Two days later.
Zhou Qing and Tang San returned once again to the stream where the Spirit Resonance Turtle resided.
After tossing a rice ball blended from Blue Silver Grass and fish scales into a clump of weeds over ten meters away, Zhou Qing pulled Tang San down to hide beneath the thick foliage of a fallen tree by the water's edge.
"Will this really work?"
Tang San looked skeptical.
"Not sure, but it's worth trying."
Zhou Qing replied calmly. Success depends on effort, after all. This was his first attempt at "mixing medicine." Even if it failed, they could try again—second time, third time…
Time was something the two of them had in abundance.
"Do you still have any of the medicine?"
Tang San tugged on Zhou Qing's sleeve.
"Yeah."
Zhou Qing pulled a small packet from his pocket—it contained powdered medicine made from Blue Silver Grass and fish scales. He handed it over and asked, "What do you need it for?"
Tang San pulled out a small iron object shaped like a shuriken, just large enough to fit over his finger.
A hidden weapon!
Zhou Qing hadn't expected this at all. Was Tang San already making hidden weapons? Could it be his influence?
Still, this wasn't the first hidden weapon Tang San created in the original story—that was the sleeve dart.
The sleeve dart was simple, but it was a mechanical launch-type weapon. The one Tang San held was clearly a hand-thrown dart that required skill to use.
"This is a Bamboo Leaf Dart," Tang San explained.
Among the Tang Sect's hidden weapons, the Bamboo Leaf Dart ranked low. It was one of many thrown darts. Its body was formed by four double-edged blades shaped like bamboo leaves—small, silent when thrown with specific technique, and sharp enough to leave marks even on metal or stone.
Tang San had spent the last two days crafting it—just in case.
"I got the idea… from my father."
"Oh."
Zhou Qing didn't press further.
Tang San breathed a silent sigh of relief. He then smeared the powdered medicine onto the Bamboo Leaf Dart, used saliva to make it stick, and spread the mixture evenly across the dart's surface. After that, he gently blew on it, letting the moisture evaporate quickly.
And just like that, a simple poisoned hidden weapon was ready.
Zhou Qing knew the process was far too crude to be considered proper. But with no specialized tools, they had to make do. Still—
As long as Tang San's throwing skills were up to par, even this dart might be effective.
Time passed.
Half an hour later, just as Zhou Qing was starting to get impatient, the murky stream began to ripple.
The two-hundred-year-old Spirit Resonance Turtle emerged, its nostrils opening as though it were smelling something imperceptible to humans. It swam toward the riverbank and crawled ashore, nose twitching. Then, it opened its mouth and bit into the medicated rice ball hidden in the grass.
Chomp!
The turtle bit into it, but because the rice ball was soft, chunks fell out from both sides of its mouth.
Yet the turtle didn't seem to mind. It swallowed what was in its mouth, then picked up the rest from the ground and gulped it down—much faster than it had eaten the white carp previously.
"Yes! It ate it!"
Zhou Qing was overjoyed.
Tang San also sighed in relief, though he still held the Bamboo Leaf Dart at the ready, just in case.
When the turtle had devoured all the rice balls, it yawned widely. Instead of returning to the water, it lay down beside the stream, closed its eyes, and stopped moving—looking practically dead.
"How effective is the medicine?"
Tang San asked.
"I read that for aquatic soul beasts under 500 years old, one dose can induce sleep for about an hour," Zhou Qing replied, quoting from the book.
"How much did you use?"
"Well, the book didn't say how big a 'dose' actually was, so I added a whole bowl's worth into the rice ball. The bowl was about eight centimeters in diameter."
Tang San was speechless. He even wondered if the turtle would ever wake up again.
But Zhou Qing just looked innocent.
After about ten more minutes with no signs of movement, the two cautiously climbed over the fallen tree and crept toward the turtle.
They positioned themselves behind it.
That way, if the Spirit Resonance Turtle suddenly woke up and noticed them, it would have to turn around before it could snap at them—giving them enough time to react.
But Tang San was far bolder. Using some unknown technique to confirm the turtle had truly fallen asleep, he climbed directly onto its back and examined the cracks in its shell—specifically the patch of water grass growing from the center.
That patch of grass, thick like coarse wool, had actually rooted itself into the turtle's flesh. But when Tang San brushed it aside, he discovered another plant beneath it.
It was entirely black, with only two leaves at the top. The leaves shone like warm jade, soft to the touch. Strangely, as soon as Tang San touched it, his internal Xuan Tian Skill began to circulate on its own.
A treasure!
An absolute treasure!
Tang San couldn't believe that a seemingly ordinary plant living symbiotically with the turtle would possess such astonishing effects—and it was only a seedling. If it matured, what kind of supreme herb would it become?
Just the fact that it enhanced his cultivation speed made it extraordinary!
For a moment, Tang San felt tempted to keep it secret...
"What is it?"
Zhou Qing leaned in and saw the strange plant as well. He instantly felt his body lighten.
"So this is the turtle's true plant?"
"Probably." Tang San suppressed his greedy impulse and silently scolded himself:
Tang San, you've been raised by the Tang Sect, taught the values of chivalry. You should never take unjust wealth. How could you forget that? Shameful!
Besides—
This was just a low-level Spirit Resonance Turtle. On the continent of Douluo, bizarre and rare soul beasts were everywhere. Who knew how many divine herbs more potent than those in his past life existed here?
And most importantly—
Zhou Qing was his only friend!
"Look at those leaves! That stem!"
Zhou Qing's voice grew excited, catching Tang San's attention.
"You recognize it?" he asked.
"Nope."
Zhou Qing immediately shook his head. He leaned closer and touched the leaves, then used one hand to waft the scent toward his nose. Instantly, he felt refreshed, clear-headed, even his blood circulation seemed to speed up.
"Hmm~ a medicinal herb that stimulates alertness. And a powerful one at that. But to really find out what it is, we'll have to wait until the villagers go out to sell grain and ask them to look for more medical books. Problem is, these books are expensive and usually not found in regular bookshops. You have to ask at proper medicine stores in the city. That last book? Uncle Wang in the village found it by sheer luck at a street market."
Tang San let out a long sigh.
They were too young to leave the village. Identifying the plant wouldn't be possible anytime soon.
Still, Tang San quickly perked up. This herb could increase his cultivation speed—using it was more important than knowing its name. He could figure out its properties himself through practice.
Zhou Qing and Tang San then began carefully removing the snails and insects from the turtle's shell, cleaning out the festering wound, and pulling out the thick patches of coarse grass.
The roots weren't deep, and the surrounding flesh had already decayed. Zhou Qing guessed the turtle wouldn't even feel pain when they removed them.
Once cleaned, all that remained in the cracked center of the shell was the tiny, unnamed seedling and a large, sunken cavity surrounding it.
Without hesitation, Zhou Qing poured some sweet potato starch over the area...