When he saw the many disciples of Beast Peak gathered before him, Lin Tian became ever more certain of his suspicions. What he had not anticipated, however, was the extent of the other party's influence—enough to rally so many disciples within Beast Peak.
"Lin Tian, if you don't give us a satisfactory explanation today, don't even think about leaving Beast Peak," the leader declared once everyone had arrived.
Lin Tian's gaze shifted to the spirit beast standing beside the man, and his expression grew increasingly strange. Beast Peak possessed a secret technique that allowed a cultivator to merge their power with that of their spirit beast, unleashing strength far beyond their realm. It was one of the most formidable trump cards of Beast Peak disciples.
Yet the greater the power this technique was meant to unleash, the stronger the spirit beast needed to be. And now, the leading outer disciple's contracted beast was nothing more than a dual-tailed spirit cat. The sight left Lin Tian utterly perplexed.
The dual-tailed spirit cat had limited innate talent and an equally limited ceiling for growth. Apart from beginners who might contract one upon first entering the sect, most outer disciples would never choose such a beast. By now, those who had spent time on Beast Peak would certainly possess far stronger companions. Spirit beasts that hindered one's combat power, like the dual-tailed spirit cat, would long have had their contracts dissolved.
Yet before him stood not only the leader, but more than a dozen outer disciples, each accompanied by a dual-tailed spirit cat. The situation was too strange to ignore.
"Could it be, senior brother, that this dual-tailed spirit cat is your primary spirit beast?" Lin Tian asked with a faint smile curling at his lips, a trace of displeasure beneath his calm tone. "If it isn't your main beast, then even if it were pregnant, your strength wouldn't be affected. In that case, there'd be no need for you to waste a Nurturing Beast Pill on it."
"Who says this dual-tailed spirit cat isn't my primary spirit beast?" the outer disciple blurted out in panic. He had clearly been instructed to squeeze Lin Tian for as much as possible. Seeing that Lin Tian showed no intention of shouldering full responsibility, this was the only line he could take.
"Good. Very good." Lin Tian's smile deepened.
"Elder Dao Yi, you heard that clearly, didn't you?" Lin Tian turned and spoke directly to the elder. "Since this senior brother insists that the dual-tailed spirit cat is his primary spirit beast, I can exchange for a Nurturing Beast Pill and give it to this cat. However, I also ask that Elder Dao Yi preside over this matter and require this senior brother to bring the dual-tailed spirit cat to the trial ten days from now."
At those words, the outer disciple's face drained of all color. The trial ten days later was the most grueling assessment of the entire year for outer disciples. Everyone would spare no effort to display their full strength. If he were forced to participate with a dual-tailed spirit cat, he might not even be able to muster half of his true power.
The trial carried real risk of death. Entering it with such a weak primary beast would be nothing short of suicide.
"Since you've put it that way, I'll naturally help you see it through," Elder Dao Yi said calmly. In this matter, he was clearly standing on Lin Tian's side.
"Wait!" The outer disciple finally panicked for real. He hastily raised a hand to stop them. Behind him, the other disciples with dual-tailed spirit cats also changed color. Lin Tian's words might not carry much weight, but Elder Dao Yi's certainly did. If they were truly required to bring their dual-tailed spirit cats to the trial, it would be a death sentence.
"I don't want the Nurturing Beast Pill anymore," the disciple said helplessly. Compared to fleecing Lin Tian, his own life was far more important.
"And what about the rest of you, senior brothers?" Lin Tian glanced behind him and spoke again. "Do you still want your Nurturing Beast Pills?"
At those words, the disciples accompanying dual-tailed spirit cats quickly withdrew. Yet after the crowd dispersed, three disciples remained standing in place.
It was obvious that for these three, the feline spirit beasts at their sides truly were their primary companions. Thus, Lin Tian's threat held no sway over them.
"Since the three of you have feline spirit beasts as your primary companions," Lin Tian said earnestly, "I will give each of you one Nurturing Beast Pill as compensation."
Spirit beasts were extremely vulnerable during pregnancy, their strength significantly diminished. Lin Tian genuinely felt a measure of guilt toward these three, and his offer was entirely sincere.
"Wait," one of them suddenly said just as Lin Tian was about to exchange for the pills.
"My Winged Tiger is a high-grade spirit beast," the disciple declared arrogantly as he stepped forward. "Do you really think that even with a Nurturing Beast Pill, using a secret technique to force birth won't leave irreversible damage? Do you honestly believe that a mere Nurturing Beast Pill is enough to dismiss me?"
Lin Tian's expression stiffened slightly, but he still spoke calmly. "Then what compensation does senior brother require?"
"Besides the Nurturing Beast Pill, I want two hundred thousand contribution points," the disciple said brazenly. The remaining two outer disciples said nothing, but their predatory gazes fixed firmly on Lin Tian. Clearly, if this man succeeded in extracting such a sum, they would demand the same.
"Senior brother, that is truly an outrageous demand," Lin Tian said coldly, his expression gradually darkening. Had the compensation been reasonable, he might have considered it. But this was beyond the pale.
"What? Your spirit beast did this to mine, and you think compensation isn't warranted?" the disciple retorted. "I'm already being exceedingly generous by asking for only one Nurturing Beast Pill and two hundred thousand points. What more do you want?"
"And what if this spirit beast were no longer yours?" Lin Tian replied with a faint smile.