Douluo: The Glory of the Peerless Angel

The hawksbill turtles were startled by the powerful roar and, forgetting their sunbathing, scrambled back into the pool. Meanwhile, a large number of ripples appeared in the center of the tranquil and deep pool, and a striking golden shadow lifted a curtain of water, appearing in front of Ling Bai and the three-eyed golden lion.

This is a large tortoise with a diameter of over two meters. Each of its shell patterns is dark gold and distributed extremely evenly. The golden hawksbill turtle sticks its head out of its shell, and there are several whisker-like spikes on its lower jaw.

The golden hawksbill turtle was clearly listless, its eyes dull and lifeless, and it said weakly, "Imperial Beast, Human, what business do you have with me?"

The three-eyed golden lion scanned the golden hawksbill turtle up and down, and asked in confusion, "The golden hawksbill turtle is the king of the hawksbill turtle clan, and you are the second most auspicious beast in the Star Dou Great Forest after me. Once your cultivation breaks through ten thousand years, you can learn to speak. How did you end up in this ghastly state?"

This golden hawksbill turtle has an aura of around 30,000 years, belonging to a young and strong young turtle.

Hawksbill turtles are known for their longevity, and the golden hawksbill turtle's abnormal defense is virtually unmatched in the world of soul beasts. It can live for 100,000 years even if it just eats and waits to die. But this golden hawksbill turtle seems a bit off.

The golden tortoiseshell didn't dare to utter a sound. It had fallen to such a state because of its greed back then.

Originally, the Golden Tortoise had been secretly absorbing the life force of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm for over 100,000 years, but unfortunately, it set its sights on the Gold of Life. Before being arrested by Emperor Tian, ​​the Golden Tortoise bit off one-fifth of the Gold of Life from the spring of the Lake of Life. Later, it managed to evade Emperor Tian's spiritual power patrol and escaped back to the Tortoise Clan's habitat.

After escaping and ascending to heaven, the Golden Hawksbill Turtle dreamed of breaking through the twenty-year Heavenly Tribulation and transforming into a ferocious beast. However, tragedy struck. In recent years, the Living Gold has begun to absorb its life force in reverse, causing its cultivation to gradually shrink back to 30,000 years, and the trend is intensifying. In another five or six years, the Golden Hawksbill Turtle estimates that it will be sucked dry by the Living Gold and turned into a dried corpse.

Feeling guilty, Golden Tortoiseshell dared not ask Jade Emperor for help, and silently wiped away her tears alone in the pool.

Now that the Emperor Beast Three-Eyed Golden Lion has arrived in person, the Golden Tortoiseshell trembles with fear, lest the Emperor find evidence that it was the tortoiseshell that gnawed on the gold of life and send the Three-Eyed Golden Lion to deliver a message, ordering it to quickly surrender itself at the Lake of Life.

"Speak, are you mute?"

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion didn't have much of a temper with other spirit beasts. Seeing that the Golden Tortoise Shell remained silent for a long time, it impatiently urged it on.

The golden tortoiseshell stammered, "Imperial Beast, I... I've been weak and sickly since childhood, with a deficiency of both qi and blood in my body. Even the jade swan couldn't help me. Now my life force is constantly draining away, and I'm about to reach the end of my beastly life."

"Oh, what a pity..."

It was a mythical beast that protected the region, yet it had fallen to the point of loss and death. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion couldn't help but sigh.

The golden tortoise's eyes immediately darted around mischievously. Judging from the tone of the three-eyed golden lion, it didn't seem to be here to cause trouble for it!

"Is your life force waning? I see that your life force is quite abundant."

A meaningful voice rang out, startling the golden hawksbill turtle. Its gaze shifted to a face with a half-smile, and like a frightened bird, it raised one of its fins, gesturing wildly:

"You, you, you, don't talk nonsense!"

I'm dying, I wouldn't lie to you!

Ling Bai gently rubbed the three-eyed golden lion's head and said softly, "Go back and wait for me. I want to talk to it alone for a while."

"it is good."

The three-eyed golden lion nodded, wagged its tail, and left the pool.

Upon seeing this, the golden tortoiseshell stared wide-eyed in disbelief. This was incredible! A human could actually command an imperial beast!

This little devil has a terrible temper; he might just flip your skull off at the slightest provocation!

Having sent the Three-Eyed Golden Lion away, Ling Bai, too lazy to play games with it, decided to be frank:

"Golden Tortoiseshell, you don't want Di Tian to know that you swallowed the green metal from the spring of the Lake of Life, do you?"

Upon hearing this, the golden hawksbill turtle was startled and instantly gushed water from its body, vividly demonstrating what it meant to be drenched in sweat. It gritted its teeth and forced itself to continue:

"Lake of Life? Green Metal? I don't understand any of this!"

If you refuse to admit it, then let the facts speak for themselves.

Possessed by the Death Prison Spider King, the gray soul ring formed from Electrox's divine consciousness shone brightly, and waves of soul power containing the ultimate death spread outwards.

