Chapter 213: Goddess’ Island! Lost Civilization!
The turtle’s words made Chen Xuan raise his eyebrows.
Although he had already expected that the surrounding environment and the turtle itself were related to the Goddess of the Sea, it was one thing to guess it and another to truly have it confirmed.
Subconsciously, he couldn’t help but think of Honglan, the being the mysterious cultivator had left behind in the previous secret realm he had visited.
Comparing the immature little girl who mostly thought about playing pranks on him to the enormous turtle that oppressed its surroundings merely by existing, Chen Xuan couldn’t help but sigh.
The difference was simply too great.
It seemed that the Goddess of the Sea was far stronger than Honglan’s previous owner.
Similarly, the beings responsible for protecting their respective inheritances had a huge gap in strength.
’If only I had obtained this inheritance earlier, I might have been able to command this turtle rather than that useless Sword Spirit.’
Chen Xuan couldn’t help but think.
Fortunately, Honglan was not here.
Otherwise, she might have sensed his thoughts and been driven into a frenzy.
Who are you calling useless? I am a powerful Sword Spirit, a powerful Artifact!
Chen Xuan shook his head, suppressing these inexplicable thoughts.
His attention shifted back to the giant turtle before him.
Just as he was preparing to follow up on its words and ask whether the turtle was part of the inheritance trials, the other party had already spoken again.
"Since... you’re... here... you must... have obtained... Master’s keys..."
It spoke, its voice as slow and hoarse as ever.
"Come... with me..."
Having said that, it gave them no time to react, much less speak.
An Ancient power emerged from its body and wrapped around Chen Xuan and his disciples, pulling them onto its shell.
The moment his feet landed on the enormous shell, Chen Xuan instinctively glanced beneath him.
The surface was far rougher than he had imagined.
Countless lines and grooves covered it, some so deep that they resembled valleys. Yet despite its rough appearance, there was an indescribable vitality hidden within the turtle’s shell.
It was as though every inch of it had witnessed countless years.
Then, the turtle’s limbs swung, shoving its massive body along the sea’s surface.
Water splashed with each movement, creating a mini tsunami with every thrust.
Thankfully, the island was uninhabited. Otherwise, the turtle’s movements alone would have very well killed every single one of its residents.
Chen Xuan had no time to pay attention to this, though.
It was only after he landed on the turtle’s shell that he noticed something strange.
An entire civilization had unknowingly developed on top of it.
A giant forest stretched across the enormous shell, filled with lush plants, towering trees, and countless other forms of vegetation.
Some trees were so tall that their crowns almost reached the clouds.
Others were covered in strange fruits that Chen Xuan had never seen before.
Even the Spiritual Energy here was exceptionally dense.
It was almost as though the turtle’s shell had become a small world of its own.
For the first time since they entered the secret realm, the four cultivators saw other forms of life besides the turtle.
Animals.
Insects.
Birds.
They were everywhere, weaving in and out of the forest as though this were the most natural thing in the world.
Some creatures were completely unfamiliar to Chen Xuan.
Others, however, seemed strangely familiar.
Yet he couldn’t immediately recall where he had seen their descriptions before.
"Master, look!"
Huo Ling’er’s voice suddenly echoed in his ears.
This time, he didn’t scold her.
As Chen Xuan traced her finger, he soon came face-to-face with the thing that had caused her surprise.
It was a fox.
With white fur and six tails, it looked breathtakingly beautiful among the surrounding vegetation.
Its mouth was slightly open, continuously absorbing the surrounding Spiritual Energy. With every mouthful it swallowed, its fur seemed to become brighter, slowly changing from white toward a faint silver.
Huo Ling’er’s eyes shone as she stared at it, seemingly thrilled by the creature’s beauty.
She was not the only one.
Much to Chen Xuan’s surprise, Chi Yao looked nearly as excited.
Yet it was for a completely different reason.
"Nine-Tailed Moon Fox..."
Chen Xuan heard her whisper.
As though sensing his confusion, Chi Yao took the initiative to explain.
"The Nine-Tailed Moon Fox is a powerful ancient beast."
"Although not as powerful or rare as the Nirvana Phoenix or the Azure Dragon, they are still extremely highly regarded."
