Dark Tortoise

Inside the Sect Master's Hall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi was looking over the documents in his hands, his expression somewhat serious.

"Uncle Bone, according to the experiments over the past few days, the results for those who took whale rubber have been fairly ideal. The effects are very obvious and should match Yang Lin and his son's description of its effects."

Bone Douluo nodded. "That is indeed the case. The effects of whale rubber are even better than we imagined. Especially after we arranged for a Soul Saint to take Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber—he actually broke through his bottleneck and rose a level. I could also clearly sense a great deal of impurities being expelled from his body. His meridians expanded to a certain extent, his cultivation speed became considerably faster than before, and even his physique improved. I estimate that taking whale rubber can indeed increase the age limit of soul rings one can absorb. It seems that, if taken correctly, this whale rubber truly is a priceless treasure and will greatly benefit our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"However, there are still two drawbacks. The effects are extremely obvious the first time one takes whale rubber, but the second time is nowhere near as effective—perhaps only twenty or thirty percent as effective. Also, whale rubber itself has aphrodisiac effects. This effect is especially pronounced if an entire piece is melted down and consumed, and it could easily cause someone to lose control."

"I plan to arrange for several female disciples to try it over the next few days to see whether there are any differences between men and women. Still, I think it would be best to wait a while. We cannot rashly give it to disciples we are focusing on training."

Ning Fengzhi remained silent for a while before speaking. "That is only proper. We are not in a hurry. We need to confirm the effects thoroughly and ensure there are no side effects whatsoever. However, we can purchase some in advance. Uncle Bone, arrange for Fourth Elder to take some trustworthy people secretly to Vast Sea City. There is a large supply of whale rubber there, and the prices are rather low."

"Alright. I'll make the arrangements right away."

Ning Fengzhi continued flipping through the documents on the table when one file suddenly caught his attention.

It stated that Inner Sect disciple Yang Xiong had reached level ten, but he insisted on choosing a five-hundred-and-forty-year-old Mystic Turtle as his First Soul Ring. Since this soul beast was rather unusual and its age was simply too high, the sect needed to make the final decision.

After reading it, Ning Fengzhi could not help but smile. "Uncle Bone, this Yang Xiong is quite interesting. I did not expect him to be so bold."

Upon seeing the information in the file, Bone Douluo wore a speechless expression. "This boy is being far too reckless. Although his martial soul is unusual, what does it have to do with turtle-type soul beasts? And the age limit for a First Soul Ring is only four hundred and twenty-three years, yet he wants to absorb a five-hundred-and-forty-year soul ring. This is utter nonsense."

"Besides, while having a body as a martial soul is rather lackluster, it is not as bad as people imagine. Could this boy be planning to take the Defense System path?"

"And if I remember correctly, the Shi Family of Heaven Dou City recently wanted to buy this Mystic Turtle from us. They even offered quite a high price."

Ning Fengzhi considered it carefully. "Uncle Bone, do you think Yang Xiong is a fool? The kind of person with no plans, or one who disregards his own safety?"

Bone Douluo shook his head. "Not at all. Though I have only met Yang Xiong once, that boy is extremely shrewd. And with how much he loves reading, he is certainly no fool. Besides, a fool could never have discovered such a great secret as whale rubber."

A faint smile appeared on Ning Fengzhi's face. "Then let him absorb this Mystic Turtle's soul ring. Making money is important, but our own disciples are more important. I'll have to trouble you, Uncle Bone, to personally observe the process when the time comes. We also happen to want to confirm whether whale rubber can increase the age limit for absorbing soul rings. If he truly faces danger, do your best to preserve his life. It is rare for our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to produce such an interesting little fellow."

At the Yang Family, after Yang Xiong repeatedly assured his parents, they finally agreed to let him absorb a five-hundred-and-forty-year soul ring.

Two days later, under Lin Gong's personal guidance, Yang Lin, Sun Yu, and Yang Xiong arrived together at the edge of the Soul Beast Forest the family maintained. The turtle Yang Xiong wanted had already been knocked unconscious and imprisoned. What they did not know was that Bone Douluo was secretly observing their every move.

The moment Lin Gong saw the Mystic Turtle, he flew into a rage. "Nonsense! Do you people responsible for capturing and raising soul beasts not even possess basic knowledge about soul beasts? You actually got the species wrong!"

Yet Yang Xiong was even more delighted as he looked at the soul beast, because it was exactly as he had imagined. It was not a Mystic Turtle at all.

Normally, the exact age of turtle-type soul beasts was determined by the patterns on their shells. This turtle was noticeably larger than an ordinary Mystic Turtle. Judging by the lines on its shell, it was indeed five hundred and forty years old. However, an ordinary five-hundred-and-thirty-year Mystic Turtle was only around 1.8 meters long, whereas this turtle was 2.4 meters in length.

This was not a Mystic Turtle, but the legendary Dark Tortoise. It was said that Dark Tortoises were among the finest turtle-type soul beasts. Not only did they possess astonishing defenses, but they were also rare, with many living in extremely hidden places that made them difficult to capture. Yang Xiong had no idea how the sect's people had managed to catch this Dark Tortoise.

After Yang Xiong had read the detailed information on Mystic Turtles, he had known that this particular one was certainly unusual. Aside from their body length, Dark Tortoises and Mystic Turtles were generally similar in most aspects. However, their tooth patterns and claw shapes differed to a degree, and one could not tell them apart without looking closely.

Moreover, Dark Tortoises could be considered supreme soul beasts. They possessed dual water-and-earth attributes and extraordinarily formidable defenses, said to be as impregnable as a fortress.

What many people did not know, however, was that Dark Tortoises were also extremely rare Power Type Soul Beasts. Both the bite force of their jaws and the strength of their limbs were incredibly formidable. Once bitten by a Dark Tortoise, even the strongest soul beast would lose a layer of flesh.

Yet their speed was relatively slow due to their size. With an enormous turtle shell on their backs, their limbs appeared especially short and small.

But this slowness was only relative. If their limbs were not truly so short, this type of turtle soul beast would definitely not be slow.

Of course, a very small number of records also stated that Dark Tortoises possessed spatial attributes. However, because their numbers were so limited and few people had absorbed this type of soul ring, they had never gained much of a reputation in the Soul Master world.

Whether in terms of defense, strength, or even spatial attributes, Dark Tortoises could be considered miracles of the Soul Master world. Especially since legend said that they possessed the bloodline of the divine beast Xuanwu.

Seeing Yang Xiong's expression as though he had expected this all along, Lin Gong could not help asking, "Yang Xiong, did you realize it was a Dark Tortoise the moment you saw the illustration and detailed description that day?"

Yang Xiong merely smiled. "Teacher, I can only say that I got lucky. I never expected my First Soul Ring to come from such an excellent soul beast."

Lin Gong could not help but mock himself a little. "I was the one who made assumptions. The books you read over the past two years were not wasted after all."