Chapter 624
The Celestial Spirit Beast Azure Turtle Appears
They all seemed to possess a certain spirituality, with clear, even curious, eyes.
When Jiang Xuan passed by, they did not avoid him. Instead, some of them would come closer to look at him for a few moments, and then swim away leisurely, showing no aggression whatsoever.
This eased Jiang Xuan's tense nerves slightly. At least, this place didn't look like a dangerous place.
He continued onward, the waters were far more expansive than he had imagined. He swam for what he estimated to be dozens of kilometers, and all around him were still endless, magnificent corals. However, the further he went in a certain direction, the taller and denser the corals seemed to become, and the "precious aura" they emitted—a halo of spiritual energy—became more and more obvious.
“These corals… are probably no ordinary things either. Having been immersed in this pure spiritual energy for many years, they have probably become some kind of rare and precious material.”
Jiang Xuan pondered this, but did not act rashly. Without knowing the surroundings, any rash action could lead to unpredictable risks.
After swimming for a while, the water ahead suddenly became much brighter.
That light didn't come from the "sky" above, but from the bottom of the water ahead—a cool and pure silver glow! It was as if someone had poured a miniature galaxy onto the seabed, the light flowing and the starlight twinkling, illuminating that area as if it were daytime, yet with a dreamlike hazy quality.
The magnificent sight made Jiang Xuan hold his breath as he cautiously approached.
At the center of the light source is a strange "aquatic plant" growing on a special white sandy substrate.
They are not soft and swaying, but rather their stems are straight and graceful, like slender silver swords drawn from their sheaths, pointing straight upwards. Their entire bodies are silvery and smooth, flowing, as if they were not plants, but works of art condensed from the purest moonlight and starlight.
The leaves are slender with natural, mysterious patterns along the edges, and they also shimmer with silver light.
Patches of silver "sword grass" grow together, their silver light converging to create that spectacular scene resembling a cascading galaxy.
Even more strangely, they exuded a pure and refined spiritual energy that Jiang Xuan had never felt before! This spiritual energy was cool and refreshing, carrying a fragrance that penetrated straight to the soul.
Just by taking a deep breath, Jiang Xuan felt his spirits lifted. The fatigue from days of travel and the lingering pain from previous mental energy depletion were greatly relieved. His mind was clear, and his thoughts became much sharper.
"A rare treasure of heaven and earth! Absolutely a rare treasure of heaven and earth!"
Jiang Xuan's heart skipped a few beats.
Such spiritual objects would be of immeasurable benefit to cultivators, especially in nourishing the soul, refining spiritual power, and breaking through bottlenecks—they would likely have miraculous effects! Judging by the scale, if we could collect some…
He suppressed his excitement and did not immediately step forward. Something was definitely amiss; how could such a spiritual creature be without any guardians? He carefully observed his surroundings, and apart from the curious spirit fish peering out in the distance, there seemed to be nothing nearby.
"Perhaps... I'm overthinking it? The creatures in these waters seem quite peaceful..."
Jiang Xuan pondered for a moment, but ultimately could not resist the temptation of the silver spiritual herb. He decided to get closer and at least observe it carefully. If there was no danger, picking one or two plants should not be a problem.
He concealed all his aura, like a shadow in the water, slowly swimming towards the very edge of that silvery radiance. The closer he got, the more concentrated the pure and refreshing spiritual energy became, making every pore on his body open up, bringing him unparalleled comfort.
Just as his fingertips were about to touch the leaf of the outermost, slightly shorter silver sword grass—
"Hey! What kind of petty thief dares to steal my elixir of immortality?!"
A shout filled with anger and disdain rang out like a thunderclap in Jiang Xuan's ears, and it was spoken in the human language in perfect pronunciation!
Jiang Xuan felt a chill run down his spine and instantly retreated several feet, gathering his spiritual energy throughout his body as he warily looked towards the source of the sound.
Suddenly, a crack appeared silently in the white sand in front of the silver sword grass, and a black shadow the size of a millstone shot out with a "whoosh," kicking up some sand.
That was... a turtle?
No, not entirely.
The creature's carapace was a deep blue-green, covered with mysterious and complex dark gold patterns, its luster restrained, as if it had endured countless ages.
Its limbs were short and thick, covered with fine, bluish-black scales, and its claws were sharp. Its head... did resemble a turtle, but its nostrils were more prominent, and its eyes were unusually large, currently glaring wide open, angrily staring at Jiang Xuan.
It climbed onto a nearby, equally white coral reef, looked down at Jiang Xuan with one of its front paws, and spoke in a tone full of condemnation and arrogance.
"You arrogant brat! You dare to steal my 'Starry Sword Algae' while I'm taking a nap? You're asking for trouble!"
Jiang Xuan was momentarily stunned. A talking... turtle? No, judging from its appearance and tone, it was definitely not an ordinary turtle.
