Chapter 49: Not an ordinary tortoise
Bai Ruoxue took you and flew southward.
A few days later, you could see a vast sea in the distance.
At this moment, Bai Ruoxue's expression had turned serious.
You knew this meant you were nearing a dangerous beast.
"Stop!" Suddenly, you heard a hoarse voice.
Next, you saw a massive Mystic Turtle emerge from the sea.
The voice came from the turtle itself.
This was an eye-opener for you. In your previous simulations, you had encountered Demonic Dragons and Demonic Phoenixes, but none of them had ever spoken.
Bai Ruoxue watched the turtle warily, then tossed a storage ring towards it and said politely, "Senior Turtle, please grant us passage."
Seeing this, you felt a bit nervous.You could guess Bai Ruoxue's intention; she was trying to bribe the Mystic Turtle.
After all, you knew that Bai Ruoxue had bribed her way into the sealed land, where entry was forbidden.
If she could use the same method to get you out, that would be ideal.
But could it really be that simple? You remained skeptical.
If bribery alone could get people out, many would have escaped the Southern Regions by now.
Not only you, but Bai Ruoxue herself was unsure; this was her first time attempting this.
She could come and go because she was originally from the outside world.
The celestial beings above didn't monitor this place daily. As long as she didn't stay too long and gave the Mystic Turtle some benefits, it was mutually beneficial.
But now she wanted to take you, a native of the Southern Regions, which was a different situation.
The Mystic Turtle shook its head, took the storage ring, and inspected it.
Then it stared at you and Bai Ruoxue, saying she could leave, but you could not.
Hearing this, you sighed inwardly, knowing it wouldn't be that simple.
Bai Ruoxue also looked disappointed, but she quickly grabbed you, her aura changing.
You felt a powerful energy surge from her; she was preparing to force her way through.
At that moment, the Mystic Turtle unleashed an overwhelming aura far surpassing Bai Ruoxue's. In an instant, you found it hard to breathe.
Bai Ruoxue's face grew increasingly grim. She hadn't expected the Mystic Turtle to be so powerful, far beyond her estimation.
Just its aura alone made it difficult for her to protect you.
You used the Eye of Insight to check the Mystic Turtle's realm.
Seeing its realm, you instantly lost hope of escaping.
The Mystic Turtle wasn't in the Tribulation Crossing Realm but the Mystic Immortal Realm.
Even though the Eye of Insight showed it was severely injured, the fact that it was an Immortal meant it was at least a celestial being.
As for whether a Mystic Immortal was strong or weak among celestials, you didn't know; your understanding of cultivation hadn't reached that level.
Regardless, this Mystic Turtle was not something Bai Ruoxue, an Eighth Layer of Tribulation cultivator, could resist.
You were sure that even escaping would be difficult.
Soon, you and Bai Ruoxue were immobilized by the Mystic Turtle's pressure.
The Mystic Turtle tilted its head and said, "Such impatience."
Then it told Bai Ruoxue to bring ten billion Spirit Stones, and it would let you leave.
Next, you saw the Mystic Turtle fling Bai Ruoxue away, crashing her into a formation crack in the sea, where she disappeared!
You were still processing the Mystic Turtle's words.
What? The bribe actually worked!
Though ten billion Spirit Stones was an enormous sum, it was indeed a way to leave the Southern Regions.
This filled you with joy.
But you couldn't understand; wasn't the sealing of the Southern Regions a decision by the celestial beings?
How could the Mystic Turtle dare to do this?
Was it stronger?
That didn't seem right either. If it were stronger, it wouldn't be stationed here to guard the formation crack.
As you pondered, the Mystic Turtle grabbed you.
It said you were now its cargo and had to follow it, not leaving on your own.
You didn't dare say no, not that it would matter if you did.
The Mystic Turtle forcibly took you away.
Soon, you arrived at a small island in the sea.
After arriving, the Mystic Turtle ignored you and went to sleep beside the island.
A year passed, and the Mystic Turtle continued to sleep, not bothering you.
But you didn't dare act rashly, knowing that such a powerful being couldn't be truly asleep.
In the fifth year, you tried walking around and found that the Mystic Turtle didn't stop you.
This gave you a bit more courage.
You began to wander around the island daily.
Besides that, you fished and caught shrimp by the shore.
Of course, this was out of necessity.
There was no spiritual energy here, not a trace.
You couldn't cultivate or absorb spiritual energy for inedia, so you needed ordinary food to fill your stomach.
Time passed, and another five years went by.
In the tenth year, the Mystic Turtle woke up. Seeing you fishing and hunting on the island, it grabbed you.
It stared at you intently.
From its eyes, you sensed a look of disappointment!
Suddenly, the Mystic Turtle said, "I didn't expect someone who practices the Ancient Divine Dao to be such a useless fool!"
The Mystic Turtle's words left you even more confused.
You thought to yourself, "Aren't we enemies? Why would it be disappointed in me for slacking off?"
Of course, you knew things weren't that simple. The Mystic Turtle exuded an aura of mystery.
It knew about the Ancient Divine Dao and saw through you with just a glance.
Moreover, its actions and cultivation were far beyond the Demonic Dragons and Demonic Phoenixes you had encountered in your simulations.
Compared to them, its strength was immeasurable.
It didn't kill on sight, could trade, accept bribes, and even dared to defy the celestial beings' orders.
This made you feel that it was more than just a beast guarding the formation crack.