Turtle

The sword moved like a dragon, wheeling and leaping. This sword technique was not particularly suited to Su He. After all, it was a human sword art; Su He Turtle's Claw could not manage such flexibility.

Still, he had more or less learned it. The trial should have been complete, yet the three Black-Clad Men were still battling the puppets, showing no intention of stopping. Whenever a puppet was smashed apart, its fragments rolled into a corner and reassembled.

A stone stele stood nearby, its trial data updating in real time:

Gravity: Fivefold

Puppets: True Blood Realm

Number: Eighteen

This eighteen did not mean there were eighteen puppets remaining. It was the number of puppets simultaneously present in the small courtyard. There had only been eight at first, but the more they killed, the more appeared. It was likely matched to the Black-Clad Men's combat strength.

If they kept killing, the number of puppets would grow even greater, wouldn't it? Su He looked towards the gate ahead. The trial ground was an ordinary residence, only much larger. They were currently in the outer courtyard; beyond the second gate ahead should be the inner courtyard.

That should be where the third trial was located.

There were more and more puppets in this trial, so the test was not merely whether one could learn the sword technique, but whether one could learn it as quickly as possible. The longer one took, the more puppets there would be, and the harder it would become to enter the second gate.

With that thought, Su He no longer lingered. He strode forward, charged through the puppet swarm, and crashed into the second gate.

Seeing Su He move, the three Black-Clad Men had their expressions changed. Thinking he was about to break free and flee, they blasted the puppets away and were about to force him back, only to see the great turtle ram headfirst through the second gate. The formation cut them off, and they could no longer see him.

One Black-Clad Man said urgently, "Second Brother, Old Third, follow him in! That turtle cannot break the second formation and will be thrown out of the courtyard. Go help him! I'll stay behind and clean up the traces!"

The two Black-Clad Men knocked the puppets back and rushed through the second gate. Upon entering the inner courtyard, they saw Su He lying motionless in its center, his body trembling violently.

In the Three Rivers Wasteland, the Daoist Boy tore a chicken leg for the Slovenly Old Daoist. "Patriarch, I know about the first trial. Quite a few Senior Brothers have secretly attempted it. What is the second trial?"

Though the Slovenly Old Daoist was stingy, he treated his juniors fairly well. Many disciples used the puppets in his small courtyard as a trial ground to test the results of their cultivation.

The old Daoist had not forbidden it. He had even erected a stone stele in the courtyard, allowing trial-takers to know what realm their opponents were in and under how many times gravity they were fighting, so they could have a clear understanding of themselves.

Of course, ordinary disciples had to compensate him for any puppets they damaged, and they had to pay for the spirit stones used to increase the gravity themselves.

The Slovenly Old Daoist chuckled. "No matter how the path of cultivation changes, its myriad transformations never stray from the source: the advancement of essence, qi, and spirit. Essence is the fleshly body, spirit is the soul, and qi is Daoist arts."

"Since this turtle wishes to obtain my Daoist arts, I will test its 'essence' and 'spirit.' In the first trial, passing through the puppet formation under fivefold gravity counts as passing the test of its fleshly body. In the second trial, I have the pressure of a thought I refined. If it can withstand that pressure and walk into the rear courtyard, it passes."

This thought had been refined; it was not a Thought Clone. If the old Daoist were outside, he could use this thought to inspect and control the courtyard formation in real time. But in the Three Rivers Wasteland, he could only exert a slight influence.

The wasteland was far too special! Nor was it only the Three Rivers Wasteland; other wastelands were the same! Some were even capable of directly severing all connections between cultivators and the outside world! The small courtyard adjusted its formation on its own. What Su He was experiencing was only a trial. If enemies had forced their way in, the gravity in the first trial would not merely have been three or five times greater, and the figures would not possibly have been harmless puppets.

The second trial would not merely have been pressure, either.

"What about the third trial?" the Daoist Boy asked curiously.

The old Daoist waved a hand. "Forget about the third trial. He can't pass it."

There was a reward in the inner courtyard after passing the first two trials; he could simply take it away. Did he really think he could obtain the old Daoist's cultivation technique?

The old Daoist's cultivation technique could be taught, but only to Direct Disciples. If the turtle wanted to learn it, it would have to wait until the old Daoist returned. If they saw eye to eye, he would accept it as a disciple and impart all his abilities without holding anything back.

I may be stingy, but I never hide anything from my disciples!

In the inner courtyard, Su He's entire shell was trembling.

The moment he entered the inner courtyard, he felt an invisible pressure bearing down on him. Every step was incomparably difficult. Timidity, terror, fear—every sort of emotion surged up, leaving him unable even to take a step.

In his two years as a turtle, he had seen plenty of bloodshed and experienced slaughter. The braver one was, the more cautious one became. This trial stabbed straight into the hearts of all Beasts.

The keener one's sense of danger, the more clearly one could perceive that pressure.

A primordial ferocious beast lay ahead!

It was not a figure of speech. In Su He's eyes, three zhang away stood a brilliantly patterned giant python as thick as a Water Vat, its head held high as it flicked its tongue and looked down upon him.

This was not an Illusion Technique. When spiritual pressure reached the extreme, illusions would naturally arise.

Behind him, the two Black-Clad Men came at him with swords drawn, their killing intent Merged Into the illusion.

