The Three Great Demonic Sects

The crane stood tall, its legs long and slender, its entire body covered in feathers as white as snow. A red patch on its crown, like the sun rising in the morning light, gave it a noble air.

Clutching the Red Flying Leaf, it descended in fury. This crane... judging by its accent, Lin Jing and the Pineleaf Squirrel knew it well.

It seemed to be the Immortal Crane that had delivered their supplies when they first arrived in the outer sect, rather than the crane sister who had brought them down from the Inner Peak.

Calling them Immortal Cranes was not quite accurate. Through his reading, Lin Jing had already learned the name of their species.

Heavenly Feather Cranes were wind-element spirit beasts, and their flock enjoyed an extraordinary status in the Beast Taming Sect.

Because the sect master... had contracted a Heavenly Feather Crane!

"Squeak..." Seeing that the leaf it had carelessly flung had struck the crane, the Pineleaf Squirrel grew terribly nervous.

"Senior..." Lin Jing also looked apologetic. "We're very sorry. We were practicing a spell."

"What a nuisance. Now even the sect isn't safe. Be more careful next time!" The Heavenly Feather Crane tossed away the leaf, glanced around, and said, "This seems to be the place. Outer Gate Disciple Lin Jing, you have a letter from Elder Mo Wuyou of Lotus Peak!"

With that, it dropped a letter and flew back into the clouds, in a great hurry, seemingly terrified of running late on its next delivery.

Seeing this, Lin Jing and the Pineleaf Squirrel breathed sighs of relief. Then Lin Jing curiously opened the letter.

"Squeak?"

After reading the letter, Lin Jing said thoughtfully, "Elder Mo said the little Corpse Yin Sect outpost that abducted me had already reported my longevity body to its superiors, but hadn't had time to transfer me. He told me not to leave the Beast Taming Sect without good reason, and not to accept sect missions that require going outside."

"As long as we stay in the sect, we'll be safe and sound."

"As for the elder, he's already left the sect... He went to the Demon-Slaying Bureau to learn the details and see whether they can uproot that higher-level demonic sect outpost as well!"

"Squeak!" The Pineleaf Squirrel looked at Lin Jing sympathetically.

Lin Jing shook his head. "What rotten luck. I've only just started Qi Refining, and a demonic sect already has its eyes on me."

"And don't look at me like that. Treasure beasts are even rarer than special cultivation physiques!"

"If we get captured, we might even end up on the same dinner table."

By now, Lin Jing was no longer a complete novice in cultivation. He had learned much more about the demonic sects.

The three great demonic sects of the cultivation world-the Corpse Yin Sect, the Gu God Cult, and the Netherworld Hall-each struck terror into people at the mere mention of their names.

The Corpse Yin Sect refined corpse puppets, extracted cultivation foundations, trafficked promising young cultivators, and seized the bodies of geniuses. It was a thorn in the side of every major sect and cultivation lineage. Which of them did not have a genius with a special physique?

Where there was trade, there was persecution. Though seizing a body and cultivating anew had a high chance of failure, many powerful cultivators suffering grievous injuries or nearing the end of their lifespans refused to accept their fate. The Corpse Yin Sect served as their intermediary.

The Gu God Cult, meanwhile, refined and raised gu, implanting them in vast numbers of mortals, ordinary cultivators, and even cultivators with special physiques. It used human bodies as nourishment to strengthen the gu and make them evolve!

As for the Netherworld Hall, it consisted primarily of ghost cultivators who raised ghostly creatures, bound spirits, and commanded souls.

Fortunately, under the attacks of the Heavenly Origin Ancient Kingdom's Demon-Slaying Bureau and the sects of the various regions, all three great demonic sects were like rats scurrying across the street, unable to show themselves in the light.

Lin Jing sighed. Fortunately, though his longevity body was unusual, it was not especially precious. Even if others coveted it, he probably would not be their highest priority.

"When Elder Mo comes back, we'll tell him about you becoming a mutated treasure beast," Lin Jing said. "Since my special physique qualifies me for Inner Gate-level resources, you count as having a 'special physique' now too. Perhaps our resource allotment can increase."

