I Was Forced to Marry a “Trash” Cultivator, But She Turned Out to Be a Reborn Empress!

Chapter 213: The Dragon Turtle & The Evasion Art

Before the Spirit Spring, everything was ready. Shen Xian withdrew the prepared materials from his Blood Jade Ring.

The Dragon Blood Crystal hovered three inches above the black tortoise’s head, emitting a blazing crimson radiance that warped the air with intense heat. The Dragon Marrow Meat, ground into a fine powder, was guided by his Qi to dust the tortoise’s shell evenly, each particle shimmering with a faint, otherworldly halo. Finally, the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus bloomed with an icy blue light, its petals dripping with dew that instantly froze into diamond-like crystals.

The temperature of the Spirit Spring plummeted, a thin layer of frost creeping across the water’s surface.

As these treasures appeared, a surge of spiritual power erupted, whipping the air into a whistling gale.

Shen Xian took a deep breath. His hands formed seals with lightning speed, his lips moving in a chant of ancient, obscure syllables.

The drop of Azure Dragon Essence Blood, sealed within a jasper bottle, slowly rose into the air. It shifted and writhed, transforming into a miniature Azure Dragon, no longer than an inch.

Though tiny, the phantom dragon was perfect in every detail—scales, claws, and whiskers flowing as if alive. It radiated a heart-palpitating pressure that belied its size.

It threw its head back and let out a clear, melodious roar. The sound was faint, yet it sent visible ripples across the water.

Boom.

As the spell completed, the miniature Azure Dragon flicked its tail and dove straight into the brow of the black tortoise.

ROAR!

The tortoise let out a heart-rending scream, its massive body convulsing violently.

Spiderweb cracks raced across its dark green shell. Fragments of carapace peeled away like dead skin, revealing a new layer beneath that gleamed with a metallic luster. Before the shed fragments could hit the ground, they dissolved into motes of azure light and were sucked back into the tortoise’s body.

Shen Xian held his breath, his focus razor-sharp. His hands never stopped moving, continuously pouring energy into the secret art.

He needed this to work.

The Spirit Beast Ascending Dragon Art wasn’t technically complex. The challenge lay in the practitioner’s control—specifically, their mastery over fire.

The essence of the technique was to use “True Fire” to smelt the beast’s bloodline, burning away impurities and fusing the essence of the materials directly into its core.

In a sense, it was no different from forging a living artifact.

And when it came to forging, Shen Xian was a grandmaster.

Especially now, with his fusion with the Li Fire True Seal reaching new heights, his control over flame was exquisite.

Beside the spring, the Li Fire True Seal manifested on his forehead, glowing like a third eye. Spiritual energy surged out, forming nine vivid fire dragons that coiled protectively around the tortoise.

These flames did not burn; they stabilized. They acted as a containment field for the rampaging Azure Dragon bloodline within the beast.

Shen Xian could see a streak of azure energy tearing through the tortoise’s meridians, reshaping flesh and bone with brutal efficiency.

CRACK.

A sickening snap echoed through the clearing. A bone spur erupted from the center of the tortoise’s shell, right in the middle of the natural Bagua pattern.

Then a second. Then a third.

Finally, nine bone spurs stood in a perfect ring, each glowing with azure-gold light, their tips pulsating with Dragon Pressure.

Its limbs transformed next. The short, stubby legs elongated, the claws sharpening into terrifying hooks that gleamed with cold light. A casual scratch left deep gouges in the obsidian floor.

But the most shocking change was on its head.

Two small bumps swelled on the creature’s skull, stretching the skin until it was translucent.

Pop.

Two inch-long dragon horns burst through. Though small, they were unmistakably forked—the mark of a True Dragon.

Its eyes shifted from black to pale gold, the pupils narrowing into vertical slits.

The transformation lasted for three grueling hours.

