Chapter 736 730: Entering the Medicine Pool

Down in the valley, potent and surging Energy roiled endlessly. The milky-white water of the Medicine Pool swirled without end, and a rich medicinal fragrance washed over him. The immense Energy enveloped Shen Haoran completely. Every pore on his body opened, greedily drinking in the surrounding potent Energy.

"What powerful Energy!" Shen Haoran took a deep breath, his eyes filled with delight. 'With such immense Energy,' he thought, 'I might actually be able to break through to the Spirit Emperor Level.'

"Young Friend Shen, this is the Medicine Pool cultivated by us, the five major influences of Central City," Yao Wuchen reminded Shen Haoran. "This is merely the top of the pool. The deeper you go, the more terrifying the Energy it contains becomes. If you wish to break through to the Spirit Emperor Level, the surface alone should be sufficient. Do not, under any circumstances, dive too deep. The Energy that has accumulated in the depths over the years is so great that not even we dare to venture in. Otherwise, a single moment of carelessness could cause your body to explode!"

"I understand." Shen Haoran nodded, but inwardly he was unconvinced. 'If it were anyone else trying to reach the Spirit Emperor Level, the surface of the Medicine Pool would be more than enough. But for me, it's nowhere near sufficient. The Energy here is immense, but it's just a drop in the bucket. The amount of Spiritual Power I need for a breakthrough is astronomical. Still, the Energy stored in this Medicine Pool is truly impressive.'

"Thank you for this gift, Hall Master Yao. I'm going in!" Shen Haoran nodded to Yao Wuchen, then leaped directly into the valley below.

SPLASH...

Like a fish, Shen Haoran dove headfirst into the Medicine Pool, sending up a spray of milky-white liquid. The moment he submerged, the surrounding fluid seemed to answer some invisible call, converging frantically toward him.

Shen Haoran surfaced and sat quietly cross-legged in the pool. His hands formed a Sealing Technique as he began his Cultivation. Above the valley, Yao Wuchen and the others saw him enter his meditative state, nodded in satisfaction, and then departed.

Bai Zhennan watched Shen Haoran, whose eyes were tightly shut, and a sinister smile touched his lips. After the group had exited the valley, a dark figure slipped back in. It stood on the opposite side of the valley, staring coldly at Shen Haoran's back. With a casual flick of its wrist, a crimson pill was tossed into the Medicine Pool, creating a ripple before vanishing. The dark figure then concealed itself and disappeared.

"Boss, wake up, wake up! They're all gone!" A moment later, Changmao emerged from within Shen Haoran's body and leaped directly into the Medicine Pool. He began to swim about joyfully; the immense Energy in the milky-white liquid was so potent that even Changmao could barely contain his excitement.

The moment Changmao's voice fell, Shen Haoran's tightly closed eyes slowly opened. 'I just gave it a try,' he thought. 'The Energy on the surface really can't satisfy me.' Every pore on his body was now wide open, greedily devouring the surrounding Energy. He could feel his very cells rejoicing.

"Since they're gone, let's head deeper," Shen Haoran said with a light chuckle, glancing up toward the top of the valley. He had only pretended to be cultivating on the surface earlier because he didn't want Yao Wuchen and the others to discover his body's secrets. 'Now that they've left, I can devour the Energy in this Medicine Pool without holding back.'

"You got it!" Changmao cried excitedly, taking the lead and diving deeper. Shen Haoran immediately followed, descending into the depths of the Medicine Pool.

The deeper they went, the more terrifyingly potent the Energy in the Medicine Pool became. The liquid grew viscous, and Shen Haoran could even see the remnants of Spirit Medicines that had yet to be fully assimilated by the pool.

Sensing the increasingly powerful pressure from the surrounding Energy, Shen Haoran's expression grew grave. This level of pressure had already reached the absolute limit for someone at the Spirit Aspect Stage. But for Shen Haoran, it still wasn't enough. The Spiritual Power he needed for a breakthrough had to be exceptionally pure. Although the Energy here was vast, after it was put through the Refinement of his three Heaven and Earth Spirits, the resulting amount was laughably small by comparison.

He continued to dive deeper, soon reaching the lower section of the Medicine Pool. The Energy pressure here was so intense that it made even Shen Haoran's scalp tingle. If not for the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian enveloping his body, he doubted he could have withstood it.

"This is the spot. I won't be able to handle it if I go any deeper," Shen Haoran said in a low voice, stopping his descent. He looked around at the nearly solid, milky-white medicinal fluid.

At his words, Changmao also stopped. It made little difference to him; as the Beast Soul of one of the Ancient Ten Fierce Beasts, he had more than enough durability to handle the pressure. He would have been fine even if they went deeper.

Shen Haoran took a deep breath, pushing aside all distracting thoughts. 'With such immense Energy supporting me, I must break through to the Spirit Emperor Level this time. If I don't, I swear I will not leave this Medicine Pool!'

Closing his eyes, he formed the cultivation Seal Technique with his hands. Pulses of Devouring Power erupted from his body, and the viscous liquid around him began to form a massive vortex centered on him, surging continuously into his body.

TSSSSS...

As the vast quantities of medicinal liquid passed through the Fire Curtain created by the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian, they let out a series of sizzling sounds. The Fire Spirit Black Obsidian had formed a protective layer around Shen Haoran; only after undergoing its Refinement could the immense volume of liquid enter his body.

The Energy within the Medicine Pool was vast, but it was also riddled with impurities. Countless Spirit Medicines, Elixirs, and other Treasures of Heaven and Earth were all mixed together. A stream of the liquid as thick as an arm would shrink to the width of a finger after the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian's Refinement, but it became immeasurably purer. A satisfied smile graced Shen Haoran's lips as he felt that exceptionally pure Energy flowing into his body.

The vortex continued to expand, and the temperature of the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian climbed ever higher, boiling the milky-white liquid around it. Massive bubbles drifted steadily toward the surface of the pool. Under the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian's frenzied Refinement, the aura inside Shen Haoran's body grew steadily stronger. After a moment, he finally touched the barrier to the Tier Nine Spirit Aspect.

Focusing his mind, Shen Haoran directed the vast Spiritual Power within him to charge the barrier of the Tier Nine Spirit Aspect. Under his relentless assault, the tough barrier suddenly shattered. In that instant, Shen Haoran's aura skyrocketed. The full power of a Tier Nine Spirit Aspect erupted, sending the surrounding liquid churning violently once more.

Now at the Tier Nine Spirit Aspect, Shen Haoran's Refinement became even more frenzied. With his massive increase in strength, his refinement speed soared, and he churned up the entire middle section of the Medicine Pool.

Meanwhile, deep within the Medicine Pool, the crimson pill slowly dissolved. A violent, berserk Energy began to spread, soon agitating the stable Energy at the very bottom of the pool and triggering a terrifying rampage...