It's You, Golden Hawksbill

Kong Bo scanned Zi Ji with his Red Moon while held in her arms, all the while contemplating his need for a spirit ring with a massive age limit. Now that he had the framework for a spirit ring, he required a vast amount of energy. But where would that energy come from?

The Sky Dream Iceworm has already been taken by Huo Yuhao, so where am I supposed to find such a massive amount of energy? Kong Bo thought. Should I beg Gu Yuena for a piece of Gold of Life? No, forget it...

At this thought, Kong Bo's eyes lit up. I've got it! Buried in the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest, there isn't just the Sky Dream Iceworm, but also a Golden Hawksbill. That's right, I've found the energy source for my first spirit ring. I'll use you, Golden Hawksbill.

This Golden Hawksbill was a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast. In the original story, it had been a windfall for Xu Sanshi, serving as his spirit soul. Kong Bo intended to use this Golden Hawksbill to provide energy for his own first spirit ring; it should be enough to manifest a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring.

Before long, Zi Ji opened her eyes, released Kong Bo, and stretched. Kong Bo gave a mental thumbs-up; Zi Ji truly took excellent care of him.

"Wow, Kong Bo, you're awake?" Zi Ji said. "After you fell asleep last night, those three moons of yours were spinning in the sky, absorbing the energy between heaven and earth—it seemed to be moonlight energy. Then, your red moon kept shining on me."

"Alright, Sister Zi Ji, take a moment to feel it. Do you notice anything different now?" Kong Bo asked.

Zi Ji sensed her condition for a moment, then shook her head. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

Zi Ji then scooped Kong Bo up in a princess carry. "Let's go, Kong Bo. Whatever spirit beast you want for your first spirit ring, the Beast God will get it for you."

After Zi Ji carried Kong Bo outside, Di Tian was waiting. "Kong Bo, what kind of spirit ring do you want?"

"Senior Beast God, I have indeed set my sights on a specific spirit beast, but I must trouble you to investigate the bottom of the Lake of Life. There is a Golden Hawksbill down there. Please, bring it to me. If possible, I would like you all to help persuade it to sacrifice itself for me."

"There is a Hawksbill at the bottom of the Lake of Life?" Di Tian frowned. "Kong Bo, are you certain? Why can I not sense it?"

"Your Majesty, according to the Master's regulations, you are supposed to descend to the lake floor to investigate every fifty thousand years, but the last time was ten thousand years ago, and you were sleeping," Bi Ji reminded him. "I remember it clearly; when you woke up, you only scanned the bottom with your divine sense before going back to sleep. Hawksbills and other turtle-type spirit beasts are very good at hiding in the water, but they are slow and cannot escape. Why don't you go down and take a look?"

"Very well," Di Tian said, then dove headfirst into the Lake of Life and vanished from everyone's sight.

About an hour later, a massive black dragon surged out of the lake, seemingly clutching something in its jaws. Di Tian landed on the ground, tossed the object aside, and transformed into human form.

The creature Di Tian had retrieved was quite large and strikingly beautiful. It was a turtle with a body of brilliant gold. Its golden shell was not only dazzling but appeared to have a very thick, horny layer. The gold was incredibly uniform and deep, with every texture in the shell a dark, metallic gold, completely flawless.

The turtle's head was also quite different from an ordinary one; it had three ridges and was slightly triangular rather than oval, with several whisker-like spikes on its lower jaw. The entire head was dark gold, becoming brighter toward the chin.

"It really is a Golden Hawksbill!" Bi Ji exclaimed. "Kong Bo, this is the finest among turtle-type spirit beasts, like royalty among them."

"I never expected such a Hawksbill to be at the bottom of the pool!" Di Tian said, then glared viciously at the Golden Hawksbill. "Little Hawksbill, you've got some nerve, eating things at the bottom of the lake that you shouldn't have. How should This Seat deal with you?"

"Your Majesty, I have nothing to say. Please, do it quickly!" the Golden Hawksbill trembled as it spoke. Kong Bo couldn't help but twitch his lip; was this turtle putting on a tragic performance here?

"No, no, I won't be the one to do it," Di Tian said. "See this human child? You will sacrifice yourself to him."

"I... I am to sacrifice myself to a human?" The Golden Hawksbill looked at Kong Bo. "Your Majesty, you want me to sacrifice myself to a human?"

"That is correct," Di Tian said. "If you sacrifice yourself to this child, This Seat will wipe the slate clean regarding you stealing things from the lake floor."

