Trial

With a crisp chime, Su He's inward inspection was interrupted. When he opened his eyes, a golden token lay before him.

The front of the token bore the words "Trial," while its back gleamed brightly.

Su Hua Nian's voice came from the immortal sword atop Turtle Mountain. "Go take part in the trial. If you pass, there will be an inheritance of cultivation arts. The trial has three stages. Do your utmost—every stage has a reward."

Su Hua Nian had been meditating just now when Xia Da Li's Flying Sword Letter arrived, bringing Elder Ge's token. It gave Su He an opportunity to study Elder Ge's turtle-type Dao arts, a form of compensation from the sect.

Once the message ended, Sword Light flashed atop Turtle Mountain. Carrying the entire mountain, it rose into the air and departed from the turtle shell.

Since he was participating in the trial, he naturally could not rely on her immortal sword or Turtle Mountain.

He had to depend on his true abilities.

The immortal sword left with Turtle Mountain, leaving Su He alone upon the water.

He did not know how long he had spent in inward inspection. By now, the Sky Color was completely dark. Clouds hid the moon tonight, and the token glimmered beneath the curtain of night.

Expectation rose in Su He's heart, along with a measure of nervousness, just as he had felt before blind dates in his previous life.

He swallowed the token and waited for the trial to descend. The night deepened further. Deep forest and Elephant Water lay hushed and still.

After an unknown length of time, in his hazy drowsiness, he seemed to feel a breeze softly caressing his shell. It was warm and wonderfully soothing.

Even though Su He deliberately tried to stay awake, he could not hold on any longer and fell completely asleep.

After another unknown stretch of time, a thread of killing intent flashed past. Su He instantly woke and Looked Towards the source of the feeling.

A person emerged from the woods along the shore. Dressed in black and masked, he held an immortal sword and stared at Su He with hostile eyes.

Su He had been awakened by the killing intent, yet the warning measures Xia Da Li had left on his shell had not been Activated...

Did this masked visitor harbor killing intent? Was he another ill-intentioned guest like Qiao Ling, or was this part of the trial? Su He did not dare jump to conclusions, but he leaned toward the latter. Azure Origin Sect was, after all, a renowned righteous sect. It had its sordid dealings, but Not to the point of having too many.

Especially after today's uproar, when Su Hua Nian's sword had suppressed the Law Enforcement Hall, everyone knew this turtle had backing. Even those coveting the divine turtle's flesh, blood, and essence would have to think thrice before acting.

Unless another sect did not want Azure Origin Sect to gain a divine beast and had sent assassins.

But that possibility was slim. If that were truly the case, what was the difference between Azure Origin Sect and a sieve? No matter which it was, the water was Su He's battlefield.

Su He gently paddled toward the center of Elephant Water. Suddenly, a Sword Cry rang out Behind Her, and a sharp immortal sword stabbed straight for the root of Su He's tail.

Despicable Root Strike attacker! Su He rapidly rolled aside. The sawlike rim of his shell blocked the sword, while his claw swept up A Water Band and lashed it Behind Her like a whip.

The man failed to accomplish anything with his strike and immediately Stepped Back. Yet Su He's whip-shadow arrived after yet struck first. With a crack like thunder, its tip swept across the man's lower back.

With a scream, the Black-Clad Man was Sent Flying. Like a skipping stone, he bounced twice over the water, flipped to his feet, and vanished into the night. Hidden in the woods, he clutched his back and sucked in sharp breaths.

Killing intent suddenly sprang up everywhere in the night.

One, two, three—along with the assassin he had whipped, there were three killing intents in all: two on shore, one in the water.

Su He narrowed his eyes.

If this was a trial, then the trial officials carried more or less personal feelings.

Su He did not believe he had offended anyone. If they had come with emotions involved, perhaps he had taken a trial that should have belonged to them, or perhaps they were people like Qiao Ling.

Fight first, talk later!

Su He dove beneath the water. A Water Band coiled around his body as he silently swam onward.

The current, the night, and the dark turtle formed a perfect state of concealment. Turtles needed no training; they were born knowing how to hide themselves.

"Second Brother, get ashore! It's underwater!" the first Black-Clad Man on shore shouted urgently.

Too Late!

"Boom!" A massive Water Column shot into the sky. Su He had lurked thirty zhang beneath the surface, then abruptly accelerated upward. His shell crashed forth like a mountain, sending the Black-Clad Man lying in wait beneath the surface flying.

While the man was still in midair, a water whip as thick as a bucket swung through the air and cleaved down in an S shape!

"Crack!"

Second Brother had no chance even to react before he was smashed back into the water.

