Truth

"Roar!"

The resounding cry of a dragon rose and fell through the mountain forest as an arm-length silver-white treasure fish sped through the woods, skipping over the ground like a stone skipping across water.

"Chase it!"

"Fellow Daoists, my Li Family has been waiting here for more than half a month. Could everyone show me, Li Han Song, some consideration? I would certainly be deeply grateful..."

"What Li Han Song? You're so old and still only a First Feather Transformation cultivator. How much is your face worth? Get lost!"

"The Wu Family of Red Crow City is here! Our family head is a Second Feather Transformation cultivator!"

"..."

Twenty or thirty figures emerged from around Small Stone Lake, scrambling over one another as they frantically pursued that streak of silver light.

Chen Xuan's luck was not particularly good, because the spot where the Over Mountain Treasure Fish had left the lake was far from him.

"Bang!"

A young Qi Refiner who happened to be in the treasure fish's path pounced on it in wild delight. In the next moment, both his palms exploded, reduced to a bloody mess, and he collapsed to the ground screaming.

"A fellow who only refines Red Qi has a body as brittle as paper. What are you joining in for?"

The other Qi Refiners ran past him. Someone mocked, "The fish's intelligence is only three thoughts the size of a grain of rice, shallow and dim-witted. Whether Red Qi burns or not makes no difference!"

Chen Xuan moved as swiftly as lightning. White Qi surged within him, while a layer of golden-white radiance spread across his body. Before long, he had overtaken those behind him and become one of the foremost pursuers.

He was cautious by nature. After spending several days here, he had already gauged the strength of the Qi Refiners in the area.

Only two of them were Second Feather Transformation cultivators. One was the family head of the Wu Family of Red Crow City, who refined Red Qi. The other was an old Daoist from some Daoist temple, who refined Water Virtue Black Qi.

"Swish!"

After pursuing it for more than three miles, the old Daoist at the very front finally drew near the treasure fish. He swept out his sleeve, and several streams of water shaped like chains shot out, binding the treasure fish in midair.

"Roar!"

The treasure fish cried out and struggled to break free. But suddenly, its body stiffened. Blood surged into its jewel-like eyes, and not only that—threads of blood seeped out between its scales.

Blood was water too!

"Boom!"

A blaze of fire suddenly rushed from behind the old Daoist and sent him flying. A man in his fifties or sixties glared with fire blazing from his eyes, flames surging from his palms. It was the Wu Family head, and he shouted:

"You old Daoist abstain from meat and women—what are you snatching the treasure fish for? I'm going to eat it!"

He refined Red Qi. It was not easy for him to catch the treasure fish, but he could deal with the person who had caught it!

The old Daoist's back was charred black. He bared his teeth in pain, jumped up, and cursed, "What the hell do you know? Abstain from meat and women? The Rain Master Dao has no taboos! Every female Daoist in the temple is my Dao companion!"

The old Daoist cursed violently as he launched a furious assault on the Wu Family head.

"Old Daoist, stop! Someone stole the treasure fish!" the Wu Family head roared angrily, because from the corner of his eye, he saw the Over Mountain Treasure Fish suddenly snatched away by a young man with a strong, upright physique.

"So it's a mantis stalking a cicada? Fine, I won't fight over the treasure fish anymore. I just want to beat you up."

The old Daoist was so furious that his beard and hair stood on end. He even brought out his techniques. Roiling green water surged forth, while the phantom of a black-scaled python swallowed clouds and spat mist, pressing forward all at once.

He could let go of the opportunity, but if someone ambushed him, that grudge had to be settled!!

"You refine Water Virtue Black Qi, so how are you even more hot-tempered than I am?" The Wu Family head's head grew as large as a bushel, and he was forced to use his own technique to defend.

Water Virtue Black Qi.

What it sought was "commanding time and years, ascending to godhood through talismans."

Black Qi cultivators liked to plan before acting and never did anything without profit.

But the old Daoist before him had clearly exceeded the Wu Family head's expectations. The old Daoist roared, "Giving you a sound beating will put my heart at ease. That is the profit I want right now!"

Chen Xuan was dumbstruck, but it was good that the two Second Feather Transformation cultivators had started fighting. Neither had the time to bother with him.

"Swish!"

