I'm Just a Beast Tamer

With a large amount of Beast Taming Reputation in hand, and not even counting the potential gains from Wangxiang Sea City’s independence, he could still earn at least several thousand, or even tens of thousands, more Reputation in the near future.

Jiang Zuo wasn’t stingy. That very afternoon, he upgraded his Mutation talent to LV4.

Other talents could be slowly ground out over time, but for the Mutation talent, there was no other way but to spend points. Jiang Zuo figured it was better to add the points sooner and enjoy the benefits earlier.

Mutation LV4 (0/100,000): Universal Talent. The chance for a Pet Beast to undergo a Mutation is significantly increased. The Pet Beast’s hidden Ancient Bloodline will be latently activated. The richer and more powerful the hidden Ancient Bloodline, and the more common the Pet Beast’s own bloodline, the greater the chance of Mutation. Unfavorable external conditions may also become a catalyst for a Pet Beast’s Mutation.

Holy shit!

All that Beast Taming Reputation he invested wasn’t for nothing!

Jiang Zuo couldn’t help but feel a little excited as he scanned the description for the LV4 Mutation talent.

It seemed the Mutation talent was finally more than just for show and could actually be effective.

Compared to the insignificant improvements of the previous levels, the boost from LV4 Mutation was huge, to say the least.

’But what does "latently activated" Ancient Bloodline mean? Does it have no effect normally, only when it comes to Mutation?’

’And by the looks of it, this Mutation talent currently only has a significant effect on Mortal Beasts. The effect on Spirit Beasts is probably much weaker.’

Jiang Zuo calmed down and studied the skill description again.

Jiang Zuo was a little disappointed that it wasn’t very effective on Spirit Beasts.

But on second thought, it made sense.

At LV3, it had barely any effect even on Mortal Beasts.

The improvement at LV4 was already substantial; it was impossible to expect it to be perfect all at once.

He estimated that if he could get it to LV5, the effect on Spirit Beasts would be quite good.

However, when he glanced at the experience points required to level up, Jiang Zuo could only shake his head.

The experience required to upgrade Pet Beast Diagnosis to Level 4 was also one hundred thousand. It seemed the required experience was the same for all of them.

And since the required experience was so enormous, it was highly likely that future levels would be benchmarked against Spirit Beasts.

The future was long, so Jiang Zuo didn’t worry about it too much.

It was just like leveling from 3 to 4. The required 5,000 experience points had seemed unattainable before, but now he could spend the points to level up instantly if he wanted to.

However, his Learning, Combat, and Longevity talents didn’t enjoy the same treatment as his Mutation talent.

As for Beast Pattern Engraving and Beast Pattern Drawing, that went without saying.

Jiang Zuo immediately began updating the talents for each of the Seated Mountain Eagles.

Barring any accidents, within ten years, this flock of Seated Mountain Eagles should produce one or two Mutated Seated Mountain Eagles.

At the same time, the fourth batch of Seated Mountain Eagles flew back.

Like the previous three batches, they had also reached a different Mysterious Island, and the giant fruit tree on it was slightly different again.

Although he still couldn’t figure out what was going on, Jiang Zuo was now certain that all the Seated Mountain Eagles were going to the same place.

He just couldn’t understand how they ended up on different islands.

The Seated Mountain Eagles had no memory of it. They simply flew in the direction they were guided and eventually landed on the island they reached.

The fourth batch should have consisted of six Seated Mountain Eagles, but they had bad luck and encountered a powerful enemy during the struggle, resulting in the deaths of two.

Jiang Zuo was helpless. There was nothing he could do about a battle so far away.

’However, this returning batch is the eighth one I’ve raised. I only raised up to the eleventh batch of the first generation; after that, I’ve almost exclusively been raising Second Generation Seated Mountain Eagles.’

