Beast Tamer Ascension

Chapter 32: A Clear Goal

Inside the Bodhi Cavern Heaven, there were now twelve people.

Five of them had been chosen by the Cavern Heaven to enter, while the other seven were fortunate enough to be nearby when the Cavern Heaven descended. They seized the opportunity before the Cavern Heaven fully formed and managed to get in. To some extent, this too could be considered a stroke of fate.

The bald body cultivator, draped in animal skins, noticed no one responded to his earlier words. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and walked directly toward the golden Bodhi Tree.

“The golden Bodhi Tree offers the best enlightenment benefits in the Bodhi Cavern Heaven,” he said. “The silver one comes next, and the green one is the least effective. The fewer people under a Bodhi Tree, the better the results. Don’t you think monopolizing the golden tree is a bit too much?”

A scholarly man in a green robe spoke calmly to the body cultivator. “If I’m not mistaken, you’re a cultivator from the Snow Plains. Only Snow Plains cultivators wear animal skin skirts like that.”

Indeed, the body cultivator was wearing an animal skin skirt, confirming the man’s deduction.

The crowd turned to look at the body cultivator, whose eyes flashed coldly.

The scholar continued, “This young lady, judging by her violet flame-patterned alchemist robe, must be a disciple of the Fire Domain’s Dan Ding Sect.”

“And this young swordsman carries the Demon-Slaying Sword—a standard weapon of the Outer Sect disciples of the Sword Domain’s Heavenly Sword Gate,” the scholar remarked.

The young swordsman remained silent, slowly unsheathing his sword in response.

“As for these eight, each has a spirit beast. To my knowledge, only the disciples of the Beast Taming Sect from the Wasteland Domain are so uniformly equipped with pet beasts.”

Lin Jing and his fellow disciples had already guessed where the scholar was headed.

“As for myself, I hail from the Literary Domain. All of us come from the Nine Domains of the Ancient Celestial Kingdom. Only this Snow Plains cultivator is an outsider,” the scholar concluded, neatly dividing the group into two camps.@@novelbin@@

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Snow Plains tribes have long coveted the Central Lands and have never been on good terms with the Ancient Celestial Kingdom. As cultivators of the Kingdom, shouldn’t we unite against this common foe?” He cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, rallying the others.

Outside the Ancient Celestial Kingdom lay the harsh Snow Plains, an inhospitable land with extreme conditions.

“Hahaha! I knew you cowards would gang up on me,” the Snow Plains cultivator laughed uproariously. “But I’m not afraid of any of you.”

The Snow Plains cultivator was well aware of the situation. Knowing their differences in allegiance, these people would naturally target him first. Prepared for a fight, he sneered, “I’ve heard Ancient Celestial Kingdom cultivators are as timid as sheep. Let me show you what a real cultivator looks like!”

Standing before the golden Bodhi Tree, he exhaled a frosty breath. His eyes glinted yellow-green like a beast’s, and his muscles bulged as veins protruded across his body. The sound of roaring lions and tigers echoed faintly from him.

“I mean no offense to the Snow Plains, but you are quite brutish,” the alchemist in the violet flame robe commented, shaking her head.

“Spare me the pretense. Don’t tell me none of you want to monopolize the golden Bodhi Tree!” the body cultivator mocked.

“Everyone, let’s take him down together!” the scholar declared. He produced a magical scroll, and its characters fused with his energy, manifesting ghostly soldiers wielding swords and sabers. The spectral army charged at the Snow Plains cultivator.

“I’ll join in!” The alchemist raised her hand, conjuring a purple flame at her fingertips. This wasn’t an ordinary fire—its intense heat radiated a strange, fragrant scent that was both mesmerizing and alarming.

The flame danced in her palm with a will of its own. With a flick of her wrist, it transformed into a fiery cauldron, spinning through the air with a deafening roar.

