Tribulation-Transcending Divine Lotus Pool

Lin Fan was dumbstruck, frozen on the spot. It was actually this notorious lineage! He had escaped the wolf's den only to enter the tiger's lair. This was the darkest hour of his life!

I was too rash. Now I'll become someone everyone wants to beat up. I won't even be able to keep my head down and grow stronger! The thought left him utterly depressed.

"Have you heard this name before?" Qi Daolin asked, watching the child's expression shift repeatedly.

"No, I was just stunned by how imposing the name sounds. You can tell it's powerful just by hearing it!" Lin Fan said, saying the opposite of what he thought and putting on an astonished expression.

Now that he had joined this lineage, he might as well settle in. The old fellow was a bit of a swindler, but he was still decent and fiercely protective of his own. In the original story, when Milk Baby emerged from Immortal Ancient, he had risked his life to protect him.

Besides, Qi Daolin's cultivation was far from low. He was at the Escape One Realm, a Cultivator Leader level expert. As long as Lin Fan did not get too reckless early on and kept a low profile, he should be fine.

This fellow had also stolen teachings from a hundred schools and knew plenty of things. There were only two people in the entire lineage, so he would receive one-on-one instruction, which was much better than joining some minor sect.

Of course, that depended on the old man taking responsibility rather than leaving him to grow wild.

"Excellent, you have a discerning eye. In those days, our lineage swept across the world, crushing every foe in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths..." Qi Daolin said with a smile, launching into an endless stream of words, thoroughly pleased with his attitude.

Lin Fan was inwardly speechless. I call you fat, and you start panting! If this were the former Supreme Dao Arena, those claims would certainly hold true. It had stood shoulder to shoulder with the great powers, a truly mighty sect.

Its supreme arts had also been second to none, possessing boundless power. The Six Paths of Reincarnation Heavenly Art, which could control all manner of precious arts, the Grass Character Sword Art, and others had each been peerless divine abilities that shook the world.

But now they had all been lost. The lineage had declined into something everyone wanted to beat up, its former glory long gone. It even had a mortal enemy in the Immortal Palace.

"Dao Master, when can I start cultivating?" Lin Fan asked. He was deeply eager to cultivate and had been looking forward to it for a long time.

However, the moment he tried to stand, he felt as though his body were falling apart, the pain unbearable.

"Hiss... that hurts!" Lin Fan frowned, his face twisting in misery. It felt as though his body were being torn apart. The pain was overwhelming; he had suffered inhuman torment earlier.

"There's no hurry. Let's heal your injuries first. To survive wounds like these from the laws of space without any cultivation at all is quite remarkable," Qi Daolin said with a chuckle, looking at Lin Fan as though he were an uncut gem.

Without his naturally powerful physique and the aid of that Supreme Bone, Lin Fan could never have survived crossing the endless void alone.

In an instant, Qi Daolin's broad sleeves billowed, brilliant runes shining as he swept Lin Fan up and flew through the air.

Beneath them, mountains and rivers raced backward, stars wheeling and shifting. Every scene streamed past like a mighty river, and in moments they had crossed who knew how many tens of thousands of miles.

Tucked inside Qi Daolin's golden Daoist robe, Lin Fan heard an endless succession of sonic booms, their thunderous rumbling shaking his eardrums.

Fortunately, Qi Daolin protected him, so this second crossing of the void did not injure him.

"Dao Master, where are we going? Weren't you going to heal me?" Lin Fan asked in confusion. Why had the old man suddenly taken him hurtling away at such speed?

"Naturally, I'm taking you somewhere good. Besides healing you, I'll give you a baptism while we're there. As the successor of my Supreme Dao Arena, your foundation cannot be too weak," Qi Daolin answered.

Then several cities appeared, home to countless living beings. Even late at night, the place remained brightly lit and bustling.

Although there was more than one city here, it was more accurate to call it a vast interconnected urban complex. The cities were linked together without walls, sprawling so far that their end was impossible to see.

This was Lin Fan's first time seeing a city this large. Its area rivaled that of some provinces in his previous life. It was astonishing, a sight rarely seen anywhere in the world!

Ordinary human strength could never have built this. Only cultivators could create such an enormous city. Once again, it stirred his longing for cultivation, making him impatient to soar freely between heaven and earth.

Passing magnificent golden palaces and mountains wreathed in auspicious mist, brilliant rosy light, and swirling spiritual energy, Qi Daolin brought him into a treasured land.

