[Bai Ruoxue took you and flew southward.]
[A few days later, you could already see the sea in the distance.]
[At this moment, Bai Ruoxue's expression became somewhat serious.]
[You realized that this must mean you were approaching the beast.]
["Stop!" A hoarse voice suddenly rang out.]
[You turned to see a massive black turtle emerge from the sea.]
[The human voice you had just heard came from the giant turtle itself.]
[This truly broadened your horizons. The demon dragons and demon phoenixes you had encountered in previous simulations did not speak the human language.]
[Bai Ruoxue regarded the black turtle with caution before tossing a storage ring to it and politely saying, "Senior Turtle, please grant us some passage!"]
[Watching this unfold, you couldn't help but feel a little nervous.]
[You could guess what Bai Ruoxue was thinking. She must have hoped to bribe the black turtle.]
[After all, you knew Bai Ruoxue had gained access to the forbidden area in the past through bribery.]
[If she could use the same method to take you out, it would be ideal!]
[But was it really that simple? You had your doubts.]
[If escaping through bribery alone were feasible, wouldn't others have already fled the Southern Region?]
[Not only you, but Bai Ruoxue herself seemed uncertain—this was the first time she had attempted this.]
[Previously, she had come and gone because she was an outsider. The immortals above didn't monitor the area daily. As long as she didn't linger and gave this black turtle some benefits, it would be mutually beneficial.]
[But now, trying to take you, a native of the Southern Region, out was bound to complicate matters.]
[The black turtle shook its head as it inspected the storage ring.]
[It then fixed its gaze on you and Bai Ruoxue, declaring that she could leave, but you could not.]
[Hearing this, you sighed inwardly, knowing it wouldn't be that easy.]
[At this point, Bai Ruoxue's expression darkened, but she soon grabbed you, and her aura shifted dramatically.]
[You felt a powerful momentum surging from her body, realizing she was prepared to fight her way through.]
[However, the black turtle unleashed a might far beyond Bai Ruoxue's, and in an instant, you found it difficult to breathe.]
[Bai Ruoxue's face grew increasingly grim—she hadn't anticipated the black turtle's strength to be this overwhelming.]
[Just the burst of its aura made it nearly impossible for her to protect you.]
[Using the Eye of Insight, you quickly assessed the black turtle's realm.]
[The moment you discovered its realm, all hope of escape evaporated.]
[This black turtle was not merely at the Tribulation Transcendence Realm—it had reached the realm of Xuanxian.]
[Although your Eye of Insight revealed that it was a severely injured Xuanxian, the very word "Xian" signified it was at least an immortal.]
[You were unsure whether Xuanxian ranked high or low among immortals, as your understanding of immortal cultivation hadn't reached such heights.]
[But one thing was certain—this black turtle was far beyond Bai Ruoxue's ability to resist.]
[Even attempting to flee seemed futile.]
[Soon, the black turtle's oppressive aura immobilized both you and Bai Ruoxue.]
[The black turtle tilted its head, stared at you, and said, "You are truly impatient. Far too impatient."]
[It then told Bai Ruoxue that it would allow her to leave if she brought 1 billion spirit stones.]
[Without waiting for her response, the black turtle threw Bai Ruoxue away before vanishing into a crack in the formation over the sea.]
[You were left stunned by the black turtle's words.]
[What was going on? Could bribery actually work?]
[Though the cost of 1 billion spirit stones was astronomical, this presented a legitimate way to escape the Southern Region.]
[This revelation filled you with cautious optimism.]
[Yet, questions lingered in your mind. Wasn't the Southern Region's restriction the decree of the immortals above?]
[How could this black turtle act with such defiance?]
[Was it stronger than the immortals?]
[No, that couldn't be it. If it were stronger, it wouldn't have been stationed here to guard the formation's crack.]
[While pondering, the black turtle grabbed you again.]
[It declared that you were now its cargo and must follow it without question.]
[You dared not refuse—though refusal would have been pointless.]
[The black turtle carried you to a small island in the sea.]
[Upon arriving, it paid you no further attention, simply settling down and falling into what seemed like a deep slumber.]
[One year passed in the blink of an eye, and the black turtle remained asleep, completely ignoring you.]
[Still, you didn't dare act rashly—you knew that beings of its strength were never truly defenseless, even in sleep.]
[By the fifth year, you cautiously explored the island, only to find the black turtle remained indifferent to your movements.]
[This emboldened you slightly.]
[You began to roam the island regularly, fishing and foraging to sustain yourself.]
[Of course, this was a matter of necessity.]
[The island contained no spiritual energy—none at all.]
[You couldn't cultivate, nor could you absorb energy for fasting, forcing you to rely on ordinary food to survive.]
[Five more years passed in this manner.]
[In the tenth year, the black turtle finally awoke. It saw you fishing and foraging, and immediately approached.]
[It stared at you for a long time.]
[There was something unreadable in its gaze.]
[You noticed an unmistakable hint of disappointment in its expression.]
[Suddenly, the black turtle spoke: "I never expected that someone who has mastered the Ancient Divine Way would amount to nothing more than a fool who eats and waits for death!"]
[The black turtle's words left you utterly bewildered.]
[You thought to yourself, "Aren't we enemies? If I'm just eating and waiting for death, why are you disappointed?"]
[Still, you knew things weren't as simple as they seemed. The black turtle's attitude was baffling, full of contradictions.]
[It clearly knew of the Ancient Divine Way and had seen through your nature without any need for investigation.]
[Moreover, its demeanor and cultivation stood in stark contrast to the demon dragons and demon phoenixes you had encountered in previous simulations.]
[It was infinitely stronger than them.]
[Unlike the others, it didn't kill indiscriminately. It traded, negotiated, and even dared to defy the decrees of the immortals above.]
[This left you with the unsettling feeling that the black turtle was far more than a mere guardian of the formation's crack.]