Chapter 58

In the space of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, on the fourth mountain of the first mountain range in the Southern Mountains, the Niu Yang Mountain.

Following the route that the Lu Shu had fled, Li Mang quickly found the source of the strange water on Niu Yang Mountain. Although it was called 'strange water,' the water here was not strange at all; it was abnormally clear, appearing as a transparent, three-dimensional mirror from a distance. At least, Li Mang couldn't see anything strange about it, and he was truly stunned by the scene before him.

On the shallow water's edge, a field of wriggling creatures came into view. They had extremely metallic shells, short legs and arms, but long, snake-like tails and necks, with heads resembling birds... It was a vast expanse of turtles, numbering in the hundreds at a glance.

Li Mang was not unfamiliar with the appearance of these turtles; they were similar to the 'Little Black Turtle' he had caught at the source of the Li Ji River, but they were not exactly the same. The ones before him were larger, with more metallic shells and different body colors. They gave him the impression that these were the 'upgraded versions' of the Little Black Turtles.

These, perhaps, were the true Black Turtles!

Li Mang's eyes instantly lit up, like a hundred-watt light bulb. If his guess was correct, then these turtles were undoubtedly a huge fortune for him!

As for whether they were or not, the method to verify was simple—just eat one. Given that Li Mang was currently starving, he naturally didn't hesitate, and he cautiously approached the group of Black Turtles with the yellow-grade large knife in his hand.

Looking back at the previous mountains, the most distinctive feature of the creatures in the Classic of Mountains and Seas was their ferocity, especially their extreme territoriality. If any other creature invaded their territory, they would launch a frenzied attack. The only exception was the Lu Shu, which was relatively timid.

However, these Black Turtles were different from the Lu Shu. With their keen senses, they quickly detected Li Mang, the unwelcome intruder. But instead of fleeing, they stretched their necks high and raised their heads, baring their sharp teeth and making a chopping sound, warning Li Mang not to come closer.

The sight of hundreds of Black Turtles raising their heads in warning was both ridiculous and terrifying, making Li Mang feel a chill. This made him raise his guard and put aside his initial contempt for the turtles.

As Li Mang approached, the Black Turtles, which had been merely raising their heads in warning, suddenly went into chaos. Some of the closest to Li Mang not only did not retreat but also dug their claws into the ground, creating large pits. At the same time, these Black Turtles used the leverage to quickly crawl toward Li Mang.

People often use the term "turtle speed" to describe slowness, but the speed of these Black Turtles was anything but slow. Instead, it was shockingly fast. In an instant, three Black Turtles were close to Li Mang, raising their heads and opening their mouths to bite.

"Damn!" Li Mang was startled. He took two steps back and swung his long knife at one of the turtles' necks.

"Whoosh!" "Swish..."

However, the result was shocking. Sensing the danger, the Black Turtle quickly retracted its neck, so fast that Li Mang's knife missed, slicing through the air and making him blush with embarrassment.

Feeling both embarrassed and alarmed, Li Mang, without putting away the yellow-grade long knife, eagerly slashed at another one. However, due to his haste, he missed the neck and instead hit the turtle's shell— "Clang!"

His palm and wrist tingled, and Li Mang almost threw the long knife out of his hand. Ignoring the pain, he anxiously checked the knife. When he saw that the blade was undamaged, he breathed a sigh of relief. Then he looked at the shell of the Black Turtle he had hit, but found not a single mark on it, not even a scratch.

"Whoa!" Li Mang couldn't help but draw a sharp breath. He had tested the long knife, which could easily cut through steel with little effort. Yet, it left no mark on the turtle's shell, which was truly terrifying. It wasn't that the knife was poor, but the shell was too tough.

"Chop, chop!"

The Black Turtles' chopping sound was a warning, a challenge, and a threat. To Li Mang, it sounded like mockery and ridicule.

"I don't believe I can't even defeat a turtle!" Li Mang was furious. Instead of retreating, he stepped forward and struck the short legs of a Black Turtle with the back of his knife.

"Clang!"

Despite the tingling in his hand, the Black Turtle was still knocked away, landing on the group of Black Turtles in front, causing a commotion.

However, Li Mang's action was like poking a hornet's nest. The 'cheerleaders' in front, who had been only shouting encouragement, suddenly went into a frenzy, charging toward him with their chopping sounds.

One fist is no match for four hands, let alone hundreds of Black Turtles with terrifying attack and defense capabilities. But Li Mang was not willing to leave in disgrace. Seeing another Black Turtle on his right, which was already raising its head, he decisively threw his long knife, which was his last chance.

"Clang!"

The long knife struck the Black Turtle's long neck, and as the blade cut through the turtle's skin, it emitted a spark, showing that the Black Turtle's skin was as tough as its shell. However, the power of the yellow-grade weapon was not to be underestimated. With Li Mang's full strength, the blade finally severed the turtle's head with a "snap."

But it wasn't completely severed; one side of the skin remained connected, indirectly proving the toughness of the Black Turtle's skin.

Seeing the Black Turtle army getting closer, Li Mang didn't dare to stay. He quickly picked up the long knife from the ground and grabbed the tail of the headless but still struggling Black Turtle with his other hand, running back at full speed, quickly leaving the Black Turtles behind.

But Li Mang didn't stop there. He ran all the way back to the mobile cabin on Zhaoyao Mountain, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

The kitchen knife he bought at the market couldn't cut through the Black Turtle's skin, so Li Mang had to use the yellow-grade dagger on his waist. It took him a lot of effort to cut open the Black Turtle and slice its meat into the pot. By the end, his hands were covered in blood, but strangely, the blood was golden-red, shimmering with a golden light under the light, making it look beautiful.

What surprised Li Mang even more was that the Black Turtle's blood seemed to have some unknown effect, seeping into his skin and causing some noticeable changes, such as increased skin defense. This result made Li Mang both surprised and delighted.

He was surprised because he was worried that his hands would turn into something neither human nor ghost, like the Black Turtle's skin. The thought made him shudder. He was determined to become stronger, but he didn't want to turn into something neither human nor ghost. The price was too high.

However, when he washed the blood off his skin with clear water, his fear turned into joy. The skin color didn't change; it just became more supple. Moreover, his skin didn't become ugly; instead, it had a visible effect of removing dead skin, revealing a light bronze color.

"This Black Turtle's blood actually has the effect of enhancing skin defense." Li Mang was both shocked and delighted. He never expected the Black Turtle's blood to have such a significant effect.

Applying the Black Turtle's blood, combined with Senior Cheng Wei's brutal training, achieving the realm of copper skin and iron bones was not a distant dream. Of course, Li Mang was not yet sure if the Black Turtle's blood would cause any adverse changes to his skin, but he could continue to use it to find out. This process would be gradual, and there was no need to panic for now.

The Black Turtle was simmered in the pot for over an hour before it was ready. Compared to the three days and three nights it took the Ghost Doctor to simmer his medicine, this was nothing, but Li Mang didn't have that much time. Moreover, simmering without the precious herbs wouldn't be very effective, so he settled for a pot of old broth.

In terms of taste, it couldn't compare to the Ghost Doctor's medicine, but in terms of effect, this Black Turtle old broth could rival the precious broth made from dozens of rare herbs.

One was a degenerated ancient tiger and dragon, the other lived in the spirit-rich space of the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Although the tiger and dragon species were of a higher grade, their essence was not as effective as the Black Turtle's.

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