269: I see

As time passed.

The five people in the ten thousand demon blood quenching pool still bore various expressions, each enduring the tempering of the body tempering tribulation.

The two prodigies from the Five Elders Gate could no longer hold on; veins bulged on their foreheads, sweat poured down their cheeks, and their figures swayed as if they would collapse into the blood-colored pool at any moment.

Within their seas of consciousness, endless phantom demon souls carried a monstrously violent aura, frantically battering their Divine Souls. Under such devastation, their sanity teetered on the brink; they could only muster their last ounce of strength to maintain clarity, barely resisting the demon souls' devouring, having exhausted every bit of their remaining power to resist.

On the far left, Yu Qingyan's face had long since lost its usual rosy glow. Her elegant brows were tightly furrowed, and though she occasionally still revealed a hint of alluring charm, she no longer possessed her previous composure and ease.

Fine beads of sweat slid down her jade-white neck, dripping into the viscous blood-colored pool below, merging silently and creating tiny ripples.

Even Li Pingan had closed his eyes at this moment, focusing intently on every subtle change within his body.

The nourishing power of the ten thousand demon blood quenching pool became increasingly majestic, permeating their limbs and bones at a visible rate, tempering their skeletons and physiques.

On the surfaces of the two prodigies from the Five Elders Gate, a faint layer of grayish-black Impurities had appeared. This was old grime hidden deep within the gaps of their bones for years, as well as the stagnant energy accumulated from Bottlenecks in their cultivation bases, now being slowly forced out of their bodies by the power of Body Tempering.

A violent disturbance erupted around Ye Hao.

The blood-colored pool water, as if drawn by an invisible force, condensed into a swirling vortex around him. The majestic blood energy surged continuously into his body, clashing violently with the spiritual energy he deliberately guided through his Meridians, bursting into brilliant arcs of light. As the energy washed through him, the Impurities on his skin receded like a tide, revealing skin that was increasingly firm and resilient, faintly shimmering with a healthy glow.

A surge of peerless, majestic blood power charged straight into his Dantian, slamming hard against the cultivation barrier that had troubled him for a long time. A clear "crack" sounded within his body, and the barrier obstructing his cultivation progress shattered instantly! Within his Meridians, spiritual energy suddenly surged like a tidal wave, galloping and roaring like a runaway horse, charging frantically toward the Nascent Soul Second Layer Realm.

He had already spent a long time at the Golden Core Ninth Layer Realm, accumulating a deep foundation. Now, using the Opportunity of the ten thousand demon blood quenching pool to break through his Realm in one go and approach the Nascent Soul Second Layer was perfectly reasonable.

Right at that moment!

An invisible Divine Sense descended quietly; it was Daoist Yuan Che. His gaze first swept over the two prodigies from the Five Elders Gate, and seeing that they were at their wit's end, he did not linger, quickly shifting his focus.

When his gaze fell upon Yu Qingyan, a hint of approval flashed in Daoist Yuan Che's eyes, and he nodded slightly: "As expected of a Disciple carefully nurtured by the Tiangong Pavilion. With such talent and resilience, it shouldn't be difficult for her to hold on for a day or half."

Next, his gaze landed on Ye Hao, who was at a critical moment of breaking through his Realm.

A look of surprise flashed in his eyes, followed by a faint smile: "Breaking through at this moment? It seems this Dao Seeking Sect is truly not to be outdone."

A day passed in the blink of an eye. The blood in the ten thousand demon blood quenching pool remained viscous, only the oppressive demonic aura became increasingly intense.

The two prodigies of the Five Elders Gate finally reached their limit.

Their Divine Souls had long been tormented by the phantom demon souls to the point of near-collapse. The grayish-black Impurities on their skin piled up like mountains, and their spiritual energy was exhausted; they could no longer withstand the agonizing pain of Body Tempering. Their consciousness repeatedly wavered on the edge of blurring, and finally, unable to hold onto the last shred of clarity, the two of them leaped out of the blood pool in a pathetic state, driven almost entirely by instinct.

Their steps faltered as they landed, their bodies swaying as if they had blacked out from drinking, and they collapsed haphazardly onto the shore by the pool.

About another hour passed before the two slowly opened their eyes. The Chaos in their gaze receded slightly, and they finally regained some clarity.

They instinctively looked up at Li Pingan, Yu Qingyan, and Ye Hao, who were still persevering in the blood pool. Seeing the three of them sitting steadily amidst the blood-colored water with no sign of exiting, a complex expression flickered across both their faces.

"Just what is the background of these three?"

One of them gritted his teeth and whispered, "The Legacy and foundation of our Five Elders Gate are already not weak, yet we only lasted a bit over a day after giving our all. They can actually still hold on in there. Such luck and talent are truly hateful!"

The other person's eyes were dark and cold, his gaze fixed intently on Li Pingan and Yu Qingyan in the pool.

He lowered his voice and said to the person beside him: "How about... we act in secret and disturb their minds? No one will know anyway. This ten thousand demon blood quenching pool is extremely perilous; a momentary distraction could lead to a backlash from the demon souls. At best, their cultivation will regress; at worst, their Divine Souls will be extinguished!"

The other person pondered for a moment, his eyes sharpening as spiritual energy began to gather in his hand.

"Presumptuous!"

Just then, a shout containing majestic pressure suddenly rang out, exploding in their ears like a thunderclap.

Daoist Yuan Che's Divine Sense manifested once more. The invisible pressure instantly enveloped the two, causing their bodies to stiffen and their gathered spiritual energy to dissipate instantly, their expressions turning even more unsightly.

"This is the Demon Suppressing Tower, not the Five Elders Gate. How can you be allowed to act so recklessly?"

The two were shaken to their cores by this pressure.

"Tower... Tower Master, we were wrong!"

"Begone!"

Daoist Yun Che's reply was simple and blunt.

The two immediately got up dejectedly, bowed respectfully toward the front, and then stumbled away quickly.

The blood-colored mist in the pool became increasingly thick.

It continuously eroded Yu Qingyan's Divine Soul.

A day and a half—this was already the limit of what she could endure.

Her once-clear eyes gradually became clouded with gray, and her consciousness felt as if it were sinking into a swamp of Chaos, becoming more and more blurred.

Using the last shred of her consciousness, her toes lightly tapped the surface of the pool. Her figure swayed, and like a kite with a broken string, she fell out of the blood pool, landing heavily on the bluestone ground by the side.

She was completely drained of strength, her limbs as soft as if they had no bones, looking like a drunkard who had blacked out.

Just then, a tall, slender phantom slowly emerged in the haze.

Daoist Yun Che stood with his hands behind his back.

He stepped forward slowly, silently walking toward the collapsed Yu Qingyan.

He reached out a hand, spiritual energy flowing at his fingertips.

Daoist Yun Che flicked a finger, and a refined strand of spiritual energy reached toward the young woman's forehead.

As the spiritual energy was injected, a strange dark-red mark gradually emerged on Yu Qingyan's smooth forehead. The lines twisted like snakes, slowly sketching out an ancient rune.

It was the very thing that could control a person's life and death—the Slave Seal!

The Slave Seal became clearer and clearer, about to be completely branded onto her Divine Soul. At this critical moment, a voice suddenly came from the blood pool behind.

"So that's how it is!"