118: Refined

The third day after the Hidden Dragon Banquet ended, the morning light was faint.

Dressed in dark green martial attire, Chen Linsheng bid farewell to Su Wan at the gate of the small courtyard in Yuqian Lane.

Today was the day he and four other qualified young talents would enter the Jiǔqū Refining Pool to Cultivate.

"Be careful with everything." Su Wan straightened his lapel, her eyes filled with tenderness and trust.

Chen Linsheng took her hand and said softly, "Don't worry, I'll be back by evening."

He turned and left the lane, his steps steady.

During these three days, he had not relaxed his Cultivation. With the assistance of the Jade Marrow Guiding Technique at Minor Achievement, his Hunyuan True Body progressed steadily. Over two hundred muscles, tempered to Perfection, felt a faint sense of saturation under the nourishment of his Qi and blood.

As for the wax pill taken from Steward Wang's wine stain, he had already handed it over to the person sent by Envoy Ling Feng. Regarding what would happen next, Ling Feng only said to "wait and see."

The entrance to the Jiǔqū Refining Pool was not in the main hall of the Prefectural Governors Mansion, but in a heavily guarded garden deep within the estate.

When Chen Linsheng arrived, four people were already waiting at the garden entrance.

Lei Hao, in dark gold martial attire, was rubbing his hands excitedly. Seeing him arrive, he immediately strode forward to meet him: "Brother Chen! You're finally here! Hehe, I barely slept last night, just looking forward to today!"

Mu Qingxue, in a water-blue long dress, stood quietly under an ancient cypress tree, her temperament as cold as ever. Seeing Chen Linsheng look over, she only nodded slightly.

The other two, a man and a woman, were both dressed as children of noble families.

The man was about twenty years old, wearing a moon-white brocade robe with a jade pendant hanging from his waist. His face was handsome, and his temperament was gentle yet carried a hint of aloofness; he was indeed the Young Master of the Prefectural Governors Mansion, Yu Linfeng.

He was playing with a jade-boned folding fan. Seeing Chen Linsheng's arrival, he greeted him with a smile: "Young Hero Chen, I have heard much about you."

The woman was in goose-yellow martial attire, her figure agile and her ponytail tied high. Her eyes were full of heroic spirit. She was the Genius of this generation from the Lin Family, one of the three major families in Jiuqu Prefecture, Lin Yueru. She stood with her arms crossed, her gaze sweeping over Chen Linsheng with a hint of scrutiny, but she also nodded in greeting.

With all five present, a middle-aged Deacon in black official robes and a deep aura stepped out. After verifying their credentials, he said in a low voice, "Follow me."

Everyone followed the Deacon through a winding bluestone path in the garden. Ancient trees towered on both sides, and strange rocks stood in clusters. The air was thick with Spiritual Qi; clearly, a Spirit-Gathering Formation was laid out here.

At the end of the path was an inconspicuous rockery wall. The Deacon took out a bronze token and pressed it into a depression on the wall.

"Click... Rumble, rumble..."

The rock wall slowly opened inward, revealing a deep stone staircase leading down. A moist, pure scent, carrying a hint of earthiness and the fragrance of a spiritual spring, wafted toward them, refreshing their spirits.

"The Refining Pool is thirty zhang below, formed by the convergence of the Jiuqu River's main underground currents and a spiritual spring from the earth's veins. The pool water contains a gentle yet abundant tempering power, which has miraculous effects on solidifying the Foundation, purifying Qi and blood, and nourishing the fascia," the Deacon cautioned while leading the way. "But you must act within your limits. The energy level of the pool water increases with depth; the further down you go, the greater the pressure, the purer the energy, and the more violent it becomes. For first-timers, I suggest adapting in the shallow water area near the edge first and progressing gradually. Remember not to be greedy for quick success, otherwise, your Foundation may be damaged, which would be counterproductive. The Cultivation time is limited to six double-hours."

The stone steps spiraled down, and the stone walls on both sides were embedded with night pearls emitting a soft white light, illuminating the path ahead. The further down they went, the stronger the scent of the spiritual spring became. The air was filled with a light mist, and breathing it in actually made their Qi and blood slightly more active.

After descending about thirty zhang, the view suddenly opened up.

This was a massive natural cavern, about ten zhang high and nearly a hundred zhang across. Countless stalactites hung from the cavern ceiling, shimmering with crystalline light. In the center was a huge pool!

