She Dominates the Immortal Realm with Her HP Bar

◎The Turtle Clan's Victory Method◎

Although Feng Xiaoyuan personally gave everyone a safety education lesson, the topic of demonic creatures didn’t remain popular in the academy for long.

Yan Luoyue subtly probed Feng Xiaoyuan and Mr. Dong several times and learned that the academy was still unaware of the hidden strange fire in the cave.

Moreover, the mastermind behind the demonic creatures fled the moment they sensed anyone approaching, vanishing without a trace.

Such people usually have multiple hideouts, and it was unlikely they would return to Chunzhuo Mountain.

Considering all this, Yan Luoyue decided she could revisit Chunzhuo Mountain to see if she could retrieve the hidden treasure.

Since multiple trips to the cave had yielded no clues for others, while Yan Luoyue alone had sensed a trace of the treasure, perhaps it meant she truly had a destined connection with it.

Choosing a day when the academy was closed, Yan Luoyue swallowed two Age-Increasing Pills and packed her storage pouch.

With all preparations complete, she set off at the break of dawn, heading straight for the winding, labyrinthine cave in Chunzhuo Mountain.

…………

In her palm, Yan Luoyue held a compass-like disk, its slender red needle trembling as it pointed in a specific direction within the cave.

This was a reverse locator she had crafted by dismantling a communication stone.

Since the presence of a rare treasure could interfere with the function of communication stones, Yan Luoyue took the opposite approach.

She isolated the component affected by the treasure and reverse-engineered it into a locator.

Wherever the interference was strongest, the needle would point.

The principle was simple, but the execution was anything but.

It was like how any child could dismantle a household clock, but putting it back together might leave you with twenty extra parts.

Carrying this rudimentary locator, Yan Luoyue hadn’t walked far into the cave before stopping, overwhelmed by the stench.

Cough, this smell…

The cave’s narrow structure made ventilation poor, but Yan Luoyue hadn’t expected the modified palm thunder she’d thrown earlier to still linger so pungently.

Quickly donning a gas mask, she wore a complicated expression.

Though she had personally crafted the palm thunder.

Though she had personally extracted the stink gland from the weasel.

She understood the process and logic perfectly—but why did weasels have to smell so awful?!

Following the locator’s guidance, Yan Luoyue silently prayed that the treasure would meet her expectations.

She still didn’t know what kind of rare treasure lay hidden in the cave or whether it was guarded by other beasts.

But for now, what Yan Luoyue needed most was an otherworldly flame.

Speaking of strange fires, *All Realms as One* had a similar setting—some particularly dazzling limited-edition flames even sold for astronomical prices among players.

However, obtaining them in the game was far easier than in the real cultivation world.

According to the game’s mechanics, players didn’t need to capture the flames themselves.

They just had to place an alchemy or forging furnace in the right spot, and the flame might voluntarily take up residence inside.

Of course, some wealthy players would deploy ten thousand top-tier furnaces at once, instantly boosting their odds of acquiring a rare flame.

Beyond that, there were also players blessed with unbelievable luck.

For instance, Yan Luoyue had once heard of a case where a legendary flame was captured by a newbie using a broken basket—something that sounded utterly absurd.

It wasn’t even a cage! Just a shabby, worn-out basket!

This incident sparked widespread discussion among players.

After heated debates, everyone concluded it was probably akin to how cats, despite having expensive beds bought by their owners, would still prefer to curl up in the cardboard box from a delivered package.

Just pure, inexplicable mysticism.

Recalling this amusing anecdote, a faint smile tugged at Yan Luoyue’s lips.

In fact, after remembering it yesterday, she had packed two unused baskets from home into her storage pouch.

Now, in the empty cave, she tossed the baskets onto the ground, her eyes twinkling with playful mischief.

Well, a person had to have dreams, right?

Who knew? Maybe she’d get to be the lucky one this time.

Following the needle’s direction, Yan Luoyue wove through the cave’s passages, gradually mapping the terrain in her mind.

Suddenly, she halted.

By now, she was certain—based on her path and the needle’s movements—that the treasure ahead was actively moving.

This lowered the likelihood of it being a plant and increased the chances of it being a strange fire.

