Gu Ning chatted with the Divine Mountain Turtle for a while longer. When it was nearly time, he stood up to take his leave.
"Thank you again for clearing up my doubts," Gu Ning said sincerely, bowing deeply. This time, his gratitude came from the heart—he had gained a great deal from this conversation.
"Haha, there's no need to be so polite, young friend," the old turtle chuckled heartily. "I merely shared some common knowledge about this world."
Then he added, "Since you've kept me company for so long, allow me to give you a small parting gift."
He turned and called out, "Xiao Ling, bring over some of your sap for our guest!"
"Hmph, you old turtle, you're always giving away my stuff to score favors!" The Spirit Tree of the Turtle Deity shook violently, and a small boy—about a meter tall—appeared.
He glared at the turtle, then tossed a small wooden vial toward Gu Ning.
Gu Ning caught it quickly and bowed once more. "Thank you, sir, for your generous gift."
"Hey! That's mine, why are you thanking the giant turtle?" the tree spirit grumbled.
Just as Gu Ning was about to offer his thanks, the Divine Mountain Turtle waved it off and said to the spirit, "You old thing, still pretending to be a child—shameless! Don't mind him, young friend, you're free to go now."
Gu Ning glanced at the remaining spirit fruits on the table. He hesitated to take them, but the old turtle noticed and handed them over.
"These are no use to me anymore. Take them." He also passed Gu Ning a larger wooden vial. "This contains some Mother Essence—consider it a bonus."
Overjoyed, Gu Ning thanked him once again.
Then he boarded the wooden ship, waved goodbye to the two beings, and set off.
…
Back on the sea's surface, Huo Huo continued charging energy while Windsor went fishing. Gu Ning returned to his room.
The hunt had earned him nearly 2,000 white stones, plus a green-tier piece of equipment. He also gathered various basic materials and living supplies.
But the real windfall was the information he gained from the Divine Mountain Turtle and the three rare spirit fruits, which had greatly boosted his stats.
Oh, and there was also the gift from the Spirit Tree!
Gu Ning took out the small wooden vial and examined it with his Spirit Sight.
Essence of the Turtle Spirit Tree (Purple): Upon consumption, improves the quality of sea beasts.
This was a great item. Gu Ning went outside, found Xiao Lan, and fed it the essence. Then he gave it one of each of the three spirit fruits.
Once Xiao Lan had consumed everything, Gu Ning checked its updated stats:
Xiao Lan / Deep Sea Whale (Purple)Level: 6Strength: 40Agility: 35Defense: 36Skills: Ram, Bite, Thunder Blade
The changes were impressive. Its quality had upgraded to Purple, and it had gained a new skill—Thunder Blade, indicating an affinity with lightning. Its stats had increased by 16 points: +5 Strength, +5 Agility, and +6 Defense—clearly the effect of the three rare fruits.
Gu Ning patted Xiao Lan's head thoughtfully. Was Xiao Lan a member of the Sea Clan or a Sea Beast?
The Divine Mountain Turtle had said the distinction lay in whether they chose to take human form. That meant Xiao Lan would get to decide in the future.
But that wouldn't happen until it reached level 19, so there was still a long way to go.
Gu Ning checked his assets—around 2,300 white stones. Then he looked into what was needed to upgrade the wooden ship.
Upgrade Requirements:Wood: 1000Iron Nails: 2000Copper: 100Total Cost: Around 5,000 white stones
He had earned about 2,000 white stones today, and the Money Tree would generate another 500 or so overnight. If all went well, the ship could be upgraded tomorrow!
That would make it a level 6 ship.
Gu Ning was excited. He now understood that every 6 levels marked a threshold in this world.
Lying in bed, he browsed the chat channel while planning his next steps.
Before he realized it, evening had arrived.
He lit the energy lamp, and the room was instantly filled with a bright, steady glow—so much better than candles or matches.
Later, he enjoyed a meal prepared by Jasmine and sent everyone off to rest.
Gu Ning then sat at the bow of the ship with Windsor and Huo Huo, gazing out at the night and chatting idly.
He opened a bottle of red wine and sipped slowly with Windsor. Even Huo Huo held a small wooden cup.
After drinking for a while, feeling a pleasant buzz, Gu Ning wrapped his arm around Windsor and brought her back to the room.
Huo Huo remained outside, continuing to charge the ship.
The two of them undressed and climbed into bed. The deluxe bedding was incredibly comfortable—it felt like they were wrapped in a warm cocoon.
Windsor's cheeks were flushed from the wine, making her irresistibly charming.
But Gu Ning held back for now, choosing instead to take care of some tasks.
First, he collected 593 white stones from the Money Tree. Then he checked the trading list Wang Mu had sent—it didn't contain anything useful.
Wang Mu had mentioned he'd repay his white stone debt soon. Gu Ning told him not to worry about it.
Then, Gu Ning pulled out three Oar Blueprint scrolls. He had four in total and had been storing them for days—he'd nearly forgotten about them. They were all green-tier quality.
He used his Transmute talent on the first one.
Result:Dock Construction Blueprint (Blue):When near the coast, a dock increases the profitability of your territory.Requirements: Wood ×5000, Stone ×500, Iron ×200
Nice. Since his territory was on an island, this blueprint would definitely come in handy.
Next, he used Transmute again.
Result:Well Construction Blueprint (Blue):Every settlement needs a water source. A well greatly improves daily life.Requirements: Stone ×300, Iron ×100
Another good one. His luck today was solid.
Final transmute.
Result:Life Bracelet (Purple):Slows aging and accelerates healing.
"Holy crap," Gu Ning muttered. The final item was a purple-tier treasure.
But when he checked the attributes, he was a little disappointed. It wasn't an equipable item and didn't increase any stats. It merely sped up healing and delayed aging.
It felt a bit underwhelming for a purple-tier item.
Oh well, it wasn't like he could change it now.
"Windsor, this bracelet is for you."