He suppressed his surprise and did not look down on the other person because of his appearance. He cautiously clasped his hands in greeting and tentatively asked.
"This... senior? I stumbled upon this place by mistake and, seeing this extraordinary spiritual herb, was tempted to steal it. May I ask who you are...?"
"senior?"
Upon hearing this, the "turtle" widened its eyes even more, seemingly even angrier, and stomped its limbs on the rocks.
"Who are you calling 'senior'? Which eye of yours can tell I'm a human being?! Huh?!"
Jiang Xuan was taken aback, thinking, "You're speaking like a human being now, isn't it respectful of me to call you 'senior'?" But seeing the other party's intense reaction, he had no choice but to change his address.
"Then...you are...a demon cultivator?"
"A demonic cultivator?!"
The turtle's voice suddenly rose, as if its tail had been stepped on, filled with resentment at being insulted.
"I'm furious! I'm furious! You blind human brat! I am a blue turtle, born of heaven and earth, of noble blood! Do you understand what a blue turtle is? It's not comparable to some lowly monster with fur and horns, born from eggs in the wet! It's certainly not that 'turtle' you're talking about!"
A blue turtle?
Jiang Xuan's heart skipped a beat.
He recognized the name! He had seen a few words about it at the end of the rare and exotic beasts section of the "Compendium of Ten Thousand Beasts" that Old Man Xue Jin had forced him to memorize.
"The Azure Turtle, a celestial-rank spirit beast, is suspected to be extinct. It is born in the most yin waters of the Nine Netherworlds, prefers tranquility, and has a long lifespan. Its carapace is naturally covered with Dao patterns, which can predict good and bad fortune. It possesses immense strength, and when it grows up, it can carry mountains on its back. It can also control water and wind, and ride the clouds and mist, making it an auspicious sign."
A Celestial-Rank Spirit Beast! That's a legendary, terrifying existence that, once fully grown, can rival even the most powerful humans! And judging from the Azure Turtle's tone, it seems to hold an extremely high position. "This... is due to my ignorance and lack of knowledge; I failed to recognize your greatness and offended the Azure Turtle... Your Majesty."
Jiang Xuan reacted quickly, immediately lowering his posture, cupping his hands again, and speaking sincerely.
“I truly did not mean to trespass and had no intention of offending you. I was also unaware that this spiritual herb belonged to Your Majesty. Please forgive me, Your Majesty.”
Seeing that Jiang Xuan's attitude had changed and he quickly admitted his mistake, the blue turtle seemed to have calmed down a bit, but it still held its head high and pointed its nose at Jiang Xuan.
"Hmph, that's more like it. This 'Starlight Sword Algae' of mine has been cultivated for over a thousand years to grow to this size. It is nourished daily by moonlight, starlight, and the spiritual veins of the seabed. It is extremely precious. How could a mere brat like you dare to touch it?"
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty is right."
Jiang Xuan nodded repeatedly, but his mind raced. The Azure Turtle… a Heavenly-Rank spirit beast… it just referred to itself as "this Great King" and mentioned "this Annihilation Sea"?
Annihilation Sea?!
Jiang Xuan suddenly remembered that during his last conversation with Old Man Xue Jin before leaving Huanglong City, the old man had mentioned some dangerous places in the empire's territory. Among them, he mentioned that at the easternmost point of the empire, adjacent to the endless ocean, there was a vast and terrifying sea called the "Annihilation Sea".
It is said that the environment there is extremely harsh, with spatial rifts appearing all year round, storms and tsunamis being commonplace, and countless ferocious beasts in the sea with formidable strength. Even cultivators at the Spirit Sea Realm or even higher levels do not dare to venture deep into the area.
Before, he was clearly near Huanglong City in the western part of the central region of the empire! The two places are more than ten thousand miles apart! That whirlpool at the bottom of the river... actually teleported him here in an instant?
Thinking of Old Man Xuejin's solemn admonition at that time.
"...The Annihilation Sea is a very evil place, especially in this season. Space and time are unstable, and strange 'things' often wash ashore or sweep people up and never come out... If you're unlucky enough to run into it, good luck to you."
Jiang Xuan broke out in a cold sweat. His luck was truly off the charts!
"Hey! Kid, what are you daydreaming about? I'm talking to you!"
Seeing that Jiang Xuan was somewhat lost in thought, the blue turtle patted the reef with its claws in dissatisfaction.
Jiang Xuan snapped back to his senses, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and showed just the right amount of shame and respect on his face.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. It is truly... Your Majesty's status is noble, and this place is so wondrous that I was overwhelmed and momentarily lost in thought. I am like a frog at the bottom of a well, only today realizing how vast the world is, and that there is such a unique existence as the Azure Turtle King. I am truly ashamed."
