Museum of Deadly Beasts Chapter 791 - Seven Years of Training

The immortal mountain presented a divine spectacle, yet Lin Jin found no companion to share its beauty with.

Within a cave on a cliff, beside the Heaven’s Foundation Stone, Lin Jin gazed into the distance. Ever since arriving with Tianzun, Lin Jin had spent his days exploring the immortal mountain, relentlessly seeking fragments of the Heaven’s Foundation Stone. Thus, seven years elapsed.

Lin Jin considered seven years a considerable duration. He had traversed nearly every inch of the immortal mountain. If he had depended solely on his own two feet, seventy years would barely have sufficed, let alone seven.

Lin Jin let out a whistle, and a steed galloped towards him. The horse was pure white, with a golden ring of fur adorning each hoof. Its robust build marked it as an undoubtedly valuable creature on the mainland.

However, steeds like this roamed freely across the immortal mountain.

Despite its wild nature, this horse hailed from the immortal mountain, granting it Rank 7 status—the highest level of horse Lin Jin had ever encountered.

Lin Jin mounted the horse, which intelligently carried him away. In mere moments, they covered over a hundred miles, reaching a mountain stream.

Though termed a mountain stream, it was substantial, with water cascading down from a height exceeding a thousand feet. A journey that would have consumed Lin Jin an entire day on foot was completed swiftly thanks to the horse.

Through seven years of dedicated observation, Lin Jin was confident that the immortal mountain possessed a mysterious power capable of enhancing a beast's strength. The origin of this power might very well be a Heaven’s Foundation Stone fragment.

Over these seven years, Lin Jin's proficiency in beast appraising had also seen immense growth. He meticulously reviewed each beast description he recorded, committed them to memory, and practiced various appraisal techniques, steadily accumulating experience and refining his skills.

This dedication stemmed from his understanding that he not only needed to extract the Heaven’s Foundation Stone fragment from the immortal devouring beast but also relinquish the one residing within him.

This internal fragment was none other than the Museum of Deadly Beasts.

Consequently, Lin Jin realized he would eventually have to surrender the museum to mend the heavens and save the world. He therefore resolved to rely on his own appraisal abilities, foregoing the museum’s aid.

Years prior, Lin Jin had even announced the closure of the Visitation Hall, ceasing his entries there as the Curator.

No encounter lasts eternally, and the same held true for the Museum of Deadly Beasts.

Lin Jin acknowledged that his current standing was a direct result of the museum's existence, yet he understood it could not remain with him indefinitely. The time for farewell was drawing near.

He had employed his personal methods to tame this Rank 7 white horse, deliberately avoiding the museum's power. This accomplishment filled him with a sense of pride.

Beneath the mountain stream lay a pool, which, given its sheer size, resembled a vast lake more than anything else.

His presence here was prompted by the discovery of a Heaven’s Foundation Stone fragment within this very location long ago, though his attempts to retrieve it had proven fruitless.

The reasons for his failure were straightforward.

Lin Jin now stood beside this immense pool, and the previously placid water surface began to churn as if reaching a boil.

"Go and hide," Lin Jin instructed the white horse. It neighed, pawed the ground with its forelegs, and obediently galloped away.

Lin Jin reached for the Clear Wind Sword, drawing it from its sheath. Gripping the sword, he faced the turbulent pool.

In the ensuing moment, a colossal creature emerged from the water—a three-headed flood dragon.

The flood dragon was undeniably potent, exuding an awe-inspiring aura. The size of a single tooth surpassed Lin Jin himself, yet, paradoxically, its aura fell short of Lin Jin's, despite his diminutive stature.

Over the past seven years, Lin Jin had pushed his blood contract cultivation to its zenith, reaching the ninth realm. At this stage, he could harness the abilities of his pet beasts to profoundly augment his own power.

