20 Golden Tortoise

Few moments ago, Feng Qian and Feng Linlin found themselves in a dire situation, chased relentlessly by dozens of powerful Spirit Beasts who sought to consume them for their nutrition.

As they dashed along the edge of a cliff, Feng Qian suddenly heard a voice transmission within his mind, urging them to jump down the cliff.

Feng Qian was taken aback, but with danger looming behind them and no other viable option, he and Feng Linlin made a split-second decision. Together, they leaped into the cliff.

As they jumped, they experienced a strange sensation, passing through a distortion that felt like a portal. Their eyes blinked open to find themselves in a small cave nestled beneath the very cliff they had just leaped from. There, they encountered an unexpected sight—a tortoise with a golden shell.

"Are you the one who told us to jump?" Feng Qian inquired, somewhat astonished to see a tortoise.

"Yes, indeed, I am the Golden Tortoise." the creature replied calmly.

"Thank you for saving us. And... wait, you can talk?" Feng Qian's surprise was evident.

The Golden Tortoise appeared bewildered by the query. "Of course. Aren't you also able to talk?"

"Uh, yes, I can," Feng Qian replied, still processing the situation. "But the other Spirit Beasts I met couldn't talk like you.."

"Well, some of the Spirit Beasts can sometimes awaken their intelligence early." Replied the Golden Tortoise.

"Uhm, well, alright, may I ask why you saved us?" Feng Qian asked the essence of the situation they were currently in.

"Oh, so direct huh? Actually, I need your help to save someone," explained the Golden Tortoise.

"Why me?" Feng Qian inquired.

The Golden Tortoise observed Feng Qian closely, noting the small horn on his forehead. "I happened to meet you by luck, and also you're the newly awakened Auspicious Beast, the Qilin, right?. That adds to the reason why I sought your help," the tortoise clarified.

Feng Qian was taken aback that the Golden Tortoise knew about the Qilin. "How did you know about the Qilin?"

"Shouldn't you know this common knowledge after living for thousands of years?" questioned the Golden Tortoise, sounding mildly irritated as he inspected that Feng Qian was a Thousand Year Spirit Beast.

"I've only been alive for about 8-9 years," Feng Qian responded.

The Golden Tortoise was astonished. "Wh-What? You've achieved a thousand-year cultivation in just 9 years?"

"Yes," Feng Qian affirmed.

"I see. Alright, Let me explain things to you as we journey onwards then," the Golden Tortoise offered, initiating an explanation about the Qilin and the sign in the sky after Feng Qian's awakening as an Auspicious Beast. 

After hearing the Golden Tortoise explanation, Feng Qian had not realized until now that his awakening would affect the entire continent.

On second thought, Feng Qian didn't expect that 1% of his Qilin bloodline could have such a big impact, what if his bloodline percentage increased later on?

...

Soon, Feng Qian, Feng Linlin, and the Golden Tortoise arrived under an active volcano, it was no longer in the small cave under the cliff as they had passed through several distortion gates created by the Golden Tortoise's ability.

Feng Qian was astounded by the knowledge and abilities the Golden Tortoise displayed during their journey.

"We've arrived, please save her." The Golden Tortoise said with worry as it showed Feng Qian the injured Spirit Beast.

"Th-This is... a Phoenix?!" Feng Qian was shocked.