Volume 1 Volume 5 Chapter 136

Volume 5 Chapter 136: Action, Gathering, Different Sides (Part 3)

In the headquarters of the "Ming" organization, at that moment, it was empty and deserted. Only by looking closely could one discover a Demonic Figurine engraved with the character "Di," on which sat a thin old man, as if he were merging with the vast evil energy inside the mountain.

Just then, a sudden flash of light erupted from the "Tian" statue next to "Di," and in the next moment, Tian appeared inside the mountain.

"Twenty-one strongholds; seven have been destroyed in three days. I am relocating the other strongholds, but I fear someone may play tricks again."

After Tian appeared, he said lightly.

"Those outer cultivators were meant to be sacrificed, why care so much?"

"Di" coldly replied.

Tian let out a cold snort and said, "But their sacrifice is not timely."

"Di" did not reply.

After a moment, Tian said coldly, "To ensure the plan goes smoothly, Zhang Xusheng can no longer be tolerated. Should you strike or should I?"

※※※※

"The Black Tortoise rests in its shell, the serpent twists and coils. The tortoise and the serpent together are called the Black Tortoise."

— "Mythology Chronicles"

While Xu Qingfan and others began looking for the masters, those seemingly all-powerful masters were also caught in unprecedented trouble.

Just as Fan Xiaoyao had told Xu Qingfan before, the masters of the Righteous Alliance were deep in North Iceland, intending to capture the Black Tortoise.

The one bringing them endless trouble was the very Black Tortoise they wanted to deal with.

The Black Tortoise, also known as Xuanming, is different from the Phoenix, Azure Dragon, and White Tiger, as it rarely appears in front of people, and there are even no records of its appearance. Only an ancient book mentions that the Black Tortoise is a spiritual being made from a turtle and a snake, but its truth is unknown.

According to legend, the Black Tortoise is a Mythical Beast that controls the north of the Shenzhou Continent and the water spirits of the world. It is good at divination and can predict fortune and misfortune; in some sects, the Black Tortoise is even regarded as a divine being, like the Heavenly Emperor.

Although they knew that the Black Tortoise was just a much stronger demon beast, its mystery and various legends made the masters more cautious in their hearts.

At this moment, twelve masters were gathered in a circle, floating in the air over the calm ice sea in North Iceland, looking helplessly at the serene scene below.

In the center of the twelve masters was a blood-red spiritual mushroom, a blue pearl glowing with faint spiritual light, and an ordinary-looking grass.

These three items included the precious blood spiritual mushroom that greatly enhances demon beasts, the "Water Controlling Pearl" which is a treasure for water cultivators, and the "Xuan Ling Grass" which greatly boosts demon beast spirit.

Even though each of the twelve masters had thousands of years of savings in their hands, these three spiritual items were still the most exquisite part of their collections. They placed them here to lure out the hidden Black Tortoise.

However, these three magical objects, which had always been effective against the other three spirit beasts, seemed to have no attraction at all for the Black Tortoise. They had been floating in the air for half a month, and the masters had also been waiting there for the same amount of time, but the icy sea beneath their feet showed no signs of reaction.

Although they knew that the Black Tortoise was hiding beneath the icy sea, the masters felt helpless. The Black Tortoise was known as the Water God, and if the masters entered the icy sea to battle it, even with their large numbers, they might not gain an advantage. Yet, they were also unable to lure the Black Tortoise away from the icy sea, as it showed no signs of activity.

"Could it be that the Black Tortoise really has the power of prophecy, able to foresee good and bad fortune? Is that why it stays hidden below?"

Finally, Mr. Liu could no longer hold back and spoke to the other eleven people.

"No matter if the Black Tortoise truly has the power of prophecy, the fact that there has been no movement for half a month clearly shows that these three magical objects cannot catch its attention."

The master, who resembled a wealthy gentleman, said with a serious expression.

Immortal Zizhen also wore a grave expression and added, "If the Black Tortoise really does possess true prophetic abilities and knows that it will be captured once it appears, then it would indeed be troublesome for it to stay hidden in this icy sea. Are we really going to stay here waiting?"

"If the plans of the ‘Underworld’ organization that we heard are true, then we don’t have much time left. To prevent that great disaster from happening, we must imprison the Xuanwu as soon as possible; time is running out."

