Don’t Mess with that Turtle
Chapter 144 - 144 017 Turtle Bead_1

144: Chapter 017 Turtle Bead_1 144: Chapter 017 Turtle Bead_1 The Giant Turtle’s fresh blood was about to run out, and its voice became even more ethereal and unpredictable, signaling a complete dissolution was imminent.

Unlike the Peacock, who was refined from a drop of True Blood and possessed a Soul Consciousness, this Dragon Turtle had nothing—just an essence and breath leftover in the world, forcibly collected by the Toad, devoid of even memories.

Naturally, there was nothing it could leave behind.

Su He hurriedly asked, “Why were you able to capture my Divine God Might?”

This question gnawed at him, and he couldn’t find peace without understanding why.

The Giant Turtle’s gaze was distant, its voice clear yet hollow, “I also do not know.

I simply sensed it, and thus could capture it—perhaps, it was an ability from life…”

After all, it was once a Divine God Beast Dragon Turtle; having various abilities was not strange.

Su He suppressed the doubts in his heart, hoping that he would understand after receiving the Dragon Turtle’s inheritance in the future.

Otherwise, each time he used the Divine God Might, he would feel choked and uncomfortable.

Taking advantage of the Divine God Beast Dragon Turtle’s lingering Spirit Wisdom, Su He asked again, “Why insist on dying?

Why not cultivate in this form and become a Divine God Beast once more?”

Besides, why cling to being a Divine God Beast?

In the face of life and death, does that status still matter?

As long as one is alive, anything is possible.

The ethereal voice laughed softly, “If not for encountering you, stimulated by the Dragon Turtle Majesty, I would not even have retained my Spirit Wisdom…

living in Chaos…

knowing only endless battles and slumber…

not even existing as a living creature, let alone a Divine God Beast…”

“If you were to leave…

I would revert to something like a puppet, possessing only instincts…

inferior even to wild beasts, like an insect…

A Dragon Turtle should not suffer such disgrace.”

Even just a remnant of the Dragon Turtle’s essence should not be desecrated in such a manner.

She chuckled lightly, completely unconcerned about her impending dissolution.

Her voice grew more ethereal and graceful and, like a dying light flickering back to life, became surprisingly coherent, “Little clan brother, the scent of retreat on you is strong to the extreme.

Do you indulge in cultivation every day?”

She spoke gently as Su He took the opportunity to sniff around, smelling nothing but the sea’s briny odor.

“Cultivation is not just about retreating and breathing exercises.

There should be times for appreciating flowers, snow, and moonlight.

In winter, admire the wax flowers, in summer, listen to the rain, in spring, smell the fresh grass, and in autumn, taste the fruits.

Every blade of grass and tree in this world contains the Tao.

Why put oneself under so much pressure?

Constantly cultivating, how is that different from my two thousand years of dull Turtle Life?”

“A Divine God Beast should be free…”

Her voice became even more otherworldly.

Su He pondered thoughtfully, tilting his head with a puzzled expression.

This was certainly guidance, wasn’t it?

Was this their way of parting, restoring memories before departure?

As if knowing his thoughts, the ethereal voice spoke for the last time, “Although I have no Dragon Turtle memories, I have lived for another two thousand years.

Though my life was muddled, I have witnessed much.

These are just spontaneous feelings…”

Barely finishing her words, she could no longer hold on.

The blood drained, and her voice gently shattered.

“Little clan brother, take care…”

In front of him, the Giant Turtle’s flesh turned to ash, leaving only a Turtle Shell floating on the sea’s surface.

True to her words, this Turtle was not even a living creature.

“Farewell,” Su He murmured softly.

He had encountered two true Divine God Beasts, but both were already dead.

Divine God Beasts have longevity, not immortality.

They indeed need the power to guard the Dao.

With a gentle touch, the Turtle Shell crumbled, leaving behind a Turtle Bead no larger than a grain of rice, suspended in the air.

The Turtle Bead from the Turtle Shell brought by the Toad was as big as an apple; in contrast, this Turtle Bead was only the size of a grain of rice.

But the pure Dragon Turtle Qi on the Turtle Bead was so overwhelming it left one breathless.

