Book 2: Chapter 18: Shock! The Truth Is Actually...

Vol 2 Chapter 18: Shock! The Truth Is Actually... Chen Lingxi simultaneously activated countless Lightning Talisman attacks, unleashing a thunderous might comparable to a Foundation Establishment lightning cultivator. The crowd of examinees gasped in astonishment. Everyone had assumed Lin Jing was doomed, but unexpectedly, the beast Lin Jing summoned managed to construct a defensive fortress in the blink of an eye. If it were just that, people might have simply thought that Lin Jing's beast had mastered powerful wood techniques, capable of quickly creating defensive formations. After all, there were precedents of the Pine Leaf Mouse overcoming Foundation Establishment wood cultivators despite its lower level. However, to block such an overwhelming lightning onslaught completely, without even a scratch? That defense was too terrifying! “Impossible!” Even Wang Xiao, a cultivator with the Heavenly God Physique, looked perplexed. The power of these lightning strikes—amplified by countless Lightning Talismans—already surpassed the lightning he could summon with his physique. Yet these wooden structures had blocked it with ease? “It’s a seal!” Some higher-level cultivators among the examinees furrowed their brows, noticing something others missed. Inside the fortress, divine patterns shimmered faintly. It wasn’t merely the wooden fortress resisting the lightning; the structures were engraved with seals that significantly enhanced their defensive power! “This squirrel actually sealed itself and its beast tamer inside this strange structure!” For beast tamers at the Qi Refining Stage, their greatest vulnerability was themselves. Lin Jing had clearly worried about being targeted and decapitated, so he devised this strategy centered around the “Sacred Wood Seal.” Before the battle, he stockpiled materials for the seal, and during the fight, the Pine Leaf Mouse sealed him inside this fortress. As a result, as long as the enemy couldn’t break the seal, they had no way to harm him. Who says seals are only for trapping enemies? The Sacred Wood Seal, a powerful sealing technique previously used by Elder Magic Pine to seal the Ice Soul Gu, had now proven its might. The storm of Lightning Talismans left no mark on the fortress. Grinning, Lin Jing ordered the Pine Leaf Mouse to open a few small openings in the structure. From inside, they extended bamboo rifles and began firing wildly. “This is what modern cultivation duels should look like!” Chen Lingxi, her chest tightening from the constant barrage, elegantly flicked her slender fingers to draw an intricate talisman filled with peculiar energy. “Divine Light Talisman!” A radiant silver talisman hovered in midair, transforming into a wall of divine light that blocked Lin Jing and his allies’ attacks. “Damn it!” Chen Lingxi cursed, frustrated that Lin Jing had managed to defend against her onslaught. She promptly summoned hundreds of Fire Talismans and activated them all at once. A fiery sea descended, yet the Sacred Wood Fortress remained unscathed. As the fortress’ openings closed and reopened, Lin Jing unleashed another barrage of mechanized techniques, stunning the spectators. “Cultivator duels can be fought like this?” Before long, the duel devolved into a full-scale firefight. It was reminiscent of the clash between Gao Sheng and Xu Zhizhi, but this time the intensity was on a whole new level. Many examinees gazing at the spectacle on the stage doubted whether even an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator could survive the crossfire. “Ha!” The Pine Leaf Mouse, Lin Jing, and the Mechanical Bamboo Turtle all held dual guns, firing relentlessly from within the fortress. The Pine Leaf Mouse glanced at the female cultivator across the field, clearly impressed by her large stockpile of talismans. “Ha-ha!!” It jeered while shooting, even mockingly suggesting Lin Jing take notes from her about amassing talismans. Lin Jing shot back, “You already have alchemy to learn, so when do you have time to study talisman crafting? If she annoys you, think about capturing her and making her your personal servant!” As another wave of attacks came their way, the Pine Leaf Mouse quickly closed a nearby opening. Lin Jing leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath. “That guy may not