35: A black-armored tortoise has appeared!

Upon the main ship, a state of extreme nervousness prevailed.

The shouts of the Third Elder leading the rescue team had not yet faded.

"Hall Master, the Vicious Beast riot has retreated!"

A Deacon rushed to the front of the ship's tower and knelt to report the situation.

Lord Zhou's expression was grave.

Although he was not as strong as Hall Master Lin,

having served as the City Lord's trusted advisor for many years, his insight was sharp.

These Vicious Beasts acted with discipline and clear purpose.

This was clearly a premeditated attack!

The thought that other factions might be using this Opportunity to eliminate him surfaced in his mind.

Gao Qiang stood on the ship's perimeter, his hand already on his hilt, the muscles in his back tensed tight.

His heart pounded wildly, and an inexplicable sense of irritability seized him.

He had originally intended to show his face and impress his immediate superior.

He had spent two days preparing for this.

He had even left the matter of that kid from the Slum to his good brother to handle.

But on this main ship, where experts gathered like clouds,

he felt as if a pair of invisible eyes were staring at him from the darkness, making him feel entirely uneasy.

"Hmph, come, Lord Zhou, let us continue the music and the dancing!"

Behind the curtain, Hall Master Lin gave a chuckle.

"A pack of beasts—can they really turn the world upside down?"

The words had barely left his lips.

The sound of the zither inside the room resumed.

Suddenly!

Rumble!

The entire main ship shuddered violently, tilting sharply to one side.

Tables, chairs, wine cups, and fruits on the deck instantly slid to one side, shattering into pieces.

The women playing and singing in the ship screamed as they tumbled into a heap.

"The ship! The ship is shaking!"

"Something is hitting the bottom of the ship!"

The Guards cried out in alarm, stumbling and nearly losing their footing.

"Steady yourselves!"

An Elder of the Meridian Opening Realm shouted, pouring True Qi into his feet to nail himself firmly to the deck.

But in the next second, an even more violent impact came from the bottom of the ship.

Crack!

The sound of breaking wood came from within the hull.

Although the main ship was massive and sturdy, it could not withstand such brutal underwater attacks!

Beneath the river surface, the Black Python's massive body slammed into the ship's keel again and again.

Beside it, Catfish Head opened its massive maw, crazily tearing at the rudder that controlled the ship's direction.

Other Vicious Beasts whipped up towering waves around them, battering the hull wave after wave, causing the main ship to rock violently in the middle of the river.

"How bold!"

Hall Master Lin shouted.

He had originally thought the Vicious Beasts were afraid and had retreated on their own.

He hadn't expected them to actually attack his main ship!

They truly have no fear of death!

Screams echoed throughout the main ship.

"Protect the Lord!"

The surrounding Guards roared, joining the other Constables to firmly shield Lord Zhou in the center.

The tilt of the ship grew more severe, and everyone was too busy looking out for themselves.

On several other ships.

Li Qing's main body was thrown by the ship's violent shaking, rolling several times across the deck before crashing wretchedly into the railing at the ship's side.

He curled his body up, looking quite frightened, no different from the other panic-stricken attendants.

No one noticed him.

Everyone's attention was drawn by this sudden crisis.

Half of Li Qing's consciousness was in his trembling shell, while the other half was beneath the river water, cold and indifferent.

The timing was about right.

"Roar!"

An inhuman roar suddenly exploded from the center of the river.

A Turtle about four meters long broke through the water surface and rose up boldly!

It was pitch black all over, its shell covered in profound patterns that shimmered in the sunlight.

A pair of cold vertical pupils, devoid of any emotion, scanned everything on the river.

The Black Armored Turtle!

As soon as that pitch-black giant Turtle appeared, all the noise and chaos on the river was instantly choked off.

Whether it was the Disciples struggling in the water or the panicked Guards on the ships, they all stopped their movements and stared blankly at the Turtle in the air.

The Turtle stepped upon the river water.

The profound patterns on its shell, its cold and heartless vertical pupils, and its spirituality and pressure that far exceeded a Third Tier Fierce Beast all proclaimed its extraordinary nature.

A dead silence fell over the main ship.

"This, this is..."

The captain of Lord Zhou's Guards, a powerful expert at the Peak of Condensing Essence Realm, was currently beyond shocked.

Lord Zhou's own composure had long since vanished, replaced by deep horror.