The thought invigorated her, and she quickened her pace.

The needle led her in circles, guiding her through the cave’s twists and turns.

After studying the path, Yan Luoyue realized the treasure seemed to be deliberately avoiding her.

Hmm… if this continued, she might never even catch a glimpse of it.

After a moment’s thought, she transformed, shrinking into a palm-sized, light-green turtle.

Strangely enough, even after taking two Age-Increasing Pills, which made her human form appear twenty-three or twenty-four, her turtle form remained as tiny as ever.

Though small, at full speed, she wasn’t all that slow.

More importantly, whether because turtles had a stealthier aura or the treasure only feared humans, once Yan Luoyue took her turtle form, the needle’s direction stabilized without further dramatic shifts.

Clutching the locator in her mouth, the little turtle crawled determinedly onward.

To pass the time, she even adapted the nursery rhyme *The Snail and the Oriole* into *The Turtle and the Big Cave.*

*“The turtle carries its heavy shell, crawling step by step~”*

After a long pursuit, the distance between Yan Luoyue and the treasure finally closed to a minimum.

She surveyed the cave’s surroundings—and froze.

Yan Luoyue: =Mouth=

Wait, wasn’t this the same spot where she had started?

Could it be… No way…

An outrageous suspicion dawned on her, and she turned her gaze in disbelief.

The next second, she gulped silently, her beady turtle eyes blinking rapidly.

There it was—the rare treasure she had been searching for.

It was indeed a strange fire.

And it was indeed nesting inside a basket.

Not just any basket, but one of the two shabby ones she had jokingly left behind earlier.

Yan Luoyue: “!!!”

Heavens, she was the lucky one after all!

So, strange fires really were like cats, preferring to curl up in humble little baskets?

Game developers, the players had wronged you. This wasn’t some ridiculous easter egg—it was completely logical!

One of the overturned, broken bamboo baskets glowed softly with a faint pink light.

Yan Luoyue cautiously crawled forward a couple of steps. The flames inside the basket flickered slightly but showed no signs of aggression.

She deliberately waited, allowing the strange fire to adjust before moving closer.

Creeping forward in this stop-and-go manner, it took quite some time before she finally placed her tiny claw against a gap in the basket.

The fire had clearly tempered its heat—Yan Luoyue’s claw didn’t feel the slightest burn.

The palm-sized little turtle spoke in a hushed, almost whispering voice, "Come with me?"

The pink flames twitched but did not respond.

Undeterred, Yan Luoyue pressed on, "Come with me. You know, refining artifacts is just like cultivation—it’s a way for you to grow stronger too."

The glow peeking through the basket seams seemed to shift slightly toward her.

Encouraged, she continued in that same soft tone, "The outside world is fun, and I’ll treat you well. I’ll work hard to become the greatest artifact refiner in the world, and you’ll become the most formidable little flame. So... come with me?"

As if finally persuaded, the firelight flickered twice inside the basket, and then a tiny ember slipped through the gap.

Yan Luoyue looked up and smiled.

It really was a very, very small flame—just like how small she was now.

This strange fire was a translucent shade of pink, no larger than a fingernail, as gentle and delicate as peach blossoms in spring.

But as the little flame hopped toward her, its movements resembled a tiny, colorful lantern bobbing through the air.

Perhaps dissatisfied with its slow progress, the fire paused for a moment.

Then, in the next instant, it floated upward, drifting through the air like a translucent, ethereal jellyfish, before alighting gracefully on the tip of Yan Luoyue’s claw.

She took out a spirit-containment orb to house the flame, and the little fire didn’t flee.

Even when she shifted back into human form, the flame remained.

Gently stroking the smooth surface of the orb, Yan Luoyue smiled and asked, "Let me give you a name."

Remembering the way the fire had drifted toward her, like a shower of falling petals, she mused, "How about... *Luoying Binbin*?" (Falling Petals in Profusion)

Inside the orb, the flame pulsed enthusiastically, as if approving the choice.

"And since you’re pink, and *‘Fen’* sounds like ‘pink,’ your nickname will be *Fenfen*."

