Mistaken Identity

His inner sight scanned the Divine Turtle in his mind, inch by inch.

A dragon's head, a turtle's body, a dragon's tail – just like in myths and legends, a Dragon Turtle. It would look even more like one if it carried a stone tablet on its back.

But Su He couldn't discern anything. There was no inheritance, no cultivation method. This Dragon Turtle was like a statue carved from black jade, silent and unmoving.

Su He watched patiently, his gaze steady.

On the riverbank, Xia Da Li watched Su He, who had retreated into his shell and was drifting downstream. With a flick of his finger, he subtly left a spell on the turtle's shell.

It had no other effect, merely serving as a protection for the Divine Turtle. If any hostility approached, he would detect it immediately.

He paused for a moment, then broke off a branch. With a gentle tap, the branch transformed into a Wooden Kite and flew into the distance.

Regardless of anything else, the Azure Origin Sect had acted unfairly today. Apart from Madam Su, everyone, including the Sect Leader, owed the Divine Turtle an explanation.

Especially those in the Eternal Life Hall, whose eagerness to place restrictions on the Divine Turtle was too apparent.

Perhaps the Divine Turtle's intelligence was still lacking and it failed to notice. But this deficiency wouldn't last forever. Perhaps in a hundred years, perhaps in a thousand, the Divine Turtle's intelligence would fully awaken. When it recalled today's events then, it would likely harbor resentment towards the Azure Origin Sect.

Mistakes must be corrected, and proper compensation must be given.

Martial Uncle Ge, as the oldest cultivator in Beast Taming Valley to practice the Beast Transformation Scripture, had a turtle as his Second Body.

He had a deep affection for turtles. Last year, in the summer, he saw a rather spiritual turtle by Listening Sea Lake and decided to take it as a disciple. He spent a year creating a set of Turtle Species Cultivation Methods, which he could now request as compensation for the Divine Turtle.

Law Enforcement Hall, Suppression Prison.

In a common prison cell, Lu Ming, clad in blood-stained clothes, watched Qiao Ling being escorted in and locked into the Suppression Prison with a calm expression, devoid of anger or resentment.

A small insect on his collar softly recounted the events outside. He only realized upon arriving at the Suppression Prison that the guards were shockingly lax.

He, a mere True Disciple, could contact the outside world from within the Suppression Prison. With no restraints or seals, was this the state of a normal sect? A sect so lax was no wonder it teemed with monsters.

Therefore, this sect was unreliable. It was better to seize the benefits for himself.

Qiao Ling, imprisoned next door, tapped on the wall and smiled at Lu Ming through the cage bars, "I lost!"

Lu Ming shook his head, "You're too foolish! Killing a turtle isn't done like that."

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

"To deal with that turtle, we couldn't act directly. It's a Divine Beast. Would the sect let it die accidentally within its walls without consequence? Even if you succeeded today, you wouldn't escape the sect's investigation."

"To kill it, we must use the sect's power, let the sect rules and the Sect Leader carry it out. That way, no one would suspect."

Besides, it was a Divine Beast! Why kill it? Wouldn't it be better to take it as a Lifebound Beast? These past few days, though confined in the Suppression Prison, Lu Ming's attention to Su He had not waned. His junior disciples outside kept him updated with messages via small insects.

He had underestimated that turtle before!

In just over a month, it had grown from the size of a dining table to larger than a millstone, even growing dragon scales. This was not something that could be achieved by simply devouring half a White Tiger.

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

Divine Beasts with sufficiently high bloodlines could not be taken as Lifebound Beasts, at least not by conventional means.

Divine Beasts cannot be insulted.

Lifebound Beast is just a nice-sounding name. In reality, aren't they still beast slaves, beast pets? Nominally, the Lifebound Beast and its master share life and death, appearing equal. But if the master dies, the Lifebound Beast must die, while the master still has a chance to start anew.

They could even evade damage.

If their lives are not equal, how can there be fairness?

Divine Beasts cannot be insulted, nor can they be taken as Lifebound Beasts, unless the Divine Beast is incomplete – in its Origin Spirit!