“Grahhhh!” The Snow Plains cultivator stood his ground. Beast totems shimmered across his skin as he tanked the attacks. The soldiers’ weapons struck his body with the sound of metal clashing against steel before shattering into smoke.

“Take this!” After enduring the scholar’s attack, the cultivator’s blood surged, and his hands glowed red as he swung his arm to shatter the incoming cauldron.

Boom!

The fiery explosion scattered flames in all directions, illuminating his figure as he advanced like an unleashed beast. He reached into his storage pouch and pulled out a massive warhammer, preparing to swing it at the scholar.

“Why aren’t the Heavenly Sword Gate and Beast Taming Sect disciples helping? Are you planning to swoop in later and reap the rewards?” the scholar shouted as he stepped onto a floating cloud of energy to evade direct confrontation.

“Get down here!” The Snow Plains cultivator hurled his warhammer into the air. The scholar dodged it with ease, but the cultivator redirected his rage toward the alchemist.

Seeing this, the alchemist put on an aggrieved expression. “Forget it. You all fight it out. I’m just an alchemist—I’ll settle for the silver Bodhi Tree.”

No one wanted to exhaust themselves too early, lest others take advantage of their weakened state.

The Snow Plains cultivator snorted, clearly seeing through her pretense. His gaze swept over the Heavenly Sword Gate and Beast Taming Sect disciples. “Hey, sword boy, are you planning to fight?”

“And as for you Beast Taming Sect disciples, you all look like trash. I bet you snuck in by sheer luck, didn’t you?”

The air around him was charged with the roars of countless beasts, making him seem like the king of all animals. The oppressive aura left the Beast Taming Sect disciples visibly shaken.

Even their spirit beasts—Senior Brother He Yiming’s Battle Ape, Senior Brother Ziran’s Fire Spirit Sparrow, and the Demon-Hunting Hall disciples’ ferocious beasts—trembled uncontrollably.

“This guy… he must have the Myriad Beast Body!” Senior Brother Ziran realized with a start. “It’s a rare physique that allows him to fuse the bloodlines of countless beasts to strengthen himself. Not only does it make him stronger as the battle progresses, but it also exerts a terrifying suppression on other beasts.”

The difference between those chosen by the Cavern Heaven and those who slipped in was stark. The mere release of his aura had weakened the combat potential of most of their spirit beasts.

“Not good,” thought the Demon-Hunting Hall disciples, who had hoped to vie for the golden Bodhi Tree. Feeling the Snow Plains cultivator’s oppressive power, they decided to back off.

Seeing the Beast Taming Sect disciples falter, the scholar shook his head. “I knew it. There’s no way all of them are capable. This narrows the competition.”

Suddenly, a barrage of water arrows shot toward the Snow Plains cultivator. Though he had easily shrugged off previous attacks, this time his body tensed with a strong sense of danger. Just as he prepared to dodge, a tidal wave of terrifying spiritual energy swept over him.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of deafening explosions rocked the area. The shockwaves sent the scholar tumbling from the sky, left the alchemist and swordsman disheveled, and forced the Beast Taming Sect disciples to retreat in disbelief.

At the center of the commotion stood Lin Jing, calmly firing round after round from his Mechanical Bamboo Rifle. Beside him, the Pine Leaf Mouse showed no fear, its determination outweighing any sense of dread. Its eyes gleamed as it stared at the Snow Plains cultivator’s storage pouch.

As the smoke cleared, the Snow Plains cultivator was still standing, clutching his hammer. However, his body was riddled with wounds, his skin torn apart by the explosions, exposing raw flesh and even white bone beneath.

Despite his injuries, the cultivator let out an enraged roar and charged at Lin Jing.

“What a monster,” Lin Jing muttered, retreating a step as he reloaded his rifle with more Spirit Bean Bombs.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Another round of explosions left the Snow Plains cultivator dazed and lifeless. Taking the opportunity, the Pine Leaf Mouse darted forward, snatched the storage pouch, and scurried back to Lin Jing’s side.