The Golden Hawksbill was considered royalty among turtles, and it possessed significant ambition. The reason it had gone to the bottom of the Lake of Life was that it wanted to cultivate to the twenty-thousand-year level, or even replace Di Tian and lead the Golden Hawksbill clan to rule the Star Dou Great Forest. That was why, when Di Tian had nearly sensed it, it had swallowed a piece of Gold of Life on the spot.

Now that it had been caught, dying at Di Tian's hands would be a fitting end—it could just be reborn as a turtle in twenty years—but sacrificing itself to a human felt humiliating.

At this moment, the King of Ten Thousand Demons sensed the aura of the Gold of Life within the Golden Hawksbill and was furious. He grabbed a dagger, narrowed his eyes, and looked at the turtle. "Little Hawksbill, do you think we are easy to talk to? As the Demon Eye Demon Tree, I am quite skilled with poisons. If you don't sacrifice yourself, that's fine; I'll have Bear Lord slice you into ribbons, then toss you into my toxins. I'll make you wish you were dead."

Hearing the King of Ten Thousand Demons, the Golden Hawksbill became terrified, its eyes filled with dread.

Kong Bo spoke up then: "Sacrifice is not to be feared. It is merely a cool summer night that allows you to sleep without worry. The story of the deep love between the Sea God and his wife is known throughout the Douluo Continent; who hasn't heard of it? But that's not the point. You must know that after sacrifice, there is a possibility of resurrection. I will become a god in the future, and when that time comes, I will resurrect you directly. Hey, you'll become the first turtle spirit beast in history to attain godhood. How about that?"

After the King of Ten Thousand Demons had threatened it, it was only natural for Kong Bo to dangle a carrot.

"Really?" The Golden Hawksbill was somewhat surprised.

"Of course," Kong Bo said. "I swear it by my martial soul. As long as you sacrifice yourself, I will guarantee you a position as a divine beast. How about that?"

"Fine!" Hearing Kong Bo's oath, the Golden Hawksbill lost its worries. "Show me your martial soul; I will sacrifice myself for you!"

Kong Bo then summoned his Three Moons Martial Soul and pulled the Darkness Affinity spirit ring framework from the Red Moon. "My martial soul is different from others. You just need to sacrifice yourself toward this spirit ring projection."

"How strange," Bi Ji said. "Isn't Kong Bo only level ten? Where did he get a spirit ring?"

"That is not a spirit ring, for there is no energy within it," Di Tian said. "It is an empty framework. I suspect the energy generated by the Golden Hawksbill's sacrifice will fill this empty ring and turn it into a real one."

"That is truly unique," Bi Ji said. "What does the Master think of Kong Bo's spirit ring?"

Di Tian replied to Bi Ji, "The Master said that Kong Bo's martial soul is extraordinary and has immense potential, even surpassing that of a God King."

At the same time, a golden light began to shine from the Golden Hawksbill—the sign that it was burning its life force and the sacrifice had begun.

Just then, Kong Bo's Red Moon flew out and hovered between the Golden Hawksbill and the empty spirit ring. The life force the Golden Hawksbill channeled into the ring passed through the Red Moon first, gradually filling the empty vessel. As energy surged into the ring, its color deepened, shifting from white to yellow, then to a deeper yellow, gradually evolving toward a higher-age spirit ring.

About half a minute into the sacrifice, the Red Moon suddenly became active. The life force generated by the Golden Hawksbill's sacrifice also became highly energized, surging toward the Red Moon like a tidal wave, which in turn absorbed the torrent like a vortex.

It seems the Gold of Life the Golden Hawksbill swallowed is taking effect. The Red Moon governs the power of life and death; the boost the Gold of Life provides to the Red Moon within my Three Moons Martial Soul appears to be massive, Kong Bo thought. Wasn't the whole reason he wanted the Golden Hawksbill to sacrifice itself to get the power of the Gold of Life?

It wouldn't have been easy for Kong Bo to ask Gu Yuena for the Gold of Life from the Lake of Life, but getting this Golden Hawksbill was a different matter.

As the energy of the Gold of Life continuously flowed into the Red Moon through the sacrifice, Kong Bo's Red Moon was being strengthened. As mentioned previously, Kong Bo's Red Moon could record the spirit skills of spirit beasts and store them as martial soul archives, much like a computer that could print life force. As the power of the Gold of Life entered the Red Moon, Kong Bo could feel the performance of this "computer" improving significantly. For instance, scanning spirit beasts to record spirit ring frameworks, recording martial souls, and absorbing and storing moonlight energy at night would all see a marked increase in efficiency.

Choosing this spirit beast was the right move, Kong Bo thought.

As the immense life force flowed through the Red Moon into the empty ring, the framework began to turn purple, then deep purple, black, and finally red-black. Just as the ring turned red, something happened that left all the fierce beasts bewildered.