Chapter 67: Ferocious and Ruthless
Elder Divine Pine wasted no ti, extending a twig from its pinecone form to snatch the black pepper, draining its essence in an instant.
After savoring it, the pinecone remarked, “It has a demonic flavor, with a powerful afterburn. It ignites a fire in . You’re full of surprises; I knew I didn’t misjudge you all.”
Lin Jing felt wronged but said nothing.
“Wait, were you planning to feed that pepper to the dragon carp? At its current stage, a whole pepper would probably turn it into spicy fish soup tonight.”
“Of course not! I’m not that reckless,” Lin Jing replied, walking to the lakeside. “I’ll slice it into thin strips before feeding it. I’m not irresponsible.”
“Ah, the precision of a demonic cultivator with a monk’s heart. Not bad. It seems my words are sinking in. This pepper’s soul-piercing spiciness might help us assess its physical limits,” Elder Divine Pine observed.
Lin Jing extended his arm, luring a swarm of mosquitoes to himself. He swatted them, sliced so thin pepper strips, and mixed everything together in a dish, creating a fiery mosquito salad.
“It’s colorful, aromatic, and deliciously spicy. I might have a hidden talent for immortal cooking,” he mused before calling the dragon carp.
The carp hesitated but erged, tempted by the aroma.
“The initial bite might sting, but you’ll co to love it. Spicy hot pot is my favorite,” Lin Jing said.
Hearing that it was a dish even its Beast Tar enjoyed, the carp opened its mouth wide. Lin Jing poured the food in.
At first, the dragon carp froze, savoring the taste.
Then the heat hit. Its body grew feverishly hot, flas of spiritual energy erupting within it. The carp darted frantically around the lake, a streak of fire flowing through the water.
“Blub!”
The carp swam faster and faster, doubling its usual speed. Soon, the delayed spice fully kicked in, its heat scorching even the soul. The carp thrashed wildly, caught between pain and exhilaration. Its reaction was far more intense than the Pine Leaf Mouse’s earlier experience.
Unable to contain its energy, the dragon carp lashed its tail against the water.
Boom!
A massive explosion rocked the lake, sending waves several ters high cascading outward. The carp leaped over ten ters into the air, its fiery red eyes burning with ferocity.
“What power,” Lin Jing marveled, taking a deep breath. “It’s strong enough to challenge a waterfall already.”
“That strike was far stronger than anything you or the Pine Leaf Mouse could muster together,” Elder Divine Pine observed. “Its latent bloodline is impressive. You’re fortunate; the pets you’ve chosen have excellent potential. Raise it well, and it won’t disappoint when it transforms into a dragon.”
As it descended, the dragon carp underwent another change—black flas erupted from its body, blazing fiercely.
Splash!
It plunged back into the water, its swollen, red mouth giving it the appearance of a demonic fish freshly erged from hell.
“Bloodlines truly matter,” Lin Jing muttered, recalling how the sa black pepper had nearly knocked the Pine Leaf Mouse unconscious with pain. Yet for the dragon carp, the spice unlocked trendous physical potential.
As a fire-aligned beast, it seed uniquely capable of absorbing the pepper’s energy, temporarily converting it into strength. This unexpected synergy made Lin Jing grateful for Elder Mo’s recomndation of the carp.
“How’s the taste?” Lin Jing asked.
The carp nodded enthusiastically, puffing steam and signaling that it was painful yet utterly satisfying.
...
That day, Lin Jing decided on the carp’s training regin: following Elder Divine Pine’s advice to stimulate its physical potential through controlled pain. They would start with mild spice and progress to moderate, extre, and even diabolical levels.
The stronger its physical body beca, the higher the quality of its eventual transformation into a Beast-Weaponized Treasure.
The carp’s newfound ability to control ghost flas was a welco bonus. However, Lin Jing lanted that, between the fire-breathing fish and the bug-storing gourd, only the Pine Leaf Mouse maintained any semblance of a righteous image in their group.
“Senior, how strong do we need to be before we can head to Hidden Dragon Academy?” Lin Jing asked.
Over several days, the Pine Leaf Mouse reached the eighth layer of Qi Refining, Lin Jing advanced to the fifth, and the dragon carp to the fourth. Though everyone had progressed, their collective cultivation still felt like a patchwork ss.
“There does need to be a standard,” Elder Divine Pine said after a pause. “While I initially said not to worry about it, you represent the Beast Taming Sect’s hope. As your guardian, I must set a proper benchmark.”
With that, Elder Divine Pine manipulated the ground. A crack opened, and a wooden humanoid erged. Standing over two ters tall, it was fully crafted from wood, with no facial features. It exuded a sense of invincible strength.
“This wooden figure maintains the combat strength of a Foundation Establishnt cultivator. It knows no spells, but its strength, defense, and speed surpass those of ordinary Foundation Establishnt body cultivators. It is an excellent sparring partner.”
“When you can defeat it, you’re ready to attend the academy.”
“The academy’s students are the elites of their sects and clans. To compete with them for dragon fortunes and master the Hidden Dragon Arts, you’ll need to be even more monstrous than they are!”
“Understood!” Lin Jing replied, turning to the wooden figure with determination. He wanted to test it imdiately to gauge their gap in power and adjust their training accordingly.
“Shall we try now?” he asked the Pine Leaf Mouse.
The mouse glanced at the wooden figure, then at Lin Jing. They exchanged a look and instantly understood each other’s plan: retreat while shooting!
Both drew their chanical Bamboo Rifles and unleashed a barrage of water arrows and spirit beans as they backed away.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
The attacks filled the air, but before they could land, the wooden figure vanished, moving faster than Lin Jing could follow.
By the ti he registered its movent, it was already in front of him, its fist creating a gust of wind as it swung toward him.
Reacting quickly, Lin Jing shifted his rifle’s mode and unleashed a torrent of water at close range. The recoil propelled him ten ters back, creating so distance between himself and the figure.
However, the water stream didn’t even slow it down. The figure advanced through the spray as if it weren’t there.
The Pine Leaf Mouse hurled several flying leaves at it, but they shattered on impact, leaving only faint scratches on the wood.
Whoosh!
The figure charged again, becoming a blur. Before Lin Jing and the Pine Leaf Mouse could react, they were both kicked into the lake, landing with painful splashes.
“Glug… glug…”
Elder Divine Pine watched and comnted, “Keep training. It won’t be easy to defeat, but if you can beat it, you’ll have a firm foothold at the academy.”
“The water’s so hot… but it slls nice,” Lin Jing muttered, spitting out soup.
“Chirp!” the Pine Leaf Mouse squeaked in agreent, equally drenched.
The dragon carp, enjoying the show, swam lazily nearby. But the next mont, the wooden figure stepped onto the lake and delivered a powerful kick, sending the carp flying. It didn’t spare anyone.
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