Yan Luoyue grinned, her eyes curving into crescents. "I know a bird called *Huhu*—I wonder if you two would get along."

On her way back, she passed through Ruyi City.

After a moment’s thought, Yan Luoyue decided to enter and scout the situation.

This time, she had taken an age-increasing pill, appearing two decades older, with half her face hidden behind a mask.

Dressed in a blouse and skirt, her current attire unmistakably marked her as a woman.

The shopkeeper of *Zhaoxinju* had met Sang Ji, the real Yan Luoyue, and even the mysterious artifact refiner in a cloak—but never this grown-up version of her.

Similarly, the *Chief Cultivator* of the Lu family had encountered the enigmatic refiner but had never seen her like this.

So, as long as she just passed through Ruyi City without lingering, she was confident no issues would arise.

Glancing casually down the busiest main street, Yan Luoyue’s lips curled beneath her mask.

*Well, well. If it isn’t the Lu Family Pavilion. Long time no see—how the mighty have fallen.*

On either side of the street stood two grand shops.

To the left, *Zhaoxinju* bustled with customers, while to the right, the *Lu Family Pavilion* stood nearly deserted.

Patrons leaving *Zhaoxinju* carried either a gleaming new sword at their waist or a fresh storage pouch on their wrist.

When others inquired, enthusiastic cultivators eagerly urged them, "Fellow Daoist, look at this fine sword, this excellent storage pouch—nearly 30% cheaper than the Lu Family Pavilion! Hurry and get in line—they say it’s one per person, no exceptions!"

"Truly, *Zhaoxinju* is the most reliable—when it comes to trust, nothing beats an old establishment in Ruyi City!"

The shop assistant of *Zhaoxinju* beamed, cheerfully managing the queue.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

Meanwhile, the Lu Family Pavilion—once so haughty—now had clerks forcing smiles, desperately trying to lure customers inside.

The contrast only made the Lu Family Pavilion’s emptiness all the more pitiful.

Back when they had deliberately bought the plot opposite *Zhaoxinju*, built their shop right across from it, and stamped it with the grand seal of *"Half-City Lu,"* they likely never imagined it would come to this.

*At this rate,* Yan Luoyue mused idly, *it won’t be long before the Zhaoxinju shopkeeper contacts me, hoping to establish a long-term partnership.*

Not long after, Yan Luoyue found herself in a teahouse once more.

Coincidentally, the storyteller today was the same gray-bearded old man as before.

By the time she entered, the *Old Tea Man* had already begun his tale, punctuating his words with rhythmic clacks of his bamboo clappers.

Choosing a seat in the main hall, Yan Luoyue listened attentively—only to realize he was recounting the old tale of the Lu family’s political marriage with the city lord.

In the storyteller’s rendition, the city lord’s daughter was peerlessly beautiful, generous, and kind.

The young master of the Lu family was fortunate beyond measure to wed such a woman—what a perfect pair of lovebirds, what a devoted couple.

Before Yan Luoyue could find any amusement in it, someone in the teahouse heckled loudly.

"Hey, *Old Tea Man*, your boss has quite the sense of humor! Just a few days ago, *Young Master Lu* handed over the deed to this teahouse to the *Young Mistress*, and now you’re singing her praises like she’s a goddess?"

The *Old Tea Man* chuckled awkwardly, tapping his clappers.

The heckler pressed on, "Come on, *Old Tea Man*, since you work for the teahouse owner, have you laid eyes on your new mistress? Just how heavenly is this daughter of the city lord?"

The storyteller dodged the question. "Naturally, she is as fair as a flower, as radiant as the moon… Ahem! As we were saying, the *Young Mistress* is both clever and beautiful. In the years since her marriage, her heart has belonged solely to *Young Master Lu*…"

Leaving a few spirit pearls on the table, Yan Luoyue rose before the tale could continue.

As she departed, she faintly sensed someone’s gaze brush over her.

But the glance didn’t linger—it swept past her as casually as one might scan the crowd.

………

Inside a private room on the teahouse’s second floor, the *Chief Cultivator*’s eyes roved over the pedestrians below before settling on the desolate entrance of the *Lu Family Pavilion*.

