Douluo: Glory of the Unrivaled Angel

Word Count: 2,805 Words

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The tortoises were startled by this imposing shout. Forgetting their sunbathing, they scrambled back into the pond one after another. Numerous ripples emerged in the center of the quiet, deep pond as a conspicuous golden figure raised a curtain of water and appeared before Ling Bai and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.

This was a large turtle with a diameter exceeding two meters. Every line on its shell was a uniform dark gold. The Golden Tortoise stretched its head out from its shell, and beneath its chin grew several whisker-like spikes.

The Golden Tortoise's spirit seemed rather listless, its eyes dull and lifeless. It spoke weakly, "Emperor Destiny Beast, human, for what purpose have you sought this king?"

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion looked the Golden Tortoise up and down, puzzled. "The Golden Tortoise is the king of the Tortoise Clan, and you are the second most auspicious beast in the Star Dou Forest after me. Upon reaching a 10,000-year cultivation, you should have learned to speak. How did you end up in such a sorry state?"

This Golden Tortoise's aura was around thirty thousand years, placing it among the young and vigorous turtles.

Tortoises were renowned for their longevity, and with the Golden Tortoise's extraordinary defensive capabilities, it had virtually no natural enemies among spirit beasts. Even by idling away, it could live to a hundred thousand years. Something seemed off with this one.

The Golden Tortoise didn't dare utter a sound. Its downfall stemmed entirely from its greed back then.

Originally, it had secretly absorbed Skydream's life force and broken through to a 100,000-year cultivation. But as misfortune would have it, it set its sights on the Life Gold. Before being caught by Di Tian, it had taken a bite out of one-fifth of the Life Gold at the spring eye of the Lake of Life. Later, it narrowly avoided Di Tian's spiritual detection and escaped back to its clan's habitat.

After its lucky escape, the Golden Tortoise dreamt of surpassing the 200,000-year heavenly tribulation to become a Great Beast. But tragedy soon struck. In recent years, the Life Gold began to reverse-absorb its life force, causing its cultivation to gradually shrink back to thirty thousand years, and the trend was worsening. In another five or six years, the Golden Tortoise feared it would be drained into a dried husk by the Life Gold.

Guilt-ridden, the Golden Tortoise didn't dare seek help from Bi Ji or Di Tian and silently shed tears alone in the pond.

The Golden Tortoise trembled in fear now that the Emperor Destiny Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, was personally visiting. It was terrified that Di Tian had found evidence that it was the one who had nibbled on the Life Gold and had sent the Three-Eyed Golden Lion to deliver a message, ordering it to hurry to the Lake of Life and turn itself in.

"Speak up, are you mute?"

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion had little patience toward other spirit beasts. It urged impatiently, seeing the Golden Tortoise remain silent for a long time.

The Golden Tortoise shivered and stammered, "E-Emperor Destiny Beast, I... I've been frail and sickly since I was young, deficient in both Qi and blood. It's the kind that even the Emerald Swan couldn't do anything about. Now my life force is constantly draining away. I'm about to reach the end of my beast life."

"Oh, what a pity..."

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion couldn't help but sigh. It was, after all, an auspicious beast that protected a region, yet it had fallen to the fate of dying from depletion.

The Golden Tortoise's eyes darted slyly. Judging from the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's tone, it seemed it hadn't come to trouble it after all!

"Life force draining away? I think the life force within you is quite abundant."

A voice filled with deep meaning rang out. The Golden Tortoise turned pale with fright. Its gaze shifted to meet a face with a half-smile. Like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring, it raised a turtle flipper and gestured wildly:

"You, you, you, don't spout nonsense!

I'm on the brink of death; I wouldn't deceive you!"

Ling Bai gently rubbed the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's little head and said softly, "You go back and wait for me. I'd like to have a private chat with it."

"Okay."

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion nodded, wagging its tail as it left the pond.

The Golden Tortoise stared with disbelieving eyes at the scene. This defied the natural order! A human was actually ordering around the Emperor Destiny Beast!

This little ancestor had quite a temper; one wrong word, and she'd crack your skull open!

Once the Three-Eyed Golden Lion was sent away, Ling Bai couldn't be bothered to play games with this fellow and decided to lay everything out.

"Golden Tortoise, you don't want Di Tian to know that you swallowed the green metal from the spring eye of the Lake of Life, do you?"

The Golden Tortoise was so startled by these words that it shivered, instantly sweating from head to toe, vividly demonstrating the meaning of 'sweat pouring like rain'. It gritted its teeth and persisted:

"Lake of Life? Green metal? I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Since it refused to admit, facts would speak for themselves.

Death Abyss Spider Emperor Manifestation!

The gray spirit ring formed by Electrolux's divine consciousness shone brilliantly. Waves of spirit power containing Ultimate Death spread outward in circles.

