Time seemed to have come to a standstill. The black snake monster remained motionless, unsure of whether to advance or retreat. Meanwhile, the two silhouettes remained motionless as well. This state continued for some time.
Suddenly, the female silhouette took a step forward and the black snake monster's aura crumbled. It curled up into a ball as if begging for mercy.
But then, an eagle's cry came from afar. Old Ji was momentarily distracted and the two silhouettes on top of the wall had already vanished.
Then, a giant goshawk swooped down and engaged the black snake monster in a fierce battle.
Old Ji recognized the goshawk right away after taking a glance at it.
In Maple City, anyone in the field of beast appraising would know about this goshawk. It was a Rank 3 war eagle belonging to the City Lord Manor and its blood contract owner was the City Lord Manor's steward, who was also the former commander of the city guards, Zuo Wentang.
An expert from the City Lord Manor had arrived.
Old Ji was both happy and shocked.
He was happy that he was saved but shocked that he was caught stealing someone's pet beast. If he were to be caught, he might end up in court.
At this thought, Old Ji wanted to run.
But by then, Zuo Wentang had arrived. Not only him, but a large group of city guards had arrived as well. In the blink of an eye, the dilapidated temple was completely surrounded.
Old Ji knew he was done for.
Meanwhile, Zuo Wentang stood on the roof, watching the black snake monster fighting with his pet beast with a grim expression.
"How could there be a monster of this level hiding in Maple City?"
His subordinates didn't dare to make a sound.
Zuo Wentang didn't say anything. He could tell that the black snake monster was powerful. If he wasn't mistaken, it was at least a Rank 2 monster. Moreover, it knew some demonic cultivation spells, making it a difficult opponent.
Even Old Ji had to give it his all by controlling his pet beast and casting spells.
But even so, his giant goshawk could only hold its own against the black snake monster. Or rather, it was at a disadvantage.
"Goshawk's Cry, Lightning Peck!"
Zuo Wentang cast a spell. The next instant, the giant goshawk that was fighting the black snake monster let out a deafening cry that resounded through the sky.
At the same time, a bolt of lightning descended from the sky and directly blasted the Black Snake Demon.
In terms of sorcery, Zuo Wentang could definitely be considered an expert. His blood contract was already at the fifth realm, and the level of his sorcery was also very high. As the lightning struck down, the scattered lightning caused the already dilapidated temple to collapse even more.
Looking at the Black Snake Demon, its entire body was charred black. It was obvious that it was heavily injured.
However, it didn't kill it.
Behind a distant roof, Lin Jin crouched down to watch the commotion. Shang'er followed suit, but her posture was much more elegant.
Clearly, the two figures Old Ji had seen earlier were them. They were also the ones who had deterred the black snake monster.
"Master Lin, aren't you going to help?" Shang'er asked.
Lin Jin shook his head. "You're underestimating the City Lord Manor. There are plenty of experts there. Moreover, Maple City has the Friar Association. A mere black snake monster is nothing to be afraid of. It doesn't matter if I go or not."
That was true.
Previously, the Black Snake Demon had been hiding so no one noticed it. Now that it was discovered, its fate was sealed.
After settling Shang'er and the others down at Mount Zoroku, Lin Jin remembered that the Black Snake Demon was a potential threat. Since there was no time like the present, he dragged Shang'er along with him, planning to quietly eliminate the Black Snake Demon.
But when they arrived, they saw the Black Snake Demon chasing after an old man. Lin Jin and Shang'er suppressed the Black Snake Demon with their auras, but just as Shang'er was about to make a move, she sensed a goshawk approaching and dodged.
Later on, the giant goshawk and the Black Snake Demon fought as Zuo Wentang and the city guards rushed over.
Lin Jin and Shang'er were quick enough to avoid being discovered.
At this moment, something flew out from the direction of the Friar Association. Upon closer inspection, one could see a white peacock spreading its wings and flying over. On the back of the white peacock stood a handsome and elegant man.
It was the Friar Association's number one disciple, Yang Jie.
Standing with his hands behind his back, he rode on the bird and arrived above the dilapidated temple in just a few moments.
"Steward Zuo, I, Yang Jie, am here to assist you in eliminating the monster." Yang Jie bowed.
Zuo Wentang smiled. "So you're Mister Yuzhou's disciple. Mister Yuzhou is …"
"My teacher is in seclusion, studying the evolution method of his pet beast. He can't leave so he sent me here to assist you, Steward Zuo!"
Having said that, Yang Jie invoked a spell and leaped into the air, landing beside Zuo Wentang. At the same time, the white jade sparrow descended like a torrential downpour of wind blades.
Under the rain of wind blades, the Black Snake Demon screamed in agony as wounds appeared on its body.
Especially the white jade sparrow. Like a sharp sword, it swooped down with its wings like blades. In an instant, the Black Snake Demon couldn't evade in time and its head was sliced clean off.
The Black Snake Demon's head crashed to the ground as blood gushed out like a river.
"Amazing!"
"That's Yang Jie!"
The city guards also exclaimed in surprise.
From afar, Lin Jin frowned.
However, to be honest, Yang Jie's abilities were not bad. His Sorcery was executed extremely smoothly, especially that final slash. The angle and timing were perfect. It happened when the Black Snake Demon was busy fighting the Giant Goshawk and was busy dealing with itself.
