Beast Tamer Ascension

Vol 2 Chapter 16: Firepower is King!

“What’s going on?!”

On the arena stage, Gao Sheng and Xu Zhizhi sprinted wildly along the edge of the platform, frantically pulling their triggers. Explosions reverberated continuously across the stage. Although it was supposed to be a duel between two Qi Refinement cultivators, the intensity felt more like a “Sect War.”

The candidates below the stage were utterly dumbfounded.

Cao Ziwei took a deep breath, feeling a headache coming on. He had no choice but to force himself to find highlights in Gao Sheng’s performance amid the gunfire to give him a score.

“That’s a Mechanical Bamboo Rifle! It’s been selling like crazy at the Lotus Auction House for the past few months. It’s crafted using special materials by that Qi Refinement Stage 7 Beast Taming Cultivator over there,” someone explained, drawing a sharp breath.

No wonder it’s been such a hot item—it really packs a terrifying punch!

“You…” Xu Zhizhi cursed furiously on the stage.

Gao Sheng, though seemingly unreliable, had an undeniably prestigious background. With multiple top-tier spells at his disposal, the shockwaves of the explosions barely affected him as golden protective light shimmered around his body, shielding him from harm.

In contrast, Xu Zhizhi struggled to cope. To make matters worse, after two rounds of exchange, Xu Zhizhi discovered his ammo supply was already running low! Gao Sheng, on the other hand, seemed to have an endless stockpile. This filthy rich guy—he had apparently bought 500 rounds beforehand!

Before long, Xu Zhizhi was forced to admit defeat due to insufficient ammunition.

“Brother Lin, you’ve ruined me! Why did you sell so many guns?!” Xu Zhizhi cried out in frustration.

At the back, Lin Jing wore an innocent expression. Gao Sheng… was stronger than he had imagined. Even without the Mechanical Bamboo Rifle, Xu Zhizhi would likely have lost anyway. Gao Sheng completely crushed him in spell strength and artifact quantity.

“Well fought.” Gao Sheng put away the rifle and laughed heartily.

“Next!” Cao Ziwei said quickly.

The next contestant was a woman in a fiery red dress, her figure both striking and alluring.

“Fire Domain, Burning Heaven Valley, Qian Zhuo. I want to challenge this examiner.”

The woman in red clearly knew Ziling’er quite well. She was well aware that disciples of the Dan Ding Sect weren’t skilled in combat. Their only strength lay in fire control. However, as someone with the Innate Fire Spirit Body, she was highly resistant to flames. Even though this was a cross-tier challenge, she was confident she could perform exceptionally and secure a high score.

Hearing this, Ziling’er’s face remained calm as she walked up. Yet, as the duel began under Cao Ziwei’s announcement, Ziling’er did something that left the crowd stunned—

She, too, pulled out a Mechanical Bamboo Rifle.

“What?! Another one of these?!” The woman in red was taken aback.

Ziling’er had already started firing, unleashing torrents of water into the air. The woman in red reacted quickly, retreating while conjuring flames from her lips, forming a fire wall to block the attack.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The fire wall swelled under the impact of the explosions. It threatened to break several times, but the explosive Spirit Beans failed to breach it entirely. Clearly, the woman in red had more skill than the previous combatants.

“This kind of trick won’t work on me. I’m not like that body cultivator from earlier,” the woman in red smirked confidently as she successfully resisted. “Sister, why don’t you use the Dan Ding Sect’s fire-control secret arts instead? Show me your true skills—”

Before she could finish speaking, her face turned purple. She collapsed to one knee and then fell over with a thud.

Ziling’er gave her a calm look. “I mixed Poison Gas Pills into the ammunition. Don’t forget, I’m an alchemist.”

The Poison Gas Pills had been dispersed into powder by the exploding Spirit Bean Bombs, blending into the water mist. When triggered by the opponent’s high-temperature fire technique, it took immediate effect.

Ziling’er retrieved her rifle, using only minimal ammunition and poison to defeat her opponent.

“What in the world is going on?!”

The candidates were completely bewildered. It was surprising enough that the new examiner also used a rifle. But to think she even modified it!