The plump master sighed softly. As he spoke, he didn’t know why, but he began to look at Mr. Liu alongside Immortal Zizhen.

After hearing the words of Immortal Zizhen and the wealthy master, Mr. Liu’s face showed a hint of struggle. Finally, he sighed and said slowly, "Unless…"

Seeing that Mr. Liu seemed to have a solution, all the masters felt a jolt of excitement. One master dressed as a Taoist couldn’t help but ask, "Unless what?"

A hint of helplessness flashed across Mr. Liu’s face as he smiled bitterly and said, "Unless something is very important to the Xuanwu, something that makes it willing to take the risk of being captured and go out to sea."

Upon hearing Mr. Liu’s words, many masters held back the nonsense that was on the tip of their tongue. Did they need him to say this? The "Water Controlling Pearl," "Ten Thousand Year Blood Lingzhi," and "Xuan Ling Grass" were already the most precious items in the hands of the masters that attracted the Xuanwu. If there were any treasures that could make the Xuanwu risk being captured, the masters wouldn’t have been waiting here foolishly for half a month.

However, Immortal Zizhen perceived more from Mr. Liu’s words and asked hesitantly, "Do you mean to say that Taoist Friend Liu has such a treasure?"

Upon hearing Immortal Zizhen’s words, Mr. Liu suddenly rolled his eyes, pouted, and said, "Weren’t you just performing a duet with Li Fulu, trying to get me to give this thing up? Why pretend to ask about it now?"

Li Fulu was the very plump master, one of the three highest-ranking individuals in the Righteous Alliance along with Immortal Zizhen and Mr. Liu.

Hearing Mr. Liu’s complaint, Immortal Zizhen remained unfazed and simply smiled, saying, "I and Taoist Friend Li were only guessing that the treasure is in Taoist Friend Liu’s hands, but we did not know if it was true, so we did not dare to openly ask for it."

Mr. Liu rolled his eyes again, sarcastically saying, "So you two are pressuring me indirectly. Your words just now made it sound as if I would be letting the entire Shenzhou Continent down if I didn’t bring this thing out."

While talking, Mr. Liu flipped up his right sleeve, and a bright red fruit, about the size of an adult’s fist, suddenly appeared in his hand.

Mr. Liu tossed the fruit, and it slowly flew towards the center of the masters, resting next to the other three magical items.

"I have truly given all I have this time."

Mr. Liu said with a wry smile.

The other masters, seeing the red fruit thrown by Mr. Liu, except for Immortal Zizhen and Li Fulu, all changed their expressions. They exclaimed, "Red Jade Fruit!"

"It is actually the Red Jade Fruit!"

"This kind of miraculous item really exists!"

The "Red Jade Fruit," in some ways, is similar to the Xuanwu and only exists in legends. Its preciousness can be determined from a saying in an ancient book.

"In the world, there were originally no dragons; only fish and snakes could eat the ‘Red Jade Fruit,’ and then dragons appeared."

It was Li Fulu’s first time seeing the "Red Jade Fruit." After examining it closely for a moment, he turned to Mr. Liu and said, "This really is the ‘Red Jade Fruit.’ I didn’t expect such a precious item to be taken out so easily by you, dear friend. I thought I would have to persuade you for a long time."

Mr. Liu had a humorous nature, and Li Fulu had thought that, given Mr. Liu’s character, he would boast about his own selflessness, claiming things like sacrificing himself for a greater cause or living up to noble ideals.

However, to his surprise, when Mr. Liu heard Li Fulu’s subtle praise, his expression became serious.

"I truly did not want to bring out such a divine object so easily, but just now I calculated the heavens and found the result to be completely chaotic. It seems that some force is making significant moves right now, blocking the heavenly signs. Their target is very likely the Righteous Alliance, and since the Righteous Alliance is essential to us, we cannot afford to lose it. Therefore, we must quickly confine this Xuanwu and cannot delay any longer."

It was rare for Mr. Liu to be so serious, and after hearing his words, the group of masters also changed their expressions dramatically, as the Righteous Alliance was related to their own traditions.

At that moment, it was Immortal Zizhen who remained the calmest. Seeing the other masters change their faces upon hearing Mr. Liu’s words, he could not ignore the potential appearance of Xuanwu. He frowned and said loudly, "Friends, Xuanwu could appear at any moment. Please focus your attention."

