Jiang Chen was surprised, but still calm. He looked down at the quickly moving sea turtle from above. The turtle would surely make a move after being alerted.
Normally, creatures like turtles werenât aggressive, but turtles that had pursued martial dao were different.
Jiang Chen kept his guard up. He didnât want to count on the creatureâs good mood to keep himself safe. He had to be prepared. His instincts told him that the turtle was not to be underestimated.
Jiang Chen summoned the Vermilion Bird, Long Xiaoxuan, and Little White. He felt more confident with the three of them by his side.
âHaha, young lord Chen, what is this place?â As a divine entity, the Vermilion Bird was immediately alerted to the strangeness of the area.
Jiang Chen described what had happened. The Vermilion Bird nodded. After surveying the surroundings, its expression changed. It cast its sharp eyes at the giant turtle below. It then looked at Long Xiaoxuan and the White Tiger meaningfully.
âHave you noticed anything, Brother Long?â the bird asked pointedly.
Long Xiaoxuan frowned. âMy bloodline seems to be boiling with emotion. Thereâs something about the turtleâs bloodline that causes a reaction in mine.â
The tiger was surprised as well. âI have a similar feeling. Something about the turtle isnât right.â
They looked at the bird.
âThis isnât a simple turtle!â Abruptly, the bird shouted, âWatch out, itâs going to attack!â
Their conversation was cut short. A tail resembling a steel whip shot out from the creatureâs rear end, the surface sectioned like it was armored. The thick tail whipped toward Jiang Chen and the others, almost collapsing space itself.
From the ocean rising to the sky, the ferocity of the attack didnât diminish one iota.
With lightning reflexes, the Vermilion Bird extended its wings, obscuring the sun and shielding Jiang Chen and the other sacred beasts. It flashed to the side, dodging the powerful tail.
The hit left ghastly scars in the air. Jiang Chen and the others tensed, shocked by the demonstration of power.
Regular turtles had very short tails. Very few could use it to attack. To Jiang Chenâs knowledge, there werenât any such turtles with this level of offensive power.
âCan it be...â Long Xiaoxuan blurted out in realization, âthe sacred beast Black Tortoise?â
The dragonâs memory heritage surfaced suddenly. The epiphany led him to the right speculation.
The Black Tortoise!
Jiang Chenâs surprise was clear on his face, as was a hint of delight. He hadnât expected to run into the Black Tortoise here!
âAre you sure, Brother Long?â Jiang Chen took a deep breath and verified in a low voice.
Long Xiaoxuan peered at the Vermilion Bird. âWhat do you think, Old Brother Vermilion?â
The bird smiled wryly. âIt is indeed the Black Tortoise. The bloodline canât be faked. The fact that our blood resonates with the turtleâs is strong enough proof. Such a depth of resonation isnât possible without all four sacred beasts being present.â
Long Xiaoxuan nodded. âYouâre right. Look, the turtle is sneaking a peek at us!â
Jiang Chen looked down. The creatureâs head had been hidden in its shell, but it now reared its head proudly.
The Black Tortoise had a head that resembled a common turtleâs, but was actually a hybrid of a turtle and snake. Therefore, the Black Tortoise had a long, smooth neck, powerful and unbreakable like itâd been cast from metal.
It raised its head tall and proud, as if it was showing off to Jiang Chen and the others. However, there was a hint of confusion in its eyes. Its bloodline was resonating as well, a feeling that was completely foreign to it.
Jiang Chen confirmed that the beast was the Black Tortoise after taking a good look. Its appearance and power all match his knowledge of the sacred beast.
He could barely contain his excitement. Heâd roamed through the world looking for the Black Tortoise, and now had stumbled upon it by chance!
Not too long ago, heâd been talking to the Vermilion Bird about the sheer power the four sacred beasts would create when gathered together. Heâd been wondering how he was going to find the Black Tortoise.
The bird had said that the tortoise was present on the Myriad Abyss Island, but no one knew if the ancient rumors still held true. It had been more than two hundred thousand years since then. Things wouldâve changed substantially.
That was why Jiang Chen hadnât been that hopeful despite his eagerness to find the Black Tortoise. Luck played too big a part in this. He didnât expect to run into the last sacred beast today!
âHow is it that the tenth forbidden island is actually the Black Tortoise! Doesnât anyone from the ten sacred lands know about this?â
He believed the ten sacred lands must be in the dark about this. Otherwise, they wouldnât have risked offending the sacred beast.
The Black Tortoise was drastically different from regular turtles. It might not be as quick to fight as the White Tiger, but it also despised having its territory disturbed.
Sandplain Island was very close to the tortoiseâs territory.
âBrother Vermilion, how strong is the Black Tortoise?â Jiang Chen transmitted.
âItâs on my level,â the bird said seriously. âAnd this is its territory. It wonât be easy to deal with it here.â
The bird added in assurance, âHowever, itâs the four of us against one of it. The odds arenât in its favor. Donât worry.â
Jiang Chen wasnât worried. In fact, he was excited.
How was he going to win the Black Tortoise over? The sacred beast wouldnât be easy to convince.
It was as powerful as the Vermilion Bird. Jiang Chen had only been able to move the birdâs heart with kindness because heâd run into it when it was at its lowest point.
The Black Tortoise was obviously full of life and far from desperate. He wouldnât be able to win its approval in the same way.
âLet me talk to it first, young master,â said the Vermilion Bird.
âAlright,â Jiang Chen responded. Neither he, Long Xiaoxuan, or Little White was powerful enough to talk to the Black Tortoise on equal footing.
If the tortoise was a prideful one, it might ignore them completely. The Vermilion Bird was at least equal to it in power, making the tortoise more likely to talk to the bird.
âTry the diplomatic approach first, Brother Vermilion,â said Jiang Chen. âTry not to offend it and maintain peace if possible.â