Xuan felt as if someone had poured molten steel through his veins, causing him to tremble violently. But for the sake of not ruining the effects of the marble, he persevered.
Behind him, Yuelan's entire body turned cold, freezing the water nearby, whereas Xuan heated it up.
Because of that small little detail, the pearls didn't overwhelm either of them.
Yuelan's skin took on a faint glow as threads of frost stretched along her arms and neck. However, before it could get out of hand, a sudden warmth enveloped her.
At the same time, the heat that seemed to almost consume Xuan calmed itself from the sudden burst of cold.
And just like that, the heat subsided. It was almost like the two were circulating their Qi in unison, easing the pain the other felt.
A few minutes turned into hours, when all of a sudden, a strange sensation overtook Xuan. His skin tightened, then cracked as thin lines spread across his arms and chest like fissures in stone.
Yuelan's body mirrored the change, yet hers was slightly slower. The sound of their skin cracking was soft but unmistakable, like porcelain breaking under pressure.
It was as if a layer of their bodies had been shed, and a moment later, the two began floating up slowly. Yet they hadn't realized. They were too immersed in what was happening inside their bodies.
Eventually, they floated to the very top of the pond, and then they were spewed outward.
The moment their bodies touched the mountain peak, their eyes opened wide, causing a wave of Qi to exude from their bodies.
Ripples spread through the nearby pond and dust was sent flying violently. The clouds above them trembled, slightly parting as a fierce gust of wind blew over them.
And a moment later, a few pop-ups flashed before their eyes.
"Hmm..." Xuan scratched his cheek. "This was a lot fancier than I expected."
When he glanced at his hands, he realized his skin had turned crystal smooth, just like porcelain.
He wasn't that intrigued by it, but Yuelan, on the other hand, was.
"Wow..." Yuelan mumbled, looking at her reflection in the pond.
Her dark blue hair had grown much longer and her body had undergone a pretty massive upgrade as well. Her curves were more accentuated, and she radiated this presence of a goddess of beauty.
But to Xuan, there was barely any difference.
"Don't I look like one of those idols?" Yuelan asked as a warm smile appeared on her face as she turned toward him with puppy dog eyes. "Should I just quit cultivating and become an idol? Big brother, will you support me?"
"No."
Xuan stepped closer and flicked her on the head.
"Now stop with that nonsense. We're done here," he said plainly. "We got a special treasure, and we even became much stronger. Slowing down now is not an option, Yuelan."
"Hmph... you're no fun," Yuelan replied and stood up. "So where to now? The castle?"
"Food first," Xuan said firmly. "I'm really hungry after whatever just happened in there."
Yuelan sighed. "Same."
But of course, before the two left this mountain peak, he wanted to do two things, one of which was to check his status.
Name: Xiao Xuan
Cultivation: Sixth Level Spirit Warrior
(Qi: 720,799,750 / 819,200,000)
Legacy: None
Bloodline: None
Physique: Boundless Void Physique
Physical Strength: 28,200 → 48,200
Mental Strength: 23,480
Physical Defense: 36,670 → 86,670
Mental Defense: 16,700
<★ Xiao Yuelan - Fifth Level Spirit Warrior>
"Oh? A star appeared beside your name," Xuan remarked, then pressed on it.
It seemed like he didn't need to pat her head anymore to transfer skills, so that was a plus. But that seemed to not be all.
It almost felt like he knew what she was going to say before she even said it.
Is that because of the deepened mental and emotional connection? How trippy... Xuan thought, then met her gaze.
"Sorry, looks like I don't have anything to give you this time," Yuelan replied regretfully. "And no, I wasn't slacking off. My swordsmanship just takes too long to level up."
"It's fine." Xuan shook his head, then narrowed his eyes. "More importantly... Can you use the Void Qi Gathering Technique?"
Yuelan's eyes widened and without hesitation, she sat down in a lotus position and tried activating the technique.
To his genuine surprise, Void Qi began swirling around her, slowly entering her Dantian. Yet she didn't cultivate for longer than 5 seconds as her eyes shot open, a massive smile on her face.
"Hehe... looks like I'll finally be able to use your skills," she said confidently. "I need 5,000 to reach the next rank. Do you think I'll get a special physique just like you?"
"Who knows?" Xuan shrugged. "Anyways, you're in for a real treat. The amount of Void Qi you need per rank is... it's a lot."
"I'm sure it can't be that bad." Yuelan hummed, adjusting her dress that was slightly charred and frozen. "Also, don't worry, I'll try to get some cool skills for you. I don't want to be a leech."
Xuan chuckled. "Alright, I'll look forward to it."
Anyhow, now that they were done with the basics, it was time to head down.
But as he approached the edge, Yuelan suddenly coughed, then pointed at the pond.
"We can't leave it, can we?" Yuelan said. "It's a valuable treasure. We can use it for alchemy or—"
"In case you didn't notice, we don't exactly have a way to bring it down," Xuan said matter-of-factly. "Just leave it here. If anything, we can come back for it some other time."
Yuelan pouted, but instead of complaining, she approached the edge of the mountain peak and suddenly jumped off, making Xuan's eyes widen.
"You idiot!"