Beast Taming: My spirit beast bloodline is overloaded

Chapter 449 Dragon Palace Conjecture
Long after the shadow disappeared, the air inside the cave seemed to remain frozen.

Lin Chen and Li Zhen stood there motionless for a long time, their faces still showing lingering shock and bewilderment.

They all turned their gazes to Little White, who was still fast asleep on the ground, their feelings a complex mix of emotions.

"Fortunately... we held back and didn't actually make a move in that cave."

Li Zhen let out a long breath, his voice still hoarse with lingering fear.

Looking back now, if I had been blinded by greed and attacked that shadowy figure, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

The silent, vanishing attack, and the sudden, unpredictable appearance just now, both demonstrated the insurmountable gap in strength between the two sides.

Lin Chen nodded silently, deeply agreeing.

Faced with an absolute disparity in strength, caution is the only quality that can save your life.

"Tell me... what exactly is his background?"

Li Zhen lowered his voice and couldn't help but ask, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily, afraid that the dark figure hadn't gone far.

Lin Chen frowned in thought, his mind replaying the brief but thrilling encounter, especially the pair of yellow pupils that left a deep impression on him.

He said slowly, "I was close enough to see his eyes clearly... and something felt very wrong to me. He didn't seem like... a human being."

"Not human?" Li Zhen was startled upon hearing this, and the hairs on his body stood on end. "Don't scare me."

“Not being human doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a ghost,” Lin Chen explained, his thoughts gradually becoming clearer. “There’s another possibility… it’s a spirit beast.”

"A spirit beast?" Li Zhen was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized, "A transformed spirit beast?!"

When a spirit beast cultivates to an extremely high level, it can indeed shed its beast form and transform into a human, whose strength is often unfathomable.

"What kind of spirit beast do you think it might be?"

Li Zhen pressed for more information, his curiosity fully piqued.

Lin Chen closed his eyes, carefully recalling those amber-yellow eyes, which carried an indescribable weight and vicissitude.

He recalled the various mythical beasts he had seen, comparing their eye colors and characteristics.

A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes and blurted out an answer: "Turtle."

"Turtle?" Li Zhen was stunned; this answer was somewhat unexpected.

"It's just a guess..." Lin Chen added, but his tone was somewhat certain, "but his pupils, the texture and color, really resemble those of a turtle-like spirit beast."

“Turtle…Dragon Palace…” Li Zhen murmured to himself, then suddenly connected the two, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. “Do you think he might be related to the vanished Dragon Palace?”

"Who knows."

Lin Chen shook his head with a wry smile. The truth was shrouded in layers of mystery, and it was difficult to grasp through mere speculation.

He gestured to Li Zhen to stop discussing the topic, and the two of them tacitly remained silent, afraid that the mysterious being might overhear their conversation.

In the following days, Lin Chen solemnly instructed Shi Zuo and the treasure hunter teams again that they must not enter that cave again, at least not while Lin Chen and his team remained on the island.

He knew the greed in human nature all too well; that Ancestral Dragon Stone was like bait hanging in front of him, and sooner or later someone would be unable to resist.

But all he could do was warn them that if they dared to trespass and anger that being again once he left, they would have to bear the consequences themselves.

Lin Chen's mind was more focused on the mysterious man's words.

The skeleton of an atavistic cow…

This thing is so rare that there are very few records about it.

It seems that to help Xiaobai successfully refine the power of gods and demons, we may need to return to Black Mountain City.

After all, the records about cattle there are probably more detailed.

Another half month passed, and finally the shadows of ships reappeared on the sea.

It was still boatman Old Chen, wearing his familiar straw hat, slowly navigating his peculiar boat powered by a spirit beast to shore.

"It seems you two have found what you were looking for."

Old Chen looked at Lin Chen and Li Zhen waiting there, then glanced at the treasure hunters behind them who clearly followed Lin Chen's lead, and said with a smile.

Lin Chen nodded and carefully put away the jade box containing the Xuanbing Dragon Saliva Grass.

He turned to look at Shi Zuo and the others who had come to see him off, thought for a moment, and then spoke:

"Brother Shi, it's fate that we've met. Before we part, there's something I want to say, but I don't know if I should."

"Brother Lin, please speak. I am all ears."

Shi Zuo quickly cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

"This Dragon Palace is ethereal and mysterious. If it were so easy to find, it would have been discovered long ago. If it has not yet appeared in the world, it may mean that... it is not something that we mortals can easily reach."

Lin Chen didn't explicitly reveal the terrifying nature of the mysterious black figure, but rather offered a subtle reminder:
"In everything...do what you are capable of."

