You Evolved Quietly Without Me

Language is the manifestation of intelligence; clear language signifies the complete awakening of Green Snake's intelligence.

Su He stared at it in astonishment.

"I ate tiger meat, and I even ate the tiger's heart. Why did you evolve more than me? No matter how big the physical improvement is, it can't compare to the awakening of intelligence. This is a qualitative leap."

"Roar~"

Su He let out a weak roar, congratulating it! You evolved without me, and you can already speak human language. I'm still roaring like a beast. Fortunately, the sound is no longer shrill, but rough and bold, matching his dark complexion.

"Eh?" Green Snake raised its head, its lazy aura instantly energized, and the entire snake became spirited. "You still can't talk?"

Su He blinked: "What are you so excited about?"

The corners of Green Snake's mouth curled up; it had learned to smile after gaining intelligence.

It had always considered itself no match for Su He—this wasn't just about evolution; the difference in species' natural abilities was too great.

It had no poison, Python Constriction was useless against Su He, and its mist, water arrows, and wind manipulation couldn't do anything to this turtle. This turtle felt like it was sent by heaven specifically to punish it.

A perfect counter!

Although they were friends now... it was great that your demon transformation progress wasn't as good as mine!

Green Snake flicked its tail, its forked tongue flicking out with a rustling sound, almost laughing aloud. As it watched Su He grit his teeth, it felt a bit guilty. It coiled its body and asked, "Did your inheritance not teach you how to speak?"

Inspiring intelligence, refining the hyoid bone, and speaking human language—these were basic requirements for a demon's cultivation, right? A turtle should have learned to speak by now, no matter how it evolved.

Su He looked up at the misty night sky.

The Demon Transformation Fruit I ate was fake; it didn't come with an inheritance!

Seeing Su He's disappointment, Green Snake swayed its tail and slithered over, coiling around Su He's shell. "I'll teach you!"

Su He's eyes lit up.

Green Snake asked softly, "Can you perceive internally?"

Su He nodded.

Green Snake coiled its body, recalling the inheritance from its dream. "Human cultivation, the first realm, Mortal Shedding Realm, is divided into seven steps: Heart Aperture, Divine Treasure, True Blood, Will Aperture, Bone Offering, Spirit Awakening, and Essence Gathering. Setting aside other aspects, let's focus on the first two steps: Heart Aperture and Divine Treasure."

"Hammer the body to its extreme, and use the vast blood and qi to forcefully open the Heart Aperture. This is the first step to transcending mortals. Then, nurture the Heart Aperture, and condense a Divine Treasure within the Heart Aperture: be it swords, spears, sabers, halberds, wind, fire, thunder, or lightning, the possibilities are endless."

"It differs from person to person, and depending on the cultivation technique, the condensed Heart Aperture Divine Treasure will also be different. Once the Heart Aperture Divine Treasure is condensed, the cultivator will gain supernatural abilities, such as spitting water or controlling lightning... and can begin to practice Dao Art."

"Although demons and humans are not exactly the same, they are similar."

Green Snake slithered off Su He's back and coiled onto the withered willow tree, like a female master ascending a podium. Her mature and charming voice drifted out, "From the moment beasts swallow the Demon Transformation Fruit, they unconsciously begin to eat voraciously and evolve. This continues until they break their own limits. Just like I grew from a small green snake into a giant python, and you grew from a small turtle into..."

She gestured a large shape with the tip of her tail.

"When we break our limits, our Heart Apertures have already opened, though we are unaware of it. Only when the Demon Transformation Fruit is completely digested does a phantom human image form within the Heart Aperture. This phantom is the demon's Heart Aperture Divine Treasure."

"Therefore, all demons have the same Heart Aperture Divine Treasure—a human image. The demonic arts and divine abilities that demons master have nothing to do with their Heart Aperture Divine Treasure, but rather with their own species. For example, my mist manipulation and wind control, and your water manipulation."

The tip of her tail pointed to the water currents that had unconsciously formed beneath Su He's four claws.

