Dojo

Good stuff.

Too bad it wasn't snatched, otherwise the quantity would at least double.

"I didn't find any problems with the cultivation technique, but the spirit absorption effect was a bit weak, so I made some modifications for you." Su Hua Nian placed a finger on Su He's forehead, imprinting a spell into its mind. A brief test showed it could perfectly integrate with the Turtle Longevity Breathing Art.

However, the amount of spiritual energy it absorbed didn't seem to increase; it remained the same, and breathing became slightly more difficult.

Su He looked at Su Hua Nian in confusion.

Su Hua Nian seemed a bit tired, her voice softening slightly, "You are a water-element Divine Beast, so you don't need to absorb other spiritual energy. This Spirit Absorption Art will only absorb water-element spiritual energy."

After a day of observation, Su Hua Nian discovered that Su He's cultivation technique was of no low grade. This was definitely not something Elder Ge could have created in just one year.

It must have taken at least sixty years of painstaking effort, or it had another source.

Fairy is awesome! Su He wanted to shout at the top of his lungs. One day! In just one day, she created a cultivation technique that perfectly suited him and only absorbed water-element spiritual energy.

Should I say, as expected of Su Hua Nian?

Su He's eyes were full of admiration, and a smile played on Su Hua Nian's lips.

The Fairy is indeed even more beautiful when she smiles. She's usually too reserved.

This turtle's gaze was becoming increasingly human-like. Su Hua Nian asked softly, "Can you breathe underwater?"

Su He nodded.

"Then cultivate underwater. The water element is abundant underwater, and the effect will be better." Unfortunately, she didn't understand the structure of turtles. Otherwise, normal spirit absorption techniques wouldn't just involve breathing through the mouth and nose, but through all the pores of the body.

This turtle had no pores; its shell and scales couldn't absorb spiritual energy through their skin.

"Have you chosen a dojo?" Su Hua Nian asked.

On the path of cultivation, there were Dharma, wealth, companions, and land. Dharma was the foundation; without Dharma, cultivation couldn't even begin.

Wealth was external but could provide timely help and add to one's glory. Pills, magical treasures, spirit stones, and the like could compensate for one's shortcomings.

Companions went hand in hand. Enemies, masters, and fellow cultivators were all companions. Ya Ya, Su Hua Nian, Elder Ge, and even Lu Ming were Su He's cultivation companions.

A dojo was the "land." Cultivators, especially beasts, absorbed the elemental energy of heaven and earth, altering their surroundings. The environment also affected their cultivation. The places where strange beasts lived often became forbidden zones. Those strange beasts that caused great droughts or floods wherever they went were all like this.

As a Divine Beast, Su He was no exception.

Su He fell silent, his eyes dimming slightly.

"Do you want to leave?" Su Hua Nian asked.

Su He did want to leave. The Azure Origin Sect made him feel insecure, especially Feng Yi Ju. Su He didn't mind joining a sect and being a guardian Divine Beast for thousands upon thousands of years, even until death.

But he minded the restrictions! No one liked being a slave. Didn't you see that no god or Buddha in the heavens wanted to be on the Investiture of the Gods list? Su Hua Nian didn't understand beast language, but she understood human hearts. She extended her slender jade finger and tapped Su He's turtle-mountain Immortal Sword, injecting a surge of spiritual power.

"This sword is yours. It can unleash three strikes at your will, each with the full power of my attack. If you wish to leave, no one in the Azure Origin Sect can stop you."

Su He's breath hitched. He believed her.

A woman like Su Hua Nian inspired trust at a glance—she disdained lying.

It was laughable, but he actually deeply believed that a Fairy would stand against her own Dao companion for him.

"If you have no dojo to choose, you can listen to the advice of the head disciple of the Beast Taming Valley," Su Hua Nian suddenly said.

The dense fog outside the forest parted, and Xia Da Li tidied his clothes and walked in. When Su Hua Nian had sent him a message that morning about a change in the trial, Xia Da Li had been quite puzzled.

He had only given the trial token to Su Hua Nian; the trial hadn't even begun. He knew Elder Ge's temper and had planned to stall for a while, truly seeking the cultivation technique.

Who would have thought that after just one night, the trial would be over?

