, a colossal tiger covered in jet-black fur prowled among the trees. Sunlight filtered through the thick canopy, casting dappled patterns upon its body…

Under the probing of her divine sense, the tiger demon suddenly lifted its head. Its piercing gaze cut through the layers of mist in the forest, locking onto its prey with terrifying precision.

Run!

That was the only thought left in Yanran’s mind. Her heartbeat pounded wildly, but before she could even retract her divine sense, the black tiger let out a thunderous roar.

"ROARRRR!!!"

The entire forest trembled with the beast’s deafening cry. The sheer force of the roar made Yanran’s consciousness blur, her body going weak and limp.

"I'm done for," she thought despairingly. Never had she imagined that she would encounter a Demon Core Stage beast—and worse, that she wouldn't even have the chance to flee.

As the tiger demon approached her, she mustered what little strength she had left and screamed, "What kind of demonic beast are you?! I am a disciple of the Flower Sect! If you eat me, the Flower Sect will never let you off!"

"The Flower Sect has many Nascent Soul elders, and even a Soul Transformation Sect Master—"

"Enough with your 'Flower Sect' this and 'Flower Sect' that," an unexpected voice interrupted.

From behind the tiger demon, a figure emerged—Lin Jing.@@novelbin@@

He patted the massive tiger's side, and in an instant, the beast’s form dissolved into nothingness.

"So this is what it’s like using an illusionary beast in battle. Didn’t expect it to be so easy," Lin Jing mused, rubbing his chin as he observed the stunned female cultivator before him. ŕΆNộ𝔟Ês

"Him..."

The Flower Sect disciple stared at Lin Jing in a daze before murmuring, "Thousand Illusions Mountain?"

Lin Jing wove strands of spiritual energy together, binding the severely weakened Yanran. In the process, he noticed something surprising—according to the intelligence from Thousand Illusions Mountain, Yanran was supposed to be at Early Foundation Establishment, yet she had already broken through to Mid Foundation Establishment!

Not that it made much difference—she was still too weak. Lin Jing had no trouble crushing her mental defenses.

Realizing her attacker was not actually a demonic beast but a fellow human, Yanran sighed in relief. Though she was still unable to resist, she quickly adopted a pitiful expression.

"Senior Brother, what are you doing?" she whimpered.

"This must be some misunderstanding…"

Even while bound, Yanran arched her chest slightly, accentuating her curvaceous figure. Like a seductive viper, she slowly slumped to the ground, raising her tear-streaked face to look at Lin Jing with a pitiful, glistening gaze.

BAM.

Lin Jing knocked her out with a single punch.

"You're using this to test Thousand Illusions Mountain disciples?" Lin Jing muttered, utterly unimpressed. He had no interest in falling for a seductress’s tricks.

A few days later.

Lin Jing personally escorted the Flower Sect cultivator—who had plotted against the disciples of Thousand Illusions Mountain—back to the sect.

When Deacon Zheng received the news, he was overjoyed.

"Good! This is even better than I expected—swift, clean, and perfect! You managed to capture her even after she reached Mid Foundation Establishment? I knew I didn’t misjudge you!"

With such a valuable trophy, Lin Jing immediately earned Deacon Zheng’s high regard.

After ordering subordinates to throw the Flower Sect enchantress into the Thousand Illusions Mountain dungeon, Deacon Zheng turned back to Lin Jing, smiling.

"I remember you have quite the talent with illusionary beasts, especially that White Abyss Monkey King you manifested?"

"You must have some special connection to monkeys—otherwise, why is it that out of all the demonic beasts, you always bond with monkey-type ones?"

Deacon Zheng’s tone was teasing, but Lin Jing felt a bit embarrassed. He thought back to his childhood days spent watching Journey to the West.

"Deacon Zheng is correct… I’ve always been fascinated by monkeys. Sometimes, I even ignore beautiful women in favor of them," Lin Jing admitted sheepishly.

"Good, then consider this your fortune."

"Most disciples of the Illusionary Assassination Hall start with basic missions—territory disputes, guarding spiritual mines, and the like. These missions are dangerous, though the sect doesn’t treat these disciples unfairly. However, they offer limited personal growth."

"But you—I've decided to assign you a far more valuable opportunity."

"Three months from now, the Demon Ancestor’s Ruins will open. Disciples from the Myriad Beast Sect, the Flower Sect, and Thousand Illusions Mountain will all enter. This ruin was left behind by a Void Mystical Stage Demon Ancestor. It contains both opportunities and dangers, and conflict with disciples from other sects will be inevitable."

"With your abilities, sending you on ordinary missions would be a waste. If you can distinguish yourself in the Demon Ancestor’s Ruins, earning enough merits to qualify for the Core Disciple trials should be within your reach!"

"The Demon Ancestor’s Ruins…?" Lin Jing's expression shifted.

"Indeed. A being worthy of the title Demon Ancestor possesses blood so powerful that a single drop can birth an entire race of its kind… The owner of this ruin was a Primordial Relic Beast, one with the bloodline of the Zhuyan. It had no kin of its own, so as its lifespan neared its end, it created this ruin."

"Those who perform well inside may inherit its legacy—and become one of its kind."

"This Demon Ancestor sought to ensure its bloodline, techniques, and martial arts would be passed down after death."

"And… it doesn't discriminate between species."

"No matter what race you belong to, as long as it deems you worthy, it can make you one of its own."

"However, transforming high-level beings requires immense energy. That’s why only those below the Core Formation Stage can enter."

"For this reason, even the Senluo Hall has chosen not to compete with us for this opportunity," Deacon Zheng concluded with a smile.

Senluo Hall—an elite faction led by a Void Mystical cultivator, with only Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation members. No weaklings among them.