The crane stood tall with long slender legs, its entire body draped in feathers as white as snow. Atop its head, a red spot like the rising sun at dawn added an air of nobility.
It grabbed the red flying leaf and swooped down angrily. This crane... from the accent, Lin Jing and the pine leaf mouse found it familiar.
It seemed like the crane that delivered resources for them when they first arrived at the outer sect, not the elder sister crane who escorted them down from the inner peak.
Calling it a crane wasn’t entirely accurate; through reading, Lin Jing had learned their species name.
Heavenly Feather Crane, a wind-type spirit beast, its species enjoying extraordinary status in the Beast Taming Sect.
Because the Sect Leader... had contracted a Heavenly Feather Crane!
"Squeak..." Seeing that it accidentally threw the leaf at the crane, the pine leaf mouse became extremely nervous.
"Senior..." Lin Jing also showed an apologetic expression and spoke, "We’re very sorry. We were practicing magic."
"So annoying, it’s not even safe inside the sect now. Be careful next time!" The Heavenly Feather Crane discarded the leaf, looked around, and said, "Seems like it was here. Outer Sect Disciple Lin Jing, you have a message, from Elder Mo Wuya of Lotus Peak!"
Having said that, it tossed down a letter and flew back into the clouds, in a great hurry, as if afraid of being late for its next task.
Seeing this, Lin Jing and the pine leaf mouse breathed a sigh of relief. Lin Jing then curiously opened the letter.
After reading the letter, Lin Jing contemplated, "Elder Mo says that the small base of the Yin Corpse Sect that abducted me had already reported the information about my Longevity Body, but they hadn’t had time to transfer me. I’m told not to leave the Beast Taming Sect unless absolutely necessary and not to take on sect missions requiring departure."
"As long as we stay inside the sect, we will be safe."
"As for his current whereabouts, he is no longer within the sect... but has gone to the Demon Extermination Bureau to understand the situation in detail, to see if he can also eradicate that higher-level magic sect base!"
"Squeak!" The pine leaf mouse looked at Lin Jing sympathetically.
Lin Jing shook his head and said, "Unlucky fate, just started Qi Cultivation and already targeted by a demonic sect."
"Don’t look at me like that, Treasure Beasts are rarer than special cultivation physiques!"
"If we’re caught, we might end up on the same dining table."
By now, Lin Jing was no longer an inexperienced cultivation novice; he had learned much about demonic sects.
The three major demonic sects in the Cultivation Realm—the Yin Corpse Sect, the Gu God Sect, and the Nether Hall—are all highly feared.
Among them, the Yin Corpse Sect refines corpse puppets, siphons cultivation bases, trades immortal seedlings, and possesses geniuses, making them a thorn in the side of major sects and cultivation families. Doesn’t every family have at least one talented individual with a special physique?
Where there’s trade, there’s exploitation. Although the success rate of repossession and retraining is very low, many severely injured high-level cultivators refuse to accept their fate, with the Yin Corpse Sect acting as middlemen.
Meanwhile, the Gu God Sect refines and raises Gu insects, hosting them on many ordinary people, common cultivators, or even those with special physiques, using the human body as nourishment to strengthen and evolve the Gu insects!
As for the Nether Hall, it’s primarily ghost cultivators, raising ghostly entities and manipulating spirits and souls.
Fortunately, under the attacks from the Celestial Essence Ancient Country’s Demon Extermination Bureau and regional sects, the three major demonic sects are like rats scurrying across the street, unable to see the light of day.
Lin Jing sighed, thankful that even though his Longevity Body was rare, it wasn’t extremely valuable. Even if coveted, it should not be a high-priority target.
"When Elder Mo returns, we will inform him of your mutant Treasure Beast situation," Lin Jing said, "Since I can obtain resources of inner sect level as a special physique, you can now be considered ’special physique,’ and our resource treatment may improve."
Even as a newly inducted disciple, Lin Jing could receive such good treatment, and the pine leaf mouse, having been born and raised in the Beast Taming Sect with parents belonging to it, had a deeper connection to the sect than he did. Lin Jing believed the sect would not hesitate to allocate resources for the mouse’s cultivation.