The pool water was a faint milky white, shrouded in a dreamlike mist of Spiritual Qi. The water surface moved on its own without wind, shimmering with ripples. Dark green rocks were faintly visible at the bottom, along with some naturally formed patterns resembling formation runes. The edges of the pool were shallow, getting deeper toward the center, where it was unfathomably deep, with a faint golden glow emanating from the bottom.

Just standing by the pool, the five of them felt their pores involuntarily open, and the Qi and blood in their bodies accelerated their circulation as if longing to dive in.

"What pure and gentle energy!" Lei Hao took a deep breath, his face full of intoxication. "This feels even more comfortable than my family's 'Thunder Fire Spiritual Spring'!"

Yu Linfeng fanned his folding fan gently and said warmly, "The Jiǔqū Refining Pool is formed by the intersection of the Jiuqu River's main currents and the earth's spiritual springs. After hundreds of years of accumulation, its energy is balanced and inclusive. It is indeed an extraordinary place."

Lin Yueru had already walked to the edge of the pool, reaching out to touch the water. After feeling it for a moment, a flash of surprise and joy appeared in her eyes: "It truly lives up to its reputation."

Mu Qingxue said nothing, only quietly gazing at the water, her cold eyes reflecting the shimmering light, as if sensing the Sword Intent and water rhyme contained within.

Chen Linsheng circulated his Hunyuan True Body to sense it carefully. The pool's energy was gentle yet majestic, as heavy as the earth and as long as flowing water, and it even carried a faint trace of the 'Dragon Vein' aura from deep within the earth, perfectly aligning with his path of seeking the ultimate Foundation.

The Deacon retreated to the entrance of the cavern and sat cross-legged, closing his eyes to wait: "The time starts now. After six double-hours, you must leave regardless of your gains."

The five didn't delay any longer, each finding a spot by the pool and removing their outer robes and shoes—the pool water had spirit, and ordinary clothes would become heavy and burdensome upon entering, becoming an obstacle instead. Mu Qingxue and Lin Yueru both wore tight-fitting water-resistant suits. Mu Qingxue's suit was also light blue, making her skin appear as white as snow. Yu Linfeng and Lei Hao wore specially made training shorts with very low water absorption.

Chen Linsheng wore only a pair of thin, tough black shorts, revealing lean but not exaggerated muscle lines, with a faint golden light flowing beneath his skin.

He slowly stepped into the pool.

The pool water was slightly cool, but it instantly turned warm upon touching the skin. A stream of pure and gentle energy, like countless tiny tentacles, seeped into his body through his pores and acupoints.

Chen Linsheng felt refreshed and immediately sat cross-legged in the waist-deep shallow area, the water surface just covering his chest.

He circulated the Hunyuan Pile Posture Technique, which was the static technique in the Hunyuan True Body for tempering the Foundation and harmonizing Qi and blood.

Instantly, the Qi and blood throughout his body were like a river being guided, rushing along profound pathways.

The two hundred and one muscles in his body that had been tempered to Perfection vibrated together, emitting a bronze luster as they actively breathed in and out, absorbing the surging energy.

The pool water's energy entered his body, not violently like a Medicinal Pill, but like a trickling stream, silently and warmly penetrating every inch of muscle, bone, and Meridians. Chen Linsheng could clearly feel his muscle fibers becoming tighter and tougher under the nourishment of the energy. Those muscles that had not yet reached Perfection also began to heat up and vibrate, steadily progressing toward Perfection.

Even better, this energy seemed to have a 'cleansing' property. As his Qi and blood circulated, it began to wash away the extremely minute Impurities that even the Jade Marrow Guiding Technique had difficulty completely eliminating, flushing them out through his pores bit by bit. The discharge was minimal and was instantly purified and diluted by the pool water.

His Qi and blood became increasingly condensed and pure at a visible rate, their color changing from bright red to dark red, faintly possessing a heavy texture like liquid mercury.

An hour later, Chen Linsheng had fully adapted to the energy intensity of the shallow water area. He opened his eyes and glanced at the other four.

Lei Hao was sitting in chest-deep water, grimacing as faint thunder light flickered around him. He was clearly circulating his family's 'Nine Heavens Thunder Movement' technique, using the pool's energy to temper his bones and tendons, his expression a mix of pain and pleasure.

Yu Linfeng was on the other side, eyes closed in concentration. His moon-white brocade robe was soaked and clung to his body. His aura was harmonious, as if he had reached a resonance with the pool's energy, and his absorption efficiency was extremely high.