"The human image in the Heart Aperture is the essence of the Demon Transformation Fruit and the foundation for beasts to transform into humans. For demons to cultivate, they must first solidify this human image, overcome the Lightning Tribulation, and only then can they achieve a human form. If you want to speak, you must first condense the Twelve-Storied Tower of the human image in your Heart Aperture into a physical form, mirroring your true self, and you will naturally be able to speak human language."

"???"

Three question marks popped up above Su He's head.

He closed his eyes and perceived internally, his gaze traveling all the way to his heart. Indeed, his Heart Aperture was open, like a misty space, ethereal and wondrous.

In the center of the Heart Aperture floated a Divine Turtle, as black as ink.

There was no human, no inheritance, only a big turtle.

And this turtle wasn't a proper turtle; it lacked the caution of a typical turtle, with a dragon's head and tail, exuding a fierce and terrifying aura.

It was clearly a brute that only knew how to charge headfirst.

Where is my human image?! Su He felt utterly devastated.

He didn't know how he left Snake Valley. He couldn't bear to see Green Snake's sympathetic gaze. He had forgotten about the Divine Turtle in his Heart Aperture until he perceived it internally.

My human is gone, what about my human form? How can I transform into a human?

Su He crawled out of Snake Valley step by step. Behind him, Green Snake absently flicked its tongue. She hoped her friend wouldn't be as good as her, but she didn't want him to fall into the dust.

The better her friend was, the better, as long as he was always inferior to her.

A turtle's Heart Aperture contained a turtle; she didn't know what to do about this situation either. There was nothing about it in her inherited memories.

Su He returned to Crocodile Beach in a daze. In the crocodile pack, one crocodile was challenging the entire tribe.

This crocodile could barely be called a Giant Crocodile, with a body length of two and a half zhang, almost reaching three zhang, nearly matching the size of the former Green Giant Crocodile.

Su He hadn't returned for over a month, and these crocodiles had rebelled.

What's more, like this large crocodile, they were envious of Su He's effortless life and wanted other crocodiles to support them, imitating Su He and wanting to fight their way through the crocodile pack.

Right now, it was being held down in the water and beaten to death by four crocodiles working together.

"King!"

"Boss!"

"The fiercest one!"

A group of crocodiles looked at Su He and shouted. Although his body shape had changed, the aura was still that of their king. There was no mistake, the king had returned.

The giant crocodile, pinned underwater, broke free and roared.

The general meaning was that the other crocodiles had already recognized him as king, so they should stop! He heard the crocodile pack's cries.

But before the roar was finished, Su He's claw pushed it back underwater. It struggled out, roaring, and met Su He's gaze.

The king's body was even bigger.

Now it could easily bite a crocodile to death in one go, right?

It quietly submerged its head again, caught a fish, and placed it before Su He. Then, wagging its tail, it stealthily rejoined the crocodile pack, no longer mentioning fighting through the pack to seize the throne.

"Roar~" Su He let out a low hum, informing the crocodile pack that the king was hungry and needed to feed! The pack scattered to hunt, while Su He lay in the water, beginning to carefully examine the evolution brought about by this slumber.

As for the turtle in his heart aperture—if a problem couldn't be solved, then don't get stuck in it. This was the wisdom gained from two years of being a turtle.

If there was a troublesome problem that couldn't be solved, then avoid it.

This was a world of cultivation. As long as one's cultivation was sufficient, there was nothing that couldn't be solved.

If it couldn't be solved, it meant their cultivation level wasn't high enough!

If he couldn't transform into a human this time, he would just fight for the Demon Transformation Fruit again in sixty years. At most, he wouldn't eat the fruits that improved quality, but the most ordinary transparent ones.

Sixty years was nothing. Did he fear a turtle couldn't live that long? If one sixty-year cycle wasn't enough, then two cycles. If one fruit wasn't enough, he'd eat a few more. He would eventually transform into a human!

If it really didn't work out—then he'd just be a turtle honestly.

Having been a turtle for two years, Su He had somewhat adapted.

Misty rain blurred the world. The clear lake water flowed into his chest and lungs through his nostrils, leaving oxygen before being exhaled.

Su He could breathe underwater now.