Teacher by day, Farmer by passion

The ancient tortoise stood like a living mountain, waterfalls cascading down its mossy shell, each breath rumbling like shifting tectonic plates.

Alice stood before it, looking quaint and small, her fingers dancing through the air in a silent, practiced rhythm.

The tortoise responded in its own way, low, resonant grunts and reverberations that felt more like tectonic conversations than vocalizations.

Grunnnnnt… Hrunnnnnnnt…

Each sound vibrated through the ground, stirring loose pebbles and sending tiny ripples across the surface of the fire's pot.

Naturally, Liu Mei chose this moment to lean in and whisper, "Sister Yuu, can I pet that tortoise? Will it bite me?"

Yuu didn't even hesitate with her reply. "No. Absolutely not."

"Why not?" Liu Mei tilted her head, already halfway leaning forward.

"Because that would be extremely suicidal to do so," Yuu replied flatly. "That thing is likely above Legend Rank. Probably even above the ranks of divine steps or even divine halo. Either way, we would likely die if it decided to make even a move."

Liu Mei froze for a second, blinked… and then her smile turned wider.

"…So you're saying it's strong?"

Yuu slowly turned to face her. "That is not what I meant and you know it. Don't make a mess."

But Liu Mei was already leaning forward, hands itching like a child at a petting zoo.

Yuu pinched the bridge of her nose. "You're going to die happy and stupid, aren't you?"

Zhao Yun suddenly turned toward Liu Mei, her voice gentle. "Mei'er."

"Yes, Sister Yun?" Liu Mei blinked innocently.

"Come with me. Let's go look for Icehar—ahem—the monkey."

"Why?" Liu Mei asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Zhao Yun smiled patiently. "Don't you want to make your master happy? That monkey's worth one billion taels of gold."

"But…" Liu Mei blinked again. "Wasn't it Master's money that's on the monkey's head?"

Zhao Yun's expression shifted into a firmer, more persuasive tone. "Exactly. Which makes it even more worthwhile. If we catch him, you'll be saving Master a lot of gold. Don't you want to make your master proud?"

From the side, Zhao Mei chuckled quietly, watching her sister coax a grown woman the same way one might persuade a toddler to pick up their toys.

Liu Mei placed a thoughtful finger to her chin.

"Alright, Sister Yun. Let's go monkey hunting!"

Zhao Mei bit her lip in amusement, surprised it worked, while Yuu turned toward Zhao Yun and gave her a silent thumbs-up of approval.

Their main priority right now was simple—make sure Liu Mei didn't do anything abnormal near the tortoise.

That tortoise wasn't just a beast. It was a divine entity.

A creature of such scale and power, it might even be capable of flattening the Abyss itself.

Zhao Yun and Liu Mei walked off together to chase Icehart.

While the tortoise was staring down at Alice who was communicating with the beast using her own hands, what's even crazier for the group to understand was her ability to understand the beast tongue.

Whatever strange connection existed between Alice and the tortoise, it was enough to keep her alive and unscathed the last time they found her.

That left only four near the tortoise: Betty, Zhao Mei, Yuu… and Alice.

Yuu didn't take her eyes off Betty for a second.

Outwardly calm, inwardly analyzing. She was trying to read the tiniest flickers in Betty's expression, searching for anything she could use.

Betty might've been a captive but she was never truly a prisoner considering how Liu Mei treated her.

Not tied up. Not restrained. Like Icehart.

And now, Alice, Liu Mei's only disciple, was having what might be a very private and very useful conversation with a literal divine beast.

Yuu felt the weight of decision.

She hadn't sent Betty with Liu Mei or Zhao Yun for a reason.

Betty was clever, silver-tongued, capable of twisting even Liu Mei into knots if given the chance.

She hadn't sent Betty with Zhao Mei either. Because while Zhao Mei was peak-grade Dark Gold, Betty—though only at the initial stage of Legend rank—could likely defeat her with ease.

And Yuu herself couldn't stray too far. She was the backup plan.

Made purely from blood essence, her body could be reconstructed even if destroyed.

If the tortoise made a sudden move, Yuu was the only one who could use her spatial arts fast enough to get Alice and Zhao Mei out alive.

Betty was never part of the plan.

In fact, a small part of Yuu hoped the tortoise would make a move, just so she'd have the perfect excuse to take Betty out herself.

Zhao Mei walked quietly toward Yuu, her steps light, almost hesitant.

"Elder Yuu… how's your master?" she asked softly.

Yuu didn't look at her. "What about him? Ever since we rescued you and your sister, you've been asking about him."

Zhao Mei nodded slowly. "Your master was the one who saved me before."

"So what of it?"

"Nothing," Zhao Mei said, gaze dropping slightly. "I'm just… curious about him."

"He's alive."

That was all Yuu gave.

Zhao Mei stared at her, lips parting, something fragile flickering in her eyes. "Why are you like this to me?"

Yuu didn't answer.

Maybe because this wasn't the time for idle talk?

Maybe because the tortoise was still right there?

Maybe because she was tired of false softness in dangerous places?

Honestly though, deep down, she knew none of that were the truth.

When she was first refined, from divine hoe to blood general, from object to person, something had been etched into her.

And whatever it was, it recoiled at the sight of Zhao Mei.

That feeling wasn't rational. It wasn't taught. It was built-in.

An instinctive disgust.

A silence settled, deeper than before. Even the wind seemed to pause, waiting.

Then Betty turned to Yuu.

"Yuu," she said, voice calm but heavy. "Alice says that we're trapped in the Abyss."

Yuu's eyes immediately snapped to Alice.

Alice gave a solemn nod.

Even the tortoise… slowly turned its ancient eyes toward them, and blinked.

It was a look filled not with threat but with quiet pity.