Mu Chen and his group returned to the location of the Golden Pool. The moment they stepped into the clearing, Nibi, who had been resting comfortably in Mu Chen's arms, didn't wait for a formal invitation.
With an excited wiggle, she leaped from his grasp and dove headfirst into the metallic, glowing liquid. The golden surface rippled as she submerged herself, immediately returning to her usual lazy and pampered demeanour, floating atop the liquid like a pampered queen.
Yun Er stood at the edge of the pond, her eyes wide as she took in the sight.
"Wow, this Golden Pool... I've heard about it quite a bit these past few days," she said, her voice filled with genuine surprise.
Knowledge of this top-tier treasure was common among the practitioners in the ruins, yet the pool remained largely untouched. The forest surrounding it was inhabited by powerful spiritual beasts that acted as natural guardians, and most cultivators didn't even harbor the courage to attempt an entry, let alone a long soak.
"Nibi and I arrived here when we first entered the ruins," Mu Chen said as he gave a slight nod to Yun Er's observation.
"The temperature is perfect," Shen Xi remarked softly. She crouched down at the edge of the pond, extending a jade-like hand to test the warmth of the golden liquid. Her fingers dipped into the pool, sending small, shimmering waves outward.
The temperature was indeed ideal—resembling a natural hot spring, it possessed a therapeutic quality that seemed to seep into the skin. It was the perfect environment for those burdened by the fatigue of travel or combat. A soak in these waters didn't just cleanse the body; it promised to soothe the very soul.
Yun Er felt it would be a catastrophic waste of opportunity to stand by and simply watch. "Hehe, let me try to achieve a breakthrough!"
Her eyes bright with determination. She knew that with the pool's assistance, the bottleneck she had been facing might finally crumble.
Mu Chen looked at her for a moment and then offered a casual shrug. "Well then, let me help you."
With a simple, lazy wave of his hand, the atmosphere in the mountain range shifted violently. It was as if a vacuum had been created directly above the Golden Pool.
For miles in every direction, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was ruthlessly sucked toward the clearing, gathering in a massive, swirling funnel of invisible power.
Yun Er's body jolted as the air around her became thick with energy. She could feel her pores opening hungrily, desperate to absorb the overwhelming concentration of Qi that Mu Chen had summoned. The pressure was intense, forcing her to immediately begin running her cultivation technique to manage the influx.
"Hehe, thanks, Mu Chen, for this," Yun Er said, her voice tinged with excitement as she prepared to submerge herself.
"Well, since we took benefit of you during that restaurant meal, then I think this should be a fair repayment for that," Mu Chen replied.
While he used the meal as a convenient excuse, the truth was deeper. Mu Chen had observed her actions when Shen Xi was under attack; even though Yun Er had arrived late, her intention had been clear.
For Mu Chen, those who showed kindness to his family were worthy of a reward that surpassed mortal understanding.
As he directed the gathered energy, he didn't just increase the density of the Qi; he fundamentally altered the quality of the Golden Pool. With a silent thought, he upgraded the pool from a first-tier creation resource to a heaven-defying level.
Under his influence, the liquid would now do more than just facilitate a breakthrough; it would mold her entire physical body and refine her talent into that of a monstrous genius.
In the current dynasties, she was considered a prodigy. But against the core disciples of the Super Sects, she wouldn't have lasted ten moves.
Not anymore.
Yun Er chuckled, looking at him one last time before stepping into the liquid. "Mu Chen, you shouldn't think that this princess is so petty that I would hold a grudge against friends over such a trivial matter as a bill. But now I'm thinking... if you're going to repay me like this, I might actually start holding them!"
She laughed at her own joke and then dove into the center of the Golden Pool, crossing her legs and sinking into a deep state of meditation as the upgraded liquid began to work its magic.
"I am also tired; I should take a bath as well," Shen Xi said, her voice quiet.
Before stepping through the barrier, Shen Xi paused at its edge. She looked back at Mu Chen — not at the cloud, not at the cat, but at him directly. He met her gaze for a moment, unhurried.
Then he smiled. The same quiet, familiar smile he always gave her. That was enough.
Then she followed Yun Er's lead, stepping into the shimmering warmth of the pool to allow her tired limbs to recover.
Mu Chen found no further reason to remain on the bank. With a flick of his fingers, he constructed a barrier around the Golden Pool, sealing the clearing off from any outside interference.
Nibi, however, had decided she was sufficiently soaked. She leaped from the pool, her fur dry in an instant, and landed directly on Mu Chen's chest as he lay on his cloud. She had no intention of letting him sleep. She began to disturb him, hitting his face with her small, soft paws and meowing loudly, demanding that he play with her.
As they bickered on the cloud, the peace of the forest was suddenly shattered. A dozen powerful roars erupted from the surrounding, the sound waves so intense they caused the very trees and mountains range to shake. These were spiritual beasts, the true rulers of this territory.
