"Hahaha, my dear wife, look at the head of that Boundary Turtle, it's green! I've never seen a Boundary Turtle of this color before!"
"Pfft~ Husband, don't speak so vulgarly. This turtle's head was stained by the venomous attack of the Azure Nether Jade Serpent. Look, you've made it angry."
"Oh, this little Boundary Turtle is quite temperamental. It's a pity that its entire clan has already migrated. I wonder why it was left behind… Hey, little turtle, do you know where the ancestral star is? Can you take us there?"
"Too weak! Too weak! Where is your innate divine ability? Why can't you even perform the most basic spatial teleportation? Forget it, I'll take a loss and change your aptitude. Don't forget to repay my kindness!"
"..."
"Thirty years have passed, why can't you break through the realm yet? What? Your Boundary Turtle clan has an unending lifespan, and you're currently less than one year old in human terms? Shameless! Are you trying to covet my elixirs!"
"You must cultivate diligently. So what if your bloodline is incomplete? The strong are not respected for their bloodline, but their bloodline is honored because of their strength. I believe that one day, you will stand at the pinnacle of your race, and all the Boundary Turtles who once looked down on you will take you as their example!"
"What? You found the ancestral star? Haha, that's amazing. But my wife and I have reasons that compel us to stay here. If we were to follow you, the entire ancestral star would be implicated…"
"Little turtle, run… If you return to the ancestral star, please… set up this Great Zhou Heavenly Stars Formation properly. Perhaps we will meet again one day…"
"We've known each other for so long, and I haven't even given you a name. Seeing your honest appearance and your head like a giant rock, I'll call you Gui Tou Yan… Go now, may we meet again if fate allows!"
The tea on the table emitted a misty, ethereal vapor. Yu Zhibo took a sip and felt his mind instantly clear, as if his soul had been cleansed.
Without further hesitation, he picked up the teacup.
"Thank you for your generous gift, senior!"
With that, he tilted his head and drank it all down.
The tea flowed down his throat into his abdomen. Despite being hot, it brought a cool sensation, transforming into a cool mass of energy that surged into his mind, bringing forth a flood of insights.
The combination and application of laws and the primordial spirit, techniques for severing inner demons, the principles of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements evolving into myriad paths… At this moment, Yu Zhibo felt his mind bursting with inspiration. Many cultivation challenges were either easily resolved or presented with entirely new solutions, leaving his mind exceptionally clear.
He quickly closed his eyes to meditate.
The old turtle seemed to have anticipated this, watching him with a smile, but a faint hint of loss flickered in his eyes.
A day later, Yu Zhibo opened his eyes again. Although it was only a day of enlightenment, he had used the effect of the tea to directly break through six major inner demon barriers. His entire demeanor became even more ethereal and refined, and his aura had significantly strengthened.
Seeing the old turtle still waiting for him in the same seated posture, Yu Zhibo marveled, "This tea is truly extraordinary. Thank you for your care, senior!"
The old turtle smiled and said, "This is Enlightenment Tea plucked from the Enlightenment Tree on Enlightenment Mountain, a forbidden area in the Western Regions of the Qingchu Continent. If you like it, junior, I have some stock left, and I can give you some later."
After speaking, he poured another cup of Enlightenment Tea for him.
This time, Yu Zhibo did not drink it. Instead, he said sincerely, "I cannot accept a gift without earning it. May I know how to address senior? Is there anything I can help you with? If not, this precious tea makes me feel uneasy."
The Enlightenment Tea was excellent, but more than the tea's effect, Yu Zhibo feared incurring an unpayable debt and karma.
"The little fellow is quite cautious!" The immortal elder, who was the old turtle, stroked his beard and chuckled. After a moment of thought, he said, "This old man's name is Gui… never mind, such a vulgar name is not fit for public display. Junior, you can call me Grandpa Turtle. I see that junior's bone age is less than forty, yet you have already reached the Soul Transformation realm. You are truly astonishingly talented. May I know your name…"
Whether it was an illusion or not, Yu Zhibo felt a strange sense of mischievousness when the old turtle referred to himself as Grandpa Turtle, but he didn't overthink it. He smiled and said, "Junior Yu Zhibo."
