I'm Just a Beast Tamer

"Elder Sect Leader Yue."

On this day, the entire Black Tortoise Dao Sect was bustling with extraordinary excitement.

But Jiang Zuo had gone to a patch of farmland on the back mountain and was speaking respectfully to an old man who was tilling the soil.

This old farmer was no ordinary person. He was the previous-previous Sect Leader of the Black Tortoise Dao Sect, a late-stage Dao Fruit Realm Cultivator, a little over two thousand years old.

Today was a day of great celebration for the sect. If not for the recent series of strange incidents, Jiang Zuo would have been following his master to the main sect grounds to broaden his horizons.

But afflicted with the Daoist Shackles, he knew the Demon Race would most likely come to cause trouble at the sect today, so it wouldn’t necessarily be safe.

If something truly happened, a mere Divine Body Realm Cultivator like him wouldn’t be of any help.

In fact, Jiang Zuo felt he might even become a target for the Demon Race.

But not attending the banquet and staying alone on Taihao Peak wasn’t safe either.

After he told Luo Taidong about his concerns, Luo Taidong didn’t blame him for overthinking things.

Instead, he brought Jiang Zuo here.

Only then did Jiang Zuo learn that the previous-previous Sect Leader of the Black Tortoise Dao Sect was still alive, and that he looked just like an ordinary mortal farmer from the sect.

However, Jiang Zuo could understand the old Sect Leader’s situation.

A Dao Fruit Realm Cultivator’s lifespan was eighteen hundred years. Elder Sect Leader Yue was already over two thousand. He had probably already consumed every life-extending medicine he could find.

The end of his life was not far off.

"You must be Zhou Yong. I’ve heard a lot about you over the years. You’re a good kid, just a bit down on your luck."

"But don’t mind what others say. You’re still young. Anything is still possible."

Elder Sect Leader Yue had been digging the earth, one hoe-stroke at a time. Hearing the voice, he looked up at Jiang Zuo and spoke kindly.

"Could it be that Elder Sect Leader Yue has met someone like me before?"

Jiang Zuo couldn’t help but ask.

Almost everyone in the Black Tortoise Dao Sect had already accepted that his path of Cultivation was severed.

Even Luo Taidong didn’t hold out much hope.

Elder Sect Leader Yue was the first person to tell him not to give up.

"I’ve never met anyone exactly like you."

"But when you’ve lived a long time, you see all sorts of people and things that turn the impossible into the possible."

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Compared to some of the things I know, your situation isn’t hopeless yet."

Elder Sect Leader Yue shook his head.

For a moment, he seemed to recall many past events, forgetting Jiang Zuo as he became lost in his own thoughts.

Jiang Zuo didn’t disturb him, simply looking around at the surrounding fields.

"My apologies. When you get old, you tend to get lost in memories of the past."

Elder Sect Leader Yue came back to his senses and spoke apologetically to Jiang Zuo.

"Elder Sect Leader, what is your most profound memory?"

Jiang Zuo asked curiously.

Although his own lifespan was nearly infinite, he had only lived for a little over three hundred years.

Compared to the old Sect Leader’s two-thousand-plus years, it was like comparing a puddle to an ocean.

Jiang Zuo was very curious to know what kind of event a man who had lived for over two thousand years would still remember so deliberately.

"You’ve heard the legends of the Taixu Immortal Island, I assume?"

It was rare for him to have someone to talk to, and the old Sect Leader’s interest was piqued.

He patted the grassy edge of the field, inviting Jiang Zuo to sit down.

"Of course. Legend says the Taixu Immortal Island is a celestial island that occasionally appears in the skies of the Cultivation Realm. Inside the Taixu Immortal Island are all sorts of Elixirs of Life, and if one can set foot on it, immortality is practically guaranteed."

Jiang Zuo’s spirits rose as well.

The Cultivation Realm was full of all kinds of legends, and the Taixu Immortal Island was one of the most famous.

