Kai stood in the clearing, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. The bodies of the three cultivators lay scattered around him. He glanced at the spirit tortoise, still hidden safely in its shell.

Time to check my stats, Kai thought. He focused, calling up his status window.

Name: Kai Thorn

XP: 0/2000

Level: 7

Qi: 200/200

Strength: 50

Agility: 53

Endurance: 51

Intelligence: 28

Wisdom: 27

Skills:

Qi Condensation (Level 3)

Basic Cultivation Technique (Level 3)

Unarmed Combat (Level 2)

Deception (Level 3)

Iron Skin (Level 2)

Swift Wind Step (Level 3)

Flame Palm Strike (Level 3)

Mental Fortitude (Passive)

Spirit Beast Communication (Level 1)

Qi Concealment (Level 1)

Qi Detection (Level 1)

It took saving a rare tortoise and killing three cultivators at the same level just to break through, Kai sighed, running a hand through his hair.

He turned his attention to the spirit tortoise, which had yet to emerge from its shell. Kai cleared his throat and spoke, "Hey there. I'm Kai. Thanks for the help earlier."

To his surprise, the tortoise's head popped out of the shell, its eyes wide with wonder. "You... you can speak the beast tongue?" it asked, its voice high-pitched and slightly squeaky.

"Only the basics," Kai smiled, which was true since he had just acquired the skill. "I'm still learning."

The tortoise's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Oh, how wonderful! I am Zhi-Zhi, wise spirit of the shell and guardian of ancient knowledge."

"Nice to meet you, Zhi-Zhi," Kai said, bowing slightly. "Thank you again for your help. That could have ended badly if you didn’t interfere when you did."

At that moment, Liu Wei dropped down from the trees, landing gracefully beside Kai. He looked between his master and the tortoise, confusion evident on his face. To him, Kai appeared to be talking normally but the beast was just making strange noises.

Kai noticed Liu Wei's bewilderment and realized his servant was being left out of the conversation. He turned back to the tortoise. "Say, Zhi-Zhi, would you mind speaking in the human tongue? My friend here doesn't understand beast language."

Zhi-Zhi's eyes narrowed slightly, as if offended by the implication that he might not be able to speak human language. But as the tortoise glanced at Liu Wei's confused expression, its features softened.

"Of course," Zhi-Zhi said, now in perfect human speech. "My apologies for the oversight, young cultivator. I am Zhi-Zhi, a spirit tortoise of great wisdom and power."

Claiming to have great wisdom and power somehow makes me doubt it, Kai thought with a wry smile.

Liu Wei's eyes widened in amazement. "It... it can actually talk!" he exclaimed, then quickly bowed. "Forgive me, noble spirit. I am Liu Wei, Master Kai’s servant!"

"Great!” Kai said. “Now that we've introduced ourselves, I have to ask, Zhi-Zhi. Why didn't you do anything earlier? Those cultivators were trying to capture you."

Zhi-Zhi's head retreated slightly into his shell, his eyes narrowing. "Young one, you must understand that we spirit beasts operate on a different level than mere mortals. Those low-level cultivators could never have harmed me. They would have grown bored and left eventually."

Interesting, Kai thought. He's either incredibly powerful or incredibly naive. Maybe both. "I see. Well, I'm glad we were able to resolve the situation quickly."

A spirit beast companion could be incredibly useful. It's like having a legendary pet in an MMO. But how do I convince it to join us?

"So, Zhi-Zhi," Kai said casually, "where are you headed? Do you need any protection on your journey?"

The tortoise's head emerged fully from its shell, and it puffed out its chest. "Protection? Ha! My shell is all the protection I need, young cultivator." Then, almost as an afterthought, it added, "Though I am traveling in that direction." Zhi-Zhi pointed with its head towards the east.

Kai's eyes lit up. That's the same direction as the treasure spot. Perfect. "What a coincidence! We're headed that way too. Maybe we could travel together?"

Zhi-Zhi seemed to consider this for a moment. "Well... I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have some company. Very well, young Kai. You may accompany me on my journey."

Kai grinned. Quest companion acquired, he thought triumphantly. He turned to Liu Wei, who was looking at him with wide eyes. "A... a spirit beast? Traveling with us?" He looked at the small tortoise with distrust. "Is that safe, Master?"

Kai clapped a hand on Liu Wei's shoulder. "Don't worry. Zhi-Zhi here is on our side. This is a great opportunity for us to learn more about spirit beasts."

Liu Wei nodded weakly, still looking unsure about the prospect of having a spirit beast join their party.

