Volume One: The Celestial Cloud Palace Chapter Fifty-One: The Tortoise

Chapter Fifty-One: The Turtle

The great battle had ended. On the Ascending Immortal Platform, new pools of blood stained the stone, and the victor stood proudly upon the blood spilled by the defeated. The losers could only leave in silence or… depart forever.

High above, the sixteen Palace Lords wore varied expressions, most tinged with concern rather than joy. One hundred sixty contestants had been whittled down to three; many immortal palaces found themselves absent from the final list, leaving little cause for celebration.

Yet the outcome was set, like it or not. The Palace Lords spoke once more.

“The Immortal Palace Grand Assembly is now concluded. The three strongest disciples are Su Qing and Zhou Hao from the Cloud Veil Immortal Palace, and Cai Lingzi from the Colorful Xiang Immortal Palace. In three days, the Grand Immortal’s Mansion will open. At that time, we sixteen Immortals will lead you three there.”

On the Ascending Immortal Platform, all disciples gazed at the trio with envy—especially at Su Qing and Zhou Hao, both from the same palace. It was enough to make one gnash their teeth. As the saying goes, a mountain cannot hold two tigers, yet the Cloud Veil Palace was like a minister’s belly—wide enough to contain them both!

What did this mean? It meant Cloud Veil boasted abundant talent, unafraid of challenge, proving with action what it means for pure gold to withstand the hottest flame.

Shoo…

The sixteen Palace Lords descended on clouds, faces expressionless, each heading toward their own elders and disciples.

“Return to the palace!” was the phrase on almost every lord’s lips. Soon, celestial brilliance filled the sky and beasts roared and birds cried—clearly, everyone was preparing to depart the platform.

As others began to fly off, Zhou Hao did not move. His injuries had long since healed, but now his gaze was fixed upon a distant stone stele, lost in thought.

That stele stood ten yards tall, pure white as snow, inscribed with two scarlet characters—Immortal Domain! It was a gateway connecting the Immortal Domain and the mortal world, a bridge between realms. Legend claimed it was erected by an Immortal Ancestor from the ancient era. Mortals who passed through it would gain immortal bodies and their souls would be elevated. For cultivators who achieved passage through their own efforts, it held no special properties.

“Zhou Hao, we should go.” Yu Nan approached Zhou Hao, who stood motionless on the platform, and whispered a reminder.

“Oh… oh, yes, let's go.” Zhou Hao returned to himself, but kept glancing back. He thought of matters from the mortal world, where he had lived for so many years.

Now, returning to a place so near to the mortal realm, he was unexpectedly sentimental.

“So it's true—even immortals cannot escape the entanglements of emotion and desire. The mortal world feels like it was only yesterday. Father, Mother, Qingqing, the barracks, brothers, the Eight-Nation Alliance, the territory of Great Zhou… All these people and events have passed so long ago, yet I remember them clearly. Since becoming immortal, my memory has sharpened, and countless small details from the mortal world flood my mind.”

Yu Nan stood beside Zhou Hao, observing his demeanor. She naturally knew what he was thinking, and said, “Zhou Hao, are you homesick for the mortal world? Can you tell me what it’s like? I bet it must be beautiful, otherwise why would you smile just thinking about it?”

“Hehe, the mortal world is indeed beautiful, but…” Zhou Hao said.

“But? But what?” Yu Nan asked, puzzled.

“But what’s most praiseworthy in the mortal world is genuine feeling—the affection between kin, the camaraderie between friends, the love between couples. Such true emotions can warm a heart for a lifetime!” Zhou Hao closed his eyes, as though recalling those bygone days.

