Sitting cross-legged at the bottom of the pool, Ye Tian closed his eyes tightly as tendrils of black aura emanated from his arms, gradually enveloping his entire body, encasing him alongside the azure crystal.
"Chirp chirp!" The little golden mouse mimicked his posture, plopping its tiny rear down on the pool's floor, scratching its head, flicking its tail, and glancing around for a moment before closing its eyes and dozing off.
At that moment, waves of pure spiritual energy surged toward Ye Tian from all directions, converging upon him.
Simultaneously, the azure Martial Soul Crystal at the pool's bottom cracked with a sharp sound, shattering into fragments and vanishing from sight.
"Ah... this feels so wonderful! It feels as though every pore in my body has opened up. Is this the azure Martial Soul? The speed at which I absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth has increased tenfold!"
Ye Tian couldn't help but moan in delight. He directed his inner gaze toward his dantian, discovering an azure Martial Soul, the size of an infant, sitting cross-legged within. The abundant spiritual energy from outside was continuously drawn in, flowing vigorously through his meridians.
Seizing the opportunity, Ye Tian began to practice the Condensation Technique. Instantly, the spiritual energy coalesced, forming brilliant acupoints that spread throughout his entire being.
Ten... twenty... thirty...
As time passed, the number of acupoints within Ye Tian's body increased exponentially. Within just one hour, he had already formed over a hundred acupoints.
Moreover, this number continued to rise.
Booming...
A torrent of pure and powerful spiritual energy was relentlessly drawn into Ye Tian's body, creating a vortex around him that voraciously consumed the surrounding spiritual energy.
Splash!
Under Ye Tian's fervent absorption, the entire pool began to churn violently, ultimately forming a massive whirlpool above his head, rapidly drawing in the energies from all directions.
"This guy!"
"What a freak!"
"How astonishing!"
Such a terrifying commotion immediately captured the attention of the others in the Spirit Pool. Lin Fei, Prince Thirteen, and Yun Shuiyao, who were closest to Ye Tian, opened their eyes in shock.
Soon after, Wu Ding, Prince Seven, Bai Yunfei, and Meng Shiyun also opened their eyes, gazing in astonishment.
When they realized that the source of this extraordinary disturbance was Ye Tian, their expressions varied.
Prince Seven, as domineering as ever, gazed with piercing eyes and exclaimed, "Excellent! A powerhouse like this is perfect to serve as my general, to conquer the world alongside me!"
The others nearby exchanged incredulous looks, regarding him as if he were a fool.
"Hmph!" Wu Ding's expression darkened as he coldly snorted, then closed his eyes to continue his cultivation.
Bai Yunfei's jealousy intensified, his narrowed eyes revealing a hint of murderous intent.
Meng Shiyun's curiosity deepened, though her veil concealed her expression from view.
Boom!
A muffled sound erupted.
The water around Ye Tian began to boil violently, and the spiritual energy surging toward him grew even denser, causing the air in that area to be displaced by the influx of energy.
Finally, when Ye Tian had perfected the Condensation Technique, the number of his false acupoints increased to 360, combining with his original 360 acupoints to form a celestial map of stars, exuding an extraordinary aura.
Booming...
As Ye Tian reached the pinnacle of the Condensation Technique, the 720 acupoints radiated like brilliant stars, rapidly absorbing the torrent of spiritual energy around them.
"This is exhilarating!" Ye Tian opened his eyes, two beams of captivating light shooting forth from them. He felt an immense sense of comfort, his vitality and spirit reaching their zenith.
"With the Condensation Technique perfected and the abundant spiritual energy here, I should be able to ascend to the Martial Spirit realm, right?" Sensing his unparalleled peak state, Ye Tian's eyes sparkled with determination as he resolved to challenge the Martial Spirit realm.
Following the method outlined in the Blood Demon Transformation, Ye Tian's first step was to condense the Blood Pill; each main meridian's source required a Blood Pill.
This was the method proposed in the Blood Demon Transformation, which, upon successful completion, would elevate him to the Martial Spirit realm, and he would become the most formidable Martial Spirit.
Suppressing his excitement, Ye Tian activated the Blood Demon Transformation's heart technique, surrounding himself with a crimson aura as he accelerated his absorption of the surrounding spiritual energy.
"Let's begin with you... the first Blood Pill!" Ye Tian focused on one of the thick main meridians, and with a thought, he began to gather his true essence.
Instantly, a torrent of true essence surged forth, drawing in boundless spiritual energy from all directions. Under Ye Tian's control, a crimson point of light slowly emerged at the source of the main meridian, growing brighter until it formed a blood-red true pill the size of a fist.
Though Ye Tian was filled with excitement, his expression remained calm as he continued to condense the Blood Pill. This was only the first; he was still far from his goal of condensing ten Blood Pills.
The blood-red true pill shone brilliantly, even more radiant than the acupoints, resembling a blood-red sun, casting dazzling light that made Ye Tian's dantian appear draped in a shroud of crimson silk.
"Congeal!"
Ye Tian shouted, as an endless stream of spiritual energy flowed into his dantian, gradually coalescing into the second Blood Pill under his command.