Besides the Taixu Immortal Island, the Cultivation Realm also had various Forbidden Lands.

Although it seemed like Cultivators had occupied most of the Ancestral Continent, that wasn’t actually the case.

Putting aside the territories occupied by the Demon Race, even within the human-occupied regions, there were still many places where human Cultivators had never set foot.

A considerable number of these places were extremely dangerous. Even Manifestation Realm Cultivators could perish inside if they weren’t careful.

These places were the various Forbidden Lands. For an ordinary Cultivator, to enter was to die.

The Taixu Immortal Island, however, was no Forbidden Land. It was a place of legend that filled any Cultivator who heard of it with immense longing.

"To tell you the truth, when I was young, I actually saw the Taixu Immortal Island... and I even set foot on it!"

The old Sect Leader recalled, his voice distant.

’The Taixu Immortal Island really exists?’

’Could it be related to the Taixu Sword Technique I obtained?’

Jiang Zuo became even more alert.

"But what I found on the Taixu Immortal Island wasn’t any Elixir of Life!"

"All that was there was a group of giants!"

"At the time, I boarded the island with several companions. But before we even had a chance to celebrate, a ferocious giant swept its club at us."

"I reacted quickly and managed to escape with my life."

"But half of the companions who went with me were killed by that single swing of the giant’s club."

"The remaining three of us could only flee for our lives."

"We set foot on the Immortal Island, gained nothing, and lost several companions’ lives."

"My other two companions who were lucky enough to survive both suspected we had gone to the wrong place, that we’d entered some land of great peril."

"But I knew for certain that it was the Taixu Immortal Island!"

"Even though it was just for a fleeting moment, I felt an unprecedentedly strong aura of life from that sky island."

"I had encountered a similar aura before—it was the kind that came from Spirit Fruit and Spirit Grass that had grown for countless years."

"But alas, our group was fated to have no part in it. Our strength was insufficient, and we missed such a great opportunity for nothing."

The old Sect Leader spoke with regret as he reminisced about the past.

If he had managed to enter the Taixu Immortal Island back then, who knows how his destiny might have changed.

’But what’s the use of thinking about that now?’

’Was it unwillingness to accept it, or regret?’

The old Sect Leader gave a wry smile.

As Jiang Zuo listened, however, his eyes narrowed.

’There are giants on the Taixu Immortal Island?’

And speaking of giants, Jiang Zuo couldn’t help but recall the ones he had seen through the Bu Family ancestor’s tombstone back in the Blood Mist Forest.

’Could those giants be related to the ones on the Taixu Immortal Island?’

"Elder Sect Leader, where did you see the Taixu Immortal Island?"

Jiang Zuo asked immediately.

Since the Taixu Immortal Island truly existed, he was determined to make a trip there one day, once his own strength was sufficient.

"On the edge of the Endless Sea Forest. But it’s useless even if you know."

"For over a thousand years after that, the other two and I kept people stationed there to keep watch."

"But no one ever saw the Taixu Immortal Island appear again."

The old Sect Leader shook his head.

If it could have been found again, he wouldn’t still be filled with regret today.

"The Taixu Immortal Island is lost, but... if you find yourself with no other options in the future, you could consider a trip to the Illusory Dream Flower Sea."

"When I was young, I once stumbled into the Illusory Dream Flower Sea by mistake."

"There, I spent the most precious years of my life and met the one I loved most."

"But just as I was about to be completely lost in it, the Illusory Dream Flower Sea kicked me out."

"During that time in the Illusory Dream Flower Sea, my body underwent a tremendous change."

"If not for that experience and the unimaginable fortuitous encounter I had, I would never have become the Sect Leader."

A nostalgic look appeared on the old Sect Leader’s face, likely thinking of his beloved from the Illusory Dream Flower Sea.

While the old Sect Leader and Jiang Zuo were discussing old stories, the ceremony was proceeding in full swing.

"Elder Ge Fangrong of the Divine Wood Sect presents a celebratory gift: one piece of fifth-rank Cyan Wood!"

