Lu Ran briefly lost himself in thought but quickly regained focus and continued his inquiry.
Pedestrian A: By the way, Dr. Gu, when can you send me back to Green Sea City...
Whether Captain Doofus or Dark Crow evolved first, preparations had to begin. For Captain Doofus, Lu Ran needed to forge a new lifebound weapon. As for Dark Crow, its soul strength still required further cultivation.
The materials for the former were manageable. Given Lu Ran’s current wealth, obtaining them wouldn’t be difficult. With Flame Spirit as his cheat code and forging experience from the Undead Sect, a little refinement would allow him to craft a suitable weapon.
However, the forging diagram indicated that an undead weapon embryo required soul fire.
So far, Lu Ran hadn’t figured out how to produce soul fire himself. He suspected he might need external assistance, such as hunting Fire-attribute beasts, extracting their souls, and studying them further.
Cultivating Dark Crow would also involve hunting numerous vicious beasts, extracting their souls, and turning them into culinary resources for nourishment.
If Lu Ran wanted to advance his research on the Undead attribute, staying cooped up in Limitless City wouldn’t suffice. Beyond ascension realms, the beasts in common realms were too heavily digitized. They shattered upon contact, making soul separation impossible. The solution would have to be found in the real world.
Gu Qingyi: Is it urgent? I can push them to expedite it.
Pedestrian A: Yes, very urgent. By the way, what areas in Xia have a high concentration of wild Fire-attribute vicious beasts? The kind that’s uncontrollable and requires mass extermination. Also, I need Spirit- and Dark-attribute beasts too!
Gu Qingyi: Uhh... what exactly are you planning?
Pedestrian A: As a beastmaster of Xia, I wish to eliminate some public safety hazards.
Gu Qingyi: Get to the point.
Pedestrian A: I need a lot of souls for my next step in cultivation...
Gu Qingyi chuckled to herself. This Undead Holy Son seemed ready to act in the real world.
While Lu Ran was off gallivanting, a merfolk resembling a toad came ashore in Green Sea City.
[Where exactly is it?]
The Merfolk King had tasked it with finding a turtle bearing a stone tablet, but after extensive searching, it had found nothing.
After some inquiries, the merfolk discovered that the turtle in question was also an alien lifeform, having entered the ocean from land.
Normally, the Merfolk Kingdom strictly forbade venturing onto land. However, the merfolk understood the consequences of failing the king’s orders.
Growing increasingly anxious, it wandered through the waters near Green Sea City, seeking information. Unbeknownst to it, a flock of crows circling overhead had already locked onto it.
[An intruder has been spotted!]
Even though General Dark Crow wasn’t present, the crows had developed a routine—whenever an intruder appeared, they sought out the relevant commanders.
At Qingwu Lake, Mystic Turtle was enjoying a leisurely retirement, occasionally instructing the selected Carp Kings from Lu Ran, imparting pearls of wisdom. Life couldn’t have been more pleasant.
However, the peaceful scene shattered as a flock of crows descended upon the lake. From beneath the water, the old turtle felt a sinking sensation in its heart.
It glanced at the still-immature Carp Kings and felt disheartened. Why does trouble always come before the new general grows up?
“Fine, I’ll go take a look. It shouldn’t be anything big. Once I wrap up this one last issue, I’m retiring for good!”
After much internal struggle, the old turtle succumbed to its ingrained sense of duty and decided to investigate.
It secured the stone tablet Lu Ran had newly forged for it. As it glanced at the crows, the flock suddenly swirled into a wind current, lifting Mystic Turtle into the air.
“What the hell is this?”
The merfolk, still scouring Green Sea City for the stone-bearing turtle, froze in shock as a massive flock of crows blotted out the sky, flying toward it.
Squinting, it assessed the crows. Based on their aura, they were weaklings—most below level 10, not even worth comparing to its level 38 stature.
But it didn’t expect what came next. The flock descended gracefully, dispersing to reveal a giant turtle carrying a stone tablet.
It was as though the flock weren’t just subordinates but also mounts for the turtle. The merfolk’s eyes widened in disbelief.
[Damn, you’re quite the genius turtle. You’ve even got birds for mounts. Even my king doesn’t pull off moves .]
The merfolk seemed to possess a special communication ability, as Mystic Turtle understood its words perfectly.
Mystic Turtle’s face darkened.
Seeing the intruder before it, Mystic Turtle felt a chill run through its heart.
Another merfolk... just my luck.
Regret filled it as it turned to look at the flock of crows overhead. It silently wondered if they could take it back. But the crows only cared about solving the problem. They had no intention of returning Mystic Turtle to its lake until the issue was resolved.
Mystic Turtle was taken aback.
Dark Crow, is this how you train your subordinates?
The old turtle made a mental note of this grudge.
Mystic Turtle stared at the fishman, feeling a bit intimidated. It had struggled against the last merfolk it fought—this one had to be stronger, right? Was this a revenge mission?
Mystic Turtle’s stomach churned. It knew all too well that Lu Ran and Dark Crow were both away from Green Sea City.
Why... Why? Didn’t they say the Merfolk Kingdom wouldn’t cause trouble in the short term? What is this?