Lin Yueru was practicing a set of fist techniques with slow movements, guiding the pool's energy to flow with her strikes. Clearly, the Lin Family's Cultivation Techniques also had their unique merits.

Mu Qingxue... Chen Linsheng's gaze narrowed slightly.

She sat in a shallow area slightly away from the others, not performing any techniques but simply sitting with her eyes closed. However, with Chen Linsheng's Tracking Perfection perception, he could detect that the water within three feet of her was being pulled by an invisible force, slowly rotating to form a small vortex. In the center of the vortex, faint ice-blue Sword Qi flickered, blending with the pool's energy yet remaining distinct. She was using the purity and inclusiveness of the pool water to temper her own Sword Intent! This refined control over power was truly admirable.

As if sensing Chen Linsheng's gaze, Mu Qingxue suddenly opened her eyes, her cold gaze meeting his.

Their gazes met in the air for a moment.

Chen Linsheng nodded slightly and used the technique of Sound Transmission, sending his voice in a condensed line: "Miss Mu's method of tempering her sword with water is truly unique."

Mu Qingxue's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, as if she hadn't expected Chen Linsheng to speak to her or be able to see through what she was doing. She remained silent for a breath before also responding via Sound Transmission, her voice as cold as a spring: "Young Hero Chen's Foundation is profound and unified; you are also no ordinary person. The pool's energy is balanced, which is perfect for tempering the Foundation."

In just two sentences, they both heard the depth of the other's understanding of the Martial Dao.

Chen Linsheng's heart stirred slightly; this woman not only had superb swordsmanship but also extraordinary insight. He said no more, nodded, and withdrew his gaze.

Although the energy in the shallow area was good, for his currently robust Foundation, it felt a bit like a 'mild supplement,' and his progress was somewhat slow.

He stood up and walked toward the deeper part of the pool.

The water gradually rose past his chest and neck until it was over his head.

The pressure suddenly increased! It wasn't just water pressure, but also the Spiritual Pressure brought by the increased concentration of energy in the water! It felt like being in a thick spiritual liquid, with gentle yet irresistible force squeezing and penetrating from all directions.

Chen Linsheng circulated his Hunyuan True Body, the faint golden luster on his surface becoming even brighter, as if a thin gold film had been plated over his body, evenly distributing and bearing most of the pressure. At the same time, he activated his Python Dragon Strength, his muscles twisting like a python-dragon, and his Qi and blood surging like a Dragon, devouring and refining the incoming majestic energy with a more dominant posture.

Descending three zhang underwater, the light here was dim, with only the milky white glow emitted by the pool water itself. The energy was so dense it almost became solid, like countless tiny spiritual needles piercing into his acupoints.

"This is the place!"

Chen Linsheng stopped moving forward, suspended himself in the water, and once again entered a state of cross-legged Cultivation.

The Hunyuan Pile Posture Technique was in full operation, combined with the explosive devouring of the Python Dragon Strength, while the Jade Marrow Guiding Technique guided part of the pure energy deep into his bone marrow. The three techniques operated together without interfering with each other; instead, they complemented one another, forming an efficient and stable Cultivation cycle.

The two hundred and one muscles in his body that had been tempered to Perfection were like two hundred and one tiny vortexes, frantically absorbing energy to further solidify and strengthen. Meanwhile, the other muscles that had not yet reached Perfection also began to emit slight hums one by one under the washing and nourishment of the energy, their Qi and blood connecting as they took on a bronze luster!

Two hundred and two... two hundred and five... two hundred and ten... the tempering speed was more than ten times faster than his usual hard training!

To his surprise, under the continuous nourishment of this pure, gentle, yet majestic energy, his major tendons also began to change. The originally tough but relatively quiet tendons seemed to wake up from a deep sleep, becoming more elastic and vibrant. They felt a sense of 'hunger' and began to actively absorb bits of refined energy that had been tempered by his muscles, undergoing a slow and steady nurturing.

This was the precursor to breaking through to the Jiaojin Realm—using robust Qi and blood along with pure energy to nourish the major tendons, causing them to gradually transform until they were as tough and long as a Dragon Tendon, capable of exploding with staggering power!

Time passed quietly in focused Cultivation.

Chen Linsheng was completely immersed in the pleasure of his steadily rising cultivation, forgetting his surroundings. After an unknown amount of time, he felt that his muscle tempering seemed to have reached a brief saturation period, and his absorption efficiency began to decline.

With a thought, he slowly descended further.

