Proofreader&Editor: Lotas
Su He remained silent for a long time, sighing deeply, with no desire to speak.
Stimulated by Ji Feixue's provocation, Su He woke up with a clear head this time, his consciousness sharp, making the pain in his body all the more evident.
The power of the heavenly thunder was too formidable; if there was a chance, he would definitely obtain a few illegally—the legal ones probably wouldn't pack such a punch.
Su He took a deep breath, the cool lake water seeping into his lungs through his nostrils, leaving behind a trace of water essence before being exhaled.
Previously, the rain had soaked his body, and now the medicinal power was rapidly repairing his injuries. He wondered how the Flame Crow incident would be dealt with in the end; so far, no one had come to inquire about the details of the case.
The small courtyard quieted down.
***
Run!
Run!
Run!
To the north of Dongyun Mountain, a camel was fleeing at breakneck speed, with three other camels in hot pursuit, their killing intent chilling.
The fleeing camel looked towards Dongyun Mountain with despair in its eyes, yet a glimmer of hope arose. Qingyuan was closer, but Old Taoist Ge forbade it from seeking help there.
Old Taoist had said, That Turtle was now extremely formidable—if in danger, go directly to That Turtle. Right there at Xuanqing Daoist Temple.
It had been chased by these three of its kind for over a month, dodging left and right, nearly reaching Dongyun, but ultimately they caught up.
It didn't know if it could make it to Xuanqing Daoist Temple.
If That Turtle was as powerful as Old Taoist said, it should be able to detect its approach in advance…
***
In Yunmeng Marsh, within the garden. All was tranquil, just as Su He was about to close his eyes and fall back into deep slumber.
Liu Ru stepped lightly, arriving from outside. Four maids followed closely behind, each holding a tray with fragrant elixirs wafting from them.
Before she even reached him, she burst into laughter at the sight of Su He, the soul beast on her shoulder resembling a fire dragon fruit, giving Su He two big thumbs up. Flames blazed above its head, the marsh water unable to extinguish them.
"Is Sister Liu Ru also laughing at me?" Su He sighed.
Liu Ru covered her mouth and chuckled: "Dare I? You are now the esteemed son-in-law of Yunmeng Marsh."
Su He: "…"
He struggled to find the words, finally managing to say: "She is the First Princess."
"But that still makes you the son-in-law!" Liu Ru giggled: "Unless you're hoping for a unique title? The Great Son-in-law? The First Son-in-law?"
She laughed at her own joke before clapping her hands, signaling the maids to step forward, each holding various elixirs and treasures.
"This is the Nourishing Yuan Elixir. You've just opened your realm and suffered severe injuries; this elixir ensures no lingering maladies and no damage to your inner world." Liu Ru opened a small elixir furnace the size of a pomelo, took out a bright yellow pill, and gently fed it to Su He.
"This elixir was personally sacrificed and refined by the Crown Princess; you don't need to follow the cumbersome procedures like with other elixirs, which require various conditions for consumption. Just eat the Crown Princess's elixir directly, and it will assimilate."
Liu Ru said with no small amount of pride.
Higher-grade elixirs typically had stricter consumption conditions, some requiring special geographical locations, others specific timings, and some even specialized cultivation methods for assimilation.
But the elixirs refined by her Crown Princess could be directly consumed and assimilated.
The elixir melted upon entering the mouth, turning into a gentle stream of medicinal qi in the belly, traveling through the True Blood and meridians, nourishing the body.
The intense pain lessened a bit.
"There's also this Mysterious Female Essence Elixir, to be taken after the Nourishing Yuan Elixir is fully absorbed. For now, you can start with the Eight Treasures Instant Soup and the Nine Seas Delicacies." As Liu Ru spoke, she served the dishes from the other maids' trays, including the two she mentioned and four other types of food.
All were exquisitely prepared immortal dishes, even featuring two lambs shrunk to the size of fruits. They expanded only upon entering the mouth, ensuring Su He's portion size while maintaining decorum.
It's tough for these maids serving Divine Beasts; after all, the beasts still carry the word 'beast' in their name, and their wild nature is hard to change. Yet they must adhere to the court's etiquette.
That's why Dragon Turtles are all lone rangers, never establishing their own imperial court like the dragon clan; they can't stand such rules! Wouldn't it be better to catch a wild ox in the mountains and fields and eat meat heartily?
The toad looked at the tray full of delicacies, smacking its lips, and raised an eyebrow at Su He. Being a son-in-law sure comes with different treatment!
