A dozen-odd breaths passed quietly, and the pool remained still.
A few fish surfaced, swimming merrily and blowing little strings of bubbles.
Naturally, Ye Jingcheng had no mind to watch the fish. His eyes were fixed on the Grotto-Heaven's entrance, ready to rush out at any moment.
Yet before he could see the aged figure appear above the pool, he sensed a change in the Grotto-Heaven, and a faint ripple appeared in the void.
The ripple was so subtle that anyone else would have mistaken it for the wind.
But Ye Jingcheng knew the Void-Rending Divine Earthworm was giving him a signal.
That Seventh Stage Negative-Origin Turtle was so cunning that he had slipped into the Grotto-Heaven without revealing himself.
Had Ye Jingcheng not made preparations, he really would have thought the old turtle was still investigating where he had been. By the time he discovered otherwise, the old turtle might already have emerged, rendering all his efforts futile.
After cursing inwardly, he quietly vanished from where he stood.
A moment later, he arrived above the pool.
The fish were still swimming merrily, utterly unaware that someone had appeared above them.
Ye Jingcheng's movement and concealment techniques were no slouches either.
Still, the Negative-Origin Turtle inside sensed him and began unleashing a divine ability, preparing to smash his way out.
But Ye Jingcheng was ready. He tossed out a small inkstone, blocking the Grotto-Heaven's entrance and drawing the Seventh Stage Negative-Origin Turtle inside it.
With a single step, Ye Jingcheng entered the inkstone as well.
The inkstone sank into the Grotto-Heaven amid a glow of spiritual light.
The pool remained quiet. A few fish about to swim away seemed bewildered, unsure whether what had just happened was an illusion or merely a gust of wind.
The moment Ye Jingcheng