Chapter 48: Demons

At Lin Jing’s request, Elder Mo observed that they could indeed easily withstand the pressure, so he considered taking them to the Demon Suppression Pagoda.

That Buddhist Cultivator possessed vast Divine Abilities, and the Buddhist light he left behind had always been an important Opportunity for the Disciples of the four Sects to strengthen their minds.

If Lin Jing and the others could obtain it while at the Qi Training Stage, it would have extraordinary benefits for their future Foundation Establishment.

“Follow me. Because our Beast Taming Sect has a unique Cultivation Technique, and coupled with the fact that the second-generation Sect Master had a friendly relationship with that Buddhist Cultivator, within this Demon Suppression Pagoda, Dao of Beast Taming Cultivators can withstand the pressure together with their Pet Beasts and both receive the strengthening of the Buddhist light.”

“When the time comes, you can use illusions to resist the might of the demons and look after it, so you can both obtain the Opportunity!”

Elder Mo waved his large hand, sweeping Lin Jing and the others away toward the Beast Taming Sect’s Qingtian Peak. During the journey, Lin Jing muttered to himself that connections truly mattered everywhere. While Disciples of other Sects had to undergo training alone, Beast Taming Sect Disciples could bring their beasts along. This… was very good!

Although it was called the Demon Suppression Pagoda, its entrance was actually a clear pool, which was extremely well hidden.

This piece of history had not been recorded, perhaps out of concern that someone might want to release the demons.

“Who comes?”

Inside the clear pool, just as Lin Jing had expected, the guardian of the pagoda was not a human, but a Demon King.

It emerged from the pool water, and even Elder Mo had to bow respectfully upon seeing it: “Greetings, Old Ancestor.”

“It is you.”

“Old Ancestor, I wish to send a Disciple to the Demon Suppression Pagoda for training.”

“Lin Jing, this is one of the Sect’s guardian Old Ancestors, Senior Wang Batian.” The Sect Old Ancestor guarding the pagoda was actually a massive land tortoise.

Lin Jing immediately bowed.

“Qi Training Stage?” The Sect Old Ancestor glanced at Lin Jing and the Pine Leaf Squirrel, then cast an impatient look at Elder Mo: “Do you want to turn them into idiots?”

“When they get scared to the point of mental collapse, wetting their pants, and having their Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering by the demons’ intimidation, let’s see what you do then!”

“Old Ancestor… you have been guarding this place and are unaware, but Lin Jing is the new generation’s Prodigy of our Beast Taming Sect. He was even selected by the Grotto-Heaven previously, so he naturally has enough confidence to plan on entering the Demon Suppression Pagoda for training while at the Qi Training Stage.” Elder Mo explained.

“Fine, as long as you think it’s fine.” The Old Ancestor closed its eyes, not wanting to worry too much. As the Pet Beast of the second-generation Sect Master, it had already outlived three Sect Masters, and being next to the Buddhist pagoda, it had become extremely Zen.

Seeing the Sect Old Ancestor agree, Elder Mo looked at Lin Jing and the others and said: “I forgot to tell you, one does not enter the Demon Suppression Pagoda with their true body, and no real objects can be brought inside. Cultivators with a Realm that is too high also cannot enter; this is out of concern that evil demons might enter the pagoda to destroy the Seals from within.”

“What you are about to enter is a manifestation of magic power, spirit, Soul, and intent, similar to Soul Emergence.” Elder Mo said: “Your various Magic Treasures cannot be used inside, but the Spells you have mastered are still usable.”

“I think that should be enough, right?”

Hearing that its red leaves and bombs could not be brought in, the Pine Leaf Squirrel was startled, but Lin Jing nodded and said: “It’s enough.”

As long as “Thousand Transformations” could still be used, he could resist the demons’ pressure.

“Once you are ready, leave a mark on this stele.”

The Sect Old Ancestor followed the rules: “Leaving a spiritual mark serves two purposes: first, it allows me to monitor your progress at any time; second, if the mark flashes, it means you are in a poor state, and I will immediately recall your consciousness to your body to prevent you from getting lost in the Demon Suppression Pagoda.”

Outside the entrance to the Demon Suppression Pagoda, there was an ancient stele divided into nine levels. Hearing this, Lin Jing stepped forward and pressed his palm onto it, and the stele immediately branded a blurry image of a small Squirrel.

“The interior of the Demon Suppression Pagoda is connected to the four Sects. If you encounter Disciples from other Sects inside, do not provoke any conflict.”

