Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1340 - 723: Taoyue Immortal Venerable

Just as the Spirit Puppet prepared to strike, a Divine Light flashed within Zhao Sheng’s eyes, and a massive wave erupted from the ocean depths below.

Like a towering wall of water, the wave surged with terrifying force, slamming down upon the obsidian surface of "Turtle Island."

This violent disturbance instantly roused the Ancient Crocodile Turtle from its slumber. Its gargantuan eyes, resembling twin green ponds, snapped open with a predatory glint. Suddenly, a pitch-black Light Shield manifested over its massive shell, possessing an incredible thickness of more than a hundred feet.

Zhao Sheng’s goal was to evaluate the Spirit Puppet's genuine combat capabilities; he had no desire to watch a one-sided execution, so he moved early to wake this True Spirit Remnant.

Boom!

The Spirit Puppet moved like a world-rending blade, slicing through the hundred-foot Light Shield in a heartbeat, piercing the barrier as effortlessly as a hot blade cutting through grease.

A moment later, a thunderous boom echoed as the Horse-slaying Saber collided with the mountain-like turtle shell.

The Spirit Puppet, merging its saber and puppet frame into a single force, smashed into the Ancient Crocodile Turtle. Flesh, muscle, and bone were obliterated instantly, carving a straight and deep chasm of gore into the beast.

A massive geyser of blood erupted from the wound, shooting hundreds of feet into the air before losing momentum and raining down in every direction.

It appeared as though a crimson storm was falling from the heavens, staining the surrounding sea a deep, vivid red.

Observing this, Zhao Sheng knit his brows slightly, wondering if he had inadvertently picked a poor match for this test.

The Spirit Puppet possessed a body that was practically indestructible, yet it moved with the speed of a lightning bolt, striking without warning. Most importantly, its style of fighting was brutal and straightforward, relying on raw power and velocity—a stark contrast to the Cultivation techniques commonly seen in the Lower Realm.

Unless the Original Spirit had been fully awakened, detecting the Spirit Puppet’s initial assault would have been nearly impossible.

It was only at this stage that Zhao Sheng fully grasped this reality.

Having burrowed into the Crocodile Turtle, the Spirit Puppet began a frantic rampage. It hacked and slashed through the beast's interior, shredding internal organs and sending chunks of meat flying.

The Ancient Crocodile Turtle let out a furious roar toward the sky; though it looked intact from the outside, it was suffering devastating internal trauma.

In its agony, the beast’s long neck twisted with surprising agility, reaching toward the opening of the blood chasm. Its jaws unhinged, spewing a torrent of foul, pitch-black venom that poured relentlessly into the wound.

Trapped inside the beast's body, the Spirit Puppet was like Sun Wukong in the belly of the Bull Demon King, leaving the turtle with no easy solution.

Driven to desperation, the True Spirit Remnant was forced to resort to a "Mutual Destruction" tactic.

Aside from its specialized poison sacs, its natural venom was corrosive to all matter, living or dead—including its own body.

In the blink of an eye, the massive Turtle Island began to vent thick clouds of black-purple toxic gas. Sections of the shell dissolved into sludge, and vast amounts of flesh melted into putrid poison water. Large portions of the island began to cave in, forming a rapidly growing void of purple-black decay.

Soon, the Ancient Crocodile Turtle’s cries grew faint, and its aura plummeted. It was as exhausted as a spent arrow, its movements becoming sluggish and feeble.

Clearly, its suicidal counterattack had failed to hinder the Spirit Puppet.

After several breaths, the life of the True Spirit Remnant finally flickered out. Its four limbs snapped off one by one, sinking into the Ten Thousand Feet Sea Abyss, followed by the sudden splitting of its long neck.

In the next instant, the Spirit Puppet erupted from the rupture, coated in toxic filth; however, the silver surface of the Horse-slaying Saber remained gleaming and untarnished.

With a sudden flash of Sword Light, the Crocodile Turtle’s head and remaining neck were shattered into fragments, falling into the ocean and triggering massive waves.

By now, Turtle Island had been reduced to a hollowed-out husk. As the beast perished, the island began to submerge, creating a monstrous vortex ten thousand feet wide.

Several small fractures appeared across the surface of the giant creature's skull.

The entire engagement had been remarkably brief, with the victor decided in under an hour.

This did not mean the Ancient Crocodile Turtle was a weakling or lacked power. Had it faced a typical Human Clan expert at the God Transformation stage, this True Spirit Remnant likely would have secured an easy win.

It had simply met its natural predator today, possessing peak-level strength but having no opportunity to utilize it.

Zhao Sheng felt a hint of dissatisfaction; while the battle confirmed the Spirit Puppet had Divinity Transformation Level power, its maximum potential remained untested.

"Master, I have returned. These are the spoils of battle; I ask that you accept them."

The Spirit Puppet sheathed its blade, shook off the remaining grime, and flew toward Zhao Sheng. It respectfully offered a bright red Demon Core the size of a human head.

Zhao Sheng looked closely, nodded, and took the Demon Core, stowing it within his Sumeru Space.

"Feng Yi, you are quite sharp! You have mastered the proper usage of the Primordial Spirit Puppet in less than a day. To reach the Divinity Transformation Realm in the energy-starved Lower Realm is no small feat; it was certainly not due to luck," Zhao Sheng remarked, offering rare praise.

Upon hearing this, the Feng Yi Spirit Puppet bowed deeply and replied with a voice full of trepidation: "Master praises me too highly. I am not worthy of such words."

Zhao Sheng said calmly: "There is no need for such modesty. I also ascended to the Spirit Realm from the Lower Realm, achieving my current Cultivation only after years of grueling effort. I understand the struggles of the Lower Realm well!"