Chapter Thirty-One: The First Trial – Black Tortoise

With a powerful sweep of its tail, the Black Tortoise shattered the rocky ground, the thunderous crash making Zhang Yang cry out in terror, “What kind of monster is this? It’s impossible to fight!”

“I’ll go,” Bai Ying stepped forward, his gaze steady as he faced the beast. He seemed intent on taking the lead. “If we don’t understand our opponent, attacking together could be dangerous.”

“Bai Ying?”

“I can’t let Feiyan be the only one showing off, can I, Feiyan?”

“How boring!” Feiyan turned away, a flicker of embarrassment crossing his face at Bai Ying’s praise.

“Bai Ying, maybe we should go together. We can take turns running in when there’s an opening...” Qin Xiaochuan, uneasy with Bai Ying facing the monster alone, expressed his concern. He clearly wasn’t sure of Bai Ying’s capabilities.

“Let him go. You probably don’t know how formidable Bai Ying is.” Feiyan, noticing Qin Xiaochuan’s worry, actually took the time to explain, something rare for him. Apparently, after the ordeal with the traitor’s wall, his opinion of Qin Xiaochuan had improved. “The reason I teamed up with Bai Ying is because I have no desire to make an enemy of someone so dangerous. His composure is unparalleled, and his analytical mind in battle even exceeds mine.”

Hearing Feiyan’s words, Qin Xiaochuan finally relaxed. Anyone Feiyan would praise must be hiding great strength. Still, from Bai Ying’s usual demeanor, he looked scholarly and gentle, almost like a film star—delicate and handsome, seemingly harmless. Well, harmless to everyone except women, for whom he was clearly lethal. But Bai Ying had never fully revealed his strength. Now, it seemed, was the time.

“Alright, attack as you wish...” Standing before the Black Tortoise, Bai Ying’s expression was unreadable, as always shrouded in mystery. “If you won’t strike first, then I will...”

When the Black Tortoise showed no reaction, Bai Ying shook his head and moved forward. Suddenly, Qin Xiaochuan noticed the creature’s tail had disappeared—it had slipped into the rocks.

“Look out behind you, Bai Ying!”

As the tail shot from the ground behind him, Qin Xiaochuan shouted his warning. Sensing danger, Bai Ying flipped sideways to evade, but the tail was too fast; its impact grazed his abdomen, drawing blood instantly.

“Bai Ying! Are you alright?” Seeing the blood stain Bai Ying’s clothes, Qin Xiaochuan grew anxious. Bai Ying was his teammate now, and he cared deeply for his comrades’ safety. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have unleashed such extraordinary strength to defeat the demon child after Zhang Yang was hurt. As Feiyan had once said, Qin Xiaochuan was troublesome—whenever a friend was injured, he became someone else entirely. But this time, it was Bai Ying’s fight, and all Qin Xiaochuan could do was fret.

“It’s nothing, just a scratch. That thing jumped out so suddenly, it startled me.” Bai Ying wiped the sweat from his brow, wincing as he pressed his wound. He had been careless and hadn’t expected the Black Tortoise to attack from behind. Still, he was beginning to understand its techniques.

“Hahaha! Did you see that? This is my Rock Fusion Technique! My body can merge seamlessly with the surrounding stone, and I can move freely within it. In this room, the whole place is my body—you have nowhere to run!”

With these words, the Black Tortoise’s entire form sank into the rocky floor. Clearly, he hadn’t been boasting. Not just his tail, but his whole body blended into the stone, preparing for another deadly strike.

“What? His whole body’s inside the rock?” Qin Xiaochuan exclaimed. The chamber was entirely made of stone; with his opponent hidden within, there was no telling where the next attack would come from. Given the speed of the tail strike, the Black Tortoise was not only tough but incredibly fast—fast enough to injure even Bai Ying, whom Feiyan had praised.

Bai Ying, however, remained unflappable. Calm was the first rule of survival in battle—a lesson he’d learned through years of combat in the spirit world. As he moved quietly, searching for his hidden foe, the Black Tortoise suddenly emerged behind him. “Behind me?” Feeling the disturbance, Bai Ying prepared to dodge. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the tail emerging from the ground—the creature was attacking from two sides. With no time to think, Bai Ying twisted his body and performed a backflip, narrowly escaping the pincer attack. The Black Tortoise, missing his mark, quickly retreated back into the stone, seeking another opportunity. Clearly, his opponent was no novice.

