Chapter 170: Going Against the Grain

“So arrogant.”

“However, if it’s the Blood Kill Tower, they should indeed have that capability.”

“Our Sect’s secret technique requires the Yao Beast core of a beast that inhabits the Mist Forest. Each time we try to obtain it, we suffer heavy casualties. I wonder what the prices of the Blood Kill Tower are like—”

Although no one recognized this Qi Yuan, the prestige of the Blood Kill Tower spreading to the Ancient Kingdom already spoke for itself.

The transformed Blood Kill Tower, dueling against the Saint Child of the Beast Control Sect?

Many people attached great importance to the outcome of this battle.

Facing Qi Yuan’s words, Lin Jing shook his head: “It’s not that you’re lucky, but rather you should consider whether the Blood Kill Tower offended the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion somewhere, causing you to encounter me so early.”

“The Ten Thousand Beasts Sect that came from Qingzhou back then was the same as you, and the result was so vulnerable.”

“The matchup list for the first round of the Heavenly Pride Battle is randomly selected. Whoever you face is your own Luck, which is also a part of your strength. Only in the second round will groups be formed based on the performance in the first round to conduct arena melees.” Tian Huihua glanced at Lin Jing indifferently, signaling Lin Jing not to talk nonsense.

This round, to a certain extent, also tests the Luck of the Geniuses. If one encounters a strong enemy right away and is eliminated without being able to show one’s strength, one can only consider oneself unlucky.

When the second round arrives, it will be divided into multiple groups. Multiple people will enter the same arena for a melee among many Prodigies, providing the Prodigies with opportunities to display more of their talents. Individual duels cannot reflect all the abilities, courage, and resourcefulness of the Prodigies, and those who can fight their way out of the multi-person melee in each arena will enter the third round!

“Then let’s see whose Luck is insufficient.”

“Summon your Pet Beast.” Qi Yuan looked at Lin Jing. He could perceive that Lin Jing was still in the Qi Training Stage and had not achieved a Foundation Establishment Breakthrough. However, he was also aware that a Beast Master’s main combat power lies in their Pet Beast. The heavenly pride ranking had already clearly stated that this person has a Foundation Establishment Pet Beast.

Qi Yuan could see it, and the other Prodigies and the audience could naturally see it too. The mana within Lin Jing was still in the state of True Qi, not True Essence. Everyone was puzzled; since he had come to participate in the Heavenly Pride Battle, why did Lin Jing still maintain the Qi Training Realm?

Since he had reached the Qi Refinement Extreme, he was fully capable of achieving a Foundation Establishment Breakthrough to gain stronger power before coming to participate in the Heavenly Pride Battle.

“To deal with you, I don’t need a Pet Beast.” Lin Jing continued to shake his head.

“Is that so?” Upon hearing this, a short sword slowly appeared in Qi Yuan’s hand. Following that, under the astonished gazes of everyone, this Blood Kill Tower assassin directly lost his traces, as if he had completely disappeared from the arena. Even some Golden Core experts could not capture his traces.

“Spatial concealment technique!”

“This Blood Kill Tower Prodigy has actually mastered a Spatial Spell at the Foundation Establishment Stage!” Many people found it incredible.

“Does he have a special Physique of the spatial type, or is his Comprehension Ability astonishing?”

“No wonder the fierce reputation of the Blood Kill Tower could spread throughout Qingzhou—a Spatial Spell, who can defend against this?”

After Qi Yuan displayed the spatial concealment technique, the leading Prodigies of the Ancient Kingdom all frowned. With spatial attributes, no one would fail to feel it was troublesome.

“Is this Lin Jing still not summoning his Pet Beast? Facing an opponent who conceals their tracks, having one more helper means more opportunities for counter-measures! Does he really want to duel a Foundation Establishment Perfection with just his Qi Training Stage? Even if he is at the Qi Refining Eleventh Layer, that is impossible.” Yan Xiangbei of the Burning Immortal Valley spoke, but he felt that Lin Jing was not an arrogant person.

“Spatial Spell?” The academy students who had their Storage Pouch snatched by the Pine Leaf Squirrel turned dark in the face, having some bad memories. They did not think that Lin Jing would find a Spatial Spell troublesome. It was just that the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion had not listed Lin Jing’s Pet Beast’s abilities; otherwise, these audience members would know that a Spatial Spell was nothing strange to this Lin Jing.

Sure enough.

Facing this spatial concealment technique, Lin Jing’s gaze shifted constantly, not taking it seriously. Having performed spatial movement too many times, his perception of spatial fluctuations was far beyond what ordinary Cultivators could compare to. He summoned a Red Flying Leaf with one hand, controlled the leaf with Qi, and boomingly cast the Pine Leaf Squirrel’s Flying Leaf Technique.

Whoosh!

The red light flashed by, with astonishing speed. The next instant, the audience who were still looking for Qi Yuan’s traces saw streaks of blood splattering out. Where the red leaf flew past, Qi Yuan’s figure slowly appeared. One of his arms had already been scratched, and he was looking at Lin Jing with an expression of disbelief.

“You can actually perceive my location.”

Lin Jing said: “I’ll give you a chance, use your full strength.”

He participated in the Heavenly Pride Battle for reputation. If the opponent is too weak, it is a meaningless battle. Lin Jing hoped that the opponent would show stronger strength before he defeated them.

If the opponent is too weak, he can only do this: as a Beast Master, he doesn’t send out his Pet Beast, but instead creates trouble himself to attract attention.