Slowly, he asked, "Did you hear the storyteller downstairs?"

His subordinate, uncertain of his meaning, answered cautiously, "This subordinate heard it when coming upstairs. The tale was about the *Young Mistress*."

The *Chief Cultivator* scoffed coldly. "Yes. A property deed, and suddenly the storyteller sings her praises. A few spirit stones saved, and customers abandon the Lu Family Pavilion for *Zhaoxinju*’s wares."

"The world is a mercilessly practical place. I find myself wondering—if the price is high enough, can a man even forget who his true master is?"

The thick skepticism in these words sent an involuntary shiver down the subordinate’s spine.

“I… I don’t understand what you mean, my lord.”

The Chief Cultivator stared at him unblinkingly while absentmindedly adjusting the hairpin in his hair.

The gesture was eye-catching, and the subordinate instinctively glanced at the hairpin before averting his gaze just as naturally.

*No flaws.* The Chief Cultivator pondered silently. *I’ve tested everyone around me, and this is the last one. But it doesn’t seem to be him either…*

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the subordinate. Alone again, the Chief Cultivator pulled out the hairpin and laid it flat on the table, studying the plain wooden ornament with furrowed brows.

He had already deduced that someone must have cast a curse-related technique on the hairpin.

Each time he wore it for too long, his blood vessels would rupture, causing minor bleeding.

Because of this, he was careful to limit the time he spent wearing it during these tests.

At the same time, this indirectly proved the loyalty of his subordinates. If any of them had ever possessed this hairpin, their expressions wouldn’t have remained so calm upon seeing him wear it.

So, if the hairpin’s original owner wasn’t among the few suspects among his subordinates… then where *had* he encountered this thing before?

Half-closing his eyes, the Chief Cultivator tilted his head back slightly, retracing his steps over the past few days.

Working backward, he had visited Lu Manor, the Lu family estate, the wilderness outskirts, Yijian Sect, the Moonlit Market…

Wait a minute… the Moonlit Market?

The Chief Cultivator narrowed his eyes as fragmented memories stirred at the edges of his mind.

He still couldn’t recall exactly *whose* hands he had seen the hairpin in.

But that little locust spirit—as a demon, he would likely have visited the Moonlit Market, right?

In other words, was it possible the hairpin’s original owner was also a demon or had close ties to demons?

That would explain his connection to the locust spirit. That foul-smelling thunder bomb might well have been traded into the hairpin owner’s hands at the Moonlit Market.

Hmm. So if he could uncover the hairpin owner’s identity, he might be able to trace it back to the true identity of that mysterious artifact refiner.

After all, Yijian Sect had stubbornly refused to disclose any information about the refiner.

Sword cultivators were such a headache—not a single one of them would even drop a hint about who had initially connected them.

Yet, ironically, the deaths of those two demons had unexpectedly tangled the web further, dragging the enigmatic refiner back into the picture and giving the Chief Cultivator a fresh lead.

He stood up and began pacing in circles around the private room.

*Let me think carefully… How did that Guiyuan Sect Disciple discover the demons’ deaths?*

*And what connection could there be between the hairpin’s owner and that disciple?*

---

By the time Yan Luoyue returned to the Turtle Clan’s territory, the sun had already begun to set. As she hurried home, she was stopped by one of the clan’s aunties.

“Ah, Luoyue!”

“What is it, Aunt Xi?”

The auntie was carrying a large bamboo tray filled to the brim with golden, crispy, rice-sized dried insects.

The moment Little Pink Flame caught sight of the tray, it quivered with excitement, immediately trying to burst out of its containment orb to dive into the feast.

Thankfully, Yan Luoyue reacted swiftly, clamping down on the orb before disaster struck. Otherwise, neither the tray of dried bugs nor Pinky—who would have rolled gleefully in them—would have been salvageable.

Aunt Xi remained blissfully unaware of the near-catastrophe. Jiggling the tray lightly, she smiled and said,

“Oh, Luoyue, you have a guest waiting at home. Seems like they’re here to see you—better head back quickly.”

“Thank you, Auntie.”