In other words, Yang Jie had 'caught the snake off guard'. It was a sneak attack.
Hence, despite his beautiful movements and intricate spells, Lin Jin despised him.
"Let's go!"
Lin Jin said. There was nothing else to see. Now that the Black Snake Demon was slain, the monster's corpse definitely wouldn't fall into his hands. Hence, it was more important for him to head back to bed.
Shang'er definitely couldn't go back with Lin Jin. She had to rush back to Mount Zoroku.
Lin Jin was very confident in Shang'er's abilities. She was a Rank 4 monster, and other than Object Manipulation, Lin Jin had also imparted some of the essence of Transformation to her. Now that Shang'er was strong enough to stand on her own, there was no need to worry.
After checking out Lin Jin's house, Shang'er bade him farewell. Then, she glided gracefully with the wind and flew out of Maple City.
Shang'er was getting more and more familiar with Object Manipulation. She could even control flying leaves and tread on them like an ethereal fairy.
At this speed, she soon arrived at Mount Zoroku.
However, at this moment, she felt a strange movement beneath her. She immediately changed her direction and flew down. She stepped on a branch and looked around.
In a nearby valley, a large creature was curled up. Perhaps sensing Shang'er's monster aura, it let out a low growl as a warning.
The growl was deep and thick, carrying with it the wind. It was definitely a large beast.
Any normal person would be terrified under such circumstances. They would never dare to investigate the large figure hidden in the dark valley.
After all, even though it was curled up, it still looked like a small hill, giving off an intimidating aura.
But Shang'er wasn't afraid.
She walked over curiously and finally got a good look at the large beast's true appearance.
It was a giant white ape.
…
Every time he came back, Lin Jin would first visit the beast pen in the yard.
The shadow wolf had recovered well and Lin Jin had begun teaching it the Beast Energy Formation. Previously, Lin Jin was worried that the shadow wolf would cultivate into a monster without a blood contract with its master.
But Lin Jin was overthinking.
As long as a pet beast had formed a blood contract, even if it cultivated the Beast Energy Formation, it wouldn't turn into a monster.
Patting the shadow wolf's head, Lin Jin didn't care if the creature could understand him and said, "When you're fully recovered in two days, I'll help you evolve."
Having said that, Lin Jin turned to the deer beside him.
The deer's condition had improved after being treated this morning. However, its injuries were much more serious than the shadow wolf's. It was only by sheer luck that it survived.
Lin Jin had already determined that the person who injured the deer was its owner.
Or rather, its original owner.
Even now, Lin Jin still couldn't understand why someone would do such a thing to their own pet beasts. How could they be so cruel to them?
Lin Jin patted the deer's head as well. "Don't worry and take care of yourself. Eat and drink. As long as I'm here, no one can hurt you."
Talking to pet beasts was also a habit of Lin Jin's.
Goldy had gone off to hunt for food again. This guy was elusive.
Sitting cross-legged, Lin Jin performed acupuncture on himself using the pulse-seeking technique to dispel his fatigue and build up his energy.
For the next few days, Lin Jin would do this. Half an hour of acupuncture would feel like he had slept through the night. It was magical and he wouldn't feel tired for the entire day.
This was the cultivation method of the 'vein strengthening technique'.
Many things happened in Maple City that night. Other than the City Lord Manor and the Friar Association working together to kill the black snake monster, the search for the escaped great white ape was also fruitless.
Meanwhile, the news of the Zu family's two-headed snake pet beast being stolen sent the family into a frenzy. Fortunately, the city guards soon sent word that the stolen pet beast had been found.
Not only was it found, but the thief was also apprehended.
The Zu family was in for a false alarm.
While requesting the authorities to punish the thief, Zu Tianhong sent Zu Can to invite Lin Jin to help Zu Can's younger brother, Zu Yuan, form a blood pact with the two-headed snake as soon as possible. This was a top priority.
Hence, at daybreak, Lin Jin was invited to the Zu Manor by an anxious Zu Can.
The Zu family was in an uproar that night. After all, losing a pet beast, especially a rare Rank 2 beast, was a huge deal. Fortunately, it was found in the end.
"Appraiser Lin, I apologize for making you come here so early in the morning!"
Zu Tianhong had been waiting at the entrance for a long time. When he saw Lin Jin, he immediately went over to welcome him.
Lin Jin waved. "Lord Zu, you're welcome."
As they spoke, they had already stepped into the Zu residence.
In the courtyard, there was an iron cage. The Twin-headed Snake that had been lost and found was now locked inside, looking somewhat dispirited and listless.
Why was it dispirited?
That night, the two-headed snake had been frightened out of its wits.
First, it was controlled by a beast talisman in a daze. Then, it encountered the black snake monster.
But that wasn't all. Later on, an even more powerful Shang'er appeared. The aura of a Rank 4 monster instantly caused the two-headed snake to break down. Even now, it still hadn't recovered from the shock. A perfectly fine snake was now as limp as a noodle.
However, this wasn't a big deal. Even if they left it alone, it would recover on its own in a few days.
The yard was filled with the Zu family members.
Zu Tianli was there too. Surprisingly, he came over to greet Lin Jin warmly. "Appraiser Lin, your presence brings light to our humble home."
Lin Jin greeted them. After all, one shouldn't hit a smiling face.
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