Furthermore, Lin Jin commanded three distinct types of pet beasts. With the synergistic enhancement from all three, Lin Jin's might eclipsed that of immortals, even without attaining true immortality himself.

As the three-headed flood dragon fixed its gaze upon Lin Jin, its six eyes conveyed a mixture of fury and apprehension. Its previous encounter had seen it repel him with spells, but to his surprising return, the beast reacted with alarm.

The flood dragon's three mouths simultaneously unleashed torrents of water, the force of these blasts feeling akin to water blades hacking towards Lin Jin.

Lin Jin stood undeterred. He swept his sword forward, and streaks of light flashed outwards. A resounding impact echoed as all three water pillars were pulverized.

More than that, the Sword Qi surged upward, severing the flood dragon's left and right heads. Blood sprayed profusely, and the remaining head recoiled in terror. The flood dragon immediately sought to flee.

However, its attempt was instantly halted. A long sword was suddenly positioned directly before its eye, and the flood dragon, possessing intelligence, recognized that any rash movement would lead to the blade impaling its vision.

Lin Jin, wielding the sword, stood atop a perpetually flowing wave. He had harnessed the power of the Four Ocean Gourd.

“Attempting to flee? I allowed your escape last time, so do you believe I will permit you to employ the same tactic on me again?” Lin Jin inquired icily. He then gave the Four Ocean Gourd a pat, and an icy aura emanated outwards. Lin Jin stomped on the wave beneath him, causing it to freeze rapidly. Cold air continued to spread, encasing the water until half of the pool was locked in ice.

The flood dragon shivered uncontrollably, but Lin Jin did not relent.

“I requested to borrow something from you previously, and you fled while we were engaged in a pleasant conversation. This led me on a prolonged search for you, so forget about escaping this time. Let’s conclude this swiftly. If you intend to give it to me, you may. If you refuse, you will still have to,” Lin Jin declared with the domineering air of a bandit.

Despite its fury, the flood dragon hesitated to retort.

By this point, the entire pool was frozen, immobilizing it completely.

It did not dare to act otherwise.

This mortal was far too formidable, and the sword in his grasp appeared nearly indestructible. Furthermore, the man’s aim was exceptionally precise.

The Sword Energy had precisely targeted the thinnest and most vulnerable scales on the flood dragon’s body.

How had he ascertained the location of these scales?

The flood dragon was perplexed.

Lin Jin swung his blade, cleaving open the flood dragon’s head. He inserted an arm within and swiftly withdrew it. Stepping back, he then leaped away, landing on the back of a white steed.

“Fear not, you will not perish even with this taken. It might require a few years for you to recover. And cease your pitiful display. Your two heads will regrow within days, and I shall cease my pursuit.” With these words, Lin Jin rode off.

Completion!

Lin Jin smiled, gazing at the walnut-sized fragment in his hand.

Frankly, in a contest of pure strength, Lin Jin could not possibly overcome the three-headed dragon. It was, after all, a Rank 8 fierce beast. However, when strategy came into play, by exploiting its weaknesses and catching it off guard, he could achieve victory with minimal effort despite his inferiority in power.

While Lin Jin was outmatched last time, his preparedness this time had secured him the advantage.

The flood dragon remained ignorant of these facts; Lin Jin had observed that despite its might, it lacked the skill to utilize it effectively.

Nevertheless, Lin Jin’s objective was not to end its life. The flood dragon had exerted significant effort to attain its current level of Cultivation, and it had committed no malevolent deeds. Thus, if Lin Jin could spare its life, he would.

Throughout these seven years, Lin Jin had traversed the entirety of the immortal mountain astride the white horse, successfully collecting all the fragments dispersed within this region. With the exception of the one residing within the immortal devouring beast, there were virtually no remaining stray fragments.

Just then, flames erupted into the heavens from a distant location. Lin Jin gently patted the horse's head, and it halted its movement.

Gazing into the distance, the sky was now searingly crimson, painted by those intense flames.