A Fortuitous Misstep (Revised)

His inner sight searched the divine turtle within his heart inch by inch.

Dragon head, turtle body, dragon tail—it truly resembled the Dragon Turtle from myth and legend. If it carried a stone stele on its back, it would look even more alike.

But Su He could see nothing at all. There was no inheritance, no cultivation method. The Dragon Turtle was like a black-jade statue, neither hearing nor moving.

Su He was exceedingly patient and simply watched in silence.

On the riverbank, Xia Da Li watched Su He drift downstream within his retracted shell. With a flick of his finger, he silently left a spell upon the turtle shell.

It had no other effect, serving only to protect the divine turtle. Should anyone approach the divine turtle with hostile intent again, he would sense it at once.

After pondering briefly, he snapped off a branch and gave it a light tap. The branch transformed into a wooden kite and flew into the distance.

No matter what, the Azure Origin Sect had acted unfairly today. Aside from Madam Su, everyone—including the Sect Leader—owed the divine turtle an explanation.

Especially those in the Eternal Life Hall. Their eagerness to use this chance to place a restriction upon the divine turtle had shown far too plainly.

Perhaps the divine turtle's intelligence was still lacking, so it had failed to see through it. But such a lack could not last forever. Perhaps in a hundred years, perhaps a thousand, the divine turtle's intelligence would one day fully awaken. When it recalled everything that had happened today, it would likely harbor resentment toward the Azure Origin Sect.

If there was a mistake, correct it. The compensation that should be given had to be given.

Martial Uncle Ge was the oldest cultivator in Beast Taming Valley who cultivated the Beast Transformation Scripture, and his Second Body was a turtle.

He was deeply fond of turtles. Last summer, he had seen an unusually spiritual turtle at Listening Sea Lake and conceived the thought of taking it as a disciple. He had spent a year creating a turtle species cultivation method, which would be perfect as compensation for the divine turtle.

Law Enforcement Hall, Prison Suppression.

Inside an ordinary prison cell, Lu Ming, dressed in bloodstained robes, calmly watched Qiao Ling being escorted in and imprisoned in Prison Suppression. His expression was tranquil, without anger or indignation.

A tiny insect on his collar softly told him what had happened outside—only after arriving at Prison Suppression had he discovered that its guards were lax to an outrageous degree.

A mere True Disciple like him could contact the outside from within Prison Suppression. There were not even any restraints or seals. Was this the state a normal sect ought to be in? The sect was so lax that monsters and demons naturally sprang up in droves.

Therefore, this sect could not be relied upon. Taking the opportunity to seize benefits for himself was the only thing that mattered.

Qiao Ling was locked next door. She knocked on the wall, then smiled at Lu Ming through the barred window. "I lost!"

Lu Ming shook his head. "You were too foolish! That is not how one kills a turtle."

"Hm?" Qiao Ling tilted her head, waiting for him to continue.

"To deal with that turtle, we cannot act directly. It is a divine beast. If it died unexpectedly within the sect, how could the sect let the matter rest? Even if you had succeeded today, you could not have escaped the sect's investigation."

"To kill it, we can only borrow the sect's power. Let the sect rules and the Sect Leader carry it out. Only then will no one suspect us."

Besides, it was a divine beast! Why kill it? Would it not be better to take it as a Lifebound Beast? Though imprisoned in Prison Suppression these past few days, Lu Ming's attention on Su He had not diminished in the slightest. Junior Brothers outside continuously sent messages in through the little insect.

He had underestimated that turtle before!

In barely over a month, it had grown from the size of an Eight Immortals table to larger than a millstone, even growing dragon scales. That was absolutely not something devouring half a white tiger could accomplish.

That turtle's bloodline was likely purer than anyone had imagined.

A divine beast whose bloodline had reached a certain height could not possibly be taken as a Lifebound Beast. At the very least, ordinary methods could not accomplish it.

Divine beasts could not be humiliated.

Lifebound Beast was merely a pleasant name. In truth, was it not still a beast slave, a beast pet? In name, a Lifebound Beast shared weal and woe with its master, seeming equal. Yet if the master died, the Lifebound Beast would certainly die, while if the Lifebound Beast died, its master still had a chance to begin anew.

It could even deflect harm.

When their lives were not even equal, how could there be any talk of fairness?

Divine beasts could not be humiliated and could not be made Lifebound Beasts—unless that divine beast was incomplete, in its primal spirit!

