Do you know what mythical life is?

Lu Pingan suddenly remembered Qin Muzhi.

His master seemed to have emerged from the depths of the Longyun Mountains not long ago.

However, he didn't have any particular interest in the "ageless bottle".

Eat as much food as your appetite allows.

In this world, even a martial artist at the Dark Force Realm is nothing more than a slightly larger ant.

They still can't actually eat meat.

"Um?"

Suddenly, Lu Ping'an felt a thought and sensed a message coming from the giant tortoise.

Without hesitation, he immediately diverted a portion of his attention to the giant tortoise.

The next moment, he saw a familiar figure through the perspective of the giant tortoise that had been hiding under the West Bridge of Xiaoshi Village.

It was Huang Qiming, who had previously fled.

Two elderly men were also with Huang Qiming.

One of the old men was the same gray-clad old man who had escaped with Huang Qiming.

The other person walked ahead of the two, with an upright posture and an awe-inspiring aura. He was clearly someone who had long held a high position, lived a life of luxury, and held power.

"Has this guy brought reinforcements to cause me trouble?"

Lu Ping'an's heart stirred slightly.

Using the giant tortoise's perspective, he focused his gaze on the leading old man, trying to gauge his strength.

Huang Qiming had witnessed Liu Cang and Qin Zheng's actions. If this old man was coming to cause him trouble, then he was at least a martial artist at the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

To put it even higher, it could be the Qi and Blood Realm, which is above the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

As for higher, that's unlikely.

Yunxi County is just a small place. Not counting his master Qin Muzhi, a Qi and Blood Realm martial artist is already the strongest in this area.

"Want to give it a try?"

Lu Pingan was somewhat eager to try.

The giant tortoise, having just consumed the Moon Essence Dew, has gained a significant boost in strength and needs to test it.

Moreover, he has never been quite clear about the giant turtle's strength.

All he knew was that the giant tortoise was much stronger than him.

After this upgrade, he estimated that the giant tortoise would at least possess the strength of the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

If he were to unleash the Heavenly Pillar Body again...

"Give it a try!"

"Just this once!"

"If one attempt fails, we'll escape into the water!"

Lu Pingan made his decision after only a brief moment of contemplation.

Large turtles can dive to the bottom of the water.

But martial artists cannot.

He planned to have the giant tortoise launch a sneak attack on the old man.

If the sneak attack fails, flee immediately.

"Two Marrow Cleansing Realm guards..."

On the other side, on the wooden bridge, Huang Youya hurried along while his mind raced.

He is the head of the Huang family and also the strongest martial artist in the Huang family.

However, they still had to be cautious when facing two people with the Marrow Cleansing Realm as their guards.

Therefore, he came here not to demand an explanation, but to apologize to Huang Qiming.

As for the Black Mountain bandits who were killed, they are dead, so be it; it's just a bit of a pity.

"boom!"

Suddenly, just as Huang Youya led Huang Qiming and the gray-robed old man to the center of the wooden bridge, the previously calm river surface below suddenly erupted.

The murky river water was as if it were being lifted up by an invisible giant hand. A huge figure with a diameter of three meters, carrying a tidal wave of water and a fishy wind, burst out from the shadows under the bridge and rushed straight at the three people.

It was a giant tortoise that had spread its body like a pillar of heaven.

"boom!"

The giant tortoise swelled to enormous size, its shell becoming ferocious. A monstrous claw covered in keratin and scales emerged, tearing through the air with the force of a thunderbolt, and slammed down on Huang Youya.

"What?"

Huang Youya's pupils contracted sharply, and his hair stood on end.

The attack came too fast and too suddenly.

When a crisis strikes, there's no time to think. The body's energy and blood surge forth instinctively, and the right palm hastily rises to meet the attack.

"Bang!"

The tortoise claws collided with the palm, producing a muffled thunderous boom!

"Snap!"

Huang Youya's right palm, which was filled with qi and blood, along with his entire forearm, twisted and exploded instantly under the giant tortoise's brute force, turning into a cloud of blood mist.

"Well!"

A sharp pain shot through him, and Huang Youya groaned. Using the force of the impact, he quickly retreated, his body flying backward in a disheveled manner, thus avoiding certain death.

"Boom!"