’None of the Second Generation Seated Mountain Eagles have set out yet. However, along with the first and second batches of the second generation, there was also one first-generation Seated Mountain Eagle raised with each. If the initial batches of eagles still haven’t felt the call after the eleventh batch returns, I’ll let those two set out.’

The Seated Mountain Eagles that had successfully eaten a fruit no longer felt that intense urge to travel after returning.

But the ones on Eagle Mountain that failed to eat a fruit would soon feel the call to go again after raising their offspring.

Jiang Zuo guessed that once they ate a fruit, they could only travel to the corresponding island.

The reason they hadn’t felt the call was that the island wasn’t open yet.

The proof was that the newborn Second Generation Seated Mountain Eagles constantly felt the urge to go, and it grew stronger with time.

It was just that Jiang Zuo had suppressed it.

He had high hopes for these Second Generation Seated Mountain Eagles and wasn’t prepared to let them set off so easily.

However, Jiang Zuo couldn’t suppress it for much longer.

If he still hadn’t figured out the secret of the Mysterious Island by the time the eleventh batch of Seated Mountain Eagles returned, he would have no choice but to let the second-generation eagles set off one after another.

「Another year passed.」

It was the seventeenth year since Jiang Zuo had started taming Seated Mountain Eagles.

It was also the seventeenth year since Jiang Zuo had begun his Cultivation of the Life Essence Returning Skill.

『Excellent aptitude. You may cultivate the "Life Element Birth and Destruction Technique"!』

’Hm, I’ve finally broken through to the Inner Breath realm? But I remember Wei Jiemie cultivated the Life Essence Withering Technique when he was at the Inner Breath stage.’

After operating on its own for seventeen years, the Life Essence Returning Skill that Jiang Zuo was cultivating had finally broken through to the Inner Breath level.

Furthermore, the Inner Breath Cultivation Technique it gave Jiang Zuo was vastly different from what Wei Jiemie had described.

’It seems this Jade Stone provides different levels of Cultivation Techniques based on one’s aptitude. That’s pretty amazing.’

’Wei Jiemie’s Life Essence Withering Technique gave his Inner Breath the effect of corroding others’ physical bodies.’

’I wonder what miraculous properties my Life Element Birth and Destruction Technique has.’

Jiang Zuo was filled with anticipation.

The name alone sounded pretty badass.

After reaching the Inner Breath stage, the Life Essence Returning Skill would no longer operate on its own; Jiang Zuo needed to cultivate it manually.

Jiang Zuo followed the Cultivation Jade Stone’s guidance and began to circulate his Inner Breath.

Jiang Zuo had already reached the realm of Inner Breath Grandmaster Great Perfection, having broken through all one hundred and eight acupoints. From the looks of it, the acupoints that needed to be broken through in the early stages of the Life Essence Returning Skill were all the same.

Therefore, he found the Cultivation exceptionally simple.

He didn’t need to break through any acupoints. He just had to circulate the Cultivation Technique, convert his body’s Inner Breath into the Inner Breath of the Life Essence Returning Skill, and he would advance by leaps and bounds.

「Two months later.」

’I’ve only been cultivating for two months, and my Lifespan has already decreased by a year. That means one year of Cultivation costs six years of Lifespan.’

’Can a mortal really afford to cultivate this technique?’

That day, while cultivating, Jiang Zuo sensed a change in his Lifespan. He opened his panel to check and couldn’t help but shake his head.

How could an ordinary mortal ever practice this Cultivation Technique? By the time they achieved any success, they’d be about ready for their coffin.

’The person who created this Cultivation Technique probably had malicious intentions. And that so-called Secret Realm is likely nothing good, either.’

His Lifespan was immense, and now, by raising Seated Mountain Eagles, he could gain 24 years of Lifespan in a single year.

Even after deducting his daily sacrifices to the stone tablet, he would be fine cultivating the Life Essence Returning Skill.

But for an ordinary mortal, unless cultivating the Life Essence Returning Skill allowed for a rapid breakthrough to the Innate realm, they wouldn’t have many years left to live by the time they achieved success.

