Beast Tamer Ascension

Book 3 Chapter 13: The Zhuyan Phantom

Vol 3 Chapter 13: The Zhuyan Phantom
Having formed a rough plan, Lin Jing began his attempts.

His divine sense, apart from observing the little Zhuyan that turned killing into an art, also swept across the blood-soaked grand hall.

"The form of the Zhuyan… This is the first layer of illusion."

It didn’t take long before his consciousness simulated the birth of a small Zhuyan.

"The brutal war scene… This is the second layer of illusion."

"What I need to do is use the Layered Illusion Technique to merge the second layer into the first, transforming it into the spirit of the Zhuyan."

After a year of seclusion in Thousand Illusions Mountain, Lin Jing had thoroughly mastered the Layered Illusion Technique.

To craft a Zhuyan with true spirit, his first thought was naturally this technique.

By embedding the ferocious battle stance of the little Zhuyan into its form, he could implant a mental suggestion into his enemies.

"The reason ancient cultivators feared the Zhuyan was its relentless thirst for war!"

"A madman who constantly seeks battle—anyone would fear such a being, fear that they might die in its wars."

"The essence of dominance is to instill fear in one’s enemies."

"And the root of Zhuyan’s terror lies in its insane battle lust and unwavering combat will."

"Yes, battle intent! The essence of the Zhuyan Phantom must be filled with battle intent!"

"In my past life, there was the concept of war trauma. In this cultivation world, war too would leave inner demons in the minds of cultivators. If I can perfectly merge the War Catastrophe Illusion with the Zhuyan Phantom, it should become the core of manifesting a Zhuyan with true spirit!"

"Using battle intent as the trigger to make enemies wary of fighting the little Zhuyan—this is the essence of the Zhuyan Phantom!"

However…

Even though he had completed the technique, Lin Jing still felt something was missing.

Soon, a small Zhuyan with battle intent burning in its eyes was born. Its gaze surged with an overwhelming battle aura, sharp enough to pierce the soul, making anyone who looked into its eyes feel as if their mind was breaking…

It was as if they were personally experiencing a brutal slaughter.

This suggestion alone allowed opponents to foresee their own tragic fate in battle, crushing their fighting spirit.

Examining the little Zhuyan he had created through layered illusions, Lin Jing knew he had done his best. He was confident that even though this little Zhuyan only appeared to be at the early Foundation Establishment stage, it could still terrify an entire group of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

But Lin Jing felt that this Zhuyan was still imperfect.

Even though conjuring this little Zhuyan consumed less energy than manifesting a Core Formation-level demon beast and was more practical—making it a solid illusion technique—

This little Zhuyan was merely a replication of the phantom he had observed in the ruins.

It was not a true Demon Ancestor Zhuyan.

Perhaps, at this level, he was already far ahead of the other disciples of Thousand Illusions Mountain…

But… did Lin Jing lack this kind of power?

Not only did he not lack it, but Thousand Illusions Mountain likely didn’t lack it either.

After all, there was no real technical difficulty here. Maybe it would be challenging for Foundation Establishment or even Core Formation illusionists, but for Nascent Soul masters, replicating it would be effortless.

What the true experts of Thousand Illusions Mountain wanted was definitely not a little Zhuyan forcefully infused with battle spirit using the Layered Illusion Technique…

They wanted the actual war dominance of a Demon Ancestor-level Zhuyan!

"But how can a group of Foundation Establishment illusionists comprehend the war spirit of a Demon Ancestor? Are the experts of Thousand Illusions Mountain just gambling on luck?"

Lin Jing shook his head, but then—

Suddenly, something clicked in his mind.

"Most demon beast blood contains the beast’s innate might..."

"The Zhuyan blood that fused into our bodies earlier was meant to strengthen our physiques and alter our bloodline, so it didn’t reveal any of its beastly aura."

"But just because it didn’t reveal it doesn’t mean it’s not there."

"No matter how docile a beast pretends to be, there will always be a moment when it bares its fangs. And forcing it to reveal its true nature is simple—just make it feel threatened."

"If I make the Zhuyan blood within me feel threatened, it might unleash its true ferocity, revealing the original might of the Zhuyan. Then, I could personally experience the true dominance of a Demon Ancestor Zhuyan!"

"Beast Taming Physique!"

"My Beast Taming Physique can suppress all beast blood. Zhuyan blood is still beast blood. If I use my physique to suppress the Zhuyan bloodline, it will instinctively resist. As a Demon Ancestor’s blood, it will never allow itself to be subdued."

"But this method is undoubtedly extremely risky. I can’t attempt it recklessly..."

"I must have a powerful expert guarding me before even testing it, no matter how diluted the Zhuyan blood within me is..."

"For now, the little Zhuyan I conjured through the Layered Illusion Technique should be enough to gain the recognition of Thousand Illusions Mountain, securing my promotion to Core Disciple and allowing me to study the Inverse Void Art in the blessed land…"

"After all, this little Zhuyan consumes little mana yet has remarkable power. Aside from its high learning difficulty, it has almost no drawbacks. Though it’s useless against high-level cultivators, if lower-level cultivators manage to master it, its practicality far surpasses those Demon King illusions in the Divine Beast Hall…"

"Since my original goal has been achieved, the next step is to gather more Zhuyan blood to prepare for experiencing the true dominance of a Demon Ancestor Zhuyan…"

Lin Jing opened his eyes.

The surroundings were still shrouded in a dense blood mist. At some point, the disciples of the three sects had already passed the second trial.

At this moment, they had all stepped into the third trial hall.

Once again, it was a small Zhuyan at the early Foundation Establishment stage.

However, compared to the second trial’s weapon-wielding Zhuyan, this one was even more ferocious!

Three heads, six arms!

Unlike the first trial’s unarmed combatant and the second trial’s weapon-user, this third trial’s Zhuyan had now begun casting spells!

In its three-headed, six-armed form, the little Zhuyan wielded six different weapons, continuing its ruthless slaughter.

Yet, despite its immense combat prowess, its presence was almost nonexistent.

Its aura did not manifest into something tangible, making it feel lifeless—so much so that even the disciples of Thousand Illusions Mountain found it hard to grasp its true might.

Because it hid its own presence so thoroughly, even the three-sect cultivators battling it struggled to connect this little monkey to the war god that had slaughtered countless demons and cultivators.

Though they felt apprehension, dread, and fear, it had not yet shattered their mental limits.

For now, the sect mission, relic rewards—these still held greater priority.

"Take it down!!!"

"If we kill it, we might be able to inherit its three-headed, six-armed technique!"

Faced with this third trial’s Zhuyan, the three-sect cultivators grew even more frenzied.

None of them paid any attention to the second team of Thousand Illusions Mountain disciples, who were still comprehending the Zhuyan’s battle spirit.

After all, in the last two attempts, the three sects had only reached the third trial but had never defeated this three-headed, six-armed little Zhuyan.

This time, they had come fully prepared—they were determined to slay it and discover what treasures the third trial would yield.

"Three heads, six arms, huh…"

Lin Jing slowly stood up.

His movement instantly caught the attention of Senior Sister Ning.

"Junior Brother Huang, what are you doing? Sit down and observe! Leave the fighting to the senior brothers who specialize in offense!"

"Senior Sister," Lin Jing looked at her and said, "If we rely solely on them, I fear we won’t be able to land the final blow on this three-headed, six-armed Zhuyan before the Myriad Beast Sect and Flower Sect disciples do..."

"I’ve already grasped how to manifest a Zhuyan with true battle spirit. Let me assist the senior brothers..."

"What did you just say?" Senior Sister Ning was stunned.