I'll Take You to Find Mother

Snake Valley fell silent in an instant.

Even Feng Ya Ya's mouth hung open, her large eyes blinking rapidly as she panted.

Green Snake, not understanding what was happening, tilted her head, looking from one person to another.

"How is this little turtle's talent? What path should it take to advance?"

No one spoke, they merely stared at Su He in astonishment.

Green Snake's tail twitched. Humans are so troublesome. Why can't they just say what they mean? I know Little Turtle's talent is poor, but what's so unspeakable about that?

A snake demon that had just awakened its spirit couldn't comprehend the rich emotions of humans.

"I heard the Azure Origin Sect has a lineage dedicated to beast taming. If... if I ask for fewer resources, perhaps I can have him accepted into the Beast Taming Valley?" Green Snake's heart ached, but she forced herself to make a decision.

Feng Ya Ya shrieked and jumped up, clinging to Su He's head. "Big Turtle, Big Turtle! I knew it, you're the most talented beast I've ever seen!"

Gu Lin also snapped back to reality, her face filled with joy. She hadn't expected to receive such a great surprise when coming to pick up fellow Daoist Green Snake today.

"?"

Green Snake coiled into a question mark. She sensed that the atmosphere was a bit off.

"Aunt Lin, is Big Turtle also going to become a disciple and learn skills?" Feng Ya Ya hated the idea of becoming a disciple. Once a disciple, someone would be constantly watching her. If her posture was wrong, she'd get spanked; if she didn't memorize the Dao Scripture, she'd get spanked; if her homework wasn't done, she'd get spanked...

Big Turtle is a turtle, how can you spank it? Hang it up?

Thinking of such a large turtle being hung up and struggling, Feng Ya Ya burst into laughter.

Gu Lin smiled and shook her head, wondering what mischievous idea the little girl had come up with now. "Since our Azure Origin Sect was founded, only two people have ever made the test token ring. One was the Grandmaster, and the other was your mother. This turtle is the third to possess such talent."

"Don't worry, no one can be a master to a beast. Besides, your mother has the Water Attribute. You can ask her how to nurture this big turtle."

"Okay!" Feng Ya Ya was delighted. She sat on Su He's head, swinging her little legs. "Wine Big Turtle, I'll take you to see Mother. I know where she is. We'll hide and give her a surprise."

Gu Lin dotingly stroked Feng Ya Ya's head. "Go, take good care of Big Turtle. With such talent, it might even become a Sun-Eating stage exotic beast!"

The Sun-Eating stage corresponds to the Heaven-Treading Realm for cultivators. Any location inhabited by a Sun-Eating stage exotic beast is an absolute forbidden ground.

The Azure Origin Sect's prosperity over the past few decades, subtly becoming the foremost sect on Eastern Cloud Mountain, was due to the discovery of three Sun-Eating stage exotic beast corpses in a forbidden ground beneath the sect. The Azure Origin Sect drew upon the spiritual power from these corpses, making the sect's spiritual energy abundant. Rare treasures would occasionally appear, and cultivation became twice as effective with half the effort.

Green Snake's head slowly turned, frame by frame.

What did she just hear? One of the three most talented individuals since the founding of the Azure Origin Sect...

The three most talented...

Most talented...

Her feelings of heartache and sympathy were suddenly stuck in her throat, making her feel uncomfortable. Her seven-inch mark throbbed painfully; that was her heart.

Seeing Green Snake's dazed expression, Gu Lin suddenly came back to her senses. My apologies, I was so shocked by this turtle's talent that I neglected fellow Daoist Green Snake.

Did fellow Daoist Green Snake just speak?

She quickly apologized to Green Snake. "Fellow Daoist, please forgive my rudeness. I was impolite."

Green Snake seemed not to hear, standing still in a daze. After a long while, she finally came to her senses and turned to Gu Lin. "Fellow Daoist Gu, if I return to the sect with you now, can I become a disciple, learn skills, and choose a cultivation technique?"

"Becoming a disciple requires the willingness of both master and disciple. You can choose a cultivation technique right now."

A green shadow flashed, and Green Snake was already coiled on the flying boat, her tail tip tapping the side of the hull. "Let's go!"

Wasn't she supposed to be picked up? What are we waiting for? Gu Lin chuckled. It usually took some effort to convince beast-humanoid monsters to join. While some required promises of benefits or displays of power, this Green Snake was straightforward.

Gu Lin seemed to grasp the reason and said no more, leaping onto the flying boat and looking at Feng Ya Ya.

If Feng Ya Ya comes with me, this turtle will be a burden. I'll have to activate the flying boat's second form.

Feng Ya Ya waved goodbye to her. She patted Su He's head. "Big Turtle! Let's go, we're going to find Mother."