Even a newly admitted disciple like him could receive such generous treatment. The Pineleaf Squirrel had been born in the Beast Taming Sect, raised under its care from childhood, and both its parents were there too. Its ties to the sect ran even deeper than his own. Lin Jing believed the sect certainly would not begrudge the resources needed to nurture it.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!!" The Pineleaf Squirrel nodded, then looked toward the Spirit Beans seedlings nearby.

It was very curious... once they grew a hundred beans and transformed them with the Glazed Immortal Eyes, what would they synthesize?

"Stop for now..." Lin Jing stopped it. "We don't have any food left. We finally managed to grow some spirit rice, and you ate all of it."

"We should find something to eat now. Otherwise... never mind the energy needed to synthesize new resources, you'll probably starve to death while ripening the spirit beans."

"Ah, let's find a mountain to hunt some game first, and dig up some wild vegetables to plant in the courtyard and fill our bellies," Lin Jing said with a sigh.

Among the Beast Taming Sect's dozens of peaks, several were specifically used to raise vicious wild beasts and man-eating demon beasts, keeping them confined so outer and inner sect disciples could train there.

Lin Jing planned to take the Pineleaf Squirrel into one of the mountain forests open to Outer Gate Disciples, catch a few rabbits, and fish up a few fish to bring back.

Previously, he would never have taken that risk. But now, the Pineleaf Squirrel had mastered the Red Flying Leaf, which could slice through iron as though it were mud, much like the Object-Controlling Art. Ordinary mountain beasts and low-level demon beasts no longer posed a threat to them.

After resting, Lin Jing and the Pineleaf Squirrel took the Red Flying Leaf and left the courtyard, following the map toward Fierce Tiger Peak.

Man-eating tigers roamed that peak, but only a scant few possessed demonic power at the first layer of Qi Refining. The Beast Taming Sect also only permitted disciples at the first layer of Qi Refining to enter with their pet beasts, to build their courage.

Such disciples had usually only just stepped through the gates of cultivation, and their mindsets had yet to shift from those of mortals. Never mind facing demon beasts-even the roar of an ordinary mountain tiger might leave them unable to stand steady.

Protected by pet beasts at least at the third layer of Qi Refining, these disciples generally would not encounter any mishaps on the peak, making it an excellent place to temper their minds.

Most importantly, everything they hunted inside belonged to them.

Before long, Lin Jing and his companion arrived at the foot of Fierce Tiger Peak. An old man in hemp robes stood at the entrance. When he saw Lin Jing, he beckoned him over.

"An Outer Gate Disciple? Here to enter Fierce Tiger Peak?" As Lin Jing approached, the old man looked him and the Pineleaf Squirrel over.

"Yes, Senior." Lin Jing did not know the old man, but guessed he was the peak's guardian. Peaks like Fierce Tiger Peak all had someone assigned to watch over them.

"You can't enter right now. A spirit plant unexpectedly sprouted in the mountain, and a tiger ate it. That tiger has now awakened its intelligence and gained considerable demonic power. There would be some risk in letting you enter now." The old man waved a hand. "Come back another day."

"Senior, what is that tiger demon's cultivation level?" Lin Jing asked. "Perhaps we could..."

"The Qi Refining Ninth Layer."

"Sorry for troubling you, Senior." Lin Jing cupped his hands and turned to leave with the Pineleaf Squirrel.

What kind of world was this? He had worked himself to the bone cultivating, and after all this time, he had only reached the first layer of Qi Refining.

A tiger ate one spirit plant and reached the Qi Refining Ninth Layer?

Fortuitous encounters... really were more important than hard work.

Not only was Lin Jing dejected, but the Pineleaf Squirrel on his shoulder was also indignant.

Just as Lin Jing was leaving, a familiar figure approached.

"Junior Brother Lin?" the young man in a white shirt asked in surprise.

"Senior Brother Ouyang, what brings you here?"

"I accepted a sect mission to subdue the tiger demon of Fierce Tiger Peak," Ouyang Hao said.

Lin Jing and the Pineleaf Squirrel: "..."

Undercover agent, scripture pavilion librarian, tiger demon tamer-Brother Furnace really was a busy man. Lin Jing and the Pineleaf Squirrel cupped their hands, filled with admiration and ready to concede defeat.

The sect was lucky to have you. The next sect master's position was yours and yours alone. Nobody would fight you for it.