161: Late-night perks? Sister Honglian's "back scrubbing" service

The Penglai Spiritual Pool Building.

This is a structure built from certain high-tech Materials, standing at the easternmost point of the island, which is the "Dragon Head" location where the Spiritual Qi is densest.

Lin Yuan stood at the main entrance, looking up at the massive sign, clutching the token Zhao Ya had given him.

"Sir, please hold."

The receptionist at the front desk was a woman dressed in an ancient-style silk skirt. She reached out to stop Lin Yuan, who was about to barge inside.

"This is the Penglai Spiritual Pool. Entry is restricted to those with A-level clearance or special authorization. Furthermore..."

She glanced at the ragged hospital gown Lin Yuan was wearing, as well as his plastic slippers.

"Those improperly dressed are refused entry. Also, the men's section is on the second basement level; that is the public pool, and the ticket price is eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight contribution points per person."

Lin Yuan looked down at himself.

He was indeed a bit shabby.

But he didn't care.

"Who said I was going to the second basement level?"

Lin Yuan slammed the token in his hand onto the counter.

"The best private room, the single occupancy one."

The receptionist picked up the token, examined it three times, and then swiped it on the card reader.

[Beep

Special Authority Confirmed. Captain Zhao Ya's Exclusive Reserved Spot.]

The receptionist's hand trembled slightly.

She re-examined the man in front of her who looked like he had just escaped from a mental institution.

Captain Zhao Ya's exclusive reserved spot?

Captain Zhao, known as the "Female Yama," actually gave her private Cultivation room to a man?

"Is there a problem?"

Lin Yuan tapped his fingers on the desktop, creating a rapid sound.

"My time is precious."

"N-No."

The receptionist returned the token with both hands, her attitude doing a complete one-eighty.

"Please follow me. Top floor, Heaven Character Pool Number Five."

... The elevator went straight to the top floor.

The moment the door opened, a dense, almost tangible mist rushed out.

This mist was not ordinary steam; when inhaled, it was slightly sweet, and the faint pain in his chest immediately eased quite a bit.

"This is Heaven Character Pool Number Five."

The receptionist stood before a mahogany door, swiped a card, and opened it.

"I wish you... a pleasant meal? Ah, no, pleasant Cultivation."

After speaking, the receptionist closed the door and left as if fleeing.

Lin Yuan entered the room.

The room was very large, easily two hundred square meters.

There were no superfluous furnishings, only the circular pool, ten meters in diameter, in the center.

The pool water was emerald green, with a subtle glow flowing within it.

Lin Yuan walked to the edge of the pool, crouched down, and dipped a finger in.

[High concentration liquid Spiritual Qi detected... Purity: 88%...]

[Valuation: Approximately 20 contribution points per milliliter.]

Lin Yuan's finger froze in mid-air.

He put his finger in his mouth and sucked hard.

Sweet.

That was the taste of money.

"This isn't bathwater..."

Lin Yuan stared at the large pool of emerald green liquid, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"This is clearly a pool of melted gold!"

How many liters were in this pool?

Several tons?

Converting that into contribution points... Lin Yuan felt his blood pressure soaring.

"Does that extravagant woman, Zhao Ya, soak in this regularly?"

Lin Yuan cursed under his breath while quickly stripping naked.

Bandages, hospital gown, and slippers

he kicked them all into the corner.

"Splash!"

Without the slightest hesitation, and without even testing the water temperature, he plunged straight into the pool.

"Hiss

!!!"

The moment he entered the water, Lin Yuan sharply inhaled.

The spiritual liquid rushed madly into his body through his pores.

[Primordial Thunder God Body running passively...]

[High-energy external reaction detected... Currently transforming...]

[Repair progress: 1%... 2%...]

[power level: 3%... 5%...]

Lin Yuan floated on the surface of the water, spread out like the character for "large."

"Comfortable..."

He let out a groan that could easily be misinterpreted.

Just then.

Click.

The sound of the door lock turning rang out.

Lin Yuan's ears twitched, but he didn't move.

The door was locked anyway; nobody without clearance could enter.

Wait a minute.

Someone with clearance?

"Click."

The door opened.

A red figure walked in and locked the door behind her.

Lin Yuan quickly looked over.

It was that red-haired woman, Hong Lian.

She wasn't wearing her tight combat suit; instead, she had changed into a bikini held together by only a few straps, and she was carrying two bottles of red wine.

Large expanses of skin were exposed, and her fiery red hair was casually draped over her shoulders.

"Oh, little brother."

Hong Lian placed the wine bottles on the steps beside the pool and walked over barefoot.

A red string was tied around her ankle, holding a small bell that made a crisp sound as she walked.

"Bathing alone, aren't you lonely?"

She walked to the edge of the pool, looking down at Lin Yuan floating on the water.

Her seductive eyes narrowed slightly, carrying a mix of scrutiny, provocation, and a hint of... danger.

