Chapter Thirty-Five: The Tortoise Shell

"Spicy shredded chicken, I can't believe I've flown this far," Shi Qi murmured as she drifted through the air.

Before long, Shi Qi arrived atop a cliff wall—the very place where she and Su Xiaomu had seen the millennia-old white tiger beast during the day. There, Su Xiaomu was already seated on the edge, fidgeting with something in her hands. Shi Qi landed in front of her.

"Big brother, you're back!" Su Xiaomu called out happily.

But where had Su Xiaomu gone while Shi Qi was luring the white tiger beast to wreak havoc at Dianxing Manor? Following Shi Qi’s instructions, Su Xiaomu had gone thieving—targeting none other than the white tiger’s own lair!

A millennia-old monster's dwelling was bound to contain treasures.

"What did you get?" Shi Qi asked.

"Here!" Su Xiaomu offered up the object in her hands.

Shi Qi took it and examined it closely. It was a small tortoiseshell, crisscrossed with lines like cracks, looking battered and worn.

"Just this?" Shi Qi muttered, then asked, "Nothing else?"

Su Xiaomu shook her head. "That's all I saw with my eyes. This thing was glowing. The rest were just ordinary stuff."

Shi Qi nodded. It seemed Su Xiaomu's fox eyes could sense treasure.

This little tortoiseshell... Well, whatever it is, I'll refine it first and worry about the rest later. But Shi Qi wasn’t sure if pursuers would still come after them. She beckoned Su Xiaomu, and together they flew downward, first needing to find a safe place.

Shi Qi and Su Xiaomu soared through the air. Shi Qi scanned the surroundings and finally spotted a small cave at the base of a mountain peak. The two squeezed inside, and Shi Qi dragged a large stone to the entrance from outside, blocking it off. In this way, they fashioned a simple, secure shelter.

"Aaah-choo!" Su Xiaomu yawned, then scampered off to sleep.

Shi Qi sat cross-legged on the ground and pulled out the tiny tortoiseshell.

Magical treasures could be refined in two ways: by force or by spirit. Refinement by force was a domineering method—pouring in true energy far stronger than the treasure itself, subduing it by sheer power. Refinement by spirit was more like boiling a frog slowly—gradually fusing true energy, spiritual sense, and spiritual energy, until full control was achieved.

Refining by force was simpler and more brutal, with the advantage of quick mastery—sometimes in as little as half a day—but suited only for the accomplished. Moreover, it could damage the treasure and reduce its power, and at most, one could only reach the second level of attunement, unable to unlock the treasure’s full potential.

Refinement by spirit, on the other hand, took much more time—and carried risks. Since treasures possessed a spirit of their own, a recalcitrant one might self-destruct rather than submit. But once mind and treasure were truly in harmony, the fourth and highest level could be reached, unlocking the treasure's full power. Furthermore, after spiritual refinement, the treasure became bound to its owner—others could not force-refine it, and any attempt would result in its self-destruction, unless the owner died or used a secret art to break the bond.

Magical treasures were divided into four levels:

First level: Human and treasure in accord—one can wield the treasure, but only at half its power, and cannot use its innate special techniques.

Second level: Human and treasure in spirit—one can skillfully wield the treasure and use its special techniques, though at half their full power.

Third level: Human and treasure in heart—one can wield the treasure at its full power, and fully unleash its special techniques.

Second page.

Fourth level: Human and treasure as one—complete mastery, full power, all special techniques unleashed at their peak, and a further magnification of power through total unity with the treasure.

With each level, the treasure’s power increased. At the fourth, human and treasure became one, and the treasure's might reached its zenith.

Thus, for ordinary treasures like the Azure Cloud Umbrella given to Shi Qi by Master Egret, though of fine quality, it was only a mid-grade treasure. Master Egret had advised Shi Qi not to bother with spiritual refinement, lest he waste his efforts.

But this tortoiseshell... should it be refined by force or by spirit?

Focusing her mind, Shi Qi tentatively channeled true energy into the shell, testing its response.

To her surprise, the shell reacted as if it were a slumbering infant tasting the sweetness of mother's milk for the first time—it began greedily absorbing Shi Qi's true energy.

"Hmm?" Shi Qi was a little startled, but thought no more of it. Her inner demon core spun, continuously pouring true energy into the shell.

An hour passed. The shell was still absorbing.

Sweat beaded Shi Qi’s brow. After so long, her body began to feel the strain.

Finally, after another half hour, just as her energy reserves neared exhaustion, the tortoiseshell seemed to have had its fill. It ceased absorbing, and began to emit a gentle orange glow.

Shi Qi’s mind melded with the shell, and suddenly she realized she had reached the first level of attunement with it!

"This..." Shi Qi thought, was this the first time she'd ever been forced into spiritual refinement?

There was no time to ponder further. Shi Qi closed her eyes and carefully sensed the information emanating from the shell.

The moment the knowledge settled in her mind, Shi Qi was elated: this unremarkable-looking little shell was, in fact, a high-grade defensive treasure—the Thousandfold Shield!