“You won’t hurt me just by running away!” The Black Tortoise’s deep voice vibrated through the walls, the room buzzing with the sound. He was trying to rattle Bai Ying, hoping to find a weakness to exploit.

“True, defense alone won’t defeat you. Time to use my trump card.”

With that, Bai Ying reached behind his head and, with a deft motion, produced a freshly bloomed rose.

“What? A rose? Is he mad?” Qin Xiaochuan stared in disbelief. He had never seen anyone use a rose in battle before.

“It’s not just any rose,” Bai Ying replied, catching Qin Xiaochuan’s confusion. With a flick of his wrist, the rose transformed into a whip covered in sharp thorns. As he swung it, the scent of roses filled the room. “Briar Rose Whip!” With a crack, the whip struck the ground, leaving a deep mark. Its power was obvious.

“Great, now the room reeks of roses. Bai Ying, you really are flashy,” grumbled Feiyan.

“What a poser. I don’t like him,” Zhang Yang scoffed.

From all around, the Black Tortoise’s voice echoed, “Do you think a whip will help you see where I’m coming from, fool? If you can’t even sense where I’ll strike, how could you possibly attack me? Ridiculous!”

“Is that so?” Bai Ying closed his eyes, unfazed by the taunt. “If you’re so sure, come at me as you please. Let’s see if you’re right.”

“Heh, fine. I’ll smash you to bits with one blow!” Suddenly, the Black Tortoise burst from the ceiling, hurtling down to crush Bai Ying.

“He’s above!” Sensing its location, Bai Ying lashed his whip at the ceiling.

“Impossible! How did you know?”

“The scent,” Bai Ying replied. “The room is filled with my rose’s fragrance. The moment your foul demonic aura appears, I can pinpoint you. My Briar Whip can slice through steel—prepare to die! Briar Dance!”

Caught off guard, the Black Tortoise was shredded into countless pieces, scattered across the chamber. The battle ended as quickly as it began.

“We did it!” Qin Xiaochuan shouted with excitement. “It was the Black Tortoise who fell in one strike. Bai Ying, you’re amazing!”

“That thing was so weak after all,” Zhang Yang muttered.

“Watch your mouth, idiot,” Feiyan shot Zhang Yang a withering look. “We won so easily because Bai Ying is that strong. If you’d gone in first, you would’ve been done for in the opening attack. You’d be in no state to run your mouth right now.”

“What? How dare you look down on me!” Zhang Yang bristled. “Listen well, I was third place in the Jinghai Master’s apprentice selection! Scared now?”

“Yeah, right. What a joke!”

“What did you say?! Say it again!”

“Enough, both of you, shut up or I’ll take you both down myself.” Qin Xiaochuan pinched the bridge of his nose. With Zhang Yang’s fragile pride and Feiyan’s unyielding coldness, an outright brawl seemed inevitable. Feiyan, he wasn’t worried about; it was Zhang Yang’s recklessness that bothered him. If Feiyan accidentally killed Zhang Yang, would he have to avenge him or just let it go? The thought gave him a headache.

“Wait, something’s not right—it’s not over yet!” Bai Ying, sensing movement behind him, whipped around. The Black Tortoise’s severed pieces were gathering together, the fragments fusing as if sculpted from clay. In moments, its body was fully restored. Bai Ying’s devastating attack had done nothing; not only could the Black Tortoise merge with stone, it also possessed unlimited regeneration.

“It’s useless!” the Black Tortoise crowed, reattaching its head with a flourish. “You see? No matter how many times you cut me up, it’s pointless. My body can reassemble endlessly! Are you afraid now?”

“What—is this thing immortal?” Zhang Yang’s jaw dropped. He’d never encountered a demon before; at most, he’d seen some ghosts at home. To meet an undying monster his first time out was enough to shatter his worldview. “Cut to pieces and still comes back—this is insane!”