Protector of the Law

Was the Black-Clad Man sent by Su Hua Nian?

If that's the case, it makes sense that the Swordplay in the first trial had dice. It wasn't a reward at all; Su He was essentially stealing the technique.

This means he hasn't received the rewards for the first and second trials yet.

Su He looked around, confirmed there was nothing left in the meditation chamber, and turned to leave.

There was nothing in the backyard either. All the doors were locked, and even the meditation chamber door was sealed shut, making it impossible to enter.

Returning to the inner courtyard, a quick search revealed a small box where the colorful Giant Python had been earlier. Inside were a bottle of pills and a handful of fine sand.

As soon as the Trial Token touched the box, it emitted a voice: "You passed the first trial with the Wooden Dummy and the second trial with Divine Pressure. You're a good Little Turtle. Take the pills and Golden Sand and leave. The third trial is beyond your capabilities; my Cultivation Method is not meant for you."

This was a pre-recorded message, triggered by specific conditions. Similar to the function of a Determinative Rune in a talisman? The voice sounded somewhat familiar, but the speaker was deliberately altering their voice, making it sound a bit off and difficult to identify.

Su He's turtle face contorted with a range of emotions.

The Black-Clad Man wasn't a trial! Recalling carefully, the Trial Token had vibrated three times: once for entry, once for entering the second gate, and once upon arriving in the backyard. Su He had assumed it vibrated once for each trial passed, but it actually vibrated once for each trial entered! He had entered the third trial, but the trial itself was gone, erased by someone. He had passed directly.

It couldn't have been Su Hua Nian. Su Hua Nian wouldn't do something so undignified.

Given her status, if she truly wanted to give Su He a Cultivation Method, she would have just asked for it. Why go through the trouble of setting up such a strange trial?

There was something fishy about this trial!

Su He picked up the small box in his mouth and immediately left the trial grounds.

Leave quickly!

Delay might lead to complications!

No matter what was going on with the trial, returning to Su Hua Nian's side immediately would solve all problems.

Besides, this was Beast Taming Valley. The name itself clashed with his nature, and Su He didn't want to stay a moment longer. Beast Taming Valley was adjacent to the Xiangshui Tributary, and about a hundred miles west lay Listening Sea Lake.

Su He headed east, flowing downstream with great speed. In just half an hour, he reached the Mountain Peak where Su Hua Nian was. He climbed halfway up the mountain and plunged into the dense fog.

The enveloping fog gave Su He a great sense of security.

"Roar!" he cried out.

Turtle Mountain flew over and landed steadily on his shell. The Immortal Sword on Turtle Mountain let out a soft hum, and the mist automatically parted, just like Feng Ya Ya's treatment.

Crawling inside, Su Hua Nian, clad in snow-white robes, stood by the pond, like a Fairy in the Clouds.

Su He gently placed the small box at her feet: Golden Sand, pills, and the token.

The token was still playing the voice advising him to retreat. The voice sounded more and more familiar the longer he listened.

Su Hua Nian chuckled softly, "Elder Ge is that kind of person. His Cultivation Method is only passed down to his Direct Disciples. You don't need to overthink it. Since you've missed this opportunity, I'll create one for you."

This was the mark of a powerful being; to create an unconventional Cultivation Method on the spot. Su He's eyes sparkled. Then, he stretched his neck like a great whale drawing in water, inhaling a long, deep breath.

This was the Turtle Longevity Breathing Art. Su He hadn't practiced it yet; he was just demonstrating.

Su Hua Nian frowned, "You passed the third trial?"

When something unusual happens, there's often a reason.

Su He: "Roar!"

Su Hua Nian shook her head, "I don't understand Beast Language."

However, she could tell from Su He's eyes that he wasn't trying to show off, but rather trying to convey something important.

Su Hua Nian extended a slender jade finger and tapped lightly. A paper crane flapped its wings and flew away. It was likely going to find an interpreter who understood Beast Language.

"You should circulate your Cultivation Method. I will protect you," Su Hua Nian said, waving her hand to create a light barrier around the Grass Hut, shielding Feng Ya Ya.

It was just an ordinary trial. The biggest problem would be someone tampering with the Cultivation Method, trying to tame this turtle.

Cultivators fight against fate and are bold and reckless. They wouldn't hesitate to act against Su He just because she had written the character 'Su' on Turtle Mountain.

Let alone a single 'Su', there were countless people who wanted to seize the sect leader's position. Some were just patient, while others were reckless and foolish.

