Mystic Turtle spoke, but after saying only one word, he had nothing more to say.
By the time Mystic Turtle spoke again, several days had passed.
Although time was cheap in the Primordial Wilderness, unless one was in a special state such as comprehending the Dao or cultivating, time still had to be passed second by second.
Lin Bei waited patiently for a long while before piecing together Mystic Turtle's fragmented words:
"You have come. I have always been unable to take human form. I wish to discuss the Dao with you."
Indeed, throughout the North Sea region, ever since the Dragon Clan had been deeply embroiled in the Immeasurable Kalpa and crippled by Luo Hou, there was no living being stronger than Kun Peng.
"Sure." Lin Bei readily agreed. "I was just looking for a fellow Daoist to discuss the Dao with."
The original Kun Peng had a gloomy, sinister temperament. He certainly would not have wasted words on this slow-speaking, seemingly foolish Mystic Turtle.
But Lin Bei was different. In his view, even setting aside Mystic Turtle's future feat of sacrificing himself for Mending Heaven, Mystic Turtle was certainly no simple figure.
At present, the poorest part of the Honghuang Continent was the Northern Region. Once Luo Hou blew up the West, the most barren place would be the West.
Yet even so, Jieyin's possessions were not lacking.
Aside from his Personal Spirit Treasure, the Jieyin Treasure Banner, he also possessed the Bodhi Tree, a supreme Innate Spiritual Root.
It was merely that Jieyin was truly compassionate. He allowed the Bodhi Tree to take human form, which was how Zhunti came to be.
Once the two divided their possessions, their Spirit Treasures naturally seemed scarce.
If Jieyin had erased the Bodhi Tree's spiritual intelligence, then together with his later gains from Zixiao Palace, his foundations might not have compared to the Three Pure Ones, but he would not have been at all inferior to Nüwa, who was likewise a Saint.
In truth, the situations of the West and the North were somewhat similar. Both had been affected by the Immeasurable Kalpa.
Now, among the top-notch Cultivators born in the North of the Primordial Wilderness, aside from Xuanwu, who had transformed into one of Heaven and Earth's Four Extremes to suppress the North, only Mystic Turtle and Kun Peng remained.
Surely two Innate Gods with top-notch origins could not fail to scrape together even a single Personal Spirit Treasure?
In any case, Mystic Turtle could not take human form. Building a good relationship with him would be useful, even if it only meant borrowing something from him later.
Thus, Lin Bei settled down near Mystic Turtle. Aside from cultivating, he also took time to discuss the Dao with him and strengthen their relationship.
A long time later, the Demonic Dao War in the distant West also came to an end.
The confrontation between Hongjun and Luo Hou had ultimately ended in Hongjun's victory, after the sacrifices of Yin Yang Lao Zu and Qiankun Lao Zu and the damage to the West's earth veins.
However, Luo Hou had also sworn, "As the Dao rises, the demonic path declines. As the demonic path rises, the Dao declines," vowing to remain entangled with Hongjun forever.
Only then did the Primordial World truly enter a relatively long period of peaceful development.
Above the North Sea, muddy waves surged into the sky as Spiritual energy roiled, forming a black vortex.
A Dao sound flowed from within, expounding the general principles of The Great Void Two Forms Art:
"The Great Void is vast and elusive; Hundun has yet to take form. Qi gathers in primal chaos; the Dao hides without a name."
"Movement and stillness stir each other, and Yin Yang is born. The Two Forms first divide, and Eternal Manifestations emerge in abundance."
"Yin Yang merge as one and return to the limitless. Form and spirit are both wondrous, becoming true in union with the Dao."
"Guard the ultimate void and command all things; grasp the Two Forms and steady Qian Kun."
"Return to the root and restore one's destiny, and thus attain the Great Void!"
The phantom forms of Kun and Peng surged within it. As the two merged, they gradually condensed into shape.
Lightning Tribulation was primarily one of the trials aimed at Acquired Living Beings. So long as one was an Innate being, there was no need to worry about such matters.
