Although Han Li’s eyes were slightly closed, he was not truly meditating or cultivating. Instead, he was repeatedly pondering some cultivation techniques he had yet to fully comprehend while simultaneously releasing a portion of his divine sense to monitor the surroundings of the spirit boat, ensuring no ancient beasts would suddenly attack.
Over the next seven or eight days, the spirit boat, shielded by the massive cloud, encountered several other types of airborne birds and beasts. However, they all passed without incident. Unlike the four-winged monstrous birds they had encountered earlier, these creatures clearly lacked the ability to see through the spirit boat’s concealment.
Thus, the ninth day of Han Li’s watch arrived. At noon, after replacing the spirit stones on the boat, he was about to return to his meditation spot when he suddenly paused, turned his head, and looked ahead with a shocked expression.
“How is this possible? How could such a thing appear here?” Han Li murmured, his face darkening as if he had sensed something. He then let out a sharp whistle.
Though the sound was not loud, it was enough to rouse the other four from their meditation in the quiet chambers.
Moments later, streaks of light shot out from the boat, swiftly arriving beside Han Li.
“What happened? Why did you summon us, Brother Han? Is there danger again?”
“What is that? Could it be…”
The young woman and Long Dong spoke almost simultaneously, the former full of questions while the latter immediately noticed something and gasped in shock.
The white-browed youth and the young girl also released their divine senses at the same time.
“What is that? Could it be a True Spirit-level entity?” the youth exclaimed.
The white-robed girl remained silent, but her eyes were filled with terror.
Han Li, however, had already calmed down. His divine sense detected a massive shadow hundreds of miles away in the sky, so enormous it nearly blotted out half the heavens.
Dark clouds churned around the shadow, flickering with lightning and thunder. Below the clouds, countless gray tornadoes rose from the ground like towering pillars connecting the sky and earth. Occasionally, a glimpse of a gray-scaled body would appear, its sheer size inspiring awe but making it impossible to identify the creature.
From afar, the shadow appeared round. Its colossal size and terrifying presence seemed to match the legendary True Spirits, beings as vast as mountains.
No wonder everyone on the boat paled at the sight.
Just as fear gripped them all, a strange, bull-like roar echoed from the distant horizon, followed by a deafening explosion of thunder, as if countless bolts were detonating far away. Even at such a distance, the thunder was continuous and unnervingly clear.
“This isn’t a True Spirit—it’s the ancient beast ‘Thunder Tortoise.’ It’s said to be one of the largest of the primordial beasts, but it usually only absorbs lightning from the sky and doesn’t attack other creatures. Of course, if provoked, it’s a terrifying foe, requiring at least a Body Integration cultivator to face directly,” the white-robed girl said, visibly relieved after hearing the roar.
“Thunder Tortoise? The legendary beast born from heavenly lightning? I’ve heard that as long as it has lightning, its body can grow indefinitely. It’s an incredibly rare creature. Rumor has it that the colossal ‘Canling’ tortoise in the human realm’s Xuanwu Territory, capable of carrying cities, might be a Thunder Tortoise. The one before us is large, but it’s nothing compared to that,” the black-robed woman remarked, also relieved it wasn’t a True Spirit.
“Whether Canling is truly a Thunder Tortoise, we don’t know. If so, this one is less than a ten-thousandth of its size. Still, provoking it would be fatal. We should avoid it,” Long Dong added with a forced smile.
“True. In fact, this is quite a rare opportunity. Thunder Tortoises usually stay underground and rarely surface. For it to appear now means… Oh no! If it’s here, a terrible thunderstorm must be imminent! Brother Long, hurry and steer the boat away!” Shao Hong suddenly paled, recalling something dreadful.
“Thunderstorm?” Everyone, including Han Li, turned pale at the words.
Long Dong’s face darkened as he vanished, reappearing at the boat’s prow a dozen yards away. He pulled out a token-like artifact and rubbed it between his hands. The surrounding white clouds instantly dissipated, and the boat lurched forward, its speed increasing dramatically as it shot toward the horizon like a white streak.
But before the boat could travel even fifty miles, a brilliant blue light erupted above the distant shadow, spreading outward at an astonishing speed.
Within moments, a blue line appeared on the horizon, roaring with thunder and flashing with countless bolts of lightning, like a horde of demons charging toward them.
“I’ve heard that Thunder Tortoises are always followed by thunderstorms. It seems the rumors are true. Everyone, lend me your strength!” the mole-marked youth shouted, horrified by the blue light’s speed.
Without needing his plea, the white-browed youth and the woman had already seen the approaching danger and were equally alarmed. They immediately formed hand seals, their bodies glowing as they channeled their power into the boat.
Han Li and the white-robed girl acted just as swiftly, adding their own spiritual energy.
With five cultivators pouring their power into the spirit boat, the vessel trembled violently, and the scenery outside blurred into streaks of color.
At its maximum speed, the boat transformed into a streak of light, crossing vast distances in mere moments.
Yet, despite their incredible speed, the blue line behind them matched their pace, never falling behind.
This terrified Long Dong and the others, proving the thunderstorm’s fearsome reputation was well-deserved.
Fortunately, their combined efforts pushed the boat to its limits. An ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator, lacking such speed, would have had no chance of escape.
Of course, Han Li and the others were no ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators. Each had life-saving techniques that might rival the boat’s speed, but using them would come at a heavy cost—either severe depletion of vitality or essence blood.
In the perilous wilderness, none dared take such risks. Thus, they worked in perfect unison, propelling the boat tens of thousands of miles in one go.
Finally, the blue light vanished, and the thunder faded.
Relieved, they withdrew their spiritual energy, and the boat slowed.
“That was close. We owe our escape to Sister Shao’s quick thinking. A moment’s hesitation, and we’d have been caught in the storm. We might not have died, but escaping unscathed would have been impossible,” Long Dong said, smiling at the woman.
“I was just lucky. Though Thunder Tortoises are famous, little is known about their habits. An elder in my clan once slew one and shared some knowledge. They usually stay underground, only surfacing when they sense thunderstorms to feed on lightning. That said, adult Thunder Tortoises produce two miraculous pearls—one attracts lightning, the other repels it. Their power is said to be extraordinary, allowing even those without lightning affinity to wield it. The one my elder killed was a juvenile, so it lacked these pearls. Still, its shell was packed with lightning energy, making it a rare material for crafting lightning-based treasures. A mighty cultivator encountering one would likely rejoice,” Shao Hong explained with a wry smile.
“An elder capable of slaying such a beast must be one of your clan’s leaders. For us Nascent Soul cultivators, it’s an impossible dream. Escaping today was luck enough,” the white-browed youth said, still shaken.
“True. Without at least Body Integration cultivation, coveting a Thunder Tortoise is folly. Once the storm ends, it burrows back underground, leaving no trace. Let’s move on and hope the rest of our journey goes smoothly,” Long Dong said grimly.
Encountering such a deadly beast so soon after entering the wilderness had dampened his spirits.
The others, exhausted from the ordeal, had little desire to chat further and soon returned to their chambers.
Only Han Li remained, silent and unmoving.
After everyone had left, he gazed toward the direction of the thunderstorm, his eyes flickering with unspoken thoughts.
After a long while, he sighed regretfully and returned to the boat’s highest point, sitting cross-legged once more.
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