Four zhang... five zhang... the pressure increased geometrically! The Spiritual Pressure became even more violent; the energy was no longer gentle but carried a force of washing and grinding, as if it wanted to polish his body like a stubborn stone.

Chen Linsheng grunted, the golden light on his surface flickering. But his eyes remained resolute, and he pushed his Hunyuan True Body to its limit, stubbornly withstanding the pressure. He no longer sought to quickly temper his muscles but instead focused most of his mind on nourishing his major tendons and using this powerful Spiritual Pressure to further squeeze and purify his Qi and blood, which was already as dense as liquid mercury.

Under the high pressure, his Qi and blood became even more solid and their color deeper. When they flowed, they even made a slight 'whooshing' sound, like mercury rushing through pipes. Under the dual stimulation of the high pressure and pure energy, the nurturing speed of his major tendons significantly accelerated, and the feeling of 'awakening' and 'transformation' became increasingly clear.

Just as he was getting into the zone, the water nearby moved slightly.

Chen Linsheng opened his eyes alertly and saw a light blue figure slowly descending to a depth similar to his.

It was Mu Qingxue.

She was enveloped in a thin ice-blue Qi shield that kept the pool water slightly away. Her long black hair drifted in the water, and her face, under the hazy water light and her own faint glow, seemed less cold and more serenely ethereal.

She also seemed to be using the deep Spiritual Pressure to temper herself, and the Sword Qi around her became increasingly condensed.

They looked at each other from several zhang away underwater.

Mu Qingxue nodded slightly to him and then closed her eyes to continue her Cultivation.

Chen Linsheng also withdrew his gaze, but in his heart, he secretly praised this woman's courage and strength.

This deep Spiritual Pressure would likely be unbearable for an ordinary Flesh Refining Realm practitioner at Perfection for very long, yet she could adapt to it calmly. The Qiushui Sword Sect Legacy was indeed extraordinary.

The six double-hours felt like a mere instant during deep Cultivation.

When the Deacon's deep reminder came from the cavern entrance, Chen Linsheng finally came back to his senses from his state of self-forgetfulness.

He inspected his own body, and a surge of uncontrollable joy rose in his heart.

Two hundred and thirty-seven muscles tempered to Perfection! He was another big step closer to having all three hundred and sixty muscles of his body reach Perfection!

His Qi and blood condensation had improved by nearly thirty percent, and there was a faint tendency for it to liquefy. It was heavy and solid as it flowed, brimming with a sense of power.

His major tendons were fully nourished, and their activity had greatly increased, laying a solid Foundation for breaking through to the Jiaojin Realm.

Even more precious was that under the washing of the pool's energy, he felt that his Hunyuan True Body Foundation was even more solid, and he had faintly touched a certain Bottleneck, as if he only needed an opportunity to reach the next level.

He slowly floated up and broke the surface.

The others also stepped out of the pool one after another.

Lei Hao came ashore with steam rising from his body, laughing loudly, his muscles bulging and thunder light faintly visible: "Refreshing! So refreshing! I feel like the strength of my 'Rushing Thunder Hand' has become much purer!"

Yu Linfeng's aura was more harmonious and restrained, and his eyes were bright with divine light; clearly, his gains were not small.

Lin Yueru's heroic face carried a look of satisfaction, and she cupped her fists in a salute toward the pool.

Mu Qingxue was the last to walk out. Her light blue water-resistant suit clung to her body, outlining breathtaking curves, but her expression remained as cold as ever. Only the water droplets dripping from the ends of her hair reflected crystalline light under the night pearls. She silently circulated her power to dry the moisture and changed into her prepared outer robe.

Although the five did not speak, they could all feel the changes in each other's auras. Clearly, everyone had gained something.

Seeing everyone had left the pool, the Deacon nodded and said, "The time is up. Please return. The Refining Pool's energy needs time to recover; the next opening will be in three months."

Leaving the underground cavern and returning to the ground garden, the afterglow of the setting sun filtered through the branches and leaves of the ancient trees, casting a golden light over everyone.

"Brother Chen, Miss Mu, Brother Yu, Miss Lin, Cultivating together in the same pool today can be considered fate!" Lei Hao was in high spirits and said loudly, "If there's an opportunity in the future, we must spar and verify our progress again!"

Yu Linfeng replied with a smile, "Brother Lei is bold; it shall be so."

Lin Yueru nodded readily.

Mu Qingxue nodded slightly as a response.

Chen Linsheng cupped his fists to everyone: "Everyone, until we meet again."

The five then bid farewell and went their separate ways.