Continuous Good Fortunes

Ao Yun heard the Mysterious Turtle call Ancestor Dragon a "little loach," and felt a thousand cao ni ma stampeding in his heart. What kind of ancient relic from what era is this?! he thought.

Speaking of which, we need to talk about the Fierce Beast Era. Back then, the Mysterious Turtle, having woken up early, always loved to sleep, but that didn't stop its physical body from constantly strengthening. During the Fierce Beast Tribulation, it had just entered the Hunyuan Realm. At that time, Ancestor Dragon hadn't yet reached Great Luo. The Dragon Race he led wasn't considered powerful in the Primordial Desolation's Four Seas. The Mysterious Turtle had met Ancestor Dragon back then, and the difference in their sizes was immense. To the Mysterious Turtle, Ancestor Dragon was indeed no different than a loach!

Later, during the Fierce Beast Tribulation, many once-powerful tribes suffered heavy losses. Only then did Ancestor Dragon rise to power, unifying the Four Seas and eventually becoming the master of scaled creatures in the Primordial Desolation.

At this time, the Mysterious Turtle's physical body had long entered the Perfected Hunyuan realm, but its Nascent Soul was only at Great Luo. Recently, its periods of wakefulness had become shorter and shorter. It could also sense that its body was bearing some kind of Heavenly Mandate.

The body it currently displayed externally was only a few million miles in size, but this was actually its shrunken form. If it were to fully expand, it would likely reach the heavens. Its body had the potential to achieve Hunyuan Great Luo, but unfortunately, its soul could not bear it. If this continued, its body would crush its soul, leading only to death!

"Senior Mysterious Turtle, has your cultivation encountered some issue? Why do you keep falling into a deep slumber and find it difficult to awaken your consciousness?"

"My soul and body are fused. My body grew too quickly, but my soul's growth couldn't keep up, and it was constantly suppressed, making it difficult to stay conscious.

I can feel that this physical body carries a Heavenly Mandate, so it keeps growing, and I can't stop it. The beings who were my contemporaries could all undergo Form Transformation and emerge into the world, but my spirit and flesh are one. The physical body suppresses the soul, preventing balance, and I've never had the chance to transform.

Now I want to escape this physical body, but my soul can't achieve Nascent Soul. This way, my soul can't break free from the body's gravitational pull. I don't even know if my soul can hold on until the Heavenly Mandate arrives!" The Mysterious Turtle of the North Sea recounted its situation in detail. Its opportunities to be awake were becoming fewer and fewer. Jiang Yun's ability to awaken it this time might be a sliver of hope in its destiny, and it naturally wanted to grasp it tightly.

After hearing the Mysterious Turtle's words, Jiang Yun understood its current predicament.

Presumably, when Nuwa mended the heavens and Sect Master Tongtian came to cut off the Mysterious Turtle's limbs to support the sky, its soul had already been shattered, leaving only its True Spirit within the physical body! Although the remaining True Spirit reincarnated as Turtle Spirit Holy Mother, does that have anything to do with the Mysterious Turtle anymore? If it were the soul reincarnating, there might be a day to recover memories. This is why the Mysterious Turtle's resentment later soared, polluting the Spiritual Energy and living beings of the Northern world. After all, it had been burdened with the Heavenly Mandate of supporting the sky since birth, with no choice. Its body grew too fast, preventing its soul from escaping, and it eventually died due to the Heavenly Mandate. How could its resentment not be immense!

Furthermore, the Mysterious Turtle's death ultimately benefited the reincarnated Turtle Spirit Holy Mother. The sin was borne by the Mysterious Turtle, while the Merit was claimed by Turtle Spirit Holy Mother. Such a life, how can it not be described as tragic?

"Senior Mysterious Turtle, have you considered using the Heavenly Dao's Aura of Merit to separate your body and soul? With enough Aura of Merit, perhaps you can find a sliver of hope!" Jiang Yun proposed a feasible solution tailored to the Mysterious Turtle's situation.