His words were half sincere and half deliberate flattery.
This blue turtle seems to have quite a temper, but it seems... it's quite swayed by this?
Sure enough, upon hearing this, the blue turtle narrowed its large eyes, slightly raised its chin, and made a satisfied "gurgling" sound in its throat, completely dispelling its previous dissatisfaction.
"Hmm...you human boy, although your cultivation is low and your knowledge is shallow, your way of speaking...is still quite pleasant to hear."
"It's a green turtle," the turtle said slowly, a hint of smugness in its voice.
"Being able to recognize one's own ignorance is a virtue. Well then, considering it's your first offense, unintentional, and your earnest words, I, the Great King, will be magnanimous and will not pursue your crime of attempting to steal the elixir."
"Thank you for your magnanimity, Your Majesty!"
Jiang Xuan immediately seized the opportunity and bowed again. In his mind, however, he was quickly making plans.
This azure turtle seems to be highly intelligent and holds a prominent position here; it even seems to enjoy hearing flattery. If I could cultivate a good relationship with it, perhaps I could extract some information about the "Annihilation Soul Sea" from it, or even... find a way to leave this place and reach the Forbidden City?
He made up his mind that as long as the Green Turtle King liked flattery, he would flatter it a lot. Only by catering to its preferences could he pry anything of value out of it.
This mysterious and unpredictable Annihilation Sea is fraught with danger, but it must also hold opportunities. This Celestial-Rank Spirit Beast, the Azure Turtle, might just be the key to my survival, or even a stroke of good fortune.
Jiang Xuan's words struck a chord with Qing Yuan.
It has been in this deep underwater ruin for eight hundred years. Although it has a noble status and powerful strength, and ordinary sea spirits and monsters have to respectfully call it "Great King", in the end, it is also a "prisoner" trapped here. On weekdays, it is difficult to find even a creature with the same intelligence to talk to.
At this moment, Jiang Xuan's flattery, which was subtle yet perfectly timed, made him feel completely comfortable, and he found the young human boy in front of him increasingly pleasing to the eye.
"Haha, no problem, no problem!"
The blue turtle raised its neck and let out several strange, bubbly laughs.
"You, a junior human, are much more pleasing to the eye than those fools who stumbled in by mistake, either terrified or arrogant! I think you're quite a match for me, hmm, not bad, not bad."
It struck a pose of a "senior expert," and although it was lying on the coral reef and its size wasn't particularly large, it still had the air of a "heavenly-ranked spirit beast."
Seeing this, Jiang Xuan knew that the time was almost right, so he took the opportunity to ask.
"Your Majesty, I have stumbled upon this place by mistake, and I am filled with trepidation. I do not know... where this place is, or how far it is from the mainland of the Ziyao Empire. I am anxious to reach the Forbidden City."
When the topic turned to business, the Azure Turtle's smile faded, its enormous eyes darted around, and it spoke slowly.
"This place... is naturally deep within the Annihilation Sea. As for which specific corner it is, even I, the Great King, cannot say for sure. This place is vast, and the terrain is constantly and subtly changing. As for its distance from your human race's so-called Purple Obsidian Empire..."
It paused, seemingly making an estimate.
"It must be at least tens of thousands of miles away. In between lies an endless ocean, countless treacherous seas, spatial turbulence zones, ancient remnants of formations... It's very troublesome."
"Tens of thousands of miles?!"
Even though Jiang Xuan was somewhat prepared, he still couldn't help but gasp when he heard the exact number, and he was completely stunned.
He had previously planned to travel from Huanglong City to the Forbidden City, which, even with the best of luck and using transportation, would take one or two months. Now, he'd been thrown tens of thousands of miles away into the depths of the Annihilation Sea! This was completely counterproductive, a world apart from what he envisioned!
The blue turtle glanced at him and continued to pour cold water on him.
"Moreover, do you think these tens of thousands of miles are easy to travel? Let alone you, even those so-called 'high-level experts' of your human race, the old guys in the Spirit Sea Realm or even the Divine Palace Realm, would have a nine-out-of-ten chance of dying if they wanted to cross this sea area and run to the depths of this Annihilation Soul Sea!"
In the past thousand years, the number of human cultivators who have been able to reach this area can be counted on one hand, and most of them soon became nutrients for the seabed.
You want to return to the Empire immediately? Hey, even if you set off now, without sleeping or resting, and praying you don't run into anything deadly, you wouldn't even see a trace of land for three to five months!
Three to five months!
Jiang Xuan's heart sank completely. The situation in the Forbidden City was complex. His "resurrection" would undoubtedly stir up a storm, and who knew what might happen in three to five months? What would the Chi family do next? What about the attention from other forces? And... those secrets that Old Man Xue Jin had mentioned... Time was of the essence! (End of Chapter)