He remembered, as a child, flying kites with his sister Qingqing on the hill behind their home. For the sake of livelihood, every afternoon he would carry a heavy hatchet, following his adoptive father into the mountains to chop wood. Though exhausting, the thought that his father would use the money from selling wood to buy candied hawthorn for him and Qingqing always filled him with excitement. At sixteen or seventeen, the Great Zhou Dynasty recruited civilian soldiers. Unwilling to remain an ordinary citizen, he enlisted. He recalled his adoptive parents staying up all night in the kitchen, preparing military rations for him before his departure…

Life in the army was tough—often cold and hungry, but the brothers in the camp were loyal, banding together for warmth and sharing food and drink. They endured hardship time and again. Yet, war meant death, and he could no longer recall how many good comrades had perished along the way, though he knew they were all admirable, braver than he. It was their blood and iron resolve that taught him the true meaning of national duty.

And so much more—Zhou Hao’s mind was filled with fragments of mortal life, and he was once again lost in reverie…

Buzz!

Suddenly, at that moment, something strange happened to the stone stele in the distance—a shadow burst forth from it.

Only two or three immortal palaces remained on the platform. Everyone was about to take off, but this sudden occurrence drew every eye.

Bang!

Aiya!

Two sounds echoed almost simultaneously—the thud of stone striking something hard, and a cry of pain.

Everyone looked closely to see two dark objects piled atop each other, one above and one below. On top was a pitch-black stone slab; beneath it, unmistakably, was a turtle over a yard long!

What was a turtle doing bursting out of the Immortal Domain Stele? Clearly, it was an ordinary turtle. Yet for it to cry out in pain suggested—it had cultivated spiritual essence!

The gazes of those on the platform grew increasingly strange, especially the palace lords and elders, who barely suppressed laughter.

A turtle that has cultivated essence is a spirit turtle. If properly nurtured in one’s palace, it could become a guardian immortal beast!

While almost everyone focused on the turtle, Zhou Hao’s eyes were fixed on the stone slab pressing on its back—the very same black object that had brought him to the Immortal Domain: the Flying Immortal from the Beyond!

“A spirit turtle from the heavens! My Wood Marvel Palace happens to lack a guardian beast—come with me!” A jade-green vine shot across the sky, aiming to ensnare the turtle. It was the Wood Marvel Palace Lord who acted.

“Not so fast. Your palace lacks everything but guardian beasts. I think this spirit turtle is best suited for my Fiery Mountain Palace.” The Fiery Mountain Palace Lord unleashed a burst of flame, incinerating the vine to ash.

“Fine, let’s settle it by skill—winner takes all!” The Wood Marvel Palace Lord was clearly not one of gentle temperament, and immediately went all out against the Fiery Mountain Palace Lord.

Immortal power gathered like storm clouds; the two lords unleashed terrifying force, enough to shatter rivers and mountains. Meanwhile, the highest-ranking Cloud Veil Immortal, who could have intervened, simply shook his head, evidently uninterested.

Cloud Veil Immortal mounted his cloud and prepared to depart. Some elders were reluctant to miss this rare opportunity, but seeing their lord so resolute, they had no choice but to follow.

“Zhou Hao, quickly, the Palace Lord is already rising on the cloud!” Yu Nan tugged at Zhou Hao's arm, urging him.

“No, I must retrieve what I dropped!” Zhou Hao shook off Yu Nan’s hand and flew straight toward the Immortal Domain Stele.

“Stop him! No one may approach until the two Palace Lords have settled their contest!” Elders from Fiery Mountain and Wood Marvel shouted together, pointing at Zhou Hao and ordering their disciples to block him.

But they forgot one thing… Zhou Hao was one of the three strongest disciples!

Thud!

A dozen disciples rushed at Zhou Hao, using brute force to try to subdue him, but he effortlessly knocked them all down. His physical strength was daunting—any contact meant injury, a blow meant ruin!

Hiss!

When the elders saw their disciples fail, they stepped in themselves, unleashing a palm strike that summoned fierce winds and thunder. Zhou Hao was about to be engulfed and pulverized.

“How dare you!”

At that moment, Yun Fang stepped forward, causing the surrounding space to rumble. The palm prints shattered instantly, everything returned to normal.