Lin Bei's body gradually took shape, manifesting amid the surging black qi.
A yearning gaze shone from Mystic Turtle's enormous eyes as he stared fixedly at the center of the vortex.
When the vortex dispersed, an extraordinary man stood upon the waves of the North Sea. He wore a luxurious black robe embroidered with intricate golden patterns.
His thick, ink-black hair flew wildly in the wind, while a sharp chill glinted in his eyes.
Lin Bei sensed the surrounding Heaven and Earth and proclaimed:
"Great Dao above, I am Bei Ming, with the Dao title Kun Peng!"
After the proclamation, Bei Ming vaguely sensed a profound, unfathomable echo.
No matter how his transmigration had happened, in this era before Hongjun had Merged with the Dao, there was no harm in reporting himself to the Great Dao.
Besides, after his soul and body had fully fused, followed by cultivation through countless Yuanhuis,
he was no longer entirely the former Lin Bei, nor was he the original Kun Peng.
Therefore, to establish himself in the Primordial Wilderness, he needed a new name.
In the Primordial Wilderness, names and Dao titles could not simply be chosen at will.
Kun Peng had been born in the North Sea, at the northernmost edge of the Primordial Wilderness, so he took Bei Ming as his name.
"Kun Peng" was still more suitable as a Dao title, like "Fei Xiong."
Di Jun and Tai Yi did not call themselves Da Jinwu and Er Jinwu, either.
Bei Ming cupped his hands toward Mystic Turtle. "Fellow Daoist, I have finally met you in this form."
Mystic Turtle opened his mouth.
After all this time, aside from his physical body's strength and size growing exponentially, he still had made no progress in other aspects.
Bei Ming landed on his back and sat cross-legged. He had occasionally rested on Mystic Turtle's back when taking Peng form before, so both of them were already accustomed to it.
"Mystic Turtle, don't rush. Speak slowly."
After he spoke in fragments for a long time, Bei Ming pieced together a passage:
"Fellow Daoist, congratulations on successfully taking human form. Yet after cultivating for countless Yuanhuis, I still cannot form a Dao Body.
You and I have kept each other company for a long time. Now, the time has come for us to part.
The myriad beings of the Primordial Wilderness have different fates. You should not remain trapped in a corner of the North Sea. You should enter the world in the name of the Northern Border of the Primordial Wilderness."
Bei Ming did not put on a sentimental act or speak of being unable to part after so many years of friendship. He simply answered:
"That is precisely my intention. Now that the Three Clans have declined and the Primordial Wilderness is relatively stable, it is indeed a good opportunity to travel abroad.
Once I consolidate my cultivation a little, I will head out to explore the Primordial Wilderness. While I am at it, I will see whether there is a way to help you take human form."
Though he spoke lightly, Mystic Turtle was somewhat moved.
After all, through countless Yuanhuis, the only fellow Daoist he had ever known still remembered him while traveling abroad.
Mystic Turtle had existed in the North Sea long before Bei Ming gained spiritual intelligence.
Back then, there had still been quite a few Dragon Clan experts in the North Sea, but none of them paid much attention to Mystic Turtle.
Given Mystic Turtle's condition, he spoke so slowly that few Cultivators were willing to waste time keeping him company. Would it not be better to cultivate more or seek some opportunities?
With his formidable defensive power, Mystic Turtle could ignore most attacks. Many Cultivators who had tried to set their sights on him had met with failure.
As a kinsman of Xuanwu and a creature of the Scaled Creatures, Zu Long and Zhu Long naturally would not personally come looking for trouble.
This left Mystic Turtle immersed in endless loneliness. Since he himself could not cultivate normally, he could only taste that loneliness all the more deeply.
At this moment, Bei Ming's arrival was a ray of light shining into Mystic Turtle's bewildered existence.
After another round of waiting, Bei Ming pieced together Mystic Turtle's complete words:
"I see that you have no protective Spirit Treasure. Since I cannot move anyway, this item is of no use to me, so I shall give it to you."
Before you continue