After a pause, Immortal Zizhen added, "There is a barrier at ‘Ronghua Mountain’ that we have set together. Even if someone is targeting us, there shouldn’t be too much trouble in the short term. However, compared to the safety of the Righteous Alliance, our task carries a heavier responsibility. It concerns the survival of all humanity and the Shenzhou Continent. This is a critical moment; we must not lose sight of the big picture for small matters."

If others had heard Immortal Zizhen’s words, they would surely be astonished. What could be so important that it relates to the survival of all humanity and the Shenzhou Continent?

But looking at the expressions of the other masters, it seemed they greatly agreed with Immortal Zizhen’s words and immediately stopped their calculations.

What secret do these masters really know?

Just as the group of masters had calmed down a little, an unexpected change occurred.

Suddenly, beneath the feet of the masters, the once calm icy sea began to surge, and towering waves of a hundred feet high rose up, mixed with countless sharp ice shards, rushing towards the masters with immense force.

At the same time, centered around the icy sea under the masters’ feet, a fierce blizzard appeared out of nowhere, rapidly expanding many times over, as if the entire North Iceland was within its range. The masters closest to the blizzard’s source could not help but sway, revealing cracks in their previously set formations.

At that moment, a huge black island suddenly rose from the churning icy sea, and upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an enormous turtle with a black shell and skin.

On top of this gigantic turtle was a white snake coiled around it, which let out a piercing hiss directed at the masters, echoing throughout the land.

After waiting for half a month, drawn by the allure of the Red Jade Fruit, the incredibly mysterious Black Tortoise finally appeared.

※※※※

On the second day after Xu Qingfan and the others entered the Southern Wasteland, a furious blizzard suddenly appeared in the world of North Iceland.

In the shimmering and hazy world, Xu Qingfan and the others felt lost. Not long after they ventured deeper, the ancient glacier and the fierce blizzard nearly made them lose their way.

Though they knew that the masters were in North Iceland, the vastness of North Iceland was still greater than the bustling Middle-earth. They didn’t know how to start looking for the masters.

"Junior Brother Xu, searching like this isn’t a solution. North Iceland is too large. Although we have been moving quickly these past two days, we have only covered less than one percent of the distance. Besides, we need to find a way to speed things up. If we continue to go deeper into North Iceland and ignore other paths, we might miss the masters. How about we split up?"

As the cold wind howled, Lv Qingshang could no longer hold back and suggested to Xu Qingfan after they had traveled for two full days into the Southern Wasteland.

However, in the midst of the blizzard, the snow kept blowing into Lv Qingshang’s mouth as he spoke, making his voice sound a bit unclear.

Xu Qingfan shook his head, looking into the distance. Struggling through the storm with the others, he said, "Now is not the time to split up. The Xuanwu is known as one of the Four Spirits, guarding the land of Shenzhou. It should not be close to the bustling Middle-earth, so if the masters wish to find Xuanwu, they will certainly have gone deeper into North Iceland. We should go deeper into North Iceland first, then split up to search more appropriately."

Hearing that Xu Qingfan had already made plans, Lv Qingshang said no more.

The world of North Iceland was indeed as legendary described. Although the endless glaciers shone beautifully under the sunlight, during the two days the group spent in North Iceland, they were surrounded by a blizzard for a day and a half, and the climate was as harsh as the legends said, making it difficult for the group to move.

Among them, Xu Xiurong, the weakest of the group, had already shown signs of exhaustion after just two days of flying with all her might. In contrast, Jin Qinghan flew while protecting Bo Guangyan with ease. However, starting on the second day, he had put away his golden armor and used a more energy-saving golden light shield. In the blizzard, his Spirit Qi was consumed much more than usual.

Although the cultivator claimed to go against the heavens, his strength still appeared weak under the endless might of the sky.

After flying for three whole days, although their speed greatly decreased in the snowstorm, they still traveled over a thousand miles. However, everyone was somewhat shocked that they still had not escaped the range of the raging snowstorm. This violent blizzard showed no signs of stopping, and the deeper they flew into North Iceland, the stronger the storm became.

Xu Qingfan noticed that everyone’s faces looked pale, and Xu Xiurong showed signs of being unable to hold on any longer. Knowing they could not continue on like this, he pointed to an ice mountain in the distance and said to the others, "Let’s take a break in the sheltered area behind that ice mountain before we continue. The land of North Iceland is full of dangers, and we do not know how long we will have to search here. We cannot exhaust our Spirit Qi by just rushing forward."