One great figure after another stepped forward to offer congratulations and present their gifts.

However, after Ge Fangrong, when a late-stage Dao Fruit Realm Daoist stepped out, both Yin Zhongkun and the already-seated Subai narrowed their eyes.

This Daoist was a Loose Cultivator, quite famous among their ranks, known as the Five Rivers Wanderer.

The Five Rivers Wanderer had originally been one of the guests.

But after the incident the night before last, he had vanished without a trace.

A large number of guests were already staying within the Black Tortoise Dao Sect. Cultivators could temporarily change their appearance, making it difficult to tell who was who without careful inspection.

But the Black Tortoise Dao Sect couldn’t possibly devote all its resources to searching for the Five Rivers Wanderer within the sect.

The disruption would be too great, and it was unlikely they would find him anyway.

In the eyes of Yin Zhongkun and the others, the Five Rivers Wanderer had most likely already left quietly.

Later on, he could simply claim he had urgent business and no time to take his leave, and the Black Tortoise Dao Sect would have no way to convince others that he was suspicious.

But they never expected that the Five Rivers Wanderer, disguised as a guest, had not only stayed but had also stepped forward voluntarily, revealing his whereabouts.

’What is the Five Rivers Wanderer planning to do?’

Both Yin Zhongkun and Luo Taidong had a bad feeling.

"I, the Five Rivers Wanderer, on behalf of the Nine Nether Demon Venerable, present a letter of challenge to all you fellow Daoists!"

The Five Rivers Wanderer smiled faintly. With a flick of his hand, he sent a golden challenge letter forward.

"Five Rivers Wanderer, so you really have become a dog of the Demon Race!"

Yin Zhongkun roared in anger.

That the Five Rivers Wanderer dared to admit he was a spy for the Demon Race in front of everyone left Yin Zhongkun both shocked and furious.

The Five Rivers Wanderer was not suicidal. Daring to do this meant he had something to fall back on, that he was fearless.

In other words, the Black Tortoise Dao Sect’s situation might be even more perilous than any of them had anticipated!

"A dog of the Demon Race? No need to be so crude."

"Everything I have done is simply for the sake of walking the path to eternal life."

"All of you have reached this stage. To fight for Cultivation resources, how many people have died at your hands?"

"How is what I’m doing any different from what you’ve all done?"

The Five Rivers Wanderer shook his head and spoke with self-righteous confidence.

"Insolence!"

At the front of the great hall, an old man gazed coolly at the Five Rivers Wanderer.

With a flick of his hand, a streak of black light shot instantly toward the Five Rivers Wanderer.

"It’s Venerable Shi Youlin from Weituo Temple! He’s making a move!"

"A human traitor deserves to be executed by anyone! To dare spout such nonsense in front of Venerable Shi is simply courting death!"

Shi Youlin was one of the few Manifestation Realm Cultivators attending the ceremony, and he was famous for despising evil as if it were a personal enemy.

Now that Venerable Shi was attacking the Five Rivers Wanderer, it seemed his only path was death.

However, just as the Five Rivers Wanderer was about to be struck by the black light, a Talisman suddenly activated, forming a sturdy Magic Shield around his body.

BOOM!

The Five Rivers Wanderer was sent flying dozens of meters, blood spraying wildly from his mouth.

It was just one move. Even though the Five Rivers Wanderer had come prepared, he couldn’t completely block an attack from a great Manifestation Realm Cultivator.

However, the Five Rivers Wanderer had only sustained a fairly serious injury; it was far from life-threatening.

"Good! Good!"

"Since you insist, let’s see how many of you can survive this calamity!"

The Five Rivers Wanderer roared furiously.

BOOM!!!

As he spoke, several deafening explosions suddenly echoed from within the Black Tortoise Dao Sect.

Hearing this sound, Gu Yunkui’s expression changed instantly.

’Just as I feared... the Black Tortoise Dao Sect’s Sect Protection Array has been temporarily disabled!’