The twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month.

In the small world of Bai Ling, it had been snowing for several days in a row. The sea was frozen over, dressed in a blanket of silver. The entire sea surface had become a tranquil expanse of white.

Winds howled past, blowing the accumulated snow into undulating mounds.

On the island, several trees with diameters of more than thirty feet had been transformed by Feng Yaya into a complex of palaces. Inside the hollow trees were palaces and pavilions, while outside, leaning against the branches, were wooden palace huts and colorful staircases, with suspension bridges connecting tree to tree.

It was a scene straight out of a fairyland.

At this moment, on the various large trees, there were lanterns, couplets, and yellow talismans…

A vision of the New Year.

Outside the forest, several Thunder Monkeys were slaughtering pigs and preparing vegetables. In the sky, a golden dragon carried Feng Yaya, twisting and turning, with dragon roars echoing through the woods.

The golden dragon, upon hearing that Su He wanted to stay for the New Year before leaving, actually became interested and decided to stay.

This year’s Yunmeng Marsh was bound to be lively. Although it was lively in previous years, it was not as highly regarded as by the emperors of the mortal realm.

But this year was different. After the New Year, there would be the Dragon God Festival, and many guests had already arrived. This New Year was bound to be celebrated properly.

However, Meng Xuan actually wanted to stay in the small world for the New Year.

Especially after seeing Feng Yaya. A six-thousand-year-old golden dragon actually hit it off with Feng Yaya. They found common topics to discuss.

One aspired to be an empress, the other to be a mountain king.

Clearly one was an official and the other an outlaw, yet they chatted with great enthusiasm. Initially, they discussed strategies around the sand table, but as they talked, the topic veered off course.

The golden dragon kept stealing glances at Su He, and somehow, Feng Yaya even started calling her “Auntie.”

She even allowed Feng Yaya to ride on her neck, carrying her as they flew chaotically through the sky.

Feng Yaya screamed in a mix of fear and excitement. Clearly terrified to the point of not daring to open her eyes, yet she refused to come down.

She was both timid and playful.

Meng Xuan carried her straight up into the sky, then suddenly descended. Although they were tens of miles away, Su He could clearly see Feng Yaya’s hair standing on end from the cold.

Su Huanian smiled gently, standing under the tree. Her Fairy Sword was not with her, as it had been borrowed by Feng Yaya to carve the palaces. When Su Huanian found it, the Fairy Sword was being used by a Thunder Monkey to slaughter pigs.

At this moment, the Fairy Sword was submerged at the bottom of the sea, being washed by the seawater.

Su He looked at Su Huanian: “If Yaya goes to the Dragon God Festival, is it really not possible for her consciousness to enter the Hundreds of Beasts?”

Su Huanian shook her head: “It’s completely different. The Dragon God Festival does not seal memories; it only allows participants to experience the life of wild beasts. Yaya’s consciousness entering the body of a beast requires sealing memories and merging consciousness with the beast, similar to a spirit transformation into a beast, which is much more intricate than the Dragon God Festival. However, Elder Gu Luo must have referred to similar methods.”

During a recent conversation with Meng Xuan about the Dragon God Festival, Su He suddenly thought of Feng Yaya’s beast transformation. He consulted with Su Huanian and discussed it with Meng Xuan—they discussed, while Su He listened as if it were a heavenly book.

The conclusion of one person and one dragon was that these were completely different paths. Although there were similarities, they were not interchangeable.

Feng Yaya could participate in the Dragon God Festival. With the face of Su He and Meng Xuan, adding a little one to transform into a beast was not a problem.

But there was no need. The transformation into a beast at the Dragon God Festival was random, and transforming into a different kind of beast would only make it more difficult for Yaya’s consciousness to merge with the beast.

Feng Yaya had already decided to transform into a monkey species. She personally selected a little monkey as the beast body for her consciousness fusion.

It was a newly weaned black monkey.

After the New Year, Su He would attend the Dragon God Festival, and Feng Yaya’s consciousness would merge with the black monkey. Su Huanian would be there to protect the law.

