They were gone!
Yang Qing and the other two, along with that turtle, were all gone!
Had that turtle swept Yang Qing and the other two into the Lake again?
Wood stood on the shore, staring at the rippling surface of the Lake, and his heart sank.
His own carelessness had brought this situation about.
It had only been a legend, with no way to verify whether it was true. How could he have spoken of it so casually?
Now Yang Qing and the others had all fallen into the water, their fates unknown.
"It's my fault. It's all my fault." Wood held his head in both hands, his face filled with remorse.
"Look! Something's coming out of the Lake again!"
Just as Wood cradled his head and wept bitterly, startled cries suddenly rang out beside him.
The Lake?
Wood froze, then abruptly straightened, his eyes fixed on the surface of the Lake.
Sure enough, the water, which had gradually begun to settle, now churned with bubbles as though it had been brought back to a boil.
A whirlpool had formed right where Yang Qing and the others had vanished.
The whirlpool grew wider and deeper.
By the time Wood looked over, several faint rays of golden light were slowly rising from the whirlpool, until they emerged fully before him and the others.
This was...
The golden light came from three people.
A closer look revealed that each of them wore a suit of armor.
That light was radiating from their armor.
"Black Tortoise Heavy Armor. Is this the Black Tortoise Heavy Armor?" Wood stared at the armored Yang Qing and his two companions, studying their armor as he muttered to himself.
"But could there really be three suits of Black Tortoise Heavy Armor?"
The three who had risen from