Considering the Secret Realm associated with the Cultivation Jade Stone, they would probably just become pawns used to open it.

However, Jiang Zuo had no way of knowing how effective the Life Essence Returning Skill was for Cultivation at the Inner Breath level.

His Cultivation speed was simply too fast.

’Life Element Birth and Destruction Technique: circulate it forward for life, reverse it for destruction.’

’Life consumes my Lifespan to grant me powerful healing abilities and the power to promote growth and development.’

’It can promote the growth of not only animals, but plants as well.’

Jiang Zuo circulated the Inner Breath in his body, and a ball of pale green light appeared in the palm of his hand.

He pressed the ball of light against a small tree by the sea, and the tree sprouted branches and buds at a speed visible to the naked eye.

’Destruction consumes my Lifespan to obliterate a target’s life force.’

Jiang Zuo reversed the Inner Breath in his body, and an ominous grey aura appeared in his palm.

With a touch of his palm, he pressed it against the same small tree.

In an instant, the small tree withered and died, the process visible to the naked eye.

’Just those two small actions cost me 20 years of Lifespan? This is absolutely not a technique mortals should be cultivating!’

Jiang Zuo glanced at his Lifespan.

The Life Element Birth and Destruction Technique sounded impressive.

But the Lifespan it consumed was staggering.

Even if a mortal successfully cultivated it, they could only use it two or three times before they ran out of life to spend.

So what was the point of all that painstaking effort to achieve success in Cultivation?

’But maybe this Cultivation Technique wasn’t meant for humans to practice in the first place.’

’In the Cultivation Realm, a Longevity Species might be able to practice it. After all, the effects of this Life Element Birth and Destruction Technique are still very powerful.’

’With just Mortal Power, one can achieve the effects of an Immortal Technique.’

’I wonder how effective this Life Element Birth and Destruction Technique would be against a Cultivator.’

Jiang Zuo had already tested it on various plants and animals, and the effects of the Life Element Birth and Destruction Technique were not always the same.

Moreover, this was ultimately a power cultivated in a mortal body. Even though it came at the cost of a massive amount of Lifespan, Jiang Zuo wouldn’t blindly assume this move would be incredibly powerful against a Cultivator.

He would only know the specific effects after testing it, but it was never wrong to be cautious.

His progress with the Life Element Birth and Destruction Technique was swift. In just one year, Jiang Zuo had cultivated it to the point of opening ninety-six acupoints.

’Huh? The last twelve acupoints opened by the Life Element Birth and Destruction Technique are actually different from the Blood God Skill’s?’

Jiang Zuo was suddenly intrigued.

However, he would have to wait until he had achieved success in his Cultivation to find out what the differences were.

Jiang Zuo focused for a moment and sensed that opening these last twelve acupoints would take a considerable amount of time.

Jiang Zuo was in no hurry. He prepared to cultivate slowly; it wasn’t like he was short on Lifespan anyway.

At the same time, the fifth batch of Seated Mountain Eagles returned.

Six of them returned in this batch. They were lucky; not a single one had died.

’That means the eleventh batch of Seated Mountain Eagles reached yet another island.’

So far, all five batches of Seated Mountain Eagles had reached different islands.

Counting the yet-to-return eleventh batch, that meant the sea region attracting the Seated Mountain Eagles had at least six different islands.

...

Since it concerned his own potential to gain a large amount of Reputation, Jiang Zuo had paid some attention to Zhou Ruhai and his group’s affairs over the past two years.

So far, they hadn’t made any major moves; for the past two years, they had been secretly gathering strength.

Jiang Zuo knew that this sort of thing couldn’t be accomplished overnight, so he wasn’t surprised.

He had also heard that recently, Zhou Ruhai had begun pushing to build city walls around Wangxiang Sea City.

The reason given was that a band of roaming bandits had recently appeared around Wangxiang Sea City, causing a significant disturbance.