“Cloud Veil Palace Lord, what is the meaning of this?” An elder from Fiery Mountain Palace, seeing Cloud Veil Immortal standing on the cloud, questioned.

“Zhou Hao, is that black stone slab yours?” Cloud Veil Immortal suddenly turned, looking at Zhou Hao.

“Yes, Palace Lord. When I first arrived from the mortal world, I dropped this stone slab on the far side of the Immortal Domain Stele. Now, seeing it again, I must retrieve it!” Zhou Hao replied.

“Very well, then go and take back what belongs to you,” Cloud Veil Immortal encouraged.

“What kind of logic is this? Who can prove Zhou Hao ever owned that stone slab?” The Fiery Mountain elder clearly refused to believe Zhou Hao.

“We’ve said it’s ours, whether you believe it or not is your affair,” Cloud Veil Immortal replied calmly.

Zhou Hao walked beneath the stele. The turtle had retreated into its shell, occasionally poking its head out to survey its surroundings, wary of being snatched away.

“Hey, kid, what are you trying to do?” The turtle, seeing Zhou Hao reaching for its back, spoke in human tongue, scolding.

“Oh?” Zhou Hao laughed, surprised that the turtle could curse.

“You little brat, calling me a kid? Can’t you see with your turtle eyes who’s younger?”

“Grandpa Turtle can tell your age in a glance. Calling you ‘kid’ is polite—I should call you 'grandson'!”

“Ah, damn, you’re really pushing it, you little bastard! Want me to smack you?”

“Go ahead, try it! Grandpa Turtle will lend you two guts. This kid is getting out of hand!”

“Let’s try indeed!”

With that, Zhou Hao drew his golden sword, pointing the tip at the turtle’s protruding head.

“You scoundrel, you cheat! Is that a smack? That’s clearly a stab!” The turtle, seeing the gleaming blade, quickly retracted its head.

“Cowardly… turtle. Haha, afraid to come out?” Zhou Hao mocked the fully withdrawn turtle.

The turtle muttered, “Damn you @#》^O^……”

Zhou Hao lifted the black stone slab high, declaring, “You little bastard, I wonder if your shell would crack if I dropped this stone!”

The turtle fell silent. After a moment, Zhou Hao noticed its right forepaw extend a tiny white flag, and heard it say, “Please don’t smash me with that slab! Damn, it’s heavier than a mountain. I was just curious about the stone beneath the Immortal Domain Stele, but it nearly crushed me to death!”

Zhou Hao understood at once. Whether it was the stone tablet inscribed with the Sun Palm Art or the black slab now in his hand, both required two hands to lift—an implicit reminder that such stones must be treated with respect. Evidently, the turtle suffered simply from ignorance.

Bang!

A thunderous roar echoed in the sky as two figures fell—Fiery Mountain Palace Lord and Wood Marvel Palace Lord. Their battle ended in a draw!

“Cloud Veil, do you intend to intervene as well?” The two lords, unable to best each other, now turned their sights on Zhou Hao, who was bantering with the spirit turtle.

“I hadn’t planned to intervene, but my disciple needs both the turtle and the black stone slab. So, either way, I must help him acquire them!” Cloud Veil Immortal spoke lightly, but to the other two lords, his words carried a different weight.

Cloud Veil Immortal clearly intended to reap the benefits while others fought—the classic fisherman’s profit, biding his time until the others were exhausted before stepping in!

“You’re from the mortal world too?” The turtle, after much prodding from Zhou Hao, finally poked its head out again. Upon hearing that Zhou Hao had once been mortal, its wariness eased.

After all… when countrymen meet, tears flow in their eyes!

“Indeed, so this is… finding a familiar face in a foreign land!” Zhou Hao chuckled, though inside he wanted to cry: his fellow countryman was a spirit turtle—wasn’t this a living nightmare?

Still, as both were creatures from the lower realm, Zhou Hao naturally didn’t want the turtle to be taken as a guardian beast by other immortal palaces, and decided then and there to bring it back to Cloud Veil!