Chapter 56
The system's mechanical voice returned to its usual calm, emotionless tone.
"That's not too unreasonable. Double, right?" Lou Yuqing stared at the panel, waiting for confirmation.
She had already figured out that the system valued melon-eating points above all else. It had said before that those points were the energy source sustaining its operation.
Sure enough, the moment it saw an opportunity, it started squeezing extra profit out of her.
Still, Lou Yuqing didn't think she was losing anything.
The system would gain more melon-eating points, yes—but she would also get to keep eating melons. She would just have to pay more for them now.
"Fine. Deal." Lou Yuqing let out a quiet breath of relief.
Thankfully, the system still had a conscience.
If it had demanded something outrageous like tenfold compensation, then a thousand-point melon would instantly become ten thousand points.
At that point, what was the difference between that and working herself to death for free?
The system panel automatically shifted to the page recording the Primordial White Turtle's life.
A white glow spread across the screen.
The lines of text began to dissolve one after another, fading into countless drifting motes before finally merging into the light itself.
Then—
Whoosh.
Lou Yuqing heard a soft sound before she saw it.
The white light flew out from the panel, tracing a graceful arc through the air before stopping directly between the Primordial White Turtle's brows.
The Primordial White Turtle instinctively rejected the unfamiliar power.
Spiritual energy surged through his sea of consciousness as he attempted to expel it.
Then he paused slightly.
This aura... it carried the power of time.
And it was coming from that little girl.
The Primordial White Turtle slowly looked toward Lou Yuqing.
The worry in her eyes was impossible to hide, so sincere it nearly overflowed.
For a moment, he was stunned.
This little girl... was genuinely worried about him.
She truly wanted to help him.
Warmth quietly spread through the Primordial White Turtle's heart.
At last, he closed his eyes and allowed the white light to enter his sea of consciousness.
In an instant, the glow scattered like drifting sand, countless specks of light filling the world before him.
Then the memories began.
Whenever his consciousness brushed against one of those flickering motes, a scroll of memories slowly unfolded before his eyes, flowing like water.
The first scene contained only two figures.
Him.
And Lingzhu.
The Primordial White Turtle gazed at the little spirit ape in the memory as though looking across endless ages.
Yes.
Lingzhu.
"Old White Turtle, where's the sweet fruit you promised me?"
Lingzhu was still very young then, stretching out her furry little paws toward him as she demanded fruit. She had always loved sweets the most.
When she heard he had forgotten to bring them, her expression instantly changed.
"Old White Turtle, your memory is terrible! I'm never asking you to bring me things again! Hmph!"
Then she turned and skipped away in a huff.
The Primordial White Turtle watched the scene with a smile that never faded.
With another thought, he touched a different mote of light.
More forgotten scenes resurfaced.
More buried memories awakened.
And slowly, piece by piece, the shattered fragments in his mind began fitting back together.
"Old White Turtle, how are you feeling lately?"
"Much better."
"That's good. Let me show you my child."
"He's much more well-behaved than you were."
"Hmph. You'll regret saying that once you raise him yourself. But you're too old already—just help me look after him for a couple of days. After that, hand him over to Shi Hua and the others."
"Alright."
"Old White Turtle, I'm leaving now. I'll come visit you again later."
"Okay, Little Lingzhu."
The Primordial White Turtle smiled helplessly.
Back then, Little Lingzhu had been unbearably mischievous. She caused trouble everywhere she went, overflowing with childish energy.
He never expected that one day she would become a mother herself.
When he saw her again, he would have to tell her properly—
Now that you're grown, you should act more maturely. Set a better example for your child. Don't let him go astray.
The flowing river of memories shimmered faintly, dazzling as a star-filled sky.
Time passed silently.
At some point, the Primordial White Turtle's memories finally returned in full.
Then—from the depths of time, an old voice echoed faintly beside his ears.
"Old White Turtle! Five hundred years from now, meet me in the Land of Desolation!"
The Primordial White Turtle slowly opened his eyes.
It was time to fulfill that promise.
—
Meanwhile, half a month had passed in the outside world.
Two exhausted cultivators arrived at the gates of Wendao Sect.
The female cultivator clutched a communication jade slip tightly in her hand. Anxiety filled her face, and even her braided hair had become disheveled from the journey.
Beside her stood a broad, burly man whose fierce appearance made him seem difficult to approach, yet he carefully stayed by her side, speaking to her in a low voice.
The disciples guarding the mountain gate exchanged glances.
They did not recognize either of them.
The leading disciple stepped forward and respectfully blocked their path.
"Seniors, please wait. Anyone entering Wendao Sect must present identification."
The two cultivators radiated overwhelming pressure. They were clearly top-tier experts.
The disciple knew offending them could bring disaster, but rules were rules. He could not simply let them walk in.
Zaomo showed no intention of making trouble.
Now that the little monkey was safe, he was in no mood to vent his temper.
He turned toward his Dao companion and asked, "Lingzhu, do you have proof?"
At that moment, Lingzhu Zhenren was still speaking to the little monkey through the communication jade slip.
