Beast Tamer Ascension

Vol 2 Chapter 43: The Nascent Soul Divine Pine

“What is going on here?!”

Zhang Hu stared at the sky in shock, feeling a terror he had never experienced before. As a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, he had interacted with many Nascent Soul-level experts, but the sheer power radiating from that massive dragon claw and the binding tree roots far exceeded Nascent Soul capabilities.

“…Could it be two Nascent Soul Transformation experts battling?” he muttered.

The Southern Mountain Demon Emperor had come for Lin Jing, whose senses were even sharper. The moment the Hidden Dragon Technique warned of danger, Lin Jing’s heart raced. However, his expression quickly turned strange as he realized what was happening.

“Shen Song…”

He had also heard the Southern Mountain Demon Emperor’s words. A Wood Spirit at the Nascent Soul Transformation Stage—that could only mean the Divine Pine that had been protecting him all along!

“Senior Shen Song is at the Nascent Soul Transformation Stage?!”

Lin Jing had always assumed Shen Song’s cultivation level was at the Peak Nascent Soul Stage, as reaching the Nascent Soul Transformation Stage was exceedingly difficult. Even in the vast Great Wasteland, with its hundreds of cultivation sects, not a single one had produced a Nascent Soul Transformation expert.

Even the Beast Taming Sect likely had no idea that Shen Song had already broken through to the Nascent Soul Transformation Stage. The old Divine Pine had concealed its strength for possibly centuries or even millennia.

Lin Jing couldn’t help but marvel at Shen Song’s ability to remain hidden. To suppress such strength and avoid revealing oneself as a Nascent Soul Transformation expert must have required incredible patience!

Despite the attack, Lin Jing’s initial panic quickly turned to calm. With Shen Song taking action, his heart settled completely.

“Who dares cause trouble in the Demon-Slaying Bureau?!”

Moments later, a Nascent Soul cultivator emerged from the bureau’s underground immortal prison. This cultivator, who was at the Peak Nascent Soul Stage, was already formidable. However, upon sensing the powerful primordial spirits of both the Southern Mountain Demon Emperor and the Divine Pine, his expression immediately changed.

As the Yin Corpse Sect had predicted, the academy’s true experts had not responded immediately. However, Shen Song’s intervention bought precious time for the academy’s powerhouses to react.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Four overwhelming Nascent Soul Transformation auras erupted, their divine radiance illuminating the sky. Along with their immense power came the energy of over a dozen Peak Nascent Soul cultivators, their combined presence awe-inspiring. In an instant, they descended upon the immortal prison of the Demon-Slaying Bureau.

“Southern Mountain Demon Emperor!”

The four Nascent Soul Transformation experts had all heard of the demon emperor’s notorious name.

“Don’t look at me,” a booming voice echoed from the void. “I am merely the guardian Divine Pine of academy student Lin Jing. This is only one of the demon emperor’s avatars. Go after its true body!”

The four experts scanned the area, their divine eyes retracing the events as if time itself had rewound. In an instant, they understood the situation.

Though they were unsure why a mere disciple from the Beast Taming Sect had a Nascent Soul Transformation-level Wood Spirit as his guardian, the priority now was clear: they needed to eliminate the demon emperor’s true body!

“Thank you for your intervention,” the four experts said in unison, bowing slightly before activating their divine bodies, which radiated with divine light. Four avatars spread across Hidden Dragon City, forming a city-protecting barrier, while their true forms pursued the Southern Mountain Demon Emperor beyond the city.

The demon emperor was a wanted criminal within the kingdom, and now it had dared to intrude and attempt to abduct a genius cultivator. Letting it escape would bring disgrace to the city and the academy.

“Lin Jing, are you unharmed?”

Cao Ziwei, an academy instructor, landed beside Lin Jing, his expression filled with concern and astonishment. He was well aware of Shen Song’s existence. When he had escorted Lin Jing from the Great Wasteland to the academy, he had already sensed the presence of a tree spirit as Lin Jing’s guardian.

However, back then, he had only perceived Shen Song as a Nascent Soul-level spirit. A Nascent Soul-level tree spirit and a Wood Spirit at the Nascent Soul Transformation Stage were worlds apart.