Chen Xuan held the deathly still treasure fish, kicked off, and ran. Within a few breaths, he vanished into the darkness.

He had set foot on the Feather Transformation Path for the second time, and he was precisely in urgent need of heavenly treasures.

Deep in the Southern Wilderness.

On a thousand-zhang-tall mountain, ripples shimmered across a deep pool.

The snow-white old turtle stared in bewilderment. Its white, bean-like eyes rotated several times before it slowly closed its wide "Dragon Gate" mouth.

"Has this old man's rations been stolen again?"

His mood was foul, because his rations had just been stolen a few days ago.

That nest of treasure fish in Small Stone Lake had been raised by him. It took a very long time for even one treasure fish to mature, yet recently they had been stolen one after another.

The old white turtle rose from the pool. With its murky eyes, it looked down upon the mountains rolling beneath the distant night sky.

"Gurgle..."

Hot water roiled in the pot, cooking an Over Mountain Treasure Fish.

Chen Xuan sat cross-legged nearby, a golden, gleaming tea leaf held in his mouth. He had already begun cultivating the first chapter of the Yellow Millet True Scripture.

A leaf from the Buddha-Heart Tea Tree of the Hanging Temple could increase one's strength by roughly a hundred or so jin on its own. Its advantage lay in its quantity. Chen Xuan had already eaten nearly half of them over the past few days, and he estimated that eating them all would increase his strength by around three thousand jin in total.

"Tsk, it really smells good. Humans are different after all—they know how to enjoy themselves."

All of a sudden, an aged and kindly voice rang beside Chen Xuan's ear, startling him into a shudder.

Chen Xuan instantly rose from the ground, cold sweat beading across his forehead.

After killing Wang Chan back then, he had vaguely heard a "Hmph" while cooking the treasure fish. The voice had sounded exactly the same.

The Over Mountain Treasure Fish from Small Stone Lake had an owner too!

An old turtle with a body as white as snow appeared before him. The Taiji Eight Trigrams pattern on its shell revolved without pause. It stood nearly as tall as half a person, stretching out its neck to sniff the fragrance of the fish in the pot. Then, its head, seemingly molded from clay, turned toward Chen Xuan, its face filled with helplessness:

"Little thief, you've gotten addicted to stealing this old man's rations, haven't you?"

Chen Xuan was horrified, because he had not sensed a thing beforehand. The old white turtle had simply appeared in front of him out of nowhere.

This was terrifying. Old Turtle's strength far exceeded his imagination.

Chen Xuan swallowed and immediately said in a low voice, "Senior, I don't want the treasure fish anymore. I'll leave right now."

He was decisive, believing that the old turtle was not someone he could contend with at his level.

It was too absurd. Behind an ordinary flesh-and-blood treasure medicine like the treasure fish on the outskirts of the Southern Wilderness, there was actually such a terrifying monster hidden away. It was simply inconceivable.

One had to know that countless Qi Refiners had recently poured into the Southern Wilderness. Heavenly treasures were discovered every day, and the monsters they encountered were all at the Feather Transformation level.

As for the truly dangerous depths of the Southern Wilderness, everyone simply would not venture in to explore them.

The old white turtle shook its head. "No need. This is your opportunity... A treasure fish that can be caught by a Qi Refiner isn't worthy of entering my belly."

"Ah?"

Chen Xuan stood there blankly. He had not expected Old Turtle to be so reasonable, or to let his offense go without pursuing it at all.

The old white turtle clasped its hands behind his back like a dying old man and slowly circled Chen Xuan once. His gaze examined him from head to toe, as though admiring a delicious dish, making Chen Xuan's scalp prickle.

Chen Xuan's expression turned solemn. Unable to understand what the old white turtle meant, he asked, "Senior, what are you looking at?"

The old white turtle smiled. "Your Root Bone is not bad, and your temperament suits my taste. I felt that way the last time I saw you."

Then he said something that sent Chen Xuan plunging into an icy abyss.

"Qing Yazi of Green Deer Mountain was there too. You ruined his great undertaking. I believe he must have wanted to kill you at the time..."

Qing Yazi!

Chen Xuan was horrified. Immediately afterward, an uncontrollable chill surged into his heart as an immense, unforeseen shadow descended upon him.

I've become a chess piece!

At that moment, this terrifying thought rose in his heart.