Vol 6 Chapter 44: Ascension Ceremony
Lin Jing didn't immediately go to find that Spirit King. The description from a Golden Core cultivator could only give Lin Jing a general understanding of the current situation.
But if he wanted to understand this spirit creature more comprehensively, he needed to find a key figure.
The Demon Emperor.
The Demon Emperor had experience fighting against it, and from her, he could learn more details.
Since cultivating immortal-blooded lineage through the premium immortal source gifted by Lin Jing, the Demon Emperor had essentially no rivals within the Tianyuan Realm.
But even the Demon Emperor herself couldn't have imagined that in less than a thousand years, some monstrous thing starting from scratch would surpass her.
After being defeated, the Demon Emperor remained in seclusion within the Demon Court year after year.
"Who?!"
Until Lin Jing forcibly broke in... interrupting the Demon Emperor's arduous cultivation.Seeing the figure appearing not far away, the tiger-headed Demon Emperor abruptly stood up, looking at Lin Jing with some surprise.
Three hundred years ago, Lin Jing had given some brief instructions before leaving the Origin Realm, resulting in him being out of contact for three hundred years.
At that time, Lin Jing's explanation was that he was going to explore an ancient ruin and might take a long time to emerge.
It certainly had been a long time...
"Lin Jing—" The dragon-robed Demon Emperor looked at Lin Jing as if seeing family; even as the noble ruler of the Tianyuan demon race, her eyes couldn't help but show a hint of grievance.
She had suffered so much.
Finally becoming the strongest in Tianyuan on the surface, only to be used as a target for establishing authority by a junior.
"Your Majesty, Demon Emperor." Lin Jing chuckled and said, "I heard you were defeated by a spirit creature that's been born for less than a thousand years?"
The Demon Emperor clenched her fists and said, "Are you talking about the Spirit King? That guy's situation is somewhat special. It awakened an absurd rare beast divine ability... This emperor has never seen such an overpowered technique."
Rare beast divine ability!
Hearing this, Lin Jing somewhat understood what was happening.
The combined potential essence of Lady Nethersoil and the Meteor Spirit Beast—just relying on that, Lin Jing still found it hard to comprehend such terrifying growth speed.
However, if the other party inherited a powerful rare beast divine ability, then it became possible.
And based on the Demon Emperor's acknowledgment... could it be...
Like the Wood-attribute Pine Leaf Mouse.
It awakened a "Immortal King-level" rare beast divine ability?
"I heard the other party wants to leave the Star Heaven Veil Array? Although it's promising material, if it insists on violating Tianyuan's rules, then it cannot be spared." Lin Jing said.
"But compared to this, after so long, Demon Emperor Tianchou..."
"There's news about Demon Emperor Tianchou." The Demon Emperor said: "Demon Emperor Tianchou battled Sword Taixu. Sword Taixu escaped half-dead to recover from injuries, while Demon Emperor Tianchou gained some insights after the battle and randomly found a place to go into seclusion to organize her gains, which lasted for several hundred years."
"Before Demon Emperor Tianchou emerged from seclusion, the Tianming Realm completely fell and became territory of the Heavenly Demon Realm. Fortunately, the Tianming Realm had anticipated this day hundreds of years earlier, and its core cultivators had long since transferred to the Pan-Gu Continent."
"And after that, Demon Emperor Tianchou didn't come to the Tianyuan Realm but directly returned to the Heavenly Demon Realm. There are rumors that current Demon Emperor Tianchou is considered the number one female powerhouse in the Heavenly Demon Realm!"
"After defeating the alliance deputy leader, she had another breakthrough?" Lin Jing frowned. This guy...
But fortunately, the other party kept her promise and didn't attack Tianyuan within the thousand years.
This was somewhat admirable.
To express his admiration, Lin Jing decided to make Demon Emperor Tianchou's death quick and painless when the time came.
"You've reached the Void Mystical Stage."
A moment later, noticing that Lin Jing had broken through to the Void Mystical Stage, the Demon Emperor pondered deeply: "So now, are you confident you can defeat Demon Emperor Tianchou? Eight hundred years in the Origin Realm should have given you quite some accumulated foundation, right?"
"If you're not confident, you can form a contract with me. Although I might not be of great help, I can more or less assist you in dealing with Demon Emperor Tianchou."
"Hmm?" Lin Jing looked at the Demon Emperor, hardly able to believe these words came from her.
The other party actually wanted to form a contract with him?
If it were before, he would have agreed.
But now, he had better choices.
"Of course, that Spirit King might be a better choice. Its talent is clearly stronger." The Demon Emperor pouted.
"Besides that, there's also that old pine tree in your territory..." The Demon Emperor remembered Mo Pine. This old pine tree remained calmly seated as if fishing, never emerging from seclusion no matter how the outside world changed, only secretly observing when she battled the Spirit King.
Later, the Demon Emperor intentionally investigated this old pine tree's background but found nothing.
She only received a promise from the other party that if the Spirit King insisted on breaking through the realm boundary, then it would also help stop it.
In short, Mo Pine gave her a feeling that its strength might not be much weaker than hers.
Regarding this, Lin Jing wasn't surprised. After all, Senior Mo Pine had usurped the Heaven Refining Immortal Physique. With its demonic cultivation foundation, its development certainly wouldn't be worse than the Heaven Refining Demon Ancestor's, and its strength must already be extraordinary. But holding such an incredible immortal physique, it never revealed itself on the continent—this level of composure, Lin Jing also admired. Truly worthy of Senior Mo Pine, probably scheming something in the shadows.
"Your Majesty, transmit your battle memories with the Spirit King to me."
"Are you going to confront that Spirit King?"
"I invited the spirit creatures from the Origin Realm to Tianyuan not to let them throw their weight around and plunder Tianyuan's resources. This Spirit King's parents—one is my subordinate, one is my ally. I'll give them face. As long as these spirit creatures can once again recognize that the price of obtaining 'freedom' is helping the Tianyuan Realm resist external enemies, then everything they've done now can be forgiven."
"Then you might want to wait a bit longer."
The Demon Emperor said: "This guy has been planning to leave the Star Heaven Veil Array and exit Tianyuan, but has been repeatedly stopped by the local Dao-seeking alliance of Tianyuan. Although it was strong at the time, it couldn't simultaneously face so many opponents. After all, not only did local Tianyuan powerhouses oppose it, but even some spirit creatures didn't really support leaving Tianyuan."
"But some time ago, the Spirit King publicly invited various forces across the Tianyuan Continent to witness its 'ascension tribulation crossing.' It seems confident that its strength has reached a level that can convince the entire continent."
"So its realm has reached Dao-seeking perfection." Lin Jing was quite envious of this cultivation speed, but he would soon have similar progress speed himself. With Heaven's Mandate blessing and combined with the cultivation golden cores accumulated by the Dragon Carp, he was about to attempt a breakthrough in cultivation.
"Just as well. By then, all the Dao-seeking spirit creatures across the continent should be present, saving me from notifying them one by one."
"At that time, we'll see who wants to go out together. I can give them this opportunity to let them jointly campaign against... the Blood Demon Legion of the Heavenly Demon Realm."
"How long... approximately until then?"
"Nineteen months later."
"Good, then I'll use this time to also advance my realm."
But before that.
Lin Jing needed to return to his base to hatch that Immortal Lord-level pet egg. The Spirit King, Demon Emperor, Mo Pine... they weren't the first choice.
This pet egg incubated by his own immortal physique—in terms of potential, should be the strongest. But after all these years, Lin Jing truly worried it might be a dead egg.