The giant salamander wailed.

It watched helplessly as that damned turtle devoured its red carp piece by piece. That was bad enough, but after eating, it even hit him!

Damn turtle, why is it in this pond too? If you're so good at fighting, why not go to the big lake in the desert? It's so vast over there, you can't even see the end.

The giant salamander, feeling pitiful, took advantage of Su He's inattention and sneakily swallowed a crucian carp.

Su He couldn't be bothered with it and remained motionless at the bottom of the water.

He was a bit too full.

The quality of the doubled red carp was quite substantial, making it hard to digest. He needed a warm, shady place to take a good nap.

If it weren't for the wolf pack on the shore, he would have found a shallow spot, dug a hole, buried himself, and left only his nostrils exposed for breathing. This was how he had spent every hibernation since reincarnating as a turtle two years ago.

Of course, he could also sleep at the bottom of the water like other turtles.

On the first day after hatching, Su He discovered that he could not only breathe through his nose and mouth, but he could also breathe underwater, though the method was a bit unspeakable.

His butt!

Or should it be called a cloaca? That should be the term, but Su He's biology knowledge was average, so he wasn't entirely sure.

The cloaca could not only expel urine but also draw in lake water to absorb the oxygen within. However, this kind of breathing was very weak, better than nothing.

He wasn't sure if all turtles could do this, if it was unique to his species, or if it was because he was a transmigrator and had some special abilities.

If he chose to go into deep sleep, he could fill himself with air, lower his activity to the minimum, and then rely on his butt to breathe, allowing him to sleep quietly underwater for six or seven days.

Su He rarely used this method of breathing. Initially, it was because he couldn't get over the psychological barrier, and later, it was simply because he wasn't used to it.

But being unaccustomed didn't mean he couldn't do it.

Holding his breath, Su He dug a hole at the bottom of the pond, then swam to the surface to deal with the wolf pack and change the air. After taking a deep breath, he sank to the bottom, crawled into the hole, and slowly closed his eyes.

Before long, he fell into a deep, silent sleep.

The pond wasn't large, only about two acres, with no natural enemies in the water. The wolf pack stood guard outside, deterring other predators, so Su He could sleep peacefully.

But this sleep was not restful. His whole body itched unbearably, and he kept dreaming of being caught and placed in a pot to be boiled. The boiling water bubbled and licked his shell, burning painfully.

After the burning came the itching, making him wish he could peel off his shell to scratch.

As Su He was tormented by alternating pain and itch, time passed day by day, and the wolf pack on the shore grew more restless.

The wolves' patience wasn't usually this poor, but the scent of the Demon Morphing Fruit lingering over the pond had faded as Su He slept!

The turtle's breathing became extremely weak in its deep sleep.

The Wolf King grew irritable, having already beaten other wolves three or four times, and forced the pack to enter the water a dozen times a day to search back and forth.

The wolves were angry but dared not speak.

To make matters worse, no more fish carcasses had floated to the surface in recent days, leaving the wolves with nothing to scavenge. They needed to hunt, but the Wolf King couldn't organize an effective hunt.

It didn't dare stray far from the pond, only directing from a nearby hill, greatly reducing the hunting efficiency.

The pack was going hungry.

A herd of deer ran by, occasionally glancing at the wolves. The once-forbidden lush areas were now freely accessible, becoming a paradise for the deer, while the wolves were restrained by the Wolf King from leaving the pond.

Nearby, a swimming snake had just swallowed a frog, only to be snatched up by a sparrowhawk descending from the sky.

A faint scent of blood lingered in the air.

The hunter was also prey; no one could guarantee they'd survive the next moment.

The peaceful days passed one by one.

At the bottom of the pond, Su He felt like he was truly doomed this time, surrounded by boiling water, his shell peeling away layer by layer, as if he were being cooked, sinking to the bottom of the pot.

Falling...

Falling...

Su He awoke with a start, looked around, and found he was still in the pond. But the hole he had hidden in had collapsed, crushed by his growing body!

Judging by the remaining air in his lungs, he had only slept for five or six days.

