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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
The giant turtle had been submerged in silence for countless years. When it finally opened its eyes, its gaze pierced through the Lake Surface, aiming at the peak of Yunhua Peak.
Above Yunhua Peak, a waterfall that appeared to flow with crystal-clear water was abruptly interrupted by a beam of light, piercing through both the waterfall and the mountaintop.
The entrance to the Cave opened, and Yunxi, dressed in red, emerged from within, looking down with a puzzled expression.
I stood above the Lake Surface, my face tense as I watched the giant turtle rise from the depths. The shadow beneath the water grew larger. I suddenly took a deep breath and lightly leaped up the cliff.
Boom!
A splash erupted like a water dragon rushing toward me. I was struck against the cliff, my insides shaking from the impact. I clawed at the rock face with my hands and pushed myself up, landing on a clearing halfway up Yunhua Peak.
Yunxi landed beside me in her red attire, her expression still one of confusion. "Is it you? How did you end up here?"
I replied earnestly, "I heard some commotion and came to check it out. There’s a monster at the bottom of this lake. Could it be the Azure Cloud Sect's guardian spirit beast?"
Yunxi shook her head. "The Azure Cloud Sect doesn’t have a guardian spirit beast."
"Then that’s strange. I just saw a huge monster's head." I deliberately shifted the topic, fearing she would ask when I arrived at the lake's edge. If she found out I had been watching her bathe, it would be disastrous.
As we spoke, massive waves churned on the Lake Surface, and a gigantic turtle surfaced, measuring around seventy to eighty meters long. Its head was terrifyingly large, resembling that of a giant serpent, while its shell was covered in rocks and structures that looked like an ancient city.
"Camelback Turtle?" Yunxi named it as her Crimson Silk wrapped around her wrist shot out, instantly elongating to ensnare the body of the Camelback Turtle. The turtle let out a roar; its movements were clearly clumsy as it struggled and crashed into Yunhua Peak, causing the mountain to shake and debris to tumble.
Yunxi tightened her grip as more Crimson Silk wrapped around the Camelback Turtle that was now partially above water. The turtle roared in fury and opened its mouth to spit at us; a massive water projectile hurtled toward us. Both Yunxi and I had to retreat, but instead of hitting us, the water projectile smashed into the mountainside above us.
A huge boulder came crashing down. I pushed Yunxi aside just in time as she leaped toward me, her brow slightly furrowed as she softly said, "You..."
With a thunderous crash, I was struck by the falling rock below, dust settling around me until I was no longer visible.
Yunxi's eyes shimmered with emotion as she spread her fingers and lifted a massive boulder into the air, hurling it down toward the chaotic Camelback Turtle below.
I was pinned beneath the falling stones, pretending to be injured. I glanced at Yunxi and asked, "Are you okay?"
Yunxi shook her head, looking doubtful. "Are you hurt?"
Now that I had become a Taoist Sacred Body, my physical strength rivaled that of a diamond, and with Dao Qi protecting me, there was no way ordinary rocks could injure me.
"I’m seriously wounded," I said dramatically, clutching my chest.
"You could at least act a little better," Yunxi scoffed. Chanting a spell, she floated above the lake, her Crimson Silk wrapping around the Camelback Turtle on the water's surface. Turning her face slightly, she instructed, "If you're not dead, come help me. Don't let it destroy the spirit stones underwater; it will ruin the Mountain Guardian Formation."
I sprang up and looked at the struggling Camelback Turtle. "What should I do?"
Yunxi replied, "The Camelback Turtle's body is harder than diamond; it's impervious to blades and bullets. Without a Sacred Artifact, it's nearly impossible to harm it. You need to distract it while I let it swallow me so I can deal with it from the inside."
"Ah?" I was taken aback by Yunxi's seemingly foolish plan. But recalling the coffin that the Camelback Turtle had swallowed earlier and wondering what was inside made me hesitate. Feeling guilty for having peeked at her while she bathed, I said, "You distract it; I'll go in."
"You?" Yunxi looked at me with clear disdain. I adjusted my energy to match that of the Divine Transformation Realm. Yunxi remarked, "Even if you enter the Camelback Turtle's belly at the Divine Transformation Realm, you'll barely escape."
"Surely we can't let Sister Yunxi go into such an ugly monster's belly."
I deliberately called her 'Sister Yunxi' because referring to her as Shifu Uncle felt uncomfortable; it seemed too distant.
Without further ado, I jumped down. Seeing this, Yunxi had no choice but to wield her Crimson Silk against the Camelback Turtle. However, it seemed oblivious to her efforts. She tilted her ear as her crescent-shaped earrings suddenly flew out, arcing through the air and piercing into the Camelback Turtle's head. The creature appeared to feel pain and glared angrily before spitting a water blast at Yunxi. As I landed on the water's surface and lightly bounced, I used the Wind Spirit Technique to rush into the Camelback Turtle's mouth.
Inside its jaws were jagged teeth that would surely tear apart any ordinary person. Even though I was now a Taoist Sacred Body, I still dodged carefully as I surged through the turbulent insides of the Camelback Turtle. Suddenly, my head collided with something hard, causing my consciousness to blur and making me feel drowsy.
When I regained my senses, I found myself surrounded by water in complete darkness within the Camelback Turtle’s body. The stench was overwhelming as I vaguely saw spirit stones that had been swallowed by it. Amidst their faint glow, I spotted a coffin covered in patches of rust.
After a violent jolt, I summoned my Dragon Abyss Sword from my Qi Sea and thrust it into the flesh of the Camelback Turtle. Gray blood oozed out, its foul odor making me gag.
The Camelback Turtle let out a mournful howl and began to thrash violently.