A cliff lay behind the giant python ahead. Su He had nowhere to retreat.

He dug his four claws into the ground, braced himself against the pressure weighing on him, and roared at the giant python. "Ang!"

His spirit surged, and his hot blood churned.

A Dragon Turtle Phantom burst from his body, three times Su He's size. It solidified behind him and roared at the giant python. "Roar!"

This phantom did not resemble Su He. It had a dragon's head and dragon tail, and its four claws were even more savage and razor-sharp.

The Dragon Turtle was imposing and tyrannical!

Provoked, the giant python narrowed its eyes and let out a roar. With a swish, a pair of wings spread open behind it. Its aura soared, completely suppressing the Dragon Turtle's Aura.

The Dragon Turtle roared in unwilling fury, but it was no use.

The lack of might had nothing to do with bloodline. Su He himself was simply too weak. How could a tiger still staggering through its first steps provoke a hyena? Within the Special Space, the Slovenly Old Daoist stroked his beard. Something was wrong! This turtle had used a divine ability akin to three clones in the first trial, controlling them with exquisite precision. Its Spiritual Sense should have been very powerful. That was why he had released a few extra strands of thought power in the second trial. Why did it feel as though the divine turtle could no longer endure it before he had even exerted himself? This was nothing at all! At most, it was the Will Aperture Realm.

And was there something wrong with that turtle? Its main body had already entered the second trial, so why had it left clones behind in the first trial? The old Daoist was deeply puzzled.

In the small courtyard, the two Black-Clad Men could not see the illusion. They could only sense that the giant turtle ahead had fallen into immense terror.

"It is a contest of Spiritual Sense Power. We cannot help it. It will not make it through the second formation!"

They were not qualified to interfere in a war within the Spiritual World.

A voice came from behind them. "It must make it through!"

The Eldest Brother of the three had arrived.

He more or less guessed what Senior Brother Lu was thinking. Though he did not understand why, he suspected Senior Brother Lu wanted to borrow the sect's power to lay down a restriction and subdue this divine turtle.

Had he gone mad, trying to snatch the Sect Leader's Wife's divine turtle? Could it be that Senior Brother Lu planned to Betray the Sect? Even so, if the sect set down a restriction, only the sect leader would be able to control the divine turtle. How did Senior Brother Lu intend to seize the divine beast from the sect leader's hands? Still, Senior Brother Lu had profound fortune and a Special Inheritance. Perhaps he possessed methods beyond his understanding?

"There is a Spirit Awakening Pill in Senior Brother Lu's Cosmos Pouch. Make this turtle Swallow it!"

Second Brother and Old Third whirled around, staring at Eldest Brother in disbelief.

Had he lost his mind?! The Mortal Shedding Stage had seven steps: Heart Aperture, Divine Treasure, True Blood, Will Aperture, Bone Sacrifice, Spirit Awakening, and Origin Gathering. Divine Treasure was the condensation of a Heart Aperture Divine Treasure—the beginning of cultivation.

But Spirit Awakening truly divided immortals from mortals! At Spirit Awakening, one had to condense a Will Pearl. Only then could one control objects, wield a sword in flight, and cultivate countless techniques.

Among Azure Origin Sect's thirty thousand disciples, only a little over a thousand had reached the Spirit Awakening Realm and could fly with Sword Control! There was no need to mention those monstrous geniuses who condensed Will Pearls through their own abilities without relying on Spirit Awakening Pills—there were fewer than twenty in the entire Azure Origin Sect. The remaining thousand had all relied on Spirit Awakening Pills to help condense their Will Pearls.

How many disciples toiled diligently for decades, yet could not afford a single Spirit Awakening Pill even after saving for a lifetime?

Even Qiao Ling's master, Master Shui Jing, had cultivated for over three hundred years without managing to condense a Will Pearl. Only after Qiao Ling and Senior Brother Lu prospered did they give her a Spirit Awakening Pill.

Giving a Spirit Awakening Pill to a turtle? Eldest Brother, had you gone mad? Besides, we're its enemies. Would it eat it just because we fed it to him? Do you really think it's that stupid? "Senior Brother Lu's order." Eldest Brother spoke heavily. Gritting his teeth, he pulled a gourd from his robes and tossed it over as well.

Pill Dissolving Water, an excellent aid for cultivators taking medicinal pills. It could dissolve a pill the moment it entered the mouth, aiding absorption.

"This turtle is locked in a clash of divine consciousness, and its control over its body has weakened. Flick both into his mouth together. Nothing can go wrong!" Eldest Brother's tone brooked no objection.

Second Brother's breathing hitched. Gritting his teeth, he opened the Cosmos Pouch and, as though cradling a treasure, carefully took out a Porcelain Bottle. He poured out One Piece of pill, hesitated several times, then finally flicked it into Su He's mouth.

Amid Su He's roars, he instinctively sensed something suddenly shoot into his mouth. Before he could react, it had already dissolved. Like a stream of clear water, it first entered his belly, then sent a cool, refreshing breath surging straight toward his Spiritual Platform.

The Dragon Turtle Phantom behind Su He suddenly stirred with excitement. Its body abruptly swelled by a full circle, its shell growing to three zhang in size. Raising its head, it let out a roar at the giant python: "ROAR!"

Its momentum was like a rainbow!