Chapter 156: The Moon Spirit Spring’s Test

Demon Emperor Di Jun, the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons, slowly descended and landed before Shen Zhaoqing. His golden vertical pupils, as if capable of seeing through all falsehoods in the world, paused on her for a moment. Deep within his eyes, a glint of greed more intense than any demon beast flashed and vanished, too fast for anyone to catch.

Then, a look of approval spread across his face. The smile was warm and effusive, like that of a benevolent elder seeing an outstanding junior.

“Immortal Shen has traveled a great distance, weary from the journey and startled by some things. Attendants!” Di Jun called out in a clear voice.

“Yes!” Tu Shan Qiong immediately bowed in response.

“Convey my imperial decree: bestow upon Immortal Shen the ‘Moon Spirit Spring,’ the most spiritually rich spring in the palace, for her to bathe and change clothes, to wash away the dust. No one is to disturb her!”

The Moon Spirit Spring!

What incredible favor was this?!

Shen Zhaoqing’s heart, however, was cold as ice. She knew very well that there was no kindness in this world without reason.

This so-called grace was merely another, more insidious test.

Soon, two snake clan maids with beautiful features respectfully led Shen Zhaoqing to a quiet, luxurious palace.

At the center of the palace was a massive spring pool carved from a single block of moonlight white jade. The pool water was so clear the bottom could be seen, but it emitted a faint, hazy mist like moonlight. Thick, rich spiritual energy rushed toward her—just a single breath made Shen Zhaoqing feel her very soul tremble.

“Immortal Shen, please bathe here. We servants will wait outside the hall. If you need anything, simply call for us.” The two maids bowed and silently withdrew, closing the heavy doors behind them.

Shen Zhaoqing stood by the spring, gazing at this cultivation cheat site, but felt no joy in her heart.

She slowly removed her clothes, including the “Hidden Spirit Feather Robe,” revealing her body—pale, translucent, and jade-like, nourished by the Dao Source power and the Longevity Tripod’s ecosystem.

Cautiously, she extended one foot into the spring.

A warm, pure spiritual energy instantly enveloped her, flowing in through the Yongquan acupoint at the sole of her foot, surging into her body—so comfortable she almost moaned.

This spring water could not only temper the physical body but also greatly nourish the soul.

For someone like her, whose soul had just returned and whose realm had skyrocketed, it was the perfect place to stabilize her cultivation.

Suppressing the wariness in her heart, Shen Zhaoqing slowly walked into the spring, submerging her entire body in the warm water.

She closed her eyes, putting on an appearance of immense enjoyment, and began to circulate the *Clear Heart Spirit Attraction Art*, greedily absorbing the spiritual energy from the water.

Yet, under the cover of the *Drunken Concealment and Escape Breath Art*, her divine sense silently probed toward the depths of the spring.

The spring was not deep—about three meters.

But when her divine sense touched the bottom, it suddenly trembled.

At the very bottom of the pool, directly above the spring eye, coiled an enormous black shadow.

It was a turtle.

A primordial mystic turtle, its body as large as a small hill, its shell covered in profound patterns, radiating an aura of endless antiquity. It was a divine beast that should have been guarding the fortune of a region.

Now, it lay on the spring bottom, barely alive. Four enormous chains, thicker than a human waist and shimmering with dark-gold runes, pierced its limbs, pinning it firmly to the spring eye.

Its vast, ocean-like life force was being continuously drained along the chains, merging into the spring water to maintain the exaggerated spiritual energy concentration of the “Moon Spirit Spring.”

Shen Zhaoqing recognized the forbidden techniques on the chains.

This method of imprisoning the soul and devouring vitality—she had seen it before in the Penglai Immortal Palace, at the hands of the Radiant Saintess.

Di Jun deliberately arranged for her to bathe here to see how she, bearing the Dao Source, would react upon witnessing this cruelly abused primordial divine beast.

If she felt pity and tried to use her Dao Source power to save the mystic turtle, the true extent of her abilities and her character would be fully exposed before Di Jun, who was secretly watching.

Then, she would truly become a lamb to the slaughter.

Cold sweat seeped from Shen Zhaoqing’s back, but her face still wore an expression of enjoyment and comfort.

Save?

Are you kidding?

She could barely save herself—where would she find the saintly heart to save an old turtle unrelated to her?

Far from saving it, Shen Zhaoqing turned the situation to her advantage.

She pretended not to notice, even deliberately letting out a comfortable sigh, and then absorbed the spiritual energy from the water even more wantonly.

After all, this spiritual energy was originally drawn from the mystic turtle. Absorbing it now was just robbing the robber—no moral qualms at all.

At the same time, she quietly slipped off the hairpin from her wrist—a piece made of broken jade and unknown beast bone, which she had always worn.

This was the only item left that truly belonged to her.

During her time in the East Sea Immortal Mansion, when she had nothing to do, she had secretly engraved a minuscule but complete “Miniature Formation-Breaking Array” inside the hairpin with her divine sense.

It was her final trump card to break the seals on her body. Now, it seemed time to use it.

She stretched lazily, pretending to casually splash the water.

The small fragment of the jade bone hairpin slipped from her fingers, “plopped” into the water, and silently sank to the bottom.

It swirled and wobbled as it fell, finally landing precisely next to the chain binding the mystic turtle’s front left claw, cleverly hidden by thick water plants.

—

In a dark hall deep within the palace.

Demon Emperor Di Jun sat on his throne, with a giant water mirror floating before him.

In the mirror, Shen Zhaoqing was clearly shown in the Moon Spirit Spring, “selfishly” focusing only on her own cultivation, completely oblivious to the mystic turtle at the bottom.

Seeing her greedy and ignorant appearance, Di Jun’s face slowly broke into a satisfied smile.

“Just a yellow-haired girl who sits on a treasure mountain without knowing how to use it…”

He murmured to himself, casually waved his hand, and the water mirror dissolved into ripples of light, disappearing into the air. His last trace of caution toward this “Dao Source Body” also dissipated.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the Moon Spirit Spring,

the ancient mystic turtle, who had been imprisoned for so many years that it was too tired even to open its eyes, suddenly sensed an extremely faint fluctuation from a formation.

It came from the unremarkable bone hairpin beside it.

A dim light flickered in its murky eyes.

It did not move, still pretending to await death.

But it had already begun to silently gather the meager strength remaining in its body, waiting for an opportunity to pry open this ten-thousand-year cage.

—

When she emerged from the Moon Spirit Spring, Shen Zhaoqing felt her entire body refreshed, her soul clear and pure. Even the two snake clan maids, who looked at her with wary eyes, seemed a bit more agreeable.

She mentally lit a candle for the nameless unlucky old turtle.

‘Brother, rest assured, your sacrifice will not be in vain. The spiritual energy you contributed—I will use every last drop for the great cause of ‘survival.’ When I make it big in the future, I’ll burn you plenty of turtle feed during festivals.’

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