"I succeeded!"

Jia Ren saw the three Bizarre Alliance Golden Core Cultivators fleeing awkwardly into the distance and understood that the plan had succeeded.

The Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle made its breakthrough, and the Golden Cores fled far away.

Without the threat of the three Golden Core Cultivators, this place was temporarily safe.

"The Bizarre Alliance and its Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre are truly inescapable."

He didn't rush to show himself but instead used the Xuan Guang Water Mirror to ensure that the three Golden Core Cultivators had really left and were not circling back to attack.

The Insect External Incarnation transformed into the Sonic-Thief Mosquito King and flew out of the Cave. These mosquitoes then gathered into a human form and headed to the riverside.

The bloodline reversion process for the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle was coming to an end; it shook its body, struggling as its original shell turned into a restraint, limiting its body and preventing it from growing quickly.

Flesh hidden within the turtle shell squeezed out from its head and, bit by bit, struggled free from its body.

The Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle was reborn with a brand-new shell, its body visibly expanding at a rapid pace, its aura also skyrocketing.

The shell of the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle, which countless people treasured, peeled off and was discarded in the river water.

If the three fleeing Golden Core Cultivators witnessed this scene, they would probably be furious enough to explode.

They had fought hard until now for the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle's shell, never expecting that what was unachievable for four months could now be had by merely reaching out...

Fearing retribution from the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle after its breakthrough, and possible pursuit, the three Golden Core Cultivators decisively fled far away, missing the chance to obtain its shell.

Jia Ren greatly coveted the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle's shell. It was a material for crafting defensive Magical Treasures, priceless and hard to buy even if one spent copious amounts of Spirit Stones.

Even a Nascent Soul Cultivator would not be indifferent upon seeing it.

Several times Jia Ren thought to take it, yet he restrained himself.

This matter can't be rushed.

Hastily going for the Mysterious Turtle's shell could lead to being attacked by the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle, should it mistake him for an associate of the humans.

This would not be conducive to neighborly and friendly relations.

「A day passed.」

The Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle's transformation was complete. Its form was slightly larger than before, and the dark black patterns on its shell now bore many mysterious lines.

Its head looked even more fierce than before, somewhat dragon-like, its scales robust, its aura mighty.

The Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle's promotion was successful!

Its appearance had changed from before, but not greatly.

It was easy to mistake it for having failed its reversion.

Jia Ren could feel the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle's aura strengthening, and a clear improvement in its bloodline power. However, the changes were not as obvious as with other reverted Spirit Fish and Spirit Insects.

The Mysterious Turtle's own bloodline talents were not poor; being close to its ancestral form meant that changes and enhancements from bloodline reversion were minor.

The more powerful a Magical Beast's bloodline, the less effective reversion-class Elixirs were.

Creatures already close to their ancestral form experience minor changes and enhancements from bloodline reversion.

The greatest effect of the Beast Spirit Pill was to stimulate the nearly three thousand years of accumulation within the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle, helping it to smoothly advance to the middle phase of the Third Rank.

The Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle, its massive body swimming towards him, was either recognizing its neighbor or seeing an enemy.

It's not going to attack me, right?

Jia Ren felt the terrifying aura emitted by the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle and couldn't help but be on high alert.

"I helped you with your breakthrough, and we are neighbors after all – we should help each other," Jia Ren said as he took out the remaining Beast Spirit Pill and threw it toward the approaching Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle.

This was the best way to prove his identity.

Doing good deeds anonymously? Impossible!

Not to mention the medicinal materials consumed to refine the Beast Spirit Pill, other expenses were not small.

He had to find a way to recover his losses.

Decisively, Jia Ren used the Heart Language Technique, attempting to communicate with the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle.

Whether communication could be established through the Heart Language Technique was one effective way to determine if a Magical Beast harbored ill will.

Magical Beasts harboring hostility and malice cannot establish a connection with the Heart Language Technique.

When encountering such Magical Beasts, one must either fight or flee.

Of course, there are also some aloof Magical Beasts that can't be bothered to engage with you.

The distinction was clear, and the Heart Language Technique could easily identify it.

Having just swallowed the Beast Spirit Pill, the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle understood why it was able to overcome the hurdle and didn't resist the Heart Language Technique; a successful connection was established.

Jia Ren breathed a sigh of relief, glad to be able to communicate.

The most fearsome were Magical Beasts that were not intelligent, acting solely on instinct.

They didn't understand gratitude; to them, a life-saver was no different from food.

"Thank..."

The Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle stopped over three hundred feet from the Insect External Incarnation, conveying its thoughts.

Jia Ren listened quietly, unsure of what outcome his helping hand to the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle would bring.

One breath of time passed.

Ten breaths of time passed.

"Grateful..."

Jia Ren stared at the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.

He had various speculations in his heart.

Perhaps the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle, grateful for the life-saving favor, would voluntarily become a new Spirit Beast under his command.

Or perhaps the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle would repay kindness with enmity, suddenly assaulting its benefactor.

Magical Beasts are not humans and cannot be considered with human thought processes.

The Fathead Fish Demon was willing to be his Spirit Beast because it was originally a Human Cultivator's Spirit Beast, accustomed to being fed.

Another factor was the temptation of the Spirit Attracting Bait and Fish Saint Pill.

One could not guarantee the same with the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle.

He had prepared numerous contingencies in his heart and sent out the Insect External Incarnation to reduce risks.

The result was that communicating with the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle was like being constipated; straining his ears to listen for a long time, it took ages for a single word to emerge.

What was going on?

Had it lived too long and its mind gone dull from sleep?

Or had it been nearly mute from thousands of years without communication?

Jia Ren wondered if the issue originated from the Mysterious Turtle's innate Law Domain of sluggishness.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally understood the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle's intent: it was expressing gratitude for his life-saving favor.

The Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle's shell was tossed in front of him as a token of gratitude.

It's offering protection in exchange for an Elixir that can help its bloodline revert to its ancestors?

Protect me?

Instead of submitting and pledging allegiance to me?

This shows the difference between a wild Magical Beast and a domesticated Spirit Beast.

One comes forward of its own accord, shamelessly crowding in to beg for food.

The Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle is also after food, but at most, it's willing to offer protection.

The guardianship of a mid-Third Rank Mysterious Turtle seemed to offer a profound sense of security.

The biggest problem was that Jia Ren feared that when facing a formidable enemy, several hours could pass with his corpse cold, and the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle still wouldn't have understood the command to attack...

Such slow reactions.

However, a freely offered Third-order Monster Beast was not something to pass up.

If used well, it would be a decent meat shield.

Jia Ren had witnessed the astounding defensive power of the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle, which now could only have become more freakish.

By establishing a good connection with Beast Spirit Pills and then enticing it with Elixirs improved to a higher Proficiency Level, taming it wouldn't be hard.

The only issue is... the expense for Beast Spirit Pills will likely be considerable.

There were quite a few Mysterious Turtles, all with families in tow.

The three Golden Core Cultivators, with thunderous might, had killed ninety percent of the Mysterious Turtles in the collateral damage of their battle, and the Demonic Beast Materials had also ended up in their pockets.

Even so, three Second Order Mysterious Turtles and over a dozen First Order Mysterious Turtles that had escaped far enough still survived.

The food needed to feed them will be no small sum.

"Good!"

"It's not wise to stay here long. It's better to leave."

I don't know the Bizarre Alliance's full strength, but I can be sure they have more than three Golden Core Cultivators.

My whereabouts haven't been exposed yet, but the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle's have.

What if more powerful forces are dispatched next time?

Even the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle can't be guaranteed to survive.

My Cave isn't far from here and might be affected by association.

Without long-term planning, immediate worries are inevitable.

It's better to make a quick escape and prepare a second residence.

"No, there's actually no need to move."

"Instead, fake the move!"

Jia Ren was about to move out but then dropped the idea.

Moving is a slow process, stretching for thousands of miles.

Golden Core Cultivators, if determined, can easily catch up to me.

By then, the move wouldn't have succeeded, and it would actually lead to my whereabouts being exposed.

The solution is to make it seem like I'm moving while I secretly stay put.

The attention of the Bizarre Alliance and the three Golden Core Cultivators is all focused on the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle. As long as the Mysterious Turtles move away, the Bizarre Alliance's attention will also shift with them.

Because of the paradox of 'darkness beneath the lamp,' this place will actually become the safest area.

I have been living well here, and Qingfu Fang Market, hundreds of miles away, is booming with a promising future for resource acquisition.

Once the Mysterious Turtles move, their excellent Spirit Land will be available.

When things quiet down, whether they wish to return or settle down elsewhere, either choice would be good.

Jia Ren communicated with the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle, expressing his intention to send its family a batch of Beast Spirit Pills every year.

With a stable relationship between them, taming the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle would become simple.

"Revenge!"

After a long pause, the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle replied, expressing its desire for Revenge.

"If you continue to stay, your offspring will all die out."

"You have a long life. Even if you live for another ten thousand years, they will have perished by then."

"Turtles must endure above all..."

Jia Ren spent a lot of time and effort persuading the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle to agree to move its family away.

A group of Mysterious Turtles quickly left, and Jia Ren took the opportunity to harvest all the Spiritual Medicine nearby.

The resources here can't be simply left for outsiders to benefit from for free.

Once the treasures that tempt Cultivators disappear from this place, no Cultivator will come here to disturb my arduous cultivation.

Dispatching some Mysterious Turtles each year to collect the provided Beast Spirit Pills would suffice to maintain the relationship.

When the time is right, using higher quality Beast Spirit Pills as incentive, I can surely make the great turtle pledge allegiance.

After harvesting the Spiritual Medicine, Jia Ren waited seven days until the Mysterious Turtle procession had safely withdrawn.

Only then did his Insect External Incarnation transform into a Demon Cultivator of the Blood Demon Sect and spread the news of the Mysterious Turtles moving.

Not releasing the news would invite more trouble.

It's essential to turn passivity into initiative.

Because there were still surviving Demon Cultivators from the Blood Demon Sect, and they had restraints imposed by the Bizarre Alliance controlling their life and death, they promptly reported the news to the Bizarre Alliance, hoping for credit.

"They've escaped?!"

The three Golden Core Cultivators were both shocked and angry but could do nothing about it.

The Bizarre Alliance didn't have many strong forces in the Barren Extreme Land, and the only one capable of dealing with the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle was the Western Command Envoy.

Moreover, the Western Command Envoy was currently stabilizing his Bizarre Body and wasn't suitable for action.

"The Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle? The Third-order Monster Beast that Zhen Yi has is a Swallowing River Fish Demon!"

"Useless, can't even handle this little matter!"

"Hurry and find him!"

The matter was reported upwards. Since the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle seemed unrelated to Zhen Yi, the Bizarre Alliance members didn't concern themselves further with it.

The three Golden Core Cultivators had to set off, continuing to search for Zhen Yi's whereabouts.

Perhaps due to the 'darkness beneath the lamp' effect, the three Golden Core Cultivators only confirmed that the Mysterious Turtles had moved and then dropped the matter.

As for the Zhen Yi they were searching for being hidden right here? They hadn't even considered it.

Even if he were here, having witnessed the terrifying battle, he would've long made his quick escape and certainly wouldn't stay any longer.

Jia Ren took advantage of the 'darkness beneath the lamp' and thus dodged a bullet.

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