But Su He had grown from the size of a plate to the size of a washbasin, and the hole he had dug earlier couldn't contain him anymore, causing it to collapse. His body had become heavy and sunk into the mud, no wonder he kept dreaming of sinking to the bottom of the pot.

Around him lay pieces of shed turtle shell.

Turtles also shed their shells, but not like crabs, which pop out and grow a new one. Instead, they shed layer by layer, piece by piece.

They shed about twice a year.

As they shed, they gradually grow larger, a gradual process.

But this time, after five or six days of deep sleep, he shed more than one layer. Moreover, the color of the shed shell had changed, darkening from a dull gray to a deeper hue.

It was starting to turn black.

This was a good thing, as it would make him more concealed when buried in the mud.

Su He cautiously poked his head out, confirmed there was no danger, and gently paddled towards the surface.

After a few days, the pond's surface was already covered by lotus leaves, not yet fully grown. In another five or six days, these green leaves would cover the entire pond.

Then they would prepare to bloom, and Su He was waiting for the lotus flowers to blossom, as he had an agreement with someone.

With a gentle stroke of his front limbs and a kick of his hind legs, Su He poked his head out of the water to observe his surroundings.

The Wolf King was busy beating two wolves, with only three others patrolling the pond. The rest surrounded the Wolf King, baring their teeth and growling.

It was unclear if they were threatening the Wolf King or cheering and threatening the beaten wolves.

But Su He faintly sensed that the wolf pack no longer held the same respect for the Wolf King! In just five or six days, the Wolf King's authority had diminished!

Hello, Wolf King!

Goodbye, Wolf King!

The Wolf King, distracted by other matters, didn't notice Su He had finished changing air and submerged again until it was too late. It hurriedly left the two beaten wolves and dived into the pond.

The center of the pond was about six meters deep, with lotus leaves providing cover, making it absolutely safe for Su He to dive to the bottom.

Underwater, the giant salamander was swimming happily, much livelier after a few days.

Su He decided to help it remember, so he gave it a good beating and snatched two large prawns from it.

The dice rolled, landing on three.

Prawns ×8.

Two became eight, this time not tripled but cubed.

But still, The Unfortunate One! Su He wanted to enhance the quality of the prawns.

He casually tossed the prawns back to the giant salamander, watching it gobble them up in confusion.

It's a pity the dice have a "first-time" complex; once something has been rolled, it can't be rolled again, otherwise, it could be an endless loop.

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On the surface, the Wolf King returned to the shore in frustration, its gaze becoming deep and human-like as it looked at the calm water. After a few glances, it turned and ran into the depths of the forest, ignoring the howls of the wild wolves behind it.

About two or three hours later, the Wolf King returned with a small beast the size of a cat in its mouth, tossing it into the pond. The creature, terrified by the Wolf King, slapped its tail and darted into the pond, staying far away from the Wolf King.

An otter?

Su He was startled, then furious.

Damn you, an otter!!

When did a wolf learn to use tools?!

Otters are definitely a turtle's natural enemy! They're quick and agile, capable of hunting turtles larger than themselves.

They can crack small turtles' shells and dig meat from the limbs of large turtles.

Hiding in the shell is useless!

You sneaky bastard! You dirty dog!

This otter was about the same size as Su He.

Danger!

Su He paddled furiously towards the surface, taking advantage of the otter's distraction after escaping the wolf's jaws, and bit down on its nape, yanking it underwater, dragging it to the bottom.

The otter could only hold its breath for five or six minutes, while Su He could hold his for seven days, his only advantage.

Having just escaped the wolf's jaws, the otter was suddenly attacked, terrified out of its wits. It twisted its body like a pretzel, looking back in panic, struggling and clawing.

It didn't relax just because it was a turtle biting it; with its nape bitten, it couldn't muster any strength!

The otter clawed at Su He's head with its front paws, kicking his shell like a cat with its hind legs, trying to kick him away or tear open the shell.

Su He let it struggle, oblivious to the otter's claws tearing his right hind leg, determined to bite its neck and pin it to the bottom. He immediately flipped over, pinning it down, hooking his claws into the pond's grass, not letting go for a moment.