[Ding!]
He had barely begun diving deeper when the system's distinctive notification sounded.
"It's here!"
As though he had expected it, Ling Feng smiled.
[Congratulations, host, on breaking through to Da Dou Shi. You have earned one treasure box draw. Would you like to draw now?]
"No!"
Ling Feng answered with a single word. He wanted to secure the treasures in the Pill Immortal Pool first. He could draw a treasure box anytime.
[Understood, host.]
With that, the system fell silent again.
Ling Feng continued swimming without pause. Yet the depths of the Pill Immortal Pool were nothing like the unobstructed passage he had imagined. Instead, the route twisted sharply and split into numerous branches. Water poured out of those branches, forming rushing currents that roared without end.
"The farther down I go, the colder it gets..."
As he descended, Ling Feng gradually felt a bone-piercing chill. Looks like I'm almost there, he thought.
Powerful Yuan Power surged from his dantian and enveloped his entire body. The piercing cold could not penetrate the gauze-like mantle of condensed Yuan Power covering him, leaving Ling Feng much warmer.
After he swam for a while, a faint glow suddenly appeared in the dark underwater passage, and the view before him abruptly opened up.
Splash!
Ling Feng sprang out of the water and found himself inside a rather damp cave.
At the center of the cave, a deep-blue ball of light the size of a head hovered silently. Within it, he could faintly make out the shadow of a snake swimming around.
Ling Feng's eyes lit up at the sight. "This is the Azure Water Demonic Python's demon spirit?"
I wonder how much stronger I'll become after devouring it. If I could advance five stars in one leap like I just did, that would be great...
Ling Feng indulged in that fantasy, but he knew it was impossible. It was merely wishful thinking. He understood that the stronger he became, the harder it would be to advance.
Advancing several stars in a single day was therefore impossible without an extraordinary stroke of fortune.
The Pill Immortal Pool, for example, was a natural wonder of heaven and earth. It required little refining; simply absorbing it would increase his strength.
That was why Ling Feng had managed to advance five stars in one go. A demon spirit, however, was not a natural wonder of heaven and earth, but a creature born afterward. Devouring and refining it would therefore take time.
Moreover, advancing five stars through a demon spirit was impossible. After all, a Da Dou Shi needed far more energy than a Dou Shi.
"Interesting. Its strength at the great perfection of Yuan Dan Realm is equivalent to a peak Da Dou Shi. I can't handle it as I am, but with Spirit Imbuement, it'll be no problem at all."
Ling Feng felt little concern as he gazed at the demon spirit within the blue ball of light. His gaze shifted past it to the three smooth, black-and-white pearls floating silently behind it.
"Compared to the Azure Water Demonic Python's demon spirit, these three Yin Yang Pearls are worth more."
Light gleamed in Ling Feng's eyes as he studied the three black-and-white pearls. He knew they were the true treasures of the Pill Immortal Pool, formed from the concentrated energy of the purest yin and yang qi.
"Spirit Imbuement!"
Activating the Spirit-Gifting Pearl, Ling Feng entered the Spirit Imbuement state once more. To be on the safe side, he chose Kakashi Hatake directly.
In an instant, his black hair turned silver-white, his features grew more mature, and he became taller.
"Here I come, little thing."
With a cold smile, Ling Feng swiftly formed hand seals, then placed his left hand against his right wrist.
"Lightning Cutter!"
Arcs of electricity crackled, tearing through the air as Ling Feng thrust straight at the Azure Water Demonic Python's demon spirit within the deep-blue ball of light.
Boom!
Sensing danger, the resting place painstakingly constructed by the Azure Water Demonic Python for its demon spirit shattered in an instant, and a violent surge of Yuan Power spilled outward.
Bang...
The two forces collided, sending a thunderous crash reverberating through the cave, which trembled slightly.
Roar!
The demon spirit at the great perfection of Yuan Dan Realm was clearly no match for Ling Feng. Though it roared and resisted with all its might, Lightning Cutter ultimately pierced its defensive wall of Yuan Power and poured its devastating force into the demon spirit.
Hiss-roar!
Agonized roars echoed through the cave. The enormous demonic python's spirit body abruptly dimmed, clearly badly wounded.
But demonic beasts were savage by nature, and Ling Feng's blow had roused that savagery. Its enormous eyes turned a frenzied blood-red, and its huge maw opened.
Spurt!
The Azure Water Demonic Python's demon spirit spat a thick blue jet of water straight at Ling Feng. An intensely corrosive odor emanated from it.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Facing the Azure Water Demonic Python's attack, Ling Feng gave a cold laugh and swiftly formed hand seals. A wall of water immediately rose before him, blocking the attack completely.
Mist began filling the cave, slightly obscuring his vision. Ling Feng formed another set of hand seals and turned into a puddle of water.
Just as the Azure Water Demonic Python ceased its attack, Ling Feng suddenly sprang from a puddle on the ground, his sinister, savage scarlet eyes staring straight at it.
"Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique!"
Genjutsu was an exceptionally deadly attack against demon spirits. Unless their soul strength or Genjutsu surpassed the caster's, they could only fall under its control.
The Azure Water Demonic Python was weaker than Ling Feng and naturally could not break free of his control. Before long, he subdued it and stored it in his Storage Ring.
"I should leave."
After subduing the Azure Water Demonic Python, Ling Feng went forward and took the three Yin Yang Pearls as well. Without the demon spirit's control, the water outside the cave seized the chance to surge inside. Ling Feng knew he could not linger.
He activated the Yuan Power within him again, forming a gauze-like mantle around himself, and swam toward the surface.
"Who exactly is down there?"
"No idea, but it seems neither the chairman nor Gang Leader Yue can do anything about them."
"I'm afraid our Blood Wolf Gang has sewn a wedding gown for someone else this time."
At that moment, the members of the Blood Wolf Gang and the Myriad Gold Merchant Association were all talking among themselves along the mountain's edge. Yue Shan and Xia Wanjin, however, wore grim expressions.
After all, they had discovered the Pill Immortal Pool together. Yet just as they were about to compete for its "fruit," someone else had usurped their nest and beaten them to the prize-and they could not even stop it. It was truly galling.
Still, frustrated though they were, both men were trying to guess the intruder's identity. Xuan Su was doing the same.
She stood at the mountain's edge, looking down at the Pill Immortal Pool and the Sound Four stationed around it, maintaining their hand seals. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly. Just who is this mysterious figure?
Of course, she was not the only one wondering. Xia Zhilan beside her and the others who had originally been contestants shared the same question.
Just as everyone was quietly speculating, a sudden sound came from the Pill Immortal Pool below, which had been still for a long time.
Immediately afterward, the dark-purple wall of light shrouding the Pill Immortal Pool vanished. Yue Shan and the others frowned and looked down, only to see five figures suddenly soaring up toward them.
At last, they landed at the mountain's edge. Seeing the exceedingly familiar face of one of the five, Xuan Su's beautiful eyes widened, her red lips parted, and she cried out, "It's him?!"