Star-Backed Black Turtle

As the sun set and the moon rose, cold moonlight spilled over the surging Muddy Dragon River, scattering a layer of shattered silver light across its waves.

He Sheng followed the Muddy Dragon River downstream, having already traveled seven or eight hundred li.

Yet with the remote spiritual-sense perception bolstered by the Subtle Ripple intent, that faint sense of danger had never faded.

He Sheng could not help finding it strange, and he pondered inwardly:

"Since that suspected Core Formation expert has been able to keep trailing behind me, they must have some means of tracking...

"But if they truly are a Core Formation cultivator, why haven't they simply caught up?

"After all, according to the cultivation common sense in Brother Piao's memories, it was perfectly ordinary for a Core Formation cultivator to travel seven or eight hundred li in an hour.

"Though I am moving swiftly through the water, it would be nothing remarkable in a Core Formation cultivator's eyes. They should have caught up long ago and forced me to use Subtle Ripple Water Escape, shouldn't they?"

Subtle Ripple Water Escape was indeed fast. If he could sustain it for an hour, he could escape one thousand three or four hundred li.

Unfortunately, with He Sheng's Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivation, even at full spiritual power, he could only sustain it for the time it took half an incense stick to burn.

"Could Brother Piao's perception have been wrong... Could the other party not be a Core Formation cultivator?!

"Perhaps merely a Pseudo-Core cultivator, or..."

Before He Sheng could figure out the crux of it, the river ahead abruptly widened. The current split in two here: the main channel continued surging eastward, while a tributary on the right curved south.

"According to Brother Piao's memories, this is the fork of the Muddy Dragon River. This tributary runs south all the way, passes through Heaven Capital Mountain, and merges downstream into the Silver Sand River that cuts across the south of True Province."

The region around the Silver Sand River was precisely the territory where Brother Piao had reigned supreme.

A thought stirred in He Sheng's mind, and he instantly turned into that tributary.

Following this slightly murky tributary south, he soon entered a vast expanse of mountains.

The once relatively broad river surface swiftly narrowed, becoming a deep current through a gorge.

Sheer cliffs rose like they had been hewn with blades, thrusting into the clouds and blocking most of the moonlight, making the water all the darker.

Farther ahead, ancient trees towered within the mountains, their branches and leaves interlacing like a canopy. Vines hung down to the water like giant pythons, and the air brimmed with a primordial, savage aura.

The mist carried the earthy reek of soil and the odor of rotting vegetation. Clearly, few people ever came here.

"This is the territory of Heaven Capital Mountain, which cleaves through True Province from north to south."

He Sheng slowed his water-riding speed and began sorting through Brother Piao's memories concerning Heaven Capital Mountain.

"Heaven Capital Mountain is a place where demon beasts run rampant. Though there is no third-rank demon king comparable to a Core Formation cultivator residing in its mountains, several second-rank great demons comparable to Foundation Establishment cultivators have made their lairs here.

"Each bears a fearsome reputation, and ordinary cultivators dare not venture here lightly.

"However..."

A thought suddenly flashed through He Sheng's mind, and a place surfaced in his thoughts: Longevity Pool!

That place lay in a hidden gorge within Heaven Capital Mountain. In a deep pool more than ten li wide was concealed a water manor established by a second-rank great demon.

"The second-rank great demon who established that water manor is a Star-Backed Black Turtle, and it shares deep ties with the He Family."

Simply put, this Star-Backed Black Turtle had once been the spirit pet of the He Family's ancestor from Hundred Herbs Valley.

Two hundred years ago, that He Family ancestor, with cultivation at the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement, seized Hundred Herbs Valley. He then multiplied and thrived there, thus establishing the He Family line.

After his lifespan ended at ninety-nine and he passed away in meditation, this spiritually awakened Star-Backed Black Turtle became a masterless spirit beast.

Yet it did not leave at once. Remembering its former master's kindness, it remained with the He Family for nearly another century, continually receiving the He Family's provisions while also protecting them.

"It was only twenty or thirty years before Brother Piao was born that this old turtle perhaps discovered some fortuitous opportunity and quietly departed Hundred Herbs Valley."

Later, no one knew what opportunity the Star-Backed Black Turtle had obtained, but it became a second-rank great demon comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator and established a water manor at Longevity Pool.

After becoming a second-rank great demon, the Star-Backed Black Turtle even returned to the He Family once, and its ties with them had never been severed.

"Brother Piao was able to withstand the joint suppression of several Foundation Establishment families and successfully establish his foundation in one stroke, all thanks to the old turtle's protection."

But after Brother Piao established his foundation, the relationship between the two sides gradually grew distant.

Especially after Brother Piao entered the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, he had once revealed his desire to have the Star-Backed Black Turtle return to the He Family as their "clan-guarding spirit beast," and the two sides drifted even farther apart.

Even so, the old turtle's connection to the He Family had never been cut off. The He Family still sent offerings to the Star-Backed Black Turtle every so often.

"In short, the old turtle still cherishes its old ties with the He Family; it just doesn't get along with Brother Piao.

