Chapter Fifty: The Mysterious Turtle

There were few things in this world that could pique Lin Yi’s interest, but the compass in Master Du's hand—in particular, the red bead set atop it—brought a rare gleam to his eyes.

That bead was a spiritual pearl, a treasure that could only form in places saturated with pure spiritual energy. Not only could it be used to restore one’s true essence, but if swallowed directly, it could elevate one’s power and expand the meridians. Such a rare and precious item, Lin Yi hadn’t expected that Master Du would simply use it as a power source for his compass—an utter waste of a heavenly treasure.

The two of them did not join Ye Hongying’s party, but sat off to the side. After a short rest, Master Du suddenly stood up.

“Let’s go,” he said. “Let’s try to find the Black Tortoise before nightfall, and attempt to capture it tomorrow. If anyone falls behind, don’t say I didn’t warn you. The mountain weather is unpredictable, and getting lost here means certain death.”

His words were clearly directed at An Qier and Lin Yi—one only at the level of Hidden Strength, the other an ordinary person.

Ye Shuang’er sneered, “If you’re afraid, you’d better just go home. This isn’t a place for you to sightsee.”

Lin Yi responded calmly, “You needn’t worry about us.”

Ye Shuang’er’s face darkened. She thought to herself, “Stay stubborn now—soon you’ll be begging for mercy.”

All the way, Master Du glanced left and right with his compass. Thanks to this, the group didn’t encounter any danger.

As dusk fell, Master Du suddenly halted.

“What is it?” Ye Shuang’er asked.

“We’ve found the Black Tortoise. It’s about a kilometer from here. Let’s go scout the area,” Master Du said, excitement flashing in his eyes. After searching so long, the Black Tortoise was finally found—and that was only with the compass; otherwise, it would have taken days.

Ye Shuang’er was delighted. If they could subdue the Black Tortoise, the Ye family’s power would grow, and her status, along with Ye Hongying’s, would rise with it.

A kilometer was nothing to them—no more than ten minutes’ walk. Soon, they reached a massive lake, in the center of which stood a small island nearly twenty meters high and almost a hundred meters wide.

“Master Du, where’s the Black Tortoise?” Ye Shuang’er asked curiously.

“There it is,” Master Du replied, pointing to the island.

“My god!”

Everyone was stunned. None of them had expected the Black Tortoise to be so colossal.

An Qier’s pupils contracted. She’d thought the three-tailed fox had been shocking enough, but this gargantuan Black Tortoise was far beyond her imagination. Twenty meters might not sound tall, but it was the height of a six-story building. And that was only the shell; its total mass was even greater.

For a moment, all were struck speechless, awed by the sight before them.

Lin Yi was a little surprised. “A thousand-year-old Black Tortoise—what an incredible tonic.”

Master Du, on the other hand, showed little surprise and smiled faintly. “Though it’s huge, as long as we’re well-prepared, we have a chance against it.”

Ye Shuang’er looked at the enormous tortoise with burning eyes. “Master Du, what should we do?”

“We’ll discuss it tomorrow. Tonight, rest well,” Master Du replied with a light laugh, keeping his real plan to himself.

Ye Shuang’er felt as if a cat were scratching at her heart—she itched with impatience.

The group didn’t camp far away, but pitched their tents near the lake.

An Qier asked worriedly, “Mr. Lin, isn’t it dangerous to camp so close to the Black Tortoise?”

Lin Yi shook his head. “Don’t worry. As long as no one foolishly provokes it, there won’t be a problem. Master Du does know what he’s doing—he understands the creature’s habits.”

An Qier breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Ye Shuang’er’s bodyguards began fishing. Skilled as they were, they soon caught more than twenty large fish, each weighing over ten pounds. Soon, the scent of grilled fish wafted through the air.

This time, Ye Hongying didn’t brazenly approach An Qier—perhaps hoping she would come to him instead.

Gurgle.

The smell of grilled fish made An Qier’s stomach protest audibly, and she blushed in embarrassment.

Lin Yi smiled, took a Vitality Pill from his pocket, and handed it to her. “Here.”

An Qier, knowing the wonders of such pills, gratefully accepted and swallowed it. Warm energy coursed through her, banishing both hunger and the day’s fatigue.

Ye Hongying, waiting a long time for An Qier to approach him, grew ever more sullen when she didn’t. “You little vixen, let’s see how long you can keep up the act,” he thought darkly.

Ye Hongying’s eyes flicked toward An Qier, jealousy burning as he saw her talking and laughing with Lin Yi.

***

The next day.

At dawn, Master Du woke everyone. “I’ll lure the Black Tortoise ashore. With the trees for cover, we’ll have a better chance.”

He spoke confidently, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes. Where there were spirit beasts, treasures were sure to be found. After decades with the Ye family, he’d repaid his debts. If he could capture the Black Tortoise, he could establish a family of his own. As for his companions, they were expendable. In these mountains, death was simply part of the journey.

“Yes,” responded Ye Shuang’er and her companions, none the wiser to Master Du’s intentions. They thought the tortoise’s size would make it slow and unwieldy, and with their numbers and Master Du’s skills, they were bound to succeed.

Lin Yi, however, smiled coldly to himself. Did they really think a thousand-year-old Black Tortoise would be so easy to defeat?