The crimson soul power surged toward the golden hawksbill turtle. Necromancer magic drew upon the immense life energy of the living gold, and a rich life force suddenly burst forth from the golden hawksbill turtle. Golden light mixed with intense life force emerged, and at the same time, a circular metallic phantom appeared on the golden hawksbill turtle's shell.

With irrefutable and irrefutable evidence, the gold-plated tortoiseshell immediately bowed in reverence.

"I'm sorry, I confess, I'm guilty!"

I'm insatiable!

I was greedy for that green metal!

I am guilty of a crime I could never atone for even if I were to die!

"Please, human, don't tell Di Tian, ​​okay..."

The golden tortoise shell, with two large bags of tears in its eyes, looked at Ling Bai with a pleading expression. Ling Bai stepped forward and tapped the heavy tortoise shell, something he would never have dared to imagine in his previous life.

Thirteen scales, level one, a very serious punishment!

Ling Bai placed his palm on the location of the living metal within the golden tortoiseshell's body and slowly said:

"Of course I can help you cover up your crime. I can even help you remove this piece of metal. But I can't just be an accomplice for nothing. You'll have to pay a price."

The golden tortoiseshell smiled obsequiously: "Human brother, I'll give anything to help me get rid of that piece of metal!"

"Alright, I want you to leave the Star Dou Great Forest and protect me, my forces, and my descendants for ten thousand years."

"Ten thousand years!?"

The golden tortoiseshell screamed, its pitch so high it was almost a drawn line.

"Any objections?" Ling Bai raised an eyebrow.

"without……"

The golden tortoiseshell shook its head sheepishly.

Although Ling Bai demanded an exorbitant price, it had no bargaining power whatsoever.

If the gold that gives birth to life is not taken, the golden tortoise shell will not even live for ten years.

Once the threat of the Living Gold is eliminated, the Golden Tortoise Shell, relying on its ability to devour the life force of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm, will have no problem living for another 100,000 years.

Whether it's exchanging ten thousand years for one hundred thousand years, gold and tortoiseshell can clearly distinguish which is more important.

Ling Bai revealed a satisfied smile. The golden tortoiseshell is an auspicious beast with the ability to subtly change the fortune of a region. Ten thousand years is enough for a family/power to prosper.

Moreover, the golden hawksbill turtle itself possesses extremely strong defensive capabilities. One of its innate soul skills is called the Invincible Shield, and the inspiration for the Sun Moon Empire's creation of the Invincible Shield came from the golden hawksbill turtle.

The defensive power of the 100,000-year-old golden hawksbill turtle is so strong that only the Beast God Di Tian and the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear King Xiong Jun among the seven ferocious beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest can break through its impregnable shell.

With the golden tortoiseshell protecting him, his life is definitely safe, to say the least.

"Leave your soul's mark."

Ling Bai took out the Soul Contract, the same one he had signed with Xue Di, giving him absolute control. This time, he wasn't as gentle as he had been with Xue Di.

The responsibilities that Party B, the Golden Tortoise Shell, needs to fulfill are endless. Ling Bai, as the wicked Party A, only wrote one sentence: help the Golden Tortoise Shell extract the life-giving gold.

It took the golden tortoiseshell a long time to finish reading, and it asked with a dark face:

"Why do I have so many?"

Ling Bai sneered: "Where is the extra amount? I think it's perfectly fair. Just sign it or not!"

"Add one more clause and I'll sign."

The golden hawksbill turtle mustered its courage and argued, "I can't stay single for ten thousand years, so you have to find me a wife, and she must be a beautiful female turtle!"

Ling Bai sighed and said speechlessly, "There's a ten-thousand-year-old Spirit Tide Sea Turtle in the sect's back garden. Its shell has exquisite and beautiful patterns, and it happens to be a female turtle. If you can win it over, it will be your wife."

"Excellent! My domineering aura is overflowing; the beautiful turtle will surely throw herself into my arms!"

The golden hawksbill turtle was drooling with envy. A virgin turtle like it, which has been single for tens of thousands of years, is a rare gem among turtles, especially the spiritual tide turtle, which is unique to the deep sea!

While attending the Starlight Awards, Ning Tian spent money to buy a Spirit Tide Sea Turtle to keep as a pet at home. Today, Ling Bai casually found it a husband who would live for 100,000 years.

With a few swishes, the golden tortoiseshell left its mark on the soul.

"Come, let me retrieve the life-giving gold for you."

"Uh-huh!"

Golden Tortoiseshell's eyes welled with tears; finally, its greatest threat was about to be eliminated!

A brilliant azure light shone forth, and the life force within the golden hawksbill turtle condensed towards Ling Bai's palm, rushing into his spiritual sea. After losing that life force, the golden hawksbill turtle's size continued to grow, and its life force surged outwards wildly.

Absorbing pure life energy, a soft emerald green halo appeared on Xue Di and Ilex within their sea of ​​spirit, like a faint flame surrounding them.