Yan Luoyue expressed her gratitude but couldn’t help feeling puzzled. *A guest—for me?*

She had kept her alternate identities tightly under wraps since crafting the black cloak, rarely using her real name outside.

*Who could be looking for me? Maybe one of the schoolteachers?*

As her mind wandered, she tightened her grip on the orb containing the little flame and whispered a negotiation.

“Hold on a little longer, okay? Once we’re home, I’ll find you a cardboard box to nest in—uh, I mean, a tray to play with. Deal?”

Inside the orb, the pink flame flickered, as if weighing the offer.

Seeing an opening, Yan Luoyue decisively pulled out a substitute from her storage pouch and offered it as a temporary distraction.

“Here, play with this first!”

The new toy immediately captivated the little flame.

If spirits could make sounds, Yan Luoyue was sure Pinky would be squealing with delight right now.

The flame stretched itself thin, carefully containing its heat as it wriggled excitedly—then, with a joyous wiggle, it threaded itself through one of the object’s woven gaps.

Holding the item, Yan Luoyue couldn’t help but sigh.

At this moment, she wasn’t sure whether to be grateful for Mr. Jiang’s generosity or to mourn for him.

After all, the “toy” she had handed Pinky was none other than the grass-woven trinket Mr. Jiang had gifted her.

*If even the gaps in this grass weaving can substitute for a bug tray… what does that say about its craftsmanship?*

---

It wasn’t until she got home that Yan Luoyue realized she *did* know the guest waiting for her.

“How did you find me here?” she asked, genuinely surprised.

Standing before her was none other than Shen Jingxuan, the little nun who had teamed up with her to eliminate the demons back in Chunzhuo Mountain’s caves.

Shen Jingxuan was still dressed in her drab gray robes, her once-stubbly buzz cut neatly trimmed into a perfectly round head that looked irresistibly touchable.

Clasping her hands together in greeting, she recited solemnly:

“Amitabha. Luoyue, do not laugh. This humble nun wandered here by chance, proving the profound mysteries of karmic connection—no, I can’t keep this up. Let me be honest.”

She deflated slightly. “After leaving Huajin Prefecture, I headed east and genuinely have no idea how I ended up in the Turtle Clan.”

Yan Luoyue: “…”

*Shen Jingxuan* might not know how she got here, but Yan Luoyue certainly did!

She would never forget how many times the little nun had gotten lost in that cave under her direction.

*Little Master Jingxuan… she can’t even tell left from right!*

Covering half her face in despair, Yan Luoyue groaned quietly. “Jingxuan… the Turtle Clan is *west* of Huajin Prefecture.”

Mixing up east and west was practically Shen Jingxuan’s *baseline* navigational error, so Yan Luoyue didn’t even bother elaborating.

But what truly baffled her was—

Rubbing her temples, Yan Luoyue asked with a pained smile, “Jingxuan… you walked all the way into the *Yunning Great Marsh* without realizing something was wrong?”

It should be known that although Yunning Great Marsh boasts breathtaking scenery worthy of a 5A-rated tourist attraction, its location is unmistakably remote wilderness. In modern terms, it would be classified as a protected wetland.

Traveling east from Huajin Mansion, however, one gradually approaches one of the cultivation world's cultural hubs—the Guiyuan Sect.

One path leads deeper into isolation, while the other heads toward bustling civilization.

With such a stark contrast, how could Shen Jingxuan fail to notice the difference along the way?

This was akin to intending to bike to the capital but ending up in Tibet after pedaling furiously—absolutely absurd.

Yan Gan had listened to their entire exchange.

He interjected, "Well, if Little Master Jingxuan isn’t great with directions, why not just have her walk the opposite way next time?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Gan saw Yan Luoyue shake her head sorrowfully.

"That won’t work," Yan Luoyue sighed. "I’ve seen her mistake north for east with my own eyes."

Yan Gan: "..."

Well then.

There really was no helping it.

Sympathetically, Yan Gan glanced over Shen Jingxuan’s appearance, noting how the young nun’s garb was worn and faded, her gray robes nearly white from repeated washing, and how she carried no storage pouch—evidently living in utter simplicity.

Noticing her empty hands, Yan Gan hurried to the kitchen and returned with an alms bowl for her.