A Mouthful of Blood Spit Out.

The other two Black-Clad Men on shore changed expression sharply and suddenly rushed toward the water.

Su He Turned Head and fled.

Though he had gained the advantage, Su He could tell: against one Black-Clad Man, he could win steadily. Against two, he could remain undefeated. But if all three joined forces, he would Be Beaten.

Especially the man who had shouted earlier—Su He faintly sensed a threat from him.

After two years of being a turtle, Su He had developed an instinct. He could let prey escape; going hungry did not matter. But he absolutely could not be injured.

The three gathered together and charged straight at Su He with murderous intent.

These three had holes in their heads. Clearly, by joining forces, they could suppress him, yet they had deliberately split up to launch sneak attacks, only to be counter-killed by him twice.

What a pity he had no outstanding Attack Methods. Otherwise, he would have dared fight all three head-on.

No—Su He suddenly realized something.

Never assume your enemies are stupid. Three cultivators who clearly had combat experience could not possibly fail to understand the way of combined attacks.

This was a trial!

Only trials would use opponents whose combat strength was roughly on par with his, just a notch higher.

He could handle the three with ease when they were apart, but once they joined forces, he could not beat them.

The trial's objective was... to escape to the Safe Zone before the three of them gathered?

It should be something like that.

Judging from the trio's initial positions and direction of travel, was the Safe Zone to the west? Or did he have to reach a certain place in the west within a set time while evading their interception?

If Su He wanted to leave, none of the three black-clad men could stop him. But once they gathered, they would cause him no small amount of trouble.

How sinister. This trial was exceedingly simple, yet its brilliance lay in making him figure out the rules himself. Perhaps that was the true trial?

It was testing his comprehension! This was a trial related to inheritance. Testing combat strength was meaningless; comprehension was the foundation for accepting an inheritance.

Having thought it through, Su He turned and left.

West—straight west! He would not allow the black-clad men to hinder him in the slightest.

Su He slapped the water and sped away, pushing his Water Manipulation Divine Power to its limit. He moved as swiftly as a galloping steed.

Behind him, the three black-clad men exchanged glances, each reading the others' meaning: the Turtle Mountain Cave Mansion that the divine turtle could leave images behind was absent. There was no need to waste restraints—just chase! Force him into Elder Ge's little courtyard.

Better yet, take the chance to avenge those two lashes! So long as it did not die, all was well! One turtle and three men, one side chasing and the other fleeing—their goals were astonishingly aligned. All were headed west.

The dark clouds dispersed, and the moon climbed above the willow branches. Before he knew it, he had left Elephant Water behind, and Elder Ge's little courtyard stood clearly before him. He should have arrived. For some reason, Su He faintly sensed that this was the destination! Wilderness lay on all sides, with a solitary little courtyard standing alone. If this was not the destination, it made no sense.

Su He rammed straight into the little courtyard.

The token in his mouth trembled lightly. He spat it out. The words "Trial" on its front remained unchanged, but another line had appeared on the back: First Stage! Su He smiled. Would the token display something after each stage was cleared? Sure enough, he had been meant to flee into the little courtyard while being obstructed by the black-clad men.

Within the Special Space, the Slovenly Old Daoist's eyes lit up. It had come!

The token reported that the turtle had entered the trial and opened the first stage. Was it in such a hurry? It should only have received the token not long ago, right? This stretch of space where he was located was called the Three Rivers Wasteland. It was so peculiar that it seemed to have already departed the Profound Wilderness Realm.

Divine sense could not be transmitted out. He could not observe the specific circumstances of the trial in the courtyard, only rely on the methods left behind there to faintly sense and slightly adjust things.

The turtle should be flattened by now, getting brutally thrashed by the puppets, right? The moment Su He entered the courtyard, all four of his limbs suddenly sank, as if a mountain had been pressed onto his back. His entire body was forced flat against the ground.

Gravity! The gravity within this little courtyard was at least three times that outside! Puppets wielding hammers and sickles charged at him from every direction. Their movements were nimble, completely unaffected by the courtyard's gravity.

Was this the second stage of the trial? No reward first?

Su He was somewhat disappointed.

The three black-clad men had already rushed into the courtyard with their swords drawn.

Within the Special Space, the old Daoist vaguely sensed three more forces abruptly appear. Could these be the divine turtle's Water Manipulation Divine Power that Xia Da Li had mentioned in his message? Yet those three forces seemed to have barged in from the outside. The divine turtle could not produce water on its own; it had to draw it in from beyond?

Though that was a minor shortcoming, it was still quite the divine power. It was as though it had truly condensed three incarnations—so agile!

