Mountain Bearing

"Yahoo~" Feng Ya Ya bounced three feet into the air, clapping Su He as she shouted, "Big Turtle, go! Heavenly Mechanisms Pavilion!"

The Heavenly Mechanisms Pavilion was one of the Azure Origin Sect's seven branches, specializing in artifact forging.

Su He did not know where the Heavenly Mechanisms Pavilion was. He merely followed Feng Ya Ya's directions, plunged headfirst into Elephant Water, and cleaved through the waves.

Once they reached the foot of Azure Origin Mountain, they turned into a tributary, winding through twists and turns until they entered a marketplace.

Unlike the other six branches, whose members stood lofty above the masses like immortals in the clouds, the Heavenly Mechanisms Pavilion's disciples were more like peddlers and common folk, each running their own business.

Those with exceptional methods could open shops. Those with mediocre craftsmanship and no head for business set up stalls along the street. Some even placed their stalls on the backs of exotic beasts, allowing them to move into the heart of the crowds at any time.

Feng Ya Ya led Su He toward a small courtyard in the eastern part of the marketplace. Before they even arrived, she shouted, "Stinky Uncle, Ya Ya came to see you!"

Inside the courtyard, a scruffy old man dressed like an old farmer was forging iron. With a clang, his blacksmith's hammer fell to the ground. Yet he had no time to pick it up before he plunged headfirst into the house, whispering urgently inside, "Quick, quick! Hide away that Azure Nether True Gold I just got! Don't let that little ancestor see it!"

This was the death of him! A flash of yellow light like a ball of flame streaked past, and Feng Ya Ya had already charged inside.

By the time Su He crashed into the courtyard, the little girl had already grabbed the old farmer by his beard and dragged him out of the house. "Stinky uncle, forge some storage equipment for my big turtle!"

Feng Ya Ya pointed at Su He.

"Ow, ow, ow! Good girl, let go!" The old farmer slapped away Feng Ya Ya's little hand. As long as she was not here to snatch his Azure Nether True Gold, anything could be discussed.

He circled Su He twice, clicking his tongue. "This turtle is not bad. What do you want? A saddle? Space can be set beneath it, enough to store quite a lot of cargo."

Feng Ya Ya clenched her fists and shouted, "No way! Big Turtle is my friend, not a mount!"

"Then... a collar? It goes around the neck and is very conveni— Ow, ow, ow! Don't pull my beard!"

"Big Turtle is not a pet!" Feng Ya Ya cried.

"Fine, fine!" The old farmer raised his hands in surrender and began examining Su He seriously.

The water sphere rolling in Su He's mouth slowly vanished—after this evolution, his Water Manipulation Divine Power was no longer limited to gathering lake or river water. Su He could create water spheres from thin air, then fire them out.

Its power... depended on the weight of the water sphere.

Though it could not hurt anyone, if this scruffy old man dared call him a pet again, Su He would definitely drench him from head to toe.

The old farmer stared at Su He. After pondering for a moment, his eyes suddenly brightened. "Got it! Since you're a turtle, how can you not carry something on your back? I have a mountain here, a cave abode custom-made by a Rogue Cultivator. He was killed just after I started forging it. It does not even count as a semi-finished product, but it's perfect for your Big Turtle."

He rummaged through the warehouse for quite some time before pulling out an artificial mountain the size of a basketball. It looked like a small mountain ornament from inside a fish tank.

"Look here!" The old farmer pointed at a cave on the artificial mountain.

"This was originally the cave abode designed by that Rogue Cultivator. It has barely been refined, and the space inside has not yet been expanded. Once unfolded, it is ten zhang wide inside. I'll give it to you, all right? Your uncle dotes on you, doesn't he?"

Feng Ya Ya was satisfied, nodding again and again. She spotted a bird's-nest-shaped structure atop the little mountain. It was probably where that Rogue Cultivator had raised a beast pet.

Once enlarged and carried on Big Turtle's back, this bird's nest would be just right for her to sleep in.

The old farmer's craftsmanship was excellent. In only half a day, he had modified the little mountain and enlarged it, fitting it snugly onto Su He's back. It was neither too large nor too small—just perfect.

Feng Ya Ya poked Su He's lips until they bled, took a drop of blood, and placed it on the mountain to complete the Recognize Master ritual. Then she happily climbed onto the artificial mountain and curled up inside the bird's nest.

To show his gratitude, Su He helped fertilize the fruit trees in the courtyard as they passed by. The scruffy old man wailed and tried to strike Su He's turtle shell with his hammer.

Fortunately, Feng Ya Ya was even fiercer.

What did he know of a good heart? Since hatching, Su He had eaten only high-quality food and rarely relieved himself. Used to water plants, his waste was absolutely top-grade farm fertilizer.