be weak, but I prepared well and have the upper hand. Today, they’ll lose to someone of the same level.” “This approach works, but her defensive talismans are enough to withstand our attacks. If you’re worried about wasting talisman paper, I’m worried about wasting Spirit Beans.” The Pine Leaf Mouse nodded, clearly distressed. “This isn’t just a duel; it’s a Spirit Stone-burning contest!” “Use Flying Leaf Strike to knock her storage bag open and scatter her talismans everywhere!” Lin Jing commanded. “I’ve noticed that while she can control many talismans at once, they’re all of the same type. This means her current ability allows her to manage a large number of identical talismans, but it’s hard for her to activate a wide variety simultaneously.” “If we disrupt her stockpile, she won’t be able to cast effectively!” Just as the Pine Leaf Mouse was about to act... “Forget it!” Lin Jing decided it was too early to reveal the Space Flying Leaf technique. After a moment’s thought, he decided to mimic Ziling’er’s approach and loaded his magazine with a large number of Bewitching Pills, gambling on their effectiveness. Soon, amidst the firefight, a strange, mind-disturbing fragrance filled the air on the stage. Chen Lingxi was already expending significant energy controlling a large number of talismans while also having to draw new ones to defend against Spirit Bean Bombs. She paid no attention to guarding herself against the intoxicating mist wafting in the air. “When is this going to end?” “This is insane! Even sect battles aren’t this intense!” The other examinees were in awe. They were all Qi Refining cultivators, yet how could these two be so terrifying? Eventually, the effects of the Bewitching Mist began to take hold. Chen Lingxi’s vision blurred momentarily, and in that critical moment, she misdrew a defensive talisman, leaving a gap in her defenses. “Poison!” She realized immediately, but it was too late. “Apologies,” Lin Jing thought to himself, “but in addition to being a Mechanized Beast Tamer, I’m also an alchemist!” The shockwave from the Spirit Bean Bombs knocked Chen Lingxi off the stage. The thrilling battle of offense and defense finally came to a close in front of the stunned audience. “The Divine Talisman Sect’s saintess actually lost…” As the dust settled, the fortified war bunker on the stage disappeared. Lin Jing, the Mechanical Bamboo Turtle, and the Pine Leaf Mouse standing proudly on the turtle’s head looked regretfully toward Chen Lingxi, who had been blasted off the stage. “You’re strong,” Lin Jing remarked. “But unfortunately, your combat strategy is neither reproducible nor complete.” In other words, it wasn’t as effective as mechanized bamboo rifles combined with a defensive structure. With proper defensive architecture, the setup could even serve as a sect-protecting formation for small villages, capable of resisting beast hordes! Below the stage, Chen Lingxi, still dazed and frustrated, couldn’t help but cough up blood. Never in her life had she been so humiliated in a duel. Lin Jing. She’d remember this name. At that moment, not only the other examinees but also their elders and the chief examiner, Cao Ziwei, sighed audibly. This was the first time anyone had seen a cultivator fight with such an unconventional style. Most astonishing of all… this guy was a Beast Tamer!? seaʀᴄh thё ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lin Jing, smiling after his victory, turned his gaze toward another examinee. “You were planning to take the test too, weren’t you? You can come up now,” he said, addressing Wang Xiao, the Heavenly God Physique cultivator. Lin Jing had deliberately avoided using his spatial technique, saving it as a surprise for this opponent. Wang Xiao snorted coldly and replied, “Step down. I won’t challenge you. Let the sword cultivator examiner take my test instead.” Lin Jing: “???” Wait, I prepared for you for four months! The Pine Leaf Mouse even trained relentlessly on spatial techniques! And now you’re telling me you won’t challenge me? What was the point of our four months of hard work? Understood. Lin Jing wasn’t one to let himself be shortchanged. An idea instantly formed in his mind—a newsworthy story headline: “Shocking! Beast Taming Sect’s Lin Jing Is So Strong That the Wang Family’s Heavenly Physique Prodigy Refuses to Challenge Him!”