With a thought, the shell in her hand transformed into a massive shield, standing before her.

Shi Qi examined the shield. The previously ragged cracks, when magnified, now formed the image of a mysterious turtle. The mysterious turtle, master of water, was the most supple of the five elements. The Thousandfold Shield used the turtle motif, and what had seemed like random cracks now, enlarged, revealed the turtle’s form.

Shi Qi put away the Thousandfold Shield, guessing that her innate true water energy had attracted the shield, waking it from its slumber, and thus forging the first level connection—human and shield in accord.

Looks like she’d need to spend time each day refining it by spirit. After all, defensive treasures were the most practical; with this shield, she could act with much greater freedom.

Shi Qi got up and stretched, glancing at Su Xiaomu snoring lightly nearby. This girl slept like the dead.

Shi Qi leaned against the opposite wall and closed her eyes to rest.

The next morning, Shi Qi was shaken awake by Su Xiaomu.

"Hmm?" Shi Qi opened her eyes to find Su Xiaomu shaking her frantically.

"Hungry, hungry, hungry, hungry..." Su Xiaomu chanted desperately.

"If you're hungry, eat!" Shi Qi stood, raised her palms, and conjured two orbs of water. One hovered in front of her face—she leaned into it, letting the water cleanse her face. The other she tossed at Su Xiaomu. With a "pop," it burst, splashing all over her.

Su Xiaomu looked aggrievedly at Shi Qi.

"Hahaha," Shi Qi laughed, spitting out the rinse water. Turning to Su Xiaomu, she said, "Come on, let's eat!"

At the mention of food, Su Xiaomu instantly perked up, circulating her true energy to dry her face and clothes.

Shi Qi was secretly amazed. Just yesterday he'd given Su Xiaomu the "Primordial Dao Manual." She'd fallen asleep as soon as night fell. She could only have studied it while Shi Qi distracted the white tiger at Dianxing Manor. Yet, in that brief window, Su Xiaomu had already grasped the basics. Such monstrous talent made Shi Qi sweat with shame—in his own case, it had taken half a month to reach the same stage, and Master Egret had already thought him gifted.

Spicy shredded chicken—Su Xiaomu really was a monster. No, wait, he was half a monster himself. If he counted the time right, he should've learned it in half a day.

Noticing Shi Qi standing there lost in thought, face shifting with emotion, Su Xiaomu asked, "Aren't we... eating?"

"Let's go, let's go! Enough thinking!" Shi Qi was easygoing by nature. With so many geniuses across the Twelve Provinces, why worry? It wouldn't stop him from having his fun.

Shi Qi pushed away the boulder, and the two emerged from the cave.

It was early spring. In the morning, the mountain forests were still shrouded in a light white mist, and the air was thick with the scent of fresh grass.

Shi Qi checked the map, got his bearings, and led Su Xiaomu toward Yongzhou.

He avoided using flight techniques, as flying would make them too conspicuous. Shi Qi couldn't be sure whether pursuers from Dianxing Manor were still on their trail. For safety, walking on foot made them less of a target.

After passing through dense forest, Shi Qi spotted a small tea stall by the roadside.

Roadside tea stalls were common, especially along major routes. The cities were far apart, and detouring to nearby villages wasted precious time, so many villagers set up stalls on the main roads, offering travelers, merchants, and journeyers a place to rest.

It was early morning, and the tea stall had just opened, with only a few patrons.

Shi Qi led Su Xiaomu to the stall and found a table.

"Boss, four baked buns, two bowls of hot tea," Shi Qi called as he sat down.

Then, glancing at Su Xiaomu, he smacked his forehead. "Oh, I forgot about you! Boss, add eight more buns and four more bowls of hot tea!"

This girl could really eat circles around him!

Su Xiaomu puffed out her cheeks, staring at Shi Qi, and glanced over at the tea stall owner to see if the buns were ready.

The tea stall was run by an elderly couple, both in their sixties. They were the most ordinary folk in the Twelve Provinces—unlettered, untrained in cultivation, without special fortune. Since birth, they had never left their province, and the farthest they'd ever traveled was the county seat nearest their village.

Their days were spent rising at dawn and resting at dusk, farming in their youth, raising enough to feed themselves and even earn a little extra. Ordinary people rarely lived past a hundred; reaching eighty was considered long-lived.

This couple, now over sixty, had handed their fields over to their son. Unable to sit idle, they pushed a farm cart loaded with tables, chairs, cookware, and utensils to the roadside every morning, walking half an hour to set up their stall and earn a bit of silver.

Hearing Shi Qi order more than a dozen buns at once, the couple beamed, bustling about as they spoke to Shi Qi: "Young Taoist, our buns are famous in all the nearby villages. Even though you’re a cultivator, I bet you’ve never tasted buns as hearty as ours."

Su Xiaomu tapped her chopsticks on the table, mumbling, "Big buns... big buns..."