Chapter 41: Bloodline Evolution

Nightmares are all fake... Over the next few days, Lin Jing practiced the Fire Control Technique in a targeted manner according to the refining methods of the Spirit-Replenishing Pill and the Soul-Bewitching Pill.

As for the Pine-Leaf Rat, due to the grotto-heaven trip, its stock was exhausted, and it desperately wanted to stockpile more ammunition...

However, under Lin Jing’s strong request, it still spent most of its time cultivating.

Lin Jing felt that there wouldn't be anything happening for the time being, and cultivation was still more important.

"Inner sect disciple Lin Jing, the task you issued 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, walked out, thanked it, and hurriedly took the Pine-Leaf Rat to the Task Hall.

In the Task Hall, besides the magpie spirit, there was only one person looking for a suitable task.

The other party was dressed in white, and even his back revealed a sense of weakness and fatigue. Lin Jing felt it was quite familiar.

"Senior Brother Ouyang?"

"Junior Brother Lin Jing?"

The person turned his head, and both recognized each other.

"I heard you entered the inner sect. I intended to visit when I had time, but I didn't expect to meet here."

"Is Senior Brother accepting tasks?" Lin Jing asked.

"Yes," Senior Brother Ouyang said. "I just completed three tasks and am preparing to accept two more to compete for the 'Task King' of this month. Hong’er and I are both about to reach Foundation Establishment, so we need to save up more money to ask Elder Shen to refine two good Foundation Establishment Pills."

"Junior Brother, you are here because..."

"The task I issued was just completed by someone," Lin Jing said, thinking of something.

"Senior Brother, that 'Find Fire Cloud Chili Seeds' task—it wasn't completed by you, was it?" He was very suspicious.

"Is this task issued by you? I was wondering why the reward was so stingy," Senior Brother Ouyang was stunned. "No, I mean, what a coincidence."

After speaking, he took out a bag of spirit stones and said, "Junior Brother, Senior Brother cannot accept this task reward."

"You entered the inner sect, and I haven't given you a gift to congratulate you. These chili seeds will be Senior Brother’s gift for your promotion."

"How can that be." Lin Jing accepted the spirit stones and said, "However, I really can't refuse Senior Brother’s kindness, so I can only respectfully obey."

The magpie spirit looked at this pair of "sentimental people" and said, "Stop arguing, take the chili seeds, and leave after accepting the task."

Finally, Lin Jing took the chili seeds, while Senior Brother Ouyang Hao accepted an out-of-sect task to investigate the disappearance of beast mouths.

After being forced to listen to a Good Luck Song, they walked out of the Task Hall. Senior Brother Ouyang suddenly said obscurely, "Junior Brother, I heard rumors that the light of the grotto-heaven fell on the edge of the sect, and combined with the very little information about this inner sect assessment, tell me, it wouldn't be that you encountered a grotto-heaven during the inner sect assessment, would it?"

Lin Jing was stunned and said, "Senior Brother, you guessed right."

"It really is!" Ouyang Hao looked envious and said, "What exactly does a grotto-heaven look like? I really want to enter and see."

"There will be opportunities," Lin Jing said. "Senior Brother, you have the potential for ascension; being chosen by a grotto-heaven is only a matter of time."

"Indeed," Ouyang Hao said. "When the time comes, we senior and junior brothers will revitalize the Beast Taming Sect. It’s a deal."

"Speaking of which, since you entered the inner sect and are a special disciple, and have the experience of entering a grotto-heaven..." He looked at the Pine-Leaf Rat sitting and cultivating on Lin Jing’s shoulder and said, "Logically speaking, you can fully apply to the sect for a natal beast-taming space magic treasure, letting it cultivate in the space magic treasure, which will be more efficient!"

"Your current situation is not a true disciple, but better than a true disciple. As long as a Golden Core elder nods, you can fully obtain it in advance."

The Pine-Leaf Rat opened its eyes. Space magic treasure?

"Senior Brother makes sense..." Lin Jing thought for a while and said, "I just entered the inner sect and have been busy learning alchemy these past few days. When I have time, I will go find Elder Mo and ask."

They were already suggesting he go to the academy; he couldn't go out without even a space magic treasure representing a Beast Taming Sect disciple.

"Learning alchemy? Alchemy is good."

Senior Brother Ouyang said, "The sect has many pills that can improve the bloodline strength of pets. When the time comes, you can refine them yourself."

"Unlike me, I entered the Cloud Gate Peak, where birds don't poop. They only teach fighting there."

"By the way, although you definitely know it yourself, Senior Brother still wants to remind you."

"You are a Longevity Body; you must not rush to Foundation Establishment. It is the same. I assume Elder Mo has reminded you both, right?"

"If nothing goes wrong, the little squirrel should reach Foundation Establishment before you. The process of Foundation Establishment is the best opportunity for it to improve its bloodline level. If it can achieve 'Bloodline Evolution,' that would be the best."

"Now Hong’er and I are working so hard on tasks just to accumulate enough foundation to try to complete 'Bloodline Evolution'."

"However... the sect doesn't seem to have a precedent for a Pine-Leaf Rat evolving to a 'King-level Bloodline'," he pondered.

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother. I’ll think of a way slowly; there’s still plenty of time."

Before the Monster Clan went extinct, there was no distinction between spirit beasts and monster beasts. Spirit beasts were collectively called monster beasts. And at that time, the Monster Clan divided the bloodlines of all beasts in the world into several levels.

Every level of improvement had a huge chasm, and one could even say they were different species.

Among them, those wild beasts without the aptitude to become spirits were Mortal-level bloodlines, which were Mortal Beasts.

And those with cultivation aptitude were collectively Spirit-level. According to the bloodline strength, Spirit-level monster beasts with slightly weaker aptitude would always be in the Qi Refining stage, while those with outstanding aptitude could succeed in Foundation Establishment. Among them, the best had the opportunity to form a monster core and become a monster that shook one side.

However, Spirit-level bloodlines, without special circumstances, would reach their limit after cultivating to the Monster Core stage.

The five basic spirit beasts of the Beast Taming Sect were Spirit-level bloodlines. Because they were carefully selected, they had a great hope of Foundation Establishment before their lifespan ended.

Forming a core... was more a matter of fate.

And stepping into the ranks of Nascent Soul monster kings was even more impossible.

Unless... during the Foundation Establishment process, the bloodline evolved, promoting from a Spirit-level bloodline to a King-level bloodline. In this way, they could become a monster king unimpeded, comparable to the Nascent Soul stage among human cultivators.

Lin Jing looked at the Pine-Leaf Rat. Although his Pine-Leaf Rat had obtained a rare beast divine ability, its bloodline level had not changed; it was still Spirit-level, and its constitution was not much different from other Pine-Leaf Rats.

During the Foundation Establishment stage, if feasible, he also wanted the Pine-Leaf Rat’s bloodline level to evolve to "King-level," obtaining the potential of a monster king. By then, the Glazed Immortal Pupils should also be able to exert stronger power.

It was a pity that... the Beast Taming Sect didn't have a King-level bloodline evolution method for Pine-Leaf Rats. If he wanted to achieve it, Lin Jing could only find a breakthrough from the special spirit plants mutated from the Glazed Immortal Pupils and his own Longevity Blood... using alchemy to combine them and refine a Foundation Establishment Pill exclusive to the Pine-Leaf Rat. ===== CHAPTER 42 =====