Crossing the Cultivation Realm: Two Souls Coexist

Old Turtle, pulling Lin Feng along, finally made their way to the large tent where the soldiers' remains were temporarily kept, with his signature slow and leisurely pace.

Lin Feng waved to signal the soldiers who were on duty outside the tent, their expressions sorrowful, to temporarily step down and rest.

Then he took a deep breath, lifted the curtain, and led the old tortoise inside.

To maintain ventilation and prevent premature decomposition of the remains, all the ventilation windows in the tent were opened, and the curtains were rolled up high.

A chilly autumn wind swept through the hall, carrying away a lingering sense of gloom.

New burial sites in the rear cemetery are still being urgently excavated. Only after enough sites have been dug can these heroes who sacrificed their lives for the country be properly buried.

Fortunately, it was nearing winter, and the low temperatures greatly slowed down the decomposition process of the remains.

At this moment, Hu Qing and Gu Yang, as if they had just been pulled out of the water, were soaked in sweat, their bodies trembling slightly uncontrollably, and they staggered to the tent entrance.

The moment their footsteps finally stepped within a certain range of the old tortoise, the terrifying pressure that felt like a mountain pressing down on them and time freezing suddenly disappeared!

The pressure vanished too suddenly, and the muscles and spiritual energy that the two had been tense and resisting the heavy pressure instantly lost their target.

The immense inertia made it impossible for them to maintain their balance, and there were two "plop" sounds.

The two collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted, panting heavily, not even wanting to move a finger.

Seeing this, Xiao Zi and Lin Feng rushed forward and each helped one of them up from the ground with great effort.

Only then did Lin Feng and Xiao Zi truly see the disheveled state of the two men—

His hair was completely soaked with sweat, clinging to his forehead and cheeks; his face was pale, and his lips were chapped.

His clothes clung tightly to his skin, as if he had just been pulled out of the water, and water droplets were still dripping down.

Their bodies were trembling slightly from overexertion and stress, especially their legs, where the muscles were spasming involuntarily.

Lin Feng quickly took out a water bag and fed the two of them some water.

Hu Qing and Gu Yang sat on the ground, greedily replenishing their fluids while vigorously kneading their aching and throbbing ankles and calves, which felt as if they didn't belong to them.

Looking back on that seemingly short journey, it felt like traversing thousands of mountains and rivers.

Especially the last part, when the pressure skyrocketed exponentially, almost crushing their will and bodies.

Both of them are still shaken by the experience, and their consciousness was once blurred. They only managed to get through it because of their stubbornness and unwillingness to admit defeat.

After catching his breath, Gu Yang, supporting his aching back, gritted his teeth and slowly stood up from the ground.

His face had lost its previous fawning or anger, leaving only an almost numb indifference. He looked at the old tortoise and said in a flat tone:

"What instructions does the Central Region have? What are the plans of the higher-ups regarding the remains of these soldiers?"

Furthermore, when will the compensation and rewards they deserve be implemented?

Your time is precious, so why don't we explain everything here and now?

He was completely fed up with trying to play along with this terrifyingly powerful, vile, and shameless old tortoise.

Even superficial flattery and politeness have been completely abandoned, leaving only cold indifference and a purely businesslike attitude.

Seeing this, Hu Qing silently took Xiao Zi's hand and stood next to Gu Yang, his spiritual power circulating silently within him.

His eyes were alert. If the old tortoise became hostile because of Gu Yang's attitude, he had to react immediately.

Looking at Gu Yang's "what's the use of throwing caution to the wind" attitude, the old tortoise showed no anger on its face, but instead a more amused expression.

It grinned and said slowly, "You're already angry? It's just a small test. If you can't even handle this little bit of pressure, how will you shoulder greater responsibilities in the future, and how will you face the real burden of saving the world?"

Before I came here, that kid Xin kept bragging in my ear about how he had taken on such an extraordinary and monstrous disciple, with exceptional talent and unwavering willpower.

Looking at it now... tsk tsk, he was just a pretty face with no substance, all show and no substance.

"You've seen Master Xin?! How is the Sword God doing now?"

Gu Yang's normally calm face suddenly lit up with an astonishing light when he heard the name "Xin," and he eagerly pressed for an answer.

As expected of a big shot from the Central Region, he actually knows Master!

"Nonsense!" The old tortoise rolled his eyes, his tone tinged with a smug sense of seniority.

"I watched that kid Xin grow up naked! As for Xiao Jian, he's still in that old place in seclusion, with Old Man Xia guarding him. Who knows how long he'll have to endure before he comes out of seclusion?"

As he spoke, the old tortoise stretched out its broad, patterned forepaws and casually patted Gu Yang's shoulder twice.

A strange, warm current instantly surged into Gu Yang's body, like sweet rain nourishing parched land.

He immediately felt a lightness in his body, and the muscle soreness, bone groans, and deep-seated fatigue caused by overexertion disappeared.

It actually dissipated by this one strike! I felt as if a huge burden had been lifted off my shoulders, and I felt much lighter.

The old tortoise did the same thing again, patting Hu Qing on the shoulder twice.

Hu Qing immediately felt the relief of exhaustion and the refreshing feeling of her body being full of energy again.

After doing all this, the old tortoise clapped his hands, as if brushing away non-existent dust, then pointed at Gu Yang's nose and laughed and scolded:

"You brat! You dare to give your grandpa a hard time? I've lived for tens of thousands of years and seen all kinds of storms. I know what kind of shit you're going to take the moment you stick your butt out!"

Ugh, just thinking about it makes me angry. That kid Xin is no good either; like father, like son!

Just because I was walking a little slower, they thought I was delaying things and actually kicked me all the way from the Central Region to this godforsaken place!

You made me, an old man, land in an unseemly way, and then you treated me like a spinning top!

"If I don't teach you a lesson, you little rascals will get too big for your britches!"

The old tortoise's mouth remained sharp, and he continued his incessant rant, including Gu Yang and Master Xin in his insults.

But Gu Yang was in the wrong at this moment, and had also benefited from it. Knowing that this old tortoise was unfathomable, he dared not speak out against him again.

He could only stand with Hu Qing, head bowed, silently listening like a scolded schoolchild, while inwardly ranting:

"A thousand-year-old tortoise, a ten-thousand-year-old turtle—it really is an asset to live long..."

The old tortoise cursed and swore for a while, seemingly having finally vented most of the pent-up anger in its chest, before stopping, slightly out of breath.

It glanced around at the neatly arranged bodies covered with white sheets inside the tent, and its tone finally returned to its previous solemnity as it asked:

"These bodies are just sitting here; it's not a good situation. What were your original plans for dealing with them?"

When asked, Lin Feng quickly stepped forward and respectfully answered truthfully:

"Reporting to the senior, we are currently organizing manpower to urgently excavate new graves in the cemetery behind the mountain."

Once enough space is available, we will hold a grand funeral for all the fallen soldiers, then properly bury them and erect a monument in their memory.