I heard many voices outside the Camelback Turtle, one of which said, "How could the Azure Cloud Sect have a Camelback Turtle? It is said that the Camelback Turtle is an ominous symbol; its appearance means that the ground will be disturbed, the doors will be destroyed, and there are signs of extermination!"
"Don't be ridiculous. The Camelback Turtle is an ancient beast that lives underground. The sudden appearance of such a creature at the bottom of the Azure Cloud Sect's Mountain Guardian Formation lake must have some mystery behind it. Bring the Azure Cloud Chronicles; there might be some records about the Camelback Turtle. Given its size, it must be at least five hundred years old," came the voice of the Grand Elder.
Below Yunhua Peak, Yunxi said, "Hurry up and lift this Camelback Turtle to an open area; someone is inside it."
"What? Someone has been swallowed by the Camelback Turtle?" exclaimed a disciple from the Dragon-Tiger List.
"This Camelback Turtle has been recorded in the Compendium of Materia Medica. Tortoise Dan can prolong life and allow one to breathe underwater. Could it be that someone seeking treasure has risked their life to lure this Camelback Turtle out?" said Cao Bohou, ranked fourth on the Dragon-Tiger List.
"Since there are disciples of Yunxi's Shifu Uncle inside, we must quickly lift this giant turtle to an open area; perhaps there is still hope," said Senior Brother Song Qianqiu.
Everyone joined forces to pull the Camelback Turtle, which was wrapped in Crimson Silk, out of the water and onto dry land.
At that moment, the Azure Cloud Sect Leader flew in from a distance towards the main hall, accompanied by several elders. Upon seeing the Azure Cloud Sect Leader, everyone bowed in respect. The Azure Cloud Sect Leader looked at the Camelback Turtle and asked, "What is going on here?"
Song Qianqiu replied, "Reporting to Sect Master Uncle, Yunxi's Shifu Uncle discovered this Camelback Turtle in the lake. Currently, a disciple has been swallowed by it, and we need to find a way to cut open this giant turtle to rescue them."
The Sword Princess remarked, "It's already been so long; even if we cut open this turtle, that person would have turned to waste by now."
Cao Bohou interjected, "The Camelback Turtle is not just a turtle; it is a spiritual beast."
The Sword Princess snorted in disdain at Cao Bohou's rebuttal. Song Qianqiu then asked the Azure Cloud Sect Leader, "Sect Master Uncle, my master has already sent someone to retrieve the Azure Cloud Chronicles to investigate the origins of this Camelback Turtle."
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader replied, "No need to investigate; this Camelback Turtle was brought from Qilian Mountain by the second generation leader when our sect was founded. At that time, it was kept in the lake beneath Yunhua Peak. Over all these years, there has been no movement underwater, and no one thought of it. I learned about this matter when I first took on the position of leader and intended to find an opportunity to dig it up. I never expected it would come out on its own and cause harm."
"I wonder what use this Camelback Turtle has," asked the Grand Elder.
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader responded, "As they say, a thousand-year crane and ten-thousand-year turtle; it's not surprising for a Camelback Turtle to reach such an age. There are plenty of such creatures in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains; it's not rare at all. Cultivating Tortoise Dan for a thousand years can prolong life and enhance power. It is said that it can also allow one to breathe underwater and increase vision so that one can see even in darkness; whether that's true or not remains unknown."
"Are you done yet? There are still people inside the Camelback Turtle. Pry its mouth open, and I will go in to rescue them," Yunxi said with an unhappy expression.
"Shifu Uncle Yunxi, why not let me go instead?" Cao Bohou said with a flattering smile. "I am tough and resilient; this turtle's belly is likely a filthy place, and it would dirty your precious body."
"No need, I can come out myself," I shouted from within the Camelback Turtle.
I looked at the coffin that I had pried open before me and stored a translucent, round pearl into my Qi Sea. While the people outside were chatting just moments ago, I had already used the Dragon Abyss Sword to open the coffin. Inside lay the corpse of an Old Taoist, exuding an aura of immortality.
The Old Taoist's body appeared remarkably lifelike, looking as if he were merely asleep. His complexion was rosy, and his skin still had elasticity, which startled me. If I hadn't sensed that he was already dead, I would have struck him down with a single sword. In his hand, he held a crystal-clear pearl that resembled warm jade, incredibly beautiful; it was this pearl that preserved the Old Taoist's body from decaying.
It was rumored that Empress Dowager Cixi also possessed a precious pearl in her mouth. After the Eight-Nation Alliance opened her coffin, they found her looking as if she were merely asleep until someone pried that pearl from her mouth, after which her body began to rot.
After taking the pearl, the Old Taoist's body turned to dust. I didn't know what use this pearl had, but I could feel it was almost alive, bringing me a sense of calm.
Once I stored the pearl away, I found two Tortoise Dans inside the Camelback Turtle's body, as seen by those outside. One was the size of a goose egg, while the other was the size of a chicken egg. They floated at the position of the Turtle's Heart, held by a warm current. The Camelback Turtle was over a thousand years old; it wasn't particularly impressive since otherwise, it wouldn't have been defeated by me and Yunxi. The sect leader and elders outside had never seen such a thing; who would know that a Camelback Turtle could possess two Tortoise Dans?
I stored the goose egg-sized Tortoise Dan into my Qi Sea and kept the chicken egg-sized one on me. Then, with one powerful thrust of my sword, I pierced through the Camelback Turtle's body and created a hole in its shell.
Climbing out from within the turtle shell, I held up the Tortoise Dan and said, "Disciple Yang Hao wishes to present this Tortoise Dan to the sect."
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