The White Turtle

Seeing Keke so intrigued, Xiao Chen immediately wanted to buy the little white-shelled turtle. The snow-white little beast had always been a natural enemy of spiritual treasures, and its eye for the extraordinary was rarely wrong. It must have sensed something unusual about the tiny turtle, otherwise why would it flip it over and examine it so intently?

But Xiao Chen, afraid of drawing the seller's notice, laughed loudly and said, "I've been searching for a long time, and finally found a white-shelled turtle! Haha, white turtle soup is a great tonic!"

The white turtle on the ground gave a sudden shudder, as if frightened, but no one paid it any mind.

The few prospective buyers who had just gathered immediately lost interest and wandered off after hearing his words. The seller rolled his eyes and said wearily, "Young man, this is a battle beast, not a medicinal herb. You've come to the wrong place."

"Not at all. A sale is a sale. Just sell it to me as a medicinal ingredient."

The seller and the bystanders were all speechless.

"Fine, how much are you offering?"

"A little turtle this size—two gold coins."

"You... are you shopping for vegetables? Get lost!" The seller waved his hand in exasperation.

"Two gold coins isn't enough? Two gold coins can buy a lavish feast. This white turtle is rare, but it shouldn't be ridiculously overpriced, should it?" Xiao Chen casually flipped the turtle over, noticing that this fist-sized little thing was truly different. Its eyes sparkled like black gems, full of intelligence, and it was watching him timidly, as if genuinely afraid of being made into soup.

"Friend, this is a battle beast! Your offer is simply absurd. Please go away." The seller thought he was dealing with a slick troublemaker.

"This little turtle is a battle beast? It's only the size of a fist, with no sharp claws or teeth. What can it fight? You're not just grabbing random things and trying to sell them, are you?"

Even the seller seemed embarrassed. "Though it's not strong in combat, it still counts as a battle beast. It can defeat things many times its size."

Upon hearing this, seven or eight people immediately gathered around.

Xiao Chen asked casually, "What has it defeated?"

"It's beaten a ferocious dog and a golden rooster."

"Seriously? You must be joking. Other people sell rare breeds that can kill giant beasts seven or eight meters long, but you—this is ridiculous. You've got a turtle that only sneaks around stealing chickens and dogs. Look at it, cowering like a little thief."

The bystanders burst into laughter and dispersed, no longer interested.

The seller flushed bright red and defended himself, "This turtle was originally meant as a free bonus with another purchase. I never intended to sell it alone and cheat anyone. Tell you what—buy this wolf cub, and I'll throw the turtle in for free. Whether you use it for soup or as a gift to charm some girl, it's a good thing."

"Heh, aren't you an interesting one, boss. Final offer: five gold coins, and I'll take the turtle for soup. As for your wolf cub, forget it—I'm not in the mood for dog meat."

"Take it! Take it!" The seller waved his hand vigorously. He couldn't stand Xiao Chen any longer. If he stayed a moment more, everyone around would think he was selling medicinal ingredients instead of battle beasts.

"Then unlock the chain, would you? A little turtle doesn't need to be chained up." Xiao Chen noticed a small hole had been drilled through the white shell near its neck, and a fine black chain was secured through it.

"I'll warn you now—once I open it, if it runs away, that's your problem." The seller grumbled, "This little turtle is strangely fast, like a gust of wind. I thought it might be something special at first, but it turned out to only steal chickens and pilfer things."

"So it really does steal chickens?" Xiao Chen chuckled.

"Worse—it stole quite a few of my gold coins."

"Oh, a little money-grubber, eh?" Xiao Chen studied the turtle closely. He already knew this white turtle was no ordinary creature, because the chain and the hole through its shell looked quite ancient.

Only after paying and taking the turtle in hand did Xiao Chen ask casually, "Boss, where did you catch it?"

"I bought it from an herb gatherer."

"So you did buy it as a medicinal ingredient after all? Then I wasn't wrong from the start." The seller showed a rare flash of embarrassment. "That herb gatherer dug up a rare ginseng king and unearthed this turtle along with it."

