If I can't kill people, I can at least kill a tortoise.
Xu Xian didn't bother overthinking it; the path to success was never smooth.
He had figured it out: building the Sword Tower was a trial for its master.
Training them to death, going from easy to difficult, from simple to complex, forcing them to challenge their limits time and again, turning the impossible into the possible.
The hundred thousand beast bones and the million Shadow Soul Stones were already hard enough.
But now, with the fourth floor about to rise, Xu Xian would have to rob the entirety of Fanzhou.
Otherwise.
Build what?!
He also understood the meaning of the sixteen-character mantra on the sword stele. "Sword Walking a Deviant Path" was a blatant hint that if he wanted to build the tower through honest, grounded means, he could forget about it.
He had to swindle, deceive, and rob, or the tower would never be completed.
With a flick of his sleeve, he stowed the sword book and dispersed the formation. Xu Xian intended to loosen the old tortoise's bones and vent some frustration along the way...
Within the Cloud-Marsh World, the old tortoise jerked awake, momentarily dazed and utterly bewildered.
Six days ago, he was at the early stage of the sixth stage.
Six days later, he was at the early stage of the seventh stage.
What kind of ghost was this?
Was this right?
Who practiced cultivation like this, skipping levels and breaking through? It was ridiculous!
However...
Seeing the youth rushing toward it with a less-than-pleasant expression, it sensed trouble. A chill surged from its spine straight to its head.
Its scalp tingled instantly.
Having been cooped up for six days, it couldn't imagine how much suffering it was about to endure. It wanted to flee, but there was nowhere to go.
In its heart, it screamed...
"Don't come over here!"
A moment later.
Xu Xian arrived before the stele, where the old tortoise was huddled tightly against the stone.
Xu Xian looked down at the old tortoise with a dark gaze.
The old tortoise looked up at the youth with a pale face.
Xu Xian cracked his knuckles, making them pop. Before he could even speak, the old tortoise gave in and collapsed onto the surface of the marsh.
Its throat bobbed as it said, "I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"
Xu Xian's brow furrowed...
The Little Book spirit tilted its head...
The two shared a look of understanding. Right in front of the old tortoise, Xu Xian drew three swords in quick succession.
The first was the Heaven-Burning Sparrow.
The second was the Yellow Spring Burial.
The third was Nishui Han.
The Little Book spirit took all three swords and manifested once again as the book sword immortal from that day. The appearance was identical, with no obvious changes.
However, the aura it exuded had surged by more than just a little compared to before.
The old tortoise felt completely numb.
It said it would talk, so why were the swords still drawn? Moreover, this time, it truly felt a sense of threat.
Fear sprouted within its heart.
It had a premonition that if a strike were dealt this time, while it might not kill it, taking an arm or a leg would be absolutely no problem.
It panicked.
No...
It had been panicking the whole time.
It stammered, "What... what do you actually want to do?"
"I... I said I'd talk."
"Don't do anything reckless..."
Xu Xian ignored it as if he hadn't heard a word, speaking instead to the Little Book spirit.
The Little Book spirit asked, "Master, which of the three legs do you want? Just say the word, and I'll take it off for you right now."
Xu Xian stroked his chin and said calmly, "Anything but the head is fine."
The Little Book spirit asked intentionally, "Why can't we cut off the head?"
"If we cut off its head, how will it eat poop?"
The Little Book spirit agreed, "It has to be you, Master. You truly consider everything."
The two chatted away, completely disregarding the tortoise's feelings.
The old tortoise cursed them in its heart...
Seeing the little fellow pull a sword from the basket on its back and prepare to strike, the tortoise gave up everything and stood up abruptly.
Xu Xian thought it was going to show some backbone.
Unexpectedly, in the next second, with a thud, the old tortoise knelt directly.
"I beg you."
"I truly surrender..."
The Little Book spirit held the long sword suspended in the air and looked at Xu Xian. Xu Xian was also somewhat surprised. A dignified Immortal King actually knelt?
