Vol 3 Chapter 45: Deep Cultivation in the Dao of Illusions Sёar?h the N?velFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    “I was listening.”


    Lin Jing gave up on the idea of riding a horse and looked toward Senior Sister.


    “The Kirin beast clan?”


    “One of the most powerful top-tier clans within the Demon Court. It’s not a subordinate clan of any Saintess, but a deep-rooted force that can influence Demon Court decisions…”


    “But if I visit them in the name of a Saintess, they definitely won’t turn me away. Didn’t I say before I’d help it find a Core Formation site? The Kirin beast clan has many treasured places that can assist in forming a core.”


    “Among those places, some can even awaken a beast’s Kirin bloodline. If it cultivates there, it shouldn’t take long before that big fat fish of yours can develop a Kirin form.” Xu Qingyao explained.


    “I see…” Lin Jing thought it over, then shook his head. “Senior Sister, let’s skip that for now. Since the Kirin beast clan is that powerful and not under your command, I think it’s better to let the Dragon Carp try digging into its ancestral bloodline on its own first. If it really can’t manage it later, we can still go to the Kirin beast clan then.”


    “I just got the Invisibility Demon Pill, and I’m not confident yet that my illusions could fool someone like a Void Mystical Realm demon ancestor.”


    “That’s fine too. It’s just started with Divine Dragon Transformation—maybe if we give it a bit of time, it’ll figure out the basics on its own.” Xu Qingyao nodded.


    Now that they’d settled into the Saintess’s demon palace, Lin Jing wasn’t in the mood to run around. There were still nine years left on this round of the Hourglass of Time, so he decided to let the Dragon Carp focus on cultivating for a few years.


    If it really couldn’t grasp the technique on its own, then they could seek outside help later.


    At that point, the Dragon Carp could just go with Senior Sister to the Kirin beast clan—he wouldn’t need to go himself!


    After all, whether a beast was cultivating or forming a core, the Beast Tamer didn’t need to be present.


    In the meantime, Lin Jing would continue studying illusion arts. He discovered that the Invisibility Demon Pill was extremely versatile. Not only could it directly enhance illusions, but its wielder could also use it to speed up their mastery of illusion arts—and even use it to break through other illusions. It was truly a top-tier treasure for illusion cultivation.


    With some time, he felt confident he could raise his illusion abilities to the next level.


    By then, he’d have more faith that he could completely fool a Void Mystical Stage demon ancestor.


    Right now, with about ten months to go until the Heavenly Lion Clan’s centennial celebration, he wasn’t in a rush to stir things up. Cultivation came first!


    Soon after—


    Xu Qingyao left, and Lin Jing went back into closed-door cultivation, diving straight into the Hourglass of Time.


    Once inside, he told the Dragon Carp to train on its own with Divine Dragon Transformation, while he summoned the Pine Leaf Mouse.


    “I’m going to work on illusions next. Bring me some ‘Phantom Mushrooms.’ Hmm… and the synthesized ‘Immortal Vision Shroom’ as well.”


    “Squeak…” The Pine Leaf Mouse froze for a moment.


    Phantom Mushrooms were tier-two spiritual plants—specialties of Thousand Illusions Mountain and handpicked by their dining hall. They helped significantly with Thousand Illusions Compendium training and illusion arts.


    When Lin Jing infiltrated Thousand Illusions Mountain back then, he had eaten quite a few. But the regular tier-two mushrooms didn’t boost him much, so he’d had the Pine Leaf Mouse synthesize some to test their effects.


    Sure enough, once synthesized, the Phantom Mushroom turned from a supportive herb into a dangerous plant!


    [Immortal Vision Shroom: After consumption, you will see a vision of an immortal woman preaching the Dao. There is a chance you’ll become lost in the illusion forever, unable to wake. If you do wake, your mastery of illusions will greatly increase.]


    Due to its strange effects—and because he was in a dangerous place back then—Lin Jing didn’t dare eat it.


    If he failed to wake up, that would’ve been a disaster. Even if he did, he didn’t know how long he’d remain trapped in the illusion. It just wasn’t safe back then.


    But now that he was in Senior Sister’s territory, and had the Hourglass of Time and Invisibility Demon Pill, Lin Jing figured he could try the dangerous herb from Thousand Illusions Mountain.


    “The demon pill that Senior Sister gave me can break illusions too. If I’m still lost after three days, use this to wake me up.”


    “A demon emperor–grade pill should be able to break an illusion created by a tier-two dangerous plant, right?” Lin Jing instructed the Pine Leaf Mouse.


    “Squeak!” The Pine Leaf Mouse signaled to leave it to him. Then it handed over a green mushroom to Lin Jing.


    Lin Jing took a deep breath, sat cross-legged in the desert, and swallowed the Immortal Vision Shroom.


    …


    …


    When Lin Jing regained awareness, he found himself inside an immortal palace.


    Around him sat one hundred thousand immortals, all looking up toward a female immortal figure in the clouds above—shrouded in ethereal light.


    “Formless illusions take shape, boundless in their use. Between immortals and mortals, vague and mysterious, therein lies form—true essence in myriad images. All things arise from this…”


    “Formless illusions…” The female immortal began preaching from the sky. Her Dao voice spread wide, the immortals chanted along, their voices entering Lin Jing’s ears.


    In an instant, Lin Jing felt a blur in his mind—his illusionary power was soaring rapidly!


    “Formless illusions…” Without realizing it, Lin Jing began to chant along too, absorbing the laws hidden in the voice.


    “So this is the illusion… This immortal woman’s teachings really do boost my illusion cultivation fast. No rush to leave—let’s see how far this illusion can go…” He felt confident this illusion couldn’t trap him.


    Time passed—how long, he couldn’t say. Lin Jing had become the most outstanding one among the hundred thousand immortals, with terrifying improvement in illusion mastery.


    “Well done.” The heavenly female immortal said softly, and Lin Jing’s form slowly began to rise into the sky—he was being summoned by her.


    “Your talent is extraordinary. Become my disciple, and let us explore the Dao together.”


    Lin Jing rose higher, eventually breaking through the clouds. His mind dazed, he looked toward the female immortal—


    Only to see… a massive squirrel head.


    Lin Jing: ?


    He snapped awake immediately, jolted out of the illusion, only to see the Pine Leaf Mouse bashing his forehead with a demon pill—his skin was red from the pounding.


    “Has it been three days already?” Lin Jing took a deep breath. Warmth flooded through his entire body. The illusion-world improvement in illusion power wasn’t entirely fake—much of it had remained within him, subtly embedded in his body.


    “Squeak!!” The Pine Leaf Mouse nodded—it had been three days.


    Good thing he woke up.


    It had been worried Lin Jing would sleep himself into death.


    “Alright then.” Lin Jing rubbed the mouse’s head. “Let’s go again. Once I’m inside, I’ll try to escape right away. If I don’t wake up, pull me out.”


    Lin Jing swallowed another Immortal Vision Shroom and floated back into the illusion.


    Inside the immortal palace again, this time he was surrounded by one hundred thousand carp—each wide-eyed with seeker’s intent, all staring toward a misty, divine squirrel figure in the heavens.


    “Crap, something’s wrong.” Lin Jing’s heart sank. “This shroom’s backlash is strong… did I eat too many? Why’s the immortal woman gone already?”