"Alright," Kai said, clapping his hands together. "Let's get moving. We've got a lot of ground to cover."

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They set off, with Zhi-Zhi leading the way. However, Kai quickly realized that their pace had slowed to an agonizing crawl. The spirit tortoise moved at a speed that made snails look like sprinters.

I thought with an agility of 10, it would at least move at a normal pace, Kai thought, frustration building. At this rate, we'll reach the treasure spot sometime next century.

After about fifteen minutes of painfully slow progress, Kai cleared his throat. "Uh, Zhi-Zhi? I don't mean to be rude, but... is there any way we could move a bit faster?"

Zhi-Zhi's head swiveled around, his eyes narrowing. "Faster? Young one, haste is the enemy of wisdom. We spirit tortoises move at the perfect speed for contemplation and observation of the world around us."

Kai bit back a sigh. Great. We've got a philosopher tortoise. "I understand, Zhi-Zhi. It's just that we're on a bit of a time constraint. Would you perhaps like a lift? To, uh, give you a better vantage point for observation?"

The tortoise looked offended for a moment, then seemed to consider the offer. "Well... I suppose a higher viewpoint could provide new insights. Very well, I shall accept your offer."

Kai nodded, relieved the tortoise had taken up his suggestion. He turned to Liu Wei. "Liu Wei, would you mind carrying Zhi-Zhi on your head? It'll give him the best view."

Liu Wei's eyes widened, and he looked at Kai as if to say, "Why me?" But being the loyal servant he was, he nodded. "Of course, Master."

With some awkward maneuvering, they managed to get Zhi-Zhi situated on top of Liu Wei's head. The young man wobbled slightly under the unexpected weight but quickly found his balance.

As they resumed their journey at a much more reasonable pace, Kai found himself pondering the spirit tortoise. The system identified it as a baby, but Zhi-Zhi acts like he's ancient. Something doesn't add up.

"Zhi-Zhi," Kai said, "if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

The tortoise puffed up with pride. "I have seen one hundred summers, young Kai. A mere blink in the lifespan of a spirit tortoise, but filled with wisdom beyond measure, I can assure you of that."

Kai's eyebrows shot up. A hundred years old and still considered a baby? These spirit beasts are something else. "That's impressive, Zhi-Zhi. What's the typical lifespan for a spirit tortoise?"

"Ah, young one," Zhi-Zhi said, his voice taking on a lecturing tone. "We spirit tortoises live for thousands of years naturally. Some say the oldest among us have seen the rise and fall of entire civilizations."

"Wow," Kai said, genuinely impressed. "So, you're still quite young by spirit tortoise standards?"

Zhi-Zhi's head retreated slightly into his shell. "Well, yes. But do not make the mistake of thinking that makes me any less knowledgeable! Age is but a number, and wisdom knows no bounds!"

Age is but a number? That kind of thinking would get you locked up back home, Kai suppressed a smirk.

As they walked, Zhi-Zhi began to tell them tales of his adventures and profound insights into the nature of the world. Liu Wei listened with rapt attention, clearly in awe of the spirit beast. Kai, however, found himself growing increasingly skeptical.

"And so," Zhi-Zhi was saying, "I told the great Phoenix of the Southern Mountains, 'My friend, true immortality lies not in rebirth, but in the eternal flame of wisdom!' And do you know what happened next?"

"What happened?" Liu Wei asked eagerly.

"The Phoenix bowed its head in recognition of my superior insight and granted me a single feather as a token of respect!" Zhi-Zhi declared proudly.

Kai raised an eyebrow. That sounds... unlikely. "Wow, Zhi-Zhi. That's quite a tale. Can we see the feather? A phoenix feather must be an incredible sight."

The tortoise's eyes widened slightly, and he seemed to fidget. "Oh, well... you see, young Kai, the feather is... it's a very delicate artifact. Exposure to the air of the mortal realm could damage its ethereal properties. I keep it safely tucked away in my... uh... spirit space! Yes, that's it. For safekeeping, you understand."

Uh-huh, Kai thought, his suspicions confirmed. He's definitely making this up as he goes along.

"Of course, how thoughtful of you to preserve such a rare treasure," Kai said, keeping his tone neutral. "Perhaps you could tell us more about this Phoenix? How did you come to meet such a legendary creature?"

Zhi-Zhi hesitated for a moment. "Well, you see, it was during my great pilgrimage to the... uh... the Sacred Peaks of Enlightenment! Yes, that's it. A treacherous journey that only the wisest and bravest of spirit beasts dare to undertake."

Kai nodded, playing along while mentally rolling his eyes. This spirit beast might be a hundred years old, but he's got the imagination of a children's story writer. I wonder if any of his 'wisdom' is actually true, or if it's all tall tales.

"Master," Liu Wei whispered, his eyes shining with admiration, "we are so fortunate to have such a wise and experienced spirit beast with us!"

"We really are." Kai patted Liu Wei's shoulder. Poor kid. He's buying every word of this.

Kai decided to test the tortoise's knowledge a bit more directly to see if there was any truth in the tortoise’s stories.

"Zhi-Zhi," he said, "I've been wondering about a cultivation technique I heard of. It's called the 'Celestial Phoenix Rebirth Method.' Have you heard of it?"

Kai had completely made up this technique on the spot, but the tortoise nodded.

"Ah, yes, the Celestial Phoenix Rebirth Method. A most potent and dangerous technique. It allows the cultivator to... uh... be reborn from their own ashes, growing stronger with each rebirth. But it comes at a great cost, you see. One must be prepared to sacrifice much."

He's just saying what anyone could guess from the name, Kai thought, suppressing a sigh. Time to press for more specific details.

"That sounds fascinating, Zhi-Zhi," Kai said, keeping his voice neutral. "Could you tell me more about the specific sacrifices required? I've heard conflicting information about the technique's details."

The tortoise's eyes darted around for a moment before he replied, "Well, you see, young cultivator, the Celestial Phoenix Rebirth Method requires the practitioner to sacrifice... their core! Yes, that's it. With each rebirth, one must destroy their cultivation core and rebuild it anew. It's a process of constant destruction and renewal, mirroring the cycle of the phoenix itself."

Kai nodded slowly, processing the information. He's almost certainly making this up on the spot, he thought. The hesitation, the convenient explanations that match the technique's name... it all points to fabrication.

And yet, a small part of Kai's mind couldn't help but wonder. For all I know, there could actually be a Celestial Phoenix Rebirth Method out there somewhere, it sounds like a legit technique. And maybe it does work exactly like Zhi-Zhi described.

"That sounds incredible, Master!” Liu Wei's eyes widened. “Have you thought about learning such a technique?"

"If it’s a real technique then why not, but remember Liu Wei, not everything you hear about cultivation is true. It's important to verify information before acting on it."

The tortoise nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, very wise, young human. Trust, but verify, as the ancient sages say."

Now it's quoting Ronald Reagan. Kai had to suppress a chuckle.

As they continued their journey, the tortoise’s stories became more and more outlandish. He even began to claim he had the position of royal advisor to a kingdom of talking trees.

"Zhi-Zhi," Kai said during a pause in the tortoise's monologue, "all these adventures sound amazing. But I'm curious, what was your most recent experience before we met you?"

The tortoise fell silent for a moment, caught off guard by the question. "My... most recent experience?"

"Yes," Kai pressed gently. "What were you doing just before those cultivators tried to capture you?"

Zhi-Zhi's head retreated further into his shell. "Well, I... that is to say... I was engaged in deep meditation! Yes, contemplating the mysteries of the universe."

Kai nodded, keeping his expression neutral. "I see. And before that?"

"I... I was..." Zhi-Zhi stammered, then suddenly blurted out, "I was learning to swim, okay? My mother said I needed to practice!"

A heavy silence fell over the group. Liu Wei looked confused, glancing between Kai and the now thoroughly embarrassed tortoise on his head.

Kai sighed, a mix of amusement and sympathy washing over him. Just as I thought. He's not some ancient, all-knowing spirit. He's just a kid trying to act grown-up.

As Kai was wondering whether to expose the poor tortoise or to continue humouring it, he suddenly noticed something on his map function. A massive red spot appeared, moving towards them at an incredible speed, almost as if it had teleported.

What the hell? Kai thought, his heart racing. That can't be good.

"Liu Wei, get ready-" Kai started to warn, but before he could finish, a rumbling sound erupted from beneath their feet.

In less than a second, thick tree roots burst from the ground, wrapping themselves tightly around Kai and Liu Wei's legs. They were bound in place, unable to move.

"What the-" Kai grunted, struggling against the roots. He looked up to see Zhi-Zhi, who had been thrown into the air from Liu Wei's head, retreating into his shell in panic.

Great, Kai thought, his mind racing to find a solution. Just when I thought things were going smoothly. Whatever that red spot on the map was, it's definitely here now.

He scanned the area frantically, trying to spot their attacker. The forest around them seemed to have come alive, trees creaking and leaves rustling as though they were greeting their emperor.

This is no ordinary ambush, Kai realized. We're dealing with something way beyond our current level.