"Unearthed?!" Xiao Chen thought for a moment. "Did you put that chain on it?"

"No, it was already like that when I bought it. The herb gatherer must have done it."

Xiao Chen said nothing more. He took the turtle, gathered Keke and the Little Defiant Dragon, and walked away. His instincts told him he might have stumbled onto something extraordinary.

He could not break the fine chain—a fact that seemed impossible given his cultivation. Then, with his sharpened spiritual perception, he examined it closely and discovered that the dark, delicate links appeared to be inscribed with tiny characters invisible to the naked eye. This was definitely not the work of a simple herb gatherer.

After walking some distance, Xiao Chen keenly sensed an anomaly—someone was following him.

"Who could it be?" He showed no reaction, continuing his aimless stroll.

Heavenly Emperor City was a tangled web of powers. Not only were there several beast-fighting arenas of unfathomable strength, cultivation academies, and imperial pleasure houses like the Moon-Shaming Beauty Hall and the Sunken-Fish Beauty Palace, but many major Southern Wasteland forces also had outposts here—including sects like the Undying Sect. It was an exceptionally complex place.

"Sir Xiao, please stay a moment."

Xiao Chen turned and saw a young man he did not recognize—a half-breed with blue hair and black eyes, carrying an air of innate pride and superiority.

"Is something the matter?"

"My family's elder requests your presence."

"Who is your family's elder?"

"You'll know when you see him."

"Sorry. If you won't tell me, I'm not going."

The young man replied with a hint of arrogance, "In this city, very few would dare refuse my family."

Xiao Chen turned his back and walked on. "I said I'm not going, and I'm not going." Facing an invitation laced with hostility, he had no intention of walking into trouble.

"You'll regret this." With that, the young man departed swiftly.

In a grand palace complex within the city, an old man's voice echoed from a hall. "He refused?"

"Yes, and he was very arrogant about it." This was the same young man who had invited Xiao Chen.

"Hmph, youthful arrogance." The old voice remained as calm as still water.

"He's insulting us. We can't let this slide." said the young man.

A young woman's voice spoke from the hall: "He is now a protector of the Undying lineage. According to the unwritten rules between the major powers, the older generation cannot easily move against the younger one, or it will cause great conflict and trouble. Hmph, this fellow is troublesome. Based on his performance on Dragon Island, he should be at Mortal-Shedding Sixth or Seventh Heaven. Among the younger generation, he's considered an expert."

After a pause, the old man's voice came again: "From what happened on Dragon Island, that snow-white little beast is truly extraordinary, no less than a Dragon King. Our beast-fighting arena needs it. The older generation certainly cannot act—the Undying Sect would not stand idle. This must be settled among the young. Perhaps... you should try to win him over."

The young man replied, "Hmph, even if he's at the Seventh Heaven, so what? We have a young expert here whose name rivals Dugu Jianmo's in the Southern Wastes. Killing him would be like slicing vegetables. We'll deal with him the way the younger generation handles things."

"No, we cannot do that unless absolutely necessary." said the young woman.

"Too late. When I came back, my younger sister had already left..." The young man's voice carried a hint of amusement.

"With her cultivation level, how can she go? How could you let her? This is going to blow up..." The young woman sounded displeased.

"Exactly. After she suffers a setback, we can persuade that person to make a move."

Xiao Chen was still wandering freely, observing the strange and wondrous little battle beasts. Suddenly, he felt an abnormal fluctuation in the sky.

Many people looked up. A colorful giant bird like a celestial crane was diving straight toward Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen calmed the Little Defiant Dragon and held Keke back. He raised a hand and shot a golden sword-aura into the sky. The colorful bird veered aside and landed not far away, causing the crowd to scatter.

"Are you that arrogant Xiao Chen?" A blue-haired girl strutted over like a proud little phoenix, her full chest thrust out. She was petite but curvaceous, with a sweet face—long lashes, large watery eyes—but her expression was haughty.