Shen Jingxuan: ?

She blinked at him in confusion.

Yan Gan explained earnestly, "Take this, Little Master. If you get hungry, you can always beg for alms. At least you won’t starve if you get lost."

As a rice-devouring turtle himself, this was the worst scenario he could imagine!

Yan Luoyue: "..."

Seeing how casually Yan Gan behaved around Shen Jingxuan, Yan Luoyue realized her brother hadn’t recognized who she was.

Back during the Elite Talent Competition, Sang Ji and Yan Gan had exchanged meaningful glances at Shen Jingxuan’s public notice.

But time had passed, and Yan Gan seemed to have forgotten.

At this thought, Yan Luoyue inwardly shook her head.

Oh, brother, don’t you realize? The person before you is none other than the legendary—Chicken-Lifting, Castration-Understanding, Virtue-Unmeasured Grandmaster—Niohuru·Shen Jingxuan!

Surprisingly, however, Yan Gan and Shen Jingxuan got along quite well.

Yan Luoyue stepped inside briefly to find a basket for Little Spirit Flame to play with.

By the time she returned, Shen Jingxuan and Yan Gan were already deep in conversation.

Standing in the courtyard, Shen Jingxuan had rolled up her wide monastic sleeves, revealing toned arms and wrists taut with muscle.

Under Yan Gan’s starry-eyed admiration, she demonstrated a fierce set of Vajra Subduing Demon Fists, each strike carrying gale-force power, her skin flashing gold at the peak of each motion.

Her presence was equally formidable—eyes wide and solemn, like a wrathful guardian deity.

The final punch shot toward Yan Gan’s face with a piercing whistle, the force brutal enough to smash his nose into the back of his skull.

Yan Gan sucked in a sharp breath, scrambling to block, though he knew it was too late.

Yet, at the last moment, Shen Jingxuan’s fist transformed into an open palm, stopping a hair’s breadth from his nose.

Her joints cracked softly as she dissipated the accumulated force, leaving only a faint breeze to meet Yan Gan’s hasty defense.

"Amitabha." Shen Jingxuan withdrew her hand, pressing it vertically before her chest as she bowed slightly. "Benefactor Yan Gan, I concede."

Still reeling from the near-miss, Yan Gan’s excitement bubbled over.

"Little Master Jingxuan, what was that last move? How did you pull back the force like that?"

Shen Jingxuan replied serenely, "The final form of the Vajra Subduing Demon Fist—'Attaining Great Compassion.'"

After a pause, she added, "Though I rarely use it."

"Why?" Yan Gan pressed, awed. "You’ve mastered it perfectly! Why not?"

Shen Jingxuan shook her head, almost regretful.

"Because usually, before I reach the final move, the demon I’m subduing is already hammered to death."

Clasping her hands, she closed her eyes and chanted another Buddhist invocation.

"Amitabha. As the saying goes, the sea of Buddha’s mercy is boundless. Perhaps liberation through death is also a form of salvation."

Yan Gan: "..."

Yan Luoyue: "..."

In Yan Luoyue’s opinion, Shen Jingxuan’s monastic practice was valid—after all, when trouble arose, she *really* threw hands.

Her demeanor also inexplicably reminded Yan Luoyue of a book from her past life titled *Zen and the Art of Tractor-Based Firepower Baptism*...

As a simple turtle raised within the clan, Yan Gan was realizing for the first time how... direct the outside world’s problem-solving methods could be.

So much so that, listening to Shen Jingxuan’s philosophy, he couldn’t help but blurt out, "That works? Holy sh—"

Catching himself, he hastily apologized.

"Don’t misunderstand, Little Master! I just mean your approach is... refreshingly straightforward."

Shen Jingxuan wasn’t offended.

In fact, she sighed in relief and mirrored his tone.

"—Little demon spawn and its whole damn bloodline."

She relaxed visibly. "Seeing you’re of like mind puts me at ease. To be honest, keeping up the solemn act is exhausting."

Yan Gan: "..."

Yan Luoyue: "..."

At a loss for words, Yan Luoyue settled for respectfully offering tea.

"Here, Big Sis, have some water."