The moment they entered the range where communication worked again, she immediately contacted Shi Hua and used her jade slip to talk to the child.
Hearing the little monkey's cheerful squeaks had calmed her considerably.
But the thought that Old White Turtle no longer remembered her instantly reignited the anxiety in her chest.
"Proof? I am the proof!" Lingzhu snapped impatiently. "You're my man. What proof do you need? Just come in with me."
The moment she finished speaking, she transformed into a streak of golden light and shot straight into the sect.
Zaomo followed close behind in another streak of gold.
"How dare you trespass into Wendao Se—"
The disciple's furious shout abruptly stopped.
The two figures had passed through the sect's grand protective formation without triggering the slightest reaction.
The disciples froze.
These seniors... were actually on their side?
The guards exchanged awkward looks.
Then, as though nothing had happened, they quietly dusted off their robes and returned to their original posts, continuing to guard the mountain gate in complete silence.
—
Meanwhile, at Qishan—
The little monkey hugged a communication jade slip while happily drinking the honey milk Shi Hua had prepared for it.
"You still want more? No. This is the limit for today. Too much isn't good for your health."
Shi Hua's tone remained cold and merciless as always.
The little monkey's disappointment was immediate and obvious.
Watching from nearby, Ruan Qingzhu covered her mouth and laughed silently.
She was no longer as nervous as before. Elder Shi Hua's sudden arrival earlier had nearly frightened her to death.
At that moment, two golden streams of light descended from the horizon one after the other like flowing ribbons.
Before Ruan Qingzhu could blink, two figures had already appeared before her.
"Little rascal!"
Lingzhu Zhenren scooped the little monkey into her arms and spun it around excitedly.
An overwhelming flood of longing surged through her chest.
Her eyes reddened slightly, tears nearly spilling out.
All these years, she had convinced herself she did not miss the child she had abandoned without a word.
Now she realized she had been completely wrong.
She had missed it terribly.
Zaomo opened his arms and wrapped both mother and child into a tight embrace.
The emptiness inside him finally seemed to settle.
"Little rascal," he said softly, "your father's here now. From today onward, the three of us will never be separated again."
"Your father's right." Lingzhu hugged the little monkey tightly, terrified it might vanish if she loosened her grip even slightly. "We won't throw you away again. No matter how naughty you are, no matter how much trouble you cause, as long as you're alive and well... that's enough."
The little monkey tilted its head at them.
Then suddenly—it grabbed Lingzhu's braid and yanked hard.
Lingzhu hissed in pain.
The little monkey immediately grinned smugly.
Shi Hua: "..."
Ruan Qingzhu: "..."
At this rate, wasn't it definitely going to get beaten?
Lingzhu gritted her teeth, forcibly maintaining the image of a loving mother as she gently lectured, "That's wrong. You can't do that again."
The little monkey blinked innocently and let out two confused squeaks.
"Squeak?"
Zaomo smiled with all the patience of a doting father. "That's right. You can't pull your mother's hair. It hurts."
Hurts?
The little monkey's eyes lit up instantly.
In the next second, it shot out of Lingzhu's arms, sprang onto Zaomo's shoulder, grabbed a fistful of his hair, and yanked with lightning speed.
Several innocent strands immediately departed from Zaomo's scalp forever.
Zaomo: "..."
Lingzhu: "..."
The little monkey proudly held up the stolen hair like a trophy.
"Hehe~"
"Alright! Very good! I'll show you exactly what motherly love looks like today!" Lingzhu exploded instantly.
Zaomo forced out a stiff smile beside her. "Yes. When children get older, disciplining them becomes difficult. Better to spank them while they're young—it helps them grow properly."
The little monkey froze.
Oh no.
Realizing a mixed doubles beating was imminent, it immediately shot away like an arrow loosed from a bow, fleeing more than ten zhang in the blink of an eye.
It even turned back to make faces at them before vanishing into the forest.
The couple's fury instantly skyrocketed.
"You still dare run?!"
Moments later, startled birds burst into the sky from the forest, accompanied by a miserable string of monkey cries.
Ruan Qingzhu, who had witnessed the entire thing from beginning to end, fell silent.
"Little Ling... will you die if you stop causing trouble for one day?"
Shi Hua could only smile helplessly.
This was not something she could interfere with.
At that moment—
Lingzhu Zhenren sat beneath a tree with the little monkey sprawled across her lap while she smacked its backside repeatedly.
Then she suddenly heard a familiar voice.
"Little Lingzhu."
Her body froze.
She reflexively looked up.
Not far away stood an old man in white robes.
His eyes shone like stars, filled with the same warmth and tolerance she remembered from childhood.
"Old White Turtle?"
Lingzhu stood up abruptly, still clutching the little monkey.
"Little Lingzhu," the Primordial White Turtle said gently, "I'm leaving."
Lingzhu Zhenren stared blankly at him for a very long time before finally forcing out a trembling response.
"What... do you mean?"
The Primordial White Turtle smiled reassuringly. "My lifespan is nearing its end. There's no need to be sad."