As the City Lord's confidant, he was well-traveled and naturally recognized this creature.

"A Spirit Beast!"

"It's a Mid-tier Spirit Beast!"

He muttered to himself, waves of shock surging in his heart.

A Vicious Beast and a Spirit Beast—a difference of one word, but worlds apart!

No matter how strong a Vicious Beast was, it was ultimately an animal acting on instinct.

But a Spirit Beast had opened its intelligence, knew how to seek benefit and avoid harm, and could Cultivate and grow. Its value and potential were far beyond what a Vicious Beast could compare to!

In the entire Jinling City, the factions that possessed Spirit Beasts could be counted on one hand, and every one of them was a top-tier noble family.

Even his immediate superior, the City Lord, only kept a Low-Tier Spirit Beast, a Three-Eyed Howling Celestial Dog, in his manor, which was already a symbol of status and strength.

But now, in this stretch of the river, a wild Mid-tier Spirit Beast had actually appeared!

And looking at this situation, the Vicious Beast riot that had swept through all the Hunting Boats just now was clearly being controlled by it from behind the scenes!

At this thought, Lord Zhou's heart grew hot. If he could present such a Spirit Beast to the City Lord,

the benefits he would receive would be limitless!

He instinctively looked toward Hall Master Lin.

Hall Master Lin did not move.

He stared fixedly at the Black Armored Turtle, the shock on his face being rapidly replaced by a different kind of emotion.

At first, he had thought this was a plot by some rival faction in Jinling City against the Fierce Wind Martial Arts Hall.

But when this Spirit Beast appeared, his guess changed!

Only a Spirit Beast with awakened intelligence could devise such a meticulous plan.

Driving dozens of Vicious Beasts to only destroy ships without harming people, creating the maximum amount of chaos to trap them all in the middle of the river!

Having figured this out, Hall Master Lin's tensed nerves suddenly relaxed.

Immediately after, an uncontrollable wild joy erupted from the depths of his heart.

"Haha, hahahaha!"

Abrupt laughter rang out on the deathly silent deck.

Everyone looked at Hall Master Lin in bewilderment.

Lord Zhou's brow furrowed even more.

It seemed this Hall Master of the Fierce Wind Martial Arts Hall recognized this creature!

He hoped the man would be sensible and obediently present the Spirit Beast to the City Lord.

Otherwise!

"Lord Zhou, do not panic!"

Hall Master Lin waved his hand, his eyes shining.

"I thought it was some petty scoundrel acting in the shadows, but I didn't expect such a massive Opportunity to be delivered to my door!"

An Opportunity?

The surrounding Guards were stunned.

"A wild Mid-tier Spirit Beast! A Black Armored Turtle with astonishing defensive power!"

Hall Master Lin's voice was tinged with burning greed.

"If it had a master, it would certainly not dare to act like this."

"This is clearly a wild Spirit Beast that occupies this place and Cultivates alone!"

"If we can capture it alive and present it to the City Lord, why should my Fierce Wind Martial Arts Hall worry about not being able to take another step forward and join the ranks of Jinling's top-tier factions!"

Hall Master Lin also knew that the City Lord's confidant was before him.

With his own strength, he wouldn't be able to protect such a Spirit Beast.

But if he obtained it and then presented it...

then the Fierce Wind Martial Arts Hall would be deeply bound to the City Lord!

As soon as these words were spoken, the breathing of the martial arts hall's Elders and Deacons also became rapid.

Their eyes, as they looked at the Black Armored Turtle, were filled with greed and fanaticism.

That's right!

An Opportunity!

Above the river surface, the Black Armored Turtle slowly turned its massive head.

Those cold vertical pupils indifferently swept over every person on the main ship.

They swept over the ecstatic Hall Master Lin and the uncertain Lord Zhou.

Finally, they landed on Gao Qiang, who stood at the edge of the crowd with his hand on his hilt, looking wary.

In that instant, Gao Qiang's whole body stiffened.

He felt an indescribable chill rush from his tailbone straight to the top of his head.

He had become the other's prey!

The feeling was fleeting, so fast that he thought it was an illusion.

But that heart-pounding sensation of being shrouded in the shadow of death was incredibly real.

"All Deacons and Elders, hear my command!"

Hall Master Lin took a step forward, his Aura at the Peak of the Meridian Unblocking Realm erupting violently as his voice spread across the river.

"Surround it!"

"Today, I shall capture this beast alive!"