Cultivators have Nascent Souls, Divine Beasts have Origin Spirits. They are similar things. However, Divine Beasts are special; their Origin Spirit and physical body are one, unable to separate. Yet, they are not afraid of the fierce winds.

A complete Origin Spirit resists all subjugation. Moreover, the Divine Turtle belongs to Su Hua Nian, and no one can easily control it.

Only by making the Divine Turtle commit a mistake first could the Sect Leader have an opportunity to place a restriction on its Origin Spirit.

Divine Beasts cannot be insulted, and the Divine Turtle would surely resist. At that point, with a little guidance and help, the Divine Turtle could be made to cooperate in dispersing that small portion of its corrupted Origin Spirit.

Lu Ming could then seize the opportunity.

Of course, it would be best if the Divine Turtle with a damaged Origin Spirit then devoured his original Lifebound Beast, the White Tiger, allowing the White Tiger's aura to completely merge into the Divine Turtle. Lu Ming could then use formations to turn the Divine Turtle into his Lifebound Beast.

Beast Taming Valley did not possess these methods, but his inherited knowledge did! The small insect on his shoulder interjected curiously, "Senior Brother, how would the sect rules deal with a Divine Beast?"

Lu Ming was not the direct disciple of the Beast Taming Valley's Peak Master, yet he could become the valley's foremost True Disciple. How could he not have some means, some loyal followers? – Restrictions aren't just for exotic beasts!

This small insect was how he contacted his loyal junior disciples outside through special means. The insect was not an Azure Origin Sect technique; he discovered it unexpectedly at the place where he and Qiao Ling obtained their inheritances.

It was an artifact from an unknown era. Current formations and restrictions in the cultivation world could hardly block it.

Lu Ming smiled, "Divine Beasts have privileges, and rightfully so. Minor mistakes won't be punished, but if the offense is great enough, and the offended party is powerful enough, the Sect Leader will certainly not miss the opportunity to place a restriction on the Divine Beast."

If it weren't for Su Hua Nian's existence, the Sect Leader would have definitely seized the opportunity today to place a restriction on it. Even if he knew it was wrongly accused, at most, after placing the restriction, he would exonerate it, personally apologize, and promise never to use the restriction to limit it.

But the restriction would never be lifted.

"Who?" the insect asked curiously.

"Elder Ge!"

Qiao Ling pondered, "That elder from your Beast Taming Valley, the one whose Second Body is a turtle?"

"Precisely!" Lu Ming said with a smile, "Elder Ge is a heavy drinker and extremely petty and protective. I heard he spent a whole year last year specifically creating a set of Turtle Species Cultivation Methods. What do you think should happen if this turtle trespassed into Elder Ge's Dao Field and stole secret manuals?"

Hearing about the theft of cultivation manuals, Little Bug shivered instinctively, "Will... will I be beaten to death?"

In a cultivation sect, wealth, companions, methods, and land are paramount. The most important is the "method," which is the foundation of a sect's legacy. Stealing cultivation manuals is a capital offense in any sect!

Lu Ming shook his head, "It won't die, because it's a divine beast. But the Sect Leader will definitely not let this opportunity pass."

Outside the Azure Origin Realm, in a special space within the Eastern Cloud Mountain Range west of An Yang City, a Slovenly Old Daoist was gnawing on a chicken butt while holding a wine gourd. Suddenly, he waved his hand and grabbed something in the air – a small Wooden Kite.

The Wooden Kite let out a low chirping sound.

This was a special way of transmitting messages from the Beast Taming lineage of the Azure Origin Sect. Even if the Wooden Kite was intercepted, no one could decipher the bird's song.

Beside the Slovenly Old Daoist, a young Daoist Boy blinked curiously and asked, "Grandmaster, is this a message from the Peak Master? What did he say? When are they calling us back?"

The Grandmaster's expression became very strange upon receiving the Wooden Kite. Did something happen? Unfortunately, he couldn't understand the Wooden Kite's chirping.

The Slovenly Old Daoist had a strange look on his face. "Did my Azure Origin Sect stumble upon a turtle's nest? Last year he found a very spiritual little turtle, and this year a divine beast with divine beast bloodline appears?"