The person he had appointed to oversee the trial was completely unaware! Elder Ge disliked formalities and preferred not to interact too much with others. He especially favored exotic beasts—he loved both those that could be raised and those that could be eaten.

His courtyard, built outside the valley, was not monitored by the Beast Taming Valley's formations, so Xia Da Li couldn't pry into the elder's dojo.

It wasn't until Su Hua Nian's paper crane reached him that he learned the trial had ended, and there had been an accident.

He had remained on the divine turtle, but the detection and protection spell he had cast had not been triggered. This was highly unreasonable. No matter how negligent he was, such a mistake shouldn't have happened.

"Senior Sister Su!" Xia Da Li cupped his hands in greeting to Su Hua Nian, his attitude respectful, a stark contrast to his usual carefree and unkempt demeanor.

In the entire Azure Origin Sect, his admiration for Su Hua Nian surpassed even that for Feng Yi Ju.

Well, he had been beaten up for breaking the rules when he was young.

"Is there a result?" Su Hua Nian asked. The message sent in the morning arrived in the evening, so there should be a result. Although Xia Da Li was unkempt and didn't care about formalities, he was at least reliable.

Xia Da Li nodded. "It was Lu Ming. He is still unrepentant in the Suppression Prison and has had his cultivation crippled and been expelled from the sect."

He didn't mention the matter of the detection spell. It was unwise to act rashly before an investigation.

"Huh?" Su He looked up. Him again! What did I, this damn turtle, ever do to offend him? Last time it was his scheme. That scoundrel seems to have his sights set on my Divine Beast flesh and blood. Again and again, for no reason!

Cripple his cultivation and expel him from the sect, that phrase sounded so familiar. If you don't kill a snake completely, it will cause endless trouble. Su He narrowed his eyes.

His scheme this time must have been extremely insidious, otherwise, he wouldn't have had his cultivation crippled.

This scoundrel must die!

"Huh?" Su He asked.

Xia Da Li replied, "He was expelled from the sect, so naturally, he'd find a place to recuperate. He wouldn't dare return to the Beast Taming Valley, so he could only go to..."

He suddenly stared at Su He, "What do you want to do? Do you want to cut the weeds and eliminate the roots?"

His voice turned a bit more serious, "Do you know that is now Junior Sister Shui Jing's Jing Shui Mountain? Even if Junior Sister Shui Jing isn't home these past two days, it's still the dojo of a Spirit Awakening Realm expert. Junior Sister Shui Jing's cultivation might not be high, but she excels at formations, especially her mountain protection formation which is a combination of an Illusion Formation and a Sword Formation. You won't be able to break through it.

Even if you somehow get through, what will you use to kill Lu Ming? His cultivation is useless, but his tempered physical body is still there. You can't exactly sneak attack, can you? With your massive size, are you going to hide in the water? You can't do it. I advise you to behave yourself..."

"Thank you for your guidance!"

Su He turned to leave, but Xia Da Li called out, "You can't go! It sounds like I'm teaching you how to assassinate someone. Someone wants to see you now, you can't leave!"

Su He turned back, looking at him in surprise. Isn't that right? I don't want to see anyone right now, I just want to kill someone.

"No matter what, you received Elder Ge's cultivation inheritance. His person has come to see you, and you just leave without regard. That wouldn't be good, would it? It would also tarnish the reputation of you, a Divine Beast, and people would say you are an ungrateful, ordinary beast." Xia Da Li said leisurely, his eyes fixed on Su He's.

Su He grunted for a long time before letting out a stifled roar.

Su Hua Nian watched quietly, and only then asked, "Who is it?"

She had already sensed a strange aura outside the formation. That aura was wrapped in a special space, and unless it was cleaved open, no one could tell who was coming.

A strange look appeared on Xia Da Li's face, as if the person was difficult to mention. He shook his head and smiled helplessly, "Master Zhuang!"

Su Hua Nian was stunned. A hint of playfulness appeared on her usually cool face. She chuckled, and her fair jade finger flicked through the air, parting the mist of the formation.

Then...

A sturdy Camel swaggered in with a swagger that suggested it didn't care about anyone.

A smell of alcohol wafted over.

Su He's turtle eyes widened.

He recognized this Camel!