Chapter 491 — A Love That Crosses Species

The Ice Dragon was stunned. Damn it, this little princess of the Winter Water Snake clan had serious problems of her own.

Shi Jin looked up the little princess of the Winter Water Snake clan's information.

[Race]: Winter Water Snake

[Attribute]: Water, Ice

[Race Rank]: Low-tier Overlord

[Growth Rank]: Commander-class

[Description]: Daughter of the Winter Snake Overlord, possessed of astonishing talent—by one year old she had already grown to Commander-class.

Proud by nature.

Shi Jin: ???

"Why is this one also a year old?! Don't tell me..."

"Ah, yes, yes, yes—the little princess of the Winter Water Snake clan was also born thanks to the Time-Brewed Fruit from Lord Shi Jin. The Time-Brewed Fruits you sent set off a regular baby boom in Mirage Abyss City back then."

"And taking that opportunity, the Dragon Palace even produced a great many breeding models—not just one litter, but two, three!"

"Those overlords who had children in their old age—I recall they all sent gifts to Lord Shi Jin. You didn't receive them...?"

Shi Jin: ...

He had a poor memory.

Maybe the gifts were just too paltry.

If they'd sent legendary resources, he'd have remembered for sure!

The Ice Dragon looked at Cen Yu. So, was there something off about offspring born from Time Accumulation Fruits?

Why did everyone seem to like cross-species romance?

Still, that talent did sound quite impressive.

"So, Minister Shijin, the reason you asked for the records on the Turtle Clan and the Snake Clan... what is it you plan to do?" the Longevity Turtle asked.

Shi Qi fell silent for a moment, then looked at him and said, "Me?"

"I intend to cultivate two new beasts. The races I've chosen are the Turtle and the Snake."

"What do you think?"

The Longevity Turtle's eyes went wide.

His face was a portrait of disbelief.

Holy shit.

The World Legend—the one who had defeated the Grand Prince, Second Prince, and Third Prince of Tingxue City, the strongest beast tamer of Blue Star's younger generation—Lord Shijin was planning to cultivate new beasts?

And he meant to contract the Turtle Clan and Snake Clan of Shenyuan City?!

"What, what, what—is that for real?" The Ice Dragon was equally astounded. "What's worth cultivating about turtles and snakes? How about you take my goddaughter instead?"

Shi Li: "No."

Ice Dragon: "Ah."

Shi Li: "Let's leave the other records for later. I plan to first go and see that Longevity Turtle and Winter Water Snake of yours—the ones who want to pursue a cross-species romance."

The Dragon King of Ice and the Turtle Chancellor exchanged glances.

...

A short while later.

Shijin descended upon the undersea prison. After calling out a greeting to the Golden Dragon King from afar, he entered.

Deep within the undersea prison, the Golden Dragon King's mouth twitched, though he came out to greet him all the same.

The last time the Golden Dragon Prince had requested permission to challenge Shijin, he had agreed—yet what returned was a sullen, brooding son.

And he had even lost the faith of the subjects in his territory as forfeit.

What a sin.

"What wind blows Minister Shijin here?" the Golden Dragon King said, coiling in the air.

Shi Yan chuckled. "Nothing much. I'm here to see a second-generation inmate held on Level 0.5. Go about your business, Golden Dragon King—I can manage on my own."

"A second-generation? Which one?"

"The offspring of the Turtle Chancellor of the Thunder Dragon Palace."

"That one?" The Golden Dragon King had some recollection—after all, it hadn't been locked up long.

Besides, these second-generation inmates required extra care.

The environment here was harsh, after all; they couldn't truly be allowed to come to harm.

Moments later, Shijin arrived outside that cell and, without alerting anyone within, directed his attention inside.

Within the solitary cell of jagged, jutting rocks, black waters surged, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and a sinister wind howled—oppressively grim. A small blue turtle was quietly perched on a boulder... exercising?

It was a juvenile Longevity Turtle, barely over half a meter tall.

It had a pair of bright, piercing red-black eyes, and a tail shaped like a wave.

Its water-blue body was encased in a hard black shell, its belly white—precisely the appearance of a young Longevity Turtle.

At this moment, the little Longevity Turtle was laboriously "weightlifting," hoisting a massive boulder in training.

"What's going on here?" Shi Tang said.

"Love—it drives turtles mad," the Golden Dragon King sighed. With three hundred consorts in his harem and boundless affection to match, he understood this well.

Shi Qi's mouth twitched.

After a moment's guess, he understood: this little blue turtle was probably trying to grow stronger, to earn a voice through sheer strength.

Wasn't that ambitious? Not sullen at all—seemed he'd sorted himself out.

Shijin teleported straight into the cell.

He came to stand on the massive boulder opposite the Longevity Turtle, watching it in silence.

"Huff... huff..." By now the Ten-Thousand-Year Turtle was utterly spent, its consciousness blurred, and it never noticed that someone had come.

"Hey." Only when Shi Jin spoke up did the training turtle suddenly startle, crack the rock beneath it, and leap back a step in alarm to stare at Shi Jin.

Then, in its fluster, it slipped off the boulder and landed flat on its face—only to scramble back up in an instant.

"Huff... huff...!" The Ten-Thousand-Year Turtle watched Shi Jin warily.

Clearly, it had no idea who Shi Jin was.

"So you don't recognize me." Shi Jin looked at it and spoke through telepathy: "I hear you were locked up in here for puppy love?"

"Huff!" The turtle's expression turned resolute—don't even think about talking it around.

Its will was iron.

It took Shi Jin outright for a family envoy sent by its father to talk it down.

But that was impossible!

Even if the whole world stood against it, it would hold firm. It believed that with enough effort, it would surely win the other over.

"Carry on, then. We'll meet again." Shi Jin gave a soft laugh.

He had seen the other's resolve plainly enough.

Next, it was time to look in on the little princess of the Winter Water Snake clan.

If she truly was, as Chancellor Turtle said, also fond of this blue softshell, then Shi Jin would not mind playing matchmaker and taking them both away.

So what if cross-species breeding was difficult and the family forbade it?

Was that really a problem?

Shi Jin was confident that if he told the Thunder Dragon Palace's Chancellor Turtle and the Winter Water Snake overlord that he meant to take them away to breed a Black Tortoise, they would refuse.

"Leaving just like that?" Meanwhile, having seen Shi Jin off, the Golden Dragon King wore a look of bafflement.

For Shi Jin to leave after exchanging only a few whispered words with the young turtle struck him as thoroughly puzzling.

At the same time.

Winter Water Floating Isle.

The territory of the Winter Water Snake clan.

Shi Jin descended upon this place once more.

The moment he arrived, he let loose his vast spiritual sense.

Deep within the Winter Water Snakes' habitat, the Winter Water Snake overlord gave a violent start and flew out swiftly—then, catching sight of Shi Jin standing upon the isle, was greatly shocked.

"Minister Shi Jin??"

As a nobody in Yexing City—and in the Environmental Protection Department besides—the Winter Water Snake overlord could not fathom why a personage like Minister Shi Jin would suddenly appear on its territory.

The stout giant serpent, blue of body and white of stripe, at once flew over fawningly and said, "To what do I owe the honor of Minister Shi Jin's visit? Is there some instruction for me?"

Shi Jin lifted his head, watching the Winter Water Snake overlord descend slowly, and said with a smile, "Long time no see, Overlord Winter Water."