The golden dragon carried Feng Yaya towards the mainland, and half an hour later, it returned howling, clutching two five-star Exotic Beasts, one gold and one white, both resembling awake lions with a single horn on their heads.

These were two Year Beasts. Year Beasts were not Divine Beasts but Exotic Beasts. Their intelligence was even lower than that of ordinary Exotic Beasts and wild beasts.

This was the time when Year Beasts were most active.

The sky gradually darkened.

The Frog Strategist, who commanded tens of thousands of troops, was now wearing an apron and acting as a cook. Among those present with normal intelligence and considered “people,” only it knew how to cook.

The golden dragon had been fed since hatching from its egg, Su Huanian was even more clueless about cooking, at most able to slice fish evenly. Feng Yaya only knew how to barbecue, and Green Snake was not all-capable.

Su He ate raw food…

This year there was no thirtieth day of the lunar month, so the twenty-ninth was New Year’s Eve. The toad was making the New Year’s Eve dinner, Green Snake had picked some old bamboo, which crackled in the bonfire, and the two majestic five-star Year Beasts were scared by the crackling sound into a panic, running around with eyes full of terror.

Feng Yaya and the golden dragon were having a great time.

Su Huanian sat cross-legged next to Su He, looking at the harmonious scene, smiling gently.

The red lanterns flickered with candlelight, casting mottled red shadows. In the distance, there were laughter and frolic, with the sound of dragon roars.

Su Huanian softly said to Su He: “When you go to Yunmeng Marsh, don’t be reckless.”

The Dragon God Festival would feature various Divine Beasts, and the leaders of the ten great immortal sects would be present. In such a gathering, a young Dragon Turtle who had just passed the Heavenly Tribulation should remain humble.

Su He nodded and gently blew the snowflakes off the Fairy’s head.

The heavy snow fell thickly, whitening the trees and the lady.

A smile flickered in the corner of Su Huanian’s eyes as she softly said: “But don’t tarnish the reputation of the Dragon Turtle clan. The Dragon Turtle family is your true kin.”Eternal life like the Dragon Turtle, wealth and magical treasures are all trivial; only face truly matters. If anyone dares to tarnish the Dragon Turtle’s reputation, Su He wouldn’t hesitate to cause a huge disaster, for the Dragon Turtle elders would cover for him and shine with pride.

“But you must protect yourself first,” she said seriously to Su He.

After three hundred years of cultivation, her greatest realization was that only by living could all possibilities exist!

Su He nodded earnestly.

“Come for the New Year’s Eve dinner!” A golden dragon swam over swiftly, coiling into a large semicircle, enclosing Su He and Su Huanian within, its head looping back to rest on Su He’s shell, and said to Su Huanian.

“What are you talking about?”

“The Dragon God Festival,” Su He replied.

Meng Xuan’s eyes also shone brightly: “I’ve never attended the Dragon God Festival either. I wasn’t even hatched during the last one.”

She swam between the two, coiling into a ball, and whispered with her dragon head lowered, “Let me tell you, if you want to get good prizes at the Dragon God Festival, being first is useless! You need to learn how to flatter your aunt. She’s unreasonable; whoever she takes a liking to gets the good prizes!”

Of course, there would be a title.

The peacock she took a liking to last time performed poorly and only ranked thirteenth, yet the prizes for the top thirteen were awarded, and the thirteenth prize was several times better than the first. It defied logic!

Su He’s eyes lit up. He didn’t care about the prizes, but getting on good terms with the Princess was certainly beneficial. After all, before his great-uncles hatched, they all relied on her protection.

“Does the Princess have any particular preferences?” Su He asked quietly.

“I don’t know about that!” Meng Xuan shook her head: “But the aunt seems to have a preference for… or perhaps a prejudice against humans! Her father is said to be human.”

Su He looked over in shock, and even Su Huanian pricked up her ears.

Meng Xuan nodded: “It’s just a legend, but they say the aunt’s father was human and her mother was a divine dragon. That’s why she has a human-like name like ‘Ji Feixue’.”

Su He was astonished.

Noble relationships are so complicated; your aunt’s father is not your grandfather.

…But then again, it’s normal, as Divine Beasts rarely consider blood relations as a measure of closeness.