Su He carried her back toward Su Hua Nian's pond.

Su He felt his own shortcomings. This little mountain could at most be considered a storage artifact. Any Azure Origin Disciple who had condensed a divine object in their heart aperture could use it with ease, yet Su He found it strenuous even to connect with the mountain cave.

Was the turtle in his heart aperture not considered a divine object? Or did he need to solidify the turtle, just as the Demonic Race solidified human figures within their heart apertures?

But how was he supposed to do that? He was only a turtle with no inheritance. He had reached this point entirely because the dice had been generous.

He knew too little and lacked too much.

He was not even as good as Green Snake.

Once he returned to the pond, perhaps Su Hua Nian could point him toward a clear road.

Curled up in the bird's nest, Feng Ya Ya swayed back and forth. "Big Turtle, you're so dumb. It takes so much effort just to put a stone into the mountain cave. When we get back, let's steal Mother's token. I'll take you to the Scripture Repository to steal secret manuals. Once you have manuals and begin cultivating, you'll become stronger. Then you won't be afraid of other exotic beasts."

Su He raised all four limbs in agreement.

He crawled slowly onward. The weather was growing colder and colder, especially on Azure Origin Mountain, where the higher elevation brought lower temperatures. Su He wanted to hibernate.

Turtles naturally hibernated for long periods.

Feng Ya Ya kicked her little feet, then suddenly thought of something. "How about we go to Grandpa Ge's courtyard first? Grandpa Ge specially created a cultivation method for his turtle friend! We can steal it."

"Don't worry, don't be scared. Grandpa Ge's turtle must be a good turtle too, so it definitely won't mind. I'll introduce you two someday—though I've never met it, so I don't know it either."

Her own words amused her, and she giggled without stopping. As she laughed, she gradually fell asleep.

When Su He crawled back to the pond, Su Hua Nian had only recently emerged from it. Her beautiful hair, faintly damp, fell from her shoulders and rested lightly against her chest. Because of the moisture, it did not float up as the Fairy leaped onto the turtle's back. Instead, it rose and fell with the trembling mountains, bouncing high before being knocked apart again by the mountains as it fell.

Su He did not move. Su Hua Nian came down while holding Feng Ya Ya. Sensing her mother's presence, the little girl curled tightly into her mother's embrace, pressing the mountains together.

Su Hua Nian flicked a finger, sending a ray of light into Su He's brow, then entered the Grass Hut with her daughter in her arms.

The light exploded in Su He's mind. It contained all manner of water-manipulation techniques—Su Hua Nian's experience accumulated over hundreds of years.

There was no cultivation method inheritance, merely all sorts of ingenious methods for manipulating water.

For example, Su He's water spheres were too weak, likely only capable of injuring ordinary people. But if he made the water spheres spin at high speed, their killing power would rise by an entire level. If he added Golden Sand to a spinning water sphere, even ordinary exotic beasts would have to shed a layer of skin.

How to manipulate water to increase speed underwater, how to condense water-flow armor...

Su He treasured it as if he had obtained the most precious jewel, studying with utmost seriousness. Moonlight spilled over the Grass Hut, while a beauty remained awake, reading by candlelight through the night.

The night passed without incident. When the sky grew bright, Feng Ya Ya did not get up.

Su He tilted his head and looked inside. Su Hua Nian had not slept all night either. At her realm, sleeping or not sleeping made no difference.

She held a book scroll in one hand while her fair jade fingers twined through her daughter's hair with the other. Seeing Su He looking over, a faint smile appeared on her face. "Ya Ya is special. She will sleep for six or seven days. Go on by yourself."

Whether human or beast, as long as they truly loved Ya Ya, Su Hua Nian would treat them with goodwill. After some thought, she flicked a finger and wrote the character "Su" onto Su He's mountain.

To see the character was to see its owner. With this character present, the Lu Ming incident should not happen again.

Su He understood. Had Feng Ya Ya not slept enough yesterday? No wonder she had been drowsy during the formation class. He turned and left the pond, crawling all the way down the mountain.

Since Feng Ya Ya could not attend class, he could not steal any knowledge either. It was time to forage.

Even though his evolution this year had improved his resistance to cold, hibernation was approaching. He needed to increase his food intake and store energy. If he could save enough energy for another evolution before hibernating, that would be even better.

There were many beasts on the mountain, but they all had owners, so he could not simply snatch their food. After some thought, Su He crawled toward Tranquil Peace Hall again.

The medicinal cuisine there was good. Whenever he rolled three Quality Points, his stomach remained warm all day long. If he could steal a vat every day and roll Quality Points onto it, he would never need to worry about food again.