Beast Tamer Ascension

Book 3 Chapter 12: The War Beast

Vol 3 Chapter 12: The War Beast
"Flower Sect disciples, do not let the Thousand Illusions Mountain disciples complete their comprehension!"

At this moment, most Myriad Beast Sect disciples were focused on besieging the Junior Zhuyan.

Meanwhile, the Thousand Illusions Mountain disciples were observing its combat techniques, attempting to comprehend and replicate its form and divine essence.

As for the Flower Sect disciples—whose primary cultivation focused on wood-based spells and who had the least to gain from the Zhuyan Ruins—their objective was clear: sabotage the disciples of Thousand Illusions Mountain and Myriad Beast Sect.

"Heehee, I found a serpent gall!"

"Haha, I snatched a tiger whip!"

Like scavengers, the Flower Sect disciples gleefully looted the remains of demonic beasts that the Junior Zhuyan had torn apart. Their internal organs, pelts, and blood became resources for the Flower Sect.

"Disgusting," one of the Myriad Beast Sect beast tamers muttered. But as long as the Flower Sect disciples didn’t interfere with their assault on the Junior Zhuyan, they were willing to tolerate their presence.

On the other hand, the Flower Sect disciples, unable to profit from the Thousand Illusions Mountain disciples, turned to outright harassment instead.

If the Thousand Illusions Mountain disciples truly succeeded in recreating a perfect Zhuyan Illusion Beast, their sect’s strength would skyrocket—leaving the Flower Sect at a disadvantage.

Thus, one Flower Sect cultivator after another controlled their wooden spells, launching attacks on Lin Jing and the other disciples in a state of deep comprehension.

"Courting death!"

Fortunately, the Thousand Illusions Mountain disciples had divided into five squads, one of which was assigned to defend Lin Jing’s group from such interference.

Many Thousand Illusions Mountain disciples materialized illusionary beasts, charging toward the Flower Sect disciples, engaging them in fierce battle.

For a time, the First Trial Hall of the Zhuyan Ruins turned into utter carnage.

Demonic beast corpses from the Myriad Beast Sect littered the floor, while Thousand Illusions Mountain and Flower Sect disciples fought each other viciously.

In just moments, several cultivators had already perished, their remains looted as war trophies by the enemy sects.

Amidst the chaos, Lin Jing silently observed the battlefield, his heart growing heavy.

Back in the Ancient Celestial Kingdom, even when sects clashed, the Sect Regulatory Office ensured that large-scale massacres like this never occurred.

"Right now, my task is…"

Lin Jing steadied his gaze on the Junior Zhuyan. Simply replicating its form was easy—every Thousand Illusions Mountain disciple could do it.

The real challenge was capturing its divine essence.

Without it, no matter how perfect the illusion looked, it was nothing more than a paper tiger.

Only an illusion infused with the Zhuyan’s divine essence could instill true fear in demonic beasts and high-bloodline cultivators, revealing the full might of this primordial relic beast.

But achieving that…

That was akin to reaching for the heavens.

Even after two previous expeditions, not a single Thousand Illusions Mountain disciple had succeeded.

The Fall of the First Junior Zhuyan

After half a day of battle, the first Junior Zhuyan finally collapsed.

Despite its overwhelming power, it still had limits. Under the relentless assault of formations, magical artifacts, and sheer numbers, it eventually succumbed.

However, the Myriad Beast Sect had paid a heavy price.

The floor was littered with thousands of beast corpses. Several elite disciples had perished as well.

As for Thousand Illusions Mountain and Flower Sect disciples, their casualties were even greater—though not by the Zhuyan’s hands, but by each other’s.

Yet, despite their heavy losses, the Myriad Beast Sect had gained the least reward. The surviving beast tamers and their pets had only obtained weak traces of the Zhuyan’s blood.

Lin Jing, having contributed only a single Fireball Technique, received only a minuscule fraction of Zhuyan’s blood—far too little to alter his bloodline or strengthen his physique.

"The bloodline itself is useless to me. As long as I have the ability to leave the ruins, that’s all that matters."

As the blood-scented air thickened, the echoes of battle still rang in Lin Jing’s ears.

"Did anyone gain any insights?"

With the first trial completed, the three sects tacitly halted their conflict.

Even the bloodthirstiest disciples were pulled back by their own sect members.

Senior Sister Ning turned to Lin Jing’s group and asked.

One by one, the disciples shook their heads.

"It’s fine," she reassured them. "There are still many more trials ahead."

As she spoke, the world around them shifted.

In an instant, everyone was transported into the Second Trial Hall.

Soon, another Junior Zhuyan emerged.

This time, it held a stone staff in its hands.

Yet, just like before, it exuded no aura of intimidation. It simply looked like an ordinary monkey as it charged toward the cultivators.

But after the first trial…

The Myriad Beast Sect disciples no longer carried the same excitement they had upon entering the ruins.

Instead, their eyes flickered with hesitation and fear.

If not for the Vice Sect Master watching from the outside, some of them might have already tried to retreat.

As before, Lin Jing sat at the back, quietly observing the Junior Zhuyan wielding the stone staff, slaughtering its way through the battlefield.

With each death, the atmosphere shifted.

With each clash, the cultivators' expressions darkened.

And then, it finally clicked.

"The Zhuyan is said to be an omen of war and chaos…"

"This is its inheritance ground, yet the ruins place no restrictions on Thousand Illusions Mountain and Flower Sect disciples killing each other."

"This aligns perfectly with the legends—throughout ancient times, every appearance of a Zhuyan led to war and devastation. That is why their entire species was nearly wiped out."

Lin Jing took a deep breath, standing amid what felt like a battlefield straight out of history.

He stared at the Junior Zhuyan, watching it fight tirelessly, watching the Myriad Beast Sect disciples' spirits waver, their willpower breaking down.

And he understood.

"What if the reason the Zhuyan suppresses its aura so well… is because it loves war?"

"What if it doesn’t want enemies to be intimidated and flee? What if it craves the thrill of battle—to break its enemies with pure strength, to make them collapse in despair?"

The more Lin Jing observed, the more he realized:

The Zhuyan did not seek to intimidate.

It sought to shatter the spirits of its enemies.

"The Zhuyan race was exterminated because they repeatedly plunged the world into chaos. Their mere presence incited fear, leading to their eventual downfall."

"Even now, within its own ruins, its mere existence is triggering conflict. The sheer number of casualties is already pushing many cultivators to their psychological limits."

Lin Jing’s eyes gleamed with insight.

"To perfectly replicate the Zhuyan’s divine essence… I need to create a grand, brutal, and merciless battlefield."

"A battlefield where tens of thousands die—where mortals, cultivators, even celestial beings perish."

"Because war is the Zhuyan’s very essence."

The realization sent a chill down his spine.

But instead of fear—he felt excitement.

If he could create an illusionary battlefield of such scale…

Then with Thousand Illusions Mountain’s Inverse Void Art, he wouldn’t just be crafting an illusion.

He would be summoning a true War Beast.

"Now, I just need more battles… more deaths… more raw material for my illusion."

"I just need time."