Perhaps Qin Yunshang was just trying her luck, or perhaps she had other goals in mind. Nevertheless, gifting Curator a scented pouch that could downplay the miasma’s corrosion should not be a wrong move.
Of course, in her opinion, an ‘unfettered immortal’ like Curator must have other methods to block off or remove the miasma in the extraterritorial zone.
The important thing here was the fact that she had offered him a gift; she should be able to earn a favor this way.
Unbeknownst to her, her actions had solved Lin Jin’s immediate problem. She had further encouraged Lin Jin to venture into the extraterritorial zone.
Chen Xuankong didn’t prepare anything like that. After Qin Yunshang have given Curator a gift, wouldn’t he be looked down upon if he didn’t offer anything? To immortals, dignity was everything. They mustn’t lose face, especially not in front of an unfettered immortal. He did not mind it, but the Mystery Dao Sect might.
Fortunately, Chen Xuankong did have something else prepared. He retrieved a map that he had personally drawn.
“The extraterritorial zone is a vast place, and up until a few centuries ago, we still hadn’t figured out the landscape. I have a map here, hand-drawn by my senior from the Mystery Dao Sect. It covers one part of the extraterritorial zone, including some mountains, rivers, and immortal sects in the area. If Curator would like to visit the zone, this map might be of assistance.”
Lin Jin turned to him with great interest and accepted the map.
This was great stuff!
It didn’t take much to figure out the worth of this map. Should he enter the extraterritorial area as an outsider, this map could well save his life.
It was an invaluable treasure.
Lin Jin thanked them but he didn’t feel right for taking their gifts without giving anything in return. After a thought, he said, “I heard that the Immortal Cloud Sect and Mystery Dao Sect both have immortal beasts. One is in a coma while the other is severely wounded. If my disciple does explore the region, he will visit your sects and solve your problems.”
Lin Jin had confidence in fulfilling his promise.
Wasn’t an immortal beast just a Rank 6 beast?
Being a professional, so long as he had the museum at his disposal, Lin Jin could even treat Rank 7 beasts without a hitch.
This was his way of reciprocating.
Although he had yet to solve their problems, Lin Jin told them a handful of secrets behind the art of beast appraising, which proved to be a useful lesson to the half-immortals.
When it was almost time and Lin Jin got ready to leave, Chen Xuankong couldn’t resist saying, “Curator, please wait!”
Huh?
Stunned, Lin Jin turned to Chen Xuankong, who appeared to have something to say.
Chen Xuankong thought about something before saying, “There is something I would like to ask of Curator.”
His reserved behavior confused Lin Jin. Qin Yunshang’s eyes lit up and the corner of her lips curled upward slightly when she realized what was going on.
Chen Xuankong stole a glance at her before bracing himself to ask, “I’d like to ask Curator if we happen to meet a powerful immortal beast that we can’t afford to provoke or fight, but it’s blocking our only path, how can we chase this immortal beast away?”
Lin Jin started searching his mind for an answer.
It seems the Mystery Dao Sect did care a lot about their dignity. They might have encountered a similar problem, and it was likely that the immortal beast was blocking their sect’s gate, rather than a regular “path”.
It was so powerful that they couldn’t afford to provoke it, let alone defeat it.
This problem had to be resolved soon. Judging from Chen Xuankong’s expression, the latter probably never said anything before this because he was afraid that Qin Yunshang might laugh at him.
However, solving this problem was much more important than saving face.
Since Lin Jin owed the Mystery Dao Sect a favor, he would help them out.
“What immortal beast is it? Do you have a sample of its fur, nail, or blood?” asked Curator. Since he could even appraise the Rank 9 immortal devouring beast, any other creature wouldn’t be a problem for him.
Chen Xuankong took something out.
It was a barb of black and white, about two inches long that resembled a unique strand of hair. Chen Xuankong handed it to Curator and immediately, the museum presented the relevant evaluation.
Lin Jin raised his eyebrows at what he saw.
“A Rank 7 violent beast, Black Mountain honey badger.”
“Violent in nature, adept in combat, has a fearless nature, stubborn, and persistent!”
“Its habits are…”
“The evolution methods are…”
Lin Jin was stunned by the description of this Rank 7 beast. The extraterritorial zone sure lives up to its notoriety. A creature seemingly as random as this could exist on the same tier as Patriarch Xue Pao.
It made sense since Patriarch Xue Pao did hail from the extraterritorial zone. In a sense, it now seemed like the main continents were the ones with barren lands that couldn’t produce quality beasts.”
The extraterritorial land was the breeding ground for high-level creatures, and this realization made Lin Jin’s heart race.
The mere existence of these beasts was a big enough incentive for him to visit that dangerous place. He could record high-ranking beasts, and the museum’s rewards should be triggered in no time.
Thus, the extraterritorial land became more attractive to Lin Jin.
His first step would be helping Chen Xuankong with their honey badger problem. According to their explanation, a Rank 7 beast was equivalent to a profound immortal in terms of strength.
Indeed, if the beast was at such a level, according to the museum, that creature’s fur or skin could withstand most spells. They might even be immune to them. That being the case, these creatures were invincible when going up against most immortals.
Of course, that was only because the immortals’ approach was ineffective.
Any living creature in this world can be dealt with with the right method. For the Black Mountain honey badger, its fur could block off spells, it was immensely strong and was the size of a hill. A mature Black Mountain honey badger could grow over fifty feet tall, and when it goes on a rampage, hardly anyone could stop it.
However, no matter how strong a creature was, it had to have a weakness. Curating a solution to this weakness would be the key to solving this problem.
Curator fell silent as he was reading up on the honey badger’s weakness. Then, he said, “This creature is a Black Mountain honey badger. It possesses the strength of a profound immortal and if you want it killed, that would be quite challenging. However, if you only want it gone, the task would be easier than you might expect.”
His answer delighted Chen Xuankong.
The actual scenario was just as Lin Jin had speculated. A while ago, a huge honey badger made an unexpected appearance before the gate of the Mystery Dao Sect. Being the size of a hill, it laid down in front of their entrance and refused to budge. The immortal sect thus faced a problem that could only be described as a ball of thorns.
As they were an immortal sect, they had a reputation to uphold. They couldn’t just let a wild beast block their entrance, forcing them to leave through the backdoor. How preposterous was that?
Their dignity should not be lost!