When Liu Ru came before, she only brought elixirs. That was the hospitality of Yunmeng Marsh; Su He was seriously injured during the Dragon God Festival, and it was only right for Yunmeng Marsh to take responsibility. Being able to choose a high-quality elixir was already Liu Ru favoring Su He.
But now, not only were there top-quality elixirs, but also superior delicacies. All were treasures greatly beneficial for injury recovery. Outside, they would be enough to host an Immortal Food Gathering.
Liu Ru set down the items and bowed out gracefully, leaving Su He alone.
The garden was serene, with no insect chirps or bird calls underwater, only the cheerful and graceful swimming of fish.
Su He slowly ate the food. Since arriving at Yunmeng Marsh, he hadn't eaten for seven or eight months. Now, food was becoming less and less of a necessity for him, except for the Glutton's devouring, which was used to advance his body.
Otherwise, the spiritual qi and vital energy from daily breathing were enough to sustain his vitality.
After eating, Su He slowly closed his eyes.
For Divine Beasts, sleep is the best way to recover. Without elixirs and delicacies, these injuries could be healed by sleeping in a spot for two or three years.
In a drowsy state, he felt his consciousness being pulled out by the toad, and upon opening his eyes, he was in a brand-new Mysterious Realm, with islands dividing a lake into a spiderweb-like network of rivers.
This was the Thousand Rivers Mysterious Realm that the toad had mentioned, belonging to Ji Feixue.
"Bored? Bring part of your consciousness in and work on your private island! The rules here are much looser than in the Mountain Sea, allowing for more creativity."
The toad appeared beside Su He, with a bubble above its head displaying text.
It was really like an online game chat! Not only were there chat bubbles, but the toad's head also had the colorful text "Cuihua." Even Su He's own name was flashing above his head.
Names floating above their heads! Ji Feixue's Mysterious Realm was truly ahead of its time.
In the bottom left of his vision, there was a chat channel.
Qianqianzi: "Eh? Why is there no one on the Central Island today?"
A fairy appeared on the Central Island, looking around, but saw no one.
Junlan Fairy: "Qianqianzi, come quickly! Can-Chen Elder has obtained two Protective Golden Lotuses and is trying to sacrifice and refine a treasure on the Central Island!"
The Thousand Rivers Mysterious Realm was newly built, and its rules were not yet solidified, making it easier for many ingenious ideas to be realized here. It was the prime location for many members to experiment with cultivation methods and treasures.
Qianqianzi's expression changed dramatically. She blinked away from the Central Island and rushed to the southernmost part.
"What are they doing?" Su He asked the toad with a bubble above his head.
The toad's expression tightened, and it placed a claw on Su He, teleporting to a farther island: "It's going to explode! Run, run!"
There, a crowd gathered, and the golden dragon Mengxuan coiled in the sky, waving at Su He when she saw him, with a large bubble above her head: "Here!"
Su He was puzzled.
He saw the crowd beneath Mengxuan, with bubbles of ellipses and helpless expressions above their heads.
The public channel sent a countdown:
Junlan Fairy: "Six!"
Chimu Boy: "Five!"
Qianqianzi: "Is Elder Can-Chen's experiment about to end?"
Su He remembered the Can-Chen Daoist they mentioned, whom Mengxuan had talked about after the Dragon Gate, the hermit who created the heavenly thunder. Su He's body flashed with water light, and he landed on the island where everyone was.
The conversation in the channel was rapid as many people spoke at once.
Linglingzi: "Four!"
Junlan Fairy: "Four"
Nanming Zhenren: "One!"
Su He: "???"
Your four is followed by one?
"Boom!" Suddenly, an explosion occurred, not with a bang but with a puff of smoke rising from a corner of the Central Island, forming a "Boom" that took up half the sky.
A shockwave emanated from the center of the explosion, destroying countless islands with unstoppable force.
On the Central Island, amidst the billowing smoke, a disheveled figure emerged from the rubble, his hair in disarray, his clothes in tatters. Above his head, the text "Can-Chen Daoist" was fragmented.
In his bubble, various censored words were displayed, with only a few visible, and they were not very civilized: "Damn it, why did it fail again?! It shouldn't have exploded! I, Can-Chen, can't even handle an elixir furnace?"
He muttered for a while before looking up to see the Thousand Rivers members cowering in a corner, surprised: "Hey! Is that necessary? It's not deadly!"
A group of consciousnesses, at worst, would feel a bit dizzy from an explosion. Why hide so far and hurt people?
A row of ellipses appeared in the public channel.
As long as you're happy, don't mind us. It's cool here; we're just enjoying the breeze.
Mengxuan had a cloud with a laughing expression above her head: "It's scarier when it's not deadly. Imagine a bunch of little fairies with their clothes blown off by Elder Can-Chen. That would be terrifying."
