Douluo: Starting with an Engagement to Zhu Zhuqing

Chapter 10: The Enraged Xuan Shui Turtle

Watching the guard resolutely walk down, the captain couldn't help but sigh deeply.

For people at the bottom like them, this was their reality. The scraps left by the nobility were rare opportunities that they had to fight for, even if it meant risking their lives or even sacrificing their entire family.

But he couldn't stop the guard's actions. If he did, it would mean disrupting the Queen's plan, offending her, and ruining his life forever.

"Fourth Prince, I only hope you come through safely," he muttered under his breath.

The area where the Xuan Shui Turtles lived was especially damp, and as Dai Yao walked through the forest, he felt uncomfortable.

The sun was blazing, and he was sweating heavily.

Along the way, he found several Xuan Shui Turtles, but most were only several decades old, or barely over a century in age—far from the target he had in mind.

The age of a soul beast could be roughly determined by its size. Generally, for every hundred years of age, a Xuan Shui Turtle would grow by half a meter in length. By the time it was 500 years old, it would be 2.5 meters long.

The Xuan Shui Turtles Dai Yao encountered were no more than a meter in length.

"It's getting dark. I can't continue like this. Should I go deeper?" Dai Yao thought.

"No, although the Xuan Shui Turtle is gentle and usually doesn't attack humans, entering its territory will still provoke it. I'll hold off for now. I shouldn't venture into areas with older soul beasts unless absolutely necessary."

After some more searching with no results, Dai Yao decided to venture further into the depths.

The deeper he went, the older the soul beasts became. In a small pond, he found a 300-year-old Xuan Shui Turtle.

"Perfect. This one will work as a backup," Dai Yao marked the location on his map.

The closer the age of a soul beast was to its limit, the greater the enhancement it would give to a soul master. According to the original text, the limit for a first soul ring was around 423 years, so the closer to that limit, the better.

"Right now, my body is still lacking in nutrients. I might not even be able to withstand the 423-year limit, so I'll lower my expectations and go for one around 400 years."

"As long as I keep growing, once I become a high-level soul master, I'll be able to add a soul ring to my second martial soul. With the dominance of twin martial souls, there won't be anywhere I can't go on this continent."

"I just need to take it steady for now. While I might not be able to match someone like Tang San, surpassing the other members of the Seven Monsters should be easy enough."

After marking the spot, Dai Yao continued on his way.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. Nervously swallowing, he saw, right in front of him at the edge of a pool, a Xuan Shui Turtle with a body length of more than 3.5 meters and a height of over 2 meters.

For Dai Yao, who was just over a meter tall, this Xuan Shui Turtle was an enormous creature.

He nervously took a step back. Xuan Shui Turtles were territorial soul beasts but usually didn't attack humans as long as they left the area promptly.

The turtle's large eyes glanced at him, and seeing him retreat, it made no move to chase.

Seeing the Xuan Shui Turtle remain still, Dai Yao's tense nerves slowly relaxed.

"That was close. How did such an old Xuan Shui Turtle end up here? Lucky for me, it didn't attack. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made it out."

In the Royal Beast Garden, there was no one to help him hunt soul beasts. The competition for the throne was cruel, so why would anyone assist him in hunting? If he didn't survive, it would be because of his own weakness.

Dai Yao understood the harsh rules of the royal competition, but normally, royal soul masters would have protection when hunting. If danger arose, someone would step in to help. However, since arriving at the Royal Beast Garden, he had yet to see any soul masters assigned to protect him.

"They must have been stopped by the Queen. They're so calculating. No one will help, so I can't take any risks. I'll have to settle for a lower-level soul ring," he frowned to himself.

Just as Dai Yao relaxed for a moment, a shadow appeared in the forest—it was the guard.

The guard took out the porcelain bottle given to him by the palace maid, uncorked it, and gently blew the powder toward the Xuan Shui Turtle.

Most of the powder dispersed in the air, but a small amount was carried by the wind toward the turtle.

"This Beast Heart Powder only takes a small dose to make the Xuan Shui Turtle go berserk. I've covered myself with the potion, so the turtle won't notice me. Haha, this task is easier than expected. My descendants will finally be able to have a soul that can be cultivated," the guard suppressed his excitement. If the Xuan Shui Turtle killed Dai Yao, his long-cherished wish would finally be fulfilled.

The Xuan Shui Turtle sensed something unusual in the air. It sniffed the air, and in an instant, its previously clear eyes turned blood-red.

It roared, looking around before charging toward Dai Yao. Although it was a turtle, it was incredibly fast.

The Xuan Shui Turtle's limbs moved in quick succession, leaving afterimages. Its massive form shot toward Dai Yao like a cannonball.

"Damn, it's already gone berserk so suddenly?!" Dai Yao thought, his heart pounding as he felt the ground trembling.

He had no time to think and immediately summoned his martial soul, using his small legs to quickly flee the turtle's territory. The ground continued to shake as the creature approached.

Looking back, Dai Yao was horrified to see the Xuan Shui Turtle only a dozen meters away.

He quickly assessed the situation. The turtle's thick shell would make it nearly impossible for his Eight Extremes Collapse to penetrate. The turtle's weak point was at the center of its belly shell. But the Xuan Shui Turtle's defense was high, and its speed was swift. Its body was almost flat against the ground, making it difficult to land a clean shot.

Unfortunately, his wings couldn't fly yet. If they could, he would be able to soar above the turtle and avoid it altogether.

For now, all he could do was run.

In the face of imminent danger, a thought suddenly flashed in his mind.

He could gather the spiritual energy he had learned from the Qinglian into his hands to unleash a powerful Eight Extremes Collapse. But what if he gathered the energy into his feet instead?

The Xuan Shui Turtle's ferocious form closed in on him, and Dai Yao clenched his teeth. He quickly focused the spiritual energy into his feet.

Boom—

His foot slammed into the ground with a deep thud, causing the snow to fly up in all directions. The next moment, he was propelled several meters forward, stumbling and nearly falling as he landed.

But he quickly regained his balance, alternating his feet to leap across the ground.

The Xuan Shui Turtle kept its distance, but it relentlessly pursued Dai Yao.

Dai Yao racked his brain for a plan. The edge of the circular pit was still too far to reach for help, but when he looked at the map on his waist, an idea struck him.

"I can lead it to the area where that 300-year-old Xuan Shui Turtle is. The two will fight over territory, and I can take advantage of the chaos to escape."

He immediately adjusted his direction, calculating his energy, and leaped toward the marked location.

After consuming 20% of his energy, he finally reached his destination.

As the giant Xuan Shui Turtle chased Dai Yao, the once-lazy turtle sunning itself on the rocks suddenly widened its eyes in shock.

It was truly a disaster from the heavens.

(End of this chapter)

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