Scarlet spirit power surged toward the Golden Tortoise. Necromancy triggered the vast life energy of the Life Gold. A dense aura of life suddenly erupted from the Golden Tortoise's body. Golden light mixed with intense vitality emerged, and simultaneously, a phantom of a round piece of metal appeared on the Golden Tortoise's shell.

The evidence was irrefutable. The Golden Tortoise bowed its head in submission.

"I'm sorry, I admit it, I'm guilty!

It was my tortoise heart being greedier than a snake swallowing an elephant!

It was me who coveted that green metal!

My crimes deserve ten thousand deaths!

Wuwuwu, I beg you human, please don't tell Di Tian, okay..."

The Golden Tortoise's eyes were filled with two large bags of tears as it looked at Ling Bai with a pleading expression.

Ling Bai stepped forward and knocked on the thick turtle shell. Placing his palm over the spot where the Life Gold was within its body, he said slowly, "Helping you conceal your crime is certainly possible. I can even help you remove this piece of metal. But I can't be an accomplice for nothing. You'll have to pay a price."

The Golden Tortoise smiled obsequiously. "Brother Human, as long as you can help me resolve that metal, I'll pay any price!"

"Very well. I want you to leave the Star Dou Forest and guard me, my faction, and my descendants for ten thousand years."

"T-ten thousand years?!"

The Golden Tortoise shrieked, its voice so high-pitched it almost turned into a thin line.

"Any objections?"

Ling Bai raised an eyebrow.

"N-no..."

The Golden Tortoise shook its head in a cowardly manner.

Although Ling Bai was making an outrageous demand, it had no room to bargain.

If the Life Gold wasn't removed, it wouldn't even live to see ten more years.

Once the major threat of the Life Gold was resolved, relying on the foundation of absorbing Skydream's life force, it would have no problem living another hundred thousand years.

Ten thousand years in exchange for a hundred thousand years. The Golden Tortoise could clearly tell which was more important.

Ling Bai revealed a satisfied smile. The Golden Tortoise was an auspicious beast, possessing the ability to subtly change the fortune of a region over time. Ten thousand years would be enough for a family or faction to prosper and flourish.

Moreover, the Golden Tortoise itself possessed extremely strong defensive abilities. Among its innate spirit skills was one called Invincible Barrier. The Sun Moon Empire's inspiration for creating their Invincible Barrier came precisely from the Golden Tortoise.

The defensive power of a 100,000-year Golden Tortoise was so formidable that among the seven Great Beasts of the Star Dou Forest, only the Beast God Di Tian and the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear King, Xiong Jun, could break through that impregnable shell.

Putting aside other things, one's life would definitely be secure with the Golden Tortoise's protection.

"Leave your soul imprint."

Ling Bai took out a soul contract, the same type he had signed with the Snow Empress. He occupied the position of absolute authority, and this time he wasn't as gentle as he had been with her.

The obligations that Party B, the Golden Tortoise, needed to fulfill stretched as far as the eye could see. Meanwhile, Ling Bai, as the unscrupulous Party A, only wrote one clause: to help the Golden Tortoise remove the Life Gold.

The Golden Tortoise took quite a while to read through it. With a darkened face, it asked:

"Why do I have so many terms?"

Ling Bai sneered, "What's so many? I think it's perfectly fair. Decide quickly, are you signing or not!"

"Add one more clause, and I'll sign."

The Golden Tortoise mustered its courage and argued, "I can't be a bachelor while guarding for ten thousand years. You have to help me find a wife, and she must be a beautiful lady turtle!"

Ling Bai facepalmed, speechless. "There's a 10,000-year Spirit Tide Sea Turtle raised in the clan's back garden. Its shell pattern is exquisite and beautiful, and it just so happens to be female. If you can win her over, she'll be your wife."

"Good, good, good! This King Tortoise's domineering aura is overwhelming. The beautiful lady turtle will surely throw herself into my arms!"

The Golden Tortoise drooled with desire. For a virgin turtle who had been single for tens of thousands of years, a Spirit Tide Sea Turtle unique to the deep-sea regions was the absolute cream of the crop!

During the Starlight Auction, Ning Tian had spent money to buy the Spirit Tide Sea Turtle and brought it home as a pet. Today, Ling Bai conveniently found it a 100,000-year husband.

With swift strokes, the Golden Tortoise readily left its soul imprint.

"Come, I'll help you remove the Life Gold."

"Okay, okay!"

The Golden Tortoise's eyes brimmed with hot tears. It could finally get rid of this major threat!

Brilliant jade light radiated. The life energy within the Golden Tortoise's body converged toward Ling Bai's palm and rushed along his body into his Spiritual Sea. The Golden Tortoise's body continued to grow larger despite having lost that life energy, and its vitality surged outward crazily.

As he absorbed the pure life energy, gentle jade-green halos appeared around the Snow Empress and Electrolux within the Spiritual Sea, like faint flames surrounding them.

The Golden Tortoise expanded to a diameter of five meters. This was its true 100,000-year form. The keratinous ridges of its shell radiated golden light. Its throat felt a bit itchy, and with a 'wah,' it spat out a piece of green metal.