For two thousand years, the Giant Turtle had not been idle; perhaps, driven by the Dragon Turtle essence within, it had instinctively condensed this Turtle Bead.

Using this small Turtle Bead alone to pass down the bloodline was naturally insufficient.

But for Su He, it was a treasure beyond measure.

This Turtle Bead was devoid of any bloodline impurities and was a pure Dragon Turtle Bead!

He attempted to absorb it into his External Space, but the Turtle Bead dodged it like a bowl weaving away, burrowing into his mouth with an almost eager anticipation.

Possession?

That was Su He’s initial thought, which he immediately dismissed.

The Yuan Spirit of a Divine God Beast cannot be possessed by another—this fact applies not only to purebred Divine God Beasts but also to any creature on the path of becoming a Divine God Beast.

Killing them is easy, but possession does not exist.

The Turtle Bead melted as soon as it entered the mouth, transforming into a cool and refreshing breath that surged into the limbs and bones.

Then, an intense pain came from every piece of flesh and bone.

Scales all over the body shivered violently.

Blood seeped through the gaps between the scales.

A fishy turtle smell emerged.

Su He’s entire body twisted, and in that moment, it felt as if tens of thousands of silver needles were shuttling through his body, crushing it into powder, inch by inch.

Intention was forcibly dragged into the body,

and inside, on the inky-black bones, cracks appeared, then healed over and over again, intertwining destruction and recovery.

White-clad warriors within the veins rushed out, beating their drums, yet looked around bewildered, unsure of where to strike.

Ships laden with cargo were pushed down to the waterline, sailing with difficulty.

The Consciousness Clear Mirror flickered rapidly, its data constantly updating.

Status: Destructive Advancement

True Blood: 92%…93.4%…

Offering Bones: 14%…15.7%…

Internal Organs: 16%…19.6%…

Three sets of numbers flashed in succession.

Eventually, after an unknown length of time, they gradually came to a halt.

Status: Weak (Extreme)

True Blood: 97.3%

Offering Bones: 41%

Internal Organs: 52%

Trembling, Su He spat out a murky stream of water and slowly opened his eyes, not realizing when he had sunk to the bottom of the sea.

The excruciating pain had vanished, and every bone crack was transmitting hunger.

With difficulty, he opened the External Space, took out handfuls of Warm jade, and stuffed them into his mouth, barely swallowing them.

At last unable to hold on any longer, his eyes slowly closed.

This bead, without the turtle’s integrity, sneak-attacking a child—where’s the decency in a Turtle Bead burrowing into one’s mouth, dissolving on its own, and forcibly pushing someone to advance?

If Su He had been given a bit of preparation time, he would not have done this.

Absorbing the Turtle Bead should have been about storing energy first, holding it in the mouth during hibernation, using an entire winter, or even longer, to slowly absorb it.

Even if he didn’t wait for hibernation, Su He wouldn’t have absorbed it now—his True Blood had just broken through ninety percent, a time of rapid progress.

At the very least, he should have waited until he encountered another bottleneck before using the Turtle Bead to give himself a push.

Thinking this way, it seemed he had lost many small goals.

On Monkey Island, the heavy rain had long stopped.

Feng Yaya had already slept and woken up again.

The Big Turtle hadn’t returned, and Feng Yaya sat on a tree branch, swinging her legs and gazing into the distance.

Two nondescript and ugly little birds huddled in her embrace, incessantly pecking at her arm.

Feng Yaya tore strips of meat to feed the birds.

This was the feeding method taught to her by Green Snake.

The two nestlings had always been in the bird’s nest in the Small Island Cave, until Feng Yaya found them nearly killed by a snake on her last visit.

If not for the sake of Green Snake, that serpent would have been turned to dried snake by now.

As Feng Yaya fed the birds, she wondered absent-mindedly.

When she was younger, did her mother also feed her like this?

Everyone else ate a mixed diet, but she ate meat every day.

Is that why she hadn’t grown much?

Pondering, Feng Yaya reached for a green fruit, crushed it, and tossed it into the Little Eagle’s mouth.

The eagle sputtered out breaths of laughter, coughing the green fruit out, let out a sharp shriek, and flapped out of her embrace, falling onto a wild pig and toad below that were stacking Arhat.