The tortoise claws slammed onto the bridge surface, causing the wooden bridge to shake violently, collapse, and splinter wood and water to splash everywhere.

Huang Youya landed several feet away, his right arm severed at the elbow, covered in blood, his face deathly pale, his eyes filled with horror.

In a single exchange, this martial artist at the Qi and Blood Realm had one arm crippled!

"Master!" The gray-robed elder and Huang Qiming exclaimed in shock, their faces filled with terror, but they dared not delay and hurriedly ran down the bridge.

"boom!"

Having landed a successful blow, the giant turtle swayed and plunged back into the water from the other side of the wooden bridge, creating huge waves before disappearing in an instant.

"Qi and Blood Realm..."

Lu Ping'an, who witnessed this scene from the perspective of the giant tortoise, was deeply shaken.

Although he knew the giant tortoise was powerful, he never expected that it could cripple a Qi and Blood Realm martial artist's arm with a single blow.

Lu Pingan took a deep breath.

He originally intended for the giant tortoise to retreat after one attack.

But now it seems that we might be able to leave this person here.

After all, if he couldn't keep the person there, it wouldn't be good if the Huang family targeted him once he went to Yunxi City.

You should know that giant tortoises are not allowed in the city.

"boom!"

In a flash, Lu Ping'an's will resonated instantly with the giant tortoise's killing intent.

Almost as soon as the giant turtle's first attack landed and the splash had barely subsided, the murky river below erupted again.

This time, the giant tortoise did not leap high.

Instead, with even greater speed, a ferocious forepaw covered in thick, keratinous scales, like a giant battering ram, slammed down from below into the supporting structure of the wooden bridge.

"Snap!"

"Boom!"

The bridge pillars and deck on one side of the wooden bridge were easily torn apart like rotten wood by this ferocious claw.

The entire wooden bridge groaned under the strain, and with the loss of support on one side, it instantly tilted and collapsed towards the river.

"not good!"

Huang Youya was already in a state of shock and pain from the severed arm, and before he could regain his footing, he fell into the river involuntarily along with the collapsing wooden bridge.

The icy scent of the river water hit me.

"Master!"

"Hurry up!"

Because Huang Qiming and the old man in gray were following behind Huang Youya, they were not considered the giant tortoise's primary target. In addition, the two escaped very quickly, barely managing to leap off the collapsed bridge and land on the shore.

"Thump!"

But just as the two of them regained their footing, Huang Youya on the other side had already fallen into the icy river with a "plop".

Alarm bells rang in Huang Youya's mind. He suppressed the pain, circulated his qi and blood, and prepared to rush towards the water.

But at that moment, in the murky water, a huge black shadow, like an underwater ghost, moved its limbs and broke through the water at an unparalleled speed, rushing straight towards him.

It's a giant tortoise!

"Gurgle..."

Huang Youya felt a terrifying undercurrent, carrying the aura of death, rapidly approaching.

He barely managed to turn around in the water, and in a haste, he mustered his remaining left arm to unleash a punch at the approaching black shadow.

"Bang!"

A dull underwater crashing sound rang out.

Huang Youya felt as if his fist had struck a moving underwater mountain. The recoil made his chest feel tight and he choked on the cold river water.

The giant tortoise's momentum was almost unaffected. Its ferocious head opened its massive mouth in the murky water, revealing a row of chillingly sharp teeth, and it viciously bit at him.

There's no way to avoid it!

A hint of despair finally flashed in Huang Youya's eyes.

Driven by his will to survive, he frantically channeled his energy and struggled upwards, trying to escape.

"Snap!"

The sickening sound of bones cracking could be faintly heard even underwater.

The giant tortoise's massive jaws clamped down hard on Huang Youya's waist and abdomen.

The terrifying biting force was transmitted instantly, and the excruciating pain made his vision go black, and his consciousness almost disappeared.

Then the giant turtle sank to the bottom of the water and disappeared.

……

On the other side, in front of the vanished Cifu Ancient Temple.

"Brother Lu," Chen Yi said to Lu Ping'an, "it seems that the Huang family patriarch has also come to Longyun Mountain Range this time since the emergence of this extraordinary treasure."

"The Huang family patriarch is a Qi and Blood Realm martial artist. Since Brother Lu has already received the blessing, I suggest that you leave here first."