This piece of Life Gold was about half the size of the Ominous Soul-Devouring Knife. Its shape was irregular, with faint teeth marks visible on it. Since it was something the Golden Tortoise had spat out, Ling Bai used his spirit power to lift the Life Gold and wash it in the pond three times before retrieving it. His mind then sank into his Spiritual Sea.

"Elder Yi, Snow Empress."

Ling Bai called out to the two and took the initiative to propose, "I'll divide the Life Gold into four portions. The three of us will each take one, and the remaining portion will be kept in reserve. This kind of pure life energy can sometimes save a life."

"No need."

The Snow Empress declined. She said seriously, "My soul is already stable, and my spirit ring will belong to you sooner or later. Your becoming stronger means I become stronger."

"Snow Empress speaks rightly."

Electrolux nodded. "We appreciate your thoughtfulness. Keep three drops for emergencies, and you absorb the rest."

"Alright."

Their relationship was one where they prospered and declined together; there was no need for excessive courtesy. After fusing this piece of Life Gold, Ling Bai's Spiritual Sea became even more vibrant and full of life.

In the outside world, the Golden Tortoise saw Ling Bai's entire body shining with jade light. On his exposed palms and neck, slender veins appeared, as if green-gold liquid was flowing within them.

After fusing a second piece of Life Gold, he felt his whole body become light and ethereal. His mind seemed to instantly gain much clarity. He spoke, "Say goodbye to your clan tonight. I'll come to pick you up tomorrow."

With that, he left the Tortoise Clan's habitat and returned to the small wooden house he had lived in for over a year. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion was eagerly awaiting his return.

…

In the pitch-black night sky, a crescent moon hung high, its faint, cool moonlight spilling upon the earth.

In the dark Star Dou Forest, the campfire flickered gently, bringing a trace of warm light to the silent night.

Starting a fire at night in the Star Dou Forest was generally forbidden, as many spirit beasts were attracted to light. But Ling Bai and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion were extraordinary. One was bold due to his high skill, and the other was the Emperor Destiny Beast whom no one dared to provoke. They lit a fire and grilled meat without any scruples.

For their last farewell meal, the two ate more lavishly. Soft Bone Rabbits were naturally indispensable. Ling Bai also slaughtered a bull-type spirit beast. The Myriad Demon King opened one eye and closed the other, pretending not to see and letting it slide.

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion lay before the campfire. Although grilled meat had replaced brain matter as its favorite food, for some reason, it had little appetite today.

It raised its head but couldn't clearly see Ling Bai's face. The billowing smoke from the fire blurred the contours of that face, and the flames cast a faint red glow upon his golden hair.

In the night wind and firelight, Ling Bai raised a hand to brush aside a strand of hair blown across his nose. Suddenly, he noticed a warm body snuggling up beside him.

"Getting impatient? It'll be ready soon."

Those brilliant golden eyes reflected the Three-Eyed Golden Lion. Ling Bai noticed that the gaze of this Emperor Destiny Beast seemed a bit strange, holding a kind of indescribable complexity. Although it was only a fleeting glimpse, he still caught it.

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion didn't say anything, just gently nuzzled the hand he had let hang down.

Ling Bai seemed to realize something as well. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion was a creature with feelings. They had spent a happy year and more together, and the sudden parting stirred a sense of reluctance deep within the little fellow's heart.

There is no banquet that doesn't end. One was human, the other a spirit beast. After their brief encounter, they would ultimately return to their respective lives.

This was the least the Three-Eyed Golden Lion had ever eaten. The grilled meat tasted like wax in its mouth. After dinner, Ling Bai entered a state of meditation to cultivate his spirit power, while the Three-Eyed Golden Lion leaned lightly against him.

Occasionally, the sounds of spirit beasts fighting or roaring could be heard. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting a gentle, hazy glow.

Ling Bai's body was warm, and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion hugged him tightly, unwilling to let go.

It was like a child clutching its most treasured possession.

The feeling was unfamiliar yet wonderful.

They weren't of the same race, yet Ling Bai made the Three-Eyed Golden Lion feel at ease. Everything they had experienced together flashed through its mind. A hint of a smile tinted its three eyes.

After a long while, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion slowly rose and walked to Ling Bai's front, gazing at his face. Its expression seemed somewhat conflicted.

Finally, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion made up its mind. It stealthily approached him from the front. The vertical pupil at the center of its forehead flashed with brilliant golden light. Letting go of all hesitation, it leaned forward toward that fair forehead.

Thud!

"Ouch!"

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion cried out in pain and exclaimed indignantly, "This can't be! How can you have such keen perception even while meditating!"

Ling Bai withdrew the two fingers he had used to flick its forehead, looking amusedly at the Three-Eyed Golden Lion holding its head with its front paws. He smiled and said:

"Sorry, natural perception.

Now tell me, what bad thing were you trying to do, hmm?"