Can-Chen Daoist: "…"
He waved his hand, and the destroyed islands reversed back to their original state. People began to return to the Central Island. Mengxuan announced in the public channel with large text: "Esteemed elders and fellow Daoists, allow me to introduce the second-in-command of my mountain stronghold, Dragon Turtle Su He!"
Where did you get a mountain stronghold?
Mengxuan's tail slapped Su He's turtle shell, and the spirit snake on the shell coiled around Su He's neck, dodging Mengxuan's attack.
Bubbles appeared above Mengxuan's head: "Brother He, in the Thousand Rivers, we don't judge heroes by status or cultivation level, only by age for seniority, except for fairies, you should call everyone else elder."
Everyone laughed and greeted Su He warmly. The toad had been there for half a year, and they all knew of Su He's existence, even learning a lot about him from the toad.
He was no stranger.
Qianqianzi: "Daoist Su He has arrived, thank you for the heavenly blessings during your realm opening, I broke through a minor realm."
Qianqianzi was a fairy who appeared to be eighteen or nineteen years old, tall and sunny. The bubbles above her head were brimming with youth. She happened to be at Yunmeng Marsh, arriving just in time for Su He's realm opening, and left just in time, departing before the Dragon Gate treasure hunt began. She had important matters to attend to in the Mysterious Wasteland.
Su He had never met her in person, but the toad had a good relationship with her.
Seeing her speak, others couldn't help but feel envious.
A dark bubble with lightning-like text appeared above Su He: "This is due to the fairy's own profound accumulation, the same blessings did not break the realm for others."
Qianqianzi's face showed joy.
Beside her, a man named Zhanxiu, with a bubble rising above his head, said: "Little friend Su He sure knows how to speak, unlike your Qing Lei, who can choke someone with two sentences."
He looked like a general, imposing and resolute.
"Does Elder Zhanxiu know Uncle Lei?" Su He was pleasantly surprised. This was Ji Feixue's Mysterious Realm, and those who could call Ji Feixue a Daoist friend must be extraordinary, with outstanding abilities.
A "Haha!" bounced back and forth above Zhanxiu's head, followed by a line of text pushing away the laughter: "Fought a few battles, that turtle is formidable, I haven't won against him yet."
Su He immediately admired him; to have fought several battles with Uncle Lei and still be alive and well, he must either be a good friend or have a very high level of cultivation.
Other people greeted him, and Su He politely responded.
The conversation gradually turned to Can-Chen Daoist's experiment, and everyone offered their opinions.
Mengxuan conspiratorially approached Su He and said: "I've had a deep discussion with Elder Can-Chen, and he feels great remorse for selling the Thunder Orbs to Flame Crow and injuring us. He's decided to design a treasure for each of us for free. What do you want?"
Su He looked at her in surprise.
Mengxuan carelessly shook her dragon whiskers: "Don't worry, it's just a character issue with Elder Can-Chen. The treasures he makes explode, but the ones he designs are famous throughout the myriad worlds."
Su He didn't have any treasures, not even one. He had never thought about what he needed. But now he could have one.
In his inner world, there was still the Heaven-Opening Divine Pen, which only had a physical form in the inner world; once taken out, it was illusory, similar to a "spiritual essence."
It was the perfect opportunity to design a vessel for the Heaven-Opening Pen. Melt them together, and in the future, when choosing a suppressing land, it could be used to open chaos.
The Thousand Rivers were bustling, much livelier than the Mountain Sea Mysterious Realm. People discussed and chatted, and Su He returned to his own island.
Bamboos clustered on the island.
The toad had been operating here for five or six months, and on his own island, Su He could even see the laws of the Mysterious Realm.
By touching them with his divine sense, he could understand their function in the Mysterious Realm.
He could even make changes, like editing a program, which was quite interesting. However, he could only change the laws of his own island.
The laws here were external, unlike the Mountain Sea Mysterious Realm, which had completely solidified almost into a real world.
However, there was a downside; the Thousand Rivers had only been built recently, and it was difficult to bring things in from the outside world.
After contemplating for a moment, a look of surprise flashed in Su He's eyes. Naturally, opening the heavens had its pros and cons. The outer world formed a membrane, separating chaos, making it much more difficult to open the second layer of heaven than a normal opening.
The more mastery over the world's laws, the easier it would be to open the heavens in the future.
Especially since his first heaven opening was controlled by the witch, he didn't truly learn the knowledge of heaven opening, which was something he needed to slowly make up for.
As dawn approached, Su He exited the Thousand Rivers and woke up in Yunmeng Marsh.