Along the way, great formations filled the area, their symbols densely packed, and guards stood watch. Yet Qi Daolin carried him straight through without anyone noticing.

Clearly, these people's cultivation was far inferior to his. They could not even detect someone entering the place.

Moreover, Lin Fan realized that this was no ordinary location. With such tightly arranged defenses, it could only belong to a sect.

Did this old man bring me into someone else's territory? And sneak in, at that?

An unpleasant possibility occurred to Lin Fan. Qi Daolin's audacity was astonishing. Clearly, this was far from his first or second time infiltrating another sect; he knew the place well.

They sped onward, their journey smooth throughout, until they finally reached a place veiled in hazy rosy mist. Here, Lin Fan heard the splashing rush of flowing water.

"What a huge lake! And such a rich fragrance!"

Lin Fan marveled at the scene. The fragrance filling the air intoxicated him. Just a whiff made every cell in his body come alive, leaving him so relaxed that he felt as though he might shed his mortal form and ascend.

How was this a lake? It was nothing less than a crystalline immortal pool. Mist drifted over the water, radiant light flowed through it, and its ethereal splendor seemed beyond the mortal world.

"Down you go. A soak in this Tribulation-Transcending Divine Lotus Pool is just what you need right now!" Qi Daolin said with a chuckle. With a flick of his hand, he tossed Lin Fan down before the boy could react.

Splash!

With a crisp splash, water sprayed in all directions and rosy vapor rose like smoke and mist. Lin Fan swiftly sank into the immortal pool, sending ripples spreading across its surface.

After choking on several mouthfuls of divine nectar, he struggled for quite a while before finally swimming back to the surface, looking utterly bedraggled.

"Cough, cough... old man, are you trying to murder me?" Lin Fan thrashed in the water and shouted, his voice echoing through the surroundings, tinged with panic and anxiety.

The water here was so deep that he could not see the bottom. If he drowned here, he would have nowhere to seek justice.

"Heh, kid, don't panic! This is an opportunity countless people could only dream of! One night soaking here is more effective than any baptism. Now calm yourself and absorb these essences properly."

Qi Daolin spoke with a smile and also cast a Water-Blocking Spell on Lin Fan to ensure he would not drown.

Lin Fan gradually adapted to the underwater environment. Once he discovered that he could breathe beneath the surface, he began swimming happily, roaming the immortal pool like a carefree fish and thoroughly enjoying this novel experience.

Everything around him filled him with curiosity and delighted surprise.

"Hmm, my body seems to be recovering. My shattered bones are knitting back together, and the pain has eased considerably. This feels wonderful-even better than soaking in a hot spring!" Suddenly sensing the changes in his body, Lin Fan murmured excitedly to himself.

For a long while, he immersed himself completely in the immortal pool's miraculous effects, unable to pull himself away.

At that moment, Lin Fan felt as though he had returned to the place of his birth. His body grew much lighter, and a powerful vitality flowed endlessly into him, nourishing his flesh, internal organs, and bones.

At the same time, his flesh underwent an astonishing transformation. Black grime seeped out, and his skin shone softly, becoming much fairer, as delicate as a piece of fine jade.

Already endowed with smooth skin and a cute face, he now looked every bit an adorable little boy, as exquisite as a porcelain doll.

His round face and innocently endearing air made one want to give his cheeks a pinch. Out in the world, he would surely draw the eyes of many women.

"This is incredible! The water actually has such effects. It's practically given me a new life! Wait, the old fellow seemed to call this the Tribulation-Transcending Divine Lotus Pool earlier. Could this be the Heavenly Immortal Academy?" The question suddenly occurred to Lin Fan, stirring his curiosity.

He remembered that the ruins of the Supreme Dao Arena were not far from the Heavenly Immortal Academy. That was precisely why Qi Daolin had been able to notice so quickly when Shi Hao passed the Heavenly Stairway and get ahead of everyone else to trick him into becoming his disciple.

"Strange, where did the old man go? Why can't I see him anywhere?" Lin Fan surfaced and looked around, but found no trace of Qi Daolin.

"Forget it. He probably won't just abandon me here. Since this place is so comfortable, I might as well keep enjoying it." Lin Fan sank back beneath the water, soaking to his heart's content in the immortal pool and absorbing the essences it contained.

Even the Supreme Bone in his chest began to shimmer with a soft green light, seemingly drinking greedily of the immortal pool's precious liquid as well, nourishing his entire body.