This was indeed a good suggestion, with a high probability of success. The Mysterious Turtle's eyes lit up upon hearing it. However, although it had transformed into an island over the years, nurturing countless beings and gaining some Merit, it feared it was far from enough to separate its body and soul.

"The method you mentioned is indeed feasible, but unfortunately, the Merit I have gained so far is meager. It will likely fall far short for separating the body and soul. If you can help me achieve my wish, I am willing to make a Heavenly Dao oath and be at your disposal from now on, how about it?"

Jiang Yun was overjoyed by the Mysterious Turtle's words.

If he were to provide Merit to help it achieve its wish, the usage rights to this powerful physical body of the Mysterious Turtle could be transferred to the Western Teachings.

In the future, when Empress Nuwa mends the heavens, Jieyin and Zhunti could handle it. This way, they could also share a considerable portion of the Merit for supporting the heavens. After supporting the heavens, the Mysterious Turtle would also receive a large amount of Merit, and as long as it supported the heavens, it would continuously gain Merit.

When the Mysterious Turtle's mission of supporting the heavens was completed, its soul could then reincarnate. By taking the reincarnated body as his disciple, he would also gain the addition of a future great Meritorious figure like the Mysterious Turtle. His own Fortune and the sect's Fortune would also increase significantly. It was truly a win-win situation, no losses, just pure profit!

"This junior is willing to exert his utmost effort to help Senior Mysterious Turtle achieve his wish."

With these considerations in mind, without waiting for the Mysterious Turtle to make a Heavenly Dao oath, Jiang Yun readily took out his own Merit and infused it all into the Mysterious Turtle.

With the aid of Merit, the connection between the body and soul finally loosened, no longer tightly bound. As the Aura of Merit within continuously consumed, the Mysterious Turtle, though extremely excited, methodically and gradually peeled its soul away from its physical body. When eighty percent of the Aura of Merit was consumed, it finally managed to completely separate its soul.

The remaining Aura of Merit enveloped the Mysterious Turtle's soul, continuously nourishing and repairing some of the damage incurred during the separation, while also protecting its soul.

"Hahaha... I'm finally free from this damnable body!" The Mysterious Turtle's soul joyfully vented its accumulated resentment of countless years. The entire soul felt incredibly light and clear the moment it separated from its physical body, as if it had just survived a deadly tribulation and shed all the burdens weighing on its heart.

At this moment, its gratitude towards Jiang Yun was beyond words. No one could comprehend the suppression and indignation it had endured for countless years. If its soul hadn't been forced into dormancy for most of the time, it would have likely been unable to bear it and dissipated long ago.

After venting its emotions, the Mysterious Turtle quickly communicated with the Heavenly Dao and made a Heavenly Dao oath with Jiang Yun.

Now that the Mysterious Turtle's body and soul were separated, Jiang Yun was somewhat troubled about how to take away the physical body. He wore a worried expression. His Inner World couldn't possibly accommodate such a massive body of the Mysterious Turtle; perhaps only the Primordial Desolation world could contain it.

Seeing his worried expression, the Mysterious Turtle's soul inquired about the reason. After hearing Jiang Yun's explanation, the Mysterious Turtle burst into laughter and said, "What's so difficult about that! Although my soul is separated from my body, I can still control it."

With that, it manipulated its physical body, retracting it into its shell, and then slowly shrinking until it was the size of a palm. It then floated beside its soul, guarding it.

Jiang Yun was greatly astonished, never expecting that the Mysterious Turtle's body could shrink to such a size. No wonder its body was only a few million miles when they first met, yet its limbs could be used to support the sky during the mending of the heavens. It must have been the Mysterious Turtle controlling the size of its body to only be a few million miles previously.

After the Mysterious Turtle had dealt with its physical body, Jiang Yun, along with its soul and Ao Yun, who had been watching the spectacle with great surprise, prepared to return to the Northern Sea Dragon Palace.

This trip to seek opportunities, though fraught with twists and turns, had ultimately yielded an unexpected harvest. He was now thinking that when he returned to Mount Sumeru, his Teacher and Martial Uncle would surely jump in surprise upon hearing of his deeds!