In the distance, the Yunmeng Imperial Palace was brightly lit, the true center of Yunmeng Marsh, with palaces clustered from the sky to the seabed, stretching continuously.
Ji Feixue disliked such a lifestyle, hence her solitary living.
At this moment, some Divine Beasts had already bid farewell and left. This year's Dragon God Festival ended much sooner than in previous years, with consciousness-transformed beasts not even lasting two years, and the Dragon Gate treasure hunt ending in just over a month.
In the past, a Dragon God Festival lasting ten years wasn't considered too long.
The life of a Divine Beast was just that simple, often measured in decades or centuries.
For half a month, Su He quietly recovered, occasionally visiting the Mountain Sea and the Thousand Rivers.
The various uncles and seniors had yet to hatch.
The gestation period was a bit long.
Divine Beasts and cultivators from various sects gradually left, with Feng Ji and Mu Yang leaving on the second day of the Dragon Gate treasure hunt.
Only when Su He's injuries were no longer a concern did he go to the Yunmeng Dragon Palace to bid farewell. The Yunmeng Dragon King tried to retain him but to no avail, and sent him off with a gift.
He didn't see Ji Feixue, and of the dragon clan, he only saw the black dragon who had taken them out that day. The whereabouts of the others were unknown.
Before and after the Dragon God Festival, the dragon clan was the busiest. For outsiders, the Dragon God Festival was over, but for the dragon clan, it was just the beginning.
Mengxuan accompanied Su He as he left Yunmeng Marsh.
In fact, for them, the journey from Su He's small world in Dongyun Mountain to Yunmeng Marsh now took less than a day. If Su He used the Flying Boat, it would only take the time of a cup of tea.
In his previous life, it was like having a neighbor in the same community.
"Brother He, have you chosen a suppressing land?" Mengxuan asked as she saw Su He off.
Having opened the heavens, it was time to help the great world open chaos. The land of chaos was the suppressing land for Divine Beasts, also known as the Daoist Temple.
That was the main source of the Divine Beasts' world origin.
Su He shook his head; the suppressing land must be away from other Divine Beasts, and Su He had no knowledge of this aspect.
Mengxuan carelessly spat out a jade slip: "Here, this is a map of the suppressing lands of various Divine Beasts, you can refer to it. My suppressing land is due east; Brother He can come to find me."
"Thank you, Sister Seven!" Su He didn't stand on ceremony, took the jade slip, thanked her, and parted ways with Mengxuan. The Flying Boat carried him towards Dongyun Mountain.
Breaking through the clouds, halfway through the journey, he heard familiar panting sounds from below, accompanied by a stench of blood.
Su He retracted the Flying Boat and concealed himself, descending amidst the waves.
In the forest below, four camels were locked in fierce combat.
On one side stood a lone two-Mysterious Moon camel, while on the other, three camels faced it, led by a formidable four-Mysterious Moon beast, with the other two each at one Mysterious Moon.
Wasn't that Big Zhuang? He was taking quite a beating.
Big Zhuang was covered in blood, standing atop a mound of earth, exuding an air of tragic defiance as he bellowed at his opponents.
Roughly translated, his cries meant: "You bastards! This is Dongyun Mountain, just ahead is my brother's territory! He is a mighty Divine Beast, dare to follow me there, and I'll make sure you're dead!"
The three camels on the other side responded with their own panting calls, lacking clear meaning but seemingly mocking.
The leading four-Mysterious Moon camel panted out a few words' worth of meaning, roughly saying: "You, brother, Divine Beast? You, worthy?"
Die!
It threatened Big Zhuang, stomping its hoof, and the ground beneath it instantly turned into a desert. But this desert was not peaceful; it solidified into blades of sand, slashing towards Big Zhuang.
Big Zhuang's eyes hardened, revealing a trace of unwillingness! He couldn't defeat the camels opposite him, and even if he took this hit, there would be no escape.
Where had That Turtle gone? Hadn't Old Taoist said to find him if there was trouble? They'd been fighting on his turf for so long, and he hadn't noticed, leaving Big Zhuang to die.
As the sand blade bore down, Big Zhuang let out a mournful cry, his body exuding an even denser aura of sorrow, lifting his head to transform grief into valor, and charged towards the sandy blade.
But as he took his first step, he found himself unable to move, looking down to see a stream of water had pinned him in place.
A dragon turtle, as dark as ink jade, had emerged from nowhere, its majestic body shielding him, unfazed as the sand blade struck, as immovable as a mountain.
The Dragon Turtle faced the three camels: "Hey! Maybe he wasn't bluffing, perhaps there really is a Divine Beast brother!"