Xiao Chen was certain he had never seen this girl before.

"Hey, isn't that the most troublesome little miss from the Mand family?"

"That's her. Her family owns a beast-fighting arena. That's real power, so it's natural for her to throw her weight around."

"She's nothing but trouble."

"Is there something you need?" Xiao Chen asked.

"My seventh brother invited you to our home, and I heard you dismissed him with contempt?"

Xiao Chen was speechless. When had he ever shown contempt?

"Hmph, just because you're a protector of the Undying Sect doesn't mean no one dares touch you. Battles between peers have no restrictions. Today I'm going to teach you a lesson." The blue-haired girl paced forward gracefully.

Thinking it over, Xiao Chen quickly deduced many things. The major powers were heavily constrained—the older generation apparently could not act casually. If that was the case, he could use this to his advantage! If only younger opponents came, he need not worry about beating the small one only to have the old one show up.

With that in mind, he asked casually, "Who is the spoiled little girl who runs around causing trouble like this? Aren't you afraid someone will catch you and sell you?"

The blue-haired girl was clearly used to having her way. At his words, her arched brows furrowed. "You're just too awful! Just watch—I'll teach you a lesson, you wastrel!"

Xiao Chen was genuinely speechless. This little girl really could twist things around. Who was the real wastrel here? But with his cultivation advancing, his composure had also improved; he was not easily agitated. He smiled and said, "Little brat, you really need a good scolding."

The blue-haired girl glared at him with her big, watery eyes. "You really are just as my seventh brother said—conceited and arrogant! Hmph, I'm going to teach you a lesson!"

"Stop talking and come on. I've been waiting for you to make a move."

Xiao Chen's completely unconcerned demeanor only made the girl angrier. "I won't fight you for nothing. We need a wager. If I knock your teeth out, you have to give me that cute little white lion." Her gaze was fixed on Keke, her delight undisguised, her eyes already curved into crescent moons.

"And if you lose?"

"How could I possibly lose? No one my age has ever beaten me."

"Probably because no one wanted to bother, haha..." Xiao Chen laughed. He found this little girl quite amusing.

"Let's go. If I lose, I'll give you my Colorful Crane." She pointed at the multi-colored crane. "It's a top-tier battle beast."

"Fine. Then bring it on."

"How dare you underestimate me!" The blue-haired girl moved like a ghost, incredibly fast, lunging at Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen was mildly surprised—her cultivation was not weak; she had reached Mortal-Shedding Fourth Heaven. But compared to him, she was still far behind. His form flickered, leaving an afterimage in place.

The blue-haired girl was not flustered. She spun through the air, light as a dancing angel, and struck out with a hundred and eight palm projections in rapid succession.

But it all stopped with a single palm-strike. Xiao Chen's light palm-blow knocked her back, and at the same time he plucked an earring from her ear, the sliced-off pendant now in his palm.

"Oh oh oh, she lost, she lost!"

"Mand family's precious little miss lost!"

The crowd of onlookers burst into cheers.

The blue-haired girl stomped her foot in fury.

"Fine, I wasn't paying attention. You got lucky this time. The Colorful Crane is yours for now. Let's go again—I'll win it back."

Xiao Chen looked at this sweet-faced, thoroughly annoyed girl and couldn't help laughing. "What else do you have to wager?"

"If she loses again, she'll have to marry him!"

"Marry him!"

The bystanders were really enjoying the chaos, shouting mischievously, which made the blue-haired girl glare at them angrily.

Half an hour later, inside the Mand family estate, several young people were discussing the matter with frustration.

"That little sister of ours has made a mess. She lost her beloved Colorful Crane, and that bastard sold it on the spot at the beast market! It was a top-tier battle beast!"

"Who would dare touch my sister's things?"

"Those young noble rouges in the city—what wouldn't they dare?"

"Worst of all, she lost another bet after that."

"What did she lose this time?"

"No idea. All we know is that she's now following him around like a lackey, parade-strolling through the streets!"