Cultivators had primordial spirits, while divine beasts had primal spirits. They were roughly the same thing. Divine beasts were simply special: their primal spirits and flesh were united as one and could not leave the body, yet neither did they fear the buffeting of gale winds.

An intact primal spirit rejected all subjugation. Moreover, the divine turtle belonged to Su Hua Nian; no one could easily manipulate it.

Only if that divine turtle first committed an offense would the Sect Leader have a chance to place a restriction upon its primal spirit.

Divine beasts could not be humiliated, so the divine turtle would surely resist. At that point, with only a little guidance and assistance, they could make the divine turtle cooperate in scattering that small tainted portion of its primal spirit.

Then Lu Ming could slip in through the breach.

Of course, it would be best if the divine turtle, with its primal spirit damaged, then devoured his original Lifebound Beast, the white tiger. Once the white tiger's aura thoroughly merged into the divine turtle, Lu Ming could use an array to turn the divine turtle into his Lifebound Beast.

Beast Taming Valley had no such methods, but the inheritance he had obtained did! The little insect on his shoulder interjected in confusion, "Senior Brother, how would the sect rules punish a divine turtle?"

Lu Ming was not the personal disciple of Beast Taming Valley's chief, yet he had become Beast Taming Valley's First True Disciple. How could he lack a few tricks, or a few utterly loyal followers? Restrictions were not something that could only be placed on strange beasts!

This little insect used a special method to contact the Junior Brothers outside who were loyal to him. The insect was not an Azure Origin Sect technique; he had discovered it by accident in the place of inheritance where he and Qiao Ling had obtained their inheritance.

No one knew from what era it had been left behind. The arrays and restrictions of the current cultivation world could barely stop it.

Lu Ming smiled. "It is only natural for divine beasts to have privileges. Minor mistakes would naturally not be punished. But if the offense is serious enough, and the person offended powerful enough, the Sect Leader will certainly not pass up the chance to place a restriction on a divine beast."

If not for Su Hua Nian, the Sect Leader would certainly have used the opportunity to place a restriction on it today. Even knowing it was innocent, he would at most clear its name after placing the restriction, personally bow in apology, and promise never to use the restriction to restrain it.

But the restriction would certainly never be removed.

"Who?" the little insect asked curiously.

"Elder Ge!"

Qiao Ling thought for a moment. "That elder of your Beast Taming Valley from the Grandmaster generation, whose Second Body is a turtle?"

"Correct!" A faint smile appeared on Lu Ming's face. "Elder Ge loved wine as dearly as life, and he was also petty and fiercely protective of his own. I heard that last year, he spent a full year creating a cultivation method specifically for turtles. Tell me, if this turtle trespassed into Elder Ge's Dao Field and stole the secret manual, what should be done?"

Upon hearing "stealing the secret manual," the little insect shuddered instinctively. "It... it would be beaten to death, right?"

In cultivation sects, among Wealth, Companions, Techniques, Location, the most important was Techniques. That was the foundation of a sect's inheritance. Stealing secret manuals was a capital crime in any sect!

Lu Ming shook his head. "It will not die, because it is a divine beast. But the Sect Leader will certainly not let this opportunity pass."

Beyond the Azure Origin Realm, within a Special Space in the Eastern Cloud Mountain range west of An Yang City, a Slovenly Old Daoist held a Wine Gourd and gnawed on a chicken butt. Suddenly, he reached into the air and grabbed a small wooden kite.

The wooden kite let out a low cry.

This was a special means of transmitting messages used by the Beast Taming Valley branch of the Azure Origin Sect. Even if the wooden kite were intercepted, no one could decipher its birdcall.

The little daoist boy beside the Slovenly Old Daoist blinked and asked curiously, "Grandmaster, is that a message from the chief? What did he say? When are they calling us back?"

The moment Grandmaster received the wooden kite, his expression had turned exceptionally strange. Had something happened? Unfortunately, he could not understand the wooden kite's birdcall.

The Slovenly Old Daoist wore a peculiar expression. Had his Azure Origin Sect poked a turtle nest? Last year, he had discovered a little turtle brimming with spirituality, and this year, another divine turtle with a divine turtle bloodline had appeared?

And it was an exceptionally intelligent divine turtle? If their sizes were not so vastly different, he would have thought his little turtle had come looking for him.