After a moment of deliberation, he said, "Kowtow, and I won't kill you!"
The old tortoise banged its head against the ground for Xu Xian, its face full of sincerity.
Xu Xian nodded slightly.
A wise man submits to fate. He waved his hand, and the Little Book spirit understood, stowing the sword and withdrawing its divine ability.
The two had already agreed to scare the old tortoise. After all, the Little Book spirit wasn't certain it could actually kill it.
Delivering a strike would require another six days of sleep.
It wasn't worth it!
As long as they could bluff it and get what they wanted, that was enough.
Of course...
The possibility of it talking nonsense couldn't be ruled out, but at least this way, the likelihood of it telling the truth would increase.
Once the Little Book spirit withdrew its power, the old tortoise let out a long sigh of relief and slumped onto the ground, not forgetting to raise a short hand to wipe its forehead.
Even though there was no sweat there.
Xu Xian produced a chair from somewhere, placed it in front of the stone stele, and sat down, still looking down at the old tortoise.
He said word by word, "I ask, you answer. If I find that you've told even half a lie, even if I can't kill you, I'll make your life worse than death. I have ten thousand other methods I haven't used yet. I am not joking with you."
The old tortoise nodded weakly. "Fine!"
Xu Xian was satisfied and communicated with the Little Book spirit through his divine sense.
What should he ask?
What kind of answers did he want?
There were many questions, and they were a bit disorganized, but fortunately, Xu Xian had plenty of time.
He asked his first question: "Why were you sealed here?"
The old tortoise was surprised by the question and asked instead, "You don't know?"
Xu Xian grew slightly angry. "I'm the one asking you."
The old tortoise was confused. Was this youth really not a descendant of the Li family?
Otherwise, how could he know nothing? But if he wasn't a descendant of the Li family, why did he inherit the Sword Tower?
Its thoughts were in disarray, yet it spoke the truth: "Because I was defeated, so I was imprisoned. The winner takes all; there's nothing much to say."
This wasn't a secret. Telling it or not didn't matter. At least in the Upper Realm, their story was very famous.
Xu Xian said irritably, "What kind of nonsense is that? Are you playing me?"
The old tortoise choked and asked tentatively, "My story is a bit long. Are you sure you want to hear it?"
"I have time!" Xu Xian said.
The old tortoise thought for a moment. "Where should I start?"
The Little Book spirit whispered a few words, and Xu Xian relayed them. "Start from the Era of Primal Chaos and how your master, Xuanwu, died."
The Era of Primal Chaos?
The old tortoise fell into a memory, the light in its eyes shifting and dimming. It murmured, "The Era of Primal Chaos..."
"Fine, have it your way."
The old tortoise crawled up and sat back against the stone stele.
It spoke slowly, "The Era of Primal Chaos was a time when Immortal Emperors were as common as dogs and Immortal Kings were everywhere. It was a great age of contention where heroes rose and ten thousand races flourished. When darkness invaded the Boundary Sea, the whole world went to war. The previous master of that Sword Tower of yours... he fell in that battle..."
It paused and asked Xu Xian, "By the way, do you know who the previous master of the Sword Tower was?"
Xu Xian remained indifferent.
The Little Book spirit, however, appeared exceptionally expectant, its eyes gleaming.
Xu Xian glanced at the little fellow and said calmly, "Tell me."
The corner of the old tortoise's mouth curled up as it spat out three words, stating the person's name.
"Ye Wujiang!"
The Little Book spirit drifted into thought while Xu Xian whispered the name to himself.
"Ye Wujiang..."
The old tortoise said, "He was a ruthless man. He spent his life obsessed with the sword and built a White Jade Capital. He searched the entire Cangming Realm and obtained twelve divine swords. Alone, he suppressed the Boundary Sea for a hundred thousand years. If he hadn't died, humanity wouldn't have suffered so miserably in the final battle of the Era of Primal Chaos..."
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