Lin Jing, dressed in white, stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an air of Immortal Qi, seemingly not putting this Blood Kill Tower Prodigy in his eyes.

“Full strength? Then please, you must not die; I don’t want to be eliminated.” A trace of blood-red intent flashed through Qi Yuan’s eyes. He was indeed surprised that his Spatial Spell was broken, but he was determined to win this victory. His blood-red hair floated up, and Qi Yuan’s eyes turned completely blood-red. Heaven-shaking Killing Intent permeated behind him, forming a crimson storm.

In the terrifying Killing Intent, it seemed that thousands of souls wanted to emerge, humans and beasts. Seeing this scene, many audience members felt physical discomfort, and some Cultivators with cultivation too low turned pale. Just how many living beings must one have killed to accumulate such Killing Intent?

“Blood Fiend Armor!” The infinite Killing Intent converged, forming a layer of blood-colored armor on Qi Yuan’s body. He rotated the short sword in his hand and rushed towards Lin Jing with a boom. The intensity of the Killing Intent on his body doubled, and the power of the Killing Intent expanded tenfold in an instant, making some Golden Core Cultivators change their expressions greatly.

“It’s a secret technique to strengthen Killing Intent.”

Although Qi Yuan’s own mana did not improve much, under such secret techniques, the Killing Intent underwent a qualitative change, causing even Golden Core Cultivators to be strongly affected. If one’s cultivation were lower, facing Qi Yuan directly, one would likely be so frightened by the Killing Intent that one would be unable to move.

“Demonic path.”

However, facing this scene, what surprised the audience even more was that Lin Jing was not affected in the slightest. Even more so, a special light radiated from his body, actively absorbing the terrifying Killing Intent that was sweeping over.

“I, Lin Jing, hate you demonic path people the most in my life. How is this Killing Intent secret technique of yours any different from that Demonic Technique?” When Lin Jing spoke, his Karma deepened, and peerless Buddha light emerged from his body, annihilating the Killing Intent. This made Qi Yuan’s expression change, and it also made the audience collectively stunned!

Buddha Dharma?

What kind of joke is this!

How could a Beast Master master such powerful Buddha Dharma!

This was not what shocked him the most. What shocked him the most was the cultivation Lin Jing displayed.

“Qi Refining Twelfth Layer? You are not at the Qi Refining Eleventh Layer!!!” Qi Yuan exclaimed in horror as he flew over.

This person had actually reached the Qi Refining Twelfth Layer!

The power of this layer was already comparable to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, and it was not far from his own Realm. No wonder the other party—

Inside Lin Jing’s body, the buddha-demon pearl operated, with Buddha nature and True Qi interwoven. Behind Lin Jing, twelve layers of Buddha light appeared, shocking the entire audience. Under the power of the buddha-demon pearl, in an instant, the Killing Intent on Qi Yuan was Sealed.

The reason why he said he didn’t need a Pet Beast to deal with this person was that he had sensed the source of the other party’s power, which entirely originated from Killing Intent. And as it happened, for the past two years, Lin Jing had been studying Buddha Dharma to improve his own strength. Whether it was the buddha-demon pearl or the Vajra Fist, they were all major lethal moves to restrain Killing Intent.

Hum!

Raising his hand slightly, eighteen Vajra palm prints filled the sky, slapping towards the attacking Qi Yuan. One, two—Qi Yuan slashed through several with his short sword, but in the end, because he was restrained, he was blasted dozens of meters away by the Vajra Fist palm, his blood armor shattered, and he spat out countless blood.

On the arena, Lin Jing pressed his palms together: “I hope Your Excellency will enter the Righteous Path soon and commit fewer killing sins.”

In the audience, Gao Sheng and Bai Yuran, who knew of Lin Jing’s Demonic Technique:???

This battle once again exceeded everyone’s expectations. No one expected that this leader of the Dao of Beast Taming, Lin Jing…

…actually didn’t use the Spells of the Dao of Beast Taming, but instead displayed such powerful Buddha Dharma.

However, the most important thing is—

“Qi Refining Twelfth Layer.” Many Prodigies stood up. Just moments ago, many people had briefly lowered their focus because Lin Jing had not yet achieved a Foundation Establishment Breakthrough, but at this moment, they looked at Lin Jing solemnly. Currently, according to the records of the Immortal Cultivation World, only the Crown Prince Gu had broken through to the Qi Training Stage Thirteenth Layer because of the Rare Beast, the Realm-Breaking Bird. That is to say, the Qi Refining Twelfth Layer is already the highest Realm that can be reached in the Qi Training Stage throughout history, apart from the Crown Prince Gu.

This kind of Realm, these Prodigies never expected to appear on a Beast Master. It should be known that even they had not reached the Qi Refining Twelfth Layer.

“Could it be related to that Buddha Dharma?”

“Such powerful Buddha Dharma must have been blessed by a strong Buddhist expert!”

“I don’t know—. However, I heard that the stronger the Karma, the stronger the Buddha nature. This Saint Lin, with such Buddha Power, must have accumulated virtue and done good deeds daily, slaying demons and eliminating monsters. Just before, too many people were bragging about this Saint Lin, and I was a bit repulsed, but now it seems that he is indeed a Prodigy, worthy of the name of Prodigy. The Beast Taming Sect being sealed is truly too unjust. How can a Sect with such a Saint be a demonic Sect?”

The audience exclaimed.

Gao Sheng, on the side, was stunned listening to this. No, you guys—wait, what if he uses a Demonic Technique even more excessive than that of the Blood Kill Tower later, what will you do!