"And it's an extremely intelligent divine beast? If not for the huge difference in size, I would have thought my little turtle had come looking for it."

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

The Daoist Boy's young face immediately became a picture of astonishment. He wants Grandmaster to teach him a Dao technique? Has the Peak Master's brain been filled with turtles? When has Grandmaster ever been this generous?

Leaving behind a stone turtle for that little turtle who broke their appointment, carrying thirty percent of the technique, Grandmaster has been regretting it for days. What kind of wishful thinking does the Peak Master Uncle have?

"Is Grandmaster going to send a reply to refuse him?" After all, he's the Peak Master, directly ignoring him probably wouldn't be good, right? The Slovenly Old Daoist waved his hand, "Can't refuse, Fatty Xia will pester relentlessly." He knew that fatty too well; once he decided on something, he would absolutely achieve it, fearless of losing face.

He didn't know how that turtle caught Fatty Xia's eye. He couldn't even wait for him to come out of the Three Rivers Wasteland? Could it be that the turtle had some leverage over him? The old Daoist laughed heartily. Xia Da Li hadn't left a reason in the Wooden Kite, only earnestly pleading for the technique. Judging by his tone, it really was like he had leverage over him.

"Give it to him! However, the Dao cannot be easily passed on. The Turtle Longevity Breathing Scripture is in our little courtyard. Let that turtle go and challenge the formations. If he can pass the three stages, he gets the cultivation method. If he can't, he can't blame me, right?"

The Slovenly Old Daoist took out a token from his embrace, tossed it into the air, and the token turned into a golden light and flew away.

Law Enforcement Hall, Suppression Prison.

Lu Ming's expression was solemn as he said to Little Bug, "Remember this, Elder Ge's Dao Field is a three-courtyard residence. The first courtyard has a formation, the first two stages are not lethal. They are used by Elder Ge to warn disciples who mistakenly enter. Even if that turtle breaks in, it won't be a big deal, and there won't be any punishment.

You three must force that turtle into the third courtyard, no matter what. That is where Elder Ge's true Guardian Formation is activated. Those who trespass this formation will have malicious intent, and the sect rules will be applied without mercy!"

Little Bug said solemnly, "Senior Brother, don't worry, there will be no mistakes!"

Lu Ming nodded, "I trust all my junior brothers, but the formations in Elder Ge's first two courtyards are not easy to pass. If you want to force that turtle into the third stage, you must pass the first two stages. My Cosmos Pouch is where the White Tiger buried its food. Go get it; there might be something useful inside."

Little Bug did not refuse, responded, and with a flash of light, returned to its calm state. It chirped, and the junior brother connected to Little Bug left. Little Bug looked like an ordinary bug.

Next door, Qiao Ling closed her eyes to rest. Her performance was over; the stage now belonged to Lu Ming.

Outside the Suppression Prison, at the guarding disciple post, the Scholar slowly lowered his wine cup, his expression extremely interesting.

He had intended to design a situation to provoke Lu Ming.

Although this disciple was ambitious but lacked talent, he possessed considerable luck and had the backing of two or three influential elders. With a little trickery and a gentle nudge, he could achieve great things.

He never expected that Lu Ming would have a plan without him even needing to act.

That Little Bug was also unusual. It seemed the sect's information about Lu Ming obtaining an elder's cave mansion was not baseless.

However, his mind was still lacking. After today's events, how could the sect not be watching the divine beast? How could a few ordinary disciples be of any use? The Azure Origin Sect today was not what it was sixty years ago; it was filled with factions. Some wanted to enslave the divine beast, while others wanted to protect it.

He would have to find a way to push him further.

The Scholar swirled his teacup, and the tea within instantly ignited. A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

His race was special; the cultivation he required was not spiritual energy from heaven and earth, but a special aura born from conspiracies and wars.

No matter what cultivation technique he practiced, the result would always be a mutation. It would always have special effects that ordinary people couldn't imagine.

It was difficult for others to block the detection falling on the divine beast, but it was not a big deal for him.

The Scholar looked towards the Suppression Prison again.

The guards of the Suppression Prison were still too strict. It was still too much of an obstruction to the Sect Leader Uncle. It needed to be relaxed a bit more.