The golden hawksbill turtle expanded to a diameter of five meters, revealing its true 100,000-year-old form. The keratinous ridges of its shell shone with golden light. Its throat felt slightly itchy, and it suddenly spat out a piece of green metal.

This piece of Living Gold was about half the size of the Soul-Devouring Blade. It was irregularly shaped and had faint teeth marks on it. Since it was something that the Golden Tortoise Shell had spat out, Ling Bai used his soul power to carry the Living Gold to the pool and wash it three times before taking it back and sinking his mind into the Sea of ​​Spirit.

"Old Master Yi, Snow Emperor."

Ling Bai called to the two of them and offered, "I will divide the Gold of Life into four parts. The three of us will each take one, and we will keep the last part for now. This pure life force can sometimes save a life."

"No need."

Xue Di refused, saying seriously, "My soul is already stable, and my soul ring will belong to you sooner or later. The stronger you are, the stronger I am."

"What Xue Di says is correct." Ilex nodded. "We appreciate your kindness. We'll keep three drops for emergencies, and you can absorb the rest."

"it is good."

Their relationship was one of mutual benefit and shared loss, so there was no need for excessive formalities. By merging with this piece of living gold, Ling Bai's spiritual sea became even more vibrant.

From the outside, the golden tortoiseshell saw that Ling Bai's entire body was radiant with azure light, and that some delicate veins appeared on his bare palms and neck, with what looked like green-gold liquid flowing inside.

After fusing with the second piece of living gold, Ling Bai felt light and ethereal, and his mind seemed to become much clearer in an instant. He said, "Say goodbye to your clan tonight, and I'll come to pick you up tomorrow."

After saying this, Ling Bai left the hawksbill turtle clan's habitat and returned to the small wooden house where he had lived for more than a year. The three-eyed golden lion eagerly awaited Ling Bai's return.

In the pitch-black night sky, a crescent moon hangs, its pale, cool light spilling across the earth.

In the pitch-black Starry Sky Forest, the campfire flickered gently, bringing a sliver of warm light to the silent night.

Normally, fires cannot be lit at night in the Star Dou Great Forest because many soul beasts are attracted to light. However, Ling Bai and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion are extraordinary. One is highly skilled and daring, and the other is an imperial auspicious beast that no one dares to touch. They start a fire and roast meat without any scruples.

For their final farewell meal, the two ate a rather lavish spread, including the Soft Bone Rabbit, and Ling Bai also slaughtered a bovine soul beast. The Demon King turned a blind eye, pretending not to see it, and let it go.

The three-eyed golden lion lay in front of the campfire. Although roasted meat had replaced its brains as its favorite food, it suddenly had no appetite today.

The three-eyed golden lion raised its head, but could not see Ling Bai's face clearly. The wisps of smoke blurred the outline of his face, and the flames cast a faint red glow on his golden hair.

In the night breeze and firelight, Ling Bai raised his hand to cover his long hair that was being blown across the tip of his nose by the wind, and suddenly found a warm body close to him.

"Are you getting impatient? It'll be ready soon."

The three-eyed golden lion was reflected in those bright golden eyes. Ling Bai immediately noticed that the gaze of this imperial auspicious beast was a little strange, with an indescribable complexity. Although it was only fleeting, he still caught it.

The three-eyed golden lion didn't say anything, but gently rubbed against Ling Bai's hanging hand.

Ling Bai seemed to realize something as well. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion was a creature with feelings. They had spent more than a year happily together, and the sudden separation made the little guy feel reluctant to part.

All good things must come to an end. One was human, and the other was a spirit beast. After their brief encounter, they would eventually return to their own lives.

This was the least amount of food the Three-Eyed Golden Lion had ever eaten. The roasted meat in its mouth tasted like wax. After dinner, Ling Bai entered a meditative state to cultivate his soul power, while the Three-Eyed Golden Lion gently leaned against him.

Occasionally, the sounds of soul beasts fighting and roaring could be heard, and the moonlight filtering through the branches and leaves cast a soft, hazy glow.

Ling Bai felt warm all over, and the three-eyed golden lion held him tightly, unwilling to let go.

It's like a little child hugging their most precious treasure.

This feeling is both strange and wonderful.

They were not of the same race, yet this made the three-eyed golden lion feel at ease. All the experiences they had gone through together flashed through its mind, and a faint smile appeared in its three eyes.

After a long while, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion slowly got up, walked to Ling Bai's side, stared at his face, and seemed to be a little conflicted.

Finally, the three-eyed golden lion made up its mind and crept up on Ling Bai from the front. A bright golden light flashed in the third vertical pupil in the center of its brow. It put down all its burdens and pounced on that fair forehead.

"Ouch!"

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion cried out in pain and said angrily, "This is not right! How can you have such keen perception while cultivating?!"

Ling Bai withdrew the two fingers that had been flicking his forehead, and looked with interest at the three-eyed golden lion, whose front paws were covering its head, and said with a smile:

"I'm sorry, I'm just naturally perceptive."

What mischief are you planning to do, huh?

(End of this chapter)