Vol 6 Chapter 49: Atonement Through Meritorious Service
Lin Jing...
The person sitting there was undoubtedly Lin Jing. Many Dao-seeking experts looked over, took deep breaths, feeling somewhat incredulous.
When...
Shouldn't Lin Jing be currently stationed in the Origin Realm, intimidating all heavens, monopolizing the Origin Sources?!
Exactly when did he return, and his realm seems to have already reached the Dao-seeking level!
Right... everyone recalled the fluctuations emanating from Qingzhou some time ago. Could it be that the one who broke through back then was Lin Jing?
But these weren't the main points. The most crucial thing was that the Spirit King, whose strength currently stood at the peak of Tianyuan and who even the Demon Emperor wielding immortal artifacts and possessing immortal-level bloodline couldn't defeat, was actually so easily suppressed by just one of Lin Jing's pet beasts. This level of power was truly terrifying.
The King of the Origin Realm... was he truly this invincible?
"Are you the Spirit King?" Lin Jing examined the Spirit King. The aptitude was indeed excellent. If he hadn't gone to the Ancient Immortal Realm, dealing with it would have required some effort.However, after obtaining Heaven's Mandate, upgrading his Immortal Physique, and acquiring numerous middle-grade and high-grade immortal artifacts rarely found in the lower realms, the Spirit King's strength meant nothing in Lin Jing's eyes.
"I heard you want to violate the rules I established and go to the star realm?"
Bean-sized sweat drops rolled down the Spirit King's forehead, deep fear gripping its heart. Whatever pride, whatever ambition—all were quickly discarded. If facing other powerful experts, even if outmatched, it might not have been like this. But for some reason, facing Lin Jing, it couldn't muster any will to resist.
This wasn't due to the pressure from the Immortal Physique, nor was it because the Ice Soul Gu used its specialized power to crush it, causing a collapse of Dao heart.
Because essentially, it could be considered something created by the Wood-attribute Pine Leaf Mouse.
And for the Wood-attribute Pine Leaf Mouse, it possessed extreme control over anything it synthesized.
Although the Spirit King had developed life consciousness and become a living individual, the inherent sense of powerlessness toward the Wood-attribute Pine Leaf Mouse as its creator, etched into its genes, hadn't completely dissipated and was fully triggered just now.
As the beast tamer of the Wood-attribute Pine Leaf Mouse, calling Lin Jing the ancestor of the Spirit King wasn't an overstatement. This was also why the Spirit King referred to Lin Jing as "ancestor."
No matter how powerful the Spirit King became, before Lin Jing, it could only feel fear like a child facing parents or ancestors.
"It's not like that—I didn't mean to violate the rules set by the ancestor," the Spirit King explained.
"Perhaps it's because my bloodline bears the imprint of the star realm, making me yearn endlessly for the cosmos, just like fish longing to return to the ocean."
"I know that currently, the Tianyuan Realm is a thorn in the side of all realms across the heavens. Once the Tianyuan Realm's coordinates are exposed, it will inevitably attract enemies from all realms. I've considered this point... confident in my current strength, I believed no matter how many enemies came, I could eliminate them one by one and protect Tianyuan well..."
"Heh..." Lin Jing smiled faintly; this excuse was rather interesting.
"Then now, do you still think your strength is impressive?"
"Even at my current level, I wouldn't dare claim invincibility in the lower realm. You've cultivated for barely a millennium, yet you have such confidence? Is it confidence, or arrogance!"
The Spirit King lowered its head, realizing how terribly wrong it had been, even fantasizing about breaking free from Tianyuan to explore broader worlds. Now it saw that the gap between itself and the top-tier experts wasn't just a little.
"It was I... who was short-sighted."
"Very well, rise." Qin Cheng also thought of preserving such an excellent combat force. The other party was indeed wrong, but while the death penalty could be avoided, living punishment was hard to escape.
"Since you're so eager to go to the star realm, I'll give you a chance." He tapped the throne and looked toward the sky.
"In two sixty-year cycles, I will initiate a war. You, and the spirit creatures under you, will accompany me on this campaign. This war will be your opportunity to atone through meritorious service."
"Yes!" The Spirit King suddenly looked up, exhaling heavily. It seemed Lin Ancestor didn't intend to execute it. Instead, it had turned misfortune into blessing, gaining the chance to go to the star realm!
Actually, there was one point it hadn't lied about earlier.
Having the genes of the Meteor Spirit Beast in its bloodline was indeed one of the main reasons it yearned for the star realm.
Although it didn't know what kind of war Lin Jing planned to launch, being able to go out would fulfill one of its wishes.
And Lin Jing's target... was naturally the Blood Prison Demon God's army occupying the Star Crane Realm.
Now, having returned from cultivation in the Origin Realm and Ancient Immortal Realm, Lin Jing had sufficient confidence to wage war against this top expert from the Heavenly Demon Realm, whose strength was said to be not much inferior to Demon Emperor Tianchou.
First, to fulfill his promise to the Star Longevity Crane and help her liberate her homeland.
Second, to see exactly what level his current strength could achieve.
Although Lin Jing knew he was very strong now, he still needed a powerful opponent to verify exactly how strong.
The Blood Prison Demon God was the best testing stone.
Although Demon Emperor Tianchou's strength probably surpassed his now, even if there was a gap, it could still give Lin Jing a rough reference.
Additionally, since this involved a war to liberate an entire cultivation world, Lin Jing needed some helpers. The Spirit King and the Dao-seeking monsters following it were Lin Jing's best choices. The Tianyuan Realm had fattened these spirit creatures for so long, and they had broken through to Dao-seeking; it was time they did something.
"Besides that..." Lin Jing looked toward the direction of Qingzhou.
Aside from the spirit creature army, he would also take Mosquito Woman and the mosquito beast army there for some combat training.
The blood of the demonic armies would surely make them fight more courageously and undergo complete transformation.
He just didn't know if Senior Mo Pine would be willing to accompany Mosquito Woman.
To sever his inner demons.
After all, the experience of being captured by the Heavenly Demon Realm had left Senior Mo Pine with deep fear toward these creatures.
And the best way to overcome inner demons...
"Enough."
Lin Jing slowly stood up.
"During these two sixty-year cycles, cultivate well. I hope you won't disappoint me when the time comes. If your skills prove inferior then, the outcome won't be like now—enemies won't show mercy."
............
The Spirit King's ascension ceremony thus concluded.
Lin Jing's return shook the entire Tianyuan, and the Spirit King's submission to Lin Jing shocked all factions even more.
Although many had thought that one day, when Lin Jing, known as the enemy of all realms, returned, he would surely stand at the peak of Tianyuan at the fastest speed. But this speed was too rapid.
In less than a millennium, he had actually abandoned that precious Origin Realm throne and chosen to return. No one knew what Lin Jing was thinking.
Since Lin Jing had returned, didn't that mean if the Cultivation Alliance and Heavenly Demon Realm sent prodigies to the Origin Realm again, there would be no one to stop them?
Then, could Tianyuan continue to harvest resources from the Origin Realm endlessly?
Currently, no one knew.