Nightmares are all fake... In the following days, Lin Jing practiced the Fire Control Technique specifically by following the methods for refining the Spirit Supplement Pill and Peach Blossom Spirit Pill.
As for the Pineleaf Squirrel, due to the trip to the Grotto Heaven, its stock was exhausted and it very much wanted to stockpile some more ammunition...
However, under Lin Jing’s strong insistence, it still spent most of its time on cultivation.
Lin Jing felt that nothing would happen for the time being, and cultivation was more important.
"Inner Sect Disciple Lin Jing, the task you posted in the Task Hall has been completed by someone." A crane landed outside Lin Jing’s cave dwelling.
Lin Jing, who was practicing the Fire Control Technique, stepped out, thanked it, and hurriedly brought the Pineleaf Squirrel to the Task Hall.
In the Task Hall, apart from the songbird, there was only one person looking for a suitable task.
The person wore white attire, and even the back conveyed a sense of frailty and exhaustion, which Lin Jing found quite familiar.
"Senior Brother Ouyang?"
"Junior Brother Lin Jing?"
This person turned around, and both of them recognized each other.
"I heard you entered the Inner Sect, and I was planning to visit sometime, but I didn’t expect to meet you here."
"Are you here to take on a task, Senior Brother?" Lin Jing asked.
"Yes." Senior Brother Ouyang replied, "I just completed three tasks and now plan to take on two more, competing for this month’s ’Task King’. Hong’Er and I are about to enter Foundation Establishment soon, so we need to save up money to ask Elder Shen to refine a couple of better Foundation Establishment Pills by then."
"Why are you here, Junior Brother?"
"The task I posted was just completed by someone." Upon saying this, Lin Jing thought of something.
"Senior Brother, that ’Find Fire Cloud Chili Seeds’ task, was it you who completed it?" He was highly suspicious.
"Was that task posted by you? I was wondering why the reward was so stingy." Senior Brother Ouyang was stunned, then said, "No, I mean, what a coincidence."
After saying this, he took out a bag of spirit stones and said, "Junior Brother, I can’t accept the reward for your task."
"You have entered the Inner Sect, and I haven’t given you any gift to congratulate you. Let these chili seeds be a gift from me for your promotion."
"How can I accept this?" Lin Jing took the spirit stones and said, "However, I really can’t refuse Senior Brother’s kind intentions, so I shall defer to my Senior Brother’s wishes."
The songbird, watching the "sentimental" pair, said, "Stop the arguing and quickly take the chili seeds, complete the task, and get going."
In the end, Lin Jing took the chili seeds, while Senior Brother Ouyang Hao picked up a task to investigate a disappearance near the sect.
After being forced to listen to a song of good fortune, they walked out of the Task Hall. Senior Brother Ouyang suddenly hinted, "Junior Brother, I’ve heard rumors of a ray of light from the Grotto Heaven falling on the sect’s edge, and with so little information about this Inner Sect assessment, you wouldn’t have encountered the Grotto Heaven during your Inner Sect assessment, would you?"
Lin Jing was a bit surprised, saying, "Senior Brother, you’re right."
"So it’s true!" Ouyang Hao was envious, "What is the Grotto Heaven like? I really want to enter and take a look."
"You’ll have the opportunity." Lin Jing said, "With your potential for ascension, being chosen by the Grotto Heaven is only a matter of time."
"Indeed." Ouyang Hao said, "At that time, we’ll revitalize the Beast Taming Sect together, as agreed."
"Speaking of which, now that you’ve entered the Inner Sect and as a special disciple, not to mention your experience entering the Grotto Heaven..." he looked at the Pineleaf Squirrel meditating on Lin Jing’s shoulder, "Logically, you can apply to the sect for a Beast Taming space artifact, allowing it to cultivate inside, which would be more efficient!"
"In your current status, you’re virtually a True Inheritor. As long as the Golden Core Elder nods, you can definitely obtain it in advance."
The Pineleaf Squirrel opened its eyes, a space artifact?
"Senior Brother has a point..." Lin Jing thought for a moment and said, "I just entered the Inner Sect, and these days I’ve been busy learning Alchemy. Once I get some time, I’ll approach Elder Mo for advice."
Having been advised to go to the academy, surely I cannot venture outside without having even a representative Beast Taming space artifact for a disciple of the Beast Taming Sect.
"Learning Alchemy? That’s great."
Senior Brother Ouyang said, "The sect has many pills that can enhance the bloodline of Pet Beasts. You can refine them yourself when needed."
"Unlike me, I joined Cloud Gate Peak, where even birds don’t defecate, and they only teach hand-to-hand combat."
"By the way, although you certainly know this, I must remind you as a senior brother."
"You have a Longevity Body, so definitely do not rush into Foundation Establishment, and neither should it. Elder Mo must have reminded you too."
"Barring accidents, the little squirrel should be advancing to Foundation Establishment before you. During the Foundation Establishment process, it’s the best chance for it to elevate its bloodline level. If it can achieve ’Bloodline Evolution’, that would be ideal."
"Currently, Hong’Er and I are working hard to undertake tasks to accumulate enough resources to attempt completing ’Bloodline Evolution’."
"However...there seems to be no precedent in the sect for the evolution of a Pineleaf Squirrel to a ’King-Level Bloodline’." He contemplated.
"Thanks for the reminder, Senior Brother, I’ll take my time and figure it out. There’s plenty of time."
Before the extinction of the demon clan, there was no distinction between spirit beasts and demon beasts, and spirit beasts were uniformly referred to as demon beasts. At that time, the demon clan divided animal bloodlines into several levels.
Every advancement to a higher level represents a huge gulf, even considered a different species.
Among them, those beasts without the potential to cultivate intelligence were of the mortal bloodline, known as ordinary beasts.
Those with cultivation potential were uniformly classified as spirit level. Based on bloodline strength, demon beasts with spirit-level bloodlines, those with slightly inferior talent remain in the Qi Cultivation Stage, while the outstanding ones succeed in Foundation Establishment. Among the elites, some have the opportunity to form a Demon Pill, becoming powerful demon lords in certain regions.
Yet, spirit-level bloodlines, if without special circumstances, max out at the Demon Core Stage.
The five foundational spirit beasts of the Beast Taming Sect are spirit-level bloodlines, and being meticulously selected, they have a significant chance of reaching Foundation Establishment before the end of their lifespan.
Core Formation...is more reliant on fate.
Joining the ranks of Nascent Soul Demon Kings, however, is nearly impossible.
Unless...during Foundation Establishment, the bloodline evolves from spirit-level to king-level. This advance makes it seamless to become a king among demons, comparable to Nascent Soul Stage human cultivators.
Lin Jing glanced at the Pineleaf Squirrel; although his Pineleaf Squirrel had acquired a Treasure Beast Divine Technique, its bloodline level hadn’t changed and was still at the spirit level, with no significant difference in physique from other Pineleaf Squirrels.
During the Foundation Establishment stage, if feasible, he also wished for his Pineleaf Squirrel’s bloodline level to evolve to "King-Level," gaining the potential of a Demon King. At that time, the Glazed Immortal Pupil should also be capable of exerting stronger power.
Unfortunately... The Beast Taming Sect does not have a method for evolving the Pineleaf Squirrel’s bloodline to the king level. To achieve this, Lin Jing could only look for opportunities in the special Spirit Plant mutated from the Glazed Immortal Pupil and his own Longevity Blood... by using Alchemy to combine them and refine a Foundation Establishment Pill exclusive to the Pineleaf Squirrel.