Creating His Own Technique

Of course, she had not simply given up. Lin Jing and the Pineleaf Squirrel might be cold and unfeeling, but there was still a Green Bodhi Tree.

Without bothering to ask whether the Young Sword Cultivator agreed, the Female Alchemist plopped down beneath the Green Bodhi Tree.

Seeing this, the Young Sword Cultivator, who was also beneath the Green Bodhi Tree, drew his sword a fraction. But when he saw the fury filling the Female Alchemist's eyes, he hesitated, then shook his head and sheathed it.

The Young Sword Cultivator felt that if he provoked this woman any further, she really would pay any price to make sure none of them had an easy time.

"Wait, you've already divided them up?" Lin Jing and the Pineleaf Squirrel had claimed the Gold-and-Silver Bodhi Tree, while the Young Sword Cultivator and the Female Alchemist had claimed the Green Bodhi Tree. The Green-Robed Scholar, who had been hoping to watch the others fight, was dumbfounded.

Hold on, what about me?

What happened to joining forces?

Why are you all so spineless!

He instinctively walked toward the Green Bodhi Tree. Both the Young Sword Cultivator and the Female Alchemist stared coldly at him.

It seemed that if he dared come any closer, they would strike together.

The Green Bodhi Tree already offered the weakest enlightenment effect. Neither the Young Sword Cultivator nor the Female Alchemist could accept splitting it three ways.

"Fine!" The Green-Robed Scholar gritted his teeth. "Picking on a scholar, are you?"

"One of you tames beasts and toys with mechanisms, one plays with fire, and one swings a sword. Does knowing how to fight make you so great? Governing a country still depends on us scholars! Yet when an opportunity appears, you sect disciples scramble for it faster than anyone!"

"Fine, I don't think much of that Green Bodhi Tree anyway. I won't fight you for it. But you can't expect me to go home empty-handed."

Everyone looked at him.

"I, Xu Zhizhi, slew a Snowfield Barbarian within the Grotto Heaven who plotted against our nation's prodigies, successfully safeguarding their opportunity. That isn't going too far, is it?!" As he spoke, he stepped forward and smashed a fist into the Snowfield Cultivator's head, then looked at Lin Jing and the other two.

Lin Jing fell silent.

"Not at all. He's yours," he said.

A corpse with a special constitution had few uses.

First, feeding it to dogs. But the Beast Taming Sect forbade Demon Beasts from eating people.

Second, selling it to the Corpse Yin Sect to be refined into a Corpse Puppet. But Lin Jing could not possibly have dealings with the Corpse Yin Sect.

Third, the Snowfield tribes had always been at odds with the Ancient Kingdom, with constant friction along the border. If this scholar held some minor local office, taking the corpse back might serve another purpose.

"As long as you don't come over here and meddle, I know nothing," the Female Alchemist said.

The Young Sword Cultivator said nothing, which likewise counted as tacit agreement.

And so, the Snowfield Cultivator's head became the spoils of this unlucky fellow who had failed to secure a Bodhi Tree. He stowed the Snowfield Cultivator in his Storage Bag.

The other Outer Gate Disciples of the Beast Taming Sect witnessed the entire exchange. Even the four disciples from the Demon Hunting Hall had to marvel that this Green-Robed Scholar was a ruthless man who knew when to advance and when to retreat.

The three Bodhi Trees had been divided up.

"Junior Brother, we'll guard the surroundings for you. You two can cultivate in peace."

At that moment, Senior Brother Ziran stepped forward, offering to stand guard near Lin Jing.

The Green-Robed Scholar had failed to claim a tree. Who knew whether he might later lash out like a cornered dog and change his mind?

"Thank you, Senior Brothers." Lin Jing smiled. "Oh, right. There wasn't much of value in that Snowfield Cultivator's Storage Bag, but he seemed to have treasured quite a bit of Foundation Establishment Demon Beast blood suitable for tempering the body. Please take it as a token of my thanks. I hope it helps with your cultivation."

Lin Jing could not help inwardly lamenting how poor that bald fellow had been.

Although he could not share the enlightenment tree with his fellow disciples, Lin Jing gave away the beast blood without regret. He could hardly let them help for nothing.

"You're too kind, Junior Brother." Senior Brother He Yiming laughed heartily, finding Lin Jing a little more likable. The other Demon Hunting Hall disciples nodded as well, feeling that he was a decent fellow.