When the last trace of the Azure Dragon Essence Blood was absorbed, the tortoise threw its head back and roared. An azure-gold halo exploded outward, shaking the ambient Qi of the entire garden.

Its body shrank rapidly, condensing until it was the size of a palm. It looked like a sculpture cast in divine metal. The Bagua pattern on its back had shifted, now naturally forming the image of a coiling Azure Dragon.

Simultaneously, its cultivation realm rocketed upward.

Rank 4… Rank 5…

It didn’t stop until it hit the peak of Rank 6!

Rank 6—equivalent to the early Nascent Soul realm. A beast of this level could speak human languages and was on the verge of Tribulation Transcendence to take human form.

Shen Xian exhaled a long breath, realizing his Daoist robe was soaked with sweat.

He reached out and touched the cool, jade-like shell. He could feel the terrifying power dormant within.

“Not bad,” Shen Xian rasped, his voice hoarse from exhaustion. “A preliminary transformation, yet it already possesses a trace of True Dragon authority. Give it time, and you might actually become a dragon.”

“Master!”

A slightly childish, joyous voice echoed in his mind.

Shen Xian blinked. Despite its grizzled appearance, the tortoise was technically a juvenile in terms of spirit beast longevity.

It was just a baby.

“So,” Shen Xian asked, “what changed?”

“Master, I have so much!” the tortoise exclaimed, slapping the water excitedly with its little paws. “I awakened a new Innate Divine Ability—Dragon Pressure!”

It explained eagerly. It could now intimidate any beast with an inferior bloodline, even if they were technically stronger in cultivation rank.

More importantly, its treasure-seeking radar had received a massive upgrade. While it still craved Purple Immortal Ganoderma as fuel, its range had expanded significantly. It could now sniff out high-grade treasures through powerful restrictions that would have blinded it before.

Nothing could hide from it.

Shen Xian grinned. This was exactly what he needed for the Northern Region.

“Master, Master! I still don’t have a name!” the tortoise chirped.

Shen Xian paused. He had never bothered naming it before.

He rubbed his chin. “Let’s call you… Xiao Hei (Little Black).”

It wasn’t exactly black anymore—more of a metallic azure-gold—but it fit the pattern. Ye Qingxian had Xiao Bai (Little White). He would have Xiao Hei.

“Yay! Xiao Hei! I love it!”

“One rule,” Shen Xian added sternly. “You are not allowed to speak in front of others. You are my trump card.”

Xiao Hei’s eyes dimmed slightly, but he nodded. “Okay.”

With his spirit beast upgraded, Shen Xian spent the next few days throwing himself into the Soaring Cloud Evasion Art.

The courtyard at dawn was still wrapped in thin mist.

Shen Xian stood in the center, his hands blurring as he formed seals. Azure-purple lightning crackled around his body, tiny electric snakes slithering through the folds of his robes.

“Go!”

His figure blurred, transforming into an afterimage that flickered across 30 meters. But on the third step, he stumbled, and the lightning dissipated.

“Still lacking finesse,” Shen Xian muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.

This technique was brutal. It required instant, flawless conversion of spiritual energy into wind and thunder attributes.

He closed his eyes, visualizing his Dantian. The Li Fire True Seal rotated slowly, acting as a converter, churning his fire Qi into the explosive power of storm and sky.

By noon, he was on the cliff edge, practicing aerial maneuvers.

The mountain wind howled, whipping his robes around him.

Shen Xian took a breath, then kicked off the rock. He shot out like an arrow from a bow.

Mid-air, without any leverage, his hands flashed a seal.

Zip. Zip. Zip.

His body defied physics, changing direction three times in rapid succession with violent, jerky speed. He landed lightly on the branch of an ancient pine 30 meters away.

The branch barely trembled. Not a single needle fell.

“Finally,” he whispered, a small smile touching his lips.

This was the Wind and Thunder Triple Turn—the core survival move of the art.

And as his proficiency grew, the day of his wedding to Wei Zhaoli drew near…