All eyes turned to the creator of the Mechanical Bamboo Rifle, the Beast Taming Sect’s Pei Fang.

Was this even a fair exam anymore? Was every fight destined to be a gunfight now? Did you even qualify to step onto the stage without a rifle?

At that moment, another contestant stepped onto the platform. He was tall and exuded arrogance.

“If you can’t even handle such simple mechanical creations, you might as well go home and cultivate.”

“I am Jiang Chuanhe from Dao Domain’s Ten Thousand Arts City. I want to challenge the creator of the Mechanical Bamboo Rifle, Lin Jing of the Beast Taming Sect—more accurately, I want to challenge his Pine Leaf Mouse, the one that defeated a Foundation Establishment cultivator while still at Qi Refinement!”

It was clear that this contestant had come with ill intentions, aiming to use Lin Jing as a stepping stone to establish his reputation in Hidden Dragon City.

Lin Jing walked out calmly, unbothered by Jiang Chuanhe’s dismissal of the rifle.

With a gentle smile, Lin Jing said, “Please.”

“But if you want to challenge my Pine Leaf Mouse, you’ll first have to deal with this.”

As he spoke, Lin Jing summoned a Mechanical Bamboo Rifle, holding it in one hand.

Jiang Chuanhe raised an eyebrow.

Before he could say anything, Lin Jing pulled out a second rifle, dual-wielding them.

“Do you think having two rifles—” Jiang Chuanhe smirked. While the firepower of two rifles was indeed intimidating, he was far superior to those weaklings from before. He hadn’t even finished speaking when his expression drastically changed.

Lin Jing summoned a towering, two-meter-tall Mechanical Giant Turtle, standing on two legs!

The giant turtle’s entire body was constructed from intricate mechanical components and special Spirit Bamboo, its dark blue form exuding a chilling presence. Most strikingly, it had mounted turret-like cannons on each shoulder and was wielding Mechanical Bamboo Rifles in both hands.

This was Lin Jing’s newly upgraded Mechanical Bamboo Turtle, enhanced over the past few months!

With the two rifles in Lin Jing’s hands and the turtle’s additional weaponry, there were now four rifles and two cannons in play.

“Wait, this turtle, you… you—” Jiang Chuanhe’s face turned pale.

Lin Jing’s eyes glimmered as he connected with the turtle’s Ingenious Soul Core, using his mind to command the mechanical beast.

“Roar!!!” The turtle let out a ferocious roar, almost as if it were alive. Its complex Spirit Gathering Formations activated under Lin Jing’s control, achieving peak efficiency. Streams of terrifying water pressure gathered at the turtle’s gun barrels and cannons, their spiritual radiance dazzling as they launched devastating attacks toward Jiang Chuanhe from multiple directions!

The strikes were nearly instantaneous!

At the same time, Lin Jing grinned and pressed the triggers of his own reinforced rifles, enhanced with Spirit Gathering Formations.

“Profound Annihilation Finger!”

Jiang Chuanhe’s expression changed dramatically. Veins bulged on his arms as he unleashed powerful spirals of True Qi, forming an ethereal giant finger. The energy it emitted seemed far more sophisticated and destructive than that of a mere rifle.

But…

Even without using Spirit Bean Bombs, the high-pressure water cannons controlled by Lin Jing’s turtle managed to counter the Profound Annihilation Finger, the two forces colliding fiercely in mid-air!

When the Spirit Bean Bombs finally exploded, a devastating spiritual energy storm swept through, blasting Jiang Chuanhe off the stage and leaving his vision spinning.

The candidates watching were stunned. Even the prominent prodigies, like the Goddess of the Divine Talisman Sect and the Heavenly God Physique of the Wang Clan, frowned slightly.

“What… what is this?!”

Even Xu Zhizhi, Ziling’er, and Yuan Jing stood agape. Wasn’t this the tiny turtle from the Cavern Heaven? How had it turned into this monstrous war machine?!

“There’s no opponent a single Mechanical Bamboo Rifle can’t handle. If there is, use two. Or four…” Lin Jing said with a smile. “Cultivation is a path where firepower reigns supreme. My friend, don’t underestimate anything.”

Special thanks to Chen Dong for the reward! You’re the best! Orz!

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