Master Du gathered his inner energy in his feet, tapped the water’s surface, and walked across the lake. Soon, he stood before the Black Tortoise. Only up close did he feel its overwhelming pressure—he was as insignificant as an ant.

“This beast must have reached the Grandmaster level,” he thought, eyes narrowing, yet he felt little fear. A spirit beast was still just a beast—apart from its tough body, it knew no real techniques.

He drew a jet-black dagger from his breast, its edge gleaming coldly. One glance told you it was lethally sharp.

“Go!” he shouted, hurling the dagger at the massive neck of the Black Tortoise beneath the water’s surface. The blade was coated in deadly poison—enough to kill an elephant with a mere scratch.

But—

Clang.

The razor-sharp blade bounced harmlessly off the tortoise’s neck.

Master Du’s pupils contracted in shock. Its defenses were far stronger than he’d anticipated. All his careful preparations meant nothing if he couldn’t even pierce its hide.

The water began to churn violently. Clearly, the Black Tortoise had been provoked and was now fully awake. Its neck rose from the water—over fifty meters long, its head larger than a house.

Master Du’s calm vanished; he wished desperately for eight legs to escape.

Roar.

The Black Tortoise let out a furious bellow and lunged at Master Du, jaws agape.

“Not good!” Master Du’s instincts screamed. He burned his inner energy, barely dodging the bite. But even so, the gust from the tortoise’s massive body stung his face and nearly knocked him off his feet.

“We can’t win.” Half a step from Grandmaster himself, Master Du was quick to adapt. Using the gale’s force, he raced desperately back toward shore.

Ye Shuang’er, not realizing Master Du had failed, was delighted to see him leading the beast toward them. “Get ready! Master Du is bringing it over!” she cried to the bodyguards.

“Yes!” The bodyguards drew their weapons and spread out.

But the Black Tortoise was simply too large. In just a few strides, it caught up to Master Du. He glanced back in terror, only to see a blood-red maw descending upon him.

“Damn it!” He fumbled a pill from his robes, gaining another burst of speed.

Crunch.

But the tortoise’s jaws were too vast—half of Master Du’s body was bitten off in an instant, blood spraying everywhere.

He crashed into the water, not yet dead—his formidable strength kept him clinging to life.

On shore, Ye Hongying and Ye Shuang’er finally realized something was wrong. They tried to flee, but it was too late—the Black Tortoise had come ashore.

Its first bite killed two nearby bodyguards outright. They lacked Master Du’s skills—how could they hope to outrun it?

Ye Shuang’er’s beautiful eyes widened with terror. What had seemed a sure victory was now a disaster.

Roar.

The Black Tortoise bellowed again, lunging at Ye Hongying.

“No, I don’t want to die!” Ye Hongying’s legs gave out. Suddenly, he spotted the dazed An Qier nearby, and desperation hardened his heart. He charged toward her—no longer caring about beauty, only survival.

An Qier’s eyes widened in fear. She instantly saw through his intentions and stumbled back.

Thud.

She collided with a warm chest. Turning, she found Lin Yi behind her. His calm gaze showed no trace of fear, and An Qier’s own terror faded away.

“Mr. Lin…” she whispered.

“Don’t worry. I’m here,” Lin Yi said, patting her thin shoulder.

“Heh, boy, still flirting at a time like this? I’ll send you to the afterlife as a pair of doomed lovers,” Ye Hongying snarled.

Lin Yi glanced at the Black Tortoise, then at Ye Hongying. Suddenly, he stepped forward and vanished.

A moment later, he was beside Ye Hongying. Grabbing him by the neck, Lin Yi hurled him like a bowling ball at the Black Tortoise.

The beast obligingly opened its mouth and swallowed Ye Hongying whole.

Ye Shuang’er collapsed in terror. She had lived her whole life in the Ye family—never had she seen such brutality.

Lin Yi spoke suddenly, “I can save you, but I want the spiritual pearl from the compass.”

Ye Shuang’er snatched at this last hope. Without questioning if Lin Yi meant it, she cried, “Save me, and I’ll give you anything you want!”

“Good,” Lin Yi replied. He was not a bloodthirsty man—those he killed had crossed the line and deserved it.

Roar.

The Black Tortoise, having swallowed Ye Hongying, lunged at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi stood his ground, fist clenched, and struck the beast.

“Oh no, how could I have trusted that fool?” Ye Shuang’er thought in despair. “Even Master Du was helpless—how could Lin Yi, just an ordinary man, do anything? Defeat the Black Tortoise with his bare hands? Ridiculous…”

Boom!

As Lin Yi’s fist collided with the Black Tortoise, there was an impossible reversal—the enormous beast was sent flying backward, its head smashed into its own belly.

Everyone present was dumbfounded.

It was absurd—but it was the truth.

Crash.

The Black Tortoise hit the water, sending shockwaves across the lake. Master Du, still floating in the water, was washed ashore by the waves.

Lin Yi leapt onto the beast’s shell, tapped it, and smiled in satisfaction.

“Not bad—this shell will do nicely for crafting a spiritual artifact or setting up a formation.”

He was thoroughly pleased with the harvest. The tortoise’s flesh was a powerful tonic, and its shell and bones could be refined into magical instruments. And then there was the spiritual pearl—truly a bountiful haul.