Inside the barrier, the girls remained blissfully unaware of the chaos, the sounds of the forest completely blocked. Mu Chen, however, found the noise to be an unwelcome interruption to his playtime with Nibi. He looked toward the source of the roars and spoke in a low silent voice.
"Be quiet."
The roars were cut short as if the beasts' throats had been simultaneously seized by an invisible hand. A heavy, absolute silence fell over the mountain range, so profound that even the rustle of leaves seemed to cease.
In the wake of the silence, two figures approached the clearing. They were Xiao Li and the blind swordsman, Li Chen. Both looked slightly travel-worn.
The spiritual beasts in the area had been exceptionally hostile toward cultivators, and if Mu Chen had not just silenced them, the duo would have been forced to retreat. No matter how strong they were, fighting a horde of a dozen Nascent Soul-level beasts alone was a suicide mission.
Xiao Li spotted Mu Chen lounging on his cloud and waved. "Mu Chen, you're here? Where are Sister Shen Xi and Yun Er?"
Mu Chen didn't get up. He was currently occupied with removing Nibi's paw from his face. He pointed toward the barrier without looking. 'Inside the Golden Pool."
Xiao Li's eyes widened, and she let out an excited cry. "Did you say the Golden Pool?"
Mu Chen nodded lazily. Without waiting for another word, Xiao Li sprinted the pool, the barrier did not stop her, allowing her to pass through easily to join the others.
Li Chen, the blind swordsman, stopped a few paces from Mu Chen. He adjusted the heavy sword on his back and clasped his hands in a respectful gesture.
"Brother Mu Chen, we meet again. I must congratulate you on your victory. I hope we could also fight some other day and exchange pointers."
He didn't ask for the details of how Mu Chen had defeated his enemies. To Li Chen, the result was all that mattered, and the result proved that Mu Chen was a worthy opponent who could help him sharpen his own blade.
Nibi looked at Li Chen and then back at Mu Chen. She still felt a lingering chill in her spine remembering the carnage Mu Chen had unleashed in the valley earlier, and she let out a soft meow as she pressed closer to him.
"Don't worry," Mu Chen whispered to the cat as he stroked her fur gently, his eyes fixed on the blind swordsman, Li Chen, he replied, "Yeah. Some day."
Mu Chen didn't decline the offer. He knew Li Chen was a pure cultivator who spoke from his heart and lived for the sword. He appreciated the swordsman's straightforward and simple nature.
Li Chen nodded, satisfied with the answer, and sat at the edge of the clearing to cultivate. He was aware the girls were inside the barrier. In the cultivation world, most would not hesitate to intrude or kill for the sake of resources—morality was often seen as weakness.
But Li Chen was not like most.
...
Half a day passed in quiet cultivation. Suddenly, two powerful tremors of spiritual pressure struck the inside of the barrier.
Soon after, three figures emerged from the golden mist.
The auras of Xiao Li and Yun Er were visibly different than they had been hours before; the gap between their previous strength and their current state was like the distance between heaven and earth. Both had successfully broken through to the Early Nascent Soul stage, and their Qi felt exceptionally stable and refined.
Shen Xi followed them out, looking refreshed but unchanged. She hadn't sought a breakthrough herself, choosing to leave the primary benefits of the pool to the other two.
"Hehe, Mu Chen, thank you!" Yun Er said, her voice full of wonder as she examined her own hands. "But it's strange... why was there no heavenly tribulation? I was prepared for the lightning to strike."
"Yes, why didn't our heavenly tribulation come?" Xiao Li added, her brow furrowing in puzzlement. "A breakthrough always triggers a reaction from the heavens."
In truth, the heavens had intended to strike, but the heavenly laws had learned a bitter lesson in Mu Chen's vicinity and chose to remain silent, then to be get humbled.
Shen Xi, who understood the reality behind the silence, offered a small smile before letting out a low chuckle "Isn't it a good thing?"
Yun Er and Xiao Li looked at each other, still feeling a bit skeptical.
"Yes, but... are we really real Nascent Soul experts now?" Xiao Li asked. "Something like this has never happened before."
Li Chen, who had been meditating nearby, opened his eyes.
"Yes, you are," he confirmed, his voice raspy. "And you are much stronger than you were before. It looks like I have more competitors to worry about."
As a man who had blinded himself to sharpen his other senses, Li Chen could feel the profound change in their auras. But the precise nature of their transformation remained beyond what even his sharpened senses could define.
"Yes, you are Nascent Soul now," Mu Chen said, before flashing a teasing grin. "Do you really want a heavenly tribulation? How about this—in your next breakthrough, I'll make sure it strikes twice as hard to make up for today."
Hearing this, both girls shouted in unison, "Don't joke! We hope it never strikes again!"
Li Chen, who had been waiting patiently, stood up and walked toward the Golden Pool. He didn't ask for permission, and no one sought to stop him. There wasn't much of the liquid left after Mu Chen, Nibi, and the three girls had taken their turn, but there was just enough for one final session.