Names had always been connected to luck, souls, and destiny. For example, some supreme beings in the upper realm would sense something when their names were spoken. However, Yu Zhibo was not worried that the old turtle would use his name to do anything.
Through his interactions with Xi Yang Yan Ji, he knew that many people in the upper realm ventured into the cultivation world using their real names. As long as they didn't reveal their birth dates and shielded their auras, no matter how many tricks their enemies had, it would be in vain.
Of course, perhaps the very top-tier supreme beings might deduce something from his name, but if he were targeted by such existences, revealing his name or not would make little difference.
'Yu Zhibo… Bai Zhiyu… Identical appearance, is it really him? But why is there no trace of the Innate Dao Body aura, let alone Dao techniques? Not even a single Dao mark…'
The old turtle silently savored the name in his heart. As his thoughts flowed, he glanced at Yu Zhibo again, finally letting out a sigh of resignation.
"Fellow Daoist Yu!" The old turtle collected his emotions, his smile becoming even more benevolent. "You don't need to worry about me using you for anything. I just feel a connection with you. If you don't mind, I can sit with you and discuss the Dao. It should bring you many insights on your cultivation path."
'First the tea, then the discussion of the Dao, what a good person!'
Yu Zhibo's heart stirred. Meeting the old turtle's sincere gaze, he knew that every word and action was genuine. Thus, he no longer stood on ceremony.
He pondered for a moment and said, "I have cultivated from a smaller world and do not understand general cultivation methods very well. Senior Gui, could you tell me about the realms of cultivation and what each realm represents in terms of abilities?"
Upon hearing this, the old turtle stroked his beard and smiled. "The path of cultivation is actually a journey with different routes leading to the same destination, but everyone has their own unique path. Seeing that junior has now entered the Soul Transformation realm, I will start by discussing what comes after."
"After Soul Transformation is the Dao Integration realm, followed by Void Returning, then Mahayana, True Immortal, Profound Immortal, and Golden Immortal. As for the Da Luo Golden Immortal above that, they can transcend the river of time and connect with their past and future selves. This is a legendary realm. Even in the entire Qingchu Continent, only two people have reached it; they were a couple…"
As he spoke, the old turtle seemed to recall something, a look of wistfulness appearing on his face. His hands, resting on his knees, involuntarily clenched slightly.
He paused for a moment and continued, "Their names cannot be spoken. Let's first talk about the Dao Integration realm. As the name suggests, in the Dao Integration realm, one integrates the Dao they control into one. I see that junior currently controls many laws and has refined internal mini-worlds such as the viscera and Yin-Yang. Each mini-world contains a trace of Dao principles. If junior wishes to reach Dao Integration, you need to merge all your mini-worlds into one…"
The old turtle's voice was unhurried, each word carrying a power that made one ponder deeply. Although he had not reached the realm of "speaking flowers bloom," it was like the sound of the Dao, captivating Yu Zhibo and bringing him sudden enlightenment.
It was not until a month later that the old turtle's discourse began to wind down.
Yu Zhibo's control over the Dao principles became increasingly harmonious, and he broke through over a hundred inner demon barriers, achieving an unprecedented level of refinement, showing signs of breaking through.
The old turtle was very pleased and finally said to Yu Zhibo, "Laws are a part of the Dao, but the Dao is not solely comprised of laws. Junior, you can linger on the island for some more time. This immortal island is the world I evolved after transcending the Dao Integration realm. You can study it, and I believe it will bring you many benefits."
"Thank you, Senior Gui!" Yu Zhibo's eyes showed gratitude as he nodded slightly.
The old turtle smiled faintly and waved his sleeve. Yu Zhibo felt the scene change, and he found himself in a valley filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers.
In the quiet room, the old turtle's body slowly faded, leaving only a sigh echoing in the room:
"There are no two identical leaves in the world. It is him, but ultimately, it is not him…"