Old Daoist Ge did not doubt it. The trial had gone through Xia Da Li. Though Xia Da Li was shameless beyond measure, he would not cheat. He would not let anyone assist the turtle in breaking the formation.

Those three forces could only be abilities possessed by the divine turtle itself, at most followers the turtle had taken in. Cultivators had beast pets; divine beasts having followers was only natural.

Barring any mishap, this stage would not be able to stop it.

But if it passed so easily, would that not make my Dao arts seem too cheap? The courtyard formation grew stronger against the strong. That turtle would have a taste of suffering! As if echoing its master, the instant the three black-clad men barged in, the courtyard's gravity abruptly became fivefold.

Su He had only just adapted to triple gravity when he was pressed flat again. He did not rush to resist. Instead, his turtle eyes fixed on the three black-clad men fighting the puppets.

The sudden increase in gravity made the trio's movements falter. They were driven back by the puppets, but quickly adapted and charged forward again with swords raised. One of them secretly linked perception with a small insect and reported to Lu Ming.

"Senior Brother, we've forced that divine turtle into Elder Ge's courtyard, but the gravity here keeps increasing, and there are countless puppets. I'm afraid I can't hold on!" He split a puppet open with one stroke, then began panting heavily.

Lu Ming transmitted his voice through the cricket in the man's robes. "There are Light Body Talismans in my Cosmos Pouch. Do not spare them. Break Formation! Force the divine turtle into the third formation as quickly as possible. Once you have staged the scene, withdraw at once."

Within Prison Suppression, Lu Ming clenched his hands tightly, revealing the turmoil in the bottom of his heart. This feeling of planning within the command tent and deciding victory a thousand miles away was truly wonderful!

I am in Prison Suppression, yet my battlefield lies hundreds of miles away in Beast Taming Valley. The sect master, the Law Enforcement Hall, the divine turtle, and Elder Ge are all chess pieces on my board.

This feeling... was inexplicably exhilarating!

This time, this plan would never fail!

In the little courtyard, as Su He watched the black-clad men entangled with the puppets, a strange feeling rose in his eyes. Was the reward for clearing the first stage having the first stage's boss help me clear the second?

That was certainly a new way to play—but would that not make the second stage utterly meaningless? Defeating the puppets was not the content of this stage's test!

Su He realized something. He stared closely at the black-clad men and the puppets, watching their fight as understanding gradually dawned in his heart.

That was it!

Those puppets used all manner of chaotic, disordered moves, but the three black-clad men had used only a single sword technique from beginning to end.

This sword technique was the second stage's trial?

Was it asking him to learn swordsmanship?

Su He had no sword, but he had claws. Even mortals could use fingers as swords—why could a turtle not? Spiritual Energy was dense here, gravity was doubled, and three black-clad men were demonstrating in person. This was the perfect place to practice swordsmanship. Barring any surprise, this was the true content of the second stage's trial, perhaps even the reward for passing the first stage.

Su He narrowed his eyes and carefully watched the three black-clad men fight the puppets, his attention focused on the immortal swords in their hands.

A die fell from the sky and spun rapidly.

Five points!

In an instant, it was as though enlightenment had been poured straight into his head. The sword technique that had seemed utterly incomprehensible now suddenly became somewhat clear to Su He. He swung his claws; at first, his movements were awkward, but before long, they had begun to look convincing.

Five Points of Learning Efficiency.

The three Black-Clad Men were struggling under the assault, quietly encouraging one another. "Hold on! These puppets can't possibly be endless. Once we chop them all down, we'll force the turtle into the second formation. Pass the second formation, and our mission will be complete."

Within the Special Space, the Slovenly Old Daoist had his eyes closed as he sensed the state of the trial in the little courtyard.

The child attendant fidgeted impatiently at his side. "Martial Ancestor, how's that turtle doing? Can it pass the first trial? You didn't cheat by increasing the gravity a thousandfold, then send out Stone People and even Bronze People, did you?"

The Slovenly Old Daoist waved a hand. "Nonsense! How could your Patriarch do such a thing?"

Separated by the Three Rivers Wasteland, even if he wanted to cheat, he would first have to be capable of controlling it! Besides, if he were going to cheat, it would be in the third trial. A dignified divine turtle that could not even pass the first trial—if word got out, Others would surely think this old Daoist was deliberately making things difficult because he did not want to pass on the Daoist arts! But why was this turtle so stupid, fighting the puppets? Couldn't it just use its shell to withstand the puppets' attacks and charge through by force? The puppets were endless. If it truly failed to pass the first trial, it would ruin this old Daoist's reputation!