The sunset's afterglow reflected on the water, casting a fiery red and golden shimmer. The shadows of lotus leaves and stems swayed, reminiscent of a mysterious forest.

Su He lay limp at the bottom of the pond, with several gashes torn open at the base of his left hind leg by an otter, exposing flesh and skin. The scent of blood drove the fish and shrimp in the pond into a frenzy. Fortunately, the bleeding had stopped, though the wounds were now turning pale.

Beside him, the otter lay completely dead, with a palm-sized chunk of flesh bitten off its nape by Su He.

This time, Su He had launched a surprise attack, seizing the otter's fate at a critical moment, preventing it from using its agility. Relying on his superior breath-holding ability, he drowned the otter.

It was a mix of luck and skill, but what about next time?

If the Wolf King could bring one otter, it could bring ten. Su He wouldn't stand a chance against even two otters.

Turtles have never been a combative species. They rely on patience and are adept at retreating into their shells to avoid danger.

But a turtle shell can't fend off an otter. Otters know to attack a turtle's limbs, and once it's retracted into its shell, it's like a walnut, ready to be cracked open for a tasty treat.

This pond was too small. If four or five otters were let in, there would be nowhere to escape.

He needed a backup plan.

A turtle without foresight will face immediate worries. Either kill the Wolf King and drive away the wolf pack, or find a retreat that ensures invincibility.

He was still too weak!

Too young, having been reincarnated for less than two years. Su He had grown to the size of a large basin, thanks to a lucky roll of the dice. The other little turtles born with him that survived were only palm-sized.

If given just two more years to grow to the size of a manhole cover, he could act with impunity. Even if a crocodile came, it would break its teeth trying to bite him.

He decided to dig a hole!

Dig a hole and seal the entrance with a stone slab. Then, snatch a few more fish from the Giant Salamander and hide in the hole to grow slowly.

If luck was on his side and he managed to catch a red carp, he might quickly grow to the size of a manhole cover.

Su He found an ideal spot at the bottom of the pond to dig a hole, hidden among the lotus flowers. The roots and stems of the plants held the soil firmly, allowing him to dig a large cave without fear of it collapsing under the pressure of the pond water. Once inside, he could break the soil layer above, causing a large stone to fall and cover the entrance.

Not even an otter could get in, and if Su He wanted to leave, he'd have to dig through the mud to open a new exit.

Otters close their nostrils underwater, so they couldn't smell him. If there was too much noise, Su He would be alerted. Turtles have quite sharp hearing.

Having made his plan, Su He dove to the pond's bottom, using his claws to break through the mud and start digging.

As the sky darkened, the bottom of the pond was the first to fall into darkness. The howls of wolves echoed, pairs of eyes glowed green in the dark, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

Su He, nestled at the pond's bottom, couldn't see any of this; he was busy digging.

Fifty miles away, on an inconspicuous island on Listening Sea Lake, a sword light descended, transforming into an old and a young man. A sloppy old Taoist and a young Daoist novice.

The novice held a bronze mirror, looking at the flickering light spots on it, feeling a bit deflated: "Ancestor, Listening Sea Lake has eighteen Demon Morphing Fruits, all colorless."

He put away the mirror, showing a bit of envy: "Ancestor, when will our Qingyuan Mountain grow a green Demon Morphing Fruit?"

Yesterday, he had accompanied the Ancestor to meet Daoist Qing He from Xuanqing Temple. Their territory had produced a green fruit, which was swallowed by an old mastiff that had been raised for over a decade. Those two little novices showed off in front of him as if they had eaten the fruit themselves.

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The novice's eyes sparkled: "Ancestor, is it possible that a red fruit has grown in our Qingyuan territory, and we missed it?"

This treasure mirror can only detect colorless and green Demon Morphing Fruits. What about the legendary red fruit?

The sloppy old Taoist took a bite of a large chicken leg, his mouth glistening with oil: "You little brat, you sure dare to dream! Every sixty years, a Starfall occurs, and Demon Morphing Fruits fall from the sky and grow. It takes sixty years to produce an ordinary fruit, and three thousand six hundred years for a green fruit. A red fruit has never appeared, it's just speculated that it might take ten to twenty thousand years to form. Even if it did, could Qingyuan Sect hold onto it?"

The area within a thousand miles belongs to Qingyuan Sect. The pond where Su He resides and the hundred-mile radius Listening Sea Lake are no exceptions.