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s suggestion, everyone nodded in agreement and quickly flew toward the sheltered area behind the ice mountain under Xu Qingfan’s leadership.

Once they landed on the ground, everyone finally had a chance to catch their breath. As soon as they touched the ground, they all sat down to recover the much-used Spirit Qi.

Meanwhile, Bo Guangyan and Little Gold were placed aside.

Bo Guangyan sat there with a blank expression, still in shock from the battle with "Ri." He showed no signs of recovery, and it seemed that, without help from powerful practitioners, Bo Guangyan might remain in this dazed state for the rest of his life.

On the other side, Little Gold had been incredibly quiet since the beast herd appeared in the Southern Wasteland after leaving Blood Valley. This was partly because Dongfang Qingling kept holding onto it tightly to prevent it from running away again.

But at this moment, perhaps the dazzling yet chaotic world in front of it sparked its curiosity, or maybe it finally broke free from Dongfang Qingling’s hold, so it began to run around wildly. At first, Xu Qingfan worried that Little Gold would be blown away by the fierce winds of North Iceland, but when he saw that Little Gold was running around in the storm without any issues, he finally relaxed and sat down to regain his energy.

However, Xu Qingfan was also puzzled. Why did this fierce snowstorm have no effect on Little Gold at all? But there were so many incredible things about Little Gold that Xu Qingfan lost interest in figuring them out at that moment. He just kept it in his mind and thought that he would study them one by one after everything was done.

Little Gold was happily running around. Sometimes, it would roll joyfully in the strong wind and at other times, it would dart around among the people who were sitting in meditation. Eventually, Little Gold became curious about the ice mountain that was protecting everyone from the wind and snow. Although it stumbled a bit, it was still very excited to climb to the top of the ice mountain.

However, when it climbed halfway up, Little Gold seemed to discover something. First, it tapped on the ice mountain with its little golden paws. Then, it squinted its small eyes to look deeper into the ice through the sparkling layers. Finally, it seemed to find something important and quickly tumbled back down towards Xu Qingfan, running to his side. Once there, it bit onto Xu Qingfan’s clothing and kept pulling him to go outside, showing a sense of urgency.

With Little Gold pulling at him, Xu Qingfan could no longer sit peacefully. He stood up, hugged Little Gold closely, and asked, "Little Gold, what is it?"

Little Gold’s face showed even more anxiety as it pointed its little paw at the direction of the ice mountain, its small face growing increasingly worried.

Seeing Little Gold’s expressions and actions, Xu Qingfan felt even more puzzled and turned to look at the ice mountain behind him. The ice mountain stood silently in the sparkling world, unmoving in the raging wind, just like it always did.

But just as Xu Qingfan was about to turn back, he noticed that the ice mountain seemed to tremble slightly. He was taken aback, wondering if there was something wrong with his eyes.

But it turned out that Xu Qingfan’s eyes were perfectly fine because the ice mountain, which had just stood still, was shaking more violently under Xu Qingfan’s gaze. With the shaking, chunks of ice began to fall from the mountain, and it was as if a giant hailstorm had appeared right in front of Xu Qingfan.

"What’s going on?"

Xu Qingfan woke Jin Qinghan and the others from their meditation while staring in shock at the strange sight of the glacier before him.

The reason finally appeared before Xu Qingfan.

After many ice blocks fell away, a giant elephant, as big as a mountain, suddenly appeared in front of Xu Qingfan. What everyone had been sheltering beneath was not an iceberg, but this giant elephant, which had been lying here for so long that its body was covered in ice crystals, transforming it into a thick layer of ice, resembling an iceberg.

"Ice Giant Elephant!"

Lv Qingshang, who had just woken up from meditation, exclaimed in shock upon seeing the giant elephant.

The "Ice Giant Elephant," a terrifying creature in the cultivation world, is an advanced demon beast of Earth level, closest to heavenly level. Some cultivators who had encountered the "Ice Giant Elephant" assured everyone, "The Ice Giant Elephant itself is a fearsome heavenly level demon beast!"

At that moment, the ancient, beast-like giant elephant stared down at Xu Qingfan and the others, who seemed like ants in comparison, with its blood-red eyes.