Beast Tamer Ascension

Vol 2 Chapter 60: Return to the Great Wasteland

At Hidden Dragon Academy, a streak of light descended onto a mountain peak. Inside the mountain's cavernous abode, intense heat pervaded the air, and a scarlet-scaled Dragon Carp Spirit was busy refining pills in a fiery cauldron.

Having overexerted itself creating a Foundation Establishment Pill for the Pine Leaf Mouse, the Dragon Carp had fallen into a deep slumber, awakening only to find a jade slip left by Lin Jing:

"I’ve gone to participate in the academy’s Autumn Hunt with the Pine Leaf Mouse. I’ve left enough food for you in the cavern."

The Dragon Carp replayed the message repeatedly, waiting silently for its master. Nearly a month passed before Lin Jing finally returned.

“You’ve recovered well! I thought you’d be asleep for a whole month,” Lin Jing remarked with a slight smile, noticing the Dragon Carp's vigor.

“Blub blub blub!” The Dragon Carp leapt from the cauldron, flapping its fins in protest.

Lin Jing chuckled. “It was just some backwater mountains—nothing exciting.”

The Dragon Carp, still bitter over being left out of the Dragon-Phoenix Cavern Heaven adventure, eyed him suspiciously. “Nothing exciting…?”

Seeing its anxious expression, Lin Jing reassured it. “Of course not! It was just a pool of diluted Dragon Blood from the Southern Mountain Demon Emperor.”

The Dragon Carp froze. "What?!"

“It wouldn’t have done you much good anyway,” Lin Jing added casually. The Dragon Carp sighed in relief, its trembling fins calming down.

“Relax. I made sure to think of you this time. After all, you worked yourself to exhaustion to make the Foundation Establishment Pill for the Pine Leaf Mouse. So, I brought back something delicious—premium Mosquito Beasts from the Cangmang Mountains as a treat.”

“Those mosquitoes have been gorging themselves on the Dragon Blood Pool. By the principle of equivalent exchange, eating them is practically like you enjoying the blood pool too!” Lin Jing explained with a grin.

The Dragon Carp’s eyes sparkled with anticipation, eagerly awaiting its reward.

When Lin Jing released the Mosquito Beasts, the cavern was soon filled with their loud buzzing. Over a hundred Mosquito Beasts emerged, each the size of Lin Jing himself, their plump bodies practically radiating vitality. The Dragon Carp’s eyes lit up as it dove toward the nearest one, mouth open wide.

But before it could bite, the Mosquito Beast's oppressive aura surged. With a sudden burst of force, it slammed the Dragon Carp back into the ground, creating a crater.

The Dragon Carp winced in pain, staring at the Mosquito Beast in disbelief. Each mosquito was now shrouded in an overwhelming Blood Shadow, and its King-tier Bloodline was faintly threatened.

Not ready to give up, the Dragon Carp targeted another. But even before it could approach, the Mosquito Beasts' collective pressure forced it to retreat, stumbling backward.

For a moment, the Dragon Carp doubted its reality. How had it fallen so far that even "prepared food" was out of its league?

Lin Jing’s expression turned serious. “What’s wrong with you? Did you slack off on your cultivation this past month? How can you lose to food?”

The Dragon Carp wanted to cry but had no tears. Missing one Autumn Hunt had cost it so much! Its mind raced—was the Dragon Blood Pool truly such a useless opportunity?

It suddenly panicked. Would Lin Jing now prefer to contract a Mosquito Beast for Foundation Establishment instead of it?

Gripping Lin Jing’s pant leg with its teeth, the Dragon Carp pleaded with watery eyes. It couldn’t endure another event without being included.

“Alright, next time for sure,” Lin Jing relented with a smile. “In fact, in a few days, we’ll be heading out again. I’ll definitely bring you along.”

The Dragon Carp’s eyes brightened. “Where to?”

“To a frozen wasteland. I need to help the Ice Soul Gu achieve Foundation Establishment.”

The Dragon Carp froze. "What?!"

Before Lin Jing could elaborate, a powerful presence descended outside the cavern. “Never mind, I’ll explain the mosquitoes later,” Lin Jing said. “Don’t question your worth as a fish.”

Stepping out of the cavern, Lin Jing found Cao Ziwei, one of the academy’s teachers, waiting for him.

“Your performance during the Autumn Hunt was truly impressive,” Cao Ziwei said with a smile.

“You flatter me, Sir Cao,” Lin Jing replied. “What brings you here?”

“I come with a message. During the hunt, a strong cultivator from Tianji Pavilion was observing. He was impressed by you and asked me to pass this on: two years from now, the pavilion will host a Genius Battle in the Heaven Domain. It will be an opportunity to reshuffle the rankings of the Genius Rankings.”

He added, “You’re twenty-seven now, right? While this Autumn Hunt will likely put you on the Genius Rankings, the list only includes those under thirty. Your time on it will be short-lived. The pavilion hopes you’ll achieve Foundation Establishment by then and participate in the battle. With your potential, you could rank among the top talents.”

Lin Jing raised an eyebrow. “Tianji Pavilion is hosting such an event?”

“Indeed. The pavilion relies on selling intelligence to sustain itself, and the Genius Rankings are a major revenue stream. However, the rankings have been stagnant for years, impacting their business. This Genius Battle is their way of shaking things up,” Cao Ziwei explained with a laugh.

Lin Jing nodded. “Thank you for the message, Sir Cao. Coincidentally, I was planning to leave the academy to seek a feng shui treasure land for Foundation Establishment. I’ll keep the battle in mind.”

Hearing this, Cao Ziwei grew concerned. However, recalling Lin Jing’s powerful protector, he decided not to press further. “As long as you travel discreetly, it should be fine.”

As Lin Jing prepared for his journey to the Great Wasteland Domain, he contemplated a side trip to visit the Beast Taming Sect’s remnants in Hundred Flower Valley. Though the sect no longer existed, many of its members had relocated there. It had been four years, and he was curious to see how his old acquaintances were faring.

To cross domains, Lin Jing could use Hidden Dragon City’s interdomain teleportation array, but the cost was exorbitant. Even with his spoils from the Autumn Hunt, he refused to waste his resources. Fortunately, with the Nascent Soul-level Divine Pine as his protector, traversing the regions wouldn’t be an issue.

Meanwhile, in the Heaven Domain’s Tianji Pavilion, Tian Huihua reported the Autumn Hunt’s events to her master.

Her master dismissed her concerns about the Genius Rankings. “Never mind that for now. Focus on finding your junior sister. She slipped away recently.”

Tian Huihua frowned. “Eighty years of cultivation can feel stifling. It’s only natural for her to want some freedom.”

“She left after divining something about that Lin Jing,” her master said. “She hasn’t eaten or drunk anything since, just giggling to herself. Keep an eye on her. If there’s an opportunity, seize it—but don’t let Lin Jing deceive her. That man is trouble.”

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