"After all, what second-rank great demon in its right mind would, with a full belly and nothing better to do, find itself another master to lord over its head?

"Isn't occupying a mountain, ruling as king, and dominating a region far better?"

On second thought, He Sheng muttered:

"Brother Piao may not get along with the old turtle, but I'm not Brother Piao!

"A powerful enemy is now trailing right behind me. After fleeing all this way, both my spiritual power and divine sense have been greatly depleted. I urgently need to rest and recover.

"I might as well swallow my pride, pretend to mend the relationship, and pay the old turtle a visit.

"For one thing, I can borrow the old turtle's water manor to rest for a while;

Secondly, he might even be able to borrow the old turtle's protection to catch a glimpse of the full picture of whoever was pursuing him from behind!"

The plan was a go!

The more He Sheng thought about it, the more feasible this method seemed.

Demonic beasts differed from human cultivators. The Star-Backed Black Turtle's entire body was as hard as refined iron, and its defensive power was extraordinarily formidable, far surpassing that of human cultivators at the same rank.

What was more, since it could establish a water manor, there would surely be defensive measures within—easy to defend, difficult to attack.

"Besides, Heaven Capital Mountain is no place where one can run wild at will.

The several second-rank great demons in the mountain are bound together by common cause, each forming a horn against the others.

Otherwise, they could never have remained securely rooted here all this time.

They would likely have long since been wiped out by that false-core cultivator of the Golden Cloud Sect!"

Put simply, if that cultivator pursuing him truly dared to attack the water manor, the old turtle need only send out a signal to summon friends and allies.

"Then, with several second-rank great demons joining forces, there might be a chance to escape completely, or even..."

A sharp gleam flashed through He Sheng's eyes. Without further hesitation, he sped toward Longevity Pool.

Under the night sky, A streak of azure sword light chased the moon like a falling star, pursuing him all the way to the fork in the Muddy Dragon River.

But after crossing the fork and following the main current for several more li, Ye Shaochen abruptly drew in his sword light and hovered in midair. His brows were tightly furrowed as his gaze locked onto the river surging eastward ahead.

"How strange..."

He murmured to himself, a flicker of uncertainty passing through his eyes.

"Why have the traces of mana fluctuations vanished into thin air here?"

The reason Ye Shaochen had been able to cling so tightly to He Sheng's trail all this way was not because his divine sense was truly so heaven-defying that he could lock onto a target from more than a dozen li away.

Rather, it was because he possessed a special prototype ruler-type artifact: the Spirit-Seeking Ruler!

This treasure had been bestowed upon him by his master. Not only was it remarkably potent, it could also be used to probe the spiritual energy fluctuations between heaven and earth.

Thus, as long as Ye Shaochen activated this treasure and combined it with the unique ocular art he had painstakingly cultivated for many years, the Golden Eyes That Pierce Delusion, he could keenly catch the faint residual traces of fluctuations left in the world when a cultivator controlled an artifact or cast a spell.

Even though He Sheng's water-controlling art was exceedingly exquisite, it was inevitable that it would leave behind wisps of spiritual energy ripples in the water.

Under the enhancement of the Spirit-Seeking Ruler and the Golden Eyes That Pierce Delusion, those ripples were as clear as torches in the dark of night.

Yet upon reaching this fork, the traces of mana fluctuations in the main river flowing east had abruptly come to an end, as though He Sheng had simply evaporated into thin air.

"Could he have gone ashore?

Or did he use some secret art that completely concealed his aura?"

Ye Shaochen felt a touch of irritation as his divine sense swept through the surroundings once more.

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and his gaze turned toward the tributary at the previous fork that bent southward.

"No!

If he had gone ashore, there would surely be one or two traces left along the bank;

if he had used a secret art to conceal himself, the earlier traces would not have been cut off so cleanly.

The only explanation..."

Ye Shaochen's eyes lit up as he said, "That bastard must have changed course at the previous fork!"

Ye Shaochen immediately turned back toward the fork.

"Rise!"

With a low shout from Ye Shaochen, a jade ruler roughly three inches long, crystalline and translucent throughout, flew from his palm.

Immediately after, he formed hand seals with both hands. A faint layer of golden radiance appeared in his eyes as he activated the ocular art, the Golden Eyes That Pierce Delusion.

Whoosh!

The jade ruler shot into the tributary's waters, then released a ripple nearly imperceptible to the naked eye that swept across the surface of the southern tributary.

A moment later, a faint red light suddenly lit up at the tip of the jade ruler, and a trail so faint it was nearly gone appeared before Ye Shaochen's eyes.

"That bastard really did change course here!"

A cold smile tugged at Ye Shaochen's lips.

"No matter what kind of ghostly thing you are, or how cunning your schemes may be, as long as you still use mana, don't even think of escaping my grasp!"

Before his words had faded, the azure light around him flared again. His sword-riding speed grew even fiercer, and like a bolt of azure lightning, he sped onward.

Before long, a streak of sword light tore through the night sky and plunged straight into the depths of Heaven Capital Mountain.