Lin Yuan didn't move.

He simply sank his body down silently, leaving only half his head above the water.

"Get out."

Lin Yuan's voice was muffled, accompanied by rising bubbles.

"This pool water is very expensive. If one more person gets in, the water level will rise. Are you going to pay for the part that overflows?"

Hong Lian was stunned for a moment.

She had anticipated this guy's reaction.

Shyness, amazement, confusion, or maybe staring lustfully.

The one thing she hadn't expected was that his first reaction would be... worrying about the water overflowing?

"Pfft."

Hong Lian covered her mouth and chuckled lightly, shaking with laughter.

"What an interesting little devil."

She extended her toes and lightly tapped the surface of the water, creating ripples.

"I, your older sister, came specifically to 'scrub your back' for you."

"Captain Zhao said you're new and don't know the rules."

"Our 'Sword Immortal' squad has a tradition: new members must first pass the 'Baptism' trial."

Having said that, without waiting for Lin Yuan to refuse, she leaped in.

Splash!

Water splashed everywhere.

Hong Lian slid into the water like a mermaid and swam over to Lin Yuan.

A delicate fragrance mixed with the scent of the spiritual liquid entered Lin Yuan's nostrils.

"Scram!"

Lin Yuan abruptly retreated, putting distance between them.

This woman was not right.

Her body temperature was too high.

After only a moment in the water, the surrounding spiritual liquid was starting to boil, sending up rolling bubbles of Qi.

"Don't be so aggressive."

Hong Lian poked her head out of the water, her wet long hair clinging to her face, making her look even more seductive.

She raised her hand, and a cluster of red flames ignited on her fingertips.

The flame not only failed to extinguish in the water but burned even more fiercely.

"This pool water is too cold. Let me warm it up for you."

Boom!

She pushed with her palm.

A fiery red streak of light exploded in the water, heading straight for Lin Yuan's lower regions!

This was baptism?

This was clearly the magical version of the 'Severing the Lineage Kick'!

Alarm bells rang loudly in Lin Yuan's mind.

He executed a roll underwater, narrowly avoiding the streak of firelight.

"Are you crazy?!"

Lin Yuan roared: "This water costs money too! If it evaporates, are you going to pay for it?!"

"As long as you can beat me, I'll pay for this session."

Hong Lian licked her lips, her figure moving rapidly through the water.

As she waved her hands, three more fire snakes blocked Lin Yuan's retreat.

"Since you want to play so badly..."

Lin Yuan stopped dodging.

"Then don't blame me for not being gentle with women!"

Thunder light surged in Lin Yuan's eyes.

[Palm Thunder: Lightning Net!]

Zzzzt

!!!

Dazzling lightning exploded centered around Lin Yuan!

The three aggressive fire snakes, upon touching the massive net, didn't even have a chance to struggle and immediately disintegrated into clusters of Qi bubbles.

"What?!"

The smile on Hong Lian's face froze.

Before she could react further, the electric current had already spread through the spiritual liquid and reached her.

Water conducts electricity.

This was common knowledge even a primary school student knew.

But at this moment, it became Hong Lian's nightmare.

"Ah

!!!"

A short cry of surprise was immediately cut short by the current, turning into a trembling moan.

The sensation of tingling numbness deep in her bones caused her to lose control of her body.

She sank softly underwater, as if her bones had been removed.

"Trying to run? Too late."

Lin Yuan's voice rang out through the mist, carrying a hint of mockery.

He was seen raising his hand and waving.

Zzzzzz!

The free-floating currents in the pool heard the command, quickly gathered, and transformed into four chains!

Clang!

The chains burst out of the water and wrapped around her.

They tightly shackled Hong Lian's wrists and ankles.

"Uh... Let... Let go..."

Hong Lian was numb all over. Her fiery red long hair clung wetly to her face, her eyes filled with both shame and shock, yet she couldn't even twitch a finger.

"Alright, stop glaring. If you keep glaring, I'll electrocute you into a 'Killing Matt' hairstyle."

Lin Yuan glanced at her, made no further moves, and instead looked around at the spiritual liquid with a pained expression.

"Fighting you just now wasted at least two minutes of my absorption time. This is all money!"

He sighed and waved his hand. The lightning chains did not loosen, but the current's intensity stabilized at a level that would only cause paralysis without inflicting harm.

"You just stay here obediently."

Lin Yuan issued the warning, then immediately turned his back, submerged his body back into the water, and continued to Cultivate.

"These young people nowadays, they truly don't know the cost of living until they manage a household..."

He muttered, and then his gaze sharpened.

As the Primordial Thunder God Body fully erupted, the entire spiritual pool boiled again, even more violently than before.

The spiritual liquid transformed into an energy vortex, pouring into Lin Yuan's body.

As for the beautiful woman beside him who couldn't move?

In Lin Yuan's eyes, she wasn't even as valuable as taking one more breath of Spiritual Qi.