Fine, if I die, I die. I’ve lived long enough. Dying here wouldn’t be so bad... at least I wouldn’t have to deal with more problems. But still, I’d rather just die of old age...
Just as Mystic Turtle resigned itself to fate, the merfolk’s next words left it completely stunned. It wasn’t here to cause trouble—though from Mystic Turtle’s perspective, there wasn’t much of a difference.
“Gwooor!” The fishman spoke.
[You must be the ruler of these coastal waters. My subordinates have mentioned you, and your bravery has reached our king’s ears. He’s very interested in you. I’ve come on his behalf to deliver his decree. He invites you to become one of his generals and join the Merfolk Kingdom!
Come with me. Don’t refuse, or you’ll miss your chance to change your destiny as a turtle.]
A powerful energy wave burst forth, creating a gale that slammed into Mystic Turtle, leaving it dumbfounded.
“Waaah... (I...)” Mystic Turtle started to say.
If you want me to be a general in your kingdom, you might as well just kill me now.
Before it could finish, the merfolk lost patience. In a flash, it leaped onto Mystic Turtle’s head and slapped its forehead with a webbed hand.
Communicating with turtles was too much of a hassle.
Forget it, the fishman thought. I’ll just knock it out and drag it back.
After a brief struggle, Mystic Turtle was knocked unconscious. The fishman leader grabbed one of its legs and began dragging it toward the ocean, leaving the flock of crows utterly speechless.
Some time later, in Antarctica...
With Xia’s escort team arriving, Lu Ran returned to reality from Limitless City, planning to head back to Xia first.
However, as soon as he stepped out, he noticed Manager Ying waiting outside with the Weather Sprite. Her expression was less than pleasant.
“Lu Ran, there’s been an incident.”
Lu Ran froze, taken aback by her solemn demeanor.
“Huh? What happened?”
He blinked in confusion. “Could it be that hundreds of first-generation powerhouses are lying in wait to ambush us? If that’s the case, forget it. I’m not going back to the country. I’ll stay in Limitless City and grind to level 60 first...”
Manager Ying’s lips twitched. “Do you think that’s possible? It’s about your Green Sea City. Something’s happened there.”
“Well, fuck.” Lu Ran was stunned. “Green Sea? What could have happened in Green Sea? What could possibly happen in Green Sea?”
Manager Ying explained, “Not long ago, a flock of crows descended on my Cat Maid Cafe, madly smashing against the glass, trying to deliver some kind of message.
“But since my clone in Green Sea City was busy escorting you to Antarctica, there was no one there who could understand them.
“Through the cafe staff, I contacted my nearest available clone in the country. It rushed over and uncovered some bad news.”
“What bad news?” Lu Ran’s heart sank.
“The merfolk of the Merfolk Kingdom have returned and landed in Green Sea City.”
“Did they cause massive destruction?” Lu Ran asked, but then shook his head.
If that were the case, they’d have contacted the Green Sea Beastmaster Association or requested aid from the Golden Hill Association.
“That’s not it. After communicating with the crows, I pieced together the events. Apparently, the merfolk General Mystic Turtle defeated last time reported back to the Merfolk Prince.
“Instead of seeking revenge, the prince seems to have taken a liking to your old turtle. So this time, they sent someone over to capture Mystic Turtle. They want it to serve as one of their generals.”
Lu Ran was flabbergasted.
“This damn turtle spawn...” He cursed aloud, his expression filled with disbelief. “They dare steal my subordinate.”
“And what do you plan to do about it?”
“I...” Lu Ran was at a loss. He couldn’t believe this was happening.
But thankfully, from what Manager Ying explained, as long as Mystic Turtle surrendered and went along with them, its life shouldn’t be in danger. Otherwise, Lu Ran wouldn’t be able to live with himself.
After all, if he hadn’t stationed Mystic Turtle to guard the coastal waters, it wouldn’t have gotten caught up in this mess.
Mystic Turtle, who had been longing for retirement, was probably frustrated after being forcibly taken by the Merfolk Kingdom.
Fuck. What’s wrong with that prince’s brain? Why would they want a turtle that’s level 20-something?
“I can’t just abandon Mystic Turtle. No matter what, I have to get it back. Manager Ying, do you have any ideas?”
Lu Ran felt utterly defeated. Even someone like Gu Qingyi, Xia’s expert in naval combat, probably wouldn’t be able to mount a rescue mission against the Merfolk Kingdom.
Manager Ying fell silent for a moment before saying, “I heard the Merfolk Kingdom has a Mermaid Princess. If you marry her and become the Merfolk Prince’s brother-in-law, maybe you can ask for Mystic Turtle back...”
“Killing our way through isn’t an option, and we’re no match for them either. Why not just level up a bit first? After all, the Merfolk Kingdom doesn’t seem to have any malicious intent toward Mystic Turtle.”
“Given its talent, Mystic Turtle might even end up thriving as a general in the Merfolk Kingdom. Its growth potential is impressive. Even without intense training, its level keeps rising steadily.
“If it goes to a place like the deep sea, its development will undoubtedly accelerate. When that happens, you can meet halfway and reunite...”
Lu Ran was speechless.