As Hun Yu stood up, his eyes were drawn to the soft light illuminating the area. Amidst the glow, Yun Xiu stood with a slight flush on her cheeks.
He couldn't fathom why she had punched him, but the lingering softness of her touch was pleasant.
His gaze fell on the pool, which seemed to light up the entire area. Yun Xiu, recovering with a slight cough, walked towards it.
"This... is the Spirit Spring Pool,".
Spirit Spring Pools are natural treasures, capable of greatly enhancing a cultivator's abilities. These pools, rare and incredibly difficult to find, are so coveted that no force within the empire possesses one.
Hun Yu focused on the pool, sensing the potent energy within. This was what he needed to awaken his physique.
He nearly rushed towards it, but Yun Xiu intercepted him, picking up a stone and tossing it into the water.
The moment the stone hit the surface, the water erupted in a wave of intense heat.
A cold sweat broke out on Hun Yu's forehead as he realized that if he had jumped in, his very bones might have been obliterated.
"I sensed concentrated energy at the bottom of this pool," Yun Xiu explained. "Though the temperature here seems normal, it releases heat when something touches it. It's a deadly trap."
"This is dangerous. We should come back later," she advised. Despite the allure of the Ember White Flame's power, her Qi attribute was not fire, and she doubted her ability to control it. She might escape, but Hun Yu would be in grave danger.
Hun Yu, anxious about when they might return and knowing the urgency of awakening his physique, pleaded, "Wait, Miss Yun."
As Hun Yu looked directly into Yun Xiu's eyes, she couldn't help but recall the earlier scene, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"Can you help me enter this pool?" he asked.
"No," Yun Xiu replied firmly. "This is very dangerous for someone with body tempering cultivation."
Hearing her rejection, Hun Yu knew she wouldn't agree unless he explained further.
"Actually, you see, I want to enter because of my physique," he admitted.
At first, Yun Xiu thought Hun Yu was making excuses to enter the pool, but his serious expression made her pause.
"What?!" she exclaimed. "A physique? How do you even know you have one?"
After what felt like an hour of convincing, Hun Yu finally managed to get Yun Xiu to agree to let him enter the pool.
"Be careful. I'll pull you out if I sense anything wrong," she said, wrapping him in her Qi to protect him from the extreme temperature of the water.
Hun Yu nodded, glancing at Yun Xiu. He had a feeling that the sect master might have some feelings for him.
Though it might sound dumb, her behavior toward him was unusually caring. Was this her natural kindness, or was he reading too much into it? He pondered this as he removed his top.
Yun Xiu turned her head, embarrassed to look at Hun Yu.
"System, it should work, right?" he asked.
{Yes}
Taking a deep breath, Hun Yu jumped into the pool. The water was scalding hot, but Yun Xiu's energy protected him from immediate harm.
He closed his eyes, letting himself float on the water's surface.
The intense heat seeped through the protective barrier, and Hun Yu could feel his body reacting.
His heart pounded in his chest, each beat resonating with a strange, unfamiliar power. The water around him seemed to pulse in rhythm with his heartbeat, growing hotter and more turbulent.
Hun Yu focused on his breathing, trying to stay calm. He could feel the energy within him starting to stir, a dormant force awakening.
The sensation was both exhilarating and terrifying. His body began to glow faintly, an ethereal light emanating from his skin.
The air around the pool crackled with energy, and Yun Xiu watched with bated breath.
She could sense the immense power radiating from Hun Yu, a power that was both chaotic and overwhelming. Her protective qi strained against the force, but she held firm, determined to keep Hun Yu safe.
Inside the pool, Hun Yu's mind was a whirlwind of sensations. The heat, the energy, the awakening force within him—it was all-consuming.
He could feel his strength growing, his body transforming. The light around him intensified, illuminating the entire cavern with a blinding brilliance.
A whirlpool of energy rotated around his heart, its force growing stronger with each passing moment.
The sensation was unlike anything he had ever experienced, a powerful current that seemed to draw everything towards his core.
The energy swirled faster, becoming more intense, as if a storm was raging within him.
His cultivation broke through one level after another at an incredible speed. Visible black markings, like tattoos, appeared all around his torso and back.
These intricate, extensive markings covered most of his torso and extended to his arms and neck.
They were black and seemed a mix of tribal and abstract designs, giving the impression of smoke or shadows wrapping around his body.
[ REF IMAGE]
Yun Xiu's eyes widened in concern. "This awakening doesn't look normal at all," she murmured.
She quickly set up a barrier to stop attracting attention; otherwise, with this much disturbance, every powerful person in the empire would be alerted.