“I’m fine, thanks to Senior Shen Song’s assistance,” Lin Jing replied, breathing a sigh of relief.

Moments later, the Southern Mountain Demon Emperor’s Half-Divine Avatar was obliterated by Shen Song. Its dying screams reverberated through the void, shaking the entire Hidden Dragon City and leaving countless cultivators stunned.

From the void, a massive golden-green pine cone emerged, radiating divine brilliance. Upon seeing it, the assembled Peak Nascent Soul cultivators immediately bowed respectfully.

“This demon emperor came for him,” Shen Song said coldly, his voice filled with annoyance. “I also suspect this was a distraction tactic. Where are the academy’s top experts? Why are they absent from the city?”

Before anyone could respond, Shen Song enveloped Lin Jing in his branches and vanished, saying, “I’ll hide him away for now. Once you deal with the demon emperor, we’ll come out again!”

In the blink of an eye, Lin Jing found himself in an unfamiliar location. Surrounded by radiant mist, he saw the towering figure of Shen Song standing tall amid the haze. Before the Divine Pine lay the massive corpse of a dragon.

“Senior Shen Song?” Lin Jing asked, his voice filled with confusion.

“This demon emperor came for your Longevity Body,” Shen Song replied bluntly. “From the state of its avatar, its lifespan is nearly exhausted.”

Lin Jing nodded. “I thought as much. It must be because of my Longevity Body. Still, I can’t believe it dared to come to Hidden Dragon City…”

“It almost succeeded,” Shen Song snorted. “With the academy’s top experts absent, the demon emperor saw an opportunity to exploit the situation. Its spatial comprehension is indeed remarkable. If I hadn’t had some fortuitous encounters in my youth, allowing me to gain insights into the Dao of Space, it wouldn’t have been easy to deal with it.”

Lin Jing paused before asking, “Senior, are you truly at the Nascent Soul Transformation Stage? Did you break through back when you were with the Beast Taming Sect?”

Shen Song’s voice turned exasperated. “Are you trying to blame me for the sect’s downfall? Claiming that the Beast Taming Sect’s demonic fortune outweighed its human fortune because of me?”

“Absolute nonsense! I never even joined the Beast Taming Sect! I merely rested on its territory for thousands of years and protected it out of convenience. Blame your sect’s numerous unaligned demonic kings, not me!”

“Of course not, Senior!” Lin Jing quickly waved his hands, a smile spreading across his face. Learning that Shen Song had reached the Nascent Soul Transformation Stage only filled him with joy. “But, Senior, if you’re so powerful, why have you hidden your cultivation all this time?”

“You think I want to hide?” Shen Song snapped. “To humans, I may not be as enticing as you are to demonic beasts, but I’m still a treasure tree!”

“Do you know the shortcut most cultivators take to break through from Peak Nascent Soul to the Nascent Soul Transformation Stage?”

Lin Jing shook his head.

“After reaching Peak Nascent Soul, the key to advancing is mastering the natural forces of heaven and earth. Only by comprehending these forces and fusing them into one’s primordial spirit can one achieve transformation.

“But comprehending natural forces is incredibly difficult. Out of a hundred Peak Nascent Soul cultivators, not even one may succeed. Only those with special physiques, like that Heavenly God Physique brat you fought, have an easier time.”

“Some idiot discovered a shortcut: use supreme-grade vegetation nurtured by heaven and earth to craft a body highly attuned to natural forces. Then, a Peak Nascent Soul cultivator’s primordial spirit could occupy this body, fusing with it to gain insights and achieve transformation!”

“Over the years, most Nascent Soul breakthroughs have used this method. That’s why you saw those four old geezers earlier—they all have two bodies!”

“I, however, naturally comprehended the forces of heaven and earth, making me an ideal material for crafting such a vessel. If I wandered around freely, I wouldn’t even know how I died!”

Lin Jing’s mind buzzed. Using vegetation and Nascent Soul cultivators to craft new bodies? He’d heard of such things before. Nezha, was it?

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