novelraw Chapter 35 – Spirit Pool
Chapter 35 – Spirit Pool
**October 6th:** Led by an Elder, you arrive at the rear mountain of the Divine General's Manor and see the Song family's treasured Spirit Pool. The dense, almost fog-like spiritual energy rushes towards you. As you activate the Qi Absorption Method and take a breath, your stagnant cultivation level begins to loosen...
The Elder tells you that the Spirit Pool is brimming with spiritual energy, allowing you to emulate the ancient times by absorbing Qi to temper your body...
You all enter the Spirit Pool for cultivation, and the higher your ranking, the closer you can get to the central spring. Since you are ranked ninth, you are placed at the outermost edge of the pool. Even so, your body tempering progress is advancing at a terrifying speed.
During this time, two Heaven-Human Ancestors are monitoring you all.
This doesn't surprise you.
Rumor has it that the central spring of the Spirit Pool was once the treasured artifact of a top-tier power two thousand years ago. After this power was wiped out by the Great Wei Founding Emperor, he awarded the spring to the Song family ancestor, which is why the Song family has remained prosperous.
It's worth noting that at the founding of Great Wei, there were ten Divine Generals. Two thousand years later, six have faded into history. Despite the annual fall of prodigies at the Liangzhou border, the Song family remains strong, with new talents emerging like bamboo shoots after rain. This Spirit Spring is undoubtedly the foundation of the Song family, deserving of utmost importance.
**October 7th:** You break through in body tempering, advancing to Mid-Grade Bronze Bones.
**October 10th:** You break through in body tempering, advancing to High-Grade Bronze Bones.
**October 13th:** You break through in body tempering, advancing to Supreme Bronze Bones.
**October 14th:** While you are diligently cultivating, you suddenly hear the laughter of the two Heaven-Human Ancestors. You open your eyes to a burst of golden light... you discover that Song Qingwei has refined Golden Bones...
**October 15th:** While you are diligently cultivating, you again hear the laughter of the two Heaven-Human Ancestors. You open your eyes to find that Song Fan has refined Golden Bones...
**October 16th:** The ten-day period has ended. Notably, Song Chengming, who was closest to the central spring, did not emit golden light, and neither did you refine Silver Bones... Under the slightly regretful gaze of the two Heaven-Human Ancestors, Song Chengming left with a sullen face, saying nothing.
The news of Song Qingwei and Song Fan refining Golden Bones caused a great stir. Upon hearing this, Emperor Wei was greatly pleased and sent an eunuch to deliver a batch of cultivation resources to the Divine General's Manor. During this time, Lin Manqing visited the Yun Residence, hoping you could persuade Song Fan to become Song Qingwei's protector. You neither refused nor agreed, only stating that you would do your best.
In the following days, Li Ping came to the Yun Residence to find you, stating that in half a month, the Five Great Sects would send Elders to the Alpha Battalion to recruit disciples. With your ninth-place ranking in the competition, you could join any sect. He suggested you choose the Spirit Sword Sect and try to convince Song Fan to join as well.
This surprised you somewhat.
As a top noble family of Great Wei, the Song family is closely tied to the royal family, sharing in its glory and downfall. Logically, they should be opposed to sending many clan members to the Five Great Sects for cultivation, especially since the Song family's Scripture Repository lacks no martial arts.
Li Ping tells you that while the Five Great Sects may be hostile to the Great Wei Dynasty and the Song family, which is allied with the royal family, they do not wish to see the Song family fall. The Song family guards Liangzhou, fighting demons and protecting the people of Great Wei, while also sparing the Five Great Sects from demon attacks. Every three years, they select talented disciples from the Alpha Battalion to help cultivate them for better demon resistance, a tradition that has lasted nearly two thousand years...
In conclusion, Li Ping emphasizes that the Five Great Sects, having survived the Great Wei Founding Emperor's onslaught, are formidable entities with millennia of heritage, far surpassing the Song family in foundation, especially as the Great Wei Dynasty continues to decline.
Moreover, while the Song family's Scripture Repository is vast, it is diverse but not specialized, lacking systematic paths suitable for all Song family disciples, unlike the Five Great Sects.
**November 15th:** Over a dozen Innate Elders from the Spirit Sword Sect, Heavenly Sect, Ten Thousand Buddhas Mountain, Medicine King Valley, Hehuan Sect, and others arrive at the Alpha Battalion to recruit disciples...
You and Song Fan join the Spirit Sword Sect...
And request to bring Lin Qiushui along.
Such behavior of bringing family is usually not allowed, but due to Song Fan's status as a Golden Bone Prodigy and your connection as Lin Manqing's confidant, the two Spirit Sword Sect Elders turn a blind eye.
That afternoon, you return to the Yun Residence to pack your belongings. Amid Nangong Wan's tearful sobs, you retract the leverage you had over her and board the flying boat to the Spirit Sword Sect's mountain gate.
A quick look at "pawread.com" will leave you more fulfilled.
Notably, a few days prior, you exchanged a Profound Grade - Supreme Quality Spirit Artifact for the Ancient Jade in Lu Yi's possession. After Lin Qiushui wore it, the two Spirit Sword Sect Elders did not discover her identity as a Golden Bone Prodigy.
On the flying boat, over a hundred prodigies heading to the Spirit Sword Sect for cultivation are gathered.
They are all noble disciples from the other three Divine General's Manors of Great Wei.
Your group's appearance causes a stir on the flying boat, primarily due to Lin Qiushui's overwhelming beauty. Even with her face covered, she still attracts some unwanted attention. You suspect Song Fan's Child of Fortune attribute is at play, quickly having him reveal his identity and display his Golden Bone prowess, preemptively quashing a clichéd "wolf in sheep's clothing" scenario.
The Steward invites the three of you into a private cabin.
With windows.
Looking at the vast mountains below from the flying boat, you suddenly recall that eerie mountain near the Liangzhou border...
You tell Song Fan about it...
Silence, suspicion, fear, shock... Watching Song Fan's changing expressions, you can't help but wonder if this kid also has an Old Grandpa whispering secrets behind your backs...
**Three minutes later.**
Song Fan says he has some impression of that place, having come across it in an ancient text. If he remembers correctly, it's called the Cursed Land. It's said that in ancient times, a world-shattering battle took place there, with countless peerless experts falling, and the overwhelming Death Qi lingering. If a person inhales this Death Qi, they age rapidly. But that's not the most terrifying part. The most terrifying part is that for cultivators, this Death Qi is akin to the world's most potent poison. Even a Heaven-Human Ancestor would die instantly if they inhaled a breath.
"So terrifying?"
Chen Shi's expression turns serious, but then he becomes puzzled.
During the second simulation, he stayed in that eerie mountain for four years and didn't die instantly.
After hearing Song Fan's answer, you mention that a friend of yours stayed in the Cursed Land for four years, advancing from the Skin Refining Stage to the Organ Refining Stage, and only ended up as an old man, not dying instantly as he said...
**Another minute passes.**
Song Fan tells you that the Death Qi in the Cursed Land is only lethally toxic to cultivators who have opened their spiritual rivers. As for those in the lower five stages, they are still flesh and blood, essentially ordinary people, so inhaling it only causes rapid aging.
You nod after hearing this, then ask if the Death Qi can accelerate cultivation speed, because your friend was a waste, yet in the Cursed Land, he cultivated unusually quickly, crossing from the Skin Refining Stage to the Organ Refining Stage in just four years without any resources.
Song Fan falls silent after hearing this.
He says he cannot answer your question.