The Sect Old Ancestor gave one more instruction before helping to open the entrance to the Demon Suppression Pagoda. The entrance was within the clear pool, with constant ripples, looking like the reflection of a black Buddhist pagoda.

“Go! You!”

Before Lin Jing and the others could react, their consciousness blurred as if they were drowning while crossing the boundary between life and death. When Lin Jing and the Pine Leaf Squirrel opened their eyes again, they were already standing before a large gate, surrounded by black pool water.

On the massive gate, intricate runes and patterns were carved. These ancient symbols flickered with a faint blue light in the dim illumination, mysterious and profound.

“Is this the interior of the Demon Suppression Pagoda?” Lin Jing wanted to take the Mechanical Bamboo Gun out of his Storage Pouch, but discovered that the Storage Pouch had indeed turned into an ordinary bag, and he could not communicate with the Suspended Gourd either.

Seeing this, the Pine Leaf Squirrel sighed. It was one thing not to let it use things while training in the Immortal Cave, but arriving at the Demon Suppression Pagoda, they still sealed its Storage Pouch; life was becoming impossible.

It poked Lin Jing, asking him to transform into that Great Buddha from before again before entering, so that it would feel safer.

“The special effects required to transform into the Buddha are too much, it wastes too much True Qi.” Lin Jing said: “Transforming into a more ordinary Buddhist Cultivator will do.”

With that, he used his Illusion Dao True Qi to slowly outline a familiar image from his memory.

That Buddhist Cultivator was draped in a luxurious kasaya of red and yellow, wearing a bright yellow monk’s hat, holding a golden Zen Staff in one hand and carrying a purple-gold alms bowl in the other, with white eyebrows and beard, unsmiling, looking solemn, and with a gloomy expression.

“Amitabha, this poor monk is Fahai.” Lin Jing said to the Pine Leaf Squirrel, leaving the Pine Leaf Squirrel confused, unable to understand why Lin Jing’s head was filled with such strange images.

“Let’s go.” Lin Jing, holding the Zen Staff, bowl, and Buddhist prayer beads, pushed open the pagoda gate.

He had originally wanted to transform into Tang Seng, but that guy was destined to be captured by demons and truly couldn’t resist demonic might; even Lin Jing himself didn’t have confidence in that.

The essence of the Illusion Dao required one to convince oneself first.

That old guy Fahai was quite skilled at eliminating demons; he was the one!

As soon as the gate was pushed open, a demonic wind blew out, and the might, comparable to that of a Foundation Establishment demon, nearly materialized, striking Lin Jing and the Pine Leaf Squirrel like a violent storm.

However, for this level of intimidation, let alone Lin Jing who had the protection of the Illusion Dao, even the Pine Leaf Squirrel, after such long tempering, could completely resist it with its willpower.

The two of them walked into the demonic wind step by step. The demonic power leaking from the surrounding walls condensed like ink, quickly forming a terrifying snake head in mid-air, baring sharp fangs and hissing.

Accompanying the hissing, countless streams of water on the ground turned into venomous snakes, crawling onto Lin Jing’s body. The Pine Leaf Squirrel standing on Lin Jing’s shoulder, although firm in will and knowing that what was before it were all hallucinations created by the intimidating power causing mental instability, had no Flying Leaves in its hands and began to feel its scalp tingle.

They crawled from its shoulder… up to the higher, bald head.

“Petty tricks, do not fear.” Lin Jing ignored the venomous snakes crawling on his body and walked straight toward the innermost part. It wasn’t that he wasn’t afraid of these snakes, but rather that he couldn’t see these hallucinations at all. At this moment, he was that conservative high monk, possessing boundless magic power. Within the Illusion Dao Domain constructed by Lin Jing himself, this demonic power intimidation was not enough to affect his spirit or cause him to have hallucinations, let alone cause mental trauma.

Seeing that the Pine Leaf Squirrel was being affected, Lin Jing coldly snorted “Monster!” and the surroundings immediately felt as if the seas were splitting and mountains collapsing. The demonic power was dispersed by his dharma aura, and the venomous snakes before the Pine Leaf Squirrel finally vanished.

Meanwhile, deep underground, a massive shadow of a demon let out a roar: “Damned Buddhist aura, a bald donkey has come! Damn it! Damn it! I really want to eat him! No! No! This person is from the Buddhist Sect, and his magic power is very profound; he must have a way to undo the Buddhist pagoda’s Seal. I must find a way to make him help me get out!” The demon, having been sealed for a long time, was muddle-headed and had also been deceived by Lin Jing’s illusion.