357: Chapter 357 The Tempering Begins!

"All prodigies, please prepare immediately. The starlight cleansing pool is about to open!"

An Elf Clan female official holding a scepter spoke in a clear voice, breaking the silence and whispers by the poolside.

Qin Yan and Xue Liuli exchanged a glance, ending their previous conversation.

They walked steadily toward the starlight cleansing pool.

Once all the qualified prodigies had gathered by the pool, the Elf female official presiding over the ceremony took on a solemn expression.

She raised her scepter high with both hands and began to chant ancient and tongue-twisting Elven incantations.

As she chanted, the emerald gemstone embedded at the top of the scepter suddenly lit up, resonating with the starlight in the pool.

"Hum—!"

In an instant, the starlight cleansing pool water, which had been gently fluctuating, seemed to be injected with life and began to rotate and flow faster!

Above the pool's surface, those silver spots of light suddenly became incredibly active, erupting with unprecedented brilliant radiance!

The entire pool of water seemed to turn into a boiling soup of starlight, floating upward in a scattered manner.

Above the pool's surface, it formed a dreamlike mist of nebular light.

The fluctuations of spirit energy permeating the entire area suddenly intensified several times over, making one's soul feel a tremor of longing.

"starlight cleansing pool, open!" With a final sharp cry, the female official struck her scepter heavily against the ground.

The pool water calmed down, but the energy concentration it contained reached a staggering peak.

"You may temper yourselves in the cleansing pool for three double-hours.

After three double-hours, the pool water will return to calm, its effectiveness will be greatly reduced, and the sacred land will close."

The female official's gaze swept across the prodigies as she said, "Cherish this opportunity. Be single-minded and guide the starlight as much as possible to temper your spirit origin and expand your spirit potential.

Such an opportunity is not available to everyone, even within our clan."

After speaking, she waved her scepter again, pointing toward the sky above the starlight pool.

Above the pool's surface, spots of starlight quickly gathered and condensed, blooming out of thin air into several huge lotuses composed entirely of pure starlight energy!

The lotuses were about ten feet in diameter, their petals crystal clear and layered.

Inside, denser nebular vortices rotated slowly.

"The power of starlight contained in the pool water is too vast and pure.

With your current spirit power intensity, if you make direct contact, it will not only be impossible to absorb but will instantly overwhelm your mind and damage your soul's foundation."

The female official explained seriously, "These 'Starlight Guardian Lotuses' are the foundation of your protection.

They will filter and moderate the starlight energy in the pool, transforming it into a form you can safely absorb.

In a moment, each of you should choose a lotus platform and sit cross-legged upon it to cultivate.

Remember, you must never leave the lotus platform without permission, let alone attempt to dive into the pool water! Otherwise, you will bear the consequences!"

She reiterated the prohibition one last time. Seeing the solemn expressions of the prodigies, who had clearly taken it to heart, she said no more.

With a flicker of her body, she seemed to meld into the starlight and quietly vanished from the poolside, leaving the sacred land entirely to these young people.

The other several Elf Prodigies were clearly more familiar with the process.

As soon as the female official's figure vanished, they each selected a lotus, floated up, and landed steadily in the center of the lotus platforms.

Sitting cross-legged, they quickly entered a state of meditation.

Qin Yan, seeing no danger, no longer hesitated.

He took a deep breath, exerted force through his feet, and leaped into the air, crossing the hazy starlight mist.

He landed accurately on a starlight lotus platform that had not yet been occupied.

As soon as he landed, the lotus platform lit up slightly, and a gentle yet firm energy supported him.

Qin Yan sat cross-legged. From the stamens at the center of the lotus platform, a soft halo of starlight automatically emanated.

Like a transparent oval shield, it enveloped his entire body.

At the same time, the surging starlight energy in the pool seemed to find an outlet.

Wisps of silver light, condensed as if tangible, were drawn toward the lotus seat as if attracted.

When these light streams touched the halo at the periphery of the lotus seat, they turned into even finer and gentler threads of energy, like stardust.

Through the halo, they slowly seeped into the bodies of the prodigies sitting on the lotus seats, with the final target being Qin Yan's mind!

Qin Yan only felt an indescribable sensation of coolness pouring in from his Baihui point at the top of his head, instantly sweeping through his entire brain.

His thinking speed suddenly increased. Martial arts insights that were previously vague and details from battles he hadn't noticed were now appearing in his mind with absolute clarity and order!

"As expected of the Elf Clan's top cultivation sacred land!"

Qin Yan praised inwardly. Not daring to delay for a moment, he immediately withdrew all his focus and allowed the starlight energy to enter his mind.

"Hum..."

Qin Yan's consciousness seemed to sink into a boundless sea of silver stars.

At first, there was only endless coolness and comfort, as if parched land were being moistened by sweet rain. Every "thought" seemed to have been washed, becoming crystal clear and operating freely.

His Mental Energy grew and condensed at a slow but steady, perceptible rate.

However, the good times did not last long.

As more and more threads of starlight poured in, the "starlight" in his mind became denser and denser, gradually changing from "moistening" to "scouring," and from "washing" to "tempering."

The sensation of coolness remained, but a pain like being pricked by needles or having his soul ground by a blunt instrument began to intensify.

It started weak and grew stronger, spreading from the depths of his mind.

Qin Yan's brow furrowed slightly, but he was already mentally prepared.

Improvement, especially this kind of direct tempering of the spirit, was never a relaxed or pleasant process.

This pain was precisely the manifestation of expanding spirit capacity and strengthening spirit resilience.

He gritted his teeth and endured.

Time passed quietly amidst extreme focus and continuous dull pain.

Above the starlight cleansing pool, several starlight lotuses floated quietly.

The young prodigies on the lotus platforms were like statues in deep meditation, their bodies enveloped in faint silver halos.

The entire valley was silent, with only the rhythm of the pool water's slight fluctuations and the invisible yet vast spirit energy flowing silently.

"Drip."

"Drip."

After an unknown amount of time, fine beads of sweat began to seep from Qin Yan's forehead.

They gradually converged into streams, sliding down his resolute cheeks and dripping onto the smooth surface of the lotus platform.

His teeth were clenched, and the veins at his temples bulged slightly.

At this moment, the coolness in his mind had been almost entirely replaced by a surging, tide-like pain that grew stronger with each wave.

The pain went deep into his soul, as if countless tiny rasps were repeatedly scraping the core of his consciousness.

"Hold on! This is a necessary process for transformation!"

Qin Yan roared inwardly, using his powerful willpower to stubbornly resist the pain that was almost enough to make one collapse.

Not everyone was as resilient as he was.

"Ah—!"

In the distance, an Elf Prodigy sitting on a lotus platform suddenly let out a shrill scream.

His face was contorted, his hands clutching his head, and the spirit field around him fluctuated violently and became disordered.

(So tired, just a bit of filler today~)