The Slovenly Old Daoist took a sip of wine and chuckled. "Your chief Martial Uncle wants me to pass on the Turtle Longevity Breathing Scripture."

The acolyte's childish face immediately became a riot of expressions. The chief wanted Grandmaster to impart a cultivation technique? Had the chief gotten turtle brains? Since when had Grandmaster been so generous?

Grandmaster had left behind a stone turtle for that little turtle that had broken their appointment, carrying thirty percent of the art, and he had already regretted it for days. What beautiful dream was the chief Martial Uncle having?

"Will Grandmaster send a reply refusing him?" After all, he was the chief; directly ignoring him would probably be inappropriate, right? The Slovenly Old Daoist waved his hand. "I cannot refuse. Fatty Xia will cling like a burr and pester me without end." He knew that fatty too well. Once he decided on something, he would absolutely see it through, unafraid even of losing all face.

He wondered how that turtle had caught Xia Da Li's eye. Could Xia Da Li not even wait until he left the Three Rivers Wasteland? Had the turtle perhaps seized some leverage over him? The old daoist burst into laughter. Xia Da Li had not left a reason in the wooden kite, only earnestly begged for the cultivation method. From his tone, it truly sounded as though someone had seized leverage over him.

"Give it to him! But the Dao cannot be lightly transmitted. The Turtle Longevity Breathing Art is in our little courtyard. Let that turtle break through the formations. If it can pass the Three Pass Formation, give it the cultivation method. If it cannot, it cannot blame me, can it?"

The Slovenly Old Daoist took a token from his robes and tossed it into the air. The token transformed into a streak of golden light and flew away.

Law Enforcement Hall, Prison Suppression.

Lu Ming looked solemn as he said to the little insect, "Remember this: Elder Ge's Dao Field is a courtyard with three successive sections. Each section contains one formation. The first two formations do not kill; Elder Ge uses them to warn disciples who enter by mistake. Even if that turtle breaks in, it will not amount to much and it will not be punished.

"You three must force that turtle into the third courtyard, no matter what. Only then will it trigger Elder Ge's true Guardian Formation. Anyone who trespasses into this formation must harbor ill intent. When the sect rules descend, they show no mercy!"

The little insect said solemnly, "Rest assured, Senior Brother. Nothing will go wrong!"

Lu Ming nodded. "I trust all of you Junior Brothers. But Elder Ge's formations in the first two courtyards are not easy to pass. To force that turtle into the third formation, you must first get through two formations. My Cosmos Pouch is where the white tiger buried its food. Go retrieve it; there may be useful items inside."

The little insect did not refuse. It answered once, light flashed over its body, and it returned to stillness. It began chirping and chittering. The Junior Brother connected to the insect departed, and the insect now appeared to be no different from an ordinary little bug.

Next door, Qiao Ling closed her eyes to rest. Her performance had already ended; what came next was Lu Ming's stage.

Outside Prison Suppression, at the guards' station, Scholar slowly set down his wine cup, his expression incomparably vivid.

He had originally intended to devise a way to stir Lu Ming into action.

Though this disciple had lofty ambitions but scant ability, he possessed a fair bit of fortune, and two or three elders with real authority stood behind him. With a slight scheme and the gentlest nudge, there was much to be done.

Yet he had not expected that there would be no need for him to act at all. Lu Ming had already made his calculations.

That little insect was no ordinary thing either. It seemed that the rumor spread through the sect—that Lu Ming had obtained a senior's cave abode—was not groundless.

But his mind was still lacking. After what happened today, how could the sect possibly not keep watch over the divine turtle? What could a few ordinary disciples accomplish? The Azure Origin Sect of today was not what it had been sixty years ago. Factions stood everywhere. Those who wished to enslave the divine turtle naturally had counterparts who wished to protect it.

Still, he needed to find a way to give him a push.

Scholar swirled his teacup. In an instant, the tea inside burst into flames. A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

His race was special. What he needed for cultivation was not the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, but a peculiar aura born from schemes and war.

No matter what cultivation method he practiced, it would always produce mutations. There would always be certain special effects that ordinary people could scarcely imagine.

It was difficult for others to block the surveillance placed upon the divine turtle, but for him, it was no great matter.

Scholar looked toward Prison Suppression once more.

Prison Suppression's guards were still too strict, posing too great an obstacle for Sect Leader Senior Brother. They needed to become even more lax.