"In the present, that might be even more so. After all, I’ve heard that Nine-Tailed Moon Foxes have long gone extinct."
Chi Yao shook her head.
"This might very well be the last one of its kind. Even if its bloodline is somewhat impure, the fact that it possesses six tails means it has a chance to achieve atavism."
"It might be able to showcase the glory of its ancestors given enough luck..."
Chi Yao’s expression became increasingly serious.
Clearly, to someone with her experience, this wasn’t merely an attractive beast.
It represented a bloodline that should no longer exist.
If this creature truly managed to awaken its ancestral bloodline, its future would be difficult to predict.
Chi Yao looked clearly emotional, intending to add a few more things to that point.
But before she could do so, a second exclamation came, still from Huo Ling’er.
Upon looking toward the source of her surprise, Chen Xuan and his two other disciples found her staring at a massive purple snake.
The snake was biting its own tail, its enormous body forming a perfect circle.
"This is the Ouroboros Serpent..."
Chi Yao began explaining, only to be interrupted once more.
Again and again.
Huo Ling’er pointed at another creature, while Chi Yao was forced to explain.
The types of beasts they saw were different.
Yet they all shared the same characteristic.
They had all long since gone extinct.
The more they encountered, the more shocked they became.
Even Chen Xuan gradually realized that something was wrong.
This wasn’t simply a place where a few rare ancient beasts happened to survive.
The turtle’s body appeared to be an entire ancient ecosystem, housing creatures that should have long since disappeared from the Mortal World.
There were even several beasts that Chen Xuan had only seen in ancient records.
Some had disappeared so long ago that even their exact appearance had become uncertain.
Yet here, they were alive.
They were breeding.
They were living as though nothing had ever happened.
It truly showcased just how long this turtle had lived.
During this immense span of time, the creatures "perching" on its shell had enough time to completely disappear from the outside world.
Perhaps to the turtle, the rise and fall of these bloodlines was no different from the changing seasons.
Chen Xuan shook his head, feeling somewhat emotional.
For a moment, he even wanted to step closer and observe these creatures more carefully.
After all, many of them were priceless treasures in the outside world.
But he quickly suppressed that impulse.
This was the Goddess of the Sea’s inheritance.
There was no telling what dangers were hidden here.
Acting recklessly simply because he encountered rare treasures would be no different from courting death.
In the end, it was only several minutes later that Chen Xuan finally moved.
They seemed to have reached their destination.
He understood this not only because the turtle stopped, but also because of the noise.
Voices.
For the first time since their entry, the voices of other humans reached his ears.
Chen Xuan’s expression changed slightly.
He immediately spread his divine sense outward.
A trace of surprise flashed across his face.
He saw an island.
Yet unlike the one they had previously been on, this one was inhabited.
Many people were already standing along the shore.
Some wore robes that clearly belonged to the same faction, while others stood separately, maintaining a certain distance from one another.
Clearly, they had arrived here through different means.
More importantly, none of them seemed particularly surprised by the turtle’s arrival.
It was as though they had already been waiting for it.
At the very front stood a woman with a terrifying aura, staring toward the turtle with a solemn expression.
More precisely, she was staring at them.
Her eyes swept over Chen Xuan and the three women one by one.
When her gaze landed on Chen Xuan, it paused briefly.
However, she quickly shifted her attention away.
"Guardian, why have you brought these people here?"
"They are not welcome!"
Her voice was cold.
Although she addressed the turtle as Guardian, she showed neither fear nor excitement.
It was as though the two stood at the same level, being equals.
This made Chen Xuan narrow his eyes.
From her aura alone, he could tell that the woman was a Soul Formation expert.
Yet what truly caught his attention was her attitude.
She clearly knew the turtle’s identity.
And despite that, she dared to speak to it in such a manner.
There was only one possibility.
She had either an extraordinary status or background.
In response, the turtle didn’t scold her.
It simply spoke.
"These are... the Master’s... inheritors..."
The words were slow and ancient, but they carried undeniable weight.
This should have been more than enough of an explanation.
At the very least, it should have caused the woman to back down.
Yet reality proved otherwise.
"It’s impossible!"
The woman shook her head.
"Master would not have allowed the inheritance to fall into the hands of outsiders."
"Guardian, please lead these people back."
"They are not welcome in the Goddess’ Island."