…………

Shen Jingxuan, now welcomed warmly by the Turtle Clan—from Yan Yu to Yan Gan and even the neighbors—learned over dinner that their clans had shared ties with Buddhism since ancient times.

"What?" Yan Luoyue asked, surprised. "Really?"

Yan Yu gave her a *duh* look while serving Shen Jingxuan a portion of vegetarian dishes with communal chopsticks.

She explained leisurely, "In Buddhism, lotuses, goldfish, and turtles are all symbols of Zen. Our Turtle Clan has maintained ties with Buddhist practitioners for generations."

"Besides, haven’t you heard? In mortal temples, keeping a green-haired turtle in their ponds is considered an auspicious rarity."

Though Shen Jingxuan was busy devouring her meal, she nodded emphatically in agreement with Yan Yu's words.

Seeing Yan LuoYue eagerly absorbing all this new information, Yan Yu smiled fondly. She switched to a fresh pair of chopsticks and placed a crispy fried yellow croaker—Yan Luoyue’s favorite—onto her plate.

Yan Yu remarked, "Even within our Turtle Clan, many members choose to stay at temples or nunneries when they go out to train."

While Yan Luoyue was still picking at the fish head, Shen Jingxuan had already polished off an entire bowl of rice. She set down her spotless bowl and nodded seriously.

"Luoyue, if you ever find yourself short on money or without a place to stay during your travels, you can spend the night in the ponds of temples or nunneries."

"The Water Lily Nunnery once hosted a softshell turtle demon. According to him, he spent his life wandering the land, staying in temple ponds for days at a time, freeloading meals… Ahem, what I mean is, partaking in the charity of our Buddhist faith. He lived half his life in utter bliss."

Yan Luoyue: "…"

The world is full of oddities, and our Turtle Clan is dead set on feasting.

One couldn’t help but marvel—now that was a true life skill.

Just when Yan Luoyue thought the evening’s surprises had ended, Yan Yu suddenly remembered something and added,

"Oh, come home early after school tomorrow. The Grand Elder is hosting a banquet for the entire clan."

Yan Luoyue blinked. "But it’s not a festival or holiday—why is the Grand Elder throwing a feast?"

A clan-wide banquet of this scale usually only happened during major celebrations or weddings and funerals. Judging by Yan Yu’s relaxed expression, it couldn’t be a funeral… Had the Grand Elder found love in his twilight years?

Before Yan Luoyue could spin wild theories, Yan Yu casually explained:

"The Grand Elder has finally triumphed over his lifelong rival. His greatest enemy has at last passed away. He’s so overjoyed that he’s treating the whole clan to a feast."

Ah, so that was it.

Yan Luoyue picked at her fish bones and asked offhandedly, "That enemy must’ve been pretty formidable, right?"

"Mm, a Nascent Soul True Monarch. They say he was just one step away from breaking through to the Divine Transformation stage, but time waits for no one, and fate granted him no extra years."

Wait a minute—

That phrasing felt a little… off.

Yan Luoyue paused mid-bite and looked up at Yan Yu cautiously.

"Yan Yu-jie, how… exactly did this enemy die?"

Yan Yu gave her a strange look.

"Little sister, you’re too precious. Enemies die of old age, of course. With the Grand Elder’s strength, even if he ventured out, how could he possibly slay a peak Nascent Soul True Monarch?"

Yan Luoyue: "…"

She *knew* it!

But Yan Yu-jie’s earlier wording had been *way* too misleading!

Yan Luoyue muttered under her breath, "Then why say the Grand Elder ‘triumphed’ over his enemy?"

Now it was Yan Yu’s turn to stare at her in surprise.

"What greater victory is there than outliving your foe? This is the ultimate triumph for our Turtle Clan!"

Yan Luoyue: "…"

At first glance, something about that logic felt wrong.

But the more she thought about it, the more it made perfect sense!

"…"

Truly, the Grand Elder had given Yan Luoyue a memorable lesson through his own life experience:

As long as you’re alive, anything is possible.

After careful contemplation, Yan Luoyue concluded: *Exactly! Especially for someone like me!*

After all, she only needed to stay alive to grow stronger.