Didn’t Meng Xuan also not take her Flood Dragon father’s surname, but instead the common surname ‘Meng’ of the dragon clan? So the aunt is actually an aunt… no, that’s not right, Ji Feixue has existed for too long. Even the current Yunmeng Dragon King is a junior to her.

It’s just that the seniority has long been confused, or there is an unknown order to outsiders.

But the Princess’s father is truly impressive! How did a human manage to win over a mother dragon and even have offspring?

Su He admired him sincerely!

“Forget about that! The aunt must have a brain disease, like she’s lost her mind. The more you try to please her, the more she dislikes you. Just be yourself.”

The golden dragon wrapped its tail around Su He’s neck, coiling around Su Huanian, and dragged them straight to Feng Yaya’s palace.

“It’s time for the New Year’s Eve dinner! This is my first time celebrating the New Year properly!”

Su He was like a turtle about to be slaughtered, his neck stretched long as he was dragged into the palace.

The toad had been busy all day, and the New Year’s Eve dinner was well-prepared. Even the flower brew that had been stored for who knows how many years was brought out.

In the treehouse space, laughter and joy filled the air for a time.

…

…

The night passed unknowingly.

Mount Dongyun was covered in snow, and the traces of the great battle between the Dongyun factions had been completely buried by the heavy snow.

Beneath the heavy snow, all traces were buried, good or bad.

A golden dragon and a dark jade Dragon Turtle rose from Mount Dongyun, heading towards Yunmeng Marsh at a moderate pace.

Neither dragon nor turtle excelled in speed, so they simply maintained their momentum.

Clouds and mist churned around the golden dragon, while turbulent waves surged beneath the Dragon Turtle. Both exuded an equally domineering aura, their long cries echoing back and forth.

Before the first day of the new month was over, Su He and Meng Xuan set off. The Dragon God Festival was a grand celebration for the dragon clan, and arriving too late would be disrespectful.

Leaving in the morning and arriving in the evening, they would reach just one month in advance, not too early nor too late, just right.

At this moment, Divine Beasts appeared everywhere in Yunmeng Marsh. Those with high cultivation levels all looked in this direction.

A large and a small Flame Crow were residing in a volcanic palace within Yunmeng Marsh. The Little Flame Crow smacked its lips and said, “Arriving just in time, and even greeted by a golden dragon, the Dragon Turtle clan really gets different treatment!”

The Big Flame Crow glanced at it and said, “Don’t cause trouble! You heard about that big incident, didn’t you?”

With more Divine Beasts arriving these days, the news had spread.

It seemed that the offspring of the Teng Snake clan wanted to hunt this Little Turtle, so the Dragon Turtle clan mobilized en masse, overturning the Teng Snake’s lair, slaughtering most of the Teng Snake clan, and even capturing the survivors to imprison them.

Now, only a small Teng Snake trembled in fear, barely clinging to life.

Six thousand years ago, the legendary prodigy of the Dragon Turtle clan perished. Perhaps the Dragon Turtle clan was stimulated, fearing someone else would covet their young, and exterminated the Teng Snakes as a warning to all forces.

Divine Beasts have always spoken with strength. The Dragon Turtle has a big fist, so what it says makes sense.

The Flame Crow thought for a moment and still felt uneasy, warning its junior once more, “Don’t provoke that turtle!”

It wasn’t just the Flame Crow; the moment Su He and Meng Xuan appeared in Yunmeng Marsh, voices of elders warning their juniors could be heard from all directions.

The elders had all been beaten by reality, knowing the tyranny and unreasonableness of dragons, phoenixes, turtles, and qilins, and how high the sky truly was.But there’s always the fear that some young upstart, ignorant of the vastness of heaven and earth, relying on their status as a Divine Beast, accustomed to strutting around with arrogance in their own world, would think that since the Dragon Turtle has only weathered the Heavenly Tribulation for half a year, they could provoke it for some fun.

The prolonged lifespan of a Divine Beast is not meant for courting death, but for recognizing reality.

The Dragon Turtle teasing you is harmless, but if you tease the Dragon Turtle, you’ll die!

“Don’t mess with that turtle!”