As Hun Yu's transformation continued, the intensity of the energy within him grew.
The black markings on his body pulsed with a dark light, synchronizing with his heartbeat. The once tranquil pool now roared with energy, the water churning violently around him.
Yun Xiu felt the strain of maintaining her protective qi, but she knew she couldn't falter.
The sheer power emanating from Hun Yu was unlike anything she had ever encountered. She fortified the barrier around them, ensuring that the incredible surge of power would remain contained.
Hun Yu's mind raced, the sensation of the energy storming through him both exhilarating and overwhelming. Finally, the area began to calm down, and everything returned to normal.
He opened his eyes and looked at the System panel in front of him:
{Physique: Malefic Heart Physique (Stage 1)}
As he read the name of the physique, a sense of foreboding washed over him. Is this a good physique or a bad one?
{Notice - Due to the awakening, the Host was breaking through cultivation levels at a very fast rate.
To protect the Host's foundation and save him from future trouble due to the foundation becoming unstable from continuous breakthroughs, the System automatically stopped the breakthroughs at Tempering Body Rank 9.}
{Cultivation Level: Tempering Body 9 (x)}
{And the remaining energy was converted to Energy Points: +7068}
"Wha... So many," he thought, looking at the total energy points of around 8500.
He wanted to cry tears of joy. This many points would normally take him 1-2 years to accumulate through simple tasks.
Yun Xiu looked at the scene. Everything seemed to have calmed down. She used her Qi to float Hun Yu out of the pond.
Slowly, Hun Yu's legs landed on the ground as he stood before Yun Xiu, who still had a shocked expression on her face.
She slowly closed the distance and examined his body, looking at the tattoos that had appeared. His hair was darker, and there was a glow of saffron in his eyes.
Hun Yu looked around, feeling the immense strength in his body. He felt he could easily break boulders and rocks.
If he felt this strong just at this level, he couldn't imagine how powerful Yun Xiu must be.
His awakening had been made possible because of Yun Xiu, and with firm resolve, he decided to repay her kindness a hundredfold.
"What is this physique?" Yun Xiu muttered, trying to discern the nature of Hun Yu's physique. She had never heard of such a physique or anything like it.
Yun Xiu could sense that this physique was far from normal. It seemed like some kind of evil physique. She needed to confirm if there were any side effects.
"Hun Yu, how do you feel? Do you notice anything strange?" she asked.
"Um, I don't know. I feel strong... and I think I've obtained night vision. I can see clearly in the dark," he replied.
Yun Xiu finally noticed the drastic change in Hun Yu's cultivation. Her mouth dropped open in shock.
From Tempering Body 3 to directly 9? Though it might be because of the pool's energy, she had never seen anyone achieve such rapid breakthroughs in such a short time. She checked Hun Yu's foundation stability, and it seemed normal.
So many breakthroughs without affecting the foundation stability—this was unprecedented.
Another thought came to her mind. Could this be related to his bloodline? Hun Yu had mentioned he was a prince of some empire, implying he had royal blood.
She fell into deep thoughts.
...
Somewhere far away, inside a ruined building hidden from the world, an old man sat with an orb nearby, lost in thought.
The orb suddenly glowed faintly for a few seconds, catching his attention.
"This...!!!" Excitement spread across his face as he hurriedly picked up the orb.
It was no hallucination—it really glowed.
"HAHAHAHA!!"
"The royal bloodline is still alive! The prince is still alive!!!"
"I have to find him as soon as possible," the old man said, clutching the orb. "The light was faint, which means the prince must be very, very far away."
With a wave of his hand, the space around him distorted, and he disappeared from sight, taking the orb with him.
...
Yun Xiu sighed, feeling exhausted after witnessing so many absurd things.
What more absurdity could she possibly witness? But it was good for Hun Yu since he would be able to reach higher cultivation with the help of his unknown physique.
"Do you know what benefits your physique provides?" she asked, hoping to understand more about this mysterious power.
///
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Realms:
Tempered Body
-
Elementary Realm
-
Spirit Manifestation
- Family heads in Small City
Nascent Profound Realm
-
Profound Realm
- Elders or Family heads in big cities
Lord Profound Realm
- Head of main Family in the empire
High Lord Profound Realm = Tier 7 Beast
- Top Powerhouse in the empire (only 6)
King Realm
Emperor Realm
Sovereign Realm
Weapon and techniques Grades:
1 - Bronze Grade:
2 - Silver Grade:
3 - Platinium Grade:
4 - Gold Grade:
5 - Diamond Grade: