Sorcerer: I want to be an Academic Prodigy

Chapter 444: Chapter 443: Apostle of Justice

“You are right, human hero, I am indeed a turtle close to death, but we can still talk. Perhaps there will be a turn of events, and maybe I can help you obtain what you desire, right?”

Even as his illusion was exposed, the old turtle maintained a serene demeanor, now more than ever resembling a sage weathered by time.

Upon hearing the old turtle’s words, Ivan pondered for a moment before hesitantly nodding, though his guard remained up, lest the other party suddenly unleash a thunderous attack.

“Ahem, I never expected to encounter a descendant of that noble one in these circumstances, in this place—how fortunate indeed,” the old turtle suddenly sighed with emotion.

“Are you talking about the Star Realm bloodline?” Ivan frowned slightly, wondering if the Sacrificial Light had revealed something.

“No, not the same. The heritage bloodline of that noble one is extraordinary, far beyond that of any ordinary Star Realm bloodline. You should be able to feel it,” the old turtle spoke earnestly.

...

Indeed, Ivan did feel the uniqueness of his Golden Bloodline; he had thought it was merely the effect of its purity, but now it seemed there might be other factors involved.

This point was particularly evident upon arriving at the Great Sky River.

“So you mean to say, you come from the River of Star Realm?”

“You guessed correctly; I indeed come from the Star Realm. I ended up here by accident. Actually, you too should belong to the Star Realm, given that you are a descendant of that noble one. In the Star Realm, you would often be referred to as ‘Justice Apostles.'”

“Justice Apostles?”

“They are beings who follow the Justice Ancestor God, often upholding the path of righteousness, as well as descendants of that noble one. People often say that you Justice Apostles are naively honest, but who wouldn’t want to befriend such beings, especially when they themselves are in trouble?

In the Star Realm, during times of distress, only the Justice Apostles are deemed trustworthy.

By the way, my name is ‘Marshall,’ a turtle from the Star Realm Cliff Mountain—”

Perhaps in an attempt to alleviate some of the previous rudeness and awkwardness, the old turtle, Marshall, became quite talkative, sharing quite a bit about the Justice Star Ancestor.

The old turtle also briefly introduced his own situation and shared some information involving the Great Sky River.

He said that the end of the Great Sky River wasn’t the River of Star Realm, nor did it involve any intermittent space rifts.

Instead, at certain times, the River of Star Realm would overlap with the Danaila World in some manner, allowing the power of the Star Realm to flow into Danaila. This was also the origin of the Great Sky River.

Many years ago, he encountered a terrifying foe in the Star Realm, was severely injured while fleeing, and during a moment of desperation, escaped to the overlapping area.

Since then, the old turtle had been stranded here.

“Mr. Marshall, why don’t you go out to seek treatment or find someone to heal you?” After listening to his narrative, Ivan asked, puzzled.

“I’m different from you all; the further outside I go, the less suitable the environment is for my survival. Also, my initial injuries were much more severe than you might imagine, not suitable for long journeys,” the old turtle paused and said with a helpless, bitter smile.

“It really is a pity; actually, not far from here, there are humans who could heal you.” Ivan shook his head regretfully. If only he could go to Flowing Cloud Valley, the sorcerer might be able to heal the old turtle.

“It’s different, others aren’t Justice Apostles. To be frank with you, with my nature, I simply wouldn’t trust them, and now, I’m afraid it’s too late,” the old turtle said with inevitable sighs.

Ivan found these words rather odd, taking them as a roundabout way of complimenting himself.

However, his resolve was not something to be shaken by a few words, nor would he be so easily persuaded to become some ‘Justice Apostle.’ If that was the old turtle’s intention, he could only say that the old turtle had miscalculated.

“Justice Apostle Ivan, we’ve talked a lot about me. Let’s talk about you—what are you seeking here?” Seeing his unmoved expression, the old turtle shifted the subject.

“A Stabilizing Orb, an item that can easily soothe space disorder,” Ivan immediately responded without hiding anything.

“A Stabilizing Orb? Never heard of it. Actually, I myself possess some Secret Techniques for soothing space disorders. Alas, alas, it’s a pity you’ve arrived a bit late; otherwise, I could have directly lent you a helping hand.”

The ancient turtle pondered for a moment before giving an unfavorable answer.

Upon hearing its reply, a look of disappointment spread across Ivan’s face.

“Could you tell me what you specifically need the Space Stability Orb for? I would be glad to offer some help to a disciple of justice,” added the ancient turtle without waiting for a response.

“Of course, it’s just to repair this Moon Blade. There’s a space inside the blade, and settling the chaos within that space is key to the repair,” Ivan agreed, pointing to the Silver Moon Blade he had retracted.

“Ah! Could this be the guidance of the Justice Ancestor God?” Upon hearing this, the ancient turtle went blank, then exclaimed dramatically after a moment.

“What?”

Though Ivan was somewhat puzzled, he was happy to go along with its words.

The ancient turtle then fell silent, its face showing clear struggle and transformation, and after a while, it seemed to come to a resolve, having worked through some issue.

“There is still another way, which is to suppress it with my carcass. Not to hide from you, my Cliff Mountain Turtle clan is quite special; after death, our carcasses possess a stronger spatial suppression ability than when alive, gradually transforming the surrounding area into various unique spatial realms.”

“Mr. Marshall, this is not appropriate; I will find the Space Stability Orb myself.”

What a bizarre suggestion, Ivan couldn’t help but widen his eyes.

He immediately waved his hands, rejecting the other’s offer to trade his life.

“No, disciple Ivan, listen to me carefully.”

The ancient turtle didn’t give up but firmly explained, “Our clan has a Secret Technique that allows us to be placed in death before rising anew. We can agree that once you’ve used my carcass and found a replacement for the suppression, remember to send me back to my homeland in the Star Realm.

Only under the nourishment of the River of Star Realm, after countless years, will I potentially have a slight chance to resurrect.

Given my current dire situation, rather than existing miserably here, I’d rather follow the guidance of the Justice Ancestor God, employ the Cliff Mountain’s Secret Technique, and vie for the last chance of revival.”

These words stunned Ivan, leaving him unable to respond for a long time.

“Righteous emissary, let the Sacrificial Light be our witness, we’ve made our agreement, remember to send my carcass back to the Star Realm when the time comes.”

“This—alright, I agree.”

Under the determined gaze of the ancient turtle, Ivan hesitated for a few seconds and then slowly nodded.

Seeing his agreement, the ancient turtle immediately burst forth with a powerful aura that faintly exceeded the bounds of Level 3, and after a splendid flash of light, the little life force within it extinguished completely.

The Star Realm’s Cliff Mountain Turtle died.

Ivan felt through his Golden Bloodline and indeed sensed not the slightest bit of vitality; he nodded acknowledgment soberly at his bewildered swamp ant.

“What a resolute turtle,” the swamp ant remarked, even more confused than Ivan after witnessing everything.

“Do you believe what he said?” Ivan then asked.

“Uh—is there a reason not to believe?” the swamp ant asked, baffled.

“Who knows, I suspect it’s a mix of truths and lies haha,” Ivan said candidly, harboring another suspicion in his mind.

He didn’t believe in any righteous emissary or in trust.

The other party was too wary of facing sorcerers, likely having arrived in Danaila World through the Star Realm Gate from Flowing Cloud Valley, and then hurt by sorcerers, only managing to survive by hiding within the Great Sky River.

Likely, the whole thing was staged to use him to escape the Great Sky River and find another chance to return to the River of Star Realm.