Su He didn't know why he was leaving with Feng Ya Ya. Perhaps it was his Dao heart? Staying here meant he'd only mingle with crocodiles all day. The Azure Origin Sect, however, was a cultivation sect with countless possibilities.

Moreover, the Azure Origin Sect was only about a hundred miles from Listening Sea Lake. At his current speed, it would only take half an hour to drift there with the current.

Listening Sea Lake was shaped like a stomach, and the Xiangshui tributary was its esophagus and intestines. The Xiangshui was north of Listening Sea Lake. About a hundred and eighty miles downstream lay the territory of the Azure Origin Sect's Beast Taming Valley. The Seven Veins of Azure Origin were: Beast Taming Valley, Huayang Peak, Chess Sword Pavilion, Sword Washing Pond, Evergreen Peak, Heavenly Mechanisms Pavilion, and the Sect Leader's Sword Residence.

Actually, according to Azure Origin Sect rules, there were no main or branch lineages. The current Seven Veins were all direct descendants, with no distinction. It was just that the seven founding ancestors had different focuses when accepting disciples, gradually forming seven distinct lineages.

However, even to this day, the Azure Origin Sect had no so-called main lineage. The Azure Origin Sect Leader could be chosen from any of the Seven Veins. It was just that, from some generation onwards, the other six lineages could no longer compete with the Sword Residence. The Sect Leaders were always from the Sword Residence lineage, which gradually led to the saying that the Sword Residence was the main lineage.

Especially in the current generation, the current Sect Leader Feng Yi Ju, along with his wife Su Hua Nian, had, in just three hundred years, elevated the Azure Origin Sect from a mid-tier sect in the Eastern Cloud Mountain range to a leading position. Feng Yi Ju and Su Hua Nian had also become figures of admiration for the disciples of the sect.

Su He was going to meet Su Hua Nian, the second person in the Azure Origin Sect whose talent had caused the test token to ring.

Azure Origin Mountain soared into the clouds, piercing the heavens with its beautiful and graceful peaks. At the foot of the mountain, a rough stone bore an inscription, neither a poem nor a couplet: "On Azure Origin Mountain, the Azure Origin Sect; within the Azure Origin Sect, cultivators of immortality."

Su He rode the waves and came ashore, then ascended the mountain. However, he didn't head for the Sect Gate. Instead, Feng Ya Ya directed him towards a water pool in the mountains. Su Hua Nian, possessing the Water Attribute, rarely lived on the mountain. She often resided near water, living a tranquil and elegant life.

The formation outside the water pool was shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see inside from the outside. Without a method to break the formation, anyone who rushed in would at best become disoriented, and at worst, meet their demise.

However, the mist parted automatically for Feng Ya Ya, allowing her to enter with Su He.

The scenery within the formation was beautiful.

A mountain stream led to a water pool, with a grass hut by its edge. Outside the hut, a white garment was scattered on a vine, suggesting the wearer had entered the water in a hurry, their clothes piled up messily.

"Shh! Little Turtle, be quiet!" Feng Ya Ya whispered to Su He from above his head. "Mother is injured and is in the water to heal. We shouldn't disturb her."

She then remembered something and added nervously, "You're not allowed to tell anyone, okay!"

Seeing Su He nod, she was satisfied. "Let's go, we'll carefully enter the water and see how Mother is doing."

Su He slowly crawled into the water pool. The water was ice-cold, several degrees colder than Listening Sea Lake, almost as if it were about to freeze.

In the center of the pool, a peerless beauty floated at the bottom, clad only in undergarments. Her graceful figure was accentuated by the water, creating alluring curves. As the water rippled, her undergarments swayed like thin veils of mist. Distant mountains appeared and disappeared through the haze. Suddenly, the wind blew the mist away, revealing the true appearance of the mountains. Then, the wind returned, and mist once again concealed the landscape.

Su He's breathing grew rapid, his inhales causing the water to surge. The misty undergarments swayed more urgently, the mountain peaks appearing and disappearing.

Su He let out a long breath, setting a final goal: to transform into a human!

Su He made a solemn vow.

I swear I will transform into a human in this life, and no one can stop me!

This was a world of cultivation, a world with female generals who conquered the Nine Heavens and looked down upon all; with enchanting and bold fox demons; with fairies as pure and cold as frost.

How can I remain a turtle my entire life?

Transform into a human!

Su He's breathing intensified, his movements disturbing the fairy.

Su Hua Nian suddenly opened her eyes. Her immortal sword almost struck out but stopped just in front of Feng Ya Ya. Looking at her daughter, a smile bloomed on her usually cold face.

That smile held a magical power. Su He felt his vision suddenly go black, then bright again. The fairy had already put on her clothes and floated onto his back.