Vol 5 Chapter 98: Ascension
Bait?
The Star Longevity Crane took a small step back, sensing its future would be particularly tumultuous.
"Still want to save your kin?"
"Following conventional cultivation, the Star Crane Realm can't wait for you. Even at your fastest pace, all you could save would be descendants bred by the demons for who knows how many generations a millennium from now."
"If you won't be harsh on yourself, your enemies certainly will."
"...Understood." The Star Longevity Crane fell silent, its mood exceptionally heavy.
With only twenty years of cultivation, it hadn't developed deep bonds with its crane clan. Yet as the clan leader's offspring, responsibility flowed in its blood. Its parents and elder siblings had died resisting the demonic forces—even without considering the crane clan, it carried an ocean of blood debt against the Heavenly Demon Sect.
This vengeance must be repaid.
"Let's begin." The crane accepted its fate."No need for such grim determination—I'm not sending you to die." Lin Jing chuckled.
Soon, using nearly invisible immortal pill particles numbering in the hundreds, the crane's congenitally deficient foundation began reconstructing itself. Simultaneously, its flesh merged with the pill's power—what was once merely life-extending meat now glistened temptingly, thoroughly marinated in medicinal fragrance, radiating irresistible aroma while gaining countless additional tonic properties beyond longevity.
Lin Jing had already charted the crane's cultivation path.
Time Dao would be its primary focus.
Not long ago, Lin Jing himself had contemplated venturing into time-based cultivation. However, the Dao's steep entry barrier coupled with his packed schedule had kept him from attempting it. The Star Longevity Crane's arrival marked a pivotal turning point.
The crane's Rare Beast Divine Ability—Time Storm—could distort time around living beings, constituting an exceptionally rare offensive temporal ability. With this, Lin Jing could experience temporal forces firsthand by having the crane repeatedly attack him.
Furthermore, through the Beast Taming Secret Arts' "Merge" technique, he could temporarily wield the crane's temporal abilities himself for direct comprehension.
If Time Dao formed the crane's primary path, then blessings would serve as its secondary focus. This wasn't Lin Jing's whim—the Star Longevity Crane clan's racial talents naturally inclined toward benediction.
Beyond their innate lifespan-extending gifts, these cranes were prized by major Immortal Realm factions for greeting and blessing newly ascended immortals precisely because their blessing spells produced astonishing effects. Each faction's cranes mastered different supportive blessings—some amplified fortune, some enhanced cultivation speed, others boosted comprehension. Essentially, every ascendant from major factions enjoyed a "newcomer protection period," relying on their crane's blessings to quickly establish themselves in the Immortal Realm.
Since the crane excelled here, Lin Jing wouldn't neglect this strength. His decision to fuse the crane with immortal pill particles also considered this—the Tongtian Tower's Divine Pill Spirit contained myriad effects like cultivation acceleration, combat enhancement, and talent potential elevation, all convertible to blessing power.
Eventually, this would enable Zhen Nanyou to directly manifest her innate talents through blessing techniques.
Crunch!
As the crane underwent metamorphosis, the Wood-attribute Pine Leaf Mouse's seventh activation of Rare Beast Divine Abilities using premium immortal energy finally triggered significant anomalies in its bloodline. Like boiling magma, immortal essence permeated every corner of its veins.
"Eek!"
The mouse's startled cry prompted Lin Jing to immediately assess its condition—what he saw delighted him beyond measure.
"Meditate now," Lin Jing commanded. "Prolonged divine ability activation with immortal power has finally resonated with your bloodline. This is the critical moment—see if immortal energy can nurture your bloodline into immortal-grade potential!"
"Squeak!"
With a flick of its tiny paws that sent its Dao robe fluttering, the mouse immediately assumed lotus position, closing its crystalline eyes to assault the immortal bloodline threshold.
While Lin Jing stood guard, his other spirit beasts swiftly deployed across Immortal Prison Mountain to eliminate any potential disruptions to the breakthrough.
"This energy fluctuation..."
Meanwhile, atop Immortal Prison Mountain, the Divine Pine sighed wistfully. Had that little squirrel truly reached this stage? Its own disciple was surpassing it, the old master, in obtaining immortal bloodline!
"Promising indeed—worthy of being my student."
Currently, the only living Celestial Beast on Tianyuan Continent was likely just the Demon Emperor, that latecomer. Should the mouse succeed, it would become Tianyuan's second Celestial Beast.
Winds howled and clouds churned over Immortal Prison Mountain.
During this process, ordinary mountain flora collectively ascended one grade.
Eight years passed in the blink of an eye since the mouse began its breakthrough—considerably longer than the Demon Emperor's attempt, as the mouse's challenge proved more arduous.
Its cultivation realm remained too low—merely at Nascent Soul Transformation stage—granting far less bloodline control than the Demon Emperor possessed. Moreover, it had to suppress its own advancement to avoid breaching the Void Mystical Stage upon gaining immortal bloodline, which would prevent accompanying Lin Jing into the Origin Realm.
Balancing bloodline breakthrough with realm suppression demanded tremendous effort from the mouse.
Only after nine years did its energy stabilize. Within the cavern, the mouse finally opened eyes shimmering with immortal essence, its entire body radiating crystalline light like a descended celestial spirit exuding transcendent mystery.
"Squeak..." Meeting Lin Jing's gaze—his constant guardian throughout—the mouse saw his faint smile. "Success, it seems."
Pop.
Raising a tiny paw in confirmation, the mouse prepared to demonstrate its new Celestial Beast authority.
Whoosh.
With a flick of emerald spiritual power, vines in the cavern's corner suddenly stirred—awakening sentience to become vine demons! While achievable before in the Origin Realm's nature-rich environment where vegetation spirits spawned endlessly, here on Tianyuan—where heaven's laws strictly suppressed such births—this equaled the Creation Immortal Physique's legendary ability to effortlessly enlighten spirits!
Boom!
As heavenly tribulation clouds gathered to smite the nascent vine demon, the guardian Dragon Carp and Ice Soul Gu exchanged glances.
"Pah!"
Merely a minor tribulation targeting a Qi-refining vine demon? The carp shot a disdainful glare while the gu worm's lightning rod tendril absorbed residual tribulation energy. Both creatures smirked skyward in unison.