A Divine Beast was enough to make someone take a huge risk. If it could be tamed, what did betraying the sect matter? Otherwise, she wouldn't have needed to plant the Immortal Sword on Turtle Mountain.

Su He wholeheartedly agreed to Su Hua Nian protecting him.

He first closed his eyes and reviewed the meridians and acupoints of turtles, then went over the Cultivation Method again. Confirming he understood everything, he slowly emptied his mind, cleared his thoughts, relaxed his limbs, and entered the state.

This was his first time cultivating, and Su He was extremely cautious.

The Turtle Longevity Breathing Art had two parts. The first part involved a special breathing technique to absorb Spiritual Energy from all directions. The second part used Spiritual Energy to nourish the Demon Star, generating Spiritual Power, which circulated through the meridians.

Indeed, it was a Demon Star! Elder Ge had created this Cultivation Method using his own second body as a subject. Cultivators who cultivated a second body could only be ordinary wild beasts and could only follow the Exotic Beast Dao Path.

But with the Dice Fell and the Cultivation Method advancing, Su He's current Cultivation Method was centered around a Heart Aperture Divine Treasure.

Su He closed his eyes. With each inhale and exhale, a vast amount of Spiritual Energy was drawn into his abdomen and then exhaled. Only a trace of Spiritual Energy was retained within his body, integrating into his Heart Aperture.

Within the Heart Aperture, the Dragon Turtle Phantom absorbed Spiritual Energy and exhaled Spiritual Power.

Spiritual Power was different from Spiritual Energy. Spiritual Energy was everywhere; even if absorbed into the body, it would be expelled. Spiritual Power was Su He's own strength.

To make a comparison, Spiritual Energy was like food, while Spiritual Power was the strength contained within the muscles!

The swirling mist within Su He's Heart Aperture was his Spiritual Power. He had generated it automatically in his ignorant state before, but he didn't know how to circulate or cultivate it.

It was simply being consumed instinctively when using the Water Manipulation Divine Power.

Su He used the newly generated Spiritual Energy as a pivot, guiding the Spiritual Energy from his Heart Aperture out and into his meridians.

The route taken by the Turtle Longevity Breathing Art was not simply the main and extraordinary meridians.

Su He could vaguely understand that this Cultivation Method treated all the Apertures in his body as the Heavenly Dipper, and the circulation of Spiritual Energy was to connect these stars to form a Star Map.

Or, it could be said that it formed a formation of Spiritual Energy within the body!

As Qiu Tong of the Formation Teaching had said that day, all things were formations – people were formations, grass was a formation, and birds and beasts were also formations. It seemed to be true now.

The Turtle Longevity Breathing Art originally connected only sixty-five Apertures, forming a Star Map similar to the Northern Seven Mansions.

The image after being advanced by the Dice... Su He couldn't recognize it! Perhaps his knowledge was too limited, or perhaps it wasn't a Star Map at all, but simply the most suitable path for Su He's Cultivation Method to operate.

The Spiritual Energy circulated through the meridians once, returning to the Heart Aperture, and was then guided out again, taking a different route to forge a more complex network.

There were a total of seven network Star Maps, and circulating through all of them constituted one Great Circulation. The Spiritual Energy returned to the Heart Aperture, having grown by a tiny bit.

Su He slowly opened his eyes; it had gotten dark again. One Great Circulation had taken a whole day.

As Su He opened his eyes, he saw Su Hua Nian with one hand pressed against his Turtle Shell and the other manipulating an Artifact Refining Furnace, refining a Treasure.

For the entire day, Su Hua Nian had been multitasking, refining artifacts while observing Su He's Cultivation Method's circulation.

Seeing Su He wake up, the soft hand on his Turtle Shell retracted, and the Artifact Refining Furnace also stopped. The lid was opened, and Su Hua Nian lightly tapped it. A swarm of fine needles, about an inch long, flew out from inside.

He pointed to the prize box Su He had brought back and said, "What you brought back was Geng Metal Sand. It's the dross formed when too many assorted precious metals are mixed during artifact refining. Although it can't be used to refine Magic Treasures, it contains the divinity of a hundred metals. I've helped you refine seventy-two silver needles. Mixed into your Water Manipulation Divine Power, they can enhance its power a bit."

Su He was immensely grateful. Being a turtle really required clinging to powerful allies.

Su Hua Nian then pointed to the Pills Su He had brought back: "This is the Four Gentlemen Pill, refined from Angelica Sinensis, Ligusticum Chuanxiong, White Peony Root, and Prepared Rehmannia Root that are over five hundred years old. It will be very beneficial for improving your Bloodline."