He lowered his gaze toward the little monkey. "This child is your legacy. Raise him properly. Don't be careless again, understood?"
Having descendants was a good thing.
Since the Primordial Era, he had watched too many people leave before him.
His Dao companion.
His family.
His friends.
One by one, they had all died, leaving him alone to continue living.
That loneliness had long since carved itself into his bones.
Every extra day he lived felt like another day carrying the grief of an entire vanished era.
The beings of the ancient age were destined to disappear eventually.
So what meaning was there in struggling stubbornly onward alone?
Yet for the sake of passing on the White Turtle bloodline, he had continued searching for a turning point.
Unfortunately... that turning point had never appeared.
Even so—if given another chance, he knew he would still make the same choice.
The Primordial White Turtle smiled in relief.
Seeing that smile, Lingzhu Zhenren finally broke down.
Tears streamed down her face as she knelt and bowed deeply.
"This junior... will remember Senior's teachings."
A gentle breeze rustled through the trees.
Lingzhu looked up again.
The white-robed elder was already gone.
She remained kneeling there for a very long time, unmoving, countless childhood memories replaying endlessly in her mind.
Farewell... Senior White Turtle.
—
Southwestern Continent.
Land of Desolate Spirits.
The stillness of space suddenly rippled.
A white figure stepped out from within the distortion, his gaze sweeping calmly across the wasteland before locking onto a certain direction.
The next instant, he appeared there.
"Old snake, I'm here!" the Primordial White Turtle laughed loudly.
The Thunder Python Demon, which had been coiled up pretending to sleep, snapped its eyes open in shock.
Its vertical pupils flashed with savage light.
"I thought you'd run away!"
The Primordial White Turtle snorted disdainfully. "If I backed out now, wouldn't that mean admitting your offense is stronger than my defense? I refuse. Come on—when do we begin?"
The Thunder Python Demon slowly raised its upper body.
Its purple scales fit together seamlessly like natural armor, crackling faintly with lightning.
It flicked out its tongue and settled into an attack stance.
"Hiss... when? Right now!"
"I was thinking the same thing."
Brilliant white light erupted from the Primordial White Turtle's body.
When the glow faded, his true form appeared.
A pristine white shell gleamed beneath the desolate sky, cold and beautiful beyond words.
The two ancient beings looked at one another.
Their eyes burned with the same overwhelming battle intent.
Then—
BOOM!
White light and violet lightning collided violently.
The deafening shockwave tore across the wasteland.
There were no elaborate techniques.
No dazzling spells.
Only the purest collision of flesh against flesh.
Wild winds roared outward.
Dust swallowed the sky.
An ancient battle between spear and shield was beginning once more.
—
A thousand miles away from the Land of Desolation stood a cultivator city with a population of tens of thousands.
Its scale was neither especially large nor especially small.
Most cultivators who came here did so to hunt demonic beasts in groups. Ordinary beasts weren't worth much, but if someone managed to catch a rare Sandstorm Beast, they could become rich overnight.
Unfortunately, the beasts here were far more savage than elsewhere.
One careless mistake meant death.
Aside from cultivators with exceptional strength-or those desperate for money-few dared approach the region willingly.
Recently, however, the city had become unusually crowded.
Cultivators from every direction had poured into the area, nearly filling every inn and lodging house.
They had all come searching for treasure.
Rumors claimed a secret treasure was about to appear near the Land of Desolation.
Whether the rumor was true or not hardly mattered anymore.
The news had already spread.
And wherever treasure appeared, people followed.
Inside a tavern, two cultivators drank while chatting idly.
The taller one took a gulp of wine and sighed gloomily.
"Brother Chen, we've been waiting here for two whole months. This so-called treasure still hasn't appeared. Think we got scammed?"
The shorter cultivator sighed as well.
"Who knows? But we've already waited this long. Waiting a little longer won't kill us. Maybe it'll appear tomorrow."
Soon, the topic shifted toward bragging.
The taller cultivator claimed he had once slain a mighty demonic beast.
The shorter one insisted he had killed a high-level cultivator.
Perhaps the alcohol had gone to their heads.
Then suddenly—
BOOOOM!
A thunderous explosion shook the heavens.
The entire city trembled violently as though it might collapse at any moment.
"What happened?!"
The two cultivators instantly sobered up.
Rushing outside, they saw panicked crowds fleeing through the streets as rubble rained down around them.
"Look over there!" someone shouted in shock.
The two men looked up.
Their pupils contracted instantly.
Far beyond the horizon, two enormous pillars of light pierced into the heavens.
One was pure white.
The other blazed violet with crackling lightning.
"That direction—that's the Land of Desolate Spirits!"
"The secret treasure must've appeared!"
The crowd erupted into chaos.
Countless cultivators surged toward the city gates like a tidal wave.
Multicolored streaks of escaping light tangled together in the sky, colliding wildly.
The lucky ones charged ahead.
The unlucky ones were knocked screaming from the air, their fate unknown.
None of them realized—what they were witnessing...
Was the final battle between two beings from the Primordial Era.