"Squeak squeak squeak!!" The pine leaf mouse nodded, then looked towards the spirit bean seedlings nearby.
It was very curious... once a hundred grains were planted, what would be synthesized after the transformation by the Glazed Immortal Pupil.
"Stop for now..." Lin Jing halted it, saying, "We have no surplus food left. The spirit rice we managed to grow was all eaten by you."
"Now we should find something to eat. Otherwise... forget about the cost of synthesizing new resources, you might starve during the spirit bean maturing process."
"Sigh, let’s find a mountain to hunt some game, dig some wild vegetables to plant in the yard to stave off hunger," Lin Jing sighed.
Among the dozens of peaks in the Beast Taming Sect, some specifically raised ferocious beasts, man-eating demon beasts, in captivity for outer and inner disciples’ training.
Lin Jing planned to take the pine leaf mouse to such a forest where outer sect disciples could enter, catch a few wild rabbits, and fish some catch.
If it were before, he would definitely not take such risks, but now the pine leaf mouse mastered the red flying leaf as a weapon that slices metal like mud; ordinary forest beasts, low-level demon beasts no longer posed a threat to them.
After resting, Lin Jing and the pine leaf mouse took the red flying leaf, left the yard, and started heading towards "Fierce Tiger Peak" according to the map.
In this peak, there were fierce tigers roaming that prey on humans, though only a few bore demon power of "Qi Cultivation One Layer," and the Beast Taming Sect only allowed disciples of "Qi Cultivation One Layer" to enter with their pet beasts to cultivate courage.
Such disciples often have just embarked on the path of cultivation and haven’t yet shifted their mindset from ordinary people. Let alone facing demon beasts, even the roar of a common forest tiger might rob them of their composure.
And with pet beasts of at least Qi Cultivation Three Layers for protection, these disciples usually did not encounter any accidents when entering this peak, making it suitable for tempering mindset.
Most importantly, the spoils of hunting inside were all owned by the disciples.
Soon, Lin Jing and the others arrived at the foot of Fierce Tiger Peak. At the peak’s entrance stood an old man in rough clothes. He beckoned to Lin Jing as he saw him.
"Outer sect disciple? Going up Fierce Tiger Peak?" Lin Jing approached, and the old man scrutinized Lin Jing and the pine leaf mouse.
"Returning to you, Senior, yes." Lin Jing didn’t recognize the old man but guessed he must be the Peak Guardian. Peaks like Fierce Tiger Peak had designated overseers.
"You cannot enter now. A spirit plant was unexpectedly born inside the mountain, eaten by a tiger. Now that tiger has awakened intelligence and possesses strong demon power. If you enter now, there are certain risks," the old man waved his hand and said, "Come another day."
"Senior, what is that Tiger Demon’s cultivation level?" Lin Jing asked, "Perhaps we could..."
"Qi Cultivation Nine Layers."
"Senior, sorry to trouble you." Lin Jing cupped his fist and was about to leave with the pine leaf mouse.
What world is this where he labored through diligent cultivation, only to reach Qi Cultivation One Layer after so long?
A tiger eats a single spirit plant and achieves Qi Cultivation Nine Layers?
Fortune... truly outweighs effort.
Not only was Lin Jing distressed, but the pine leaf mouse on his shoulder was also indignant.
Just as Lin Jing was leaving, a familiar figure approached.
"Junior Brother Lin?" A young man in a white robe asked in surprise.
"Senior Brother Ouyang, why are you here?"
"I’ve taken on the sect mission to subdue the ’Tiger Demon of Fierce Tiger Peak,’" Ouyang Hao said.
Lin Jing and the pine leaf mouse: "..."
Undercover agent, Scripture Pavilion administrator, Tiger Demon subduer, Brother Lu truly is a busy man. Lin Jing and the pine leaf mouse cupped their fists, deeply respectful and utterly convinced.
It’s great to have you in the sect, the next Sect Leader must be you. No one would contest it.