The old Taoist flicked the novice's forehead: "Instead of dreaming about things that don't exist, why not think about how to make roast chicken taste better? If you do well, I'll reward you with some fruits and nuts, enough for you to show off for half a lifetime!"

"Go! Look around and see if that little turtle has arrived. The old Taoist came as promised on the seventh of July."

Last year, the old Taoist got drunk and rambled on this small island, preaching to a group of swimming fish and turtles for three days. When he sobered up, he found that a turtle had actually been listening intently.

Amused, the turtle seemed full of spiritual intelligence, even bowing in thanks to him.

The old Taoist was delighted and wanted to take it away immediately. But he couldn't bear to cut off its chance to transform during the upcoming Starfall, which occurs every sixty years, giving all beasts a chance to transform. Taking it away would mean losing this opportunity.

The cultivation world has rules: humans cannot participate in the competition for Demon Morphing Fruits.

The old Taoist agreed to return on the seventh of July when the lotus flowers bloomed. If the turtle was fortunate enough to consume a Demon Morphing Fruit, he would take it back to the sect for proper training. If it remained a beast, he would keep it as a pet.

Today was the seventh of July.

The novice climbed high to look around. The lake shimmered with schools of fish, little turtles swam gracefully, and water birds soared leisurely. But the beloved little turtle of the Ancestor was nowhere to be seen.

Despite a thorough search, the turtle was absent. The turtle had broken the appointment.

The Ancestor must be foolish. No matter how intelligent the turtle was, without consuming a Demon Morphing Fruit to gain wisdom, how could it understand an appointment?

He ran down from a small hill, shouting as he ran: "Ancestor, are you stupid? You made an appointment with a turtle for the seventh of July when the lotus flowers bloom. How would it know when the seventh of July is? This year, due to a duel between Uncle Su and someone else, spring and summer arrived late around Qingyuan Mountain, and the lotus flowers haven't bloomed yet!"

The sloppy old Taoist was suddenly stunned, a chicken tail in his mouth, looking shocked.

Could even a wise old Taoist make a mistake?

He sighed: "This is just a lack of fate!"

He had set aside time to come today, but by midnight, he needed to go to the Three Rivers Wilderness to preside over this year's opening of the wilderness. He couldn't wait for the lotus flowers to bloom.

The lotus flowers wouldn't bloom for at least a month.

The old Taoist plucked two lotus leaves, carefully wrapped the half-eaten roast chicken, and tucked it into his robe before standing up and summoning his Fairy Sword.

The novice blinked: "Ancestor, are you going to break your promise? Aren't you going to look for that little turtle?"

With the old Taoist's divine ability, he could find it with just a glance, couldn't he?

"Bah!" The old Taoist snorted, raising his head arrogantly: "If anyone is to look, it should come to find me. Does it make sense for me to look for it?"

Who is the seeker of the Dao? Who is the transmitter of the Dao? Shouldn't that turtle crawl through countless hardships and trials to bow sincerely before the old Taoist?

The Ancestor is just being proud!

The novice's eyes spun: "But what if... what if that little turtle, with its extraordinary luck, eats a green Demon Morphing Fruit?"

A green fruit could create a top-tier demon genius.

The old Taoist snorted disdainfully: "So what?" To cultivate to his level, wasn't everyone a genius?

"What if it eats a red fruit?"

The old Taoist flicked the novice's forehead. What was this little head fantasizing about every day? What's so special about a red fruit? A fruit that only exists in legends, would the old Taoist care about it?

Would he have to kneel to pass on his teachings? At worst, he could fight with other sects in a bloody battle, snatch it, and take in a disciple for the old master as a final student.

With the luck to eat a red fruit, the old Taoist couldn't handle it and wouldn't dare to accept it. Anyway, the old master was long dead, and he wasn't afraid.

The old Taoist lightly stomped on the ground, grabbed the novice, and leaped onto the Fairy Sword, soaring into the sky.

As the wind blew, the stone he had stomped on crumbled, revealing a turtle statue carved with precision, its limbs stretched, neck extended, eyes slightly closed, breathing towards the bright moon.

The old Taoist's skill was profound, and with just a stomp, he had carved a turtle that contained a breathing technique.

A gentle breeze blew into the stone turtle's nostrils, mimicking the turtle's breathing, sometimes long, sometimes short, sometimes rapid, sometimes slow...

At this moment, fifty miles away in the small pond, Su He was digging his hole.