The struggle within the Grotto Heaven came to a temporary close.

Aside from the Snowfield Cultivator who had blundered into the enemy nation's stronghold, the cultivators from the Heavenly Origin Ancient Kingdom had all gained something. Their journey had not been in vain.

Those who had secured spots beneath the Bodhi Trees also settled their minds and began cultivating.

The Young Sword Cultivator seemed to be studying the Sword Canon, Sword Qi swirling around him.

The Female Alchemist took out a large cauldron and numerous ingredients and actually began refining pills. No... she seemed more to be experimenting with a special alchemy method.

As for the Pineleaf Squirrel, he was researching how to open up a space inside his body... This was his greatest obsession.

The Snowfield body cultivator's Storage Bag... had not even held a full cubic meter. He was utterly distraught!

"Be sensible!" Sensing the Pineleaf Squirrel's state, Lin Jing felt a headache coming on and transmitted his voice through their beast-taming contract.

"Creating a space from nothing is something great cultivators of the Void Mystery stage do. What are you fussing over it for, you little Qi Refinement Realm squirrel?"

"Squeak! Squeak!"

"You're saying there's nothing worth studying in the Flying Leaf Technique, and what's the point of sending a few more leaves flying at once?" Lin Jing had no answer. To give himself some peace to pursue enlightenment, he spun a tale:

"You certainly won't get anywhere studying blindly. Follow my instructions. Whether it's a Storage Bag or a beast-taming Spatial Treasure, they all require materials with spatial attributes to refine. Why don't you... first try to see whether you can give your Red Leaf some spatial properties?"

"For example, letting it easily cut through Spatial Barriers, Spatial Arrays, other people's Storage Equipment, or Beast-Taming Spaces. Any of those would be more realistic than trying to create a space outright."

"Build a solid foundation first, then use the Red Leaf containing spatial properties as a material for refining a Spatial Treasure. Take it one step at a time."

"Have you ever heard the saying, 'One flower, one world; one leaf, one bodhi'? A flower can be a universe, so a Red Leaf can be a universe too. Then you can store as much inside it as you want."

Having said his piece, Lin Jing did not bother checking whether the Pineleaf Squirrel had taken it in. He began making the most of his time to think.

While the Pineleaf Squirrel, struck by sudden understanding, kept putting the Red Flying Leaf into the Storage Bag and taking it out to observe the changes, Lin Jing was still struggling to decide.

At present, all Lin Jing knew were the Beast Taming Art, the Spirit-Nurturing Art, and the Spirit-Gathering Array.

The Spirit-Nurturing Art was a spell for relieving fatigue, while the Spirit-Gathering Array was an array for gathering spiritual energy. Both had limited potential, and the various sects had already thoroughly explored ways to upgrade and improve them. The Beast Taming Sect also possessed a complete version of the Beast Taming Art, so there was no need for him to rack his brains improving it.

In short, none of the cultivation methods or spells he currently possessed particularly required the golden Bodhi Tree's help to comprehend.

"The drawback of the Qi Refinement Realm-too little accumulated knowledge. Otherwise, I could create a technique just like that big brother on the rankings," Lin Jing sighed.

"We may have stockpiled plenty of Fierce Plants, but I haven't learned as many spells suitable for studying beneath a Bodhi Tree as they have!"

"What about finding a way to increase the killing power of beast taming true qi?"

Every cultivation method produced true qi with different properties and effects. The main effect of beast taming true qi was its remarkable ability to nurture pet beasts. As a result, Beast Tamers themselves were far, far weaker in combat than body cultivators or sword cultivators.

They might even fall short of alchemy cultivators, who could turn true qi into flames.

Lin Jing wanted to change this situation. After all, the Mechanism Bamboo Gun might only remain useful during the Qi Refinement Realm. He needed some ability to protect himself as well.

Suddenly, Lin Jing took out a Purple Fire Dragon Fruit... or, one could call it a synthesized Dragonbone Flower, the spirit fruit that could let a little white Qi Refinement Realm mouse unleash the terrifying deterrence of an illusion comparable to a Nascent Soul Demon King. His eyes burned brightly.

"Right, there's also this. Perhaps I really can try creating a technique."

"Could I use the golden Bodhi Tree to analyze and learn the principles behind the Purple Dragonbone Flower's illusions, then turn them into an Illusion Path Spell I can freely cast and alter?"