The Innkeeper

Chapter 1371  An evolution

"It is not ideal, I'll admit," said Zuri modestly to the turtle. "But it is the situation I have to live with. If I can become stronger, I may be able to break free of this predicament." n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Lex himself was extremely curious about Zuri's situation, but seeing how the clover did not talk about it, nor did the turtle ask about it, he did not broach the subject.

"Your level is too far from mine," the turtle said honestly. "I cannot guide you on your cultivation path. I can only guide you in the path of your evolution."

"Even that will suffice," Zuri answered. "Any change at all can help me change the requirements of my bottleneck, and bring a certain change in my situation."

The turtle nodded, and for the first time as far as Lex was concerned, did something other than use its vines!

A deep green aura surrounded the turtle as his eyes began to shine, and the turtle floated a few feet off the ground, his gaze fixed on the four leaf clover.

Lex got goosebumps, his body telling him that something remarkable was happening near him. Yet, as a mere 'mortal', all he could do was sit and watch the spectacle unfold.

The turtle began to genuinely radiate a formidable aura, making Lex believe that the turtle could actually be an impressive fighter if it so chose.

Yet while the turtle's aura reached Lex, it did not go much farther, as the mist absorbed even that, letting not a single ripple of that aura leak outwards.

Lex could not help but wonder how such a situation came into being. If whoever was trapping Zuri here was stronger than her, then why didn't he just come down and find her? If she was the stronger one, why did she tolerate it? And if they were equal in power, why would Zuri accept such a suppressed state?

But he would not ask those questions. It was best just to wrap up their job and move on from here. So far, there seemed to be no threat, so it was best if things stayed that way.

The green aura extended from the turtle, and wrapped the small, almost inconspicuous four-leaf clover. Although Lex did not understand what was happening, he sensed that gaining some insight from this situation would be beneficial for himself.

Lex was really beginning to understand why immortals took so long to grow stronger, why they needed immortality, and why they had so much mental resilience.

He used to think it was because the mindset was changing to be less resistant to the years, but now he realized it was also so that they could deal with all the issues that came along with being immortal.

He had to manage his tenet, comprehend laws, overcome tribulations, not go through his tribulations too quickly, avoid becoming a deity by accident, manage his Karma, and lord only knows what else. Now he needed to understand what was going on so he could replicate it himself?

Although Lex complained in his heart, he paid close attention to what was happening.

At first, Lex only thought that the turtle was analyzing the clover, but clearly it was also helping it somehow become stronger, or perhaps become ready for its eventual evolution.

Eventually, the green aura began to fade, and the turtle descended back to the ground.

"A four-leaf clover, a harbinger of good fortune. But to bring that fortune, you must first be plucked. Whoever plucks you from your place will gain all the good fortune you have accumulated in your life. Considering you use good fortune to cultivate, instead of spiritual energy, that is truly quite a lot of fortune, enough to tempt even the strongest of beings."

Lex suddenly understood Zuri's situation, and could not help sympathize with her. She must have spent a large portion of her life hiding the truth of her existence, just as he had been doing for so long.

Whether it was his cultivation technique, his system or his bloodline, if any were revealed he would be in grave danger, so he camouflaged himself. Similarly, it now made sense why Zuri was so good at transforming. She was also hiding - or at least had once been hiding.

"But so much good fortune collected need not be saved for the use of others. You can use it to transform yourself, though as you use up your accumulated good fortune to transform, your cultivation will drop. Is that price acceptable for you?"

This time, despite being exceptionally motivated, Zuri did not answer immediately. The whole reason she called the turtle here was so that she could become stronger. The turtle could not provide her a path to directly grow stronger, but it could provide her an opportunity to evolve.

Technically speaking, even if her cultivation level would drop, an evolution meant that she had more strength and potential in general.

Her ability to overcome bottlenecks would be greater, and the ceiling for her potential level was higher. But all of that potential came at the very real cost of genuine, tangible strength. Considering her precarious situation, it was not an easy decision.

While she reflected on her choices, Lex realized something. The reason Zuri helped him was because she was bringing him some kind of good fortune, or helping him avoid bad fortune. Whichever it was, that was her way of cultivating. The concept that one could grow by helping others was a novel concept for him - at least in terms of cultivation.

More importantly, he linked his attempts to leave behind legacies to this very same action. Could it be that he could remedy his situation by helping someone else?

It was just one option. He would study his situation in great detail later on. For now, the focus was on Zuri.

"I'll do it," she finally said with conviction in her voice.

"Good. From fortune to fortune, the path I have seen for you is from a four-leaf clover, bringing fortune to others upon your demise, to good fortune and spiritual awakening for those near you. Your future is as a Bodhi tree."

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