Zhao Liangying and Hu Yue'er looked at the giant tortoise with fear all over their faces. For a moment, they hesitated.

The two girls were not one to be content with their place. Although they were scared, their eyes lit up eagerly and they felt a complex mix of emotions.

"The two of you don't seem to have any more strength. Come on up," Ye Lingchen could not help but say. He pulled Zhao Liangying and Hu Yue'er onto the back of the giant tortoise.

The mood swings of the two women were too great, having bawled their eyes out earlier. Their complexions were a little pale and they were obviously rather weak.

Even the giant tortoise was conscious enough to lay down and make it more convenient for them to get up.

The two girls were a little nervous as they stepped on top of its shell. They instinctively looked around them and sat up nervously for fear of falling.

Fortunately, the giant tortoise's back was wide, large, and relatively flat. It was not at all crowded for three people to sit there. Moreover, their field of vision was wider because they looked down from above, and it felt like they were climbing up and looking into the distance.

"Sit steadily, we're moving!"

After Ye Lingchen gave an order, the giant tortoise stood up and began to crawl forward.

The tortoise was not fast, but because of its enormous size, one step was equivalent to several steps by a normal person and its speed was three times faster.

Everyone in the program crew surrounded the giant tortoise and embarked on the journey back together.

"Wow, this is awesome!"

The two girls soon got used to it. Their initial anxiety had turned into curiosity and enjoyment. They began fumbling about on the tortoise's back and enjoyed the surrounding scenery as well as the cool breeze.

The sense of accomplishment and comfort typical of riding something was everyone's dream.

[Ah, ah, ah! I'm so envious of Baby Ying and Hu Yue'er! God Ye, please take me along!]

[God Ye is so awesome! He actually tamed the giant tortoise! Wow, wow, wow! He's a God!]

[The giant tortoise is probably very friendly to humans because God Ye saved it. It must be the Black Warrior!]

[I also think that such a big giant tortoise is unheard of. It may really be our Chinese mythical beast, the Black Warrior.]

[Whether it is the Black Warrior or not, the point is that it's very auspicious. I really want to touch it up close.]

[It's so cool to ride on a giant tortoise. Did you see Baby Ying and the others smiling? That picture can be used as a poster.]

[The giant tortoise has a much more domineering character than those special effects. It'll definitely create a sensation if it's used to make a movie.]

...

The live broadcast chat room looked enviously at the three people riding the giant tortoise.

"God Ye, why don't bring me up to sit?" Wei Daxun had a covetous gaze and came over courageously. However, before he could get close, the giant tortoise's head suddenly turned and opened his mouth to roar at him.

Wei Daxun was scared to the point of paralysis and fell bottom first onto the ground.

[PFFTT, HAHAHAHA. Awwww, my brother Daxun is so pitiful.]

[This giant tortoise really has a spiritual quality. It probably only recognizes God Ye.]

[That's for sure. It would be unbelievable if anyone can just approach it.]

[So ruthless! The giant tortoise's mouth can swallow Wei Daxun in one bite. It didn't scare Brother Daxun and make him pee his pants, did he?]

...

"Brother Daxun, the giant tortoise doesn't seem to like you, hehe..." Zhao Liangying sat on the giant tortoise's back smugly and triumphantly.

"Ahem, it's okay if you don't like me, just don't scare me. I nearly died from the scare." Wei Daxun patted his chest in shock and took a deep breath before standing up slowly.

The giant tortoise's kindness was hardly noticeable, but the slightest show of might would strike fear into anyone's hearts.

"Lingchen, you haven't told me why that python is so expensive." Zhao Liangying looked at Ye Lingchen with her beautiful eyes and queried.

"Actually, this giant python is no longer a giant python in the strictest sense." Ye Lingchen pointed to the giant python next to him. "Look carefully at its skin."

Hu Yue'er and Zhao Liangying suppressed the fear in their hearts and looked over.

They immediately let out a soft gasp when they looked at it. A strange and convoluted look immediately surfaced in their eyes.

"How is its skin different from ordinary snakeskin?" Hu Yue'er hesitated for a moment but could not resist touching it in the end. "Snakes that live underwater usually have extremely smooth skin, but the skin of this giant python is a bit rough. It has also become dry and hard, and it felt like it was about to shed.

"Indeed, the longest python ever recorded in our world is only about seven meters. When it reaches this point, it is especially difficult for the serpent to grow even as little as one millimeter," Ye Lingchen said bluntly and continued, "In addition, everything undergoes a quantitative and qualitative change. In terms of numbers, every ten has a special meaning, and this giant python just so happens to be ten meters!"

"Lingchen, you're saying that there's some change in this giant python?" Zhao Liangying asked strangely.

Ye Lingchen nodded. "As the old saying went, snakes can become pythons after cultivating for one millennium; pythons can become boas after cultivating for one millennium; boas can become Jiao after cultivating for another millennium; Jiao can become Dragons after cultivating for one millennium; Dragons will turn into Horned Dragons after another millennium of cultivation; Horned dragons that have cultivated for five hundred years will then become a Winged Dragon. That is when it becomes a real dragon1.

"Of course, this statement is rather exaggerated, but it's not without merits. This giant python is far better than other pythons in all aspects. Its body is absolutely unique and its value is naturally unimaginable."

Ye Lingchen was well aware of that giant python's value. Although it could not be said to have evolved into a dragon, it has definitely transcended its mortal body. During his battle with the giant python, a trace of wisdom even appeared from within the beast! Although it was a very low form of intelligence, it was still intelligence nonetheless!

Moreover, the aura of that waterfall lake was incredibly strong because of the existence of giant tortoises and giant pythons. It reached a point where they could affect the aura of heaven and earth. It was a sign of their extraordinariness. To give an exaggerated example, the giant python's blood might even be comparable to precious medicinal materials such as ginseng and lingzhi!

Ye Lingchen would not have expended so much effort if the python was just any ordinary snake. Normal snakes were actually very weak and easy to kill.

Everyone nodded faintly, but Hu Yue'er asked a question that everyone was most concerned about. "By the way, Lingchen, how did you get out of trouble from the lake?"

Ye Lingchen had earlier prepared for that question and he said calmly, "I can swim rather well, and although my strength isn't as good as that of a giant python, I was still able to deal with it. I was actually getting ready to swim back, but luckily, Old Tortoise managed to free itself and helped kill the python."

His statement was approved by everyone and they all nodded.

Everyone had seen Ye Lingchen's swimming ability and it was not at all difficult for him to save his own life. However, it would be rather difficult to believe that Ye Lingchen killed the python by himself. After all, they were not in a fantasy novel, so there was certainly no way a human body could be so strong.

"God Ye, I didn't expect that you can swim so well. If you participate in swimming competitions, you'll definitely bring glory to our country, like basketball!" He Jia could not help but remark.

"Oh f*ck, that's right! God Ye, you really are a sports all-rounder!"

"In addition to swimming, I think God Ye's strength is also quite impressive. He can even participate in weightlifting."

Everyone sighed in the end. "Such freakish physical qualities! Comparing ourselves with him will only make us frustrated!"

This snake-to-dragon metamorphosis is derived from Ren Fang's (任昉) Shuyi Ji (述異記), or 'Records of Strange Things'. 蚺 is translated to boa and seemingly has no other meaning, but scientifically speaking, boas and pythons are completely different snakes in an evolutionary sense. Meanwhile, Jiao (蛟) or Jiaolong (蛟龍) are defined as aquatic dragons without horns or wings.