Booming!
The true essence surged, the blood light blazed, and the vast spiritual energy spread, causing the water in the Spirit Pool to boil as if it were on fire. The evaporating mist formed clouds that floated above the Spirit Pool.
Ye Tian remained remarkably composed, his vitality and spirit still at their peak. Condensing two Blood Pills had minimal impact on him, and his true essence remained robust.
"Let's go for another!" Ye Tian murmured, concentrating all his true essence to begin condensing the third Blood Pill. As this pill emerged, his entire dantian trembled, and his physical body radiated a fierce blood light.
"Not enough, keep going!"
Ye Tian roared internally, mobilizing all his true essence and dividing it into three streams of power, each directed toward a different point, as he attempted to condense three Blood Pills simultaneously.
This scene was utterly astonishing; within Ye Tian's body, a radiant blood-colored world emerged. Three dazzling Blood Pills appeared, emitting intense light and energy that caused his body to tremble.
Careless!
Ye Tian's expression grew serious, a jolt of alarm coursing through him, yet he maintained his composure.
Condensing three Blood Pills at once had succeeded, but the overwhelming energy threatened to push his body to its limits, causing him to struggle under the weight of such immense power.
"No! I must endure!" Ye Tian's gaze blazed fiercely, and he gritted his teeth; having come this far, he was determined not to give up.
"If the Blood Demon Blade Lord can succeed, why can't I?"
"I, Ye Tian, will condense ten Blood Pills!"
"Either I do not break through, or if I do, I shall become the strongest among Martial Spirits!"
Ye Tian roared within, enduring the excruciating pain coursing through his body as he began to forcibly condense the seventh Blood Pill. His true essence was abundant, with 720 acupoints continuously unleashing boundless energy.
The spiritual energy in the Spirit Pool flowed toward Ye Tian without cessation, but the only challenge he faced was the impending collapse of his physical form.
Ye Tian had never practiced any techniques to enhance his body, so his physique was akin to that of an ordinary half-step Martial Spirit. However, while others only needed to condense one Golden Pill to ascend to the Martial Spirit realm, he had to condense ten.
Consequently, the pressure on Ye Tian's body was tenfold compared to others.
He was nearing the absolute limit of his physical endurance!
"Limits... are what push one to breakthrough. I will condense again!" Ye Tian whispered, his eyes like lightning, piercing through the void. His true essence trembled violently, and finally, he succeeded in condensing a Blood Pill.
The seventh Blood Pill!
Ye Tian clenched his teeth, his body enduring unprecedented pressure as crimson blood began to seep from his pores, staining the surrounding pool water.
His body was on the brink of collapse.
Yet Ye Tian seemed to have gone mad; his eyes burned red, mirroring the blood-red true essence within him, exuding an otherworldly aura, as if he had become possessed.
"The eighth..." Ye Tian growled softly, disregarding the imminent collapse of his body as he prepared to forcefully condense the eighth Blood Pill.
Booming!
At that moment, the area surrounding Ye Tian erupted into a boiling frenzy, the immense commotion preventing Wu Ding, Prince Thirteen, and the others from continuing their meditations.
They all turned, their faces etched with shock.
"What kind of perverse technique is this guy practicing?" Lin Fei exclaimed, overwhelmed.
"It seems he's attempting to ascend to the Martial Spirit realm, but the commotion is simply too great!" Prince Thirteen remarked, visibly moved, then added with a hint of exasperation, that he had just ascended to the Martial Spirit realm himself with hardly any noise, unnoticed by anyone.
"Even in this state, he hasn't yet ascended to the Martial Spirit realm!" Yun Shuiyao's big, adorable eyes widened in astonishment.
Everyone was once again taken aback; this baptism in the Spirit Pool had been disrupted by Ye Tian, and aside from him, no one else had managed to undergo a proper cleansing.
Not far from the Spirit Pool, the bald youth furrowed his brow and cast a fleeting glance toward Ye Tian's direction. His pupils suddenly constricted, and his expression darkened.
"This kid... has truly squandered his opportunity!" The bald youth's face turned grim as he muttered under his breath. He extended a hand, and his profound true essence erupted, coalescing in the air into a massive hand that reached for Ye Tian.
"Starry Hand!"
"What is that...?"
This commotion left Wu Ding and the others gasping in shock, their gazes toward the bald youth transformed entirely.
This was no mere youth... he was clearly an ancient being rejuvenated, now revealing his formidable side.
Boom!
As Ye Tian was in the process of condensing the eighth Blood Pill, he was suddenly attacked. He barely had time to react before a colossal hand seized him, hurling him out of the Spirit Pool.
"You brat, get as far away as you can, or I'll strike you every time I see you!" The bald youth tossed Ye Tian out through the stone door, then shot a cold glare at Wu Ding and the others, clearly furious.
Wu Ding and the others had long been intimidated by the bald youth's strength; they dared not utter a word and hastily closed their eyes to resume their cultivation.
Outside the stone door, Ye Tian tumbled to the ground, jolting him awake as he looked around in confusion.