Shi Zuo was a smart man and naturally understood Lin Chen's implied meaning. His expression turned serious, and he solemnly said:
"Thank you for your guidance, Brother Lin. I will remember it well. When I return to the mainland one day, I will definitely visit the Heavenly Capital Spiritual Academy to express my gratitude!"

"Okay, see you later!"

Lin Chen and Li Zhen bowed to each other in farewell, then turned and boarded Old Chen's boat.

As the boat slowly pulled away from the shore, Old Chen, while steering the boat, chatted casually:

"You two are really skilled, managing to subdue that group of arrogant treasure hunters so quickly."

Lin Chen and Li Zhen exchanged a smile and did not completely hide anything. They gave a general account of the Night People's ambush and their counterattack, but deliberately omitted the details of the mysterious black shadow approaching Lin Chen alone and the Ancestral Dragon Stone.

After hearing this, Old Chen's face showed astonishment: "I didn't expect so many things to have happened on the island in just over a month! Those Night People... they truly deserved to die!"

He wasn't too surprised by Lin Chen and his companion's strength, after all, they were distinguished guests introduced by Sun Ji, so it was reasonable for them to have such abilities.

At this moment, Lin Chen's heart stirred, and he asked casually:

"Brother Chen, you've been sailing in these waters for years, have you ever heard any legends about... turtles?"

"A turtle?" Old Chen blurted out upon hearing this. "Yes! Of course it exists! The most widespread folk tale is that the guardian of the East Sea Dragon Palace is a dragon turtle that has lived for countless millennia!"

"A dragon turtle?!"

Lin Chen and Li Zhen spoke in unison, exchanged a glance, and their faces instantly changed color!

This answer coincides with their previous guess!

Just then, while steer the boat, Old Chen watched the island gradually shrink and muttered to himself in bewilderment:

"It's strange, really. My old buddy's sailing speed is always steady, but sometimes it only takes 18 days to get to and from this island, and sometimes it takes 19 days... It's really strange. Could it be that there's something wrong with the ocean currents in this area?" The speaker didn't mean anything by it, but the listener took it to heart!
Upon hearing this, Lin Chen and Li Zhen both shuddered, their pupils suddenly contracting.

The two suddenly remembered a detail that Lin Chen had casually mentioned not long after they arrived on the island—the location of the sunset on the island seemed to be different from what they saw on the day they arrived!
At the time, I thought it was just an illusion or the weather, but now, combined with what Old Chen said and the legend of the dragon turtle...

A terrifying thought, both utterly absurd and perfectly logical, flashed through their minds like lightning!

Could it be... that the enormous island beneath their feet isn't an island at all?!

Lin Chen's mind conjured up images of the patterns on the sea chart, resembling the carapace of a creature; the "earth's throbbing" echoing from the cave, like a heartbeat; and the hunched silhouette of the mysterious black figure with its yellow tortoise-like eyes...

He suddenly looked at Li Zhen and saw the same guess he had in the other's equally horrified eyes!

If the guardian of the Dragon Palace is a dragon turtle...

So, an "island" that moves slightly, is unpredictable, has armor-like markings, and the heartbeat of the earth...

Its true identity seems to be about to be revealed!
However, this island is ridiculously large.

After a smooth two-week voyage, Old Chen's ship steadily brought Lin Chen and Li Zhen back to the Heavenly Realm City dock.

Without taking a break, the two rushed to Sun Ji's residence immediately.

Sun Ji visibly breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the two men, who had returned safely despite their travel-worn appearance.

When Lin Chen handed over the jade box that exuded a chilling aura, Sun Ji said with certainty:
"This is it! With this Xuanbing Dragon Saliva Grass, we'll be 80% confident in getting rid of the Phoenix Karmic Fire Poison in that little thing's body!"

While Sun Ji was preparing to refine the pills, Lin Chen also briefly told Sun Ji about what had happened on Dragon Ridge Island, including the ambush by the Night People, the struggle for the Ancestral Dragon Stone, and the existence of the mysterious black shadow.

Of course, he kept the earth-shattering speculations about the shadowy figure possibly being a dragon turtle and the island itself to himself for the time being. This matter was too important to be easily spread.

When Sun Ji heard that Lin Chen and his group had clashed with the Night People and almost wiped out their forces on the island, his brows furrowed and a solemn expression appeared on his face.

"Night People...you've really stirred up a hornet's nest this time."

Sun Ji said in a deep voice, "They are an old family in the island nation. They may seem to have declined, but their foundation is far deeper than it appears. You must be extremely careful."

Lin Chen nodded solemnly and replied, "This junior understands and will keep it in mind."

After giving his instructions, Sun Ji took the medicinal herbs into the secret chamber and began to refine a pill to expel the fire poison.

This training lasted for a full twenty days.

When the stone door to the secret chamber opened again, Sun Ji looked tired, but his eyes shone with satisfaction.

He held a white jade elixir bottle in his hand, with a faint mist of ice swirling around its body.

"The elixir is ready. There's no time to lose. Let's start expelling the fire poison from it now."

Without any delay, Sun Ji led Lin Chen and Li Zhen directly to a quiet room that had been prepared in advance.

In the center of the quiet room, there was a huge square container filled with specially made ice blocks that emitted a chilling aura, which significantly lowered the temperature of the entire room.

Sun Ji gestured to Lin Chen: "Summon it."

With a thought, Lin Chen summoned the little blue fish to the ground.

"Put it in the ice pool," Sun Ji instructed.

Lin Chen did as instructed and gently placed the little blue fish into the cold jade container.

As soon as the little blue fish touched the ice, it began to writhe violently, and the fiery red aura on its body seemed to intensify.

Sun Ji remained expressionless, uncorked the jade bottle, and poured out a pill the size of a longan and entirely ice-blue.

He flicked his finger, and the pill accurately shot into the little blue fish's slightly open mouth.

"The heat of the Phoenix Fire far surpasses that of ordinary flames, and its fire poison is like a bone-deep sore, requiring an extremely strong attack from both inside and outside to force it out."

Sun Ji explained while observing the little blue fish's reaction.

The pill entered its stomach without any immediate adverse effects. But after only a few breaths, the little blue fish's body suddenly stiffened!
The next moment, a sudden change occurred!

"Buzz!"

An extremely terrifying high temperature suddenly erupted from the little blue fish's body!
Its blue scales instantly turned crimson, like a red-hot branding iron!
The originally cold and hard ice block made a hissing sound the moment it came into contact with its body, instantly vaporized, and even burst into a strange crimson-gold flame!
This flame did not emit the smoke of an ordinary flame, but it carried a terrifying implication of burning everything!
In an instant, ice and fire mingled within the jade container, and mist billowed out!
The ice was melting and burning, while the little blue fish let out painful whimpers.

The fire poison accumulated in its body was stimulated by the power of the elixir and was being forcibly expelled from its body, fiercely fighting against the external cold ice power.

Lin Chen and Li Zhen were terrified. If they hadn't believed in Sun Ji's medical skills, they would have almost intervened.

This process lasted for nearly an hour.

The ice cubes in the container were replaced time and time again, and the crimson color on the little blue fish's body gradually faded, and the eerie crimson-gold flames slowly went out.

Its aura gradually calmed down from its initial violent and chaotic state, and even... began to rise at an astonishing speed!
Just as the fire poison was completely dispelled, it was as if some kind of shackle within the little blue fish's body was broken!

A vast and pure medicinal power suddenly surged from the depths of its body, rapidly merging with its own spiritual power!
"This is... the residual medicinal power of that Beast Immortal Pill from back then?!"

Sun Ji immediately sensed the source of this power.

When Little Blue Fish swallowed the Beast Immortal Pill, it was with Sun Ji's help that its level skyrocketed. At the time, it thought it had reached its limit, but unexpectedly, it absorbed it completely, and most of the medicinal power settled in its body.

At this moment, under the extreme pressure of the Phoenix Karmic Fire Poison and the stimulation of the Xuanbing Dragon Saliva herbal power, this dormant medicinal power was completely activated!

Little Blue Fish's level began to skyrocket at a visible rate!

Level 75
Level 76
Level 78
Its momentum surged all the way up, and it broke through the level 80 barrier without any hindrance!

And it has stabilized!
Sun Ji, standing to the side, stared in disbelief, and after a long while, murmured:
"What... what is this? This little guy's luck... is truly..."

He shook his head, at a loss for words to describe it.

The little blue fish's level skyrocketed almost as fast as a rocket, something he watched right before his eyes.

As a Beast Tamer by birth, Lin Chen's spiritual energy surged under the impact of this pure power feedback, and his long-standing bottleneck was shattered!

He also successfully reached level 80 and officially became a Divine Beast Tamer!

The little blue fish opened its eyes groggily, saw Lin Chen, and rushed over with tears in its eyes.

Lin Chen stroked its head, and the three spirit beasts, including Xiao Hong, immediately ran up to him.

Lin Chen was overjoyed.

In the game's meta, the Little Blue Fish is positioned as a super healer; the stronger it is, the stronger the team will be.

Especially when the little fox is combined with its symbiotic power, it becomes terrifying.

(End of this chapter)